NFL cut day has come and gone. Multiple players were surprisingly cut from their teams, adding lots of talent to the free agent pool before kickoff of the 2023 season. Players were cut for numerous reasons, whether due to financial motivations or because they couldn't surpass teammates ahead of them on the depth chart.
Another sizable group of players remains unsigned from the offseason. There are lots of high-quality players worthy of a roster spot who can help fill roles as the regular season fast approaches.
Some of these free agents will find new homes soon as teams look to finalize their Week 1 rosters while scouring the league for newly released players. Other free agents will have to wait until an opening is created during the season because of injuries. Regardless of when and where these players sign, all of them are deserving of roster spot consideration.
Here are the top 30 available NFL free agents after cut day.
30. Kendall Hinton, WR
While the receiver is best known for filling in as emergency quarterback for the Denver Broncos, he always produced for the team when called upon as a wideout. Hinton has return abilities as well.
29. Corliss Waitman, P
Waitman led the NFL in total punts in 2022 with the Denver Broncos.
28. Kenny Golladay, WR
Golladay is well known known for not living up to the contract he signed with the New York Giants, but he earned that massive $72 million contract for a reason: The 29-year-old was once a game-changing receiver for the Detroit Lions. Golladay twice had over 1,000 receiving yards in Detroit, a feat he last accomplished four seasons ago.
27. Gabe Jackson, OG
Jackson is a 335-pound offensive lineman who can create holes for his running backs. He last played for the Seattle Seahawks.
26. Andrew Norwell, OG
Norwell has been a consistent piece on the interior of offensive lines since coming into the league in 2014.
25. Robert Quinn, DE
Quinn is another former elite-level defensive end who has transitioned into a situational pass-rushing role in the twilight of his career. Quinn still knows how to get after the quarterback, but his recent arrest complicates things.
24. Kyle Van Noy, OLB
Van Noy was a fixture with the New England Patriots for years. Last season, he played for the Los Angeles Chargers. Even entering his age-32 season, Van Noy has never really struggled with injury problems and should be a reliable depth piece for whoever signs him.
23. Andrew Adams, Safety
Adams had been a depth player for most of his career, but he had his best season in years with the Tennessee Titans in 2022, collecting 11 starts and setting a career-high in tackles.
22. Casey Hayward, CB
Another former star who is past his prime, Hayward still has at least one more year left in the tank. Last season he played for the Atlanta Falcons.
21. Akiem Hicks, DT
At 324 pounds, Hicks is a run-stopping specialist. He can clog the middle and draw double-teams, freeing up lanes for his linebacker teammates to make tackles on the ball carrier.
20. Myles Gaskin, RB
Gaskin led the Miami Dolphins in rushing in 2020 and 2021. He fell down the depth chart this offseason, but is still a solid runner, especially between the tackles.
19. Bradley Roby, CB
Roby was a member of the “No Fly Zone” Denver Broncos defense that won Super Bowl 50. He has since gone on to be a starter for the Houston Texans and New Orleans Saints.
18. P.J.Walker, QB
Walker was a surprise cut at the cut deadline. The quarterback has starting experience with the Carolina Panthers, but didn't win the Chicago Bears backup job.
17. Melvin Ingram, EDGE
Ingram's best years came with the Chargers, but he has had some good moments in recent years as a situational pass rusher. Edge rushers are coveted in the NFL, and Ingram is likely to help in a rotation at some point this year.
16. Anthony Schwartz, WR
Anthony Schwartz was a third-round pick in 2021. A deep threat with great speed, Schwartz is only 22 years old, and a change of scenery may get his career back on track.
15. Denzel Mims, WR
Mims was traded to the Detroit Lions after he fell down the depth chart with the New York Jets. The Lions were forced to release him when they needed pass-catching help after their wide receiver room was riddled with health woes, including calf and ankle injuries to Mims that kept him off the field. The receiver was impressive in camp before being bit by the injury bug.
14. Bryce Callahan, CB
Callahan is one of the best slot cornerbacks in the NFL. His game did see some regression in 2022.
13. Desmond King, CB
A veteran cornerback cut at the deadline by a rebuilding Houston Texans team, King will be one of the most sought after defensive free agents on the market.
12. Taylor Lewan, OT
Lewan has had injury problems over the last three seasons, which forced the Tennessee Titans to part ways with the veteran offensive tackle. Still, he was one of the most consistent blockers in the league when on the field.
11. Colt McCoy, QB
McCoy was in the running to win the starting quarterback job for the Arizona Cardinals. A team shedding veterans and perhaps tanking, the Cardinals released McCoy before the deadline. Having been in the league since 2010, McCoy knows his way around the block and could likely get adjusted to a new playbook rather quickly if a team needed an emergency quarterback option.
10. Matt Ioannidis, DL
Ioannidis is a rotational defensive lineman capable of helping in run support, as well as a pass rusher. He moves well for a 310-pound lineman.
9. Carson Wentz, QB
After disappointing years with the Indianapolis Colts and Washington Commanders, the days of Wentz as a starting quarterback are over. However, Wentz would be a worthy signing for a team that wants to upgrade is quarterback depth or needs an emergency starter. Experience at the quarterback position is key for teams trying to win games, and Wentz has 93 career appearances to his name.
8. Chris Wormley, DL
The former Pittsburgh Steelers defensive lineman had seven sacks in 2021. While his numbers fell off a cliff last year, Wormley has proven production as an interior pass rusher, a coveted trait.
7. Julio Jones, WR
The biggest name on this list, Jones isn't the same player he was during his prime. Still, at 6-foot 3-inches, the future Hall-of-Famer is a big-body target and likely to join a contender at some point this season. He has 13,629 yards and 63 touchdowns in his career.
6. Dalton Risner, OG
Risner, the best available offensive lineman from the original wave of free agency, has had interest from the Minnesota Vikings and Chicago Bears. He was a reliable blocker for the Broncos for years.
5. Bailey Zappe, QB
Bailey Zappe was one of the biggest and most surprising cuts at the cut deadline. He impressed in limited action as the Patriots starting quarterback as a rookie.
4. Ben Jones, C
Jones earned his first Pro Bowl in 2022, so it is very surprising he wasn't picked up during the first wave of free agency. The center is 34 years old, so he won't land a long-term contract, but his experience could help a number of teams out on the interior.
3. Leonard Fournette, RB
Fournette had 668 rushing yards and three touchdowns last season. While he is no longer the dominant bell-cow running back that got him drafted fourth overall in 2017, he is still a physical back who can complement quicker runners in a committee. It seems like Fournette has been around forever, but he is still only 28 years old.
2. Jarvis Landry, WR
While Landry's statistics did fall last year, he has a long and proven track record of production in the NFL. The five-time Pro Bowler and one-time receptions leader is a pure route runner and a great option out of the slot, although he can also kick outside as well.
1. Kareem Hunt, RB
Hunt is one of the game's premier pass-catching backs. He formed a dominant one-two punch with the Cleveland Browns' Nick Chubb and was the NFL's rushing yards leader in 2017 while with the Kansas City Chiefs. With Dalvin Cook and Ezekiel Elliot recently signing contracts, Hunt is likely the next domino to fall on the running back market.
Follow Us
Subscribe
