The 2022 NFL free agency will be remembered more for the absurd trade action than the actual contracts that free agents signed to start the league year. Blockbuster trades produced new starting quarterbacks for four different teams.
As if Russell Wilson to Denver wasn’t splashy enough, Deshaun Watson to Cleveland featured a fully guaranteed $230 million contract that shook the market at its core. Just when we thought Green Bay might trade Aaron Rodgers, the Packers instead dealt the game’s best receiver, Davante Adams, to Las Vegas. That surfaced just five days after another high-end receiver, Amari Cooper, was shipped from Dallas to Cleveland. Khalil Mack to the Chargers is almost an afterthought now. That’s how frantic the pace has been.
Free agency is simply trying to keep up. At least the past week taught us a ton about roster strategy for 32 teams. Buffalo got its premier pass-rusher in Von Miller, perhaps the missing player for a Super Bowl run. Jacksonville spent a quarter of a billion dollars just to look presentable on Sundays. The Jets put their ample cap space to good use with offensive line and tight end help. The Dolphins did the same with money spread across several positions. Free-agent quarterbacks Jameis Winston, Marcus Mariota and Mitch Trubisky found offenses where they can make an impact. And the Bengals doubled down on the aggressive spending that helped propel them to the Super Bowl last season.
Overall, execs and agents felt the spending was slower this time around, as teams were still adjusting to the post-COVID-19 reality that they had borrowed too much cap space from future years to get through the pandemic, thus staying frugal. But billions were exchanged, and just as many notes were gathered as I worked the phones over the past week. Let’s share some of them. Here is a free-agency nugget on each of the 32 NFL teams.
Jump to:
ARI | ATL | BAL | BUF | CAR | CHI | CIN
CLE | DAL | DEN | DET | GB | HOU | IND
JAX | KC | LAC | LAR | LV | MIA | MIN
NE | NO | NYG | NYJ | PHI | PIT | SF
SEA | TB | TEN | WSH
See more: Tracking deals | Grades
AFC EAST
Buffalo secured outside linebacker Von Miller with an offer that was hard for other suitors to top, paying the elite pass-rusher $53 million over the next three years and $120 million over the next six. But Miller, agent Joby Branion, family and associates went through a lengthy checklist on prospective teams before he signed with Buffalo, and a few interesting themes emerged.
Buffalo managed to produce a top-ranked defense despite one missing ingredient: a dominant rusher off the edge. That was intriguing. Also, the fact quarterback Josh Allen is 25 years old and under contract for the next seven years in Buffalo was appealing. Remember, Miller signed a contract extension in Denver as Peyton Manning was on his way out. Miller never got back to the playoffs until the Rams traded for him. That wore on him.
Bills fans are intense, which Miller loved, with the pageantry reminding him of College Station from his Texas A&M days. Plus, the Bills really wanted this to happen and weren’t going to lose out on him again. Miller got the impression during the process that the Bills had tried to trade for him in the past, possibly during last year’s trade deadline as the Rams acquired him. When Miller became a free agent, Buffalo quietly applied a full-court press, knowing Los Angeles would be aggressive in trying to re-sign him.
Offensive tackle Terron Armstead signed with Miami on Tuesday night, and some people in the tackle market were predicting it would end up a three-year deal at around $60 million. He came in at five years and up to $87.5 million. While he isn’t hitting $20 million annually, it’s worth noting there was strong buzz that Armstead really wanted to be in Miami. Like, really badly. Take-less-money badly, perhaps?
South Florida is a glorious place. I get it. And while Armstead is a top-five talent at the position, health is the issue. Armstead has never played a full NFL season. The holdup with Miami could have been figuring out a sweet spot with the health component in mind.
If Miami didn’t get Armstead, I think it would have targeted another vertical-threat wide receiver, such as Marquez Valdes-Scantling. And even without an extra wideout, the free-agency haul of Armstead, guard Connor Williams, wide receiver Cedrick Wilson, running backs Chase Edmonds and Raheem Mostert and fullback Alec Ingold is solid work.
New England wanted to add wide receiver help alongside Kendrick Bourne, Nelson Agholor and Jakobi Meyers but wasn’t comfortable overspending. Russell Gage would have been a prime target, but he got $30 million over three years with Tampa Bay. So New England exhausted all options on the middle and lower tiers, and still nothing popped.
Spending big could jeopardize the Patriots’ compensatory pick formula; cornerback J.C. Jackson and offensive lineman Ted Karras scoring big deals elsewhere can help secure a third-round pick or a combination of midround picks, for example. The Patriots are well aware of this and don’t want to compromise that. But expect them to continue to comb the market on wideouts, possibly via trade.
