What a week of NFL transactions. Every team released or waived 40+ players as part of assembling their 53-man rosters before Tuesday’s cutdown deadline. While many of those players soon landed jobs on one of the league’s 16-man practice squads, plenty of talent remains available.

Some veteran players already found new homes on active rosters after being released this week.

Ex-Bills offensive tackle David Quessenberry and former Dolphins running back Myles Gaskin landed with the Vikings. The Titans added edge rusher Trevis Gipson after the Bears cut him. And cornerback Desmond King could be a Week 1 starter for the Steelers after being released by the Texans.

Who are the best veterans that arrived on the open market this week? Let’s run through the top new NFL free agents and find destinations that make sense for each player.

Top Destinations For New NFL Free Agents

Colt McCoy, QB | Los Angeles Chargers

The Cardinals surprisingly released McCoy this week after he served as the club’s starting quarterback for the duration of the OTAs, training camp, and the preseason. Arizona will roll with either Josh Dobbs or Clayton Tune under center, but the 36-year-old McCoy doesn’t figure to retire.

While the Patriots may have had some interest in McCoy after he was cut in the desert, New England has since claimed Matt Corral from the Panthers and placed Bailey Zappe and Malik Cunningham on their practice squad.

McCoy could fit with the Chargers, who are comfortable with Easton Stick as Justin Herbert’s backup but could add McCoy to their practice squad. If Herbert were to go down, Los Angeles might want a veteran like McCoy available behind Stick instead of rookie Max Duggan, the Bolts’ current taxi squad QB.

Robbie Chosen, WR | Detroit Lions

Chosen has had an interesting few years, name changes aside. After forcing his way out of Carolina, Chosen struggled to produce with the Cardinals over the back half of the 2022 campaign. He signed with the Dolphins in April but couldn’t make Miami’s 53-man roster.

Chosen posted a 95-1,096-3 line for the Panthers as recently as 2020. He’s averaged at least 14 yards per reception in five of his seven NFL seasons and still profiles as a deep threat. Chosen could join Kalif Raymond as a speed demon in Detroit, helping the Lions make do until Jameson Williams returns from his six-game suspension.

Jamison Crowder, WR | Denver Broncos

Although Jerry Jeudy is expected to miss time with a hamstring injury at the beginning of the regular season, the Broncos still only kept four receivers — including Jeudy — on their 53-man roster. Denver added Phillip Dorsett and several other wideouts to its practice squad, but Crowder might profile as a superior fit.

With Courtland Sutton and second-round rookie Marvin Mims Jr. expected to start on the outside, Crowder could become an instant contributor in the slot. The Broncos figure to run two-TE sets at an above-average rate, meaning the 30-year-old wouldn’t have to be a full-time player.

Zach Gentry, TE | New England Patriots

The Patriots mostly kept just two tight ends — Hunter Henry and Jonnu Smith — on their roster from 2021-22 and now appear set to carry out a similar plan this season, with Mike Gesicki replacing Smith as Henry’s running mate.

This is a hell of a split zone block by TE Zach Gentry.

Tough angle with the EDGE scraping down the LOS, he's able to seal the defender inside and put him on the ground.

Great rep. #Steelers pic.twitter.com/iIJFSbzvXS

— Tyler Wise (@TriggeredWise) August 28, 2023

But Henry and Gesicki are both receiving-focused tight ends, and Gesicki will see most of his time in the slot or lined up out wide. If New England wants to run “12” personnel, they could use a blocking TE on the roster.

That’s a role Gentry could fill after blocking on more than two-thirds of his snaps with the Steelers in each of the past two seasons. Last year, he run-blocked on 304 snaps (fifth-most among TEs) but was blamed for only one blown block, per Sports Info Solutions.

Tyre Phillips, OL | Indianapolis Colts

It’s been a whirlwind of a week for Phillips, who saw first-team reps along the Giants’ offensive line before being waived at final cutdowns. Phillips quickly re-signed with New York’s practice squad but was cut again a day later.

Source: The #Giants just told T/G Tyre Phillips that he is being released from the practice squad because they need to add a player in a different position.

Phillips was initially released by the Giants on Tuesday, then brought back on Wednesday, only to be released again on… pic.twitter.com/fbaLn4CF7Y

— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) August 31, 2023

A versatile player who can handle guard and tackle, Phillips was decent in five starts for the Giants in 2022. He’d make sense for the Colts, who could use more depth up front and have questions at left tackle and right guard.

