Free agency negotiations began at noon as teams were allowed to legally tamper Monday, with contracts becoming official Wednesday.
Winner: Kansas City Chiefs
The reigning Super Bowl Champions continued to show why their the best with the signing of offensive tackle Jawaan Taylor to a four-year, $80 million deal. This deal covers the loss of offensive tackle Andrew Wylie signing with the Washington Commanders. Taylor is 25 years old and allowed 21 pressures in 2022 playing for the Jacksonville Jaguars. Along with the addition of Taylor, the Chiefs are in trade discussions with the Houston Texans to acquire Pro Bowl offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil. This comes after the potential loss of offensive tackle Orlando Brown to free agency. If the Chiefs can have Taylor and Tunsil protect their MVP quarterback Patrick Mahomes, they’ll be even more challenging to compete against in 2023.
Loser: Free Agent Wide Receivers
So far, no free agent wide receivers have been signed to a contract and will have to wait until Day 2 of free agency as teams are unwilling to give a new contract in the current wide receiver market. The only potential movement for wide receivers was the Texans wanting to trade Brandin Cooks, an expected move. The wide receiver market is highlighted by veterans such as Odell Beckham Jr. and Adam Thielen and younger wide receivers such as DJ Chark and Mecole Hardman.
Winner: Ryan Poles
Chicago Bears general manager had a busy day with signing linebacker Tremaine Edmunds, offensive guard Nate Davis and linebacker T.J. Edwards. The Bears held the most cap space and are expected to be the highest spenders in free agency and need to build a team from scratch after the 2022 season. Edmunds signed a four-year, $72 million contract after playing for the Buffalo Bills and now holds the largest four-year contract for an inside linebacker in the NFL. Poles are expected to continue spending to build the offensive and defensive line to make the Bears a legitimate contender in 2023.
Loser: New York Jets & Green Bay Packers
The Jets and Packers are stuck in a stand still waiting for a potential Aaron Rodgers trade to be finalized and cannot make any free agency moves. Until a trade is completed, other teams will take advantage of the opportunity, as the Packers and Jets will have few options once a deal is final. There was reason to think a deal was final earlier Monday as Jets insider Trey Wingo announced via Twitter:
Other NFL insiders said no deal was complete, and both organizations will continue their standstill as the free agent pool becomes smaller by the hour.
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