Marquise Brown to the Chiefs

Even before the Rashee Rice news, I thought this signing was a home run, the fit, the money, the productivity all were perfect. And now with Rice’s status in doubt, Brown is going to have to produce in that potential WR1 role. I have no doubt Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes will make him a thousand yard receiver once again.

Keenan Allen to the Bears

This trade was extremely interesting, this was the start of signals from the Bears showing they might be moving on from Justin Fields. Chicago gave the 110th pick in the draft for Allen.

The reason the trade can be so good is the upside, Allen at WR2 paired with DJ Moore is nearly unfair. Of course health and father time will be the main decider in this case, but for now this is a near perfect deal for the Bears.

Christian Wilkins to the Raiders

Wilkins to the Raiders was one of the more surprising moves of the period. Las Vegas got the DT on a 4-year $110 million dollar deal getting a major pass rush and run stopping upgrade in the middle to lineup along side star edge Maxx Crosby. It’s an aggressive move for a rebuilding roster but I love the potential building of the D-line for the Raiders.

Javon Hargrave Re-signs with 49ers

You have to give credit to the 49ers, after losing the Super Bowl to Patrick Mahomes once again, they go ahead lock down thier defensive tackle to pressure Mahomes through the middle. It will take a lot to stop Mahomes but a defense full of talent like Nick Bosa, Javon Hargrave and Fred Warner is going to be tough to slow down.

L’Jarius Sneed to the Titans

The star cornerback was a pivotal point in the Kansas City defense and due to salary cap issues he couldn’t stay, thankfully for the Titans he fell right into their lap for a 3rd and 7th (pick swap). Sneed fills the Titans biggest need and will immediately upgrade this defense.  

If I was asked to choose the best move on this list, I would have to give it to the Marquise Brown signing. Mahomes will have a new weapon to maybe pair along Rashee Rice. The 11 million dollars comes in handy to save money in the future as well. 

The post What are the 5 Best Signings/Trades of Free Agency? appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

10. Jakobi Meyers

By many metrics, 2022 was Jakobi Meyers’s best season so far. Yes, he had more overall yardage in 2021, but he had a higher yardage per reception in ’22 and four additional receiving touchdowns despite playing in three less games. At 26, he’s also in the midst of an athletic prime that should last 3-4 more years.

Meyers has improved in each of his NFL seasons with the New England Patriots and looks to make a solid free agent acquisition for somebody this offseason.

9. Jessie Bates III

Former second-team All-Pro free safety Jessie Bates III has had a solid tenure with the Cincinnati Bengals, having a career high four interceptions in 2022. He’s been a big player in the emergence of the Bengals as one of the better defensive units in the NFL over the last couple of seasons.

It seems the Bengals’ focus will be on extending quarterback Joe Burrow this offseason and that probably means Bates winds up on a new team.

8. Jamel Dean

Jamel Dean may not be the greatest ballhawk to ever play the cornerback position, but he is a solid pass defender at his best. With the Tampa Bay Buccaneers beginning a new era post-Tom Brady, that probably means not resigning free agent pieces which would further complicate the team’s salary issues.

Dean would make a solid addition to a team looking to strengthen their depth in the defensive secondary and, as a Super Bowl champion, would bring solid leadership to any locker room.

7. Lavonte David

He may now be 33 years old, but Lavonte David remains one of the better linebackers in the NFL. His entire career has been spent with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but like with Jamel Dean, it’d be nearly impossible for the team to keep him this offseason. Somebody’s likely to get a excellent veteran addition to their roster.

David routinely puts up seasons with well over 100 tackles, including last season when he racked up a total of 124. He’ll surely be able to do that again in 2023.

6. Jordan Poyer

Will the Buffalo Bills bring back Jordan Poyer in 2023? They may not, and the veteran safety who will be 32 by season’s start, could get a decent short-term contract somewhere else. His best seasons have been had in recent years, which is the upside for this safety. The downside is that he spent much of 2022 dealing with injuries that limited his production.

