Source: Free agents Florence, Winston ready to make visits
Two of the last well-known veterans remaining on the free-agent market may soon have new NFL homes.
Right tackle Eric Winston and cornerback Drayton Florence are both expected to visit with interested teams next week, a source told FOX Sports 1. The suitors’ names are being kept confidential at their request, the source said.
Winston, 30, has started 119 consecutive games dating back to his 2006 rookie season with the Houston Texans. He was Arizona’s starting right tackle in 2013 and recently was elected NFL Players Association president.
Florence, 33, started six games last season for Carolina and appeared in eight others. He registered two interceptions, nine passes defensed and 26 tackles.
Florence began his NFL career as a 2003 second-round draft choice with San Diego. He has also played for Jacksonville (2008), Buffalo (2009-11) and Detroit (2012).
Interest in quality NFL veterans such as Winston and Florence should pick up across the league once a June 1 deadline passes pertaining to compensatory draft selections.
The NFL formula used to determine the extra picks granted for free-agent losses also takes into account the number of free agents that a team signs before the June 1 deadline. To secure compensatory choices and potentially improve the round in which they are granted, some franchises are intentionally waiting until after June 1 to bolster their rosters with veteran acquisitions.