We’re almost to April on the 2024 calendar, which means the NFL is full-speed ahead for this year’s draft.
However, the second wave of free agency continues, as teams try to find value additions or big-ticket veterans who waited for the right opportunity on the right salary.
We’ve gone through and paired 10 available free agents with 10 teams where they’d fit right in based on need and potential. Some of these picks might seem obvious, while others we feel could take various units in the NFL to another level.
Let’s take a look at these 10 team and player fits and explain why they’d make sense to us.
The Chiefs have a gigantic need at left tackle right now, with free agent Donovan Smith having yet to re-sign with Kansas City. While bringing Smith back would be a sensible move after the team just won a Super Bowl with him in the lineup, Bakhtiari presents a tantalizing veteran option available.
The longtime Packers left tackle can play on a grass field for most of the season if he signs with the Chiefs, as he’s long been a vocal opponent of artificial turf. Wanya Morris would be a very solid option to play if/when Bakhtiari can’t, but the Packers veteran gives Kansas City a higher ceiling at the position and for its offense in general. A 1-year deal would make a lot of sense here.
The Broncos and Tannehill need each other right now. Denver does not have a clear path to drafting one of the top quarterbacks in this year’s class, and any pick they do make would be a gamble for 2025 instead of a surefire thing for 2024. Sean Payton needs to start winning in Denver in his second season with the franchise, and Tannehill would provide more stability than any other option available at present. If Tannehill still wants to start, this is his best (and only) option. It just makes too much sense for the Broncos to sign Tannehill as a stop-gap starter for the fall.
The Falcons desperately need pass-rush help, and Ogbah is one of the best free agents available who could play at outside linebacker in the team’s 3-4 scheme under Raheem Morris and Jimmy Lake. Ogbah had two 9-sack seasons in 2020 and 2021 before dealing with injury in 2022 (1 sack) and taking a reserve role in 2023 (5 sacks). In Atlanta, he’d get more of an opportunity to find his second wind with snap availability and fit right into the lineup. The Falcons need to add a veteran pass-rusher ahead of the draft, and Ogbah would be a nice match at this stage.
The Lions need as much pass-rush help as they can get, and signing oft-injured defensive end Marcus Davenport has definite boom-or-bust risk. Danna, a former Michigan player, is the kind of ascending young player coming off a career-best year (6.5 sacks) that typically signs a nice deal in free agency. Even though he’s still out there, we don’t think he will be for long. Detroit can add some proven experience off the edge with Danna, someone who has won a couple of Super Bowls and knows what it takes to get to the big game. His ability to get after the quarterback and his Super Bowl reps would be key for a Lions team trying to win the NFC this fall. Detroit would have a complete, ferocious defensive end rotation with Danna on the roster.
NFL veterans are jumping across divisions with much more ease these days, and Boyd making the leap across the AFC North from the Cincinnati Bengals to the Baltimore Ravens checks out. Boyd would fill an important role in the Ravens offense as a pair of veteran hands that quarterback Lamar Jackson could rely on in the passing game. Baltimore knows his strengths and weaknesses well after playing against him twice a season, and him not returning to Cincinnati so far makes him an enticing addition to a receiver room that needs more experience.
Jackson is one of the automatic plug-and-play cornerbacks available right now, so any team with a clear need in the secondary would be wise to give him a look. The Cardinals need another starter opposite Sean-Murphy Bunting, and Jackson fills that role immediately. He can also play in the slot in formations where Arizona wants three cornerbacks on the field. For a Cardinals team that might surprise folks this fall, Jackson is the kind of savvy second-wave free agent move that moves the needle in the right direction for this defense.
If Vaitai feels comfortable moving over to left guard (or if the Vikings can move Ed Ingram to that spot and let Vaitai play on the right side), this is a great landing spot for the veteran offensive lineman. He played in Detroit for four seasons and hasn’t yet re-signed with the Lions, which means he could switch out NFC North teams and play for a Vikings team led by Sam Darnold. If Kevin O’Connell can keep Minnesota competitive next fall, Vaitai plays a key role in that happening here.
The Titans have spent a fortune this offseason on fixing the holes on the roster, so they might as well keep spending big on players that will have an impact. Simmons joining newly acquired cornerbacks L’Jarius Sneed and Chidobe Awuzie and stalwarts like safety Amani Hooker and cornerback Roger McCreary gives the Titans a really tough defense to throw on. Having a strong secondary is key in a division with quarterbacks like C.J. Stroud, Trevor Lawrence and Anthony Richardson, after all. Tennessee can pay Simmons what he’s worth, and Simmons could thrive playing with this much talent in the Titans secondary.
With quarterback Caleb Williams a virtual lock to be the Bears next quarterback, he’s going to need as many quality targets to throw to as he can get. Chark provides the kind of game-breaking speed that Chicago can use more of, as his injury history isn’t as foreboding with the depth the Bears have at the position. Putting a wideout trio of D.J. Moore, Keenan Allen and Chark on the field for Williams sets the rookie quarterback up for success early. Chicago has the cap space for this, too.
The Bills need good depth at running back behind James Cook, and Kelley is perhaps the best player at the position available right now. He’s only 26 and provides quality play on the ground and in the air, as Buffalo could definitely get him on the field when Cooks needs a break. Kelley still feels like he has untapped potential, and we’re curious to see how he’d do with the Bills.