LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Rams on Thursday night unveiled their Super Bowl LVI rings featuring what the team said is the most carat weight in the history of a sports championship ring.
The rings were unveiled in a private ceremony the night before the Rams’ coaching staff is scheduled to report to training camp in Irvine, California.
The top of the ring features the Rams’ logo made up of blue and yellow sapphires, the Lombardi trophy and two palm trees. Under the removable top of the ring there is a view of SoFi Stadium, surrounded by a piece of a Super Bowl LVI game ball. The field underneath the roof is made up of remnants of the SoFi Stadium turf from the 2020 and 2021 seasons.
Each ring has approximately 20 carats of white diamonds set on white and yellow gold, to represent the official opening of SoFi Stadium in 2020.
💎 Most carat weight in history of a sports championship ring.
The Super Bowl LVI ring in all it’s glory.
— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) July 22, 2022
The Rams also chose to represent Jan. 12, honoring three dates in franchise history, with 1.12 carats of diamonds, On Jan. 12, 2016, the Rams were approved to move back to Los Angeles; on Jan. 12, 2017, the Rams hired Sean McVay as coach; and on Jan. 12, 2019, the Rams beat the Dallas Cowboys for their first playoff victory after returning to L.A.
The final scores of each playoff game from the 2021 season are on the underside of the ring. The two stones on each side of the ring represent the four teams the Rams beat in the playoffs to win Super Bowl LVI: the Arizona Cardinals, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, San Francisco 49ers and Cincinnati Bengals.
The ring design was a collaborative effort between Rams players, team leadership and Los Angeles-based jewelry house Jason of Beverly Hills.
“To be able to not only win the Super Bowl, but also to do it in the house Mr. Kroenke built, is really a dream come true,” Rams VP of football and business affairs Tony Pastoors said in a statement. “We are grateful to Jason and his team for their creativity and passion to deliver a championship ring that reflects our team and their historic season, the one-of-a-kind stadium where it happened, and the city that inspired all of it.”
Featuring a pair of palm trees atop the Rams logo, the rings have removable tops that reveal SoFi Stadium’s bowl underneath. In terms of carat weight, they are the heaviest sports championship rings in history, according to the team. The rings — which were designed in a collaboration by jewelry house Jason of Beverly Hills, Rams players and team leadership, according to the team website — have approximately 20 carats of white diamonds set on white and gold. The 20-carat weight is a celebration of SoFi Stadium’s 2020 official opening.
“Most people don’t understand how immersed we become in the design process,” Jason of Beverly Hills CEO Jason Arasheben said, via the team website. “We are passionate about understanding the team, the season, and the city. We spent an entire day at SoFi Stadium. The first thing I said was, ‘What can you get me from the game? The field? Ball? What else?’ I didn’t just want it to be historical in design, but have physical elements from the event as well. It all adds value and authenticity, creating a one-of-a-kind piece of memorabilia.”
Five months ago, the Rams defeated the Cincinnati Bengals, 23-20, to win the franchise’s first Super Bowl while representing Los Angeles. Receiver Cooper Kupp won Super Bowl Most Valuable Player, but big games were had by many on head coach Sean McVay’s squad, including quarterbacks Matthew Stafford and defensive lineman Aaron Donald. Odell Beckham, who was injured in the Super Bowl and is currently a free agent, was also noticeably in attendance to get his ring. Pass rusher Von Miller, who is now a Buffalo Bill, was also in attendance.
Following Thursday night, the Rams’ focus shifts to a repeat and another set of rings to collect.
The Rams kick off their Super Bowl defense — and the 2022 the season as a whole — on Thursday, Sept. 8, when they host the Buffalo Bills at SoFi Stadium.
All-Pro defensive tackle Aaron Donald is returning to the Los Angeles Rams with a big raise that will make him the highest-paid non-quarterback in the NFL.
The Rams reworked Donald’s deal to give him a $40 million raise over the last three years of his existing contract, sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter, making him the first non-quarterback to eclipse $30 million per season. The reworked deal brings the total value of Donald’s contract to $95 million over three years.
The deal, which was negotiated by agent Todd France, includes $65 million guaranteed in the first two years of the contract and is structured in such a way that Donald can either retire or return for the 2024 season for an additional $30 million guaranteed, sources told Schefter.
The reworked contract includes a no-trade clause, a source told ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
Donald, 31, was taking his physical and is expected to sign the contract later Monday, sources told Schefter. The Rams begin their mandatory minicamp Tuesday.
Donald had indicated on the “I Am Athlete” podcast last week that his return for the 2022 season was contingent on getting a new deal and that he would be “at peace” with his career if an agreement couldn’t be reached.
The three-time Defensive Player of the Year sealed the Rams’ victory over the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl LVI when he pressured quarterback Joe Burrow into an errant throw on fourth down late in the fourth quarter.
Donald had 12.5 sacks in the regular season and then followed that up with 3.5 more in the playoffs during the Rams’ run to the Super Bowl championship.
In eight seasons, Donald has 98 sacks. He has six seasons with at least 10 sacks — the second most by a primary interior lineman since sacks became official in 1982, trailing only John Randle, who had nine such seasons.
He has been selected to the Pro Bowl in each of his NFL seasons and has been a first-time All-Pro selection seven times. He is one of three defensive players since the 1970 merger to earn a Pro Bowl selection in each of their first eight NFL seasons, alongside Hall of Famers Lawrence Taylor (10) and Derrick Thomas (9).
ESPN Stats & Information contributed to this report.
The reigning Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams will host the Denver Broncos on Christmas Day, the NFL announced Tuesday.
The Week 16 game will air on CBS and Nickelodeon at 4:30 p.m. ET. It will be the second game of a Christmas tripleheader that was announced by the NFL last month.
