Top remaining NFL free agents: Amari Cooper, Cam Robinson lead best names
The first week of NFL free agency is in the books. Teams across the league have given out hundreds of millions of dollars in contracts to improve the quality of their rosters. There were some big-money deals that many expected while some players earned surprisingly high figures on the open market.
As of March 16, the Carolina Panthers lead the league in free agent signees with 15 and the Minnesota Vikings lead the way in total spending, per OverTheCap. Defensive lineman Milton Williams signed the biggest deal of free agency with a four-year, $104 million deal with the New England Patriots with $63 million guaranteed.
As the rate of deals slows down, there are still many notable veteran players in free agency left who could be contributors for teams around the league. These experienced players could add a wrinkle on offense or defense to push a team into contention.
Here are the top 25 remaining players left in free agency as of March 16:
Top 15 remaining NFL free agents
1. OT Cam Robinson
- Previous team: Minnesota Vikings
Robinson wasn't the top free-agent tackle on the market after a solid but unspectacular season with Jacksonville and Minnesota in 2024. Still, he's entering his age-30 season and the 2025 NFL draft lacks year-one starting tackle depth. A team looking for a short-term solution at the position should give him a look.
2. WR Amari Cooper
- Previous team: Buffalo Bills
Buffalo dealt for Cooper mid-season but the veteran wideout didn't have an outsized impact on the Bills' offense in their run to the AFC championship game. He was dealing with a nagging wrist injury that likely impacted his career-high drop rate in 2024. He'll be 31 before the season starts and isn't a No. 1 option for a passing game anymore but offers a proven track record as a productive route-runner.
3. CB Rasul Douglas
- Previous team: Buffalo Bills
Cornerback can be a volatile position but Douglas has been consistent over the last few years. He took a step back in 2024, but from 2021 to 2023, he had at least four interceptions and 13 passes defensed per season. He'll turn 30 right before the season and is a good fit for zone-heavy teams looking for a depth piece or short-term starter.
4. WR Stefon Diggs
- Previous team: Houston Texans
Houston traded for Diggs a year ago, and he was one of the top 20 wide receivers in production before a season-ending ACL injury in Week 8. His recovery status will be a concern but, like Cooper, he still has the experience to provide a team with another proven option in the passing game as he enters his age-31 season.
5. G Teven Jenkins
- Previous team: Chicago Bears
Guards Will Fries and Aaron Banks got big-money deals in the first week of free agency and Jenkins offers another younger option at the position on the open market. The tackle-turned-guard has been an impact starter when he's on the field. The downside is he's played 45 of 68 possible games since being drafted by Chicago in the second round of the 2021 NFL draft.
6. CB Asante Samuel Jr.
- Previous team: Los Angeles Chargers
The Chargers' second-round pick in the 2021 NFL draft missed significant time last season for the first time in his four-year career, playing just four games for Los Angeles. There are concerns his injury is more of a chronic issue than a one-season anomaly. When he's on the field, he's productive. Samuel Jr.'s notched six interceptions and 37 passes defensed in 50 games.
7. QB Russell Wilson
- Previous team: Pittsburgh Steelers
With a down year in the NFL draft for quarterbacks, free agency didn't offer many good choices at the most important position in the NFL. Wilson had an okay season with the Steelers last year but the offense fizzled out down the stretch. He can still throw deep entering his age-36 season but he's lost most of the mobility that made him a dangerous player in Seattle years ago.
8. QB Aaron Rodgers
- Previous team: New York Jets
Rodgers' stint in New York went poorly as the four-time MVP had a down season in his first full year as the Jets' starter. He's entering his age-41 season and, like Wilson, has lost much of the mobility that made him a playmaker for much of his career. His vision, accuracy and arm talent are still there but he's not the MVP he once was. Whichever team signs him will have to sign off on the off-field intrigue he brings as well.
9. CB Mike Hilton
- Previous team: Cincinnati Bengals
Hilton took a step back in 2024, as did much of the Bengals' defense, but he's still a proven slot cornerback with consistent production and coverage skills. He's entering his age-31 season so he's far from his heights as a defender but could shore up a position of need for playoff-ready teams.
10. G Brandon Scherff
- Previous team: Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jaguars moved on from Scherff and signed former Raven Patrick Merkari to get younger at one of the guard spots entering 2025. Scherff, a five-time Pro Bowler, will turn 34 late this season but hasn't dropped off much with age. He had one of his best seasons in pass protection in 2024 and should be a good option for teams needing a plug-and-play starter at one of the guard spots.
11. Edge Azeez Ojulari
- Previous team: New York Giants
Ojulari was a second-round pick by the Giants in the 2021 NFL draft but struggled to stay on the field after his rookie season. He played in all 17 games in 2021 but has missed 24 of 51 games since then due to injuries. Still, he's entering his age-25 season in 2025 and has racked up 22 sacks in 46 career games. He's at the very least a rotational pass rush piece who won't command big money. That's enough upside to look past the injury concerns.
12. C Garrett Bradbury
- Previous team: Minnesota Vikings
Bradbury is slightly undersized for the position at 6-foot-3 and 306 pounds but his impressive footwork and body control make him an asset against both the run and pass. The former top-20 pick from the 2019 NFL draft has been a reliable starter for the Vikings for years with just 11 games missed over six seasons. Minnesota's signing of Ryan Kelly in free agency made Bradbury an expendable piece. He'll be 30 by the start of the season and could be an experienced starter to help teams with a young quarterback.
13. WR Keenan Allen
- Previous team: Chicago Bears
Chicago traded for Allen last season and he repaid them with 70 receptions for 744 yards and seven touchdowns. He's not the same Pro Bowl receiver he was for years with the Chargers entering his age-33 season in the NFL but he's one of the better route runners of his generation. He won't be the top target of the passing game but teams looking for a possession receiver in the slot could use his skillset.
14. Edge Za'Darius Smith
- Previous team: Detroit Lions
Detroit traded for Smith during the season last year and reaped the rewards with four sacks in eight games. He'll turn 33 this upcoming season but remains an effective edge piece who uses speed-to-power well. He's big enough at 6-foot-4 and 270 pounds to line up at multiple spots on the defensive line.
15. OT Jedrick Wills Jr.
- Previous team: Cleveland Browns
The Browns opted against bringing the former top-10 pick back after two injury-shortened seasons in 2023 and 2024. He'll be 26 years old by the start of the 2025 NFL season and has the draft pedigree and tools to be at least a developmental piece who teams could take a chance on this year. It's a low-risk investment.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Amari Cooper, Cam Robinson lead best remaining NFL free agents
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