2025 NFL free agency: Best players available on offense
“We can be this year’s Eagles.” The mantra going through 31 buildings across the NFL as free agency approaches is built around imitating what Philadelphia general manager Howie Roseman did last offseason to assemble a Super Bowl champion. While draft picks Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean proved to be excellent additions at cornerback, the Eagles thrived by adding one of the best free agent classes ever in a single offseason.
Most teams will go years without landing a first-team All-Pro in free agency. The Eagles landed two in 2024 with running back Saquon Barkley and linebacker Zack Baun. Barkley flourished in a much better offense alongside quarterback Jalen Hurts, while Baun moved from edge rusher to linebacker and exceeded the wildest of expectations. C.J. Gardner-Johnson, who left the team in free agency the prior year, returned to the Eagles and picked off six passes. And former Jets tackle Mekhi Becton moved to guard and had a career year on the interior under offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland.
Even amid a stellar class, Roseman had his misses. His biggest investment was at edge rusher, where Bryce Huff quickly fell out of favor and was a healthy scratch in the Super Bowl. Former Bucs linebacker Devin White signed a one-year, $4 million deal with $3.5 million guaranteed, but after he battled injuries in training camp, Baun’s emergence prompted the Eagles to cut White before the start of the regular season.
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Roseman had four of the best signings in free agency and two of the worst, which is a reminder of just how difficult the free agent market can be. Most moves don’t work out. Landing the sort of haul the Eagles hit on a year ago happens once every couple of decades. Every team paying attention knows those risks. As the Eagles showed in 2024, though, the upside can justify the risk.
Over the next two weeks, I’m previewing the free agent market by going position by position and sorting players by tiers. It’ll give everyone a sense of what the market looks like at each position, how teams will be competing for players and what the expected return for free agent additions should look like. I’ll also include players who might become cap casualties, either before or during free agency, while passing along thoughts on many potential signings along the way.
Let’s start with the offensive side of the ball (defense will come next week). And everything starts, naturally, at the most important position in sports:
Jump to a position:
QB | RB | WR | TE | OL
Quarterbacks
Tier 1: Franchise players
Free agents: None
It’s rare to see many franchise-caliber players at any position hit free agency these days. Last year, I listed only two players across all positions at this tier: Barkley and defensive tackle Chris Jones. They both ended up playing in the Super Bowl, as Barkley left the Giants for the Eagles, while Jones reupped with the Chiefs.
Tier 2: Pro Bowl-caliber starters
Free agents: None
You might notice there are two quarterbacks missing from this space who made the 2024 Pro Bowl. I’ll get to them in the next two tiers.
Tier 3: Capable starters
Free agents:Sam Darnold, Vikings
If Darnold made the 2024 Pro Bowl, why isn’t he in the Pro Bowl tier? Well, he has never played at that level or anywhere close before this past season. He was in an excellent situation with the Vikings, where he had a superstar receiver in Justin Jefferson, excellent secondary playmakers in Jordan Addison, Aaron Jones and T.J. Hockenson, and one of the league’s best playcallers in Kevin O’Connell.
Most situations across the league aren’t going to be as promising for Darnold if he leaves Minnesota. Landing with the Rams if they move on from Matthew Stafford would give Darnold a much better chance of playing the way he did in 2024, but if he ends up with the Giants, Raiders or Steelers, it’s tough to imagine him playing nearly as well.
The Vikings might choose to franchise-tag Darnold, but it’s a risky proposition. While they have plenty of cap space, the $42.4 million franchise tag would hit their books this year, limiting their financial flexibility until the situation is resolved. If he chose to sign the tag, Minnesota would likely have to move forward with Darnold as its starter in 2025 and leave J.J. McCarthy on the bench, costing it another year of surplus value from the 2024 first-rounder’s rookie deal. The Vikings could attempt to trade Darnold after tagging him, but if they don’t have an immediate deal on the table, they run the risk of signing a deal they don’t actually want to make and eating up a significant portion of their cap.
If Darnold hits the open market, he should have a handful of suitors, especially in a season in which the options available in the draft don’t appear to be particularly compelling. The closest comp in terms of recent contracts is Daniel Jones, a fellow top-10 pick who struggled before enjoying an impressive season (including a playoff run) just before free agency. Darnold is going to hold more appeal than Jones because of a better track record of health and superior passing ability, but he’s also two years older than Jones was when Jones signed a four-year, $160 million deal to stay with the Giants.
Jones’ contract contained $81 million guaranteed over the first two years. That came in a year in which the salary cap was $224.8 million. In 2025, with the cap projected to come in around $280 million, the $40 million average salary for Jones would project to just under $50 million for Darnold. I’d be surprised if his deal got quite that high, but two guaranteed years with $90 million locked in at signing would make sense.
Average annual salary projection: $46 million
Tier 4: Borderline starters/high-end backups
Free agents:Jacoby Brissett, Patriots; Justin Fields, Steelers; Daniel Jones, Vikings; Russell Wilson, Steelers
Possible cap casualties:Gardner Minshew, Raiders; Aaron Rodgers, Jets
Given how loath teams are to move on from even competent backup quarterbacks, this is usually the highest tier at which signal-callers become available in free agency. There aren’t usually two quarterbacks from the same team at this level hitting the open market, but the 2024 Steelers were a unique case. There has been more chatter in the past couple of weeks about Pittsburgh bringing Fields back over Wilson, but given that they benched Fields the moment Wilson was healthy, that theory doesn’t quite make sense. If Fields returns to Pittsburgh, it would probably be as part of a QB competition.
