You could field an awfully solid team, perhaps even a contender, if you put together the best of the NFL’s remaining free agents. And one of those players, in fact, is a pretty familiar fella.
CBS Sports NFL writer Jeff Kerr recently named the top remaining free agent at every position. At defensive tackle is former Carolina Panther Matt Ioannidis, who Kerr believes certainly has something left to offer:
Ioannidis fell out of favor in Carolina, yet did have 35 pressures and a pressure rate of 10.5% last season. The sack total was low (one), but Ioannidis was able to get in the backfield and get around the quarterback.
Just 29 years old, Ioannidis gives a defensive line depth as an edge rusher and defensive tackle.
Ioannidis, who played his most productive football as a 3-4 defensive end, has not been brought back by Carolina despite their switch to the odd-man front. Over his three seasons in that role for Washington, he posted 20.5 sacks—including a career-high 8.5 in 2019.
The Panthers, instead, added a few new names to their line including Shy Tuttle and DeShawn Williams. They also re-signed Henry Anderson, who could provide the defensive end depth Kerr thinks Ioannidis can bring.
Nonetheless, choices were made—and none of them, at least right now, has taken the big man off the open market.