New York determined early in the offseason that it would bolster the tight end position in a big way for offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur. Among tight ends the Jets identified as difference-makers to target in free agency were Dalton Schultz, Evan Engram, C.J. Uzomah and Tyler Conklin, in no particular order. Schultz was off the board due to the Cowboys franchise-tagging him, and Engram took a one-year deal with Jacksonville. But the Jets were determined to get two good tight ends, and Uzomah and Conklin were big gets — players with strong markets who can bolster the Zach Wilson passing attack.
Wide receiver is still a need, but the Jets figure they can do damage here via the draft, a young option via trade or a free agent who falls past the second wave.
AFC NORTH
Baltimore is open to a potential reunion with defensive end Calais Campbell, who still wants to play at age 35 and has leaguewide interest since his game has held up well. The Ravens know they must add a pass-rusher after the Za’Darius Smith deal fell through. (Smith, in turn, agreed to terms with Minnesota this week.)
The Ravens are keeping an eye out for potential cap casualties who could play inside or outside in their 3-4 front. Think of someone like Michael Brockers, who appears to be in Detroit’s defensive plans but carries an $8.975 million cap hit. Baltimore, like every year, wants a released player because it doesn’t count against the comp-pick formula.
Either way, this is a position Baltimore wants to address. It doesn’t have an explanation for what happened with Smith other than he saw the big money on the pass-rush market and had a chance to get it from the Vikings. But now it needs another option.
Cincinnati is in roster-improvement mode in a big way, and now that it has shored up its offensive line with three additions (La’el Collins, Alex Cappa and Ted Karras), it’s moving on to its other line. But the Bengals face challenges there. They had made attempts to sign Jarran Reed, a former Chiefs and Seahawks defensive tackle who has 24.5 career sacks over six seasons. But he is now off to Green Bay. Bringing back Larry Ogunjobi is a possibility, I’m told, but he’ll want starter’s money that Cincinnati might not have. Ogunjobi had agreed to terms with the Bears, but he failed his physical, and he is now back on the market.
The Browns’ decision to pursue quarterback Deshaun Watson was hardly reactionary. I’m told Cleveland first started to investigate Watson around the end of the 2021 regular season (think late December, early January). The Browns had the option to keep Baker Mayfield at that point but had started doing homework on the big-picture quarterback landscape.
That research included the outsourcing of a private investigator to evaluate Watson due to allegations of sexual assault and inappropriate conduct. Watson will not be criminally charged, but he still faces 22 lawsuits and a potential NFL suspension. The Browns legitimately thought they were out of the Watson sweepstakes as of Thursday night. On Friday morning, they got clarity that Watson would be open to Cleveland.
2:16
Booger McFarland discusses how Deshaun Watson fits with the Cleveland Browns after being traded.
After an uncharacteristically active free agency in Pittsburgh, the Steelers are still on the lookout for safety help. Yes, we hear the chatter about Tyrann Mathieu, who plays with the kind of edge that would seamlessly fit in Pittsburgh. But Pittsburgh also is monitoring Terrell Edmunds, a four-year starter with the Steelers who is yet to sign anywhere. A reunion is not off the table. And a wild-card option is free safety Damontae Kazee, who played for Dallas last season. He is known as a ball hawk who can play multiple spots. The Steelers have him on their radar.
AFC SOUTH
Houston general manager Nick Caserio’s affinity with the midlevel contract is reaching astonishing levels. In 2021, his first free agency, he signed 12 players to one- or two-year deals between $2 million and $8 million. This time, he has intensified that approach with nine deals between $2.25 million and $10 million. Houston’s biggest deal was an extension for defensive tackle Maliek Collins at two years and $17 million.
It’s clear that Caserio’s plan is depth and cap-space freedom. Save offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil and wide receiver Brandin Cooks — holdovers from the previous regime — no Texans player has a larger cap hit than $4.875 million (Eric Murray).
I’m told that Indy didn’t have substantive talks with the Browns on Baker Mayfield or the 49ers on Jimmy Garoppolo in its quarterback search. In fact, the Colts heavily weighed the free-agent option, knowing they wouldn’t have to relinquish a draft pick to get a starter.
Indianapolis spent time researching Jameis Winston, making phone calls to people close to him to get a feel for how he’d fit. And the Colts discussed having him make a visit before he signed a two-year deal to stay with New Orleans.
