Finding fits for 7 top free agents who waited out the draft
Though the draft is over, teams are still looking to improve their rosters. For the free agents who haven't signed yet, the list of landing spots has shrunk from what it was in March, but situations across the league have also become much clearer.
Here are the top seven free agents still out there and the clubs that should give them a ring now that the draft has concluded.
Dez Bryant
While Jerry Jones may see no issue with releasing Bryant so late in the offseason, doing it less than two weeks before the draft essentially guaranteed the 29-year-old would have to wait and see who still needed a wideout after April 28. Bryant isn't the stud No. 1 receiver we saw dominate from 2012-14, but he can still occupy a valuable role on a team that has an established leadership group but lacks proven targets.
Where to? The Seattle Seahawks would make sense, but they've shipped out several players with similarly loud voices and seem to be going through a culture change that they may not welcome the former Cowboy into. The Houston Texans, meanwhile, are just starting to build their corps in the Deshaun Watson era. The chance to join a potential winner, stay in Texas, play the Cowboys, and be one of two veterans in the receiver room should be enough to land Bryant.
Kenny Vaccaro
The free-agent safety market got off to an unusually slow start, leaving Vaccaro without a team despite coming off what's likely his best season as a pro. The 27-year-old finished last season on injured reserve and underwent wrist and groin surgeries, but isn't expected to have any trouble being ready in time for training camp. Vaccaro may have found his ideal role in 2017 in nickel and dime packages covering receivers in the slot, though he can also play as a traditional strong safety.
Where to? The Kansas City Chiefs had the fourth-worst pass defense in 2017 and only added fourth-rounder Armani Watts to their safety corps this offseason. Eric Berry will be back too, but Vaccaro could bring a hard-hitting, sure-tackling presence that the Chiefs' secondary desperately lacked last year.
DeMarco Murray
Few teams have a real need at running back, especially given all the recent examples of rookie rushers leading offenses. However, Murray appeared to show an ability to help Derrick Henry develop into a starter and, at age 30, he can still perform as a No. 2 behind a decent offensive line.
Where to? The Denver Broncos and Tampa Bay Buccaneers each cut ties this with their former starters C.J. Anderson and Doug Martin, respectively, before bringing in rookie runners. Murray could mentor either Royce Freeman (Broncos) or Ronald Jones II (Buccaneers), and serve as a more powerful backup when the youngsters' speedy style isn't getting the job done.
Johnathan Hankins
Hankins was on the market far longer than expected last offseason, reportedly because he had a high price tag. He eventually got a sufficiently big offer from the Colts, but the 26-year-old was released this year due to a scheme change, earning over $10 million in the process.
Where to next?: The Atlanta Falcons didn't find a replacement for Dontari Poe at nose tackle, a role Hankins could slot into nicely, but the team hasn't expressed much concern about the position and isn't swimming in cap room. While Hankins seems unlikely to take a hometown discount, the Detroit Lions should have interest in the Michigan native after saying goodbye to Haloti Ngata this spring. The Lions have enough cap space to afford Hankins and, under general manager Bob Quinn, have demonstrated a desire to be strong at the line of scrimmage.
Eric Reid
Reid's struggling to find a new team, possibly as a consequence of his protests against social injustice during the national anthem. He's filed a collusion grievance against the league that may deter clubs from calling him - or nudge a more forward-thinking franchise toward giving the 26-year-old a chance to continue his career.
Where to? The San Francisco 49ers, who drafted and employed Reid for the last five years, are open to bringing back the former first-rounder, and he's reportedly interested. The 49ers haven't been scared to speak out against social injustice and didn't add nearly as many pieces in free agency as their available cap space suggested they might. If a team signs Reid before his grievance is resolved, chances are it will be San Francisco.
Jeremy Maclin
Friday is Maclin's 30th birthday, and his age has shown over the last two seasons; he played 12 games in each one and failed to break 550 yards in either campaign. He can be useful as a deep threat, catching long passes and keeping safeties occupied over the top, though he could easily be miscast on the wrong team.
Where to? The Buffalo Bills badly need speed and recognizable names on their offense, especially if Josh Allen's supposed strength is throwing the ball deep. Maclin is close friends with Bills running back LeSean McCoy and is plenty comfortable playing in cold weather. It can be a waste for teams to have multiple players occupying the role of deep threat, but that job's still open on the Bills.
NaVorro Bowman
With the Oakland Raiders signing Derrick Johnson last week, it appears Bowman is headed elsewhere after many assumed he would rejoin the silver and black following the draft. Bowman will be 30 when the season starts and can still play an every-down role when healthy, though a torn Achilles in 2016 makes him a risky signing. He recorded 127 tackles over 15 games in 2017 and provided some needed leadership on the Raiders' defense.
Where to? The Pittsburgh Steelers surprisingly did not draft a replacement at inside linebacker for Ryan Shazier, and they play a similar 3-4 system to the one Bowman excelled in as an All-Pro from 2011-15. Bowman went to school at Penn State, just a few hours' drive from Pittsburgh, but also grew up in Maryland and may be drawn to the Baltimore Ravens, who could use an upgrade at weak-side linebacker.
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