With the 2021 NFL free-agency period fast approaching, it's time to get our ducks in a row and give hope to every fan base. Whether you are a fan of a team that is looking to move from the depths of the standings, or a team that is looking to add just one more key player for a Super Bowl run, free agency is one of the most exciting times of the year.
With the news of J.J. Watt signing a two-year, $31 million contract with the Arizona Cardinals, we at Pro Football Focus thought it was time to take a look at the best fits for every team in free agency using each free agent just once. Each NFL team has a specific weakness -- whether that's edge rushing, slot coverage or just general quarterback play -- so we decided to fit a player who would fill that specific need for the team.
The draft might be the shining light at the end of the tunnel, but with the number of big-name players hitting the market in free agency this season, there will be a frenzy for the league's top unsigned talent.
Jump to:
ARI | ATL | BAL | BUF | CAR | CHI | CIN
CLE | DAL | DEN | DET | GB | HOU | IND
JAX | KC | LV | LAC | LAR | MIA | MIN
NE | NO | NYG | NYJ | PHI | PIT | SF
SEA | TB | TEN | WSH
Arizona Cardinals: WR JuJu Smith-Schuster
2020 team: Steelers | Age entering 2021 season: 24
The Cardinals need someone who can work the middle of the field to take some heat off No. 1 wideout DeAndre Hopkins. And that's what JuJu's game is: the underneath middle of the field.
His game fell off a bit in 2020, and it remains to be seen whether he can be a true No. 1 receiver, but the beauty is that he won't have to be the top guy in Arizona. Smith-Schuster posted an 81.8 PFF grade as Antonio Brown's understudy in Pittsburgh in 2018, but that number fell to 63.1 in 2019 and 70.0 in 2020. Becoming a secondary option again might do wonders for both JuJu and the Cardinals in the make-or-break year for the Kliff Kingsbury era.