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Keith Srakocic / Associated Press
Training camps are set to open in the NFL in a few days, but many quality free agents remain unsigned.
Last week, we took a look at the best free agents still available at the Camps Edge – players like Jadeveon Clowney, Everson Griffen, and Larry Warford. However, these players won’t necessarily appeal to all teams.
According to Spotrac, 22 of the league’s 32 teams currently have less than $ 20 million in free space. These teams are likely to seek budget options rather than high profile players before camp.
Fortunately, there are still plenty of budget options available.
Here, we’re going to take a look at eight of the most underrated players still floating around in the free agent pool. While many of these guys aren’t known, they are established veterans who have been powerful (albeit underrated) contributors in the past and may be in the right opportunity again.
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Paul Sancya / Associated Press
For teams looking for experienced box security and not keen on trading Jamal Adams, Tavon Wilson should be an intriguing option. While not a multi-professional bowler like Adams, he is a seasoned pro with 110 games and 43 starts on his resume.
Wilson also remains productive at 30. In 16 games with the Detroit Lions last season, he had 98 tackles, five assists and one sack.
If the New York Jets ended up trading Adams, Wilson would be a logical replacement. His aggressive style would work well with defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, and he would be an asset in supporting the race. Wilson would also make sense for the Philadelphia Eagles, who have currently converted online cornerback Jalen Mills for a starting role.
In Philadelphia, Wilson could also reunite with cornerback Darius Slay, who the Eagles acquired from the Lions via a trade this offseason.
Best fit: New York Jets, Philadelphia Eagles
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Andrew Harnik / Associated Press
How healthy is Jordan Reed? This is the most pressing issue for any team still looking to add a tight veteran before camp.
Reed was a Pro Bowler in 2016, but he also suffered numerous concussions throughout his seven-year NFL career. He missed the entire 2019 season after suffering one during the preseason last August.
Reed cleared the concussion protocol in February, according to The Athletic’s Ben Standig. He has at least three teams interested in him and he plans to play in 2020, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
One of those teams could be the Dallas Cowboys, who need a replacement for the departure of free agent Jason Witten to complete their receiving corps. The Carolina Panthers would also make sense, as veteran tight winger Greg Olsen also went in free agency.
If he was in good health, Reed would be a wise replacement for Olsen or Witten. In 2018, he appeared in 13 games and caught 54 passes for 558 yards and two touchdowns.
Best Fit: Dallas Cowboys, Carolina Panthers
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Brynn Anderson / Associated Press
Like Reed, security Tony Jefferson carries health issues. He suffered an ACL tear in October and may not be back 100% in time for camp.
When he is healthy, however, the 28-year-old should be a high level starter for the team employing him.
A former mainstay of the Arizona Cardinals and Baltimore Ravens secondary teams, Jefferson has appeared in 98 games and has 66 starts. With Baltimore in 2018, he racked up 74 tackles, six assists defended and one interception.
The Lions, who placed last in passing defense last season, could be an intriguing destination for Jefferson. Head coach Matt Patricia often used multiple safeties as a defensive coordinator with the New England Patriots, and a trio of Jefferson, Duron Harmon and Tracy Walker would give him a lot of flexibility.
The Cleveland Browns, who have taken a plane over strong safety Karl Joseph this offseason, could also benefit from the addition of their former division foe.
Best fit: Detroit Lions, Cleveland Browns
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Michael Ainsworth / Associated Press
The idea of quarterback Blake Bortles being underrated might seem laughable, but it is who he is at this point in his career. He has 73 regular season starts, over 17,000 passing yards and 103 touchdown passes on his CV.
Most teams won’t find that kind of experience in a potential quarterback at the end of July.
This is where the value of Bortles lies. He’s arguably the best backup yet on the open market, and it would make a lot of sense for a team with questions about the job.
The Pittsburgh Steelers could use a proven save behind Ben Roethlisberger, who is coming back from a serious elbow injury. The duo of Devlin Hodges and Mason Rudolph proved unable to lead the Steelers to the playoffs in place of Big Ben last season, but Bortles is an upgrade on both.