Despite earning a Pro Bowl nod, Wilson was a below-average starter after entering the lineup; the 36-year-old’s 51.3 Total QBR ranked 21st in the league from Week 7 onward. He protected the football and hit the occasional moon shot, but he took sacks on just under 9% of his dropbacks and turned only one-third of his pass attempts into first downs, both of which were below league average. He also has lost virtually all of his mobility, averaging just over 13 rushing yards per game in 12 starts. As a safe pair of hands and little else at this point, the most logical landing spot for the 10-time Pro Bowler would be … the Steelers, who don’t seem desperate to keep him.
Could Rodgers be a better fit for Pittsburgh? On the field, I’d argue yes. The Steelers win games by protecting the ball on offense and letting their defense and special teams take over, and Rodgers has the best interception rate (1.4%) in NFL history. While he uncharacteristically threw six picks over a three-game span in October, he threw just four over the final 10 games of the season. I’m not sure he is going to push the ball down the field on a regular basis anymore, but as a negative play mitigator, the 41-year-old fits what the Steelers are looking for under center. (Off the field? I’d pay part of Rodgers’ salary just to see Mike Tomlin’s news conference announcing that his starting quarterback is missing mandatory minicamp to visit Egypt.)
Note that this section (and others throughout) don’t include quarterbacks who are likely to be traded as opposed to hitting the free agent market, which is why Kirk Cousins isn’t listed. Given that his salary in 2025 is guaranteed, the Falcons would be better off trading Cousins and attempting to shed some of his salary via a trade than cutting him and letting another team sign him for the minimum, like the Steelers did with Wilson a year ago.
Average annual salary projection: $7 million to $16 million
Jeff Saturday, Domonique Foxworth and Dan Graziano discuss which quarterback the Steelers should re-sign to create stability for the organization.
Tier 5: Backups likely to net guaranteed money
Free agents:Joe Flacco, Colts; Jimmy Garoppolo, Rams; Taylor Heinicke, Chargers; Mac Jones, Jaguars; Drew Lock, Giants; Marcus Mariota, Commanders; Nick Mullens, Vikings; Mason Rudolph, Titans; Cooper Rush, Cowboys; Jarrett Stidham, Broncos; Carson Wentz, Chiefs; Jameis Winston, Browns
These guys don’t have any realistic hope of landing a starting job, but they’re each expecting to land a backup role with some level of guaranteed money, suggesting there’s some competition for their signatures. Some of them will have partial guarantees, while the high-end options, such as Mariota and Garoppolo, will be looking at full guarantees and deals closer to the $8 million range.
As a collective, these quarterbacks went 20-41 with a 47.7 Total QBR in 2024. The standout by a wide margin was Mariota, who went 18-of-23 for 205 yards and two scores filling in for an injured Jayden Daniels during Washington’s win over the Panthers and 15-of-18 for 161 yards and two more touchdowns in a Week 18 victory over the Cowboys. Mariota has received plaudits for his work uniting the locker room and has the mobility to fill in for teams that use the quarterback run game, which opens up his market to just about any team in need of a veteran backup.
For some of these guys, the best thing they can do is sit on the sidelines. Garoppolo has struggled to stay healthy throughout his career and was benched by the Raiders in 2023, but after spending all of 2024 on the bench outside of a Week 18 start alongside the Rams’ backups, there’s talk he could take over as the starter in Los Angeles if Stafford is traded.
Others are tied to the guys who once believed in them. With Josh McDaniels once again the offensive coordinator in New England, as an example, the Patriots could look toward Garoppolo, Jones or Stidham as the backup to Drake Maye if he doesn’t believe in Joe Milton. Mullens could step in as the backup for Brock Purdy with the 49ers, the team that he began his career with. A reunion between Flacco and the Browns, where Deshaun Watson might not play in 2025, could make sense for all involved.
Average annual salary projection: $3.5 million to $9 million
Tier 6: Backups likely to earn roster spot
Free agents:Brandon Allen, 49ers; Kyle Allen, Steelers; Joshua Dobbs, 49ers; Tyler Huntley, Dolphins; Josh Johnson, Ravens; Case Keenum, Texans; Trey Lance, Cowboys; Easton Stick, Chargers; Kyle Trask, Buccaneers; Zach Wilson, Broncos
And then, in the final tier of likely signees, there are players who won’t have much (or any) guaranteed money but should have the inside track toward a 53-man roster spot versus undrafted free agents and practice squad players. These guys are long shots to play meaningful snaps in any given season, but it does happen; Mason Rudolph was in this section last year and ended up starting five games for the Titans.
There are different types of quarterbacks in this group. There are top-five picks who lost their jobs in Lance and Wilson. Wilson never got on the field in his lone season with the Broncos, while Lance threw a ton of passes in the preseason, only for the Cowboys to prefer Cooper Rush for most of a lost year. They’re both projects and more likely to be third quarterbacks than backups.
On the flip side, there are veterans who have been all over the place in Dobbs, Johnson and Keenum, although the latter might want to stick close to home and stay with the Texans. Dobbs was a national phenomenon for a minute in 2023 with the Vikings, but even after that stretch, he was able to land only a one-year, $2.2 million deal with the 49ers last year. The aerospace engineering major is better than his market has suggested, but he’s probably looking at only a partial guarantee in 2025.
Average annual salary projection: $1.5 million to $2.5 million
Running backs
Tier 1: Franchise players
Free agents: None
This will be a fascinating offseason for running backs. In addition to Barkley’s spectacular season with the Eagles, Derrick Henry ran for 1,921 yards and 16 touchdowns with the Ravens while making $9 million, or about 60% of what Baltimore paid Odell Beckham Jr. the prior season. Three other free agent backs — Josh Jacobs, Aaron Jones and Tony Pollard — finished in the top 12 in rushing yards.
