NFL Analysis
3/8/25
5 min read
2025 NFL Free Agency: The 7 Best Values On This Year's Market
The offseason “winners” of free agency every year are the teams that spend the most money, but the actual winners are the teams that find value with smart, mid-level contracts.
With the legal tampering period approaching, these are the best value free agents on the market.
WR Dyami Brown
2024 Team: Washington Commanders
Age: 25.3
Dyami Brown took a few years to develop into a productive player, but in his contract year, he recorded 44 receptions for 537 yards.
Brown is a deep threat with field-stretching speed who can also create plays after the catch. His route tree is fairly limited, but he projects as a third option with some untapped upside at just 25 years old.
G James Daniels
2024 Team: Pittsburgh Steelers
Age: 27.4
James Daniels was playing the best football of his career before tearing his Achilles in Week 4. His injury will significantly decrease his asking price, but he could be a great value for a team that can afford to be patient. Daniels is a mauling run blocker with good quickness and fluidity to execute reach blocks and climb to targets at the second level.
He also has the core power and leverage to create movement at the point of attack and drive defenders off the line of scrimmage.
In pass protection, he occasionally plays a bit too high, which causes his anchor to lapse against better power rushers. But he has a stiff punch and very light feet to slide with cross-face moves and protect his edges.
HB Rico Dowdle
2024 Team: Dallas Cowboys
Age: 26.7
Rico Dowdle was miscast as a lead back in 2024, but he’s a very capable runner who could thrive in a complementary role. After carrying the ball just 98 times in his first three seasons, Dowdle recorded 1,079 yards and averaged 4.6 yards per attempt last season. For a running back entering his second contract, he doesn’t have much tread on the tires.
While Dowdle lacks the explosive burst to be a big play threat (his longest run of the season was just 27 yards), he consistently hits singles and doubles. He finishes his runs with authority and has good contact balance to discard second-level tackle attempts. He also fits any blocking scheme and has excellent vision and patience. He’s capable of identifying cutback lanes on wide zone or waiting for his blocks to set up on power and counter.
EDGE Baron Browning
2024 Team: Arizona Cardinals
Age: 26.0
Baron Browning is one of the best athletes in the NFL and could be a dynamic No. 2 pass rusher who won’t require significant long-term investment. At the combine, Browning’s 10-yard split, 40-yard dash, 3-cone, vertical jump, and broad jump were all 92nd percentile or better for his position.
As a converted off-ball linebacker, Browning is more than just an athlete. He’s explosive off the line of scrimmage and does a great job of timing the snap to beat tackles to their landmarks. He has a cross-chop and ghost rip to clear the outside hand and can also counter inside with a spin move.
His long arm and speed-to-power are devastating as he channels his burst, length, and low center of gravity into serious knockback at the point of contact.
Editor's Note: Browning re-signed with the Cardinals
EDGE Malcolm Koonce
2024 Team: Las Vegas Raiders
Age: 26.7
People might have forgotten about Malcolm Koonce, but he was one of the biggest breakout players from the 2023 season. After only playing 116 snaps in his first two years with the Raiders, he recorded 52 pressures and eight sacks in 2023. Koonce is an excellent power rusher with quick and violent hands to turn the corner as well. He wins primarily with a bull rush, two-handed swipe, and speed chop.
Koonce was unable to build on his breakout year, as he suffered a season-ending knee injury in practice three days before the Raiders’ season opener. Assuming he clears medical checks, he projects as a reliable No. 2 pass rusher who is on an upward trajectory.
NT D.J. Jones
2024 Team: Denver Broncos
Age: 30.1
The only player on this list who’s older than 30, DJ Jones, is a plug-and-play run-stuffing nose tackle who won’t demand a big contract. He isn’t a high-volume pass rusher and has only averaged 20.6 pressures per year since 2020, but he’ll immediately upgrade a team’s run defense.
Jones has a sturdy anchor and can hold the point of attack and clog up the A-gap. He also has plenty of range to maintain playside leverage against wide zone and chase down runs to the alley.
Editor's Note: Jones Re-signed with the Broncos
LB Jamien Sherwood
2024 Team: New York Jets
Age: 25.3
I think Jamien Sherwood is the most undervalued free agent on the market, at least according to media consensus. He was one of the only players on New York’s defense who improved or even showed interest in playing football last year.
Sherwood played safety at Auburn, but you wouldn’t know it based on his physicality and block-shedding ability. While he’s listed at 216 pounds, that’s more of an example of how unreliable and out-of-date weight listings are for NFL players. Based on the eye test, he’s clearly at least 230 pounds, and he has no issues dealing with contact.
Sherwood ranked fifth in the NFL with 105 total tackles in 2024 and has the movement skills to excel in deep zone coverage.
Editor's Note: Sherwood re-signed with the New York Jets
