NFL free agency hasn’t officially started, but the contracts are rolling in.
With the franchise-tag deadline behind us, the next item on the NFL’s calendar is the onset of legal tampering, which kicks off at noon ET Monday. Contracts signed by players with new clubs don’t become official until 4 p.m. ET March 15, the start of the new league year.
This offseason’s crop of free agents are led by defensive stars, many of whom will be in high demand early in the process.
Cary Edmondson/USA TODAY Sports (Smith); John Jones/USA TODAY Sports (Jones)
From the Eagles alone, safety Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, defensive tackle Javon Hargrave, edge rusher Brandon Graham and cornerback James Bradberry are all on the market. There’s also a slew of terrific AFC safeties, including Juan Thornhill, Jordan Poyer, Jessie Bates, Vonn Bell and John Johnson III among others.
Offensively, the stars are tougher to find, save for a few notable tackles.
Left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. will get ample consideration after the Chiefs declined to franchise-tag him for the second consecutive year. There’s also 2018 first-round pick Isaiah Wynn from the Patriots and 49ers right tackle Mike McGlinchey.
If your team needs a receiver, the three best available are JuJu Smith-Schuster, Allen Lazard and Jakobi Meyers, none of whom are coming off a 1,000-yard campaign.
Lastly, the quarterbacks are underwhelming, but veterans are available, including Jimmy Garoppolo, Baker Mayfield, Sam Darnold and Taylor Heinicke.
We’ll analyze each move based on talent and fit, and take a look generally at the terms. But we won’t get hung up on exact dollar amounts before we know more.
Let’s look at the biggest signings so far and how our staff graded them out:
March 7
QB Daniel Jones to the Giants
Note: This was a contract extension to avoid the franchise tag, not unrestricted free agency.
The Giants beat the franchise-tag deadline by mere minutes to sign Jones, giving him four years and $160 million with an additional $35 million in incentives. It’s a huge sum for Jones, who had a career year last season with only 3,205 passing yards and 15 touchdowns. But New York can get out of the contract after two years, tagging Jones for $32.4 million and allowing running back Saquon Barkley to hit free agency might have been wiser. The Giants put themselves in a corner and overpaid. —MV
Grade: C minus
March 6
QB Geno Smith to the Seahawks
Note: This was a contract extension to avoid the franchise tag, not unrestricted free agency.
Smith famously didn’t write back, but he signed on the dotted line Monday evening for $75 million over three years, including $30 million guaranteed at signing. For Smith, it’s a payday after stunning the NFL with his first Pro Bowl appearance, throwing 30 touchdowns in 2022. For the Seahawks, it’s cheaper against this year’s cap than a $32.4 million franchise tag, and it’s team-friendly enough to leave Seattle with options at quarterback in the draft.
Bottom line? The Seahawks have a quality signal-caller for 2023, and Smith now has generational wealth. —MV
Grade: A minus
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QB Derek Carr to the Saints
Carr now goes to the weaker conference and its weakest division, all while joining a solid roster. Oh, and he gets to stay indoors instead of dealing with the cold of New York. For the 31-year-old quarterback, the move makes sense, but the contract is a bit light. The Saints are essentially getting Carr for two seasons and then have a pair of one-year options with minimal dead money.
For a quarterback who had the market to himself, it’s a good spot but a middling contract. As for New Orleans, the contracts keep piling up on an absurd cap sheet, but the Saints are now NFC South favorites. —MV
