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The NFL's biggest waves of 2025 player movement have come and gone, with dozens of big names finalizing new contracts in the opening days of free agency. The dust has also settled on a handful of monumental trades, including Geno Smith's relocation from the Seattle Seahawks to the Las Vegas Raiders and DK Metcalf's move to the Pittsburgh Steelers, who are still in search of a quarterback.
Just because most of the NFL's top veteran free agents are off the board doesn't mean there aren't still notable names available for work. In fact, sometimes the best bargains come in the quieter stages of the offseason, when most eyes have turned to other events, like April's upcoming 2025 draft. So which of the remaining unsigned players could prove to be this year's steals? Which ones could be worth a lottery-ticket deal as winter turns to spring and the 2025 season comes into focus?
Here's a look at 10 of the most valuable free agents currently on the market, including a future Hall of Famer who's made plenty of headlines as he privately plots the next steps of his career:
Is he past his MVP prime at 41, coming off two sad seasons with the New York Jets? Sure. Can he still put the ball where it needs to be if well protected? Also yes, which is why he's had any market at all. All indications are he prefers the pristine promise of, say, the Minnesota Vikings to the more desperate Pittsburgh Steelers, but it's also possible he'll just hold tight and hope for another perfect gig to open.
NFL teams are apparently concerned with Cooper's disappearing act to close 2024, when joining Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills somehow made him less impactful than his time with the Cleveland Browns. Going on 31, it's possible he's just running out of steam. But you'd be hard-pressed to find a savvier and more accomplished route runner at this stage of the offseason.
It's a red flag -- perhaps medically -- that a 25-year-old starting cornerback has gotten precious little interest in his first foray into free agency. Samuel, after all, did miss all but four games in 2024. He's also more of a boom-or-bust cover man. Still, the playmaking upside is real; he had two picks in each of his first three seasons, following his father's footsteps as a ball magnet in the making.
Simmons is no longer the star centerfielder who roamed the Denver Broncos' secondary, turning in a solid, if unspectacular, one-year stint with the Atlanta Falcons in 2024. This is the second straight offseason in which his market has been rather cold. He's got loads of experience as a leader on the back end, though, and he's also had multiple interceptions in each of his nine NFL seasons.
A feisty ballhawk for both the Green Bay Packers and Buffalo Bills, Douglas' lack of elite speed finally seemed to catch up with him in 2024, and he'll be 31 this fall. He knows how to disrupt pass catchers off the line, however, and could make for physical, experienced insurance as a perimeter cover man.
It's not surprising Dobbins' market has been quiet even at 26; the injury-marred running back has yet to play a full NFL season. He was once again fairly efficient with a sizable role in 2024, though, and he's shown in multiple stops, between serious ailments, that he can be explosive as part of a rotation.
Aging off-ball linebackers don't necessarily move the needle in free agency, but White has been an underrated chess piece for Arizona Cardinals coach Jonathan Gannon, first as a Philadelphia Eagles fill-in and then as a full-timer in the desert. He's racked up 18 tackles for loss in the last two years.
Youth and speed is often key at cornerback, but Hilton has been one of the game's smartest, most tenacious nickelbacks for years. He's not the biggest, and he'll be 31 this season, but he excels coming around the edge to find the ball. He could be a Swiss Army knife for a contender.
A longtime model of consistency and durability in Seattle, the former Seahawks speedster is no spring chicken after a decade in the NFC West. In fact, he might be best suited in a No. 3-type role, working in tandem with fresher legs. But his instincts as a downfield ball tracker are still apparent.
Going on 34, Scherff no longer leads the conversation of the game's top interior blockers. He actually stayed upright for each of his three seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars, however, providing reasonable protection at guard. That still counts for quite a bit in the NFL, where quality blocking is key.
