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NFL training camp is in full swing, the preseason approaches, and before long, the 2025 season will commence. It’s time for the remaining veteran free agents to grab a chair.
Deep into this year’s offseason process, a number of well-known players are still unsigned. Inevitable injuries could open jobs, and some clubs that wanted to give reps to younger players during offseason workouts might soon turn to veterans to solidify those positions.
With that in mind, let’s play some NFL matchmaking, pairing 10 notable free agents with teams that make sense from the perspective of need and fit.
Last year wasn’t pretty for Cooper in either Cleveland (24 catches for 250 yards and two TDs in six games) or Buffalo (20 catches for 297 yards and two more scores in eight games), but there should still be gas left in the tank. The 31-year-old can be a boundary weapon and knows how to find space in the red zone. The Chargers lost a receiver who could have provided those skills when Mike Williams decided to retire, abruptly ending his franchise homecoming. The L.A. brass has displayed confidence in the youngsters, but there was a reason Williams was signed to return this offseason in the first place. Cooper could serve as a veteran leader to the green corps. And he wouldn’t be asked to be the go-to weapon, a role Ladd McConkey ran away with last year, instead buffering Quentin Johnston and providing a backstop if rookies Tre Harris or KeAndre Lambert-Smith stumble. Additionally, Cooper appears to be the type of grinder and leader Jim Harbaugh loves.
