Best fits for top 10 free agents still available
More than two weeks have passed since free agency opened, and NFL teams have been quick to snap up talent on the open market.
As a result, there are few big-name players still looking for work. Here, we find a perfect new home for each of the 10 best remaining free agents.
Ndamukong Suh ➡️ Los Angeles Chargers
2018 stats: 4.5 sacks, 59 total tackles, 4 TFL
Suh wants to stay on the West Coast and is in the ring-chasing phase of his career. The Chargers tick both these boxes for the defensive tackle, who would also fill one of the few significant needs on Los Angeles' talent-rich roster. The three-time All-Pro isn't the force he once was, but the Chargers don't need him to be with Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram manning the edge. At just under $12 million in cap space, though, Suh will likely need to accept less than the one-year, $14-million deal he inked with the Rams last offseason.
Ezekiel Ansah ➡️ Buffalo Bills
2018 stats: 4 sacks, 11 total tackles, 3 TFL (7 games)
The Bills have quietly been scouring the pass-rushing market this offseason after finishing 2018 with the seventh-fewest sacks in the NFL. Brandon Beane and Co. also know they may not be able to retain their top pass-rusher, Jerry Hughes, in free agency next year. Ansah would plug a hole, provide much-needed depth, and allow Buffalo to trade Hughes at some point or let him walk next March.
Jay Ajayi ➡️ Indianapolis Colts
2018 stats: 184 rushing yards, 3 TDs, 4.1 YPC (4 games)
The Colts already have a three-headed backfield of Marlon Mack, Nyheim Hines, and Jordan Wilkins. Mack cemented himself as Indy's top dog in 2018, while Hines excelled in a pass-catching scatback role. Still, Frank Reich - who was Ajayi's offensive coordinator with the Philadelphia Eagles - loves a strong rotation, and the Boise State product would bring a physicality the Colts' other backs lack. Being a part of a committee should also mitigate concerns about the 25-year-old's long history of knee injuries.
Eric Berry ➡️ Cleveland Browns
2018 stats: 11 total tackles (2 games)
Trading Jabrill Peppers left a hole at strong safety in Cleveland that Berry is perfectly suited to fill - if he's healthy. Although heel injuries shelved the five-time Pro Bowler for most of the last two seasons, he's still the enforcer and veteran leader the Browns need on defense. Cleveland could use a thumper to pair with roaming free safety Damarious Randall in the secondary. Berry has ties to general manager John Dorsey, who previously held the same post with Berry's old team, the Kansas City Chiefs.
Jamie Collins ➡️ Baltimore Ravens
2018 stats: 104 total tackles, 4 sacks, 13 TFL, 1 FF
Baltimore needs a versatile, physical linebacker as much as Collins needs a team that will keep him focused. The former Pro Bowler floundered with the Browns and appeared checked out at times. A return to a contending team should motivate the 29-year-old, who is still a force when he wants to be. The Ravens lost C.J. Mosley in free agency and have a slew of unproven youngsters slated to play major roles at linebacker.
C.J. Anderson ➡️ Los Angeles Rams
2018 stats: 403 rushing yards, 2 TDs, 6.0 YPC
Anderson proved to be a capable backup behind Todd Gurley last year, but hasn't generated much interest on the free-agent market. The Rams re-signed Malcolm Brown, yet Anderson is the safer bet to produce if Gurley - who reportedly has knee arthritis - is forced to miss extended periods of time in 2019.
Tre Boston ➡️ San Francisco 49ers
2018 stats: 79 total tackles, 3 INTs, 9 passes defensed, 1 FF
Last offseason, Boston wasn't signed by the Arizona Cardinals until days before training camp. Despite a solid campaign in the desert, Boston's once again struggling to find much of a market. The 49ers, who were expected to pursue Earl Thomas, should take advantage and fill a need that's lingered for years. Boston isn't Thomas, of course, but he's a significant upgrade over the oft-injured Jimmie Ward and Adrian Colbert.
Morris Claiborne ➡️ Tampa Bay Buccaneers
2018 stats: 57 total tackles, 2 INTs, 14 passes defensed
There are few quality options left for cornerback-needy teams, and the Buccaneers arguably need experienced talent more than any other franchise. Brent Grimes is gone, leaving Carlton Davis (second season) and Vernon Hargreaves (fourth season) as Tampa Bay's top two corners. Claiborne could slide seamlessly into Grimes' veteran role, and with his market cooling off, the cap-poor Bucs could land him at a bargain price.
Zach Brown ➡️ Detroit Lions
2018 stats: 96 total tackles, 1 sack, 10 TFL, 2 FF
Detroit's linebacker group is perhaps the worst in the NFL. Luckily, one of the league's most overlooked players at the position is still available. Brown made the Pro Bowl with the Bills in 2016 after recording 149 tackles, and though his production dropped off in two seasons with the Washington Redskins, he's still capable of being a stabilizing force in the center of the Lions' defense.
Muhammad Wilkerson ➡️ Green Bay Packers
2018 stats: 5 total tackles (3 games)
After solidifying their pass-rush early in free agency, the Packers should be turning back to Wilkerson in hopes of patching up their run defense. Wilkerson signed a one-year "prove-it" deal with Green Bay last year, but his expected bounce-back campaign was cut short by a broken ankle. An interior tackle rotation of Mike Daniels, Kenny Clark, and Wilkerson looks scary, at least on paper.