NFL free agency has begun.
Kind of.
The league’s legal tampering window is open, which means starting at noon on Monday teams can begin negotiating with free agents. Technological advances have apparently made those negotiations rather expedient, as every year there is a flurry of activity right as the window opens.
Certainly it is technology, and not the fact that the entire NFL world was in Indianapolis just a week ago.
But we digress. While deals cannot become official until the league year opens on Wednesday afternoon, meaning things technically could change, we are going to learn over the course of the next few days more about each NFL team, and their rosters for next season.
We will be tracking the major moves all week long.
2023 NFL free agency Day 2
Welcome to day two of the NFL’s legal tampering period, where nothing is official, nobody is keeping score, and we are all waiting on Aaron Rodgers.
- The Falcons are first on the board this Tuesday, adding quarterback Taylor Heinicke according to Rapoport. Per Pelissero, it is a two-year deal worth up to $20 million.
- The Buccaneers are trading guard Shaq Mason to the Texans, per Pelissero. The move reunites Mason with Nick Caserio, the Texans general manager. Caserio was the Director of Player Personnel in New England when the Patriots drafted Mason back in 2015.
- The first big WR domino has fallen. According to Rapoport, the Raiders are signing wide receiver Jakobi Meyers, perhaps the best receiver available in free agency. The deal is for three years and $33 million, with $21 million guaranteed.
- The Dallas Cowboys are on the board, kind of, having reached an agreement with safety Donovan Wilson to return to Dallas, per Garafolo. The deal is for three years and is worth up to $24 million, with $13.5 million guaranteed.
- Running back Jeff Wilson is re-signing with the Dolphins on a two-year deal, per Schefter.
- Center Jake Brendel is re-signing with the 49ers on a four-year deal worth up to $20 million, with $8 million guaranteed, per Rapoport.
- The Vikings re-signed C Garrett Bradbury to a three-year deal for $15.75 million, per Rapoport and Garafolo.
- While not a free agency signing, the Saints have restructured WR Michael Thomas’s contract, reaching agreement on a one-year, incentive-laden deal, per Schefter.
- In the most shocking development of the day, the Raiders have traded tight end Darren Waller to the New York Giants for a third round pick, per Pelissero. The pick is New York’s third-round compensatory pick they received in the Kadarius Toney trade, pick 100 overall.
- The Eagles have agreed to terms with RB Rashaad Penny, per Rapoport.
- The Colts are trading cornerback Stephon Gilmore to the Dallas Cowboys for a fifth-round selection, per Schefter.
- The Broncos have reached an agreement with RB Samaje Perine on a two-year deal, per Garafolo.
- James Bradberry is returning to the Eagles, as the cornerback is re-signing with a three-year deal worth $38 million, $20 million of that guaranteed, per Schefter.
- The Panthers have added a quarterback! According to Schefter, Andy Dalton has agreed to a two-year, $10 million deal with the Panthers that includes $8 million guaranteed. All to mentor Will Levis. (Just checking to see if you and/or our resident Carolina fan James Dator has been following along).
2023 NFL free agency Day 1
- Quarterback Easton Stick and the Los Angeles Chargers agree to terms on a new deal, per Ian Rapoport.
- Running back Nyheim Hines is reworking his deal to stay with the Buffalo Bills, per Mike Garofolo.
- The San Francisco 49ers are re-signing safety Tashaun Gipson to a 1-year deal, per Ari Meirov.
- The Detroit Lions are re-signing defensive lineman DL Isaiah Buggs to a two-year deal worth up to $6 million, per Tom Pelissero.
- Punter Sam Martin re-signed with the Bills on a new three-year deal worth up to $7.5 million, per Garofolo.
- Linebacker Tyler Matakevich agreed to a new two-year deal to stay in Buffalo, per Rapoport. The deal is a two-year deal that voids to one, per Rapoport.
- The Cincinnati Bengals re-signed safety Michael Thomas to a one-year extension, per Adam Schefter. This might have implications for the status of safety Jesse Bates III in Cincinnati.
- The New England Patriots and the Atlanta Falcons have agreed to a trade involving tight end Jonnu Smith, per Rapoport.
- The Seattle Seahawks plan to release defensive lineman Shelby Harris, per Garafolo.
- The Falcons and offensive lineman Chris Lindstrom agreed to a five-year contract extension worth up to $105 million, per Garafolo.
- The Patriots are expected to re-sign cornerback Jonathan Jones on a two-year deal, per Rapoport.
- The Chicago Bears are expected to sign linebacker T.J. Edwards to a three-year deal, per Rapoport. The deal is worth up to $19.5 million, with $12 million guaranteed, per Rapoport.
- The Baltimore Ravens have released veteran defensive end Calias Campbell, per Pelissero.
- The Falcons have agreed to terms with defensive tackle David Onyemata, per Garafolo. The deal could be worth close to $12 million per year, per Garafolo. The deal is officially worth $35 million over three years, with $24.5 million fully guaranteed, per Schefter.
- The Denver Broncos are expected to sign offensive guard Ben Powers, per Mike Klis. The deal is for four years, and worth up to $52M with $28.5M guaranteed, per Rapoport.
- The Packers are re-signing cornerback and kick returner Keisan Nixon to a one-year deal worth up to $6 million, per Rapoport.
