The 2023 NFL season is right around the corner, and teams are gearing up to finalize their 53-man rosters for the fall.
Although, there are still a good number of veteran free agents who could still help NFL teams in need.
We’ve tallied up five NFL veterans that teams should be keying in on this month as they prepare to take on the 2023 regular season slate.
While none of these guys would necessarily be Pro Bowlers, they all could be reliable members of a roster and should have a chance to compete this fall.
Let’s check out who these players are and detail why they should be signed.
LB Kyle Van Noy
For a team that needs a versatile linebacker, there might not be a better option right now that’s waiting to sign with a team than Kyle Van Noy.
The 32-year-old veteran can do a little bit of everything, and he started in 13 games for the Los Angeles Chargers last season. He won two Super Bowls with the New England Patriots and was a prized chess piece of Bill Belichick’s defense during his stints in Foxboro.
He had five sacks for the Chargers last fall, too, so he can give you a little pass rush prowess to go along with his coverage and tackling.
On a one-year deal, Van Noy would be a welcome addition for any team looking for some veteran experience in the middle of the defense.
RB Leonard Fournette
While he might not be a feature player in a backfield at this point in his career, running back Leonard Fournette can still be a valuable asset to any offense with his hard-nose style and red zone capabilities.
If a team needs a good veteran running back to supplant their starter, Fournette would be a great fit. He’s won a Super Bowl with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and he rushed for 668 yards and three touchdowns in the 2022 regular season.
Plus, he’s always played his best football in the postseason. If a contending team wants to use him sparingly throughout the fall, they could unleash “Playoff Lenny” with a fresh set of legs to possibly dominate January.
He’s an intriguing option for any team needing good depth at running back.
G Dalton Risner
At this point in the preseason, it’s genuinely not common to find a plug-and-play guard on the open market. However, Dalton Risner is right there.
The former Denver Broncos left guard might not be a superstar, but he’s a very reliable starter who can play in the outside zone scheme so many NFL offenses love to use.
He’s got plenty of starts under his belt since being drafted into the NFL in 2019 and has stayed pretty healthy through four seasons. If there’s an NFL team that has questions at left guard, they get answered once Risner signs.
For all the concern about quality offensive linemen in the NFL, Risner would help a lot of teams sleep easier at night if they got him in the building.
While he did have a sideline kerfuffle with quarterback Brett Rypien last fall, but the two appeared to patch things up.
WR Jarvis Landry
While Jarvis Landry might be coming off an injury-plagued 2022 season with the New Orleans Saints, he’s still one of the more respectable veteran slot options in the league when he’s healthy and ready to go.
His production has dipped a bit in recent years, but if he can stay healthy, he can absolutely be a valued part of any receiver group in the NFL.
He’d best fit in to a team that wouldn’t need to necessarily lean on him for a boatload of targets. However, if you can manage his snaps, he can deliver.
There are a handful of teams that surely could use Landry on the roster to help boost offensive potential. If you’re smart with usage, he’d be a get.
OLB Melvin Ingram
For all the talk about how important pass rushers are, it’s a bit strange that Melvin Ingram isn’t coming off the bench for any team yet this fall as a designated pass rusher.
The 34-year-old had six sacks for the Miami Dolphins last fall in a rotational role. If a team can limit his snaps and keep him healthy, then he can absolutely still have an impact in the NFL.
There would be a handful of contenders who could benefit from having Ingram on the roster, and he could definitely still get after the quarterback after years of proving it on the field.
In the right fit, Ingram would be a stellar addition for a team pushing for the playoffs this fall.
