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NFL Free Agents With Biggest Upside Who Could Find Homes Before Training Camp

Alex Kay

Training camp may be more than a month away for NFL teams, but front offices are already getting a glimpse of the holes they will need to fill thanks to OTAs.

Fortunately for these clubs, there are plenty of serviceable veterans still unsigned following the initial waves of free agency. While these aren't cream-of-the-crop talents, many may be able to contribute at a high level given the opportunity and a strong schematic fit.

With that in mind, here are some free agents—listed in alphabetical order—who still have upside to be quality assets if they catch on with a club before the start of training camp.

CB Cameron Dantzler Sr.

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There may be no current free agent with more upside than Cameron Dantzler Sr.

The cornerback flashed immense promise during his three-year stint with the Minnesota Vikings, but injuries and issues with his coaching staff ultimately led to his release in March. The Washington Commanders claimed him on waivers after he was cut but released him to the open market at the end of May.

Dantzler, a third-round pick in 2020, started 26 of the 35 games he appeared in for Minnesota. In that span he recorded 149 tackles, 17 pass defenses, three interceptions, three forced fumbles and a pair of fumble recoveries. He scored 70-plus PFF grades in both his rookie and sophomore campaigns before regressing slightly with a 63.1 mark this past season.

While he had his issues—such as being a healthy scratch and venting about his playing time on social media—and landed on the IR last year with an ankle issue, Dantzler is only 24 years old and should have plenty left in the tank.

The 6'2", 190-pound corner has ideal size and athleticism to play on the outside in the modern NFL and could be a great reclamation project for a contending club.

WR Kenny Golladay

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The New York Giants' big swing on Kenny Golladay wound up as a huge miss, but the wideout may still have something left to offer his next team.

The 29-year-old was one of the top free agents during the 2021 offseason following a strong start to his career with the Detroit Lions.

Shortly after being taken in the third round of the 2017 draft, he rewarded Detroit with back-to-back 1,000-yard campaigns and scored 16 touchdowns in 2018-19.

A string of injuries, including a season-ending hip issue, marred Golladay's hopes of repeating as a Pro Bowler during the 2020 campaign.

Big Blue didn't seem concerned by the issues the following spring, coming to terms on a four-year, $72 million contract with the wideout. While he managed to participate in 14 games in his first Giants season, his 37-catch, 521-yard, zero-touchdown showing was a far cry from his Detroit production.

After he mustered just six catches for 81 yards and a single touchdown in 12 appearances last year, the G-Men had seen enough from the Northern Illinois product and released him in March.

Although Golladay is a seasoned veteran, he won't turn 30 until November. If he's fully healthy and playing with a good quarterback—as he did with Matthew Stafford during his time in the Motor City—he could see a career revival at his next stop.

Golladay may not be the same threat he was early in his career, but the hulking 6'4", 214-pound receiver could experience a resurgence in the right situation thanks to his big frame and sticky hands.

RB Kareem Hunt

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Kareem Hunt is, arguably, the most intriguing of the veteran running backs left unsigned ahead of training camp.

A Pro Bowler during the first act of his career with the Kansas City Chiefs, he spent the last four seasons with the Cleveland Browns augmenting lead back Nick Chubb. He'll now get a chance to shine for another franchise, although time is running out for him to find a home.

Hunt's production as a rookie was fantastic. He broke out with 272 totes for 1,327 yards and eight scores and put up 455 yards and three touchdowns on 53 receptions. He was having another impressive campaign as Kansas City's top running back in 2018 before footage of Hunt physically assaulting a woman surfaced. While Hunt was never charged with a crime, he was released from the Chiefs and suspended without pay for the first eight games of the 2019 season after catching on with the Browns.

While he never reached the levels of production he experienced as a Chief, Hunt was a solid contributor for much of his tenure in Cleveland. He ended his time with the organization having amassed 1,874 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns on 442 carries and 973 yards and seven touchdowns on 132 receptions.

The Toledo product is coming off his worst healthy season as a professional, though, one in which he demanded a trade but ultimately received no real interest in his services. According to Terry Pluto of Cleveland.com, the Browns front office thinks his speed has slipped and isn't interested in having him return.

Despite Cleveland's beliefs, the 27-year-old may still have enough tread left on his tires to serve as a viable pass-catching and backup running back at this stage in his career. He'll likely get one more shot to prove himself on his next contract and could surprise his doubters with a bounce-back year.

S John Johnson III

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It wasn't too long ago that John Johnson III was once considered one of the better safeties on the open market.

After a strong start to his career with the Los Angeles Rams, he hit free agency in 2021 and signed a three-year contract with the Cleveland Browns valued in the low seven-figure region annually. His play fell off after inking that deal, which was the main factor in his release at the start of this new league year.

While Johnson started all 32 games he appeared in for the Browns, he never earned higher than a 68.7 PFF grade. It was a stark drop from the sterling 85.6 he notched in his final season with the Rams. It was clear the safety wasn't a great fit in Cleveland's scheme, but there's still a chance he bounces back with another team.

Despite having played six seasons in the league, Johnson is still just 27 years old. He's a capable playmaker who has recorded 12 career interceptions and four forced fumbles in addition to the 512 tackles and 41 passes he has defensed.

On the bargain contract he's likely to command for his next team, Johnson could pay dividends thanks to his wealth of experience and skills. At worst, he'll be a great backup, but he's a potential starter with the upside to become a high-end piece again with the right club.

Edge Yannick Ngakoue

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Any team in need of help on the edge should strongly consider signing Yannick Ngakoue.

The pass-rushing specialist has made a solid career out of hunting quarterbacks and that shouldn't change in 2023. While he's somehow looking for his fifth team in four years, he has managed to thrive as a mercenary—amassing at least eight sacks in each of his last three campaigns.

Ngakoue most recently played for the Indianapolis Colts, recording 9.5 sacks in 15 games. Prior to that, he was a 17-game starter for the Las Vegas Raiders in 2021, a year in which he notched 10 sacks. Having totaled 65 sacks since being selected in the third round of the 2016 draft, there should be little doubt the seven-year veteran can contribute in nearly any scheme.

While Ngakoue's ability to defend the run is downright terrible—PFF doled out a concerning 43.7 rush defense grade to him last year and he's never recorded higher than a 61.9 mark in that department—he's a game-changer on passing downs. In addition to the high volume of chaos he creates in opposing backfields, he's also been responsible for 21 forced fumbles.

Still just 28 years old, Ngakoue could be a huge asset in a system that minimizes his glaring weakness. If he catches on with an organization that can unleash him on passing downs and hide his susceptibility to the run, he may end up sticking around as a long-term piece.

   

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