Teams will draw a variety of conclusions from what happened. Some will say 2024 was an outlier of a free agent class, led by two backs with star credentials who went from two of the league’s worst offenses to two of the best. On the other end of the spectrum, teams that were already inclined to invest in running backs could get more fuel for their end of the debate. No franchise wants to miss out on the next Barkley.
I’m not sure another Barkley will hit the market anytime soon, though, and there certainly isn’t anyone like that around here in 2025. With a deep incoming class of running backs in April’s draft, there likely won’t be a huge swing toward paying this specific group of backs way more than they would have gotten a year ago. But as talented backs approach free agency at the end of their rookie deals, I would expect the gap between running backs and WR2 types to decrease. A back like Barkley is a better player than a wideout such as Gabe Davis, even though the latter actually landed a slightly larger deal in free agency last season.
Tier 2: Pro Bowl-caliber starters
Free agents: None
I’d struggle to put any of the available backs into this tier, although there are scenarios in which they could catch on with the right team, stay healthy and produce a Pro Bowl-caliber campaign. Those outcomes would be more about the landing spot than the player, although others might disagree and like the Tier 3 options more than I do.
Tier 3: Capable starters
Free agents:Najee Harris, Steelers; Aaron Jones, Vikings
If there’s a back hitting the market who might inspire a team to dream that they’re about to land a player with untapped upside, Harris might be the top candidate. He would be leaving an underwhelming offense in search of something more running back friendly. The Steelers didn’t field great lines or passing attacks during his four years there, with their offense generating the 11th-fewest expected yards per carry for backs over that stretch, per NFL Next Gen Stats.
Harris wasn’t efficient in Pittsburgh, as he averaged 3.9 yards per carry and minus-30 rush yards over expectation (RYOE) per year. He was consistently able to absorb a heavy workload, however. He never missed a game and appeared on the injury report only once while averaging nearly 19 touches per contest. He also fumbled just five times in four years. A back who absorbs a huge workload with below-average efficiency isn’t helpful, but availability is an ability. If a team with a better offensive infrastructure could tick Harris’ yards per carry up by a half-yard and get league-average or better efficiency, he would be a more useful contributor.
Jones was in the middle of a productive season when he suddenly caught a case of the fumbles, as he fumbled four times over a three-game span. He didn’t fumble the rest of the way, but after averaging more than 19 touches per game through the first 11 games, Minnesota reduced his role to below 16 touches per game over the remainder of the season. The fumbles tanked Jones’s EPA, and he came up 12 first downs short of what an average back would have produced, per NFL Next Gen Stats’ model, the third-worst rate of any back in the league. He is a smart runner and can contribute in the passing game, but at 30, he’s probably a year away from dropping into a part-time role.
Average annual salary projection: $8 million to $12 million per season
Tier 4: Borderline starters/high-end backups
Free agents:J.K. Dobbins, Chargers; Rico Dowdle, Cowboys; Raheem Mostert, Dolphins; Javonte Williams, Broncos
Restricted free agents:Jordan Mason, 49ers; Jaylen Warren, Steelers
Let’s start with the restricted free agents, who are operating under different rules. An NFL team can choose to tender these free agents at one of three different levels for one-year deals. The first-rounder tender is worth $7.5 million and would return a first-round pick from the signing team if the player is signed to an offer sheet and their original team chooses not to match. The second-round tender is worth $5.3 million and would land a second-rounder.
The right of first refusal tender costs only $3.3 million, but it would allow a team to lose that free agent for nothing if they don’t match the deal. There’s reason to think a team interested in Mason or Warren could pry a potential starting back away from their existing organizations. Mason, who racked up 536 rushing yards through five games while filling in for injured Christian McCaffrey before suffering his own series of injuries, is squeezed by McCaffrey as the starter and Isaac Guerendo behind him. Warren has been explosive in the 1B role behind Harris and is a valuable pass blocker, but if the Steelers re-sign Harris, they probably won’t be in a position to match an offer sheet for Warren.
The unrestricted options are more job dependent. Dowdle averaged 4.6 yards per carry and had four 100-yard games over the final six weeks of the 2024 season, but the Cowboys seemed hesitant to rely on the former undrafted free agent until they realized Ezekiel Elliott was actually toast. Mostert has been either injured or productive since getting into the rotation with the Dolphins, but he averaged 3.3 yards per carry last season. He has also mostly stopped playing special teams over the past two years.
Dobbins was able to make it back from a torn Achilles, and while he wasn’t as explosive as he once was with the Ravens and missed four games with knee issues, he still averaged 4.6 yards per carry and scored nine touchdowns without fumbling. There hasn’t been the same sort of post-injury bounce back for Williams, who tore an ACL early in the 2022 campaign and hasn’t been the same player since. He has averaged 3.6 yards per carry and posted minus-166 RYOE over the ensuing two seasons. By midseason, the Broncos had taken Williams out of the starting lineup, preferring to play the hot hand. Williams is still only 24 and can catch passes out of the backfield, but he’s right on the Tier 4/Tier 5 border.
Average annual salary projection: $4 million to $8 million per season
Tier 5: Backups likely to net guaranteed money
Free agents:Cam Akers, Vikings; Nick Chubb, Browns; Kenneth Gainwell, Eagles; Khalil Herbert, Bengals; Kareem Hunt, Chiefs; Ty Johnson, Bills; Alexander Mattison, Raiders; Elijah Mitchell, 49ers; Dare Ogunbowale, Texans
Restricted free agents:Craig Reynolds, Lions
Potential cap casualties:Gus Edwards, Chargers; Zack Moss, Bengals; Miles Sanders, Panthers; Devin Singletary, Giants
There are several big names here, but it’s tough to project any of them for significant production moving forward. Johnson and Ogunbowale have established themselves as third-down options with the ability to catch the ball and hold up in pass protection. Mitchell has essentially pieced together one impressive campaign over four years in San Francisco, turning 327 carries into 1,523 yards with nine touchdowns and no fumbles, but he doesn’t participate much in the passing game, hasn’t topped 11 games in a year and missed all of 2024 with multiple hamstring injuries.
