The right team for 4 veterans who are still free agents

I don't know where they'll sign, but here's where I think they should sign.

Every year after the draft, there’s another wave of free agency. In the last few weeks, notable signings include Ezekiel Elliott back to the Cowboys, Odell Beckham Jr. to the Dolphins, Tyler Boyd to the Titans, Zay Jones to the Cardinals, and Bud Dupree to the Chargers. 

At this point, you might wonder if there’s anyone worthwhile remaining in the free agent pool. The answer is yes, though many of them come with age and/or injury concerns. Some of them could join a new team any day now, while others might hold off until after training camp starts and roster holes become more evident.

As we wait for the 2024 NFL schedule release later this week, I thought I’d first pick out a few available veterans and match them with a potential landing spot. I used NFL.com’s Top 101 free agents list as a guide of sorts. I chose to focus on four of the top players who are over 30, and I didn’t double up on any positions. 

Here they are, in alphabetical order:

Calais Campbell, DL 

2023 team: Atlanta Falcons

Don’t let his age fool you. Campbell, who will turn 38 before the season starts, can still get after it. In his lone year with the Falcons in 2023, Campbell started all 17 games, led the team in sacks (6.5), QB hits (17), and run stuffs (15), and ranked second in tackles for loss (10). He was even credited with a safety after taking down the opposing quarterback in the end zone. Those were better numbers than he had in any of his previous three seasons in Baltimore, where he was pretty good too. It also helps that he can come off the edge or play inside, depending on the scheme and the down.

Campbell’s presence isn’t just felt on the field, though. He’s also one of the best locker room guys in the NFL, and someone who is eager to help younger players navigate the early parts of their career. 

While it’s possible that Campbell will decide to retire, he previously said that he was “leaning towards” coming back for his 17th season. I would think that a chance to sign with a contender would make his return official since he has yet to win a championship in his career.

My suggestion: He takes his leadership to Detroit.

Last year, Dan Campbell was, characteristically, enthusiastic about the idea of the Lions signing Calais Campbell. That obviously didn’t happen, but it’s not too late to partner these two Campbells up.

The Lions needed defensive line reinforcements this offseason, yet they haven’t done much at the edge position other than adding a different vet, Marcus Davenport, on a one-year contract to start alongside Aidan Hutchinson. Even though Campbell is a decade older than Davenport, the latter is coming off a major ankle injury and lacks the consistency that Campbell has boasted throughout his years in the league.

Campbell would provide insurance in case Davenport can’t bounce back, as well as be an extra pass-rushing threat to rotate in when Hutchinson or Davenport needs a breather. 

Detroit was a quarter away from making the Super Bowl several months ago, and as of today, has the second-best title odds in the NFC for this upcoming season. Who knows, maybe a little more leadership on the field — the kind Campbell has in spades — could be the final boost the Lions need to make their first ever Super Bowl.

Stephon Gilmore, CB

2023 team: Dallas Cowboys

Five years ago, Gilmore won NFL Defensive Player of the Year honors with a league-leading six interceptions, his second-to-last season with the Patriots. Since then, he’s bounced from team to team, despite still playing at a mostly high level. 

Gilmore will also turn 34 in September, and “the age thing” is the reason he believes that he remains unsigned. But, as Gilmore pointed out, he’s stayed healthy the past two years after various injuries the prior two seasons. He started all 17 games for the Cowboys in 2023, ranking first on the team in QB completion percentage allowed (among players who saw 10+ targets), and second in interceptions and passes defended. He even made A.J. Brown pay for calling Gilmore “old” in a memorable performance against the Eagles in December, which included Gilmore stripping the ball from Brown.

Earlier this offseason, Gilmore had said he wanted to return to Dallas in 2024, but there’s no progress right now on that front. If he doesn’t re-up with the Cowboys, I would guess that he’d eye another contender.

My suggestion: He signs with the Packers.

If the Cowboys don’t want to bring Gilmore back — or they’re lowballing him — he could get a bit of revenge by landing with the team that eliminated Dallas in the playoffs. The Packers have one cornerback spot set with Jaire Alexander, though he missed 10 games last season due to back, shoulder, and coin-toss issues.