Phillips wouldn’t start for Indy, but he’d become a high-quality backup. Given that he’s only 26 years old, Phillips offers the kind of upside that a rebuilding team like the Colts should be taking chances on.

Tarell Basham, EDGE | Jacksonville Jaguars

While the Jaguars ranked third in quarterback knockdown rate and fourth in pressure rate last season, two of their best pass rushers from 2022 — Arden Key and Dawuane Smoot — aren’t currently on the roster.

Key signed a three-year, $21 million deal to join the division-rival Titans. Smoot re-upped with Jacksonville over the offseason, but he’s on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list as he rehabs an Achilles injury. He’ll miss at least the first four games of the year.

Josh Allen is an excellent defender, and the Jaguars expect 2022 No. 1 overall pick Travon Walker to take a significant leap in his second NFL campaign.

But Walker might also see time on the interior, leaving former first-round bust K’Lavon Chaisson and fifth-round rookie Yasir Abdullah as the only remaining edge defenders on Jacksonville’s roster.

The Jaguars didn’t seem willing to pay for a veteran pass rusher this offseason. Options like Yannick Ngakoue, Leonard Floyd, Frank Clark, Jadeveon Clowney, and Justin Houston came off the board without Jacksonville expressing interest.

Basham should be available for the league minimum — in fact, the Jags can probably sign him to their practice squad. The 29-year-old bounced between the Cowboys and Titans last season and couldn’t make the Bengals’ roster this summer, but he’s proven himself as a competent rotational rusher in the past.

Nicholas Morrow, LB | Tennessee Titans

Mike Vrabel’s defense seems to get production from unheralded players consistently. Last season, it was safety Josh Kalu, linebacker Zach Cunningham, and edge rusher Mario Edwards. Could Morrow be this season’s version of the Vrabel Veteran?

After losing David Long Jr. to the Dolphins in free agency, the Titans signed former 49er Azeez Al-Shaair as their top linebacker. Holdovers Monty Rice and Jack Gibbens are expected to play alongside him. Backup Luke Gifford is a special teamer, while Tennessee’s LB5 is rookie undrafted free agent Otis Reese IV.

Morrow has started 46 career NFL games, including all 17 for the Bears last season. While he couldn’t find a spot on the Eagles’ depth chart this summer, Morrow could still serve a role and provide experience in Tennessee, even if he initially signs with the team’s practice squad.

Bradley Roby, CB | Atlanta Falcons

This one almost feels too easy. First-year Falcons defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen was the Saints’ co-DC in 2022 and has already brought several of Roby’s other ex-New Orleans teammates — including defensive tackle David Onyemata and linebacker Kaden Elliss — to Atlanta.

Surprised by Saints' decision to part ways with a proven veteran in Bradley Roby, who looked like their best option in the slot on a team that is in win-now mode.

Only explanation is they have about 12-14 DBs worthy of making the team. Taylor and Ugo Amadi among slot options. https://t.co/n5ZlsZJNFw

— Mike Triplett (@MikeTriplett) August 29, 2023

And it’s not as if the Falcons don’t have a cornerback need. A.J. Terrell will lock down one side, but Jeff Okudah is expected to miss time at the beginning of the year after suffering an ankle injury in early August. Roby is already familiar with Atlanta’s defensive scheme and could start until Okudah returns, then play the slot afterward.

Duke Shelley, CB | New York Giants

Shelley couldn’t land a job in the Raiders’ woeful cornerback room, which isn’t the best sign for his NFL future. But Shelley can still be a contributor after allowing just a 45.8% completion rate and 5.8 yards per target in five starts for the Vikings last season.

Capable of playing wide or in the slot, Shelley could become an experienced option for the Giants, who are starting two rookies — first-rounder Deonte Banks and fifth-rounder Tre Hawkins III — on the outside with veteran Adoree’ Jackson as the nickel. New York kept only five CBs on its 53-man roster and can afford to add another piece.

Pat O’Donnell, P | Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles don’t have a punter after releasing Arryn Siposs at final cutdowns. Siposs is now on Philadelphia’s practice squad, but the Eagles are looking at other punters, including O’Donnell, who worked out for the club on Thursday.

MORE: 15 Injuries That Will Matter at the Start of the 2023 Season

Puntalytics’ advanced metrics suggest that Siposs and O’Donnell delivered similar performances in 2022. O’Donnell dropped 46.2% of his punts inside his opponent’s 20-yard line, the fourth-best rate in the NFL. Siposs ranked 19th at 36.4%.