It feels strange to have Chubb here, but the four-time Pro Bowler came back from a serious knee injury in midseason and didn’t look anything like his usual self (and then broke his foot in December). He averaged 3.3 yards per carry on 102 attempts, although a dismal offense meant an average back would have mustered only 3.5 yards per carry by the Next Gen Stats model. He was arguably the league’s best pure runner before the injury, but he’s probably going to need to win a camp competition to lock up a roster spot in 2025.
The cap casualties could make for interesting buy-low opportunities. Sanders was efficient during his time with the Eagles, but his options might be impacted both by two disappointing years with the Panthers and the magnitude of what Barkley did next to Hurts and behind that dominant offensive line last season. Singletary began the season as the starter in New York before ceding the lead role to Tyrone Tracy Jr.; fumbles have been a consistent problem, but he can catch the football and did solid work in a full-time role with the Texans in 2023.
Average annual salary projection: $2 million to $4 million per season
Tier 6: Backups likely to earn roster spot
Free agents:Ameer Abdullah, Raiders; Mike Boone, Panthers; AJ Dillon, Packers; Chase Edmonds, Buccaneers; Travis Homer, Bears; D’Ernest Johnson, Jaguars; Jeremy McNichols, Commanders; D’Onta Foreman, Browns; Samaje Perine, Chiefs; Trey Sermon, Colts; Patrick Taylor Jr., 49ers; Jeff Wilson Jr., Dolphins
Potential cap casualties:DeeJay Dallas, Cardinals; Jamaal Williams, Saints
Tier 6 is firmly in Immaculate Grid mode. The best options are clearly the pass catchers. Abdullah has stuck around for years as a third-down back and was quietly productive with a larger role with the Raiders; he averaged 4.6 yards per carry, caught 40 of the 47 passes thrown in his direction and scored five touchdowns. His first career 100-yard game came in Week 18 of his 10th NFL season, as he went for 115 in a win over the Saints. Backups who are 32 years old don’t get guaranteed money in free agency, but Abdullah has earned a shot at getting to play in a situational role for a contender.
McNichols seemed on his way out of the league this time last year, but after catching on with the Commanders, he turned 55 carries into 261 yards and scored four touchdowns. Perine was essentially a receiver for the Chiefs, as he eventually garnered more receptions (28) than rush attempts (20), and he made a key catch against the Bills to seal the AFC Championship Game. Abdullah, McNichols and Perine also all play special teams, which is pretty much essential for veterans trying to make the team as the third or fourth running back on the roster.
Average annual salary projection: $1.2 million to $2 million per season
Wide receivers
Tier 1: Franchise players
Free agents: None
At a premium position such as wide receiver, teams haven’t been willing to let no-doubt superstars hit the market in quite a while.
Tier 2: Pro Bowl-caliber starters
Free agents:Tee Higgins, Bengals
Potential cap casualties:Davante Adams, Jets
I included Adams and many of the veteran free agents on the market in my piece on older wideouts earlier this month, so I’ll be focusing on the younger wide receivers in this section. Unfortunately, it seems likely the Bengals will use the franchise tag on Higgins for the second consecutive season, keeping the 26-year-old off the market. That doesn’t mean he will necessarily stay with the team, however. Cincinnati could trade him or even release him before he signs the tag, as the Panthers did with Josh Norman in 2016 and the Seahawks with Leroy Hill in 2009, although the most likely scenario is Higgins wearing orange and black next season.
While the Bengals understandably want to keep Higgins, I’m not sure he has been a Tier 1 player. Playing in the one of the league’s most pass-happy offenses with an elite quarterback over the past four years, he has averaged just over 68 receiving yards per game. He has averaged 2.1 yards per route run, which ranks 20th among receivers with at least 200 targets over that span, but he has also missed 10 games over the past two seasons with various injuries, including two leg injuries suffered in practice in 2024.
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Higgins hasn’t topped 1,100 receiving yards in a season and hasn’t made the Pro Bowl, which makes it tough to put him in the franchise tier. Some of that is surely a product of playing alongside Ja’Marr Chase, who both helps Higgins as a receiver who draws defensive attention and hurts him as a target vacuum in his own right. When Chase hasn’t been on the field over the past four seasons, Higgins has averaged 2.6 yards per route run, which would jump him from 20th to fourth in those wide receiver rankings I mentioned.
Putting Higgins on another team with a solid quarterback as the true top wideout, he likely would be a Tier-1.5 player, somewhere between a Pro Bowl candidate and a true upper-echelon star. He’s a luxury for the Bengals as their second-best wideout. If he gets a second straight franchise tag, he is going to get paid on a long-term deal either this offseason or the one that follows, because a third tag projects to be a whopping $47.5 million in 2026.
Average annual salary projection: $26.1 million to $32 million
Tier 3: Capable starters
Free agents:Marquise Brown, Chiefs; Amari Cooper, Bills; Stefon Diggs, Texans; Chris Godwin, Buccaneers
Potential cap casualties:Cooper Kupp, Rams; Deebo Samuel, 49ers
I detailed each of these players in my veteran wide receiver piece. I could see a case for Godwin in Tier 2 if he’s fully recovered from the serious ankle injury he suffered in October, and there’s an argument to put Cooper in Tier 4 after he struggled through a mostly anonymous season with the Bills and Browns. Each of these players has both upside and questions about his ability to suit up for a full 17-game season over the remainder of his career.
