10 Free agents still out there that could make teams better

By. Joshua Shippen

Note: This list is not a list of the 10 best free agents, these are just 10 good guys that could improve whatever team they get put on.

1. Frank Gore, RB

While Frank Gore has been in the league since about the time your grandparents were born, and may not be a viable option as a 16 game starter, he is still more than capable to be a durable insurance back that can help young running backs carry the load, and still occasionally make plays. In addition to being a sturdy backup or 1B back, Gore has shown in Buffalo that he is eager to help young backs succeed, and would be a good presence to have on a team that maybe has a RB with lots of raw talent but no NFL experience (see also: Devin Singletary being the best rookie RB in the league last year and commenting on Gore being a mentor for him).

2. Jameis Winston, QB

OK maybe he doesn’t make the smartest on and off field decisions in the world, but let’s not forget in a league with Patrick Mahomes and Russell Wilson, the leader in passing yards was Jameis Winston, and he hasn’t shown that he can lead a team to a winning record in 16 starts, he hasn’t pooped out a 3-13 or anything atrocious like that, so why not have him as insurance for a young QB, or a QB that has injury problems to be a staple for three to four games if necessary?

3. Delanie Walker, TE

While Walker hasn’t exactly been the picture of health recently, it’s not like this guy’s production has fallen off a cliff or anything since his last really good season. In the 6 games that Walker played in 2019, The QB rating when Walker has been targeted is a 95.5, and according to PlayerProfiler.com, Walker caught 74.3% of catchable passes thrown his way. He could work for a team like the Bills or Redskins who could use some depth at the position, and make the QB look just a little bit better for like 5 or 10 games. I mean why not?

4. Jordan Reed, TE

The injury mosquito latched on to Reed as soon as he came into the league and never let go. 2019 was no exception, as we missed Reed for the entire season with a concussion. Nevertheless, Reed was still one of the best offensive players on the Redskins team for the about 4 or 5 of the season 7 years he was on the team, if some team decides to give him a chance, there’s an opportunity to be an absolute stud for about 4 or 5 games before he gets hurt again.

5. Carlos Hyde, RB

My theory is that somehow this guy’s personality rubs people the wrong way, because he’s been on four different teams since 2018, and there are plenty of moments where Hyde looks like an absolute defined number one back (you don’t believe me? Go back and watch the playoff match against the Bills). He’s not much of a passing back, but his blocking abilities, and his abilities as a powerful runner who can get you about 4-4.5 yards per carry is solid, a team like the Falcons or the Bucs who have uncertainty at the position could definitely use a safe cheap veteran like this.

6. Logan Ryan, CB

Logan Ryan doesn’t want a penny less than 10 million per year, and that has got to be the only reason that he hasn’t been picked up by a team yet. He was one of the better slot corners in the league for the first bit of the season, and there are plenty of teams out there that are missing effective slot corners that could use Ryan (the Chiefs are one but they’re in cap danger zone so they don’t count)

7. Margus Hunt, DL

I was mildly surprised when I saw that Hunt had been released by the Colts. After hanging around the Bengals for a few years and being OK on the field and a Hard Knocks star, he went to Indianapolis and actually had one of the best defensive line performances in the league, which is masked by his lack of counting number stats which is due to him getting switched to an interior lineman in the middle of the season instead of playing on the outside, so he was getting more sacks than pressures. His play did admittedly fall off in 2019, but he wasn’t terrible, a team would be smart to get him a good value and see if there’s anything left in the tank.

8. Everson Griffen, EDGE

Sign me up for the Everson Griffen experience. I mean sure he wasn’t as good as years past… wait a minute yes he was. He literally hasn’t fallen off, I am seriously so confused why the Vikings let a gauntlet player get to the open market, and am equally surprised nobody is rushing to make plans with him. His QB Hits, tackles, and tackles for loss are all as high as they’ve ever been, which is high. He’s a productive player that can do plenty of damage, this guy will make an impact in the right system. Oh also he still made the Pro Bowl but the voting for that is so bogus that I really couldn’t care less, I mean the let Xavier Rhodes in and he had one of the worst CB seasons we saw this year, certainly the worst one he’s ever had.

9. Eric Berry, S

I don’t care that this guy didn’t play last year, I still want to see what he’s got left. If he’s even a shadow of what he used to be in his All-Pro days in Kansas City, he’s worth a look, and could certainly replace some jabronies that other teams are trying to sell as their starting safeties. It’s also kind of a Frank Gore locker room situation where even if he’s not that good on the field he’s not gonna be a butt head off the field, he can help even when he’s not helping. Why not give the man a shot?

And now…

10. Brandon Weeden, QB

Just kidding 🙂

    10. Jadeveon Clowney, EDGE

Some of you were probably confused when Clowney wasn’t number one, and scratched your heads a LOT when you didn’t see him by six or seven. I have a couple things to say to these people. First off, quit your whining; I already said this wasn’t a ranking, it’s just a list. Second, even if it was a list it sends a ton of warning bells to me that a really good front office like Seattle especially since they struggle in the front 7 area of their team. But I admit, he was really good in games for getting in the QB’s face and making life difficult, so while he’s not the $20 gazillion edge rusher he thought he was, he’s still worth a glance as an impact player on defense.