Sportsnaut
NFL training camp is here, with rookies first hitting the practice field followed by veterans reporting a few days later. This is also the time of the summer when many of the top NFL free agents still available start to come off the board.
With training camp underway, we’reattempting to predict where the top defensive NFL free agents will land.
Marshon Lattimore, age 30, was a massive disappointment in Washington both in terms of his availability and production. However, he’s still an experienced starter with good size, and teams around the league are always looking for more depth at cornerback. We like the idea of a return to the New Orleans Saints. Kool-Aid McKinstry (752 receiving yards allowed) really struggled in coverage last season and fellow starter Alontae Taylor is gone. New Orleans doesn’t have much depth at the position either. Lattimore could come in and compete for a starting job and, in a worst-case scenario, be a rotational corner for Brandon Staley.
The improvements made this offseason to the front seven of the Carolina Panthers defense should yield notable improvements in 2026. With that said, there’s still a spot to upgrade in the secondary. Kenny Moore was once one of the league’s top nickel corners, and while his still being a free agent suggests the league no longer holds him in that regard, he would still be an upgrade over Chau Smith-Wade. Signing Moore would also give defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero a more experienced defensive back he can deploy, and that carries added weight for a great defensive play-caller who has often proven he can maximize the talent he’s given.
The Cincinnati Bengals have demonstrated they are willing to be a bit more aggressive this year when it comes to building a roster around Joe Burrow that can make a playoff run. It’s been especially apparent on the defensive side of the ball. The thing is, Cincinnati is still pretty thin at off-ball linebacker. We’re not here to suggest that Bobby Wagner can be an every-down starter at this point in his career, 2025 demonstrated that he’s a massive liability in pass coverage. With that said, Wagner would add great leadership on the field, and he’s still very effective as a two-down player. If the Bengals are willing to wait until the early weeks of August, allowing Wagner to miss more of camp, this could be perfect.
The Washington Commanders placed Trey Amos (fibula) on the Physically Unable to Perform list prior to training camp, so he’s going to miss time this summer. It’s another blow for a secondary that is still quite thin at cornerback. We know that Trevon Diggs isn’t anywhere close to the player we saw a few years ago in Dallas, but Dan Quinn has also shown that he knows how to utilize what Diggs does well. The fact that Diggs knows Quinn’s system,...
