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Matt Bowen
Free agent signings, commerce acquisitions and draft picks have reshaped all 32 NFL rosters by this level of the 2025 offseason. However some unsigned free brokers are nonetheless in search of new groups, and we at all times see a couple of late trades earlier than coaching camps begin in July.
With that in thoughts, let’s discover ultimate touchdown spots for 11 veteran free brokers and three gamers who could possibly be dealt. After I consider player-to-team matches, I am taking a look at how every man suits in a scheme, how every may have the ability to assist instantly and whether or not the workforce has the cap area so as to add to the roster. This late within the course of, most of those gamers will find yourself signing one-year, low-risk offers that embrace incentives to make some more money. However they will all assist someplace.
Let’s get to it, and I listed the gamers alphabetically inside every part.
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Free agent suits | Commerce suits
Free agent suits
Finest workforce match: Arizona Cardinals
Allen is not as dynamic of a mover at this late stage of his profession, however the 33-year-old confirmed with Chicago that he is nonetheless a artful route runner who could make himself obtainable to the quarterback. In Arizona, Allen may carve out a job as a chain-moving possibility for Kyler Murray.
Trey McBride and Marvin Harrison Jr. are Murray’s prime two targets, so Allen would compete with Zay Jones and Michael Wilson for reps. Regardless of a heel harm retaining him out of two video games in 2024, Allen completed with at the least 60 receptions for the eighth straight season.
Finest workforce match: Buffalo Payments
Blackmon’s ability set suits with the foundational split-field coverages in Buffalo’s defensive system. Plus, I see him as an improve over Damar Hamlin within the submit. Blackmon has the flexibility to maneuver off his deep landmarks and make performs on the ball. He had three interceptions with the Colts final season, and 4 in 2023. He additionally recorded 85-plus tackles in every of the previous two seasons.
This pickup is all about including extra vary and playmaking upside to the third stage of Buffalo’s protection.
Finest workforce match: New York Jets
There is a want for competitors within the Jets’ huge receiver room reverse of No. 1 possibility Garrett Wilson. With Allen Lazard and Josh Reynolds subsequent on the depth chart, Cooper may are available in and battle for work. Sure, the 30-year-old is exhibiting indicators of decline on tape, however he’s nonetheless an in depth route runner who can uncover. He could possibly be a strong goal for quarterback Justin Fields on play-action ideas, getting open on deep in-breakers.
In 14 video games with the Browns and Payments final season, Cooper caught 44 passes for 547 yards and 4 touchdowns. In 9 full seasons, he has topped the 1,000-yard receiving mark seven occasions and caught 64 profession landing passes.
Finest workforce match: Washington Commanders
Discovering a perfect match for a veteran working again is not straightforward at this level within the offseason, particularly for a participant with Dobbins’ wealthy harm historical past. He missed 4 video games with an MCL sprain final season, but he nonetheless managed a profession excessive in dashing yards (905) and tied a profession excessive in dashing touchdowns (9).
In Kliff Kingsbury’s offense in Washington, I may see Dobbins offering competitors for Brian Robinson Jr. because the early-down runner. Dobbins can run between the tackles and has the juice to create huge performs on the bottom. He took 27 carries for 10 or extra yards final season.
Finest workforce match: Seattle Seahawks
In Seattle, Douglas would compete with Josh Jobe for the No. 3 nook spot and supply general depth in a secondary that likes to combine zone protection (Cowl 2 and Cowl 3) with its man schemes.
Douglas is a bodily nook with the size to disrupt the ball within the air and the willingness to set an edge towards the run (5 tackles for loss final season). He has the required expertise to play zone protection, and he makes use of his 6-foot-2 body to problem receivers on the perimeter. Douglas returned considered one of his 5 interceptions for a landing in 2023, and he had 5 move breakups final season.
Finest workforce match: Atlanta Falcons
A slot nook who performs with a way of urgency, Hilton would instantly improve the Falcons’ nickel bundle. He has a pure really feel for enjoying in area as a protection defender, with the aggressive mentality to sort out and blitz on the perimeters. The match additionally works right here in Raheem Morris’ zone-heavy protection (61.2% of opponent dropbacks in 2024).
Hilton can match inside or patrol alleys as an overhang defender and blitzer. He has recorded 13 interceptions, 11.5 sacks and 34 move breakups in eight NFL seasons.
Finest workforce match: Pittsburgh Steelers
All indicators are pointing at Rodgers heading to Pittsburgh, the place he can have a robust run recreation basis underneath coordinator Arthur Smith and a play-action system that may maintain the pocket agency. The fast recreation will play a job right here, too, given Rodgers’ accelerated launch time and subject imaginative and prescient. And his No. 1 possibility could be newly acquired receiver DK Metcalf, who thrives at creating explosive performs.
However with diminished mobility and declining pocket poise, Rodgers cannot constantly prolong or create on second-reaction performs. He is a pocket thrower at this stage of his profession, and Smith’s recreation plan ought to mirror that. With the Jets in 2024, Rodgers threw 28 landing passes and 11 interceptions. His 48.0 QBR ranked twenty fifth within the league.
