With news breaking this morning that Nick Fairley will suit up for the Saints in 2016, the top remaining free agent exited the open market, leaving Bengals safety Reggie Nelson to move into the No. 1 spot. With some high-quality players sill available—many of whom sit on PFF's original list of the best 75 free agents—naming a landing spot for each remaining free agent becomes an interesting task.
Below are team fits for the the top remaining NFL free agents as of Monday afternoon:
1. Reggie Nelson, S
2015 team: Cincinnati Bengals
Should sign with the: Oakland Raiders
Even after a hefty spending spree, the Raiders still have gobs of cap room. The only piece from last year’s squad that they’ve so far been unable to replace is Charles Woodson, and Nelson would go a long way towards dealing with that loss. In terms of coverage grade, Nelson’s 83.6 was only slightly behind Woodson’s league-leading 86.8.
2. Ryan Fitzpatrick, QB
2015 team: New York Jets
Should sign with the: New York Jets
While the Broncos are certainly a possibility, too many arrows are pointing Fitzpatrick back to New York. It will be his second year in the system, with a vast array of weapons, and he’ll have limited expectations outside of a playoff berth. The only question is, can the Jets make it work with limited cap space?
3. Stefen Wisniewski, C
2015 team: Jacksonville Jaguars
Should sign with the: Cincinnati Bengals
At this point, the Bengals simply need some competency at the center position, and that’s what Wisniewski brings. Russell Bodine was comfortably the fourth-lowest graded center among starters a year ago, while Wisniewski finished at 12th.
4. Walter Thurmond, S
2015 team: Philadelphia Eagles
Should sign with the: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
It’s unclear whether teams are pegging Thurmond as a safety—a position he excelled at with Philadelphia—or as a slot corner, where he spent the first five seasons of his career. In Tampa Bay, he could play both, as they’re currently bereft of either.
5. Leon Hall, CB
2015 team: Cincinnati Bengals
Should sign with the: Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals have re-signed two of their four secondary free agents, and Hall seems like a likely candidate to make it three. The market for cornerbacks over 30 is always limited, but the slot corner market is surprisingly sparse this year. Hall fits both of those categories, and while others may not value that, the Bengals don’t really have another capable replacement for him at the moment.
6. Greg Hardy, DE
2015 team: Dallas Cowboys
Should sign with the: Detroit Lions
I’m not sure which team to put as a good fit here, as there may not even be a market for Hardy. If the Cowboys soured on him so much that they reportedly have no interest, then others around the league may follow suit. He’s still a dominant 4-3 defensive end, though, and only 28 years old. The Lions would immediately have one of the most feared pass-rushes in the league if they added Hardy.
7. Manny Ramirez, C
2015 team: Detroit Lions
Should sign with the: Miami Dolphins
Miami already signed Kraig Urbik, but it's inexcusable for the Dolphins to allow their guard position to deteriorate to the point it reached in 2015. Dallas Thomas and Billy Turner were our lowest-graded left and right guards, respectively, in the entire NFL. Ramirez was quietly the highest-graded lineman on the Lions' roster, and he’ll be a stop-gap until one of Miami's younger draftees can develop.
8. Terrance Knighton, NT
2015 team: Washington Redskins
Should sign with the: Green Bay Packers
Even the completely out-of-shape version of Knighton that we saw a year ago can still stuff the run with the best of them. His 6.1 run-stop percentage was almost double that of the recently retired B.J. Raji (3.1). Shoring up the nose tackle position would afford Green Bay more leeway to go best-player-available in Round 1.
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