As teams transition to the minicamp portion of their offseason workouts, there are still plenty of quality players left on the free-agent market looking to catch on with a team before training camp starts near the end of July.
Here are the five best players still available:
DeAndre Hopkins, WR
While there’s no shortage of teams interested in adding Hopkins, the problem lies in the fact that the 30-year-old receiver is reportedly asking for Odell Beckham Jr. money ($18 million). Many teams who have serious interest in Hopkins, who’s just two years removed from four straight 1,000-yard seasons, don’t have that kind of cap space.
But if the former Pro Bowler comes down on the kind of money he wants, the Baltimore Ravens, Buffalo Bills, Kansas City Chiefs, New England Patriots and Tennessee Titans all have a need at the position, and Hopkins would be an instant boost to the WR rooms of those teams.
Yannick Ngakoue, DE
It’s surprising Ngakoue is still available given he’s only 28 and still one of the premier pass-rushers in the league. He led the Colts with 9.5 sacks last season and ranked second on the team in pressures (44) and QB hits (16) and third in hurries (23).
Ngakoue has never had fewer than eight sacks or 44 pressures in a season, and he could make sense for a team looking to shore up one side of its pass rush like the Bears, Chiefs, Falcons, Giants, Packers or Titans.
Ezekiel Elliott, RB
Although the 2022 season was Elliott’s worst statistically, he still had 12 touchdowns and nearly 900 yards on the ground while splitting time with Tony Pollard. However, Elliott’s biggest problem isn’t whether teams believe he’s on the tail-end of his career, it’s that teams don’t want to dish out a lot of money for running backs. The top two free-agent backs, Miles Sanders and David Montgomery, both signed for four years or fewer and $6.25 million or less per year.
Elliott has had double-digit rushing touchdowns in three of the last four seasons, including the last two years. He may not be the 1,400-yard back he once was, but for a reasonable salary (in the $3 million to $4 million range), he might make a lot of sense for teams needing RB depth like the Buffalo Bills, Cincinnati Bengals, Denver Broncos or New York Jets.
Frank Clark, DE
Only 29, Clark is still a dependable edge-rusher who should be good for at least five sacks, maybe more in the right system. Although it’s been four seasons since Clark had double-digit sacks, he still consistently gets to the quarterback, averaging 54 pressures, 40 hurries and 16 QB hits per season.
Teams can never have too many good pass-rushers, and Clark could be an option for several edge-rusher-needy teams including the Bears, Bengals, Broncos, Colts, Falcons, Giants or Vikings.
Carson Wentz, QB
While Wentz’s starting days are likely behind him after two underwhelming years with the Indianapolis Colts and Washington Commanders, the former No. 2 overall pick might be an option for a team either looking for a mentor for a young quarterback or a solid, dependable backup.
Teams like the Green Bay Packers who could want a veteran to help ease Jordan Love into his first year as a full-time starter, or the Las Vegas Raiders, who are one Jimmy Garoppolo injury or failed physical away from turning to 37-year-old Brian Hoyer or rookie Aidan O’Connell, make sense as potential Wentz landing spots.
