By: Jake Rajala

The Miami Dolphins have stayed aggressive in each phase of the 2022 off-season and It wouldn’t be a surprise if they struck gold with another shiny free-agent acquisition soon. With that said, I’m going to untwine three dream FA targets for the Phins right now.

Anthony Barr

I expect that Anthony Barr wants revenge against Josh Allen after the Bills QB famously hurdled him a few seasons ago. Barr is a very diverse LB and he can be effective against the run and pass. He recorded three interceptions, 2.5 sacks, 72 combined tackles, and 6 QB hits in 11 games last season. Barr could honestly be a star on the inside and move around the edge on third-down. The former 30-year-old Vikings LB could even be a quality chess piece on the Phins LB group that features Emmanual Ogbah and Jerome Baker for a few seasons.

Odell Beckham Jr.

If the LA Rams have room for OBJ, the Dolphins should deserve to incorporate his gifted ability. The Dolphins have also been a popular landing spot for him as of late. Tom Pelissero from NFL Network suggested that the Phins should ink the Super Bowl LVI champion in early May. The Dolphins have loaded up on offensive firepower (Chase Edmonds, Tyreek Hill) this off-season, so it would be fitting for Mike McDaniel to add another superb force in OBJ.

Ndamukong Suh

The NFL’s bad-ass (and intellectual) Ndamukong Suh would be a sneaky good fit for the Dolphins. Suh can excel in many spots, which is perfect for the Dolphins creative defense. He has been still playing at a high level (6 sacks and 13 QB hits) and he surely wants another Super Bowl ring. Suh doesn’t appear to be interested in a reunion with Tampa Bay. I expect an aggressive, shiny team like MIA or LAR to scoop him up.

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By: Jake Rajala

The Carolina Panthers should still be aggressive in an NFC South division that witnessed Tom Brady return to the Buccaneers and two Lousiana natives (Tyrann Mathieu, Jarvis Landry) join the Saints. With that said, I’m going to untwine three dream targets for the Panthers right now.

Jimmy Garoppolo

I would love to see the Panthers grab Jimmy G in June or July. He is a sure-fire upgrade over Matt Corral and “good” Sam Darnold. He has been utterly clutch in big moments and he can absolutely utilize CMAC, Robbie Anderson, and D.J. Moore on a high level. For example, below is an unearthly throw by Jimmy G against the Saints team that Panthers nation hates with a passion.

Joe Haden

The Panthers impressively acquired Stephon Gilmore in 2021 and I’d love to see them notch another top-tier CB in 2022. Joe Haden can be a physical, man-to-man CB against the likes of Mike Evans and Michael Thomas. The former AFC North CB has expressed that he isn’t interested in retiring soon, as well. Perhaps the Panthers and their second-ranked cap space in the league can out-bid other teams for Haden.

Anthony Barr

The Panthers lost the versatile Haason Reddick this off-season and it may be wise for CAR to sign the athletic freak Anthony Barr. The former Vikings LB doesn’t carry the same pass-rushing talent as Reddick, but he can still excel against the pass (3 ints in 11 games) and the run (72 combined tackles) last season. The four-time Pro Bowl selection would be perfect in pass coverage against Alvin Kamara and Kyle Pitts in the NFC South.

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By: Jake Rajala

The New England Patriots are one of the most mysterious NFL teams entering the 2022 season. They have a cyborg in Bill Belichick, an ascending QB in Mac Jones, but they haven’t made numerous dynamite off-season additions. The Patriots could easily be a Super Bowl contender if Jones noticeably improves. Meanwhile, it’s also possible that the new-look Dolphins and Josh Allen-led Bills finish ahead of the Pats in the AFC East next season. I believe the sleep-deprived Belichick could still add more fire-power and help the Patriots become a dark-horse Super Bowl contender in the early stages of Jones’s career.

Anthony Barr

I believe Anthony Barr is the biggest free-agent diamond in the rough at this point in time. Barr is still a very good football player, as he recorded three interceptions, 72 combined tackles, 2.5 sacks, and 6 QB hits last season. The Pats controversially traded away the young stud in Chase Winvoch to the Browns, but they could potentially find his superb replacement in Barr.

Odell Beckham Jr.

The Pats can definitely strike the jackpot with the signing of OBJ. He doesn’t only have a lot of talent for a team in the back-end of next season and beyond 2022, but he almost signed with the Pats in 2021. Belichick should really work his magic and help his team have more juice in the explosive AFC playoff gauntlet by bringing in the Super Bowl LVI champion.

Dont’a Hightower

The Pats could help their LB position by bringing an old friend back in Dont’a Hightower. The 2019 Pro Bowler might not be an elite LB, but he can be a 2022 starter and great leader. After the Pats brought back Devin McCourty, it would be patriotic for the Pats to ink Hightower.

