The 30 best 2025 NFL free agents available for training camp (and possible landing spots)

USA Today

16 hours ago

With 2025 NFL training camps heating up across the league, there are still plenty of veterans waiting to find their new homes.
This is an unusually deep group of pre-NFL training camp free agents, with a number of plug-and-play starters available for teams to sign. We think all 30 of these guys can still contribute in the NFL in some way or another.
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We've gone through 30 NFL free agents and found them new teams, even though other options could absolutely be on the table for all 30 of these players.
Let's dive into who these players are and why they'd fit with these respective franchises.
WR Gabe Davis: Las Vegas Raiders
Davis would thrive going to a team with a need at wide receiver and a quarterback with a big arm. In the right system, Davis can still be a big play machine. With Geno Smith throwing the ball, we love the potential here.
TE Noah Fant: New York Giants
Fant could definitely help a Giants team that could use an upgrade at tight end. His Seattle Seahawks cut was surprising, but Fant can still help in the passing game as a high-volume tight end in the right system.
WR Keenan Allen: Pittsburgh Steelers
With the Steelers aggressively going in on the upcoming season with veteran talent, why not add Allen to the fold? He'd give quarterback Aaron Rodgers another reliable option in the passing game. Pittsburgh's depth at wideout isn't great, and Allen would work as an instant upgrade over most of the other receivers on the team.
OLB Za'Darius Smith: Detroit Lions
Smith played well for the Lions last season after being traded there from the Cleveland Browns, and it just makes too much sense for these two sides to get back together for the 2025 season. The Lions are trying to push for a Super Bowl, and Smith is the perfect rotational piece for a contending defensive line.
CB Asante Samuel Jr.: Miami Dolphins
After trading away Jalen Ramsey, the Dolphins have a clear need for a cornerback. Samuel could walk into Miami and right away contend for the team's top spot in the secondary. This fit just makes too much sense.
S Justin Simmons: Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles have a need at safety, and Simmons would give a relatively young unit the kind of veteran presence that defensive coordinator Vic Fangio would likely appreciate. Simmons still has good football left in him.
DE Jadeveon Clowney: Baltimore Ravens
The Ravens adding Clowney as a mercenary rusher at this point in the season would be such a Ravens move. Clowney has played there before, and we like the idea of a reunion for both sides quite a bit.
WR Amari Cooper: San Francisco 49ers
The 49ers could use another veteran wide receiver, and we think Kyle Shanahan could coax a heck of a comeback out of Cooper this fall. Cooper could also see a healthy dose of reps in San Francisco.
OLB Matt Judon: Cincinnati Bengals
Judon is the right guy for Cincinnati to bring in with so much uncertainty with the pass rush. He could stand for a bounce-back season after a relatively down year with the Atlanta Falcons last season. The Bengals need him.
CB Mike Hilton: Miami Dolphins
Remember how the Dolphins need cornerbacks? Miami should double-dip with free agents and add Hilton to be their starting slot corner. Having Samuel and Hilton on the roster would help the Dolphins sleep easier.
ILB Ja'Whaun Bentley: Tennessee Titans
The Titans have a need at inside linebacker, and Bentley could be a perfect buy-low candidate that could bounce back in a big way. He missed most of 2024 with an injury, but he was a quality starter before that.
G Shaq Mason: New England Patriots
If the Patriots want some competition for left guard Cole Strange, Mason could return to New England and, at worst, give the team an excellent depth option on the offensive line. Quarterback Drake Maye deserves that.
G Brandon Scherff: New York Giants
Scherff could slide in at right guard for New York and give the Giants a bit more of a floor and a ceiling at the position. New York has to get better results in the trenches, and Scherff is a plug-and-play solution.
S Marcus Williams: Washington Commanders
