NFL free agency started a little over a month ago, and many of the top names signed very quickly. Quarterbacks Derek Carr and Jimmy Garoppolo signed big free-agent contracts with new teams and, most recently, Odell Beckham Jr. signed with the Baltimore Ravens.
Still, some big names remain out there in free agency. Here are the top three NFL players that remain unsigned.
Ezekiel Elliott, RB
It seems like Ezekiel Elliott has starred with the Dallas Cowboys forever, yet he's still just 27 years old. However, in the NFL, that's seen as old for a running back.
The Cowboys moved away from Zeke as the feature back last season as Tony Pollard stepped into a more prominent role. Pollard played so well that he earned a Pro Bowl nod. Pollard then hit free agency, so the Cowboys quickly slapped the franchise tag on him. Meanwhile, Elliott and his large contract were cut as a necessary salary cap casualty for Dallas.
Even as Zeke has declined, he remains a quality running back. He rushed 231 times for 876 yards and 12 TDs in 2022, adding 17 catches for 92 yards. His 3.8 YPC were a career low, however.
Running backs, in general, simply aren't in demand. Even the New York Giants' Saquon Barkley is still looking for a new contract (he was given the franchise tag, but hasn't signed it yet). It's a relatively fungible position in today's pass-happy NFL as the running back position continues to be more and more devalued.
Zeke also has lots of mileage on his tires. He has stayed relatively healthy throughout his seven-year career, which has resulted in 1,881 carries and slowly declining production, most notably as a receiver. He peaked with 77 receptions in 2018 and has caught fewer balls than the year before every season since. He served a good short-yardage back in 2022, but didn't excel at much else.
Someone will sign surely sign Elliott. It's a when, not an if he will find a new team. There were reports that the Philadelphia Eagles, Cincinnati Bengals, and New York Jets were his preferred destinations. The Eagles look to have filled their running back hole, replacing Miles Sanders with Rashaad Penny as the team's lead back, and they still have Boston Scott and Kenneth Gainwell as quality depth. The Bengals and Jets are a little thinner at running back, and in the Jets' case, their best back, Breece Hall, is coming off an ACL injury. We could see Zeke end up in New York, but it's likely that he would be hitched to Aaron Rodgers' wagon for that to be the case.
Think you know where Zeke will land? Bet on it at some of the best sports betting sites today.
Jadeveon Clowney, DE
Jadeveon Clowney went first overall in the 2014 NFL Draft to the Houston Texans. The star defensive end out of South Carolina had an injury-plagued rookie season and only suited up for four games. He followed that up with an improved, but still middling second year. By year three though, Clowney exploded for the first of three consecutive Pro Bowl seasons. His best season to date came in 2017 when he hit career highs with 59 total tackles and 9.5 sacks.
The Texans slapped the franchise tag on him when his rookie contract ran out after the 2018 season, and then traded Clowney to the Seahawks. He spent one season with the Seahawks, a middling year with three sacks and 31 total tackles in his 13 games. It did include his only career interception -- a pick 6 versus the Arizona Cardinals -- but his overall production clearly declined.
Clowney then signed with the Tennessee Titans in 2020, and then the Cleveland Browns in 2021. Last season, he played a career low 63% of the Browns' defensive snaps, recorded just two sacks and ended up getting sent home late in the season when he publicly complained about his usage.
Now, 30 years old, Clowney is looking to latch on with another team. The Pittsburgh Steelers and Chicago Bears are rumored destinations, but we will likely have to wait until after the 2023 NFL Draft for Clowney to sign.
Leonard Fournette, RB
Leonard Fournette is another star running back looking for a new team. He came into the league as the fourth overall pick in 2017 NFL Draft, coming off a stellar career at LSU. The back immediately starred for the Jacksonville Jaguars, tallying 268 carries for 1,040 yards and 10 total touchdowns.
The Jags would ultimately cut ties with Fournette after the 2019 season, despite his rushing for a career-high 1,152 yards on 4.5 YPC and adding 76 receptions for 522 more yards in his third season. The two sides couldn't agree on a contract extension and waived Fournette in August 2020.
He hooked up with the Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers the following season. After an unextraordinary regular season, Playoff Lenny was born. In four playoff games, Fournette rushed 64 times for 300 yards and scored a TD in each and every game on his way to a Super Bowl trophy. He then ran for a career-high 4.5 YPC in 2021, and tallied 1,191 all-purpose yards on 262 touches in 2022. During the 2022 season, he ultimately lost his starting gig to Rachaad White, leading the Bucs to release him last month.
Fournette is now looking to catch on with another NFL team. It's likely that he looks to chase another title with a running-back needy team like the Bengals or the Los Angeles Chargers, if they trade Austin Ekeler.
