It is shaping up to be quite an interesting offseason with many major pieces moving to new places. Every team (with the exception of the Eagles) can find someone on this list that they would love to have. From quarterbacks to wide receivers and tight ends, this year’s free agency is stacked with playmakers. Without further ado, here are the top 16 offensive free agents in 2018.
Top 16 Offensive Free Agents
1) Kirk Cousins — Washington Redskins
Robert Griffin III’s successor has done a terrific job for Washington over the last few years and should draw the attention of any team in the market for a new signal-caller. Cousins has torched the league over the past three seasons, putting up a 2:1 touchdown to interception ratio and 4,000+ yards of offense per season, culminating in a 97.57 average QBR during those seasons. At only 29 years old, he can change the course of a franchise. However, he’s made it abundantly clear that he wants to soak up as much cap space as possible. In a league that’s desperate for quarterbacks. it’s Captain Kirk’s league for the taking.
Teams in need: Vikings, Browns, Jets, Cardinals, Broncos
2) Drew Brees — New Orleans Saints
They say that you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. Well, Drew Brees doesn’t need any new tricks. Now 39, he has set the league on fire every year since before the iPhone was announced and he doesn’t show any signs of cooling off. The Saints know this and as Brees has been quoted wanting to retire as a Saint, there should be no reason why he is not re-signed, right?
However, free agency is just around the corner and Brees has not yet been officially locked up. If a team could miraculously lure away Brees, they’d be getting a Super Bowl winning quarterback that has a career 2:1 touchdown to interception ratio who has not had a sub 4,000-yard season since 2005.
Teams in need: Vikings, Broncos, Jets, Cardinals, Browns
3) Le’Veon Bell — Pittsburgh Steelers
One of the best running backs in the league, Bell has exploded onto the scene, piling up 3,600 yards over the last two seasons. He can run the ball or catch it, it makes no difference to him as he will destroy a defense either way. The Steelers should know the value in Le’Veon, but if the bell has indeed been tolled in Pittsburgh, then he would be an upgrade at the position for 25 other teams in the NFL.
Teams in need: 49ers, Seahawks, Browns, Redskins, Jets, Lions, Colts, Bucs, Panthers
4) Sammy Watkins — Los Angeles Rams
At only 24, Watkins has a long future ahead of him. His brief tenure in the league has shown that if he can catch the ball 60+ times per season, he can break the 1,000-yard barrier with ease.
He has not really gotten the catches he needs as a result of being in a loaded wide receiving corps in Los Angeles and being in a Rex Ryan-led offense in Buffalo. The team that gets him gets an instant boost to their passing attack, whether they use him as the featured receiver, as a second wideout, or as an expected successor to an older featured receiver.
Teams in need: Cowboys, 49ers, Seahawks, Bears, Broncos, Browns, Redskins, Jaguars, Jets, Lions, Ravens, Colts, Cardinals, Bengals, Bucs
5) Case Keenum — Minnesota Vikings
Keenum had a breakout year in 2017 with over 3,500 yards and a 3:1 touchdown to interception ratio. However, every year previous has been dreadful. Taking away 2017, his stats feature a mediocre 24 touchdowns with 20 interceptions. Was this year a “flash in the pan,” a result of his stacked team, a combination of both, or is he the real deal? At 30, he could be a long-term solution for a team in need, or it could be a Brock Osweiler situation. Either way, at this point, it’s worth taking a chance on him because the potential is too great.
Teams in need: Browns, Broncos, Jets, Cardinals
6) Jimmy Graham — Seattle Seahawks
The original Jimmy G could find himself in a new home for the start of the 2018 season. One of the premier tight ends in the league, Graham has been known to be a huge difference-maker in the red zone, scoring nine or more touchdowns in five of his eight seasons, which beats out a huge majority of receivers and running backs.
He won’t be around forever at age 31, but he could be the difference between winning or losing in several games next year. He will be expensive for his age, but he would basically fill the role of a second-string receiver or better, boosting passing attacks for many teams in the league.
Teams in need: 49ers, Packers, Broncos, Bears, Browns, Rams, Jaguars, Colts, Ravens
7) Sam Bradford — Minnesota Vikings
He’s struggled to be healthy in his career but when he’s on the field, he always seems to be getting better. He almost has a career 2:1 touchdown to interception ratio and his last full season was his best season, posting a very good 4:1 touchdown to interception ratio in 2016. He could get hurt again, or he can lead a solid team deep into the playoffs. He is a bit riskier than Case Keenum, but he could reach Keenum’s level or surpass it if kept healthy.
Teams in need: Broncos, Browns, Jets, Cardinals
8) Teddy Bridgewater — Minnesota Vikings
Bridgewater has only seen the field once since 2015 due to a nasty non-contact ACL injury, and in the game that he did play, he threw an immediate interception. However, he had been improving before the injury, throwing 14 touchdowns to 12 interceptions while getting 2,900 yards of offense in 2014 and then throwing 14 touchdowns to 9 interceptions and 3,200 yards of offense in 2015.
In the season of 2015, he led the Vikings into the playoffs and set them up to for a field goal that would’ve beaten the Seattle Seahawks, who were still in their prime after losing the previous Super Bowl to the New England Patriots. They should have won the game if not for a botched field goal by Blair Walsh. At only 25 years old, he can still have a very productive future for the team that gets him.
