Marquee free agent signings like Kirk Cousins, Christian Wilkins, Calvin Ridley, Saquon Barkley and Derrick Henry drew the most attention during the early stages of the 2024 NFL offseason…and understandably so.
Big stars. Big money. All are going to teams who hope to make significant noise next season. But while you’re at it, try not to sleep on these ten under-the-radar free-agent signings who could pay major dividends for their new teams in 2024.
Which NFL free agent will make a huge splash this season?
Gardner Minshew II
After releasing Jimmy Garoppolo, the Las Vegas Raiders turned to the bargain bin and signed Gardner Minshew II to a two-year deal worth $25 million.
This move didn’t get too much attention for a variety of reasons. One, Aidan O’Connell has the inside track for the starting job. And secondly, there’s a real possibility the Raiders draft their QB of the future in the early rounds.
But regardless of what Vegas does at the NFL draft, we’re very much loving this free-agent signing. It’s the ultimate low-risk move for a high-end backup who can still be a capable starter when the occasion calls for it.
Minshew was the Indianapolis Colts’ main starter in 2023 with rookie Anthony Richardson missing most of the year. He was 7-6-0 as a starter with 3,305 passing yards and 15 touchdowns against nine interceptions. The Colts just BARELY lost a win-or-go-home Week 18 contest to the Houston Texans.
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Minshew played well on a rebuilding Indy team. Now he goes to a Vegas team with a top-five wideout in Davante Adams, plus other quality weapons like Jakobi Meyers, Michael Mayer and Zamir White. And NOBODY said the Raiders can’t add more weapons for Minshew and O’Connell at the draft.
Minshew has performed nicely wherever he’s played — Jacksonville, Philadelphia and Indianapolis. If he beats out O’Connell for the starting job, these Raiders could very well re-emerge as a playoff contender after winning eight games with three different QBs a year ago.
If Antonio Pierce gives Minshew a look as the starting quarterback, this could be the steal of 2024 free agency.
Leonard Floyd
After a productive one-year stop with the Buffalo Bills, Floyd signed a two-year pact with the San Francisco 49ers worth only $20 million.
The 49ers had released veteran mainstay and fan favorite Arik Armstead in a cap-saving move, and GM John Lynch wasted no time trying to bring in a suitable replacement. Not only did he clear money by releasing Armstead, but Lynch may have found a better player here in Floyd at a better price no less.
Floyd has posted nine sacks in each of the last four seasons, having played second-fiddle to Aaron Donald in LA for three years before joining the Bills.
With Von Miller enduring a down 2023 season, Floyd emerged as Buffalo’s top edge-rusher and finished with 10.5 sacks — a career-best for the Super Bowl 56 champion with the Rams.
Now, Floyd joins forces with one of football’s elite pass-rushers in Nick Bosa. With the latter commanding most of the attention from opposing teams, Floyd will flourish as a sidekick to the 2022 Defensive Player of the Year.
A Floyd-Bosa-Fred Warner trio should absolutely terrorize the rest of the NFL. And Floyd’s championship experience can only help a 49ers team that keeps getting oh-so-close to a Lombardi Trophy.
Just a beautiful piece of work here by the reigning NFC champions in getting Floyd on a cheap two-year deal.
Zack Moss
After trading Joe Mixon to the NFL’s Houston Texans in a cap-saving move, the Cincinnati Bengals found the ideal replacement by signing former Colts and free agent running Zack Moss to a two-year deal worth $8 million.
The Bengals cleared $6.1 million in cap space by dealing Mixon. So essentially, it cost them less than $2 million to get Moss — who carries far less mileage than Mixon and is all-around more explosive at this phase of his career.
With Jonathan Taylor missing a chunk of time, Moss made the most of his increased playing time in Indy by finishing with 794 rushing yards and five touchdowns. If Moss hadn’t missed three games due to injury, he would have made a hard push for his first 1K season.
Moss is the undisputed No. 1 running back in Cincy, and he should have no problem building off last year’s career bests if he stays healthy.
Cincinnati got another explosive weapon for Joe Burrow at a basement-bargain price. If Bengals fans haven’t forgotten about Joe Mixon yet, they will by the time Moss takes the field in a Cincy uniform.
