One Free Agent Every NFL Team Should Sign

With the legal tampering period starting next Monday, here’s one player for each franchise to set its sights on.

Former Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray was a late addition to the list of free agents but now stands to be one of the most intriguing players on the market. | Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images

Find a Team

1. Arizona Cardinals
2. Atlanta Falcons
3. Baltimore Ravens
4. Buffalo Bills
5. Carolina Panthers
6. Chicago Bears
7. Cincinnati Bengals
8. Cleveland Browns
9. Dallas Cowboys
10. Denver Broncos
11. Detroit Lions
12. Green Bay Packers
13. Houston Texans
14. Indianapolis Colts
15. Jacksonville Jaguars
16. Kansas City Chiefs
17. Las Vegas Raiders
18. Los Angeles Chargers
19. Los Angeles Rams
20. Miami Dolphins
21. Minnesota Vikings
22. New England Patriots
23. New Orleans Saints
24. New York Giants
25. New York Jets
26. Philadelphia Eagles
27. Pittsburgh Steelers
28. San Francisco 49ers
29. Seattle Seahawks
30. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
31. Tennessee Titans
32. Washington Commanders

Projected Contracts, Landing Spots for the NFL’s 50 Best Free Agents in 2026 | When Does 2026 NFL Free Agency Start?

The free agency frenzy is around the corner, with the legal tampering period set to begin on Monday. 

But before we get there, let’s assess which top free agents each team should pursue. There’s still plenty of star power even after the franchise tag deadline came and went on Tuesday. 

Daniel Jones won’t be available for quarterback-needy teams because the Colts used the transition tag on him, but Kyler Murray will soon be available after he announced that the Cardinals informed him of his release. 

From our top 50 free agents list, here’s one external free agent each NFL team should chase come Monday. Murray wasn’t on the list, but we can swap him for Jones, who was listed at No. 7 before being tagged.    

Arizona Cardinals

Sign edge Odafe Oweh

Most of the focus in Arizona is on the quarterback position amid Murray’s pending departure. But the Cardinals should prioritize a well-rounded roster before ramping up their QB search. A pass-rushing duo of Oweh and Josh Sweat could create plenty of problems in the stacked NFC West.

Keenan Allen could help relieve some of the pressure on a young quarterback. | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Atlanta Falcons

Sign WR Keenan Allen

Michael Penix Jr. needs a friendly target who can get open quickly. Adding Allen to the receiving corps would help with Penix’s development and take pressure from Drake London and Kyle Pitts. The veteran receiver still has plenty to offer after recording 81 catches for 777 yards and four touchdowns last season with the Chargers.

Baltimore Ravens

Sign DL John Franklin-Myers

The Ravens could be without defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike, who’s contemplating retirement after sustaining a significant neck injury. Franklin-Myers, who had 7.5 sacks in 2025, could help fill the potential void as a versatile defensive lineman who can play inside and on the edge. He flourished under the guidance of Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph for the past two seasons.

Buffalo Bills

Sign WR Deebo Samuel

Buffalo doesn’t have much cap space to splurge on a wide receiver for Josh Allen. However, Samuel likely won’t command a high price tag as he heads into his age-30 season. He’s lost some explosiveness, but he’s still a productive playmaker, recording 72 catches for 727 yards and five touchdowns with the Commanders last season. 

Carolina Panthers

Sign edge Jaelan Phillips

The Panthers have dipped into the bargain bin the past two seasons in their failed attempts to replicate the production they lost after trading star edge rusher Brian Burns to the Giants in 2024. It’s time for them to make a splash at the position, and adding Phillips would do just that. He had a handful of dominant performances after the midseason trade from Miami to Philadelphia. It appears his injuries are now a thing of the past.

Chicago Bears

Sign C Connor McGovern

Center Drew Dalman surprisingly retired this week, walking away from the final two years on the three-year, $42 million deal he signed with the Bears last March. The Bears would quickly recover from the unexpected departure if they’re able to land McGovern, who has started 78 career games in six seasons with the Bills and Cowboys.

Cincinnati Bengals

Sign LB Devin Lloyd

The Bengals are in desperate need of defensive playmakers. Lloyd had a breakout 2025 season in Jacksonville, recording 81 total tackles, five interceptions, 1.5 sacks and 10 QB hits, and was named a second-team All-Pro. Cincinnati has long needed to invest more resources into its defense. 

Cleveland Browns

Sign G Alijah Vera-Tucker

The Browns could have multiple vacancies along their offensive line with guards Joel Bitonio and Wyatt Teller set to become free agents next week. Cleveland would get younger at the position if the team adds Vera-Tucker, and he could come at a bargain rate due to his extensive injury history. This could be a boom-or-bust signing. 