But the Matt Ryan situation was ideal because the Colts got an accomplished passer without having to give up much. Atlanta’s tricky cap situation and Ryan’s $48 million cap hit provided leverage for Indy, which gave up a third-round pick. GM Chris Ballard’s patience worked out perfectly.
Opposing teams weren’t wild about Jacksonville giving wide receiver Christian Kirk a $84 million contract over four years, believing it set an unnecessary precedent for a good but not elite player. But a few execs sort of admired the Jaguars handing $259.5 million to seven free agents for one simple reason.
“The roster isn’t great, so you have to do what you have to do to get immediate help,” an AFC exec said. “They are going for it. Not sure I would have done it, but I understand the logic.”
Tennessee saw a unique opening with tight end Austin Hooper, whom the Browns released last week. The Titans were in transition at the position after losing Jonnu Smith to the Patriots in 2021 free agency. But Tennessee sees Hooper as a top-level tight end, versatile enough to handle its run-heavy attack while also possessing the ability to catch 60 passes in a season.
Spending $9 million on the position this month — $6 million for Hooper and $3 million for Geoff Swaim — helps Tennessee offset the loss of wideout Julio Jones, who was released. Look for Tennessee to possibly go with more two-tight end sets in 2022.
AFC WEST
In Denver’s pursuit of a starting right tackle, the Broncos monitored La’el Collins’ market, but they didn’t go heavy on him. They were looking at Collins as a potential option but never got too deep.
So the Broncos dug in on Brandon Shell, Russell Wilson’s teammate over the past two years in Seattle. They needed to put Shell through a physical and make sure a previous shoulder issue checked out. Now he is poised to sign with the team. The Wilson influence in Denver looms large. We’ve heard Wilson has recruited former Seahawks linebacker Bobby Wagner to come play with him too.
Watch for Kansas City to potentially move on a veteran corner in the coming weeks. Two names I’ve heard in connection to the Chiefs when asking around: free agent Stephon Gilmore and the Giants’ James Bradberry, who is a trade or release candidate in New York.
How hard Kansas City might pursue on those players is in question, but other teams believe Kansas City could be in the market for an experienced, high-pedigree corner at a reasonable price. The AFC West passing attacks are loaded, and Kansas City needs a third corner beside L’Jarius Sneed and Rashad Fenton.
As an aside, it wouldn’t surprise if Kansas City brings back Ben Niemann at linebacker.
1:33
Marcus Spears outlines why it won’t be an easy path to the playoffs for the Chiefs.
The Raiders were multitasking on the wide receiver front last week. While they were working a potential Davante Adams trade, they also were in on Allen Robinson II’s free agency. Adams was the undeniable target, but if Robinson could have been had at a competitive price, they would have strongly considered jumping on that.
Robinson’s value — $46.5 million over three years to the Rams — was steep. But he wanted to play with a top-shelf quarterback, which gave the Raiders an advantage over other teams. If the Raiders would have landed Robinson, maybe the Adams trade wouldn’t have happened.
Los Angeles showed what happens when a plan evolves. The Chargers were set on improving their defense, and among attractive players were defensive tackle B.J. Hill and cornerback Charvarius Ward. Both had hot markets, maybe more so than expected coming out of the 2021 season.
But the Chargers also have kept their eyes on market-setters like corner J.C. Jackson and ascending young players such as defensive tackle Sebastian Joseph-Day dating back to the combine. Having options and flexibility helped them land those two impact defenders when they felt like other markets were challenging. Jackson signed for five years and $82.5 million, while Joseph-Day agreed on three years and $24 million.
NFC EAST
Dallas is still looking for pass-rush help. One option on its radar is Jason Pierre-Paul, who is still a candidate to re-sign with the Bucs but will have options. Pair Pierre-Paul with newly acquired Dante Fowler Jr. and there’s your Plan B to signing Randy Gregory.
The Cowboys had big plans for Gregory, who was displeased with the default language in the Cowboys’ contract and bolted to Denver. But credit to the Cowboys for pivoting to their young defensive players at the midtier level, retaining pass-rusher Dorance Armstrong and safeties Jayron Kearse and Malik Hooker for less than a combined $16 million per year. Some around the league believe Armstrong has untapped potential as a talented, powerful rusher.
New York has made clear it’s willing to hold onto corner James Bradberry for a while despite his $21 million cap hit. I was told that new GM Joe Schoen has considered keeping Bradberry well into the offseason because he is a good player and the Giants want a fair return for him. Or they could keep him outright. Multiple teams have contacted New York to express interest in the playmaking corner.