Darious Williams
After a two-year stint with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Williams returned to the Los Angeles Rams on a three-year pact worth $22.5 million.
Though teammate and All-Pro Jalen Ramsey overshadowed him, Williams was quietly one of the more effective No. 2 corners during his first run in La La Land.
Williams had six interceptions and 27 pass defenses in four years there. In his breakout 2020 season, Williams allowed just a 54.2 completion percentage and yielded only a 63.9 passer rating when targeted, per Pro Football Reference.
Over his two years in Jacksonville, Williams only allowed 101 completions on 191 targets, per PFR. His passer rating allowed when targeted in 2022 and 2023 was 68.7 and 63.9, respectively.
Williams’ 79.5 Pro Football Focus grade of 2023, by the way, was considerably higher than the likes of Jaire Alexander, Denzel Ward, Patrick Surtain II, Marshon Lattimore and Marlon Humphrey.
So Williams returns to a familiar place where he won a Super Bowl ring. Given his familiarity in the Rams’ defensive schemes, he should have no problem easing his way back into things.
An absolute home run of a pickup by Sean McVay’s squad.
Also read: 10 NFL Free Agents In 2024 Who Screwed Up… And Where They Should Have Gone Instead
K.J. Osborn
In year one of the post-Bill Belichick era, the New England Patriots decided not to spend too lavishly in free agency.
They instead went the bargain-hunting route, and new GM Eliot Wolf just might have struck gold with the signing of ex-Minnesota Vikings wideout K.J. Osborn — who agreed to a one-year deal worth a modest $4 million.
Osborn became a regular in Minny’s offense during his 2021 sophomore year. Despite having to share targets with Justin Jefferson — the league’s top wide receiver — Adam Thielen, TJ Hockenson and later Jordan Addison, Osborn put up consistently solid numbers for the Vikings.
He had at least 48 receptions and 540 receiving yards in each of his last three years with Minny. This underrated deep threat averaged 11.7 yards per reception, with 86 of his 158 catches going for first downs.
Now Osborn will get every opportunity to establish himself as the No. 1 receiver on a thin Patriots’ pass-catching depth chart. If he could put up solid No. 3 numbers as a No. 4 option in Minnesota’s offense, just imagine what Osborn could do in an expanded role.
Osborn’s arrival in New England isn’t getting many headlines in the NFL circle, but do not be shocked if he has a career year in Foxborough — and if it leads to a contract extension for the recently signed free agent. This could be an absolute jackpot of a signing by the post-Belichick Patriots.
Kamren Curl
Speaking of Los Angeles Rams newcomers…
The Rams continued to reshape their secondary by signing former Washington Commanders safety Kamren Curl to a surprisingly cheap two-year deal worth $9 million.
That deal especially feels like a win for the Rams when you consider that Curl signed for a far less average annual value than inferior safeties like Kevin Byard, Darnell Savage and Rayshawn Jenkins.
He’s an elite run-stopper, with run grade defensive grades of 79.1 or better at PFF in each of the last two years. And with a final grade of 82.9 in 2022, Curl finished as PFF’s No. 4 ranked safety for the 2022 season. That year, he had an elite coverage grade of 80.8, by the way.
With three interceptions, 14 pass defenses and five sacks, Curl has established himself as a do-it-all safety who can line up anywhere on defense. The Rams can use him a hybrid role the way they did with Ramsey.
With Curl and Williams in the fold, there’s no telling how much the LA secondary will improve in 2024. Getting these two on such cheap deals is just another reminder as to why Les Snead is one of the best executives in the business.
Mitch Morse
A brutal salary cap situation forced the Buffalo Bills to release several big-named players this offseason, including center Mitch Morse and defensive backs Micah Hyde, Jordan Poyer and Tre’Davious White.
The Bills’ loss of Morse was the Jaguars’ gain, as Jacksonville signed the former Pro Bowler to a two-year deal worth only $10.5 million. And trust us, that’s a heckuva discount for one of the NFL’s best centers and available free agents.
Jacksonville’s shaky o-line gave up 41 sacks last season. With Morse replacing Luke Fortner as the starting center, Trevor Lawrence can sure expect much better pass protection up front.
Per PFF, Morse allowed only one sack on 1,128 offensive snaps last season. In fact, he allowed exactly only one sack in three of his five seasons with the Bills — never allowing more than three in a single year.
