Antonio Brown drew headlines recently (how surprising) when he revealed that he’s planning his return to professional football.

Of course, most (if not all) pro teams would be hesitant to bring Brown into their locker rooms. After all, he didn’t exactly leave the NFL on the best terms.

There’s one team where Brown assuredly does have a ready-made roster spot waiting for him: his own. Brown owns the National Arena League’s Albany Empire and is reportedly planning on suiting up for their next home game.

Antonio Brown Playing in the Arena Football League

Brown had eyes on playing this past Saturday, May 27, but ultimately said he couldn’t because his physical paperwork did not come through on time. But he assured NewsChannel 13’s Roger Wyland that he’d be suited up for the Empire sooner than later.

“Stay tuned, AB’s coming. There’s proper procedures you’ve got to do to play football,” Brown told NewsChannel 13. “You’ve got to pass the coach, the commissioner. You’ve got to be in physical condition. You can’t just pop up, so I’ve got to get my feet wet. We’ve got to get the proper equipment. We’ve got to do the right thing.”

“But I am going to be playing. You didn’t lie. Everything is going to fall in place,” he added.

MORE: Should Antonio Brown Make the Pro Football Hall of Fame?

4,500 fans showed up to Saturday’s Empire game in hopes of seeing Brown retake the field. That’s nearly double their typical average attendance of 2,500. Say what you will, but Antonio Brown is showing some business savvy by letting the anticipation build.

If he happens to pull off the next special guest he’s clamoring for, the Empire might triple or even quadruple their attendance.

AB Recruiting Former NFL MVP, Cam Newton

Brown took to Twitter recently to lobby for long-time Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton to join him for a game with the Empire. He offered Newton $150,000 for a one-off appearance.

That’s not a bad game check. Especially considering the average NAL player makes around $200 per game.

Of course, Newton isn’t the average arena league player. The 2015 NFL MVP accounted for 269 touchdowns in his career (194 passing, 75 rushing) and is second to only Michael Vick for all-time rushing yards gained by a quarterback.

Newton and Brown made a combined 10 Pro Bowls in their careers. Both are just 34 years old and only a single year removed from football at its highest level. Arena games are like track meets, to begin with, and Brown and Newton going even half-speed would still probably threaten 100 points on the scoreboard in that setting.

But that, of course, is dependent on whether or not Newton accepts the invitation. The money is enticing, but Newton banked well over $100 million in his career, according to Spotrac. We also know that Newton’s interested in playing again, per CBS Sports. He could view playing in this game as a needless injury risk.

Or he could view it as a chance to put himself on tape, have a little fun, and make a little cash (relatively speaking). The football-loving people of Albany are certainly hoping he leans that way.

The opening waves of 2023 NFL free agency felt like they happened a lifetime ago, but there’s still one position group that has starting-caliber players available on the open market: EDGE. It’s rare to see an elite pass rusher in free agency, but veteran contributors — especially those on the wrong side of 30 — often remain on the market even as the calendar approaches June.

Let’s run through the best free agent EDGEs available and identify their best landing spots as teams begin to finalize their rosters before training camp.

Best Fits for the Top Free Agent EDGEs

For whatever reason, the EDGE market didn’t pop this offseason. Charles Omenihu (Chiefs) and Samson Ebukam (Colts) paced the group with $8 million-per-year salaries. The free agents on our list should come in well below that figure.

Leonard Floyd | Los Angeles Chargers

Coaching connections often play a significant role in free agent signings, especially at this late stage of the game. Leonard Floyd already has a relationship with Chargers head coach Brandon Staley, who worked with Floyd in both of their previous stops with the Rams and Bears.

When Floyd signed with the Rams in 2020, he said, “It’s going to be great playing for (Staley) again,” noting Staley’s preparation and communication skills. Networking aside, the Chargers have a need for another pass rusher behind Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack.

MORE: Best EDGEs in the NFL 2023

Bosa has only stayed healthy for a full campaign in two of his five NFL seasons, while Mack played 921 defensive snaps at age 31 (which Los Angeles might want to prevent next season). Chris Rumph hasn’t developed into a reliable third option, while second-round rookie Tuli Tuipulotu might profile as more of a three-technique than a pure edge rusher.