Average annual salary projection: $11 million to $20 million
Tier 4: Borderline starters/high-end backups
Free agents:Keenan Allen, Bears; Brandin Cooks, Cowboys; Joshua Palmer, Chargers; Darius Slayton, Giants
Potential cap casualties:Christian Kirk, Jaguars; Tyler Lockett, Seahawks
Slayton has never managed to convince the Brian Daboll/Joe Schoen brain trust he’s anything more than a replaceable wideout. The organization benched him to start the 2022 season before he eventually played his way into the starting lineup. The team signed him to a two-year, $12 million extension. He eventually held out before the 2024 season for a new deal, but the Giants got him back into camp by adding some incentives, none of which ended up triggering.
As a deep threat in an offense that hasn’t had the quarterback or the offensive line to go deep very often, I wonder if there are teams around the league who might view Slayton as a poor man’s Darnell Mooney, with the former Bears wideout topping his combined 2022 and 2023 yardage in 2024 after moving to the Falcons. It would be a surprise if Slayton returned to the Giants under any scenario.
Palmer also seemed to fall out of favor with a new regime in Los Angeles. After a 72-catch, 769-yard season in 2022, he averaged 58 receiving yards per game in 2023, only to miss seven games with a knee issue. His snap rate decreased under 65% in active games under Jim Harbaugh, and he missed the final two games of 2024 with a foot injury. He has averaged 1.5 yards per route run and ranks 44th in receiver score over the past three years, so he has played like a low-end starter over that stretch. I’d expect the Chargers to try to upgrade on Palmer, but he should end up with guaranteed money in a WR2/WR3 role somewhere this offseason.
Average annual salary projection: $6 million to $10 million
Tier 5: Backups likely to net guaranteed money
Free agents:Tutu Atwell, Rams; Dyami Brown, Commanders; Noah Brown, Commanders; Greg Dortch, Cardinals; Mack Hollins, Bills; DeAndre Hopkins, Chiefs; Elijah Moore, Browns; K.J. Osborn, Patriots; Tim Patrick, Lions; Demarcus Robinson, Rams; JuJu Smith-Schuster, Chiefs; Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Chiefs; Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, Titans; Mike Williams, Steelers; Olamide Zaccheaus, Commanders
Potential cap casualties:Allen Lazard, Jets; Josh Reynolds, Jaguars
Wide receivers of all shapes, sizes and pedigrees! Want an undersized gadget receiver? Go after Atwell or Dortch, the latter of whom adds value as a returner. Need a big-bodied receiver who can block and do the dirty work on pick plays? There are options in Hollins, Smith-Schuster and Zaccheaus. There’s even a legend in Hopkins, with the 32-year-old tweeting (and then deleting) that he’ll be back in 2025. As a player limited to a third or fourth wideout role who doesn’t play on special teams, he might end up waiting until late summer or even until the regular season before signing with a contender, as Julio Jones did toward the end of his career with the Bucs and Eagles.
Lazard will probably go down as the ultimate example of why the Jets were wrong to build so much of their team around making Aaron Rodgers feel comfortable. Signed to a three-year, $30 million deal, he was so ineffective in Year 1 without Rodgers that New York eventually made him a healthy scratch. With Rodgers returning to the lineup in 2024, Lazard scored twice in the season opener and had 114 yards in another game, but he dropped seven of the 61 passes thrown his way, which seemed to belie the idea he would have some sort of innate connection with his former quarterback.
Westbrook-Ikhine’s market might reveal how the league has evolved. A low-usage wideout in a run-heavy offense during his time in Tennessee, he inexplicably put together a stretch with eight touchdowns in nine games, including a 98-yarder against the Vikings. In the past, a touchdown spike might have earned a player a significant deal in free agency; I’m thinking about the Jaguars signing Laurent Robinson to a five-year, $32.5 million deal in 2012 after an out-of-nowhere 11-touchdown season with the Cowboys. Organizations aren’t quite as naive these days about the randomness of touchdown totals, but Westbrook-Ikhine should still land guaranteed money to serve as a rotational wideout.
Average annual salary projection: $2 million to $4 million
Tier 6: Backups likely to earn roster spot
Free agents:Nelson Agholor, Ravens; Braxton Berrios, Dolphins; Tyler Boyd, Titans; DJ Chark, Chargers; Ashton Dulin, Colts; Mecole Hardman, Chiefs; Deonte Harty, Ravens; Lil’Jordan Humphrey, Broncos; Van Jefferson, Steelers; Diontae Johnson, Ravens; Zay Jones, Cardinals; Terrace Marshall Jr., Raiders; Rondale Moore, Falcons; Zach Pascal, Cardinals; Brandon Powell, Vikings; Allen Robinson, Lions; Sterling Shepard, Buccaneers; Trent Sherfield, Vikings; Ben Skowronek, Steelers; Steven Sims, Ravens; Ihmir Smith-Marsette, Giants; Tylan Wallace, Ravens; Justin Watson, Chiefs; Robert Woods, Texans
At this tier, wideouts probably need to play special teams to have a reliable shot at landing on a team. That will hurt veterans in their 30s such as Agholor, Boyd and Woods, who haven’t played special teams for the vast majority of their careers. The ideal fifth wideout is somebody like Pascal, who can serve as a blocker on a handful of offensive snaps and cover on kickoffs and punts. Smith-Marsette has both punt and kick return touchdowns over the past two years. Harty was an elite returner and a fun deep threat with the Saints a couple of years ago, although injuries have slowed his career.