Could the Giants’ change course if no substantial offers come in the next few weeks? Perhaps. But releasing Bradberry in, say, early April would be tough for the player because much of the free-agency money would be dried up by then. Several Giants veterans have faced a restructure, pay reduction or outright release in recent weeks. Bradberry is the last ball to drop, and the draft might be the next trigger point on this.
The Eagles have looked at some high-level pass-catching options this offseason, including the Falcons’ Calvin Ridley and the Rams’ Robert Woods via trade. They can still target help — free agent Jarvis Landry would be a great complement to DeVonta Smith and Quez Watkins — but signing Zach Pascal to a one-year deal is a sneaky good move. He had a down year in 2021, thus hurting his value, but he recorded back-to-back 600-yard seasons with Indy in 2019 and 2020 with Nick Sirianni as his offensive coordinator.
Pascal was considered an ascending player, but he didn’t gel with Carson Wentz in Indianapolis for whatever reason. The Eagles have big plans for him, as he can play outside or in the slot as a No. 2 or No. 3 receiver.
Washington’s offseason plan is coming into focus: Retain valuable midtier players, and load up for that Terry McLaurin extension. I’m told McLaurin is still very much the priority, which makes the recent salary-cap savings from roster cuts useful.
The Commanders saved $6.6 million with the Landon Collins release, and the Andrew Norwell-for-Ereck Flowers swap at guard saves around $7.2 million for the cap. The wide receiver market has ballooned to $20 million per year for elite guys, so Washington needs the space to keep McLaurin. It has re-signed several in-house names, such as safety Bobby McCain and wideout Cam Sims, and it wants to sign offensive tackle Cornelius Lucas too.
NFC NORTH
Defensive tackle Justin Jones was the beneficiary of Larry Ogunjobi’s failed physical with Chicago. The Bears acted swiftly when they determined they wouldn’t keep Ogunjobi, negotiating with Jones — a three-year starter for the Chargers — on Thursday night. As a result, Jones scored big on a two-year, $12 million deal with $9 million guaranteed and a $6 million signing bonus.
Overall, Chicago took a prudent approach to Ryan Poles’ first free agency as the Bears’ GM. The team identified several players as great fits but not worth a bidding war. One example was right tackle Chukwuma Okorafor. He could have been a Bear, but not at three years and $29.25 million, which Pittsburgh was willing to pay to re-sign him.
For a little Rams flavor, Detroit GM Brad Holmes — Les Snead’s top lieutenant in Los Angeles before taking the Lions’ job — was interested in signing linebacker Cory Littleton, who rose to fame as a do-it-all Ram a few years back. Littleton chose Carolina, which guaranteed $2 million of his $2.6 million deal. But Detroit is in the linebacker market, so don’t be surprised if it fills a spot there soon.
Reunite with quarterback Aaron Rodgers and get rich a year from now. That’s the dream Green Bay can sell to pass-catchers it is trying to retain. Tight end Robert Tonyan signed a one-year, $3.7 million deal with upside to $5.5 million, knowing that while coming off an ACL he can still put up big numbers with Rodgers and reestablish his value in 2023.
Green Bay is hoping wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling — the top true vertical threat still on the market — follows a similar approach, but Valdes-Scantling has multiple suitors at the moment.
0:53
Mel Kiper Jr. identifies the wide receiver the Packers could look at late in the first round.
The Vikings now have one of the league’s fiercest pass-rush duos with Za’Darius Smith and Danielle Hunter, after Smith signed a three-year, $42 million deal with upside to $47 million. Smith wanted to be in Minnesota in part due to familiarity. Defensive coaches Mike Pettine and Mike Smith have worked with Smith in the past and have extensive knowledge of his skill set.
The expectation, at least right now, is that Smith and Hunter will play together. The Vikings have been pretty adamant in recent days that they are not trading Hunter. Buzz grew around the start of free agency that the Vikings might deal Hunter, whose $18 million roster bonus recently became guaranteed. Minnesota ultimately decided to keep him. But multiple teams checked in on Hunter, and the Vikings had active discussions about his trade market.
The Browns were involved to some degree, as they looked at all pass-rushers who might have been available. New Vikings GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah was in Cleveland with Browns GM Andrew Berry, so that’s an easy conversation. All of that’s probably a moot point now unless a team makes a spirited rerun at Hunter.
NFC SOUTH
Here’s an illustration of how close the Falcons were to getting quarterback Deshaun Watson: Several sources say Watson corresponded with free agents Jarvis Landry and Leonard Fournette about playing together in Atlanta, very possibly over FaceTime. As of Thursday night, the feeling was Watson expected to go to Atlanta. And Atlanta thought it had Watson, who was considering the pass-catching weapons who could join him there — until Cleveland came with a deal that would be nearly impossible to refuse.
