Two months after NFL free agents went on the move, some teams still have a hole to fill. Here are five with a need, and who’s available to fill it.
With the 2025 NFL Draft in their rear-view mirror, teams have put focus back on the free agency pool to solve any remaining issues.
While it’s a shallower group of players than two months ago, some available veterans can contribute immediately for teams that want to start the season well.
And for those teams that haven’t fully addressed positions of need, a pickup here or there will be the primary and most cost-effective way to solve any roster issues throughout the remainder of the offseason.
Not every team has a glaring hole. Some appear comfortable with their current depth chart, while others don’t have the money to add the player or players they need.
Rather than look at all 32 teams, we’ll focus on the biggest issues of five in need, and the NFL free agents who would solve them.
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1 week ago Donald KolakowskiIndianapolis Colts: Inside Linebacker
The Colts went hard at defense in the NFL Draft but didn’t take a linebacker until the fifth round despite losing starting inside linebacker E.J. Speed in free agency.
With Speed gone, Indianapolis is left with eighth-year pro Zaire Franklin and 2024 fifth-rounder Jaylon Carlies, who started six games last season. The Colts’ decision not to add another player signals they might feel good about Carlies, but they should still find another veteran at the position, especially one who is better at stopping the run than Carlies.
The Colts’ linebacking corps was already mediocre against the run with Speed, ranking 17th in run disruption rate (RD%) in 2024. While Indianapolis ranked third in total run disruptions and sixth in stuffs, most of that was Speed (he had 35 disruptions and 25 stuffs). If you take his numbers out, the Colts ranked 28th in run disruption rate, 27th in total disruptions and 29th in stuffs.
This huge swing occurred because Carlies was not a strong run-defending inside linebacker in his limited time: His 3.0 RD% ranked 95th out of 97 inside linebackers with at least 65 snaps against the run.
The best NFL free-agent options available for the Colts are C.J. Mosley, Raekwon McMillan and Kyzir White. McMillan, who played for the New England Patriots and Tennessee Titans last season, ranked fifth in run disruption rate among inside linebackers with at least 100 snaps against the run, while White (with the Arizona Cardinals) ranked 24th.
Mosley didn’t qualify after missing most of the 2024 season with the New York Jets.
(All Linebacker Snaps)Any combination of those players would elevate the team’s run defense, although Mosley would likely be the preferred option given his veteran experience.
New York Jets: Wide Receiver
It made sense why the Jets released wide receiver Davante Adams this offseason: He’s older, expensive and doesn’t fit the new offense under new coordinator Tanner Engstrand, the former Detroit Lions assistant.
Garrett Wilson is still elite and would play the Amon-Ra St. Brown role in this offense, but the pass catchers behind him are laughably bad between Allen Lazard, Malachi Corley, Josh Reynolds and 2025 fifth-rounder Arian Smith.
The simplest solution would be to sign one of the big-name veterans left on the block – Amari Cooper or Keenan Allen – but that would be a mistake. Neither would play well in Engstrand’s offense if it turns out to be similar to what the team ran in Detroit.
The Lions receivers thrived off five routes this past season: crosses, curls, digs, outs and slants. Allen is good at dig, out and slant routes, but it would be a bit redundant with Wilson’s role. Cooper had the majority of his targets on curls and go routes, but he didn’t produce much.
What the Jets really need is someone to fit the Jameson Williams role. Last season, Williams was outstanding for the Lions at curls (16 targets, 81.3% burn rate, 87.5% open rate) and dig routes (six targets, 83.3% burn rate, 83.3% open rate) and would give the Jets another dimension in the passing game for new quarterback Justin Fields.
But short of trading for Williams himself or waiting for Smith to flash as a rookie, the Jets would be best suited to add another lesser-known free agent such as former Minnesota Vikings wideout Brandon Powell or veteran journeyman Nelson Agholor.
While Powell didn’t do much in 2024, he was solid in 2023 with 29 catches for 324 yards and one touchdown. He was also great at curl routes with a 66.7% burn rate and 86.7% open rate on 15 targets two seasons ago.
Agholor, meanwhile, is coming off the worst season of his career with 14 receptions for 231 yards and two touchdowns for the Baltimore Ravens. However, he had a 100% burn and open rate on slant and out routes (216 total routes). He wasn’t good on curl routes but was solid on digs and post routes.