Floyd is an incredibly durable player who hasn’t missed a game since 2017 and regularly sees action on 80-90% of his team’s defensive snaps. He’d be ready to step in if the Chargers suffer an injury, but he’d also be an overqualified reserve if everyone stays healthy.

Jadeveon Clowney | Kansas City Chiefs

Jadeveon Clowney talked his way out of Cleveland this offseason, blaming the Browns coaches for failing to put him in a position to succeed. Clowney’s persona — and the fact that he’s posted three or fewer sacks in three of the last four seasons — might make it difficult for him to find a new NFL home.

But the Chiefs are used to bringing in talented malcontents. Kansas City has a veteran roster in place to handle a personality like Clowney, and they could use another edge rusher even after signing Omenihu and using back-to-back first-round picks on George Karlaftis and Felix Anudike-Uzomah.

Steve Spagnuolo likes to deploy pass-rushing rotations, as no Chiefs defensive end played more than 64% of the club’s snaps in 2022. Omenihu has always been a part-time player, and Anudike-Uzomah will be adjusting to life in the NFL — there’s room for a player like Clowney on Kansas City’s roster.

Justin Houston | Chicago Bears

After adding contributors at seemingly every position on their defense except EDGE, the Bears have made it known that they’re not done bringing in veteran players.

“A lot of times, these guys want to see the landscape,” head coach Matt Eberflus said in March. “Sometimes it’s after the draft. They want to see the landscape of where teams are and what they look like. That’s certainly an option. Again, we’re always trying to add players all the way through, even up to training camp. We’re always going to do that.”

MORE: Best NFL Defenses in 2023 

Eberflus was the Colts’ head coach when Indy signed Justin Houston in 2019. Given that the Bears still need defensive end help, Houston could be an option for the Bears, who didn’t use any draft capital on the EDGE and project to start Trevis Gipson and free agent acquisition DeMarcus Walker.

At age 34, Houston might prefer to land with a contender. But Chicago has the most cap space and could probably make a trek to the Windy City worth his while. Houston might not be able to convert 15 pressures into 9.5 sacks again, but he’d be a valuable veteran presence for a young Bears defense.

Frank Clark | Jacksonville Jaguars

Josh Allen ranked third among NFL edge defenders with 1,005 snaps in 2023. Travon Walker finished 16th with 897. If the Jaguars want to practice load management next season, they could stand to sign a veteran pass rusher, especially after losing Arden Key to the division-rival Titans.

Jacksonville can’t rely on former first-round pick K’Lavon Chaisson, who has already had his fifth-year option and could be traded before the season gets underway. The Jaguars used a fifth-round pick on pass rusher Yasir Abdullah in April, but he’s undersized and is unlikely to make an impact in 2023.

With their sights set on more than simply winning the AFC South, Jacksonville could consider someone like Frank Clark, who was released by the Chiefs earlier this year. Clark, viewed as a leader within the Chiefs’ locker room and served as a regular tutor for Karlaftis during his rookie year, could become a mentor for Walker while providing stout run defense as a rotational player.

Yannick Ngakoue | Carolina Panthers

Now that free agent signings like Vonn Bell and Shy Tuttle are joining impact players like Brian Burns and Jaycee Horn in Carolina, the Panthers’ defense has the makings of a potential top-10 unit, especially with Ejiro Evero in place as defensive coordinator.

The most obvious hole remaining on the depth chart is at defensive end opposite Burns, where Carolina is still waiting on former second-round pick Yetur Gross-Matos to deliver.

MORE: Highest-Paid EDGEs in 2023 

Yannick Ngakoue has serious issues as a run defender, and he was lucky to generate 19.5 sacks over the past two years, given that he ranked 91st and 60th in pass-rush win rate in those respective seasons, per PFF. But he’s still an NFL-caliber defensive end, and he played under Panthers head coach Frank Reich in Indianapolis.