On the flip side, Johnson didn’t even make my veteran wide receiver column, which should tell you how far the 28-year-old’s stock has fallen. While he racked up 1,161 yards and eight scores as part of a Pro Bowl campaign in 2021, he has been unable to build on that season and hasn’t attracted much interest. The Panthers sent a cornerback they were about to cut (Donte Jackson) to the Steelers to acquire him, and after they grew tired of the veteran, they sent him to the Ravens for a swap of late-round picks. Johnson caught one pass with the Ravens before being cut and latching on with the Texans, where he caught two more before being waived. The Ravens reclaimed Johnson on waivers as a potential compensatory pick play, but it would be a surprise if there was significant interest in him.
Average annual salary projection: $1.2 million to $2 million
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Tight ends
Tier 1: Franchise players
Free agents: None
There are no Tier 1 tight ends.
Tier 2: Pro Bowl-caliber starters
Free agents: None
There are no Tier 2 tight ends, either.
Tier 3: Capable starters
Potential cap casualties: Evan Engram, Jaguars
The only starting-caliber tight end who might become available is Engram, who could be a cut candidate because he has $15.5 million in unguaranteed money due in the final year of his deal. The Doug Pederson and Trent Baalke regime that acquired him and signed him to a three-year deal last year is gone, and the new Jags might believe they’re better off committing that money elsewhere, especially with 2023 second-rounder Brenton Strange in position to take over as the starter.
I’m not sure Engram is close to a $15 million-per-year player. He’s a low-upside, high-volume tight end who doesn’t block well, doesn’t generate big plays in the passing game and doesn’t make an impact in the red zone. He had 114 catches for a career-high 963 yards in 2023, but he also fumbled three times that season. He finished sixth in tight end scoring for fantasy purposes in both 2022 and 2023, catching dozens of passes in the flats from Trevor Lawrence & Co., and there’s some value in that role. He’s a move tight end who can be useful with a creative offensive coordinator.
Average annual salary projection: $6.5 million to $10 million per season
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Tier 4: Borderline starters/high-end backups
Free agents:Zach Ertz, Commanders; Gerald Everett, Bears
Potential cap casualties:Noah Fant, Seahawks
Ertz was the rare tight end to have a resurgent season at age 34, as he was a year further removed from a major knee injury and racked up 654 yards and seven touchdowns in the regular season for the Commanders. He finished with an 11-catch, 104-yard game against the Eagles in the NFC Championship Game, which meant he outpaced what the entire Chiefs receiving corps beyond Xavier Worthy did in the Super Bowl against the same defense. Washington will want to see what it has with 2024 second-rounder Ben Sinnott, but Ertz could be back in his role as a reliable pair of hands and veteran locker-room presence.
Fant signed a two-year, $21 million deal to stay with the Seahawks last March, but for the $12 million they paid him in 2024, they got 48 catches for 500 yards and one score. After averaging more than 40 receiving yards per game in 2020 and 2021, he hasn’t gotten back there during his three seasons in Seattle. He has just one receiving touchdown over the past two years. Fant is a perfectly reasonable tight end to have on the roster, but the Seahawks might have better uses for the remaining $9 million in unguaranteed money left on his contract.
Average annual salary projection: $4.5 million to $8 million per season
Tier 5: Backups likely to net guaranteed money
Free agents:Mo Alie-Cox, Colts; Harrison Bryant, Raiders; Tyler Conklin, Jets; Mike Gesicki, Bengals; Austin Hooper, Patriots; Juwan Johnson, Saints; Johnny Mundt, Vikings; Durham Smythe, Dolphins; Tommy Tremble, Panthers
Potential cap casualties:Tyler Higbee, Rams; Taysom Hill, Saints; Foster Moreau, Saints
This tier of player will be impacted by what is expected to be a deep, compelling class of tight ends in the 2025 draft. There’s a level of familiarity with veterans such as Hooper and Smythe that is valuable, but it’s tough to look at many of these guys and count on there being significant untapped upside. Outside of Gesicki, who is a glorified wide receiver, these are situational/rotational tight ends who will play that role somewhere in 2025.
The cap casualties are interesting. Higbee signed a two-year, $17 million extension during the 2023 season, but he tore an ACL late in the year and missed most of the 2024 campaign in the process. The 32-year-old had 112 yards across two playoff games, but the Rams signed Colby Parkinson during his absence to serve as the primary tight end. General manager Les Snead gave Higbee a $2 million roster bonus in 2025 that is already guaranteed, but L.A. could potentially save $5.5 million by moving on from him.
It might be the end of the line for Hill, who also had his season come to a close after suffering a torn ACL of his own. It has always been difficult to reconcile his $10 million average annual salary with his role as a part-time running back and occasional receiver in the New Orleans offense, and with the potential to save more than $10.2 million in cash and cap by designating him as a post-June 1 release, it surely has to be time for the Saints to move on. A reunion with Sean Payton in Denver might be inevitable.
Average annual salary projection: $2 million to $4 million per season
Tier 6: Backups likely to earn roster spot
Free agents:Jordan Akins, Browns; Pharaoh Brown, Seahawks; Tanner Hudson, Bengals; Hayden Hurst, Panthers; Marcedes Lewis, Bears; Hunter Long, Rams; Chris Manhertz, Giants; MyCole Pruitt, Steelers; Eric Saubert, 49ers; Irv Smith Jr., Texans; Ian Thomas, Panthers
Lewis became the first 40-year-old tight end in NFL history when he suited up for the Bears last season. When he entered the league in 2006, he was in the same tight end room with Kyle Brady, who was the guy then-Browns coach Bill Belichick wanted to draft before the Jets took him, let future Hall of Famer Warren Sapp fall to the Buccaneers and saw Belichick trade down on tilt before drafting linebacker Craig Powell. Belichick would be fired before the now-Ravens would use the first-rounder they got as part of the trade down; they ended up using that pick on another Hall of Famer in Ray Lewis.