Chicago Bears: Running Back
One of the biggest surprises of the draft was the Bears waiting until the seventh and final round to select a running back.
Last year’s Bears ran the ball just 34.8% of the time, ranking 27th in the NFL, and was 31st in average yards on designed run plays (3.7) and with the 11th-highest (or worst) run disruption rate allowed at 69.0%.
New coach Ben Johnson’s offense in Detroit ran the ball on 42.0% of its plays, or eighth-highest in the league. He wants to replicate that success in Chicago after the Bears overhauled their offensive line with free agency, trades and even the draft, including tackle Ozzy Trapilo in the second round.
However, the Bears still have an issue at the position: They basically have only one good running back in D’Andre Swift, and he was one of the worst in yards after contact and yards per carry on run disruptions. He ranked 53rd and 41st in those categories, respectively, among 54 running backs with at least 76 carries in 2024.
To use another Lions’ metaphor, the Bears need their David Montgomery to Swift’s Jahmyr Gibbs. There aren’t many good free-agent options left, so the Bears may want to consider a trade. The best available players who fit that skill set are oft-injured veterans Gus Edwards and Nick Chubb.
While with the Los Angeles Chargers, Edwards finished fifth in yards after contact (2.25) among those with 75+ carries, and Chubb (then Cleveland Browns) was 42nd with 1.68. Neither was particularly good when it came to yards per carry on run disruptions (41st and 54th, respectively), but there aren’t any available running backs who are.
Roschon Johnson, for reference, didn’t qualify for this data set but would have finished behind both of them in either stat.
The hope for Chicago is that a veteran could come in and spell Swift, particularly when a big bruising back is needed for plays. Chubb or Edwards could fill that role as NFL free agents.
Washington Commanders: Edge Rusher
To beat the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles (and any other elite team in the NFC), the young Commanders need help rushing the passer. The only edge rusher on the team last season with more than 200 pass-rush snaps and a pressure rate above 20% was Dorance Armstrong, and having only one isn’t going to cut it this season.
Washington found ways to attack the quarterback with the 12th-best pressure rate at 42.5% and the seventh-best sack rate at 7.2%. But in free agency, the Commanders have lost their best pure edge rusher, Dante Fowler Jr., and best interior pass rusher, Jonathan Allen.
Javon Kinlaw is a solid Allen replacement, but the Commanders didn’t draft an edge rusher. To rectify this, Washington should target NFL free agents Za’Darius Smith or Von Miller – or both.
Smith and Miller finished with identical pressure rates of 18.1%, which tied for 36th out of 102 edge defenders with at least 100 pass-rush snaps in 2024. Additionally, both of their adjusted sack rates were inside the top 50 of this group.
Either player would bolster the Commanders defense in a time when they need to capitalize on the success and cheapness of quarterback Jayden Daniels.
Arizona Cardinals: Offensive Guard
The Cardinals made a free-agent splash with Josh Sweat, then drafted almost exclusively defensive players – all except for guard Hayden Conner in the sixth round. Unsurprisingly, guard is still their biggest remaining hole heading toward the season.
Arizona has Evan Brown and 2024 third-rounder Isaiah Adams as its starting guards, and neither is great.
Brown’s 7.9% pressure rate allowed tied for the 38th highest among 82 guards with at least 100 snaps in 2024; Adams’ 9.3% pressure rate allowed was the 23rd highest. Brown was middling in run blocking, while Adams had the fourth-best run disruption rate allowed at just 7.0%.
However, Adams has just five career starts under his belt.
The Cardinals could be comfortable with both guards, but if they want a better pass blocker who gives up a little more on the run-blocking side, Arizona should consider veteran right guard Brandon Scherff to replace Adams.
Scherff is available among NFL free agents and still an elite pass blocker, tying for the 14th-lowest pressure rate allowed with 100+ snaps (6.1%). His knockdown allowed rate of 0.2% ranked second among guards with at least 125 snaps.
The issue for Scherff is run blocking – relative to Adams, at least. Scherff finished with a run disruption allowed rate of 11.2%, tying for 23rd among guards with 100+ snaps, and his run-block win percentage was below the more-inexperienced Adams.
If the Cardinals feel Adams needs more development on the right side, Scherff would be a quality addition to this offensive unit.
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Remaining NFL Free Agents Who Could Fill the Needs of These Five Teams Opta Analyst.
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