He has the most amount of risk of the three quarterbacks in Minnesota in that he’s missed the last two seasons, but he also has an even larger potential than Bradford and Keenum precisely because of his age. That being said, there is a huge question as to whether he can bounce back from his ACL injury. The team that gets him is taking a gamble, but with his resume and potential for the future, he’s a very tempting gamble.
Teams in need: Broncos, Browns, Jets, Cardinals
9) LeGarrette Blount — Philadelphia Eagles
Blount is the only player that started the 2016 season with one ring and now has three. He has a career average of 4.4 yards per carry which could stabilize a running game. He only scored two touchdowns last season but similar to Sammy Watkins, his low stats were a byproduct of a loaded roster at his position. At 31, he is a perfect transition running back that can buy a team some time to find a franchise back. As a vet with three rings, he could also mentor his successor.
Teams in need: 49ers, Seahawks, Browns, Redskins, Jets, Lions, Colts, Bucs, Panthers
10) Tyler Eifert — Cincinnati Bengals
Imagine a younger, more injury-prone Jimmy Graham and you have Tyler Eifert. At 27, he still has plenty of gas in the tank (assuming his body doesn’t fall into pieces after all of the injuries that he has endured) but he also has a veteran presence. He missed pretty much the entire season last year with a back injury and has yet to have a full season, six seasons into his career.
However, when healthy, he can produce as well as any tight end in the league. The team that can snag him will feel like they just got another receiver but based on his history, they should not build an offense around him as he will be very likely to miss time next season as well.
Teams in need: 49ers, Packers, Broncos, Bears, Browns, Rams, Jaguars, Colts, Ravens
11) Jamaal Charles — Denver Broncos
Charles used to be one of the best backs in the league when he played for the Kansas City Chiefs, boasting a jaw-dropping 5.4 yards per carry average for his career. However, in recent years he has had to endure significant season-ending knee injuries in 2015 and 2016.
While remaining healthy in 2017, he was an afterthought as a Bronco. Quoted as wanting to become a featured back again, regardless of the team, he will likely get his wish in 2018. The team that signs him would be taking a chance as he has not been a healthy, featured back in three years, but he has the possibility of stabilizing a running attack for a few seasons if he can keep the healthy streak going.
Teams in need: 49ers, Seahawks, Browns, Redskins, Jets, Lions, Colts, Bucs, Panthers
12) Darren Sproles — Philadelphia Eagles
Imagine an older, more injury prone LeGarrette Blount but with better career stats, completely different body makeup, a quick elusive running style, and no Super Bowl rings.
At 34 and fresh off of a missed season due to an ACL injury, Sproles will likely find himself getting kicked out of the back door and looking for a new home. However, he does have a 4.9 yard per carry career average going for him and a 4.7 yard per carry average in his last season before the injury. Like LeGarrette Blount, he could stabilize a running game for a year or so while mentoring his successor.
Teams in need: 49ers, Seahawks, Browns, Redskins, Jets, Lions, Colts, Bucs, Panthers
13) Eric Decker — Tennessee Titans
Decker’s been dealt to several different teams in his career, beginning as a Bronco, then a Jet and now a Titan. Once again, he could be on the move. About to turn 31, he should still have some gas in the tank, albeit not a ton. Decker’s history has shown that he needs about 80 catches in a season to reach 1,000 yards. While not a show-stopper, he can be a pretty good second receiver for a few years if in the right situation.
Teams in need: Cowboys, 49ers, Seahawks, Bears, Browns, Broncos, Redskins, Jaguars, Jets, Lions, Ravens, Buccaneers, Bengals, Cardinals
14) Danny Amendola — New England Patriots
The Patriots would regret letting Amendola slip away. His stats over the long haul do not show it, but he could be the difference between winning and losing in big matchups. It seems that he’s a ghost until it really matters. At 32 and with a history riddled with injuries, none of a catastrophic nature, it can be wondered how much longer he really has in this brutal sport. However, he is still a valuable third receiver capable of stepping into the second receiving role from time to time.
Teams in need: Cowboys, 49ers, Seahawks, Bears, Browns, Broncos, Redskins, Jaguars, Jets, Lions, Ravens, Buccaneers, Bengals, Cardinals
15) Alfred Morris — Dallas Cowboys
The ex-Redskin has had a resurgence in 2017 after a steady decline which began after his rookie season in which he ran for over 1,600 yards. As a 29-year-old, he performed well in Ezekiel Elliott‘s absence, running a 4.8 yard per carry average. However, remember that he obtained that number while running behind one of the best offensive lines in the league. He could possibly stabilize a running game with the potential for more if he gets a high volume of carries.
Teams in need: Seahawks, Browns, Redskins, Jets, Lions, Colts, Buccaneers, Panthers
16) Taylor Gabriel — Atlanta Falcons
An ex-Brown, Gabriel has played in a Super Bowl and shown potential to step above his current role as a third receiver. At 27, he’s old enough to be a veteran and still young enough to have long-lasting value. The team that lands Gabriel will get much better production out of offenses during plays that have to wait until their second or third read to throw.
Teams in need: 49ers, Bears, Broncos, Jaguars, Jets, Ravens, Lions, Buccaneers, Bengals, Cardinals