Bortles might be a good fit for the Buffalo Bills as well, as he has a similar athletic profile to starter Josh Allen. Ideally, Buffalo won’t need to rely on his save at any point in 2020, but if so, Bortles could allow for a more seamless transition than current save Matt Barkley.
Best fit: Pittsburgh Steelers, Buffalo Bills
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David Zalubowski / Associated Press
While Larry Warford is the crème de la crème of the remaining offensive line, he’s not the only option for teams in need of guards. Former Cowboys and Denver Broncos guard Ronald Leary remains available and is another starting option.
While Leary is a bit of a health risk – he finished 2017 and 2018 on the injured reserve and missed four more games in 2019 – he has also started 76 of his 77 career games. He could be an option for the Cleveland Browns, who are heading into camp with no clear starter in right guard.
If Leary is ready to take on a backup role, he could return to the Cowboys to give depth behind Connor Williams and Zack Martin. He might even have a chance to knock down Williams on the left side. For his part, Leary does not seem opposed to the idea.
“I still have my nursery in Dallas,” Leary tweeted in March.
Best Fit: Cleveland Browns, Dallas Cowboys
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Charlie Neibergall / Associated Press
Although he’s never been a high-volume receiver, Taylor Gabriel is a great complementary pass-catcher and one of the fastest players in the entire league. According to Chicago Bears wide receiver Anthony Miller, Gabriel was clocked at 24 miles per hour in practice in 2018.
This season, Gabriel caught 67 passes for 688 yards and two touchdowns.
Realistically, Gabriel would make sense for any team looking for a speed dealer in their lineup. The Green Bay Packers are such a team, as they lack a reliable deep threat against No.1 wide receiver Davante Adams.
The San Francisco 49ers would also make a lot of sense for Gabriel. Starter Deebo Samuel is recovering from a broken foot that could keep him out until October, according to Peter King of NBC Sports, although Samuel has since denied that timeline.
49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan also coached Gabriel as the offensive coordinator for the Atlanta Falcons.
Best fit: Green Bay Packers, San Francisco 49ers
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David Zalubowski / Associated Press
Running back Devonta Freeman is making headlines in the free agent market, but he’s apparently unwilling to be a budget option.
“He’s asking for a lot of money,” Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians said of Freeman, by Jon Ledyard of Pewter Report.
However, the return of Theo Riddick could be ready to take on a complementary role for a reasonable price. The 29-year-old missed all of 2019 with a shoulder injury, but he was one of the NFL’s most underrated guns before that.
In six seasons with the Lions, he racked up 285 receptions for 2,238 yards while rushing for 1,023 yards. He’s caught at least 50 assists in each of his last four seasons in Detroit.
Riddick would be an ideal fit for the aforementioned Buccaneers. He could be the kind of reliable quarterback receiver Tom Brady had to James White with the Patriots.
Riddick might also be suitable for the Tennessee Titans as a pass-catching complement to Derrick Henry, filling the role of Dion Lewis before Tennessee knocked him off the offensive.
Best Fit: Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tennessee Titans
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Keith Srakocic / Associated Press
Linebackers who can move well in space and cover pass-catchers are in high demand. The three-year, $ 35.25 million deal Cory Littleton signed in free agency should be proof of that.
While he may not be in his prime as Littleton anymore, former Los Angeles Rams teammate Mark Barron would be a much cheaper option at this point in free agency. The converted safety appeared in 15 games for the Steelers last season and finished with 82 tackles, 3.0 sacks and three assists defended.
Barron was the victim of a hat in Pittsburgh, and a return to the Steelers would make sense if he was willing to accept reduced pay. He would also be a valuable asset for the Lions, who could use second tier assist while trying to improve their pass defense at 32nd.
2017 first-round pick Jarrad Davis was supposed to be the kind of touch-to-touch defender Barron has been throughout his career, but he fell short of expectations. Detroit turned down Davis’ fifth-year option this offseason.
Best fit: Pittsburgh Steelers, Detroit Lions
All cap and contract information via Spotrac.
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