Where Will Top 5 Offensive NFL Free Agents Land?

NFL training camps are near and teams are taking inventory of their rosters. A few big-name free agents are still available who could end up being difference-makers. Let’s look at the top five available offensive free agents and where they could end up signing:

1. WR Amari Cooper

Amari Cooper was shipped to Buffalo midway through last season and expected to take a lead role on a high-powered offense. That didn’t end up being the case. Cooper had just 297 yards across eight games with the Bills, and was virtually non-existent during the playoffs. Cooper, 30, may be entering a different stage of his career, but he’s also just a year removed from a 1,250-yard campaign.

Cooper is no longer a No. 1, but he could be a strong secondary option on a team with an elite wideout. The New York Giants would be a perfect situation. Cooper, known for his route-running acumen, would be a great mentor and complementary piece for second-year wideout Malik Nabers.

Best fit: New York Giants

2. WR Gabe Davis

Cooper is the clear-cut top receiver available. The next best is a bit murkier. Many would point to Keenan Allen as a backup option. The longtime Charger is coming off a 70-catch, 744-yard, 7-TD season with the Bears. However, Allen is 33 years old and injury-prone.

Teams may rather roll the dice on Gabe Davis, who was recently cut by the Jacksonville Jaguars after a disappointing season. With the Bills, Davis looked like he was trending to become one of the better wideouts in the league. He exploded in the 2021 postseason, but hasn’t reached those heights since then. Still just 26 years old, Davis could find a home with a team that needs a big-bodied option.

The Saints are an obvious fit. They have two speed WRs in Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed. The 6-foot-2 Davis could be used in the short-to-intermediate range, an area New Orleans hasn’t been able to attack since parting ways with Michael Thomas.

Best fit: New Orleans Saints

3. OG Brandon Scherff

It’s not too often you can find starting-caliber offensive linemen this late into free agency. Depth is especially valuable when it comes to the offensive line. Seasons can be derailed from one or two injuries up front, making it surprising that a team hasn’t scooped up Brandon Scherff yet.

Scherff started all 51 games in Jacksonville over the last three years, in addition to two postseason contests. He was a five-time Pro Bowler in Washington before joining the Jaguars in 2022. A reunion seems like it could be in the cards. Washington lost starting guard Sam Cosmi to an ACL tear during the postseason. Scherff would be an ideal fit while Cosmi works his way back.

Best fit: Washington Commanders

4. RB Nick Chubb

Cleveland drafting two running backs last month all but ended any chance of free agent Nick Chubb returning to the Browns. That will end a seven-year tenure with the team that drafted him in 2018. The four-time Pro Bowler has suffered season-ending injuries back-to-back seasons — ACL tear in ’23 and a broken foot in ’24 — and didn’t look the same when he took the field last year.

It may take him some time to find a suitor, but we’re not betting against a guy who has battled back from several setbacks already during his career. A Georgia native, Chubb joining the Atlanta Falcons makes sense and would make for a great story. He’d be an excellent mentor for RB Bijan Robinson, and wouldn’t be relied upon as an every down back .

Best fit: Atlanta Falcons

5. QB Aaron Rodgers

We saved Aaron Rodgers for last for one specific reason: Rodgers’ best fit is not signing anywhere, yet.

The enigmatic QB has been linked to the Pittsburgh Steelers all offseason. Rumors ramped up after Pittsburgh didn’t draft a quarterback until Round 6 of last month’s draft despite having several chances to take someone like Ole Miss’ Jaxson Dart, Alabama’s Jalen Milroe, or Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders.

But, the Steelers made a bit of a puzzling move this past week by trading away WR George Pickens. Of course, they traded for DK Metcalf in March, but the WR room is looking thin again. There are also rumblings that the Steelers could be looking to move on from other veteran, including some of their defensive stars.

If the Steelers aren’t completely sold on their roster, why should Rodgers be? Every year, one of the contending teams loses a QB early due to injury or realizes their guy isn’t good enough. If Rodgers holds tight, a better situation could arise a few weeks into the regular season. There could even be an injury during training camp that opens up a desirable position.

Best fit: Wait it out