While Williams' health is always going to be a talking point for him at this point in his career, the Commanders could use some added veteran depth at safety. If he could rotate in off the bench, this is an intriguing fit.
CB Rasul Douglas: Philadelphia Eagles
Douglas returning to the Eagles to contend for another Super Bowl with the franchise sounds like a pretty good way for him to close out his career if he's nearing the end of his playing days. Adding Simmons and Douglas to one-year deals during training camp would be a huge win for a Philly team needing secondary vets.
CB Stephon Gilmore: Minnesota Vikings
After playing for the Vikings last season, Gilmore might be wise to run it back in a scheme where he's comfortable. Minnesota could use an extra veteran cornerback in the secondary, and Gilmore fits the bill.
OLB Kyzir White: Carolina Panthers
The Panthers need more help at linebacker, and White is a step-right-in starter who has played at a decently high level very recently. He'd be a pretty solid option for Carolina at this point in the offseason.
CB Kendall Fuller: Green Bay Packers
Fuller could be a steal for the Packers at this point in the offseason. Green Bay needs more reinforcements in the secondary, and Fuller has proven himself to be a reliable veteran presence on the back end.
DE Carl Lawson: Los Angeles Rams
Lawson quietly had a solid season for the Dallas Cowboys last year with five sacks. He's still a pretty good rotational edge rusher at this point in his career, and the Rams could benefit from the positional depth.
DT Raekwon Davis: Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons could use another run-stuffing defensive tackle on the roster, and Davis could provide that after admirable play with the Indianapolis Colts. He'd be a decent bet to help the Falcons in the middle of the line.
G Will Hernandez: Baltimore Ravens
The Ravens have a decent left guard competition on their hands with Andrew Vorhees and Ben Cleveland, but Hernandez could feasibly beat them both and give a contending Baltimore team more experience up front.
DE DeMarcus Walker: Denver Broncos
Walker returning to Denver and reuniting with Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph makes a ton of sense. Denver having a player like Walker rotating in and out of the lineup would make the defense better.
TE Gerald Everett: Atlanta Falcons
Everett could spell tight end Kyle Pitts as Atlanta's primary backup at the position on passing downs, freeing tight end Charlie Woerner up to mainly focus on blocking.
S Julian Blackmon: New Orleans Saints
With safety Tyrann Mathieu retiring, Blackmon could instantly start at free safety for the Saints. It's not quite as difficult to lose a player like Mathieu with a free agent like Blackmon out there and available.
OLB De'Vondre Campbell: Washington Commanders
Campbell's situation with the 49ers was unfortunate, but he could reunite with his former Falcons coach Dan Quinn in Washington and provide excellent depth for a Super Bowl-contending team. It'd be a good landing spot for Campbell, a very talented player who hasn't recently played to his potential.
WR Tyler Boyd: Cincinnati Bengals
Boyd returning to Cincinnati as a depth option for quarterback Joe Burrow feels like a no-brainer. Cincinnati can't ever have enough wide receivers, and Boyd already has a strong rapport with Burrow.
OLB Preston Smith: Tennessee Titans
The Titans just lost outside linebacker Lorenzo Carter to retirement, and Smith could step in right away and give Tennessee what they were looking for out of Carter as a 2025 free agent. Between the Packers and the Steelers last season, Smith came off the bench and provided solid veteran play as a rotational edge.
OLB Jalen Reeves-Maybin: Kansas City Chiefs
Reeves-Maybin is the exact kind of player smart teams add this time of year. He's still an impactful special teams player, and it'd be fun to see what Kansas City special teams coach Dave Toub could do with him.
G Dalton Risner: New Orleans Saints
If Trevor Penning doesn't work out at left guard for the Saints this year, Risner could come off the bench and give New Orleans a sound option at the position. He could win the position outright in a camp battle.
QB Carson Wentz: Detroit Lions
With Hendon Hooker still a relative unknown as a backup quarterback, Detroit could add Wentz to give them a little more peace of mind behind quarterback Jared Goff. Wentz is still a good backup in most any offense.