Poyer is one of the NFL’s best safeties and that means he’ll be a hot commodity this offseason regardless of the injuries he dealt with in ’22.

5. Javon Hargrave

One of the defensive anchors for the NFC champion Philadelphia Eagles in 2022, Javon Hargrave had a career best 11 sacks. Because it appears the Eagles intend to resign C.J. Gardner-Johnson, is it likely that the defensive tackle ends up somewhere else for the 2023 season? Keep in mind, the Eagles have several other soon-to-be free agents to contend with.

Simply put, there’s no defense in the NFL who couldn’t use a player like Hargrave on their roster. He’s going to get paid by somebody and immediately improve their defense.

4. Derek Carr (Signed with the New Orleans Saints)

Derek Carr seems to be one of the current villains of the NFL, only more fitting having played for a franchise known for its villainy. But the Raiders are done with him. He’s always been pretty good, just not good enough to make a whole lot of noise across the league. Not that the Raiders ever did much to support his efforts (signing of Davante Adams excluded, naturally).

With Carr, it’ll be interesting to see what some team is willing to put around him. The New York Jets have been mentioned and that makes a lot of sense. The Jets are a good young team, and they would benefit immensely from the free agent quarterback.

3. Josh Jacobs (Signed franchise tag with the Las Vegas Raiders)

Remember when Zamir White was supposed to surpass and bench Josh Jacobs? What a laugh that turned out to be. The disrespected Jacobs only led the NFL in rushing yards, rushing yards per game, and yards from scrimmage in 2022. But the Raiders need a quarterback, so might the running back be found somewhere else in 2023?

Jacobs’s ascendance from average running to one of the league’s best happened seemingly overnight. Having just turned 25, somebody had better pay him now, because his ascendance may not be finished yet.

2. Lamar Jackson (Signed franchise tag with the Baltimore Ravens)

Lamar Jackson is a great football player. That said, he’s now missed a lot of playing time in each of the last two seasons and that’s an undeniable problem. His place among the NFL’s best quarterbacks isn’t in question, but his ability to stay on the field now is. What are the Baltimore Ravens going to do?

Jackson’s move to a different roster for 2023 would be the story of the offseason, but it may well happen. Talent and ability have never been an issue with the former MVP, but he needs to stay healthy.

1. Saquon Barkley (Signed franchise tag with the New York Giants)

The New York Giants went as far as Saquon Barkley took them in 2022 and the running back proved himself more than capable of coming back from past injury-plagued seasons. There are a few notable teams in the NFL who are a piece away from Super Bowl contention, and if the Giants don’t bring Barkley back, he could easily find his way to one of those teams.

The 26-year-old is reaching his athletic prime and now that any lingering questions about his durability seem to be put to rest, some team in the league is going to get one of the best running backs in the game.

The post Top 10 NFL Free Agents for 2023 appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

Jacob Keppen

The NFL Preseason doesn’t matter”¦ that is until your favorite camp darling starts making an impact. Despite the results meaning about as much as a Most Valuable Player award courtesy of Nickelodeon, preseason is a great time for fans to get excited about potential breakout players. Here are five preseason warriors who made a big impact in the Eagles first preseason game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

1: Quez Watkins, WR

A speedy Eagles wide receiver from the 2020 draft is having a fantastic offseason and is looking to break out, and his name is Quez Watkins. The 200th pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, Watkins was seen as a speedy depth piece on a team lacking any field-stretching ability. Raw coming out of college, Watkins didn’t see much of the field in 2020, only tallying seven catches in his rookie season. 