If he wants to keep playing as a 41-year-old, Marcedes Lewis is one of several block-first players who will land one-year deals to be third tight ends this offseason.
Average annual salary projection: $1.2 million to $2 million per season
Offensive linemen
Tier 1: Franchise players
Free agents: None
The search for a franchise-caliber player in free agency continues through another position.
Tier 2: Pro Bowl-caliber starters
Free agents: G Trey Smith, Chiefs
Finally, a Pro Bowler hitting the market in Smith, who just finished his best season with the Chiefs. The 25-year-old has always been an excellent run blocker, and he allowed just 1.5 sacks in pass protection in 2024, per NFL Next Gen Stats, with only one of those coming on a quick pressure. Nobody on the Chiefs’ line looked great in Super Bowl LIX, but Smith might have had the best game of the front five.
The top of the guard market rocketed up last offseason, with the Panthers paying Robert Hunt $20 million per season and the Eagles extending Landon Dickerson to a deal worth $21 million per year. Interior offensive linemen are getting paid a higher percentage of the cap than they were in previous years, money that has come (at least in part) from teams cutting back on their running back spend. If what we saw in 2024 leads to teams investing more in running backs, that could come at the expense of the newfound riches being directed toward guards and centers.
Stephen A. Smith calls out Andy Reid for how unprepared the Chiefs were in their blowout loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX.
For now, it leaves the Chiefs in an interesting position. The franchise and transition tags have mostly been off-limits for interior linemen, given that the league uses one offensive line designation to calculate those tags, and tackles have traditionally outpaced the market for guards and centers. The franchise tag for a lineman is $25.8 million, and the transition tag is only $23.3 million, which is roughly about where I’d expect Smith’s deal to land on the open market. Having the ability to match a potential Smith contract could be a way for general manager Brett Veach to either keep his star guard or negotiate a trade, which would lock in draft capital without needing to play the compensatory pick game, a move Kansas City used a year ago with L’Jarius Sneed before dealing him to the Titans.
In the big picture, though, it’s probably going to be tough for the Chiefs to keep Smith. They’ve traditionally been aggressive and confident with drafting and developing interior linemen, including Smith, a sixth-round pick in 2021. They’re already committed to three other long-term deals for guard Joe Thuney, center Creed Humphrey and tackle Jawaan Taylor. Thuney is a free agent in 2026, and Taylor could be a cap casualty next offseason, but one of those two would probably have to go out the door now for Kansas City to have the financial flexibility needed to retain Smith.
Average annual salary projection: $24 million per season
Tier 3: Capable starters
Free agents: G Aaron Banks, 49ers; G Mekhi Becton, Eagles; G Will Hernandez, Cardinals; C Ryan Kelly, Colts; OL Patrick Mekari, Ravens; C Josh Myers, Packers; T Cam Robinson, Vikings; T Ronnie Stanley, Ravens; T Alaric Jackson, Rams; G Kevin Zeitler, Lions
Potential cap casualties: G Jonah Jackson, Rams
There usually aren’t many left tackle options available in free agency. This year, however, there are as many as seven, five of whom are in this tier. Robinson, Stanley and Alaric Jackson all played left tackle on a full-time basis in 2024 and will line up on the left side again next season. Mekari, my pick for the most underrated offensive free agent when I went through the options on my podcast last week, has played left tackle, right tackle, center and guard during his time with the Ravens. And while Becton excelled at guard for the Eagles last season, he began his career in 2020 as a left tackle for the Jets. I’d be surprised if Mekari or Becton lined up there full-time moving forward, but having that ability in their back pocket could help spruce up their markets.
Those left tackles could have some of the most interesting free agent markets in this class. Stanley was an All-Pro in 2019 and on his way to what looked to be a series of Pro Bowl appearances only to suffer a career-altering ankle injury in 2020 that cost him most of the 2021 season and parts of the 2022 and 2023 campaigns. This past season was Stanley’s first full season in five years, and he allowed 3.5 sacks while protecting Lamar Jackson‘s blind side, per NFL Next Gen Stats. He turns 31 in March and should still have the ability to play that way for a few more years, but are teams going to be willing to offer him a multiyear guarantee given his injury history?
Alaric Jackson is only 26 and has spent 2½ years as the left tackle for Matthew Stafford in Los Angeles. And while he was suspended for two games to begin the season because of an unspecified violation of the league’s personal conduct penalty, he allowed just two sacks over the remainder of the season. He was also one-on-one against pass rushers more than 82% of the time, which is just above league average for regular left tackles. Twenty-six-year-old left tackles with solid résumés on successful teams don’t often hit the market, but will his status as a former undrafted free agent and the Rams’ seeming reticence to sign him to an extension concern opposing teams?
Average annual salary projection: $15 million to $22 million per year (tackles), $9 million to $15 million per year (guards), $8 million to $13 million per year (centers)
Tier 4: Borderline starters/high-end backups
Free agents: C Bradley Bozeman, Chargers; G Ben Bredeson, Buccaneers; C Daniel Brunskill, Titans; G Ben Cleveland, Ravens; C Austin Corbett, Panthers; G James Daniels, Steelers; OL Jack Driscoll, Eagles; G Will Fries, Colts; G Nate Herbig, Steelers; G Robert Jones, Dolphins; T Kendall Lamm, Dolphins; T Cornelius Lucas, Commanders; T Dan Moore, Steelers; T Morgan Moses, Jets; G Brandon Scherff, Jaguars; T Tyron Smith, Jets
Potential cap casualties: G Alex Cappa, Bengals; T Jack Conklin, Browns; G/T Tytus Howard, Texans; T Terence Steele, Cowboys
There are a few big-ticket free agent signings from the past here. Conklin made it to the open market because of concerns about his knee; while he was a first-team All-Pro at right tackle in his first season with the Browns, he missed part of the 2021 season and nearly all of the 2023 campaign with knee injuries. He didn’t look the same after coming back from an ACL tear this past season. While $3.3 million of his $14 million base salary in 2025 is guaranteed, Cleveland could save more than $11 million by designating him as a post-June 1 cut.
