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John Johnson breaks down top available free agents remaining after over two weeks of NFL free agency. Who are the best unsigned players left as of the start of April?
It's been quite some time since the 2025 NFL free-agency period officially opened, and by now, most of the highly sought-after players have already found their new homes. However, there are still some intriguing names left that aren't attached to any teams. With the 2025 NFL Draft quickly approaching, these players could be closer to signing their new contracts and finding homes for the next season.
There's a reason why they're still left, though. NFL teams move quickly to sign talent they think can have a measurable good impact on their depth charts, but they are more sluggish to sign players they think could be liabilities or don't help them substantially at positions of need.
Therefore, even at highly impactful positions like quarterback and wide receiver, some players may not get signed very quickly. Let's look at the top remaining free agents as of early April.
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QB Aaron Rodgers
It's unclear exactly why Rodgers has taken so long to sign with a new team. The word on the street, though, is that the Pittsburgh Steelers have already worked out a one-year deal they'd like to sign him to. Perhaps, with his flair for (cringe) theatrics, he wants to announce his signing on "The Pat McAfee Show." Maybe he wants a nice payday in return for doing so.
ESPN insider says he's talked to multiple people who believe the Steelers and Aaron Rodgers have a commitment https://t.co/gZfiThofes
— SteelerNation (@steelernation) March 29, 2025
It could be that he's also doing this for attention. Still, the lack of good quarterbacks in the NFL means that even players like Rodgers, who is 41 years old, dealt with a litany of injuries last season, didn't play particularly well, and is a locker room cancer, will have jobs available and waiting for them.
The alternative would be taking a shot on a quarterback in the 2025 NFL Draft, and the Steelers could still do that, choosing to let him sit for a year behind Rodgers.
"I don't really understand their decision-making process in all of this. They are backed into a corner with Aaron Rodgers."@minakimes says the Steelers are not "operating from any position of strength" with the QB options available 😳 pic.twitter.com/HbR1iPWzuN
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) March 27, 2025
A-Rod's best seasons are clearly behind him, and Pittsburgh isn't likely to win a playoff game with him under center. But at least it would let the coaching staff develop whoever the Steelers take in the draft or punt this coming season for 2026, when they could have a shot to take another QB in that class if they aren't able to get one in April who would be their QB of the future.
RB J.K. Dobbins
It's hard to see why the Los Angeles Chargers preferred to sign former Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris and let Dobbins walk, but it would make sense from an injury angle.
Dobbins has a long history of devastating leg injuries, and though he started 2024 hot, his production plateaued after some time. He also suffered a knee injury that put him on injured reserve.
I don’t think we’re getting any JK Dobbins news until after the NFL Draft. Either he signs to a team that didn’t end up getting what they wanted in the draft or with a team that has an injury. I still lean that he has a role somewhere in 2025 but it may just be as a handcuff.
— Wyatt 🥃 (@WyattB_FF) March 28, 2025
Perhaps Los Angeles has trust in its run-blocking and believes it was the major driver of Dobbins' 2024 production. And Harris is much more durable, having played in 17 regular-season games in all four of his seasons so far. Dobbins could be waiting a bit longer before he lands on a team, and he might be in a committee or just play as a backup.
today would be a great day for the Broncos to sign JK Dobbins pic.twitter.com/cxcuMcK07N
— Tyler🐴 (@HighAsTy) March 20, 2025
In fantasy football, he won't be worth investing even a mid-round pick in. He just won't have the volume. And he could be near the end of his career, which sadly will have been shortened by all the injuries.
WR Elijah Moore
Moore just turned 25 years old, and in a market where teams are desperate for good receivers to fill out their rosters, it's perplexing that he still hasn't been signed by a team. He's nowhere near his age cliff and doesn't have a concerning injury history. He also had a few stretches of nice production in his career so far.
A lot of Elijah Moore’s best work on the outside last season came from bunches and stack formations. It was awesome to see Lafleur trusts Elijah from the jump this year to win 1 on 1 from the outside and he cooked this man coverage. QB don’t matter 🎱 is primed have a huge year pic.twitter.com/jZeqoL6BLQ
— Michael Meegan (@Meegs214) August 13, 2022
Unlike most of the other "big name" receivers who aren't on teams yet, Moore is still in his prime. So, it must be that his prime just isn't very good. Advanced statistics backs this up. Moore was the worst receiver in terms of EPA (expected points added) behind New York Giants WR Wan'Dale Robinson.
Total WR routes and EPA, that Wan’Dale Robinson/Elijah Moore usage is tough pic.twitter.com/aXF3ITPR69
— Football Insights 📊 (@fball_insights) February 11, 2025
Maybe there isn't much hope for his career at this point. It would still be a surprise if he didn't at least sign a smaller contract with a team to serve as a backup for the rest of his tenure.
CB Asante Samuel Jr.
Samuel improved with the Los Angeles Chargers during his tenure there. But he dealt with a shoulder injury (a "stinger") that caused him to miss all but four games of the 2023 season. Unlike Moore, he wasn't atrocious -- he ranked 131st out of 222 qualifying cornerbacks in 2024, according to Pro Football Focus.
If this comes true in five weeks, it'll go down as the greatest speculation and random information drop of all time.
STORY: Asante Samuel Jr. to the Vikings in 5 weeks? The wildest NFL speculation yethttps://t.co/gxmYUn3zwS pic.twitter.com/joTaPvTe0D
— Bring Me The Sports (@BMTNSports) March 29, 2025
Samuel should still be productive in a part-time role, possibly at nickel cornerback. It will just be a matter of evaluating his injury and coming up with a deal commensurate with what a team thinks he's worth.
Cornerback isn't the most highly sought-after position in the NFL -- less important than quarterback, wide receiver, pass-rusher, and offensive line -- but someone has to cover a team's opposing receivers.
WR Keenan Allen
Allen is now 32 years old, so he doesn't likely have much left in the tank. Allen was productive last season, yet inconsistent, and much of his production came in garbage time, so it's not surprising that NFL teams don't seem to be overly impressed.
Allen also dealt with a heel injury that he described as a "wear-and-tear" thing. Teams understand that players of this age at the receiver position have to deal with both these kinds of injuries and a rapid loss of explosiveness.
Keenan Allen reposted it on his instagram. pic.twitter.com/DifGIoRKqc
— Fernando Ramirez (@RealFRamirez) March 29, 2025
Allen's tenure with the Chargers will likely land him in that team's ring of honor, but he may not be willing to accept a one-year deal, knowing that it will be the last of his career. It's also possible L.A. just isn't interested in bringing him back, now that it drafted WR Ladd McConkey and signed Mike Williams.
The WR market is beginning to settle. If the price is right, one great option for the #Panthers would be Keenan Allen. pic.twitter.com/ronXYioVrW
— Dan Tonna (@dan_tonna) March 21, 2025
Allen still has plenty of route-running savvy and plays with a high football IQ, so he'll be able to make splash plays. He would also be a good mentor for a team's other receivers. But, as with Dobbins, we might not see a team make a move for him until after the draft, when each squad will have a better idea of what they have to work with at each of their positions.
Allen not playing another down of football would be a surprise. But next season being his last also probably wouldn't be a surprise, either.
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