Dallas Cowboys

Sign edge Boye Mafe

Perhaps the best way for the Cowboys to fill the gaping hole that Micah Parsons left after being traded to the Packers is to follow the lead of the Seahawks, who had an abundance of pass rushers en route to winning the Super Bowl. Mafe was a part of that dominant rotation, and with 20 career sacks, he can drastically improve Dallas’s defense. 

Kenneth Walker III is the best running back available after winning Super Bowl LX MVP. | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

Denver Broncos

Sign RB Kenneth Walker III

The Broncos didn’t have the same offense after losing the physical running style of J.K. Dobbins down the stretch. With Dobbins’s injury history, Denver should get the best available running back on the market, one who just won Super Bowl LX MVP. Walker rushed for 1,027 yards and five touchdowns last season.

Detroit Lions

Sign edge Khalil Mack

The Lions haven’t had much success going the veteran route for finding a quality No. 2 edge rusher on the opposite side of Aidan Hutchinson. But Mack remains a productive edge rusher because he can set the edge and generate consistent pressure. He had 5.5 sacks and 11 QB hits with the Chargers last year. 

Green Bay Packers

Sign LB Demario Davis

Green Bay could be preparing to let Quay Walker walk in free agency, partly because of its limited cap space. Adding Davis could be cost-effective, and he’s still a quality playmaker, evident from his nine-year streak of recording at least 100 total tackles in a season. Also, the 37-year-old linebacker rarely misses games, having played in 227 over his 14-year career. 

Houston Texans

Sign G Wyatt Teller

It’s hard to keep up with all the shuffling the Texans have done on the offensive line the past two years. They have vacancies at most positions and could use a dependable guard such as Teller, a two-time second-team All-Pro. He’s made 101 starts in his eight-year career.  

Riq Woolen can be erratic, but would surely help raise the floor of any secondary in the league. | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Indianapolis Colts

Sign CB Riq Woolen

Putting Woolen’s dreadful sequence aside from the NFC title game, he had one of his better seasons in 2025. His coverage improved, and there weren’t as many costly penalties, like the taunting call against the Rams. Woolen can be erratic, but his skill set would give the Colts’ secondary a boost.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Sign S Jalen Thompson 

It’s clear the Jaguars weren’t pleased with their secondary last season. They traded Tyson Campbell to the Browns in exchange for Greg Newsome II, who could be on the move again as a pending free agent. Jacksonville’s secondary could be better off next season with a healthy Travis Hunter and a free-agent signing or two. Thompson was a reliable starting safety for the Cardinals for the past five seasons. 

Kansas City Chiefs

Sign WR Romeo Doubs

While the Chiefs have a need at cornerback after trading Trent McDuffie to the Rams, they would be better off addressing that position in the draft. Doubs, who had 55 catches for 724 yards and six touchdowns last season, could see a handful of prove-it-deals after a few up-and-down seasons with the Packers. He can prove his worth by catching passes from Patrick Mahomes. 

Las Vegas Raiders

Sign C Tyler Linderbaum 

There will likely be a dramatic bidding war for Linderbaum, one of the best centers in football. The Raiders can afford to go after him with $88.1 million in cap space, the second most in the league, according to Overthecap.com. Signing Linderbaum would go a long way to helping Fernando Mendoza find his footing in his rookie year—or whoever the Raiders end up selecting with the No. 1 pick in the draft.

Los Angeles Chargers

Sign G David Edwards

If the Chargers miss out on Linderbaum, they should turn their focus to one of the top free-agent guards. Edwards was a serviceable starter for the Rams before taking his game to the next level the past three seasons with the Bills. Edwards has made 77 career starts in seven seasons.  

Los Angeles Rams

Sign LB Leo Chenal 

The Rams should continue adding players from the Chiefs’ defense after the blockbuster trade for McDuffie. They could use more players who defend the pass well, and Chenal is one of the better linebackers in that department. A linebacker duo of Chenal and Nate Landman would do wonders for Chris Shula’s defense.  

Miami Dolphins

Sign edge Kwity Paye

Paye never played up to his potential as a 2021 first-round pick. Perhaps new Dolphins coach Jeff Hafley can bring out the best in Paye and find a role for him in a defensive front that could use more depth after parting with Phillips and Bradley Chubb. Paye recorded 30.5 sacks in five seasons with the Colts.

