There are plenty of veteran free agents out there not named DeAndre Hopkins or Dalvin Cook who have yet to sign. Three notable ones should get signed during training camp or right before training camp.

Keep in mind, when a team signs a veteran free agent, especially these players who are more than likely to get the veteran minimum and they’re on the roster for Week 1, their contract becomes fully guaranteed. So a lot of these veterans who sign during camp or before camp may get cut before Week 1 and signed back for Week 2. 

3 Key Free Agents Who Should Be Signed

QB Teddy Bridgewater

Teddy Bridgewater is one of the league’s premier backup quarterbacks. We drafted him in Minnesota in 2014. The next season, he took us to an 11-5 record and the playoffs. We lost to the Seattle Seahawks in a wild-card game in 17-below-zero weather at the University of Minnesota’s stadium. 

In 2016, he suffered a significant knee injury that kept him out for almost two seasons. He went on to be a backup in New Orleans, and when Drew Brees got hurt, Bridgewater led the Saints to a 5-0 record. 

Last season, he was with the Miami Dolphins and went 0-2 in his starts. He battled knee injuries, and the pinkie on his throwing hand bothered him most of the season. Bridgewater is a smart and excellent leader. He has enough mobility that he can read through his progressions and get the ball out, but he’s more of a game manager now. 

Two landing spots stick out for Bridgewater when considering most teams want to look at their young options first.

Everyone knows what Justin Herbert is capable of, but his backups with the Los Angeles Chargers are Easton Stick and rookie Max Duggan. God forbid Herbert got hurt. I don’t know if I would trust those two because this is such an important season for the Chargers. 

The other team is the Green Bay Packers, who are starting the Jordan Love era. Behind him are rookie Sean Clifford, who they drafted in the fifth round but many viewed as a college free agent, and Danny Etling, a free agent from LSU a few years ago. Teams will be patient with their young quarterbacks, but don’t be surprised if one of these teams signs Bridgewater.

RB Kareem Hunt

Kareem Hunt has had a productive career as a No. 2 running back. He’s best known for what he did in Kansas City, and he was Nick Chubb’s backup for the Cleveland Browns the past two years. 

Hunt’s touches decreased, but he’s still a powerful runner with excellent vision to catch the ball out of the backfield. He had some durability issues last season, so he must show he can stay healthy because he turns 28 in August. 

There are a handful of teams that still need backup running backs. 

One is the Dallas Cowboys, although I anticipate Ezekiel Elliott will re-sign there. The second is the Dolphins, but everyone is linking Cook there. Three is the Minnesota Vikings now that they’ve released Cook. They don’t have a proven commodity behind Alexander Mattison. 

The last team could be the New England Patriots, who are famous for signing veteran running backs. Hunt could help quarterback Mac Jones and the rest of the offense under new coordinator Bill O’Brien. 

Hunt is an excellent No. 2 back if he can stay healthy. 

DE Jadeveon Clowney

Jadeveon Clowney played for the Browns for the past couple of years. He is a better player when he has an elite pass rusher opposite him, as he did with Myles Garrett in Cleveland. Clowney had nine sacks in 2021 but only two last season when injuries hampered him. Still, he generated pressure on the quarterback. 

So which teams out there need pass rushers? He could return to the team that drafted him first overall in 2014, the Houston Texans. They selected Will Anderson third overall in the draft, and their new head coach, DeMeco Ryans, is a defensive-minded coach. 

Jerry Hughes had nine sacks for the Texans in 2022, but he’s older (35 in August), and Jonathan Greenard missed nine games because of injuries. I can see Clowney returning to where he started his career as an ideal fit. 

A team that will surprise a lot of people is the Carolina Panthers, who have a whole new coaching staff. They also have a new franchise quarterback in Bryce Young, and they have an excellent defense. Could you imagine Clowney lining up opposite Brian Burns? Burns is one of the most underrated pass rushers in the league. 

A long shot — because I don’t know if Clowney fits how they’re building their team — is the Chicago Bears. General manager Ryan Poles addressed a lot of needs in the draft and free agency, but the one that he didn’t address was a pass rusher. 

Could Clowney end up becoming a Bear?

Rick Spielman is a former general manager of the Dolphins and Vikings and the winner of the NFL Executive of the Year award by Pro Football Weekly in 2017. Follow him on Twitter @spielman_rick.