The Buffalo Bills and Los Angeles Rams are set to play on Thursday night, and with that game, the 2022 NFL season will officially commence.
The end of a long offseason is in sight, and teams have taken a lot of steps to get to this point. Between the predraft process, free agency, draft weekend, minicamps, training camp, the preseason and final roster cuts, rosters have not come together quickly or easily. However, franchises have finally settled on the teams they'll carry into 2022.
Or have they? The reality is that several quality players are still available, and many will be picked up in the coming weeks and months. The free-agent pool got even deeper with last week's cutdown to 53 players.
Where will the best remaining free agents land? That's anyone's guess. However, we're here to examine where they would best fit. We'll dive into factors like past production, player upside, team needs, scheme fit and cap space—where applicable—to identify one free agent who should be at the top of each team's wish list.
To keep things interesting, we'll look at 32 different players here. Teams are listed in alphabetical order.
Arizona Cardinals: CB Chris Harris
The Arizona Cardinals find themselves in need of a starting-caliber cornerback as Week 1 approaches. Projected starter Antonio Hamilton is set to miss at least the first four games of the season after burning his foot in a cooking accident.
"It's disappointing for him," Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury said, via the PHNX Cardinals podcast's Bo Brack. "He had earned a starting role."
Veteran cornerback Chris Harris would be a logical depth addition and potential early-season spot starter. The 33-year-old may not be the Pro Bowl player he once was, but he's an experienced vet who can play inside or outside.
Harris appeared in 14 games with 11 starts for the Los Angeles Chargers last season. He also spent two years (2017 and 2018) with the Denver Broncos under then-head coach Vance Joseph and defensive backs coach Marcus Robertson.
Robertson now holds the same position in Arizona, while Joseph is the defensive coordinator. Harris should have at least some familiarity with Arizona's defensive scheme, and he has more than enough experience to step in and immediately contribute.
Atlanta Falcons: WR Keelan Cole
The Atlanta Falcons are looking for depth behind top receivers Drake London, Olamide Zaccheaus and Bryan Edwards. According to ESPN's Dan Graziano, Atlanta discussed acquiring Laviska Shenault Jr. with the Jacksonville Jaguars before they traded him to the Carolina Panthers.
Atlanta, which has just $2 million in cap space, should be looking at budget options on the free-agent market. It might be able to get a bargain with Keelan Cole, who was released by the Las Vegas Raiders during final cuts.
Cole had joined Las Vegas on a one-year, $1.3 million deal.
While Cole would purely be a complementary pass-catcher, his deep-threat ability would be valuable. Last season with the New York Jets, the 29-year-old averaged 16.0 yards per carry and finished with 449 yards and a touchdown. His best season came with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2017, when he tallied 748 yards and three scores.
In Atlanta, Cole would be a viable role player alongside the current group and tight end Kyle Pitts.
Baltimore Ravens: WR Will Fuller
The Baltimore Ravens head into 2022 with one of the most underwhelming receiving corps in the league. 2021 first-round pick Rashod Bateman flashed promise as a rookie, but there is no proven top option on the depth chart.
Even after picking up Demarcus Robinson late in the offseason, the Ravens receiving corps—aside from star tight end Mark Andrews, of course—is largely a mishmash of complementary options.
Bateman is the only current Ravens receiver to eclipse 400 yards last season. Baltimore traded former top wideout Marquise Brown to the Cardinals during draft weekend.
While Will Fuller wouldn't give Baltimore a legitimate No. 1 perimeter target, he could help replicate Brown's downfield ability. Though 55 career games, Fuller has averaged 14.7 yards per catch and scored 24 touchdowns. Like Brown before him, Fuller could give Lamar Jackson a speedy deep threat who perfectly complements the quarterback's ability to buy time.
Health would be a concern—Fuller has missed 42 games in six seasons—but Fuller would add another explosive element to the Baltimore offense.
Buffalo Bills: S Andrew Sendejo
The Buffalo Bills have no glaring weaknesses. If Buffalo had to add to a specific position, though, it wouldn't hurt to improve its safety depth. Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer form a solid tandem, but there's no proven depth behind them—and Poyer is working back from a hyperextended elbow.
Jaquan Johnson and Damar Hamlin have played a combined 250 defensive snaps (just 50 for Hamlin).
Free-agent safety Andrew Sendejo played more than double that many snaps (609) in 12 games last season. The 34-year-old is likely nearing the end of his career—and has already played regular-season games for five different teams—but he was a serviceable starter in 2021.
Last season with the Indianapolis Colts, Sendejo made 10 starts. He finished with 40 tackles, two passes defended and a forced fumble. He allowed an opposing passer rating of 92.1 in coverage—not ideal, but far from terrible.
The Bills are poised to chase a championship, and Sendejo could help ensure that the defense isn't undone by an injury to a safety. He has started 24 games over the past two seasons and could start in a pinch if Buffalo needed him.