Minnesota Vikings

Sign QB Kyler Murray

Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell still has a reputation for being a quarterback guru despite the minimal production he got from J.J. McCarthy last season. Also, O’Connell has Justin Jefferson to lure quarterbacks such as Murray to sign with the Vikings at a bargain rate. Murray can get his career back on track by beating out McCarthy for the job and throwing passes to an elite wide receiver.

Alec Pierce is a dangerous downfield target for an offense looking to expand its passing game in 2026. | Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

New England Patriots

Sign WR Alec Pierce

After the Patriots cut Stefon Diggs, they’re in desperate need of wide receiver help. Pierce is a dangerous downfield playmaker who can help Drake Maye stretch the field. Pierce produced his first career 1,000-yard receiving season last season and had a league-high 21.3 yards per reception. 

New Orleans Saints

Sign LB Nakobe Dean

It might be difficult for the Saints to sign a top free agent because they’re in the midst of repairing their messy salary cap situation. But if they can find the space, Dean would be a fine addition to the unit of defensive coordinator Brandon Staley. Dean is a versatile playmaker who can make downhill plays and cover receivers and tight ends. But he has dealt with injuries, only appearing in 10 games last season.

New York Giants

Sign OT Braden Smith

The Giants need to prioritize protecting second-year quarterback Jaxson Dart. Additionally, the team needs more depth at the tackle positions because left tackle Andrew Thomas has struggled with availability throughout his career. Smith has made 105 career starts in eight seasons with the Colts. There could also be a vacancy if Giants right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor leaves in free agency.

New York Jets

Sign CB Alontae Taylor 

The Jets’ defense is filled with issues, but the secondary might need the most help, especially after they traded Sauce Gardner to the Colts last year. Taylor can contribute at multiple positions as a corner who can play on the inside and out on the perimeter. Taylor has started 53 games in four seasons with the Saints.

Philadelphia Eagles

Sign WR Mike Evans 

If A.J. Brown gets traded, the Eagles would be in need of a clutch playmaker. Evans, the future Hall of Famer, can fill that role with 11 seasons of producing at least 1,000 receiving yards. However, injuries have been an issue as of late for Evans as he heads into his age-33 season, but the Eagles wouldn’t need him to be their top playmaker. Jalen Hurts throwing to Evans, and DeVonta Smith would be a fun offense to watch in 2026.

Malik Willis may not have the experience, but could benefit from some competition on the team that signs him. | Mark Hoffman / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Pittsburgh Steelers

Sign QB Malik Willis 

It wouldn’t be the worst idea for the Steelers to bring back Aaron Rodgers and sign Willis. It would be risky to just hand the quarterback job to Willis after only playing in four games last season. Let Willis prove himself against the experienced Rodgers, and maybe competition would bring out the best in the legendary 42-year-old QB.

San Francisco 49ers

Sign CB Jaylen Watson 

It seems the 49ers have been connected to most top free-agent edge rushers. But they have Nick Bosa and used a first-round pick on Mykel Williams last season. Maybe this defense would be better off adding proven cornerbacks in free agency and using the draft to continue building the defensive front. Watson, who had two interceptions last season, has plenty of experience, having won two Super Bowls with the Chiefs.

Seattle Seahawks

Sign G Joel Bitonio

The first-round selection of Grey Zabel immediately improved the Seahawks’ offensive line last year, but the reigning Super Bowl champions could still use another serviceable guard. Bitonio, who heads into his age-34 season, has made five All-Pro teams in his decorated 12-year career.

Trey Hendrickson has been a force in recent seasons and could be a key signing for any team in need of a premium pass rusher. | Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Sign edge Trey Hendrickson 

The Buccaneers whiffed on Haason Reddick last year, but they should take another swing because they might be one star edge rusher away from making serious noise in the NFC. Yes, Hendrickson is on the wrong side of 30, but he’s been a dominant force in recent seasons, generating 39 combined sacks the past three seasons. 

Tennessee Titans

Sign WR Wan’Dale Robinson 

The Titans’ offseason plan should be this: Adding weapons for second-year quarterback Cam Ward. Robinson’s knack for getting open was instrumental in the development of Dart last year with the Giants. He’s a smooth route runner with reliable hands (92 catches for 1,014 yards) and has speed to make plays downfield (11.0 yards per reception).

Washington Commanders

Sign LB Quay Walker 

The Commanders need all the defensive help they can get. Walker showed vast improvements last year (128 total tackles, 2.5 sacks) and can continue building off that under the guidance of coach Dan Quinn. Perhaps Washington would be better off splurging for an edge rusher, but it can add one with the No. 7 pick in the draft.

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