- The Houston Texans have reached an agreement with FB/TE Andrew Beck, per Peter Schrager. It is a two-year deal worth up to $6.75 million, with $4 million guaranteed, per Rapoport.
- Jarrett Stidham is signing a two-year deal with the Broncos, worth up to $10 million, per Rapoport. The deal includes $5 million guaranteed.
- The Washington Commanders are re-signing cornerback Danny Johnson to a two-year deal worth up to $7 million with $2.75M guaranteed, per Pelissero.
- The Patriots are re-signing LB Raekwon McMillan to a one-year deal that’s worth up to $2.2 million, per Pelissero.
- The 49ers are signing DT Javon Hargrave to a four-year deal worth $80 million that includes $40 million guaranteed, per Schefter.
- The Broncos are signing RT Mike McGlinchey to a five-year deal worth up to $87.5 million with over $50 million guaranteed, per Rapoport.
- The Lions are signing CB Cam Sutton to a three-year deal worth $33 million with $22.5 million guaranteed, per Rapoport.
- The Carolina Panthers have reached an agreement with DT Shy Tuttle on a three-year, $19.5 million deal with $13 million guaranteed at signing, per Schefter.
- The Las Vegas Raiders are signing QB Jimmy Garoppolo, per Schefter, Russini and Garafolo. It is a three-year deal worth up to $67.5 million, with $34 million guaranteed, per Schefter. Hey, this means we got at least one free agency prediction correct!
- The Washington Commanders plan to sign RT Andrew Wylie to a three-year, $24 million deal, per Ari Meirov.
- The Bills have reached an agreement with guard Connor McGovern on a three-year deal worth up to $23 million, per Garafolo.
- The Miami Dolphins have reached an agreement with QB Mike White on a two-year deal worth up to $16 million, per Schefter.
- The Texans have reached an agreement on a two-year deal with quarterback Case Keenum, per John McClain.
- The Texans are expected to sign EDGE Chase Winovich, per Rapoport.
- The Chiefs have reached an agreement with RT Jawaan Taylor, per Schefter. The deal is for four years and worth $80 million, with $60 million guaranteed.
- The Cincinnati Bengals are re-signing LB Germaine Pratt to a three-year deal worth up to $21 million, per Pelissero.
- The Minnesota Vikings are signing tight end Josh Oliver to a three-year deal worth $21 million, with $10.75 million guaranteed, and incentives that can push the deal up to $24 million, per Garafolo.
- The Panthers are signing safety Vonn Bell, per Rapoport.
- The Browns are re-signing center Ethan Pocic, per Josina Anderson and Garafolo. The deal is for three years and worth $18 million.
- The Texans are signing defensive tackle Hassan Ridgeway to sign a one-year, $4 million deal that includes $3 million guaranteed, per Schefter.
- Chicago is signing guard Nate Davis to a three-year deal, per Rapoport.
- The Bears are also signing LB Tremaine Edmunds, per Rapoport. The deal is for four years and worth $72 million, per Rapoport.
- Atlanta is adding safety Jesse Bates III, per Rapoport. The deal is for four years, and worth $64.02 million per Pelissero. This makes the second prediction that we got right in our free agency predictions piece. Just ignore the rest, those never happened.
- Having lost Cam Sutton to the Lions, the Steelers are adding at cornerback, reaching an agreement with Patrick Peterson on a two-year deal, per Schefter.
- The 49ers added quarterback Sam Darnold on a one-year deal, per Schefter. This gives San Francisco a solid hedge as both Trey Lance and Brock Purdy are coming off injuries, and it also gives our James Dator a reason to update this Madden simulation he ran recently.
- The Raiders are signing safety Marcus Epps to a two-year, $12 million deal with almost $8 million guaranteed, per Pelissero.
- The Titans are signing offensive tackle Andre Dillard, per Rapoport.
- The Dolphins are adding linebacker David Long Jr. on a two-year deal worth $11 million, per Schefter.
- The New York Giants have reached an agreement with linebacker Bobby Okereke, according to Rapoport. Per Rapoport, it is a four-year deal worth $40 million, with $22 million of it guaranteed.
- The Seattle Seahawks reached an agreement with defensive tackle Dre’Mont Jones on a three-year deal worth $51 million, per James Palmer.
- The Falcons came to an agreement with LB Kaden Elliss on a three-year, $21.5M deal with $11M guaranteed, per Rapoport.
- According to Garafolo, the Bears have reached an agreement with former Tennessee Titans DE DeMarcus Walker on a two-year deal.
- The Cleveland Browns have reached an agreement with DT Dalvin Tomlinson, per Rapoport. The deal is for four years and $57 million, with $27.5 million guaranteed.
- In a move that slipped through the cracks earlier in the day — but is rather impressive — the Browns also added DE Ogbonnia Okoronkwo, per Rapoport. The agreement is for a three-year deal worth up to $22 million with incentives, and $12.5 million guaranteed.
- WE HAVE KICKER HISTORY! Just before midnight on the first day of the legal tampering period, Peter Schrager reported that the Colts had reached an agreement with former Los Angeles Rams kicker Matt Gay on a deal “expected to be the biggest for a kicker in NFL free agent history.” According to Pelissero, the deal is for four years and $22.5 million, and is indeed the biggest ever for a kicker in free agency.