Had Carolina not pursued Deshaun Watson as a trade option, here’s to thinking the Panthers would have pursued Mitch Trubisky in free agency. They were intrigued by him. Now Watson is in Cleveland, and Trubisky is in Pittsburgh, and questions remain at quarterback for Carolina. But the sentiment after surveying some people around the league is that Carolina has built a good roster around the position.
Interior offensive linemen Austin Corbett and Bradley Bozeman were solid adds, with Bozeman classifying as a steal at $2.8 million. A few I spoke to were surprised at that number and figured he would have gotten more. The center market just never developed as some had expected it would.
Carolina found three defensive starters in linebacker Damien Wilson, linebacker Cory Littleton and defensive lineman Matt Ioannidis, all of whom came on reasonable deals. Wilson was a player several teams liked a lot.
Now the Panthers are seeking a left tackle. They looked into Trent Brown’s market but considered $10 million to $12 million per year for him too steep. Brown signed with the Patriots, and Terron Armstead (another prior option for Carolina) agreed with the Dolphins. So the Panthers could now consider former Seahawks tackle Duane Brown as a sensible option.
New Orleans can examine free-agent left tackle options with Terron Armstead signing elsewhere, but it also gave swing tackle James Hurst real money in free agency last year. Hurst is playing out the second year of a three-year, $9 million deal that pays just $1.12 million this year due to a contract restructure. Hurst’s presence prevents New Orleans from having to overreach, knowing the draft — where solutions await — is nearly a month away. Or the Saints could add a veteran left tackle. There are options. But they don’t have to panic.
No team has mastered keeping the band together quite like the Bucs, who for the second consecutive March are tasked with retaining key talent around quarterback Tom Brady. They work the cap and restructure contracts and get to the finish line to maximize the Brady window at any cost.
Center Ryan Jensen, wide receiver Chris Godwin and running back Leonard Fournette got new deals. Defensive end William Gholston is on the verge of re-signing. And don’t be surprised if defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh returns. He has talked with coaches in the past about strengthening his Hall of Fame résumé with another season in Tampa Bay. At age 35, Suh has back-to-back six-sack seasons and could go for a third.
NFC WEST
Arizona is still looking for wide receiver help in the second wave of free agency. The Cardinals won’t spend big but will be looking for a third option alongside DeAndre Hopkins and Rondale Moore.
Bringing back A.J. Green isn’t off the table. The Cardinals very much want him back after having a good experience with him. But Arizona isn’t afraid of a good splash move, which is why perhaps a marquee option such as Odell Beckham Jr. shouldn’t be counted out here.
Among factors that led to the Robert Woods trade was the Rams’ desire for a wideout with size for Matthew Stafford on jump balls/contested catches. Allen Robinson II is 6-foot-2 and 220 pounds.
But another was the continued development of Van Jefferson on a rookie contract. That left Jefferson, a franchise pillar with a $10 million guaranteed salary, in a precarious spot. The Rams got Woods involved in the trade process, providing him with a handful of teams that were interested. Woods approved the teams for which he would play, and Tennessee — which acquired Woods on Saturday night for a sixth-round pick — was obviously one.
The Rams had to do what was best for the team but also felt they had to be up front with Woods, who meant a lot to the franchise.
1:58
Jeremy Fowler details Aaron Donald possibly signing a contract extension with the Rams and Jadeveon Clowney re-signing with the Browns.
I talked to a source who said the 49ers aren’t in a major rush to move quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. The 49ers budgeted for this offseason knowing they could carry Garoppolo’s $26 million cap hit and still do what’s necessary in free agency and the draft from a cash standpoint.
Garoppolo’s market appears to be slow right now. Teams I’ve talked to have legitimate concern about the shoulder surgery and what that might mean for his offseason and the 2022 campaign. Trey Lance has gotten the full impression behind the scenes that he will start in 2022. So while the expectation is San Francisco will move Garoppolo eventually, it feels like the team is in a holding pattern on that.
Seattle will continue efforts to shore up the defense. The Seahawks want a versatile interior rusher and have worked to retain Rasheem Green. Adding another cornerback is also an option. They might not spend big here but are looking for reinforcements.
The expectation remains that left tackle Duane Brown could return to Seattle, though he will have other suitors. There’s at least interest. And at quarterback, Seattle has done some legwork on Baker Mayfield, but that’s mostly due diligence — just watching his tape and discussing the possibility.