“He’s got such good get-off. He’s explosive,” Reich said when the Colts traded for Ngakoue in March 2022. “He’s just really smart. He understands the game, he understands what offenses are trying to do. He’s good situationally, and more than that, what I’m coming to appreciate about Yannick more and more is really what a leader this guy is.”

Melvin Ingram | Washington Commanders

Although the Commanders declined Chase Young’s fifth-year option for 2024, they’re clearly hoping he has a standout year in 2023 and forces the team to regret their decision. Hope isn’t a strategy, though, and Washington needs to build more defensive end depth in the event that Young misses more time with injuries.

With Young sidelined last season, the Commanders were forced to give more than 300 snaps each to James Smith-Williams, Efe Obada, and Casey Toohill. Melvin Ingram is 34 years old, but he proved he was still capable of making the occasional splash play with the Dolphins last season. The Browns reportedly targeted Ingram before acquiring fellow pass rusher Za’Darius Smith from the Vikings earlier this month.

Kyle Van Noy | New York Giants

The Giants could use a veteran to compete with Jihad Ward and Oshane Ximines for the team’s EDGE3 role behind Kayvon Thibodeaux and Azeez Ojulari. Meanwhile, New York also needs more bodies at linebacker, where Jarrad Davis — who was bouncing on and off practice squads in 2022 — is projected to start next to free agent addition Bobby Okereke.

Why not kill two birds with one stone? Kyle Van Noy spent most of his time rushing the passer for the Chargers in 2022 after Bosa went down, but he also has plenty of reps as an off-ball linebacker with coverage responsibilities. He should come cheap (which is important for the cap-strapped Giants) and is the sort of experienced veteran that Wink Martindale likes as depth on his defense.

Dawuane Smoot | San Francisco 49ers

Let’s finish up with Smoot, who may not have the name value of the other available edge rushers but has been a quietly consistent force for the Jaguars since 2019, posting at least five sacks in all five seasons.

Smoot tore his Achilles in December, which could put his availability for Week 1 in question. But that might not matter for a contending team like the 49ers, who could stash Smoot on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list for at least six weeks before inserting him into their pass-rushing equation.

The running back position can be one of the best positions to build your 2023 redraft fantasy football roster around, as the continued push for more value at receiver has made many rushers a value on draft day compared to years past. With another group of highly talented rookie rushers in the league, plus shakeups thanks to a wild offseason of moves, here are the current 2023 redraft running back rankings.

2023 Redraft Running Back Rankings

The below rankings are intended as a guide for 0.5 PPR formats. They do not take into account individual league rules and setups.

1) Christian McCaffrey | San Francisco 49ers
2) Austin Ekeler | Los Angeles Chargers
3) Jonathan Taylor | Indianapolis Colts
4) Saquon Barkley | New York Giants
5) Bijan Robinson | Atlanta Falcons
6) Josh Jacobs | Las Vegas Raiders
7) Nick Chubb | Cleveland Browns
8) Tony Pollard | Dallas Cowboys
9) Derrick Henry | Tennessee Titans
10) Rhamondre Stevenson | New England Patriots
11) Breece Hall | New York Jets
12) Travis Etienne Jr. | Jacksonville Jaguars
13) Najee Harris | Pittsburgh Steelers
14) Jahmyr Gibbs | Detroit Lions
15) Joe Mixon | Cincinnati Bengals
16) Aaron Jones | Green Bay Packers
17) Kenneth Walker III | Seattle Seahawks
18) Dalvin Cook | Minnesota Vikings
19) Miles Sanders | Carolina Panthers
20) J.K. Dobbins | Baltimore Ravens
21) Dameon Pierce | Houston Texans
22) Cam Akers | Los Angeles Rams
23) James Conner | Arizona Cardinals
24) Rachaad White | Tampa Bay Buccaneers
25) D’Andre Swift | Philadelphia Eagles

