The NFL’s legal tampering period moved into its second day and the deals didn’t slow down. Free agency doesn’t officially open until Wednesday, but there are already some big names off the board.
The first day saw the defensive tackle and offensive tackle markets boom, while day two featured a few high profile trades and the receiver market finally kicking into gear. What were some of the bigger deals that went down?
James Bradberry: Re-signed with the Eagles (3 years, $38M, $20M guaranteed)
Free agency has been tough for the Eagles so far. Especially on defense. The first two days have seen them lose Javon Hargrave, T.J. Edwards, Marcus Epps, and Kyzir White – all key defensive players – from the rotation, so they needed a win. Jason Kelce returning for another year was a big boost, but more was needed. They got it in the form of one of their top cornerbacks returning.
Bradberry was one of the NFL’s top corners in 2022 as the Eagles defense dominated all who opposed them up until the Super Bowl. With Jonathan Gannon heading to Arizona to take the Cardinals’ head coaching job, the Eagles defense had to find a way to keep their top guys to maintain some form of continuity for incoming defensive coordinator Sean Desai.
Despite losing Epps, the Eagles have the chance to keep most of their secondary intact by bringing back Bradberry and also finding a way to re-sign C.J. Gardner-Johnson, although the latter is sure to command good money. For now, the Eagles got the win they needed.
Jakobi Meyers: Signed with the Raiders (3 years, $33M, $21M guaranteed)
The Raiders dipped into the free agency market again after landing Jimmy Garoppolo, this time signing Jakobi Meyers, giving their new quarterback a good secondary receiver to play with. In the process, they set the ball rolling with the first wide receiver deal of free agency, and one that’s likely the biggest too. This receiver market is uninspiring at best and Meyers was probably the top name available.
That doesn’t make it a bad deal for the Raiders, though. Meyers led the Patriots in receiving in each of the last three seasons, and has developed into one of the NFL’s better slot receivers while also possessing the chops to play outside when required. He’ll complement Davante Adams perfectly.
There’s the obvious Patriots link for McDaniels and Meyers too. He comes into a system where he knows the coach and the language, which should benefit him early on with the Raiders. Meyers does his best work in the short and intermediate areas of the field as a receiver. Conveniently, that’s where Garoppolo does his best work as well. This was just as much about putting your quarterback in a better position to succeed as it was to get a good talent. It was also the precursor to another move, that we’ll get to in a bit.
Allen Lazard: Signed with the Jets (4 years, $44M, $22M guaranteed)
The next domino to fall in the receiver market was Lazard and, of course, it feels like his deal is bigger than it seems. That’s because of Aaron Rodgers. The current Packers quarterback’s future is still up in the air and dominating the airwaves, but with a move to the Jets very much in the cards, is the Jets signing Lazard – a personal favourite of Rodgers – a gesture of goodwill?
Maybe, but it’s obviously more than that. Lazard is a talented X receiver who can win with his size and the ability to snag contested catches. He’s a threat for a Jets team that probably needs a little bit more than just Garrett Wilson at receiver and with 20 touchdowns in four seasons, Lazard has shown that he knows how to get into the endzone.
Of course, this deal feels better if Rodgers ends up with the Jets. They have the chemistry, the playoff experience, and the ability to succeed in New York. Regardless, the Jets got a little better.
Stephon Gilmore: Traded to the Dallas Cowboys for a 2023 fifth-round compensatory pick
If you needed a reminder, Stephon Gilmore proved he’s still one of the stickiest cornerbacks in the NFL after a strong 2022 season with the Colts. But his talent was wasted playing for a directionless team that finished with a 4-12-1 record. Being able to snatch Gilmore for just a fifth-round comp pick is unbelievable value, and he’s only owed just under $9 million in 2023 to boot.
Pairing Gilmore with Trevon Diggs – who he can provide some mentorship too as he continues to grow – is a great move. Dan Quinn’s defensive scheme allows Gilmore to blend between sticky man coverage, his calling card, and frequent drop backs into zone defense.
Cornerback play is volatile, but Gilmore is as consistent as they come, despite being 32 years old. The Cowboys needed some more help in the back end, and Gilmore gave them exactly what they needed for a fair price.
Darren Waller: Traded to the New York Giants for a 2023 third-rounder
When the Meyers deal came in, there was a sense that there was something else to come from the Raiders. They were committing a ton of money to Adams, Hunter Renfrow and Darren Waller prior to the trade, and adding Meyers on top of that – well, it’s just tough to pay four pass catchers that much money.
And then the other shoe dropped. A few hours later, it was announced that the Raiders were trading Waller to the New York Giants for a 2023 3rd round pick – the pick that the Giants traded Kadarius Toney for. Balance and something the Giants desperately needed to do. The market for acquiring good pass catchers was limited, and while they could still draft a receiver with the No. 25 pick, adding a veteran tight end like Waller is still a smart move.
Especially at that price. Sure, he’s battled injuries over his career, but when healthy, Waller is one of the best pass-catching tight ends in the NFL and a freak athlete. If the Giants get that version of Waller, they’ve got a steal.
-Thomas Valentine
Twitter: @tvalentinesport
Photo: U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Jordan McCoy. This image or file is a work of a U.S. Air Force Airman or employee, taken or made as part of that person’s official duties. As a work of the U.S. federal government, the image or file is in the public domain in the United States.