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With the regular season nearing, teams around the NFL are looking to put the finishing touches on their respective rosters. Oftentimes that can mean looking to add a player or two from the free agency market.
The NFL's free agency market in late July is typically littered with aging veterans and players with injury concerns. Players who sign this late into the offseason usually face an uphill battle to make the roster.
That said, there have been numerous times when an aging veteran comes into a new situation and makes an immediate impact. In those situations, fans and coaches alike often wonder why their team didn't take a shot at the aforementioned free agent earlier in the offseason.
This leads to an interesting question: Which NFL free-agent signings should have happened by now?
5 NFL signings that should have happened by now
#1 - K.J. Wright back to the Seattle Seahawks
K.J. Wright is the best linebacker remaining in free agency. Yes, he's 32, but he can still play at a high level. Last year, Wright had 86 total tackles and 11 tackles for loss. He was also dependable on pass coverage. His 10 pass breakups were tied for second on the Seattle Seahawks.
Speaking of the Seahawks, they should immediately look to re-sign Wright. Wright has spent his entire career in Seattle since being drafted in the 2011 NFL Draft. Additionally, the Seahawks have a giant hole at linebacker without him on the roster.
Bobby Wagner is great, but the rest of the linebackers on the roster are questionable. Jordyn Brooks, Cody Barton and Ben Burr-Kirven have yet to show they can be starting-caliber players in the NFL.
Considering Seattle is looking to be an NFL playoff contender, it would be smart to upgrade the position. Wright is far and away the easiest way to do that. He already knows the system and would immediately be the second-best linebacker on the roster.
Quite frankly, it's shocking that this deal hasn't already been completed.
#2 - Russell Okung to the Indianapolis Colts
Earlier this offseason, the Indianapolis Colts signed Eric Fisher to play left tackle. It's still unclear if he'll be healthy enough to suit up in the Colts' Week One matchup against the Seahawks.
If Fisher is unable to start, that would leave Sam Tevi as the presumed starter at left tackle. Tevi has been a subpar NFL tackle through four seasons in his career. The Colts desperately need a better option to turn to at left tackle. Enter, Russell Okung.
Okung spent last NFL season with the Carolina Panthers. In the past two seasons combined Okung has only played in 13 games. Even so, he's been a better tackle in that time period than Tevi.
Okung is a much better pass blocker than he is a run blocker, which could come in handy with the Colts looking to emphasize protecting Carson Wentz. The Colts should sign Okung to play left tackle while they wait for Fisher to return to full health.
#3 - Tre Boston to the Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings lost starting safety Anthony Harris to the Philadelphia Eagles this past offseason. To replace him, they signed former Dallas Cowboy, Xavier Woods.
Woods is a decent enough NFL safety, but Minnesota should be looking to add another safety to the group to provide depth and starting experience. The perfect safety for that job is Tre Boston.
Boston, who's 29 years old, is coming off the worst season of his career. That's a huge reason he remains unsigned. Still, Boston shouldn't be seen as washed up, especially considering how good he was in the 2019 NFL season.
In 2019, Boston had 11 pass breakups and three interceptions, and he held quarterbacks to a 74.9 passer rating when they targeted him in coverage. There's certainly a chance Boston will bounce back to that level of play in 2021.
Sure, maybe Boston's signs of decline in 2020 continue into this upcoming season, but it's worth the risk for the Vikings. If he pans out, they have a perfect supplement for Harrison Smith.
#4 - Geno Atkins to the Cleveland Browns
In limited snaps with the Cincinnati Bengals last season, Geno Atkins didn't prove to be the great NFL player he once was. The 2020 sample size was small enough, though, that it's still possible the 33-year-old has something left in the tank.
Just in 2019, Atkins was named to the Pro Bowl. Plus, prior to the 2020 season, Atkins had been among the best interior defensive linemen in the NFL for close to a decade.
The Cleveland Browns are the perfect team to give Atkins another shot. The reasoning is obvious, the Browns have a need at defensive tackle. Right now, Jordan Elliott and Andrew Billings are the projected starters, with Malik Jackson and rookies Tommy Togiai and Marvin Wilson serving as backups.
That's not going to cut it for a Browns team that hopes to win the AFC this season. Signing Atkins would give the Browns the chance to receive a massive upgrade along the defensive line.
#5 - Golden Tate to the Tennessee Titans
Golden Tate is coming off one of the lowest seasons of production he has had in his entire career. Tate finished the 2020 season with 35 catches and 388 receiving yards.
That's a very forgettable stat line. But if Tate were to sign with the Tennessee Titans, there's reason to believe he could go back to being a highly productive NFL slot receiver.
Joining a receiving core that already features Julio Jones and A.J. Brown means that Tate will be given a chance to go up against a team's third-best corner.
Not only would Tennessee help revive Tate's NFL career, but Tate would also be of help to the Titans. Right now, the Titans have very little depth at the wide receiver position, and getting Tate would help solve those issues.
Tate to the Titans would be a win-win for both sides.
