The NFL’s biggest discrepancy, one of the biggest, began Monday with the start of the “legal gamble” period, when teams can agree to deals with free agents before signing them at the official start of the year on Wednesday. This, of course, creates a lot of intrigue with the NFL’s game of musical chairs and could change the look of the season in a matter of a few hours.
The rest of the free agency still needs to be played and the draft hasn’t happened yet, but here’s a look at some of the winners and losers from day one of the NFL’s free agency.
winners
How is anyone supposed to block 49ers This next season? Teams have to plan their play around how to keep Bosa and Armstead at bay, but for now The 49ers have added Javon Hargrave into the mix.
The 49 players will create a large number of advantageous situations for their new three-headed monster on the defensive line. Bossa and Armistead are truly elite players in their own right. Now they have another real star to help them overcome the offensive lines. Hargave is another filibuster that will only create more opportunities for Bosa and Armstead.
Hey! The Raiders got their veteran quarterback. Maybe not the one Davant Adams He hoped, however Jimmy Garoppolo It gives them a chance to play an accepted QB game for the 2023 season.
Garoppolo’s contract still gives the Raiders flexibility to add a quarterback with the seventh pick in the NFL Draft next month. Garoppolo could hold the fort while the next quarterback gets used to the NFL (assuming that’s the main path Coach Josh McDaniels wants).
The Raiders are temporary winners, but they are positioning themselves to stabilize the most important position in the game.
Mahomes gets a stronger support staff after winning his second Super Bowl in five years. the The Jaguars Chiefs signed former offensive tackle Joanne Taylor to a four-year contract to apparently replace Orlando Brown Jr. as their choice left tackle. Although Taylor hasn’t played left tackle in the NFL yet, he’s a better option for Mahomes as a passer. He’s a bit more agile on pass protection than the Browns, which gives Mahomes more time to find players in the first few seconds of a passing concept.
The best offense in the NFL just got better. Mahomes can throw to Air Bud and win the MVP title with the offensive line talent the Chiefs have accumulated.
Sam Darnold, congratulations. He gets the most friendly offense in the NFL by joining the San Francisco 49ers and Kyle Shanahan.
With Darnold signed to a one-year contract with the 49ers, he (likely) wouldn’t be their initial starting option, but the 49ers showed the importance of QB depth over the next few seasons. Based on their recent history, they needed someone who could come in and run the offense without too many hiccups. There is a long list of quarterbacks who could do that to Shanahan and Darnold should take advantage of this system. If he plays well if his number is requested, he could be in a position to get paid by another team next season. This makes him a winner.
Offensive linemen
Senior guys, welcome to the season of your bags. Chris Lindstrom He was awarded a five-year, $105 million contract Atlanta FalconsJoann Taylor brought in the money from Kansas City Chiefs And Larmi Tunsil He’s on track to be the highest-paid offensive lineman in the league — again.
The price goes up on top-shelf offensive towelmen and these guys are making the most of their rare skills. Orlando Brown Jr. will likely lose his spot with the Chiefs, but the contracts these other workers are getting will help him in the long run.
losers
Continuity at the defensive back end is important and the Bengals lost both starting safeties from last season with Jesse Bates III and Von Bell Signing with the Atlanta Falcons Carolina Panthersrespectively.
Bates and Bell led the Bengals in defensive snaps last season, as they combined for 2,041 snaps on the season. Bates played 98.2% of the available defensive snaps while Bell played 98.4%. They have some promising young players like Dax Hill and Cam Taylor-Britt ready to get playing time in those spots, but the loss of Bates and Bell left a huge void in the Bengals’ secondary.
The Broncos had a chance to regain some ground lost this offseason, but it’s weak Free agent category At the top they handed down top-tier talent they could add to their roster. However, they spent a lot of money on the fountain workers Mike McGlinchey and Ben Powers to try to bolster their offensive line. The final contract numbers have yet to be released, but they seem to have shelled out a lot of money for players who are, at best, slightly above average in their positions. This may help the Broncos offensive line become a more complete unit, but the line still isn’t a great unit.
Planes , Packers And quite frankly everyone
We sat waiting Aaron Rodgers To end up with a New York Jet and nothing happens! Rodgers is taking his sweet time with this deal, holding the Jets and Packers hostage while they wait to hear what the Hall of Famer wants to do in the future. There is only so much time and speculation that can be spent on Rodgers deciding what he wants to do next with his career and life. Free agency officially opens on Wednesday and we’re all hoping to get to the finish line here so we can get moving and start to see what both teams look like after this trade, if it happens at all.
Looks like the titans are going to get some serious Problems up front if things stand. The team signed an earlier first-round draft pick Andre Dillardwho lost his job Jordan Mailata, starting them with a $30 million contract. Nate Davis left the Titans to Chicago Bears, leaving a thin offensive line for the Titans to work with. This is not an ideal situation for Henry as he tries to maximize the back nine in his career and generate two more productive seasons.
It should be noted, however, that the Titans have the 11th pick in the upcoming NFL Draft and could use that pick on an offensive lineman — they don’t seem to have a choice based on how their roster is built.
