• QB Kirk Cousins should stay in Minnesota: A lack of free-agent options at the position and Vikings’ draft capital make running it back the smart choice.
• WR Tee Higgins fits with the Jaguars: The Bengals wide receiver would be a contested-catch threat who could help quarterback Trevor Lawrence thrive on downfield passes.
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Estimated Reading Time: 12 minutes
The 2023-24 NFL season is over for 24 of 32 teams, so we’re moving on to the offseason. Before we get to April and the 2024 NFL Draft, teams will look to improve their rosters through free agency. Here is one player each team should sign, or re-sign, in early 2024.
JUMP TO A TEAM:
ARZ | ATL | BLT | BUF | CAR | CIN | CHI | CLE | DEN | DAL | DET | GB | HOU | IND | JAX | KC | LVR | LAC | LAR | MIA | MIN | NE | NO | NYG | NYJ | PHI | PIT | SF | SEA | TB | TEN | WSH
Arizona Cardinals: EDGE Brian Burns
Edge defender Dennis Gardeck put together a solid pass-rushing season for the Cardinals, totaling 42 pressures from 243 pass-rushing snaps. But he was the team's only edge defender to earn a PFF pass-rushing grade above 70.0. Burns has topped that in each of the past four seasons and, while he hasn’t broken into the elite range tier at the position yet, is still young enough to develop further.
Atlanta Falcons: EDGE Za’Darius Smith
The Falcons struggled to generate much pressure off the edge in 2023, and while they will be encouraged by Arnold Ebiketie’s development in his second NFL season, a veteran presence would be a wise addition. Smith has earned an 84.0 PFF pass-rushing grade or better in each of his past four seasons with at least 100 pass-rushing snaps.
Baltimore Ravens: WR Odell Beckham Jr.
The Ravens' wide receiver room took a huge step forward this season. There is still uncertainty at the position, though, due to Beckham's pending free agency and the looming fifth-year option decision for Rashod Bateman. Bringing back Beckham as the passing attack's third receiver behind Zay Flowers and tight end Mark Andrews would make sense, with Beckham’s 2.28 yards per route run since Week 6 ranking 12th among all wide receivers to see 50 or more targets.
Buffalo Bills: EDGE Carl Lawson
Buffalo could use added pass-rush juice, and although the front office will want to do its due diligence on surveying his health, Carl Lawson could be a cost-effective fit. He played just 101 snaps in 2023 but has earned a PFF pass-rushing grade above 70.0 in four of his six NFL seasons, generating pressure on 13.2% of his pass-rushing attempts.
Carolina Panthers: WR Calvin Ridley
It’s a huge offseason both for the Carolina Panthers and for the development of 2023 first-overall draft pick Bryce Young. If he is to take the big step forward required, he will need a separator at the wide receiver position. That’s where Ridley comes in. His first season with the Jaguars was up and down, but he still managed to finish the year with 1,016 yards on 76 receptions, earning a 72.2 PFF receiving grade in the process.
Chicago Bears: CB Jaylon Johnson
After retaining Jaylon Johnson at the trade deadline, the Bears should now look to sign the cornerback to a long-term extension. In his fourth NFL season, Johnson led all cornerbacks in PFF coverage grade (91.0), allowing just 25 receptions for 195 yards this season.
Cincinnati Bengals: TE Dalton Schultz
The Bengals could lose both Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd, who combined to see 165 targets in 2023, this offseason. Young receivers Andrei Iosivas and Charlie Jones could step up in their places, but the Bengals adding a talented receiving tight end could help them win in the middle of the field. Schultz proved himself to be a reliable target for the Texans this year, earning a 72.2 PFF receiving grade through the wild-card round.
Cleveland Browns: WR Marquise Brown
As the Browns look to take a step forward in 2024, finding a player who can win downfield would be smart. Brown was once again held back by injuries in 2023, perhaps meaning he is set to sign a one-year, prove-it deal, but has made plays downfield throughout his NFL career. His six receptions on passes thrown 20-plus yards downfield this past season resulted in 175 yards and a touchdown.
Dallas Cowboys: DI Grover Stewart
The Cowboys' run defense was exposed in the team's playoff loss to the Green Bay Packers. While there is hope that 2023 first-round draft pick Mazi Smith will take a step forward in 2024, they need help on the defensive interior. Stewart has been consistently good against the run and finished 2023 with 24 tackles resulting in a defensive stop.
