Free agency doesn’t officially start until Wednesday, but the NFL’s legal tampering period began on Monday afternoon. And it didn’t take long for the league to kick into overdrive. Big money contracts were thrown around in the opening hours, with the defensive and offensive tackle market showing early signs of booming.
Here are some of the most notable signings from Day 1:
Javon Hargrave: Signed with the 49ers (4-year, $84M, $40M guaranteed)
This one came as an absolute shock. Hargrave was the big-name defensive tackle on the market and was bound to command plenty of cash from any team that had a need on the interior. Initially, it seemed like the Bears and Browns. The former started out with a mountain of cash to burn, while the Browns created a boatload of cap space by restructuring Deshaun Watson’s deal. It also stands to reason that both absolutely had the need.
Instead, Hargrave swerved and signed a monster deal with the San Francisco 49ers. With Nick Bosa, Arik Armstead, Fred Warner, and Dre Greenlaw, the 49ers already possessed one of the best defenses in the NFL in 2022. Now, their front just got even better. Hargrave hasn’t been the most consistent defender against the run, but his 66 total pressures in the 2022 season (regular and postseason) were the third-most among all interior defenders, per PFF, and he hit double-digit sacks for the first time in his career.
This move screams “luxury”, but Javon Kinlaw has struggled to stay healthy and the 49ers are unlikely to exercise his fifth-year option. Arik Armstead is also up for an extension soon, meaning the 49ers almost had the need to make this move. Hargrave’s arrival should ring alarm bells around the NFC.
Mike McGlinchey: Signed with the Broncos (5-year, $87.5M, $50M guaranteed)
Another shocker. The Bears were heavily linked to McGlinchey throughout the beginning of the offseason. A disjointed offensive line, looking for some help, McGlinchey fit the bill as a solid but unspectacular run-blocker looking to regain his best form after suffering a torn quadriceps in 2021. With the amount of cap space the Bears had heading into free agency, it was hard to see anyone being able to compete with them for his services. Especially if they were genuine in their interest.
Which they were. The Bears were the frontrunners for McGlinchey’s signature all the way. Until they weren’t. The Denver Broncos of all teams swooped in out of nowhere to snatch McGlinchey out from under the Bears’ nose, giving him the third-most (for a while at least) guaranteed cash for an offensive tackle in NFL history at $50M.
The Broncos were desperate for offensive line help. Anyone that could help them keep Russell Wilson upright would have done, but McGlinchey was the top offensive tackle on the market not named Orlando Brown Jr. His natural fit at right tackle was a blessing for the Broncos as well. The tackle market still has some big names, but McGlinchey is off the board.
Jawaan Taylor: Signed with the Chiefs (4-year, $80M, $60M guaranteed)
The Chiefs landed Taylor with all the intentions in the world of playing him at left tackle, despite being linked to Laremy Tunsil prior to this deal being inked. Would Tunsil have been the better choice? Absolutely, but that would also involve giving up significant draft capital. Taylor is just 26 years old, so he’s absolutely the long-term solution that the Chiefs are looking for.
If the plan is to play Taylor at left tackle, where he’s only played 18 snaps across his entire professional career, then the Chiefs still have a hole to fill at right tackle with Andrew Wylie signing a deal with the Washington Commanders. There’s also going to be a potential adjustment period for Taylor sliding across the line. This isn’t Madden. But with a quarterback that just doesn’t take sacks in Mahomes and Joe Thuney beside him, Taylor has a good shot to hit the ground running.
Most of all, this move makes you wonder how much money Orlando Brown Jr. was asking for. Even if Taylor was going to stick at right tackle, hypothetically, then there’s still no way the Chiefs could bring Brown back at that kind of figure. But alas, the Chiefs get their guy, and another solid tackle remains on the market.
Jimmy Garoppolo: Signed with the Raiders (3-year, $72.5M, $34M guaranteed)
The biggest quarterback move of the day, considering the Aaron Rodgers saga continues for the time being. Garoppolo signing with the Raiders just makes all the sense in the world. He knows the language and the system after working with Josh McDaniels in New England, so he should slot comfortably in as the starter.
With only $34M in guaranteed money, this isn’t a deal that screams “long-term” or “irreplaceable”. If the Raiders wanted, they could still trade up in the draft for a project quarterback like Anthony Richardson or Will Levis – who is admittedly less of a project – and have them sit for a year under Garoppolo. The word on the street was that the Raiders were interested in trading up for the No. 1 pick. That’s not out of the question. Or they could just hope that a quarterback falls to them at No. 7. Not so certain, but you never know how the chips will fall.
For now, the attention turns to Garoppolo. When he’s on his game, he can keep an offense ticking along nicely. Up until his injury against the Dolphins, he was having another solid year. The question as always is health as Garoppolo has played a full season just once in his career, back in 2019.
Jessie Bates: Signed with the Falcons (4-year, $64M, $36M guaranteed)
Bates was the best safety on the market by a distance. Staying with the Bengals was never a real option considering the money he was going to command. Then there’s also the fact that the extensions of Burrow, Chase, and Higgins are looming over the next couple of seasons.
The fit with the Falcons makes sense. Their defense desperately needs pass-rushers, but also playmakers of any kind, and Bates is a safety that’s shown he has great ball skills and can play deep half or deep middle depending on what you need him to do in the secondary. So much of what Lou Anarumo’s defense could do was built off Bates’ skills and his ability to patrol the middle of the field.
Bates doesn’t solve all of the Falcons’ problems, but Atlanta was able to flex their financial muscles to sign him. They also inked a few other key pieces while having change left over, and the No. 8 pick in the 2023 NFL draft. It’s unlikely they’re done yet, but getting a player of Bates’ quality is a step in the right direction.
-Thomas Valentine
Twitter: @tvalentinesport
Photo: Alexander Jonesi. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.