Now that the 2015 NFL Draft is in the rearview mirror, teams are mostly done with their offseasons and will have to prepare for the regular season with the players currently on roster.
NFL free agency 2015: Chris Johnson, Brandon Spikes among top available veterans
There are still plenty of veterans available to fill in as stopgaps for teams at every position.
Free agency started at the beginning of March, and in a matter of days, the top players were all gone with deals happening at a breakneck pace. Ndamukong Suh to the Miami Dolphins and Byron Maxwell to the Philadelphia Eagles were among the biggest moves, and in the months that followed, some of the next-tier players like Michael Crabtree and Stefen Wisniewski came off the market to the Oakland Raiders and Jacksonville Jaguars, respectively.
Veterans who sat on the free agency market for nearly two months now are suddenly more valuable to teams that didn’t quite fill the holes they thought they would in the draft. Teams that lost players in free agency have the chance to fill those gaps with veterans who have proven themselves.
There are still plenty of veterans available to sign, but here are the top players still on the market at each position:
Quarterback - Matt Flynn
A giant game with the Green Bay Packers essentially earned Flynn a big contract from the Seattle Seahawks in 2012, but no team is pulling the trigger that quickly this time around. After unsuccessful stints with the Oakland Raiders and Buffalo Bills, Flynn returned to Green Bay in 2014, but his stay wasn't nearly as productive as the first time around.
However, Flynn is still a reliable backup and only 30, so his play is much less likely to have dropped off like it may have with other free agent quarterbacks such as Michael Vick and Jason Campbell.
Running back - Chris Johnson
Once considered one of the best running backs in football, Chris Johnson is out of a job and he's still only 29. Johnson made the Pro Bowl in each of his first three seasons in the NFL and eclipsed 1,000 yards in his first six, including 2,006 yards in 2009.
Johnson was shot in the shoulder in March, but is reportedly back to working out and even trying to sell himself to teams like the Dallas Cowboys. With 4.3 yards per carry in 2014, there's not much reason to believe he isn't ready to be a solid contributor in 2015.
Wide receiver - Mike Williams
Big names like Reggie Wayne and Wes Welker are still on the market, but there aren't many young receivers still out there. Williams has had a sloppy couple of years after starting his career with 2,731 receiving yards in his first three seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He fell out of favor in Tampa Bay was traded to the Buffalo Bills, and he fell out of favor there too.
If Williams plays to his capabilities, he’s a 28-year-old with enough talent to be high on any team’s depth chart.
Tight end - Jermaine Gresham
Gresham is recovering from back surgery, but if he were healthy, he would certainly be off the market by now. He's only 26 with 24 touchdowns in his five seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals.
Offensive line - Joe Barksdale
The St. Louis Rams relied on Barksdale to be the full-time starter at right tackle for the last two seasons, giving him 29 starts, but the team moved on by drafting offensive tackles in Rounds 2, 3 and 4 of the 2015 NFL Draft.
At 27, Barksdale is still young enough to battle for a starting spot and be a somewhat long-term fix for a team that was unable to address the offensive line the way it hoped in the offseason.
Defensive end - Da'Quan Bowers
Bowers has always been a bundle of potential held back by injuries. That’s likely why the Tampa Bay Buccaneers aren’t jumping at the chance to bring back the former second-round pick who tallied only seven sacks in four seasons with the team.
Still, Bowers is just 25 and managed to avoid injuries in 2014, although he was suspended for two games for violation of the league’s performance-enhancing drugs policy.
Defensive tackle - Red Bryant
Bryant was moved from the interior defensive line to defensive end with the Seattle Seahawks, and it was a successful transition. He stayed in that role in one year with the Jacksonville Jaguars and faired well against the run, but if Bryant isn't with the Jaguars or Seahawks, he'll likely have to revert to a defensive tackle role.
With 63 of a possible 64 starts in the last four seasons, Bryant is a reliable player who should have plenty left in the tank at 31 years old.
Linebacker - Brandon Spikes
In his four seasons with the New England Patriots, Spikes was a consistent starter, and he stepped right into a starting role at middle linebacker in his only season with the Buffalo Bills.
He’s a liability in the pass game, but Spikes is a reliable run stuffer who can be an instant plug for a team that needs help at linebacker, whether that’s for depth or a new starter.
Cornerback - Tarell Brown
Brown was a solid starter for the San Francisco 49ers for three seasons, and it was enough to draw him significant interest in free agency in 2014. He reportedly passed on a three-year, $10 million deal from the 49ers to sign a one-year, $3.5 million contract with the Oakland Raiders.
That season was solid for Brown, but it ended with a foot injury that sent him to injured reserve late in the year. If healthy, Brown should be able to provide a team with starting-quality play in the secondary.
Safety - Thomas DeCoud
For five seasons, Thomas DeCoud was the starting free safety for the Atlanta Falcons, and he even earned Pro Bowl honors in 2012. He played just one season for the Carolina Panthers in 2014 and was a starter at free safety there, too.
His days as a starter might be behind him at 30, but DeCoud can still offer a veteran presence and solid depth, or a stopgap for a team desperate at the position.
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