The 2022 NFL season is in the books and free agency is just around the corner. From here on out, every team in the league is looking to retool, upgrade, and rebuild their rosters for the season ahead. The league never sleeps.
The NFL’s salary cap creates an equal playing field for all 32 teams, but the way teams spend and save their cap means that free agency isn’t the same for every franchise. Not every team is in a position to spend $40 million, so looking on the fringes of the market to find suitable impact players is the only option for some front offices.
This free agent class is deep. Filled with offensive linemen, defensive linemen, and running backs, there’s something out there for just about every team in need. Because of that, good players can often fly under the radar. So we’re picking out five under-the-radar free agents to keep an eye on this off-season.
OT Kaleb McGary, Atlanta Falcons
Kaleb McGary is proof that a little patience can go a long way. His first three seasons in the NFL were rough, allowing 120 pressures and 26 sacks in 45 career starts. That led to the Atlanta Falcons declining McGary’s fifth-year option and feeling comfortable with the former 31st-overall pick hitting the open market after this season.
McGary responded with a career year in 2022, allowing just 19 pressures across 17 starts, and developed nicely into a quality right tackle. His biggest trait is his ability to set the edge as a blocker in the running game – something that’s been brewing and slowly coming to play year after year. McGary can win with a strong base and by using his lower body power to move defenders to create running lanes.
He still has his warts, and there are concerns that he won’t be as effective if not playing in such a run-heavy offense like the Falcons, but McGary’s improvement is noticeable. He also has age on his side as well. He’ll be 28 by the time free agency rolls around and is just hitting his prime. Quality starting tackles don’t hit the market very often, but McGary might fly under the radar because of his early career struggles. For now though, they look to be a thing of the past.
DE Arden Key, Jacksonville Jaguars
Arden Key spent the last few seasons quietly building his reputation as a quality NFL starter after a handful of rough campaigns with the Raiders early in his career. A long-armed edge defender with immense talent, Key fell to the 3rd round because of off-field issues before the Raiders took a chance on him.
Injuries and a lack of impact on a bad Raiders defensive line slowed down Key’s production and a facemask penalty against the Dolphins attributed to the Raiders missing out on the postseason.
After being waived by Vegas, Key joined the 49ers and slowly began to demonstrate his abilities in the right setting. Kris Kocurek, the 49ers’ defensive line coach, had a big hand in helping Key reach his potential, but the work on the field came from the edge rusher. He set a career-high in sacks (6.5) and pressures (38) while showcasing the versatility that allowed him to play inside over the guard, as a traditional edge, or in a widened-out 9 technique.
Key spent last year with the Jaguars on a defensive line that featured the 2022 1st overall pick Travon Walker, and former top-10 pick Josh Allen. He had a career-high 44 pressures and 4.5 sacks. He’s not going to be the best pass-rusher on a playoff contender, but Key adds length and power at the edge as a rotational rusher. Even his improvements as a run-defender factor into the versatility that makes him a potential every-down defender.
WR Parris Campbell, Indianapolis Colts
Talent has never been an issue for Parris Campbell. What’s been a struggle has been staying on the field. Campbell played in just 15 games in his first three seasons in the NFL due to a litany of injuries keeping him on the sidelines. When he was on the field, it wasn’t hard to see the talent. Campbell is a burner with the ability to stretch the field and cause havoc for defensive backs.
Coming into the 2022 season, he was healthy and carved out a role as the Colts’ number two receiver behind Michael Pittman despite the team drafting Alec Pierce to play a large role on offense. Campbell finally had a chance to show that he could be a real asset on offense. With a career-high 63 catches for 623 yards and 3 touchdowns, he was one of the bright spots on a poor Colts offense in 2022.
Now, after the best season of his career, Campbell heads into a free-agent market that isn’t filled with high-end receiving talent. But with renewed optimism and the tape to prove that he can be a difference-maker, he’ll be one of the more intriguing options for an offense in 2023.
DE Charles Omenihu, San Francisco 49ers
Maybe it’s a coincidence, or maybe the 49ers just know how to get the best out of defensive linemen. Let’s be honest, it’s more than likely the latter, but that doesn’t mean Charles Omenihu is merely a product of his surroundings. Omenihu had 54 pressures, the 21st-most among all edge defenders in the regular season, and added a career-high 4.5 sacks as a rotational pass-rusher.
When he’s allowed to pin his ears back and attack the quarterback, Omenihu can really go. His relentless motor and pterodactyl wingspan make life a nightmare for opposing offensive tackles. While his pressure-to-sack rate needs some work, his pass-rush win rate of 20.9 percent was 9th in the NFL among all edge defenders per PFF. If you want a guy that’s going to constantly put offenses on the back foot, Omenihu is your man.
Best of all, he’s still putting it all together. He’ll have just turned 26 by the time the 2023 season kicks off and still has his prime in front of him. His proficiency as a run defender needs to improve before Omehinu can be considered a full-time starter, but a team like the Seahawks or Falcons who are in need of a semblance of pass rush could see him as the perfect foil.
QB Jacoby Brissett, Cleveland Browns
Signed to be a short-term bridge starter until Deshaun Watson returned from suspension, Jacoby Brissett was there to steady the ship and keep the Browns’ offense ticking along. After an unimpressive stint with the Dolphins in 2021 where Brissett started five games and ranked 27th out of 34 quarterbacks in EPA per play, expectations were low. He had shown during his time in Indianapolis that he could be a capable starter, but that was almost four years ago.
Brissett exceeded all expectations during the first 11 weeks of the season, ranking 9th out of 29 quarterbacks in EPA per play. He completed 64 percent of his passes for 2608 yards and 12 touchdowns against 6 interceptions. He kept the mistakes to a minimum while operating under center and the Browns offense as a whole exceeded, ranking 6th in EPA per play. Once Watson returned the offense fell to 24th in EPA per play.
He could provide interesting insurance for quarterback-needy teams who don’t have the tools to draft a quarterback early on or for teams who miss out on big-name free agents. Brissett likely projects as no more than a bridge starter, but the big pocket-passer has earned that right. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see him land with the Broncos as a backup to Russell Wilson, or with a team like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers or Las Vegas Raiders – teams that could be moving between rosters.
-Thomas Valentine
Twitter: @tavalentinesport
Photo: Erik Drost. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.