Eric Stokes, Green Bay’s hard-luck 2021 first-round pick, is penciled in to start on the outside, with 2023 seventh-round pick Carrington Valentine as his competition. Both come with risks, particularly when they’ll have to line up against the likes of Justin Jefferson, D.J. Moore, Keenan Allen, and Amon-Ra St. Brown twice this season.

Gilmore isn’t without his own risks, but based on his production in the last couple seasons, he’s much more of a sure thing than Stokes or Valentine. He’d also bring valuable experience to the table — not to mention a Super Bowl ring — something that this young Packers team lacks.

Justin Simmons, S 

2023 team: Denver Broncos

The Broncos surprisingly cut ties with Simmons, their longest-tenured player, before the new league year began. Also surprisingly is that no one has snatched him up yet. In the last five seasons, Simmons has either been named to the Pro Bowl, to the All-Pro second team, or both, as was the case in 2023. In the last three seasons, he’s snagged 14 interceptions, which is tied for second in the NFL in that time and ranks first at the safety position. Since he entered the league in 2016, no one has recorded more picks than Simmons, who has 30.

Most likely, a few factors have kept Simmons from finding a new team yet: a crowded safety market, the diminishing value of his position, and his high salary. Considering his performance on the field, he shouldn’t have to take a pay cut, though he might need to agree to a short-term deal due to his age (30) and, presumably, his desire to play for a team with a shot to make the postseason. After all, Simmons has never been to the playoffs in his eight-year career.

My suggestion: He figures out a deal with the Saints.

In some ways, the Saints aren’t all that different from the situation that Simmons just left: a team with salary cap issues, that is in the midst of a postseason drought, and has been coached by Sean Payton. 

Still, the Saints, like all (or at least three-fourths of) NFC South teams, are a possible playoff team. They also have a potential need at safety opposite Tyrann Mathieu. Second-year player Jordan Howden returns, but he gave up 11.3 yards per target as a rookie, per DVOA. Simmons’ versatility could also come in handy even if Howden keeps improving — the veteran can play in the box or in the slot.

New Orleans’ defense regressed a bit last season, but it’s been a well-coached unit under Dennis Allen. It can return to its elite ways with a more effective pass rush, a little better injury luck, and perhaps the addition of Simmons, too.

Ryan Tannehill, QB

2023 team: Tennessee Titans

Tannehill turned his career around in Tennessee, where he led the Titans to three straight postseason appearances before a lingering ankle injury set him back the past two years. When he sprained his ankle again last season, Will Levis came in and then stayed in the starting lineup, at least until Levis hurt his ankle. Tannehill then closed out the final three weeks as the starter and ended with a 28-20 win over the Jaguars. 

In eight starts, Tannehill’s numbers were some of the worst of his career: 3.0 percent interception rate (third-worst), 78.5 passer rating (second-worst), 35.1 QBR (second-worst), 6.0 adjusted yards gained per pass attempt (worst), and 12.2 percent sack rate (worst). 

Perhaps age has simply caught up to the 35-year-old Tannehill, but I think those last two stats sum up the situation he was in with the Titans. He didn’t have many reliable downfield targets other than DeAndre Hopkins, and his offensive line was atrocious. Now add a bum ankle to the equation, and it’s easy to see why he struggled in 2023. 

That doesn’t mean Tannehill’s career is over, unless he wants it to be. Maybe he doesn’t want to finish out his time in the NFL as a backup. That said, I can picture a Joe Flacco-esque scenario in which he can help a team stay in the playoff hunt when its starting QB goes down. 

My suggestion: He heads to the Bears.

I vacillated between the Broncos and Bears with this one. Tannehill would have a better opportunity to actually play in Denver because I have way more faith in Caleb Williams succeeding as an NFL quarterback than I do in Bo Nix. 

But the Bears should be the better team this season — one with a real shot at the playoffs. That could be an important factor for Tannehill as he’s winding down his career.

Tannehill would bring much-needed experience into a QB room that currently consists of two rookies (Williams, UDFA Austin Reed), a 23-year-old (Tyson Bagent), and someone with four career starts (Brett Rypien). If Williams were to get injured, then Tannehill could step in and steady an offense that has many more playmakers than he had with the Titans the last couple of years.