NFL Free Agency 2020: 10 Best remaining players in second wave
By Samuel Teets
8. Carlos Hyde, RB
While fellow free agent running back Devonta Freeman reached higher peaks during the prime of his career, Carlos Hyde is by far the better player now. After wasting away with the Cleveland Browns and Jaguars in 2018, Hyde joined the Houston Texans in 2019.
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Houston needed a replacement running back for Lamar Miller, who suffered a torn ACL in August. Hyde filled the role well and even set single-season career-highs with 245 carries and 1,070 rushing yards. He did not play a significant role in the passing game while in Houston, but Hyde proved to be a capable pass-catcher during his 2017 season with the San Francisco 49ers.
Nearing his 30th birthday, Hyde won’t land a starting job in 2020. However, he should become a significant contributor for an NFL team this season.
7. Eric Reid, S
The Carolina Panthers cut Eric Reid in March as part of their continual regime change. The former Pro Bowl safety spent two seasons with the Panthers, where he solidified himself as a starting-caliber player. This past year, Reid recorded six passes defensed, four sacks and 130 tackles in 16 starts.
The safety market is always hard to understand. Some years, it moves at a snail’s pace. Other times, teams fight to snag the best available defensive backs. At 28 years old, Reid should find himself in a new starting role this summer.
While he’s young enough to start for another four or five seasons, Reid will likely have to wait to find a new team until after the draft. While the 2020 class doesn’t offer many starting-caliber safeties, a few teams prefer to take chances on rookies rather than signing veterans.