2024 NFL Free Agents: Predictions for Potential Offseason Targets amid Rumors
The NFL offseason is quickly approaching, and some teams are already looking ahead to free agency to improve their rosters.
Heading into Week 18, the speculation about where the top free agents will land is starting to heat up.
Here are a few predictions on the landing spots for some of the players set to hit the open market in 2024.
Saquon Barkley, RB
Saquon Barkley was not given the long-term contract extension he was seeking from the New York Giants last offseason, and it wouldn't be a surprise if the team tries to short-change him again this year.
The Giants have the option of franchise-tagging him for the second straight offseason at $12 million, so if Barkley wants a lengthy contract, his best option could be to seek it elsewhere.
Barkley turns 27 in February, so teams could be hesitant to commit to a veteran running back in an era where the position is not as highly regarded as it once was. However, he could be a difference-maker in the right situation.
The Baltimore Ravens lead the league in rushing at 159.7 yards per game, but their leading rusher is star quarterback Lamar Jackson. Gus Edwards has been a serviceable replacement for J.K. Dobbins after his season-ending Achilles injury, but both players are set to become free agents this year.
Signing Barkley would give Baltimore a bonafide lead back who can shoulder the load in a run-heavy offense and open things up for Jackson in the passing attack.
Prediction: Barkley signs a two-year deal with the Ravens.
Tee Higgins, WR
Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins is widely regarded as the best player set to become a free agent.
Higgins has managed to record back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons in 2021 and 2022 despite sharing the field with star wideout Ja'Marr Chase. While his numbers this year aren't as impressive while he's been limited by injuries, many believe he has what it takes to be a No. 1 receiver in any offense.
It would be a tough decision for Higgins to leave Cincinnati, as the team has one of the most talented offenses in the AFC when quarterback Joe Burrow is healthy.
However, the Bengals know an extension for Chase is on the horizon, so Higgins would likely be able to get a bank-breaking deal from another franchise. The Athletic's Dianna Russini and Paul Dehner Jr. previously reported that Cincinnati made an offer that Higgins considered to be "low."
The Green Bay Packers have a talented young crop of receivers, but none of them have over 700 receiving yards this season entering Week 18. A talented No. 1 receiver like Higgins would work wonders for quarterback Jordan Love as he tries to fill the shoes of the legendary Packers quarterbacks that came before him.
Prediction: Higgins signs a four-year deal with the Packers.
Kirk Cousins, QB
A torn Achilles may have ended Kirk Cousins' season early, but that doesn't mean he won't have his share of suitors as a free agent.
The Minnesota Vikings likely will be interested in bringing Cousins back, but his contract states that he cannot be franchise-tagged, leaving the rest of the league free to pursue him.
Cousins will be 36 at the start of the 2024 season, so he should be looking to join a team with a strong foundation on offense. In the right situation, he could turn a franchise into a Super Bowl contender next year.
The Atlanta Falcons have a ton of talent on offense with young stars like Bijan Robinson and Drake London, but Desmond Ridder doesn't appear to be their quarterback of the future. The Falcons would be wise to pivot to a veteran signal-caller like Cousins, who could find it enticing to turn around a franchise that has missed the playoffs in each of the last five years.
Prediction: Cousins signs a three-year deal with the Falcons.