NFL Offseason 2022: Three underrated free agents

As we approach the 2022 free agency period, which pending free agents have been underrated thus far and will surprise some across the league?

Perhaps the biggest reason why the NFL free agency period is so fun to experience is because of the massive contracts that are handed out when the period opens in the middle of March.

But many diehard NFL fans know that one of the more important parts of free agency is the third and fourth wave, where teams sign players who aren’t exactly household names and try to fill their roster with quality depth.

Sometimes, teams will sign a free agent for cheap, and they’ll end up massively outperforming their contract, which is a nice bonus.

This article is going to take a look at three free agents who are surely not going to make headlines when they sign with a new team.

I would consider these players to be mostly underrated guys who can come in and give quality, starting-caliber play for extremely cheap.

While the league will be paying attention to free agents like Davante Adams, Chandler Jones, and Brandon Scherff, teams will be built through the depth they assemble and the less popular free agent names.

Three underrated free agents available in the 2022 NFL offseason

Austin Blythe, C (Rams)

This is not the first time I have written about Austin Blythe.  Blythe just finished up his 6th year in the NFL.  He spent time with the Colts, had a solid 4 year stretch with the Rams, and played 4 games for the Chiefs this season.

In his 4 years stretch with the Rams, Blythe started 63/64 games, appearing in a Super Bowl.

His best year by far came in 2018, where he played in over 1,000 offensive snaps, committed just 2 penalties, and allowed 0 sacks, according to PFF.

Blythe signed for less than a million dollars with the Chiefs this season, and I truly think he is plenty good enough to start for a plethora of teams on the inside.

He’s a smaller player, standing at 6’3″ and barely weighing 300 pounds.  He’s an exceptional athlete with great agility, so he would thrive in an outsize zone offense.

A team might sign Blythe as quality depth, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he cracked a starting lineup this season.

A team like the Bengals, who have questions along their entire offensive line, could greatly benefit from a cheap but quality option in Blythe.

As a Broncos fan, of course I’d also have to mention my favorite team as a potential landing spot as well.

Either way, Blythe has four quality years of starting experience in the NFL and plays a premium position.  He should make a team happy this offseason.