Denver Broncos: CB Kendall Fuller
Fuller has experience as both an inside and outside cornerback in the NFL but has predominantly out wide in recent years. He’ll be 29 years old when the 2024 NFL season begins, though so this might be the time when a move back to the slot makes sense. The Broncos didn't roster any cornerbacks who earned a 65.0-plus PFF coverage grade in 2023, so investing in the position is necessary this offseason.
Detroit Lions: DI Justin Madubuike
Vibes are high in Detroit right now and, while the Lions' 2023 success should be applauded, this is a team that can get even better in 2024. Edge defender Aidan Hutchinson is already in or near the top tier at his position, but adding an interior pass rusher like Madubuike could take the team's defense to another level. Madubuike is coming off a career year, boasting a 77.7 PFF pass-rushing grade and 64 total pressures — including 31 combined sacks and quarterback hits — on 512 pass-rushing snaps.
Green Bay Packers: S Geno Stone
If Darnell Savage departs in free agency, the Packers will need safety help. Despite tallying seven interceptions in 2023, Stone is unlikely to break the bank as a free-agent signing. He is not a standout run defender but has earned PFF coverage grades above 73.0 in each of the past two seasons and showcased his ball-hawking ability this past year.
Houston Texans: LB Blake Cashman
The Texans could look to make a big splash and target a linebacker like Patrick Queen, but Cashman, who is enjoying a career year, likely won’t cost as much to keep around as it would to bring Queen in. Cashman has earned a 74.9 PFF coverage grade and an 84.6 PFF run-defense grade heading into the divisional round of the playoffs. If the Texans can bring him back on a reasonable three-year deal, it should be a no-brainer.
Indianapolis Colts: WR Michael Pittman Jr.
As the Colts look to build around quarterback Anthony Richardson, whose rookie season ended abruptly due to a shoulder injury, letting Pittman walk would be a mistake. Coming off the best season of his four-year career to date, the former USC Trojan, who joined the Colts as a second-round draft pick in 2020, dropped just 4.4% of his targets.
Jacksonville Jaguars: WR Tee Higgins
Styles win fights, but they also help round out passing attacks. And that’s exactly what Higgins would do in Jacksonville. Calvin Ridley saw 22 contested targets for the Jaguars in 2023, a facet in which Higgins has proven he can win as an NFL wideout. He caught 57.6% of his contested targets in 2022 and has proven himself to be a borderline No. 1 receiver when healthy.
Kansas City Chiefs: DI Chris Jones
The Chiefs and Jones couldn’t agree to a long-term deal before the season, which led to Jones missing the first game of the year and eventually signing an incentive-laden one-year contract, setting him up for free agency again this year. He remains one of the most disruptive interior defenders in football, earning a 90.0 PFF pass-rush grade or better in five of his past six seasons. He also recorded 32 combined sacks and quarterback hits in the regular season this year.
Las Vegas Raiders: EDGE Josh Uche
The Raiders ask a lot of Maxx Crosby in terms of workload, and while they added Tyree Wilson with the seventh pick of the 2023 NFL Draft, acquiring another productive pass rusher this offseason would help. Uche earned an 87.8 PFF pass-rushing grade and racked up 56 pressures from 285 pass-rushing snaps in 2022. The Raiders could bring him in as a pass-rushing specialist to give Crosby a breather.
Los Angeles Chargers: CB Chidobe Awuzie
The Chargers need to get better in the secondary in 2024. Awuzie is a more-than-capable coverage player who has just one season with a PFF coverage grade below 60.0 and is coming off a year during which he allowed just 38 receptions from 446 coverage snaps.
Los Angeles Rams: EDGE Jadeveon Clowney
Clowney has spent consecutive seasons in the same city just once since leaving the Houston Texans before the 2019 campaign. A stint with a Rams team that was better than many expected in 2023 would seem like a good fit. He is currently having a career year in Baltimore, with an 81.2 PFF pass-rush grade and 71 quarterback pressures.
Miami Dolphins: C Andre James
The Dolphins might look to bring back Connor Williams, who was having an impressive season before his injury. But if not, they need competent play in the middle of their offensive line. In his fourth season in the league, James took another step forward with the Raiders in pass protection, earning a 71.2 PFF pass-blocking grade and allowing 19 quarterback pressures from 583 pass-blocking snaps.
