Finding homes

By: Josh Frey-Sam

There are still a lot of good football players looking for work.

Some are shockers, like players who are young and talented enough that their free agency is almost head-scratching at this point.

Then there are the others, the veterans who almost prefer to be in this position and void of any mini-camp and OTA responsibilities. They will wait until close to training camp to sign, and in some cases, they’ll wait until someone inevitably goes down with a significant injury before gauging the market.

Let’s take a crack at guessing where a handful of the higher-profile free agents will land.

QB Aaron Rodgers, Pittsburgh Steelers

This is really the only option at this point for ARod, unless a starting QB suffers a significant injury. It’s either Pittsburgh or retire at this point.

I wonder if the Saints considered him before selecting Tyler Shough. That would’ve be a hell of a curveball.

CB Asante Samuel Jr., Miami Dolphins

One of the best cornerbacks on the market. Still just 25, the former second-rounder has continued to battle a shoulder injury that’s reportedly been a lifelong issue.

There’s no denying the talent he possesses, though. The Dolphins, who will trade or cut Jalen Ramsey sometime this summer (post-June 1), desperately need a cover guy after drafting just one in last month’s draft.

T Jedrick Wills Jr., Minnesota Vikings

A top-10 pick just five years ago, Wills Jr. is one of the more surprising players still available. He’s struggled with injuries and his effort has been questioned at times, but the talent, age and position value continue to make him an intriguing option for any team.

His tenure in Cleveland ended disastrously, as he was benched at one point last season before missing the last five contests with a knee injury.

To me, Wills Jr. would be a fantastic depth signing. He’d be the sixth lineman on most rosters and provide some great insurance at one of the most important positions.

The only question is if he wants to sign with a team he won’t be expected to start anytime soon.

The Vikings make sense to me. Christian Darrisaw is coming off a torn ACL and MCL, and while he’s said to be doing great in his rehab, it would behoove the Vikings to give him some extra time to heal up before returning to game action.

WR Amari Cooper, Pittsburgh Steelers

Cooper should be your classic training-camp signing. He’s 30 years old, but those routes are still crispy.

He could be a pick-up for a contending team that suffers an injury, but I like the fit here with Pittsburgh, who just parted with George Pickens.

The Steelers are left with DK Metcalf, Robert Woods, Scotty Miller, Calvin Austin III, Ben Skrwonek and Roman Wilson. Cooper would immediately be WR2 on this team.

WR Keenan Allen, Arizona Cardinals

Earlier this week, I said I’d like to see Gabe Davis to the Cards, but I think I’d like to see Allen there more.

The fit makes perfect sense in this offence. Allen still gets open as well as anyone in the league, and his pure-slot role would compliment Marvin Harrison Jr. perfectly.

The Cards should recognize they’re in a position to make a jump this season, and adding Allen into the mix would give Kyler Murray a legitimate WR2 on the roster.

Thanks for reading and, as always, have a great day.

Josh