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The 2023 NFL trade deadline came and went. And now all we can speculate on is the results of the remaining games and who will win the Super Bowl. Well, at least until next offseason.
The free agency wheel is always turning. And while it may slow down during the season, now that the trade deadline has passed, we can begin to speculate on what some of the biggest offseason stories will be. And more specifically, who the seven best NFL free agents for the 2024 offseason post-trade deadline will be.
Kirk Cousins
The big question mark here is that Kirk Cousins just tore his Achilles and is 35. So, how enticing of a free agent will he be? Well, that risks opening up the question that has followed Cousins his whole career: Just how good is he? And is he a guy that raises the ceiling for a team?
If Cousins' rehab goes well, a team will snatch him up. That is the nature of the quarterback position in the NFL. Less than half of the league has a quarterback who can play at the level Cousins can at his best, and even less than that truly believe that their guy can win them a title. Cousins will have a lot of value based on his past successes, and someone will pay for it. The biggest questions now are where he'll go and how many productive years he has left.
Jason Kelce
Jason Kelce has been the best center in football for many years. Sure, he's almost 36, but he's showing no signs of slowing down and could have a couple of really solid years left. And Kelce has been responsible for making more headlines than nearly any other center in NFL history, thanks to the effectiveness of the “Tush Push.”
Every team in the NFL would love to beef up their interior line. If Kelce wants to play one more year, he'll be a very attractive free agent. But he has hinted that his retirement could be at hand, so stay tuned on this one.
Saquon Barkley
Running backs are the great conundrum of the modern NFL, and two of the best in the league will again be looking for new deals at the end of this season. Barkley is one of those two. He has been an absolute workhorse for the New York Giants, and when healthy, he has been elite. But his health and usage will both work against him this offseason, not to mention the fact that he is a running back in the age of devalued running backs.
Will the Giants offer him enough to stick around, especially as they remain stuck in mediocrity? Barkley may not be able to get the money he wants, but he will be one of the biggest names most likely to find a new home this offseason.
Derrick Henry
King Henry has laid claim to the title of best running back in the NFL for the past half-decade. He's put the Tennessee Titans organization on his back time and time again in critical moments during the regular and postseason. Derrick Henry is quite possibly the most recognizable Titans player of all time. And yet, there are limits to even this superhero's powers.
Tennessee refuses to fully pull the plug and rebuild, even if it's looking like the time to do so. Henry may want to go somewhere he has a chance to win a Super Bowl. As a result, don't be surprised if Henry moves on to a different team and different era of his career after 2023.
Chase Young
Chase Young is the talk of the trade deadline. The former No. 2 overall draft pick was traded from the Washington Commanders to the San Francisco 49ers as they try to stem the bleeding of their recent skid.
Like many impending free agents, part of the reason Young hasn't signed an extension has been his team's unwillingness to commit to him due to injury. In his one mostly full season, he won Rookie of the Year and was a Pro Bowler. Since that 2020 campaign, when he played 15 games, he managed just 12 appearances over the following two seasons. But Young has been healthy so far in 2023, and his health and level of play for a 49ers team with high aspirations will be the biggest factor for his next contract.
Mike Evans
Could Mike Evans finally leave the Tampa Bay Buccaneers? In his nine completed seasons of football, Evans has finished with over 1,000 yards every time. He is on pace for that mark again this year with over 500 yards in seven games.
Evans is one of the most consistently great wide receivers the league has ever seen. He has a big frame, great hands and footwork, and good speed. He would be an instant starter on every team in the league. And he'll be entering his age 31 season, so with his record of good health, he may have several more productive years in front of him. Evans could be an attractive target for any contender looking to add more weapons.
Tyron Smith
It's not often a shoo-in Hall of Famer, All-Decade team member, and one of the greatest players of all time at their position becomes a free agent. But Tyron Smith is set to be an unrestricted free agent at the end of this season. Sure, he's getting older, and it's hard to say how well an offensive lineman will hold up into their mid-30s, especially given his ongoing injury woes.
But Smith has been a generational talent for the Dallas Cowboys' offensive line, a unit that, when led by him, has consistently been among the best in the NFL. He'd bring a ton of experience, wisdom and still a mountain of talent and skill with him wherever he goes—even if it's back to Dallas. The Cowboys seem closer and closer to contending each year Smith is there, but who knows what will happen this offseason?