Scherff was the second swing and miss the Jags have made at the top of the guard market over the past decade, as their prior effort to add Andrew Norwell ended with a disappointing run in teal. In Washington, Scherff was an excellent run blocker with the pass-blocking pedigree of a college tackle, but his time in Jacksonville was entirely at odds with what we saw from him in the DMV. With the Commanders, he struggled to play complete seasons, but he was great when on the field. In Jacksonville, he played 17 games three consecutive times, but he wasn’t the overpowering blocker the Jags were expecting.
The Cowboys have a tough decision to make on Steele, who was a pleasant surprise when he immediately stepped in as a starter despite going undrafted a few years ago. Although he sustained an ACL tear at the end of the 2022 season, the Cowboys decided to put their faith in their homegrown right tackle and sign him to a five-year, $82.5 million extension.
Steele hasn’t looked the same since the injury. The hope after a difficult 2023 might have been that he would be better a year away from the ACL tear, but he allowed 11 sacks in 2024, the most of any right tackle, per NFL Next Gen Stats. Dallas probably doesn’t want to add another hole along its line with Zack Martin retiring and Tyler Guyton struggling in his rookie season at left tackle, but Steele’s $14 million compensation in 2025 is money the franchise could better use elsewhere.
Average annual salary projection: $5 million to $9 million per year (tackles), $4 million to $8 million per year (guards), $3 million to $7 million per year (centers)
Tier 5: Backups likely to net guaranteed money
Free agents: T Larry Borom, Bears; G Evan Brown, Cardinals; T Trent Brown, Bengals; OL Brady Christensen, Panthers; C Drew Dalman, Falcons; C Michael Deiter, Commanders; OL Jack Driscoll, Eagles; T Michael Dunn, Browns; T Chuma Edoga, Cowboys; OL Liam Eichenberg, Dolphins; C Dan Feeney, Vikings; G Kendrick Green, Texans; C Nick Harris, Browns; T D.J. Humphries, Chiefs; T Germain Ifedi, Browns; T Josh Jones, Ravens; T Joe Noteboom, Rams; G Sua Opeta, Buccaneers; OL Lucas Patrick, Saints; OL Andrus Peat, Raiders; OL Matt Pryor, Bears; T David Quessenberry, Vikings; T Trent Scott, Commanders; C Coleman Shelton, Bears; OL Dan Skipper, Lions; G Laken Tomlinson, Seahawks; G Greg Van Roten, Giants; T Jedrick Wills, Browns; OL Isaiah Wynn, Dolphins
Ideally, these are the guys coaches want in the sixth and seventh offensive line spots if they prefer veteran backups to developmental prospects. Some of these linemen were starters last season, but I’m not sure it would be ideal to see them back in that same role again in 2025. Trent Brown isn’t far removed from being a highly compensated tackle in New England, as an example, but he has played one full season in five years and missed 14 games in 2024 with a torn patellar tendon.
I wonder what sort of interest there will be in Wills, whom the Browns selected one pick before Becton and three picks ahead of Tristan Wirfs in the 2020 draft. He was promising as a rookie and seemed to be in the best possible place to succeed under legendary offensive line coach Bill Callahan, but he never took a step forward. He missed the second half of 2023 with a knee injury, and after he reaggravated the injury in 2024 and sat out of a game against the Ravens, the Browns benched him, a move Wills called “shocking.” He played just two snaps the rest of the way.
Average annual salary projection: $2 million to $5 million per year (tackles), $2 million to $4 million per year (guards), $2 million to $3.5 million per year (centers)
Tier 6: Backups likely to earn roster spot
Free agents: G Ben Bartch, 49ers; T Kelvin Beachum, Cardinals; C Trystan Colon-Castillo, Cardinals; T Andre Dillard, Packers; OL Cody Ford, Bengals; G Mark Glowinski, Colts; G Blake Hance, Jaguars; T Charlie Heck, 49ers; C Robert Hainsey, Buccaneers; T James Hudson, Browns; G Teven Jenkins, Bears; T Conor McDermott, Rams; G Royce Newman, Buccaneers; T Brandon Parker, Falcons; OL Dillon Radunz, Titans; G Dalton Risner, Vikings; OL Wes Schweitzer, Jets; G Aaron Stinnie, Giants; T Oli Udoh, Saints; T Elijah Wilkinson, Falcons; G Cody Whitehair, Raiders
It’s always good to have veterans who can step in with some level of experience in a pinch, but at this level of free agency, these are the linemen few teams will want to play for extended periods of time out of choice.
Risner’s case is interesting. In 2023, after four solid years with the Broncos, no market developed and he signed a one-year deal with the Vikings in mid-September. After more efficient work in Minnesota, he went back on the market and again had no takers, signing another one-year deal with the Vikings. He entered the lineup in midseason after suffering a back injury and played every snap from Week 10 onward. Risner is probably something closer to a Tier 4 or Tier 5 guard, but the league has repeatedly disagreed, leaving him in the same boat as Cam Akers as players who are seemingly only capable of being productive with Kevin O’Connell in Minnesota.
