Expert Analysis
3/26/24
5 min read
2024 NFL Free Agency: Best Value Signings Could Still Be Available
NFL free agency is not over. Far from it, in fact.
Most people don’t think of it that way. We are a couple of weeks removed from the start of the NFL's legal negotiation period. As such, most of the marquee names are already spoken for, and big contracts have been doled out.
Combine that with the 2024 NFL Draft being a month away and, well, fans and media alike have turned their attention to that fun portion of the roster-building business. Honestly, for the most part the teams have as well. At least for now.
What if I told you that some of the most impactful free agents for the upcoming season were still available for your team to sign?
It’s true. It happens every year.
Because they aren’t signed until one of the later phases of free agency, they represent some of the greatest values of the players who will sign new contracts this offseason.
Ravens Found Two Gems Late
Just look at last year. Arguably the NFL's best regular-season team, the Baltimore Ravens, were led in large part on defense by veteran edge rushers Jadeveon Clowney and Kyle Van Noy.
Clowney signed on Aug. 18 and had a career year with 9.5 sacks. However, his contract only guaranteed him $2.5 million for one season, less than 10 percent of what top rushers like Nick Bosa and T.J. Watt bring in.
Van Noy’s story is even crazier. He didn’t sign until Sept. 27, though he proceeded to have a career-high nine sacks in just 14 games for a measly, at least by NFL pass rusher standards, $1.4 million.
Given the circumstances and compensation, Clowney and Van Noy's production is one major reason why former Ravens defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald is now Seattle's coach, but that’s a story for a different day.
This is about the ridiculous value that those players, each of whom were free agents long after preseason games had started, represented for Baltimore.
It wasn’t just the Ravens. It’s a lower-profile example, but the Philadelphia Eagles signed linebacker Zach Cunningham for just $25,000 guaranteed in August during training camp. He went on to be their best linebacker.
Browns Had Best Find
However, the biggest and best example is Joe Flacco. Flacco signed to the Cleveland Browns practice squad on Nov. 20.
The next thing you knew, he was throwing for more than 300 yards with multiple touchdowns in four straight victories, propelling Cleveland into the postseason for the first time in a few years.
Any team could have signed Flacco on Nov. 19. On the Thursday before the Super Bowl, he was accepting the Comeback Player of the Year award at the NFL Honors event. Flacco did all of that for less than $1.5 million, which is insane for a quarterback who produced at the level Flacco did to save the Browns' season.
Many Good Names Remain Available
So, who could be those stories this season?
How about quarterback Ryan Tannehill? He’s dealt with ankle issues the last couple of seasons, which have limited him. Still, he’s been an above-average quarterback for most of his career and is only 36, three years younger than Flacco.
Or perhaps a young running back coming off an injury like J.K. Dobbins provides a boost to a team at some point in the season. Or maybe Dalvin Cook can be the Clowney or the Van Noy of the offense this season.
Could it be a wide receiver this year like Tyler Boyd, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, or Odell Beckham Jr., a year further removed from his torn ACL?
Heck, maybe it will be Clowney and Van Noy again, which is entirely possible since both are still free agents.
Need offensive line help? Quality veterans like Andrus Peat, Connor Williams and Laken Tomlinson are available in the interior. Tackle D.J. Humphries will undoubtedly help a team after he fully recovers from ACL surgery.
There are even some big-name players in the secondary who are still available and could have a major impact. Xavien Howard and Stephon Gilmore have played at a high level for a long time and are available. Their counterparts at safety include long-time starters Justin Simmons and Micah Hyde, as well.
There’s plenty more still out there and available. Some will never get signed and don’t realize their career is over. Others will get an opportunity during camp only to eventually get released. Still, others will make rosters and perhaps even earn playing time but, ultimately, be considered disappointments.
But there are a bunch — more than a handful — who will be major contributors down the stretch for playoff teams.
The questions are which players it will be and for what teams.