26) Javonte Williams | Denver Broncos
27) David Montgomery | Detroit Lions
28) Isiah Pacheco | Kansas City Chiefs
29) Alvin Kamara | New Orleans Saints
30) Brian Robinson Jr. | Washington Commanders
31) Jamaal Williams | New Orleans Saints
32) AJ Dillon | Green Bay Packers
33) James Cook | Buffalo Bills
34) Alexander Mattison | Minnesota Vikings
35) Zach Charbonnet | Seattle Seahawks
36) Khalil Herbert | Chicago Bears
37) Rashaad Penny | Philadelphia Eagles
38) Samaje Perine | Denver Broncos
39) Damien Harris | Buffalo Bills
40) Antonio Gibson | Washington Commanders
41) Elijah Mitchell | San Francisco 49ers
42) Tyler Allgeier | Atlanta Falcons
43) Jerick McKinnon | Kansas City Chiefs
44) Jeff Wilson Jr. | Miami Dolphins
45) Devin Singletary | Houston Texans
46) Raheem Mostert | Miami Dolphins
47) Devon Achane | Miami Dolphins
48) Roschon Johnson | Chicago Bears
49) Kenneth Gainwell | Philadelphia Eagles
50) Jaylen Warren | Pittsburgh Steelers

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51) Ezekiel Elliott | FA
52) Cordarrelle Patterson | Atlanta Falcons
53) Leonard Fournette | FA
54) Kendre Miller | New Orleans Saints
55) Chuba Hubbard | Carolina Panthers
56) Clyde Edwards-Helaire | Kansas City Chiefs
57) Michael Carter | New York Jets
58) Gus Edwards | Baltimore Ravens
59) D’Onta Foreman | Chicago Bears
60) Kareem Hunt | FA
61) Zamir White | Las Vegas Raiders
62) Chase Edmonds | Tampa Bay Buccaneers
63) Pierre Strong Jr. | New England Patriots
64) Joshua Kelley | Los Angeles Chargers
65) Jerome Ford | Cleveland Browns
66) Tank Bigsby | Jacksonville Jaguars
67) Isaiah Spiller | Los Angeles Chargers
68) Zonovan Knight | New York Jets
69) James Robinson | New England Patriots
70) D’Ernest Johnson | Jacksonville Jaguars
71) Zach Evans | Los Angeles Rams
72) Tyjae Spears | Tennessee Titans
73) Boston Scott | Philadelphia Eagles
74) Nyheim Hines | Buffalo Bills
75) Evan Hull | Indianapolis Colts

76) Kyren Williams | Los Angeles Rams
77) JaMycal Hasty | Jacksonville Jaguars
78) Israel Abanikanda | New York Jets
79) Jordan Mason | San Francisco 49ers
80) Chase Brown | Cincinnati Bengals
81) Ronald Jones II | Dallas Cowboys
82) Latavius Murray | Buffalo Bills
83) Matt Breida | New York Giants
84) Hassan Haskins | Tennessee Titans
85) Tyrion Davis-Price | San Francisco 49ers
86) Zack Moss | Indianapolis Colts
87) Chris Evans | Cincinnati Bengals
88) Sean Tucker | Tampa Bay Buccaneers
89) DeWayne McBride | Minnesota Vikings
90) Eno Benjamin | New Orleans Saints
91) J.D. McKissic | FA
92) Salvon Ahmed | Miami Dolphins
93) Melvin Gordon III | FA
94) Kenyan Drake | FA
95) Darrell Henderson Jr. | FA
96) Deuce Vaughn | Dallas Cowboys
97) DeeJay Dallas | Seattle Seahawks
98) Dontrell Hilliard | FA
99) Myles Gaskin | Miami Dolphins
100) Justin Jackson | FA

101) Eric Gray | New York Giants
102) Darrel Williams | FA
103) Kenny McIntosh | Seattle Seahawks
104) Keaontay Ingram | Arizona Cardinals
105) Ty Johnson | FA
106) Marlon Mack | FA
107) Malik Davis | Dallas Cowboys
108) Mark Ingram II | FA
109) Deon Jackson | Indianapolis Colts
110) Ty Chandler | Minnesota Vikings
111) Ameer Abdullah | Las Vegas Raiders
112) Rex Burkhead | FA
113) Kevin Harris | New England Patriots
114) Trayveon Williams | Cincinnati Bengals
115) Trestan Ebner | Chicago Bears
116) Mohamed Ibrahim | Detroit Lions
117) Trey Sermon | Philadelphia Eagles
118) Caleb Huntley | Atlanta Falcons
119) Chris Rodriguez Jr. | Washington Commanders
120) Craig Reynolds | Detroit Lions
121) Kene Nwangwu | Minnesota Vikings
122) Ke’Shawn Vaughn | Tampa Bay Buccaneers
123) Rico Dowdle | Dallas Cowboys
124) Tiyon Evans | Los Angeles Rams
125) Mike Boone | Houston Texans