Minnesota Vikings: QB Kirk Cousins
Maybe the Vikings will decide it’s time to rebuild, but they only just missed out on the playoffs in 2023 — and that was with Kirk Cousins missing the second half of the season. He has earned a 79.0-plus PFF grade in every season in Minnesota, and while he is unlikely to break into the elite ranks in 2024, he is good enough to get the Vikings back to the playoffs, perhaps even winning the NFC North again. Getting into the postseason with Cousins and hoping for some luck to fall their way feels like the Vikings' best option, considering who else is available at the position and where they pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
New England Patriots: S Kyle Dugger
With Jerod Mayo taking over as the Patriots' head coach, it feels unlikely that they will let one of their best defensive players leave in free agency. Dugger endured his struggles in coverage in 2023 but is one of the best run-defending defensive backs in the NFL, posting a 70.0-plus PFF run-defense grade in three of his four seasons in the league.
New Orleans Saints: CB Kenny Moore II
2022 second-round draft pick Alontae Taylor has struggled from the slot through his first two NFL seasons. With the way the slot cornerback market usually shakes out, the Saints might be able to bring in some competition without spending too much. Kenny Moore II is coming off the highest PFF coverage grade of his career (79.3) in 2023 and would be an immediate upgrade on the inside.
New York Giants: WR Curtis Samuel
The Giants could benefit from investing in the wide receiver market this offseason and should perhaps be looking to double-dip in free agency and the draft. Curtis Samuel isn’t going to come in and be a WR1 for the team, but he is a reliable target who can fill out a wide receiver room. He’s coming off a 2023 season during which he dropped just four of the 66 catchable passes thrown his way.
New York Jets: OT Jermaine Eluemunor
When Aaron Rodgers gets back onto the field in 2024, the Jets will need an improved offensive line in front of him. Eluemunor has elevated his game significantly over the past two seasons and is a more-than-capable starting right tackle. He is unlikely to command a significant contract, so the Jets would be able to take a step forward up front without breaking the bank.
Philadelphia Eagles: CB L’Jarius Sneed
No Eagles cornerback earned a PFF coverage grade of 70.0 or better in 2023. If the team wants to get back to contending after a disappointing final stretch to the 2023 season, they will have to invest in the position again. Sneed would be a big splash in that regard. He is a capable, physical cornerback from either the inside or the outside, earning PFF coverage grades of 70.0 or better in three of his four NFL seasons.
Pittsburgh Steelers: QB Baker Mayfield
It feels very likely that Mayfield will stick around with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but on the off chance that he does hit free agency, the Steelers should be the first team to pick up the phone. While Mayfield hasn’t lived up to the billing of being a former No. 1 overall pick, he is back at the level of his second and third seasons with the Cleveland Browns, earning a 74.6 PFF grade with 25 big-time throws and 24 turnover-worthy plays in the 2023 regular season.
San Francisco 49ers: CB Steven Nelson
The 49ers' defensive backfield is one of the team's few weak points, so adding a veteran like Steven Nelson would help bolster that unit in 2024. Nelson has yet to have a season in the NFL of earning a PFF coverage grade below 60.0 and has recorded five interceptions and eight pass breakups this season.
Seattle Seahawks: DI Leonard Williams
The Seahawks traded for Williams during the 2023 season, so keeping him around for the long term makes too much sense. He earned a 78.1 PFF grade after the trade, racking up 32 quarterback pressures on 281 pass-rushing snaps. Heading into his 10th NFL season, he has played at least 720 snaps and earned a 70.0-plus PFF grade in every year of his career.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: S Antoine Winfield Jr.
You could make the case that Baker Mayfield is the Buccaneers' biggest “must re-sign” player, based on positional value, but Winfield's defensive impact is hard to ignore. The highest-graded safety in the NFL this season (91.2) has been a standout against the run, in coverage and even as a pass rusher, a facet in which he has recorded 18 quarterback pressures — including six sacks.
Tennessee Titans: EDGE Chase Young
Young is coming off the best season of his NFL career, garnering a 75.8 PFF pass-rush grade and racking up 66 quarterback pressures from 480 pass-rushing snaps. But it wouldn’t be a surprise for him to take a one-year, prove-it deal rather than sign a long-term contract with a lower ceiling. He was better with the Commanders than with the 49ers after the in-season trade but still recorded 28 pressures from 233 snaps with San Francisco in the regular season.
Washington Commanders: S Kamren Curl
It’s an offseason of change in Washington, but retaining Kamren Curl makes sense for both parties. The 2020 seventh-round pick out of Arkansas has earned PFF overall grades of 65.0 or better in all four of his NFL seasons and is young enough that his best football should be ahead of him.
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