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The NFL free agency pool is still quite impressive at this stage in mid-April. There are shiny and risky profiles like Jadeveon Clowney and OBJ, but there are also many under-the-radar players that can aid NFL rosters right now. With that enunciated, I’m going to outline many available free agents that could be excellent value signings.

Akiem Hicks

The former Chicago Bears DT Akiem Hicks has been a stout interior DT over the past several seasons. In nine games last season, Hicks had 3.5 sacks, five tackles for loss, and nine QB hits. He still has gas left in the tank at 32 years old and he’s ready to be a force with a new team. It’s been noted that Allen Robinson is recruiting him to the Rams, so he may head to play with Sean McVay’s dream team in LA.

Landon Collins

The thumper Landon Collins can be a versatile addition to any NFL team next season. Collins recorded three sacks, 7 TFLs, 2 interceptions, and 81 combined tackles in 2021. He may not be the same player that he was in 2016 (All-Pro), but he can be excellent in the right scheme. Perhaps Collins could replace the in-the-box safety Malcolm Jenkins in the Big Easy.

Phillip Lindsay

Phillip Lindsay had a special welcome to the NFL as an undrafted free agent and he’s a gifted athlete. I believe Phillip Lindsay could have a resurgence out of the Houston area and behind a strong OL. He had two 1,000-yard seasons (2018, 2019) and he was on pace for another 1,000+ yard season in 2020. He may be a sharp addition to his familiar team in Denver, or he could be a fine RB addition to Dallas with Zeke and Tony Pollard.

Janoris Jenkins

I still believe Janoris “Jackrabbit” Jenkins can be a starting CB in this league. Jackrabbit isn’t washed up yet, as he was a strong CB for the AFC 1 seed in Tennessee last season. Jackrabbit also had three interceptions (including a pick-6 against Tom Brady), and 54 combined tackles in 2020. Jenkins may want to head to a championship contender that could use his presence.

John Ross

The former Cincinnati Bengals first-round draft pick John Ross may have peaked with his 4.22 40-yard dash, but the 26-year-old could still be a dangerous addition to many teams. Ross unveiled 506 yards with the Bengals in 2019, but he wasn’t able to improve from his 2019 performance. Cordarralle Patterson was a bit of a late bloomer and Ross could be the next explosive skill player to oust career numbers with his new team.

Anthony Barr

It’s hard to tell a diverse defender to come off the field and Anthony Barr is definitely a LB that can make plays in many spots. Barr had 2.5 sacks, 6 QB hits, three interceptions (career-high) and 72 combined tackles in 2021. Barr is really an underrated LB right now and he could be a perfect fit with the team in New England.

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By: Grant Schwieger

The Minnesota Vikings have set themselves up for a make-or-break year in 2021. They restructured the contracts of Anthony Barr, Adam Thielen, and Britton Colquitt to make more cap space for this season and push more money down the road. Every free agent they signed this year is on a one-year deal besides Dalvin Tomlinson, and even his contract has voided years in the future to create more space for this season. Kirk Cousins is set to have a cap hit of $45 million in 2022 so something likely needs to be done with him after this season as well. Mike Zimmer and Rick Spielman need Minnesota to have a bounce-back year after a disappointing season a year ago. Everyone involved needs the Vikings to return to the upper echelon of the NFC this year, and there are five specific Vikings that need to step up for that to occur.

5. Anthony Barr

Anthony Barr has become a very polarizing player during his time in Minnesota. There are groups of fans who constantly bark about his contract being too much, and others, including Mike Zimmer, who will not hesitate to go to bat about the importance of Barr to the Vikings’ defense.

A lot of Barr’s value stems from intangible things that fans cannot pick up on just watching games on TV. He is the one Zimmer communicates with on game days and is vital in getting the rest of the defense lined up and positioned correctly. This allows his running mate Eric Kendricks to roam freely. Kendricks has made a name for himself over the last few seasons as one of the best linebackers in the NFL, however, Barr is scrutinized for being the most expensive LB on the team.

Zimmer’s defense will certainly benefit from having Barr back on the field in 2021 after he missed almost all of 2020, but there is no question Barr can take his play on the field up to the next level. He has shown he can be an elite LB in all aspects of the game, run defense, pass-rushing, and coverage. It has just been a few years since we have seen them all on display at once. Every healthy season of his career has seen Barr register 100+ snaps in run defense, pass-rushing, and coverage, and it has been documented many times that he is a player opposing offenses need to keep an eye on. If both numbers 55 and 54 can be problems for opponents this season, the Vikings’ defense should take a big leap forward.

