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Breshad Perriman caught 36 passes for 645 yards last season for Tampa Bay. Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports

Potential landing spots for 10 under-the-radar free agents

By Michael Nania | Last updated 3/5/20

If a team scouts well, it can acquire numerous contributors for the price of one big-name free agent. Here are potential value buys as we near the official start of NFL free agency on March 18.

Nick Kwiatkoski, linebacker, Bears

Best quality: Pass game value

A role player over his first three years in Chicago, Kwiatkoski became a crucial piece of the Bears' defense in the second half of 2019, ranking fourth on the team with 467 defensive snaps from Weeks 10-17. He created 11 pressures over just 37 pass-rush snaps, giving him the best pressure rate among qualified linebackers. In coverage, he allowed just 0.77 yards per cover snap, 12th fewest among 87 qualified linebackers.

Potential landing spots: Bears, Cardinals, Browns, Cowboys, Chiefs

Breshad Perriman, wide receiver, Buccaneers

Best quality: Speed

Perriman ran a 4.24 40-yard dash at Central Florida's Pro Day in 2015, the year he was taken 26th overall by the Ravens. He has mostly disappointed, however, in four seasons -- two with Baltimore, one with Cleveland and one with Tampa Bay. Seldom-used early last season with the Bucs, he played well over the final five weeks, ranking third in the NFL with 506 receiving yards (101.2 per game) and tying for the league lead with five receiving touchdowns. Did the light finally flip on for the former first-round pick?

Potential landing spots: Bills, Patriots, Bears, Eagles, Cardinals, Panthers

Stefen Wisniewski, guard, Chiefs

Best quality: Versatility

Wisniewski took over as Kansas City's starting left guard in Week 16, holding on to the role throughout the team's playoff run and performing well. He was graded as the eighth-best guard among 25 qualifiers in the playoffs by Pro Football Focus (70.8 grade). Despite his age (he'll turn 31 on March 22), Wisniewski is still playing at a solid level and offers teams the ability to step in at a variety of positions. With the Chiefs and Eagles the past two seasons, he played 4,229 snaps at center, 3,347 at left guard and 49 at right guard.

Potential landing spots: Chargers, Jets, Bengals, Dolphins, Seahawks, Texans, Panthers

Darqueze Dennard, cornerback, Bengals

Best quality: Slot coverage

In the nine games he played after missing the start of the season with a knee injury, Dennard played at an elite level in coverage. He ranked 16th in Pro Football Focus' coverage grade (76.0) out of 133 qualified corners. Dennard's 68.4 passer rating allowed out of the slot was the lowest among the 31 cornerbacks with at least 200 snaps in slot coverage.

Potential landing spots: Bengals, Broncos, Saints, Titans, Texans, Buccaneers

Derek Wolfe, defensive tackle, Broncos

Best quality: Run defense

Wolfe has been a stud in the middle of Denver's defense for nearly a decade. He has ranked in the top half among interior defenders in Pro Football Focus' run defense grade in each of the past five seasons, including three appearances in the top-20. Since 2012, he has 104 solo tackles against the run that resulted in a gain of two yards or less and no first down, 18th-most among defensive linemen over that span.

Potential landing spots: Broncos, Panthers, Chiefs, Browns, Jaguars

A.Q. Shipley, center, Cardinals

Best quality: Pass protection

Shipley will be 34 once the 2020 season begins, but he could be a good buy for a team seeking veteran leadership. In 2019, Shipley was the 10th-most efficient pass protector out of 38 qualified centers, yielding 15 pressures over 630 snaps.

Potential landing spots: Cardinals, Rams, Seahawks, Bengals

Ronald Darby, cornerback, Eagles

Best quality: Athleticism

Darby is a tremendous athlete who has played at a high level when healthy. But he's is coming off a brutal season in Philadelphia, allowing a league-worst 2.02 yards per cover snap, so his stock will most likely be at an all-time low. Darby, who has missed 23 games over the past three seasons, could be a bargain if he's healthy. From 2017-18, he allowed just 6.4 yards per target and a 78.9 passer rating -- below the league average -- on throws into his coverage.

Potential landing spots: Dolphins, Jets, Giants, Raiders, Cardinals, Lions, Texans

Devin Funchess, wide receiver, Colts

Best quality: Size

Funchess signed a one-year deal with the Colts for the 2019 season, but spent 15 games on injured reserve after suffering a broken collarbone in Week 1. A former second-round pick, Funchess disappointed over four years in Carolina (36.6 yards per game), but he has the size teams love (6-foot-4 and 225 pounds) and has proven to be a splash play threat. From 2015-18, he ranked 21st among wide receivers in touchdown grabs (21) and 29th in yards per reception (13.9).

Potential landing spots: Bills, Jets, Patriots, Bengals, Redskins

Brian Poole, cornerback, Jets

Best quality: Slot coverage

Poole is one of the best defensive backs on the market. In 2019, he was graded as Pro Football Focus' seventh-best cornerback (79.0 grade), and he ranked second among qualified cornerbacks in fewest yards allowed per cover snap, behind only the 49ers' Richard Sherman. Poole was stellar in his slot role, allowing the fewest yards in the league.

Potential landing spots: Jets, Titans, Lions, Texans, Saints

Halapoulivaati Vaitai, offensive tackle, Eagles

Best quality: Versatility

Vaitai has lined up on right and left tackle in four seasons for the Eagles. He even got his first career action at right guard in 2019, playing 20-plus snaps at the position in two games. Playing primarily right tackle in 2019, Vaitai showed flashes in the run game, ranking ninth out of 88 qualified tackles in Pro Football Focus' run-blocking grade (75.4).

Potential landing spots: Eagles, Chargers, Bengals, Jets, Dolphins, Seahawks

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