Top five NFL free agents who could soon find new homes

Over the next few weeks, NFL teams will see what they have in their newest additions during OTAs and mandatory minicamps.

If anyone underwhelms, which is inevitable, teams will look to dip back into the open market to fill those holes ahead of the 2024 season.

Here are the top five free agents who could find their new homes sooner rather than later.

Cornerback Xavien Howard

Howard was released by the Dolphins this offseason after an underwhelming 2023 campaign in which he registered 45 tackles, one interception and 12 passes defensed.

The soon-to-be 31-year-old's best days are clearly behind him, but he could provide a ton of experience and ability to start from Day 1 for a team in desperate need of cornerback help.

The biggest question surrounding Howard is his health. He played in 13 games last season. If he can stay healthy, several teams should be interested in his services.

Safety Justin Simmons

Simmons may be the biggest head-scratcher on this list. He was only cut by the Broncos so they could save $14.5 million in cap space, so why he remains available is unknown.

The 30-year-old proved he had a lot of good football left in the tank last season, totaling 70 tackles, one sack, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, three interceptions and eight passes defensed. 

Denver seems to have moved on from him after giving his No. 31 jersey to rookie fifth-round cornerback Kris Abrams-Draine, but the rest of the league should be in on him. 

Cornerback Stephon Gilmore

When a former NFL Defensive Player of the Year (2019) is available on the open market, you go grab him.

Yes, Gilmore will turn 34 this season, but he held his own on the outside in Dallas last season with 68 tackles, one forced fumble, two interceptions and 13 passes defensed.

Gilmore could be the missing piece at a cheap price for a Super Bowl contender as he nears the end of his impressive NFL career.

Center Connor Williams

The only reason Williams is still a free agent is because he suffered a season-ending ACL tear in Week 14 last year.

However, according to Pro Football Focus, he allowed just one sack on 497 snaps played before his injury.

Plug-and-play offensive linemen are nearly impossible to find during the offseason. If the 27-year-old is healthy or can be healthy by the start of the season, there's no reason he shouldn't be scooped up in the near future.

Defensive tackle Calais Campbell

If Campbell wanted to, he could hang his cleats up for good and have a good chance to make the Pro Football Hall of Fame with 865 tackles, 105.5 sacks, 17 forced fumbles, 13 fumbles recoveries and three interceptions in his 16-year NFL career.

He's clearly chasing the one thing he doesn't have: a Super Bowl ring.

The 37-year-old won't have many teams interested in him this late into his career, but he would provide an incredible amount of experience as a rotational defensive lineman in year 17.

Campbell had 56 tackles, 6.5 sacks, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery with the Falcons in 2023.