The NFL preseason is winding down, and with games ending Thursday night, teams are getting ready for the roster crunch that always follows. That means a fresh wave of free-agent interest could be coming fast, especially for veterans who have been sitting on the market waiting for the right call.
A handful of proven names still available could land somewhere soon after cutdown day. Some are working back from injuries, some are weighing retirement, and some are just holding out for the right fit. Either way, these six players stand out as the ones most likely to hear from teams in the coming days or weeks.
James Daniels is one of the more intriguing options because the talent has never really been the question. The concern is health.
He is coming off a pectoral injury in 2025, a year after a season-ending Achilles tendon injury in 2024, and he managed only three offensive snaps for the Miami Dolphins last season before that latest injury ended things. Still, he has not turned 30 and has already shown he can be a strong piece on an offensive line.
If he is fully recovered, his experience and versatility could make him a useful late pickup for a team hit by injury up front.
Taylor Decker has taken a quieter path so far, even with his name already connected to the Chicago Bears and Los Angeles Rams. Nothing has come together yet, but his track record is hard to ignore.
He started 145 games over 10 seasons with the Detroit Lions, and there is a good chance he still has a year or two left. For a team suddenly needing help at left tackle, Decker looks like the kind of steady veteran who can step in and hold things together.
Jonnu Smith also brings recent production that should keep him on radars. He spent the 2025 season with the Pittsburgh Steelers and was released in August after catching 38 passes for 222 yards and two touchdowns in his lone year there.
Before that, he earned a Pro Bowl nod with the Miami Dolphins in 2024, when he put up career bests with 88 receptions, 884 yards and eight touchdowns. That kind of output makes him a real option for a team searching for an experienced pass catcher who can contribute right away.
Cam Robinson fits the same general mold on the offensive line. He has been a longtime starter and has plenty of experience at left tackle, which matters even more this late in the offseason. One injury or one unexpected cut can change a depth chart in a hurry, and Robinson’s background as a starter could make him a quick solution for a team that suddenly needs one.
Matt Milano is probably the most accomplished linebacker still out there. He was a first-team All-Pro in 2022 and also made the Pro Bowl that season, cementing his reputation as one of the league’s better coverage linebackers.
The injuries have been the issue since then. Milano played five games in 2023, four in 2024, and then returned for 12 games last season, finishing with 67 tackles and 3.5 sacks.
If a team wants experience and is willing to bet on health, he is one of the names to watch.
Kenny Moore II has been waiting since May, when the Indianapolis Colts released him after they couldn’t work out a trade. He had asked for a move after his role changed under defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo.
When he is at his best, Moore has been one of the league’s top nickel cornerbacks, and he earned a Pro Bowl selection in 2021. Now nearly 31, he is clearly looking for the right situation, not just the first one.
If a secondary injury hits before the season, he could finally get that opening.
In Other News...
Jeff Hafley Sounds Fed Up With Dolphins Players Fighting For Jobs
Jeff Hafley came away from Miamis preseason loss to the New York Giants sounding more irritated than encouraged, and it was easy to see why. The Dolphins kept handing the game back with self-inflicted mistakes on offense and special teams, including holds, a fumble, a shanked punt and a stream of penalties that kept undercutting any chance to build rhythm. For a staff trying to sort out the back end of the roster, it was the kind of sloppy tape that makes every evaluation harder than it already is.
The bigger concern now is how little time there is left for players trying to force their way into jobs. Hafley made clear that many of the players who logged meaningful snaps in the preseason finale are probably headed for cuts, which only raises the pressure on anyone still fighting to stand out. When the mistakes are piling up and the margin for error is shrinking, the final audition can turn into a painfully short opportunity. [Read more 🡒]
Dolphins Ugly Start Is Fueling A Debate Fans Dread
The first two preseason games have already put the Dolphins in an uncomfortable spot, even with many of the starters sitting out. Miami was outscored 46-10, and while August results rarely tell the whole story, the early tape has reopened familiar questions about where this team really stands. Jeff Hafley has made it clear the group is not yet where it needs to be, which is hardly the kind of message that settles a fan base looking for signs of a sharper start.
What follows from here is the part Dolphins supporters know all too well, the debate over talent, physicality, quarterback play and how long a rebuild or reset should take to show up in the standings. Some around the team see pieces that can still come together, while others are already looking ahead and wondering how much patience the roster can reasonably ask for. For now, the numbers are ugly, the concerns are real, and the bigger question hanging over camp is whether this is just a noisy August stumble or something more revealing. [Read more 🡒]
Dolphins Preseason Loss Exposed A Roster Problem Fans Cant Ignore
The second week of the 2026 preseason offered a rough snapshot of where Miamis roster stands beneath the top line. With most of the starters resting against the Giants, the Dolphins leaned hard on depth players, and the result was a lopsided 26-3 loss that exposed problems on both sides of the ball. The offense had trouble getting moving, the defense had a hard time slowing New York, and the kind of clean, stable play teams want from their backups simply was not there.
There were a few bright spots, most notably rookie Jackson Woodard, who flashed with tackles and a fumble recovery, but the bigger concern was what happened up front. Miamis offensive line depth struggled significantly, which is the sort of issue that can ripple through the rest of the roster if it does not get cleaned up quickly. Injuries to linebacker Trey Moore and running back Ollie Gordon only added to the uneasy feeling leaving the game, because preseason losses are one thing, but depth concerns that come with physical setbacks are usually the ones teams spend the rest of August trying to solve. [Read more 🡒]