The speed has always been undeniable for the former Southern Mississippi Golden Eagle. Don’t forget that it was actually Quez Watkins who was the 2nd fastest receiver at the 2020 NFL combine, running a blazing 4.35. That speed has been evident all offseason, with Watkins impressing in camp. The speed was on display against the Steelers, where Watkins caught nearly two long touchdowns. While incomplete, Watkins burned past his man for what would’ve been a 90+ yard touchdown. Watkins found the endzone though, taking a Joe Flacco screen pass 79 yards to the house. With speed few defensive backs in the league can keep up with and the work he’s put in this offseason, it wouldn’t be a surprise to Quez Watkins push for a starting job at receiver.

2: Javon Hargrave, DT

Javon Hargrave is sometimes the forgotten man in a very good Philly defensive line, such is the life of playing defensive tackle next to Fletcher Cox. The former Pittsburgh Steelers’ first season in the City of Brotherly love started quite Rocky, attempting to come back from an upper-body issue. As he became healthier as the season progressed, fans started to see the old game wrecker from Pittsburgh.

If his tremendous offseason and series against his former team are any indication, Hargrave is in for a massive season this year. Hargrave gained consistent pressure in his lone series against Pittsburgh and reports are that he continues to pressure the interior in camp. Hargrave gave the Eagles solid play last year on a stellar line. It looks like the Eagles might have one of the best defensive tackles combos in the league this year. 

3: Milton Williams, DL

A lot of fans questioned the Milton Williams pick when they first heard his name called on day two. Many had never heard of the Louisiana Tech defensive lineman, most casual Eagles fans not necessarily experts in Conference USA football. He was not a big name from a big school. Soon those opinions changed after fans saw his college production, fans saw his insane athleticism, and fans saw him impress in the offseason and against Pittsburgh.

Williams was an immediate problem against Pittsburgh, his power and explosiveness too much for the opposition. Playing at defensive end, Williams drew a holding and reached the quarterback on an impressive pass rush. Philly has an already pretty stacked defensive line. Philadelphia finished 3rd in the league in sacks last year with 49. Fletcher Cox and Brandon Graham are established top stars in the league. Javon Hargrave, Derek Barnett, and Josh Sweat look primed for breakout years after solid play last year. Adding in a versatile explosive player like Williams will look to ensure Philadelphia is one of the top pass-rushing teams in 2021.

4: Tyree Jackson, TE

The next Logan Thomas? Tight end Tyree Jackson was a name on draft radars a few years ago, but not as a pass-catcher. One of the more intriguing quarterback prospects in the NFL draft, Jackson was a rare blend of size and athleticism. Guys at 6’7 245 should not have been able to move the way he did. Despite being named the South team MVP at the 2019 Senior Bowl, Jackson went undrafted. This was just the start of his journey to the NFL. A stint in Buffalo then with the DC Defenders of the XFL was the precursor to Jackson joining the Eagles in January of 2021, Jackson joining not as a quarterback but as a tight end.

All camp there has been a lot of talk and excitement about the big man from Michigan. The former Buffalo Bulls quarterback impressed the team so much during camp, a favorite target of backup Joe Flacco, that he ran with the second-team offense against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Jackson led the Eagles in targets with four, hauling in two passes for 32 yards. With the success of quarterback-tight end convert Logan Thomas this past season in Washington, Jackson is a name to watch out for to possibly make the team after entering camp as a long shot.

5: Jake Elliott, K

Not having to talk about Jake Elliott after the Eagles week one preseason game against the Steelers is one of the biggest wins for the organization early in the year. Last year saw a scary drop-off for Elliott in the worst year of his career. After hovering over a field goal percentage of 84% for most of his young career, Elliott’s percentage sharply fell to 73% last year. Elliott went from a kicker with average accuracy and a knack for nailing the long kicks, to one of the least accurate kickers in all of football.

Elliott is looking to bounce back in a big way, and it’s starting with his impressive preseason. Elliott didn’t miss a single kick against the Steelers, going a perfect 3-3 and making his lone PAT. Hopefully, this means a return to form for Philadelphia’s kicker.

The post Eagles that shined in the preseason opener appeared first on Pro Football Mania.