126) Raheem Blackshear | Carolina Panthers
127) Travis Homer | Chicago Bears
128) Justice Hill | Baltimore Ravens
129) Sony Michel | FA
130) Tyler Badie | Denver Broncos
131) Keaton Mitchell | Baltimore Ravens
132) Snoop Conner | Jacksonville Jaguars
133) Malcolm Brown | FA
134) Brandon Bolden | Las Vegas Raiders
135) Julius Chestnut | Tennessee Titans
136) Avery Williams | Atlanta Falcons
137) Kyle Juszczyk | San Francisco 49ers
138) Royce Freeman | FA
139) Patrick Ricard | Baltimore Ravens
140) Zander Horvath | Los Angeles Chargers
141) Jonathan Williams | Washington Commanders
142) Tevin Coleman | FA
143) Ty Montgomery | New England Patriots
144) Mike Davis | FA
145) Damien Williams | FA
146) Gary Brightwell | New York Giants
147) Corey Clement | Arizona Cardinals
148) Tyler Goodson | Green Bay Packers
149) Reggie Gilliam | Buffalo Bills
150) C.J. Ham | Minnesota Vikings

Who Are the Best RBs To Draft in 2023 Redraft Leagues?

Despite everyone saying running backs don’t matter, they, in fact, do matter quite a bit for fantasy. While they are just one component of a roster, nailing the running back selections for your team will place you in a much better position than those who fade the position and roll the dice with mid-RB3s who might have some upside but lack a consistent floor or ceiling.

You likely don’t need to tell you that drafting Christian McCaffrey, Austin Ekeler, or even Bijan Robinson is a good idea. But I would say to be aggressive with Detroit Lions RB Jahmyr Gibbs.

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He landed in an ideal spot and fills the role left by D’Andre Swift, and while Swift did disappoint overall, he was third in points per opportunity with a 70-target season despite Jamaal Williams breaking Barry Sanders’ rushing TD record with 17.

David Montgomery isn’t going to do that. Gibbs is not just a better prospect than Swift but is the best receiving back we have seen since the 2017 class and has a top-six upside if things break right.

At 214 pounds with sub-4.5 speed and receiving versatility, Buccaneers RB Rachaad White has lead-back upside, and we saw this start last season.

In Weeks 10-17, White averaged 15 touches and over 70 yards per game, which would be a 17-game pace of over 1,200 yards on 275 touches, with over 70 coming in the passing game while playing on 49% of the snaps. If he even sniffs that volume level, White could close in on high-end RB2 status in 2023.

Bank on a bounceback from Najee Harris in 2023 as well. Between Weeks 1-8, Harris was the RB23 and 29th in points per game at 10.9 (PPR). But we also have to remember that Harris was dealing with a Lisfranc injury he sustained during training camp.

Yet, Harris finished the season much stronger, and it seemed to go a bit under the radar. From Weeks 10-17, Harris was the RB8 overall and ninth in points per game with 15.3 (PPR). He was tied for second in rushing attempts (141) and averaged 20.6 opportunities.

Add in Week 18, and Harris averaged 20 opportunities, 87.8 rushing yards, and 0.8 touchdowns per game. He also sat 14th in routes run while recording 20+ carries in five of his last eight games.

As for mid-round value or later picks to target in fantasy football RB rankings, keep an eye on James Conner, Alexander Mattison, Zach Charbonnet, Devon Achane, Roschon Johnson, Jaylen Warren, Samaje Perine, Tank Bigsby, and Pierre Strong Jr.