The NFL free agency frenzy has concluded. The middle weeks of March changed the trajectories of many NFL franchises. The Giants, Bears, Broncos, Falcons, and Saints were the most active teams in the free agent market, all strengthing their rosters in hopes of making a playoff run in 2023.
There were a few big names who signed with new teams, like Javon Hargrave, Jimmy Garoppolo, and Derek Carr. Others were traded like Darren Waller and Jalen Ramsey, while some signed lucrative extensions like Danny Dimes and Geno Smith.
Some of these moves were shrewd, while others were vacuous. With that said, here are the biggest winners and losers from NFL free agency.
Loser: Philadelphia Eagles
The biggest loser of the NFL offseason? The Philadelphia Eagles, and that is a great thing for the rest of the NFC East. After falling just short of winning their second Super Bowl in franchise history (friendly reminder that Eli Manning has double the amount of rings the Eagles franchise has), the birds offensive coordinator Shane Steichen became the head coach of the Indianapolis Colts and their defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon became the head of the Arizona Cardinals.
The Eagles had limited cap space to work with this offseason, which led key starters to find new homes. The birds lost five defensive starters: Hargrave, TJ Edwards, Marcus Epps, Kyzir White, and Chauncey Gardner-Johnson. Philly also lost two offensive starters Miles Saunders and Isaac Seumalo, as well as key offensive backups Andre Dillard, Gardner Minshew, and Zach Pascal.
Jalen Hurts had a tremendous 2022 season, but also had the league's strongest roster around him. That won’t be the case in 2023, so he will have to shoulder a heavy load if the Eagles want to make another deep postseason run. The birds were able to re-sign many veteran players, but the roster is significantly worse than it was a season ago. For that reason, Philly is a big loser.
Winner: New York Giants
In a glass half full view, it has been a solid offseason in New York. After posting the sixth best QBR in 2022, the Giants rewarded Daniel Jones by giving him a four year, $160 million deal that can reach $195 million, with $82 million guaranteed. All of the guaranteed money is in the first two years of the deal, so if Jones regresses significantly, the Giants can painlessly move on after two seasons.
Schoen also smartly franchise tagged Saquon Barkley, allowing him to feel out the running back market before offering Barkley a long-term deal. The Giants also re-built the wide receiver room this offseason. Big Blue signed Parris Campbell, Jamison Crowder, and Jeff Smith. The G-Men also re-signed Sterling Shepard and Darius Slayton to pair with returning wideouts Wan’Dale Robinson, Isaiah Hodgins, and Collin Johnson.
Most significantly, the Giants traded for Waller, who is arguably the second best tight end in football. The Giants traded pick No. 100 in the 2023 draft for Waller, the pick Big Blue got for trading Kadarius Toney to the Chiefs. Waller is the best pass-catching weapon Jones has had to work with in his career.
Schoen also signed inside linebacker Bobby Okereke to a four-year, $40 million deal to plug the biggest hole on the Giants defense. The Giants brought back all of their important offensive players, added to that group, and fixed their main defensive issue. That sounds like a win.
Loser: New York Giants
In a glass half empty view, the Giants free agency decisions left something to be desired. While they did re-sign Jones, tag Barkley, add speedy wideouts, and add a franchise tight end in Waller, Big Blue failed to address the interior of their offensive line, one of the franchise's main needs.
The Giants lost two important interior offensive linemen, Nick Gates and Jon Feliciano in free agency. Even with those two on the roster, Big Blue needed help on the interior of the offensive line. Now they desperately need help.
The 2023 NFL Draft is not stacked with elite interior offensive lineman, so the Giants missed an opportunity to address a huge need in free agency.
The Giants also have a need for a second starting corner to play opposite of Adoree' Jackson, but failed to find one. Julian Love signed with Seattle, and the Giants have yet to find his safety replacement. The Giants signed multiple veterans to be depth pieces in the secondary, but none are starting caliber players.
If the Giants draft their CB2, new starting safety, and two interior linemen starters, they will be relaying on a lot of young players next season. The Giants are in a win-now mode, which makes it essential they have a ton of veteran starters.
Winner: Any quarterback looking to get paid
If you are a quarterback looking to get paid, you are a massive winner of this NFL free agency period. Carr signed a four-year, $150 million deal with the New Orleans Saints, that includes $100 million guaranteed, while Jones signed a contract that can earn him as much as $195 million.
I love Danny Dimes, but he had three mediocre- to-bad seasons before breaking out in 2022, a season in which he only had 22 total touchdowns. That production got him $40 million a season.
Unlike Jones, Carr had a miserable 2022 season. Despite, acquiring Davante Adams, Carr’s Raiders went 6-11. The veteran QB threw 14 interceptions, tied for third most in football. He has also never won a playoff game in nine seasons as a starter, and has only started one playoff game. Despite all the negatives, Carr just secured a contract that will pay him $37.5 million a season.
Hurts, Justin Herbert, and Joe Burrow are all in line for lucrative extensions. If Carr received $37.5 million a year and Jones got $40 million, those three, all of which are younger and have a proven track record of elite play, could break the bank. Those three could receive contracts in the $50-55 million a year range.
Winner: Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins started 8-3 in 2022, but after a litany of injures, mainly Tua Tagovailoa's multiple concussions, the Dolphins lost five straight games before winning the season finale to secure the AFC’s final playoff spot.
Tua should be healthy headed into 2023 and the Dolphins have loaded up. The Dolphins traded Hunter Long and a third-round pick for Jalen Ramsey, which was a heist. Miami also signed Mike White, who profiles as one of the NFL’s better backup quarterbacks.
The Dolphins also added David Long Jr., a linebacker the Giants were linked to, re-signed Raheem Mostert and Jeff Wilson Jr., signed Braxton Berrios, and signed Jake Bailey, a Pro Bowl punter.
The Dolphins hired Vic Fangio, a defense wizard, as their new defensive coordinator. On paper, Miami has the best defense in football heading into 2023. Offensively, the Dolphins are stacked with stars, and will likely address the offensive line in the draft, which is there only real need.
With these new additions, the Dolphins should be one of the AFC favorites, and have a real shot to win the AFC East.