0:52
Schrager to McAfee: Cousins a viable candidate for Steelers if Rodgers does not signal
Peter Schrager particulars to Pat McAfee how Kirk Cousins could possibly be an possibility for Pittsburgh if Aaron Rodgers does not signal with the Steelers.
Finest workforce match: Miami Dolphins
With Jalen Ramsey doubtlessly getting traded, Samuel may increase the Dolphins’ secondary. Miami is at the moment counting on Kader Kohou, Artie Burns, Storm Duck, Cam Smith, Ethan Bonner and rookie Jason Marshall Jr. to fill out the remainder of the CB room.
When wholesome, Samuel has a playmaking mentality at cornerback and makes use of sudden closing velocity to interrupt on the ball. That matches in a Miami protection that performed Cowl 2 on 27.3% of opponent dropbacks final season, the fourth most within the league. Samuel has the traits to sample match in man, too. A shoulder harm restricted him to 4 video games in 2024, however Samuel had six interceptions and 26 move breakups in 4 seasons with the Chargers.
Finest workforce match: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Cincinnati and Carolina would additionally work right here, however Simmons suits rather well as an interchangeable security reverse Antoine Winfield Jr. in Todd Bowles’ protection. The Bucs performed probably the most zone protection within the league final season (71.7% of the time), and Simmons can spin to the submit or stroll down in Cowl 3. He is a wonderful communicator with subject consciousness. Simmons has picked off 32 passes over his nine-year profession, together with two final season.
Finest workforce match: Detroit Lions
The Lions took just one edge rusher within the 2025 draft (Boise State’s Ahmed Hassanein), leaving a necessity for a veteran reverse Aidan Hutchinson. So despite the fact that Detroit launched Smith in March, bringing him again on one other deal makes a number of sense.
Smith was productive after getting traded from Cleveland to Detroit earlier than the deadline final season. In eight video games with the Lions, he had 4 sacks and 20 pressures. He is a speed-to-power rusher who can get inside one-on-ones as a standup nostril sort out or 3-technique. That’d give Detroit’s new defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard extra matchup potential up entrance.
Finest workforce match: Tennessee Titans
The Titans signed linebacker Cody Barton in free company, however there may be nonetheless room for coordinator Dennard Wilson so as to add one other veteran on the second stage. White is an off-ball linebacker with run-and-hit traits, and he recorded 9 tackles for loss and a couple of.5 sacks final season with the Cardinals. He has the pursuit velocity to trace the ball on the perimeters, with six interceptions and 16 move breakups in his profession.
In Tennessee, White has the traits to play a three-down function. Wilson can set him up on pressures to make huge performs.
Prime commerce suits
Finest workforce match: Los Angeles Chargers
The Chargers signed Donte Jackson to a two-year deal and Benjamin St-Juste to a one-year contract this offseason. Nonetheless, if Alexander is obtainable in a commerce, he could be seen as an improve in Jesse Minter’s defensive system. The Chargers are zone heavy, taking part in each single-high Cowl 3 and split-safety schemes. Alexander has the play instincts and foot quickness to match routes, and his transition velocity permits him to make performs on the ball. Alexander has intercepted 12 passes and damaged up 57 in his profession.
Finest workforce match: Inexperienced Bay Packers
After being granted permission to hunt a commerce in March, Hendrickson is refusing to play with the Bengals till he receives a brand new contract. If no deal comes collectively, Inexperienced Bay could be the proper touchdown spot for him, as he’d pair properly with Rashan Gary in Jeff Hafley’s defensive system. Lukas Van Ness, a 2023 first-rounder, continues to be growing at this stage, so there’s a path for Inexperienced Bay so as to add extra to its defensive position.
Hendrickson is a relentless defender off the sting, with a deep toolbox of counters and a knack for making performs late within the down. His 17.5 sacks and 65 pressures had been league highs in 2024. This might be a big-time get for the Packers’ protection, which tied for the eighth-most sacks final season (45).
2:13
Orlovsky: Bengals aren’t Tremendous Bowl contenders with out Hendrickson
Pat McAfee and Dan Orlovsky speak about Trey Hendrickson’s contract dispute with the Bengals.
Finest workforce match: Los Angeles Rams
Miami normal supervisor Chris Grier stated the workforce is taking a look at provides for Ramsey, who’s now not a blue-chip defender at age 30. The Rams may use his ability set, as his jolt of velocity and ball manufacturing would improve their secondary. They’d even have to surrender rather a lot much less this time round to accumulate him.
Ramsey can nonetheless sample match vertically downfield, and he nonetheless has high-end backfield imaginative and prescient in zone protection. He would additionally give Los Angeles extra flexibility in sub packages as a result of he can create disruptive performs as a nickel nook. He had 2 interceptions, 8 move breakups and 6 tackles for loss in Miami final season.