And now Morse gets to block for a borderline top-10 QB and an elite running back in Travis Etienne Jr.? And it’ll barely cost the Jaguars any money?
Yep, this was a sneaky-good signing by the Jaguars. And if they manage to rebound from an awfully disappointing 2023 season, Morse’s contributions in the trenches will have been a key reason why.
Also read: 5 NFL Free Agent Signings That Broke A Franchise And 5 That Saved One From The Abyss
Josh Reynolds
The Denver Broncos have been quiet in their quest to find a solid signing in the current crop of NFL free agents. They released quarterback Russell Wilson and All-Pro safety Justin Simmons, and top wide receiver Jerry Jeudy was traded to the Cleveland Browns for two late-round picks.
But GM George Paton made at least one signing on the offensive side of the ball, signing ex-Detroit Lions wide receiver Josh Reynolds to a two-year deal worth $9 million.
This move feels awfully similar to the KJ Osborn signing in New England. Like Osborn, a healthy Reynolds is a consistent threat for 40 receptions and 500-plus receiving yards.
Consider this: Detroit had two running backs put up over 1,000 yards of offense last year. Amon-Ra St. Brown led the team with 1,515 receiving yards, with rookie tight end Sam LaPorta finishing behind him with 889 yards.
So even as Detroit’s No. 5 option, Reynolds tallied 40 catches for 608 yards and five touchdowns. And if the Broncos don’t make any more big splashes, they’ll go into 2024 with Reynolds, Marvin Mims Jr. and Courtland Sutton as their top receivers.
In other words, Reynolds will get every opportunity to emerge as the new No. 1 in Mile High City. No more taking a backseat to St. Brown, LaPorta, Jahmyr Gibbs or David Montgomery in Detroit.
It’s Reynolds’ chance to shine with a new team now.
D.J. Reader
The Lions entered this offseason needing to find another stud defensive lineman to take the pressure off Aidan Hutchinson. The No. 2 pick of 2022 was the only player to exceed five sacks on the NFC runner-ups, after all.
Well, GM Brad Holmes may have found his guy in ex-Bengals star defensive tackle DJ Reader, who agreed to a two-year deal worth $22 million.
Reader has finished with a PFF Grade of 80.8 or higher over each of his last three seasons. He’s one of the league’s most well-rounded defensive tackles, with explosive pass-rushing abilities and elite run-stopping skills.
Reader’s sacks numbers won’t wow you, but he’s going to open up more room for Hutchinson and Detroit’s other edge rushers to get home to the QB. A run-stopping giant of his caliber could be the difference in a potential playoff game against an elite rushing offense like San Francisco and Philadelphia, too.
Cordarrelle Patterson
The Steelers performed quite the facelift on offense. They replaced all three QBs — Kenny Pickett, Mitch Trubisky and Mason Rudolph — with Russell Wilson, Justin Fields and Kyle Allen.
No. 2 wideout Diontae Johnson was dealt to the Carolina Panthers in a surprise move. Too much to keep track of? Well, don’t miss the Steelers’ savvy signing of four-time Pro Bowler Cordarelle Patterson — who agreed to a $2 year deal worth only $6 million.
Don’t forget that Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith unlocked Patterson as a do-it-all weapon during their time together with the Atlanta Falcons.
In Smith’s first year as Atlanta’s head coach in 2021, Patterson had 618 rushing yards, six rushing scores, 52 receptions, 548 receiving yards and five receiving scores to go along with 434 punt return yards.
In 2022, Patterson tallied 695 rushing yards and eight rushing scores — both career-bests.
Keep in mind that there were only so many touches for Patterson with Bijan Robinson, Kyle Pitts, Drake London and Tyler Allgeier also needing the football.
Patterson may not see a whole lot of carries with Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren in the backfield, but he could see more playing time as a receiver.
The bottom line is that Smith will have limitless options with Patterson on end-arounds, gadget plays and reverses. Oh, and the Steelers’ kick return game just got even more dangerous with the four-time first-team all-pro fielding kickoffs.
Mama Mia, this could be the steal among all of the 2024 NFL free agents.
Also read: Predicting Where the Top 20 Remaining NFL Free Agents of 2024 Will Land