4. Patrick Peterson

While the rest of the Vikings on this list are entering at least their second year with the team, Patrick Peterson’s role and impact on this team could not be left off the list. When his career wraps up, Peterson could be looking at induction into the Hall of Fame. However, if he was still playing like a Hall of Famer, he likely would not have hit the free-agent market. At age 31, Peterson may not be in his physical prime anymore, but he still is the same player mentally that he was when he was widely regarded as a true lockdown cornerback. Minnesota may have paid a little bit for that mental aspect when they signed him to a deal that was more expensive than most expected. That is not to say he is no longer able to perform well as a #1 CB, he has still shown flashes of that in camp.

Arizona played man coverage at one of the highest rates in the league the last few years, and Peterson has performed much better in zone than in man coverage.

The good news is Mike Zimmer has always run much more zone coverage than man, so there is reason to expect Peterson’s 2021 season to be better than his last couple. Minnesota desperately needs a true #1 CB again after Xavier Rhodes declined and then departed, and Peterson gives them the best chance for that in 2021. He likely will not play the 1,000+ snaps like he regularly did each season for the Cardinals, but 700-800+ snaps of good CB play would do wonders for Zimmer and his defense.

3. Irv Smith Jr

For the final three players on this list, it is not the case of a player returning to a previous form like Barr and Peterson, but more a young player needing to take the next step in their career. Irv Smith Jr has largely been in Kyle Rudolph’s shadow since he was drafted in 2019 but got a chance at the end of 2020 to show what he was capable of doing as a top tight end.

Smith had a top-five PFF receiving grade among all TEs after Week 5 last season, an indication that he can be a huge help to Kirk Cousins and the Vikings offense. The reason for this arbitrary cutoff, however, is that his first four weeks of the season were not good. If he can put together a full season that was like his last nine games, that would be beneficial for the Minnesota offense and for Smith himself as he works towards his second contract. The issue of who the Vikings’ third wide receiver will be would not be nearly as important if Swervin’ Irvin can break through and prove to be a competent TE1 and reliable receiving option.

2. DJ Wonnum

DJ Wonnum might be the player on this list that requires the biggest jump in performance to have a positive impact on this team. Many Vikings fan’s first thought when they hear Wonnum’s name is his strip-sack on Aaron Rodgers to seal the win in Green Bay. Unfortunately for Wonnum, he did not have many other highlights on the season. He had only 22 pressures on 273 pass-rushing snaps, which is a less than stellar rate.

The good news about Wonnum is that the reports out of camp thus far have been positive. He was listed behind Stephen Weatherly on the first Vikings depth chart, but in his sixth NFL season, we know what Weatherly brings to the team. It might not be awful, but it also will not be elite either. Wonnum has the athletic ability to potentially be a much higher impact player for this team, which is why he makes this list. Zimmer and Andre Patterson have been creative with Wonnum this summer, playing him standing up at edge rusher, with his hand in the dirt, and even a little off-ball linebacker.

Fans at US Bank Stadium last Saturday went nuts when Wonnum dropped back in coverage and secured a pick-six. There are no promises that he develops into a quality edge rusher this season, or ever, but he is the Vikings’ best bet to make a big leap this season. The Vikings defensive line is a Wonnum progression away from having a monster lineup all the way across with Danielle Hunter, Dalvin Tomlinson, Michael Pierce, and Sheldon Richardson all in the mix already.

1. Garrett Bradbury

The 2021 Minnesota Viking who undoubtedly needs to step up this year is center Garrett Bradbury. Not only would progression from Bradbury immensely help Kirk Cousins and the rest of the purple and gold offense, but it will also help Bradbury prolong his career. With another disappointing season, Minnesota could look to replace the guy they selected 18^th overall in 2019 to be their center of the future. The issue for Bradbury so far in his career has mostly been his pass blocking.

Plays such as the one above where he loses his rep almost immediately occur way too often and wreck the play before it can get going. His PFF pass-blocking grades in the last 2 regular seasons have both ranked dead last among centers in the NFL. An improvement to average or even slightly below average would be a massive stride for a team whose interior offensive line play over the last few seasons has been some of the worst the league has ever seen.

The good news is that Bradbury has shown signs of being a capable NFL center. His athleticism makes him valuable in the run game out in front of Dalvin Cook. After Week 10 last season, he was actually the fifth-highest ranked center by PFF and had the third-highest run-blocking grade. He fell off after that point in the season, but he exemplified the ability to be the player Minnesota hoped for in a first-round pick. Excelling in the run game and holding his own pass blocking for an entire season would be a massive leap and a step in the right direction for protecting Kirk Cousins and giving him time to find the elite playmakers he has around him.

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