The game will pit Los Angeles against longtime rival Russell Wilson, who played 20 games against the Rams as the quarterback for the Seattle Seahawks. Wilson was traded to Denver in a blockbuster deal in March.
It will be the third straight year the NFL has played on Christmas.
Last year, the Packers’ Christmas Day victory over the Browns averaged 28.6 million viewers on Fox, making it the third-most-watched game of the 2021 regular season. The Colts’ win over the Cardinals averaged 12.6 million on NFL Network, the second-highest-viewed game in network history.
For Week 16 of this upcoming season, the league will have its regular Thursday night game on Dec. 22. Eleven games will be on Saturday, Dec. 24, including a night game on NFL Network. After the Christmas tripleheader, the week will close with a Monday night contest on Dec. 26.
There have been 24 NFL games played on Christmas Day, including two postseason contests in 1971. The most famous Dec. 25 game remains Miami’s 27-24 victory over Kansas City in double overtime in the AFC divisional round that year.
The complete regular-season schedule will be released Thursday, but the NFL already has announced several matchups, including a Week 2 Monday Night Football doubleheader and the league’s 2022 international series games.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
The Los Angeles Rams don’t exactly seem to believe in building through the NFL draft. Their first pick of the 2022 draft won’t come until the third round. The Rams’ GM Les Snead famously has a coffee mug and T-shirt expressing his opinion of draft capital.
But this is Hollywood. There could be a plot twist or a film noir-style surprise coming. Maybe even a plan to assemble a crew to steal the draft in Las Vegas.
The Super Bowl champs released a short film Tuesday titled “On the Clock.” With its own tagline (“The House Always Wins”), the video reimagines the draft as an epic cross between “Ocean’s Eleven” and “The Fast and the Furious.”
The plot: Owner Stan Kroenke, played by Dennis Quaid, must assemble his crew to take down the draft. Snead, played by “Lost” and “Yellowstone” actor Josh Holloway; coach Sean McVay, played by Scott Eastwood; and defensive coordinator Raheem Morris, played by “Fast” franchise alum Tyrese Gibson, recruit their crack team.
That team features Kendall Blanton, Terrell Burgess, Aaron Donald, Tyler Higbee, Jordan Fuller, Van Jefferson, Cooper Kupp, David Long Jr., Jalen Ramsey, Nick Scott, Ben Skowronek and Matthew Stafford.
There are sports cars, Kupp in a high-speed chase and Fuller and Jefferson stealing the show with some comedic chops. The show even has a few draft Easter eggs. Kupp (69th overall selection in 2017), Blanton (undrafted in 2019), Burgess (104th in 2020), Higbee (110th in 2016), Fuller (199th in 2020), Long (79th in 2019), Scott (243rd in 2019) and Skowronek (249th in 2021) were all picked in the third round or later. Stafford and Ramsey came to Los Angeles via trades of first-round picks.
Inside linebacker Bobby Wagner gained more experience for his post-career aspiration of becoming an NFL team president by negotiating his own contract for the second time his NFL career. The dynamics were different than when Wagner negotiated a three-year, $54 million contract extension averaging $18 million per year with the Seahawks in 2019 to become the NFL’s highest-paid off-ball linebacker.
Wagner, who turns 32 in June, had to navigate the open market this time around because the Seahawks released him in the days leading up to the start of free agency rather than pay him $16.6 million in 2022 on a $20.35 million salary cap number. He learned NFL teams have concerns about making major financial commitments to older players at non-premium positions, regardless of performance. The 10-year veteran had a career-high 170 tackles while earning his eighth straight Pro Bowl selection and second team All-Pro honors last season.
Wagner’s deal
Wagner signed a five-year, $50 million contract worth up to $65 million through incentives with the Rams. The future Hall of Famer reportedly turned down a multiyear contract from the Ravens containing $18 million fully guaranteed to stay close to home. Wagner is from Ontario, California, which is 50 miles east of SoFi Stadium in Inglewood where the Rams’ home games are played.
The contract contains $20 million in guarantees, of which $10 million is fully guaranteed at signing. Wagner’s $5 million signing bonus, $1.5 million 2022 base salary and $3.5 million fifth day of the 2023 league year roster bonus comprise the fully guaranteed money. Technically, the roster bonus is guaranteed for skill and injury at signing and the salary cap guarantee kicks in on April 8. The roster bonus doesn’t have an offset.
The other $10 million of security comes from Wagner’s $7.5 million 2023 base salary and $2.5 million fifth day of the 2024 league year roster bonus. Both are guaranteed for injury at signing and become fully guaranteed next March on the fifth day of the 2023 league year.
Wagner has $8.5 million base salaries in 2024 and 2026. His 2025 base salary is $8 million. There are also $2.5 million fifth day of the league year roster bonuses in 2025 and 2026.
The deal has $3 million in annual incentives and $2 million is based on Wagner’s playtime and the Rams’ performance. Wagner gets $250,000 each for 80% or more defensive playtime and the Rams improving their league ranking in points allowed, total defense or average net yards given up per passing play for a total of $750,000. Taking at least 90% of the Rams’ defensive snaps is worth $500,000. Reaching the playtime threshold while the Rams make the playoffs earns an additional $750,000.
One million is tied to Wagner’s honors each season. Wagner gets $500,000 for being selected to the Pro Bowl and the Rams improving their league ranking from the 2021 season in points allowed, total defense or average net yards given up per passing play. It’s $1 million instead for first team All-Pro/All-NFL by the Associated Press, Pro Football Writers of America or Sporting News.
Wagner has the right to void his 2024, 2025 and 2026 contract years. He must play at least 90% of the Rams’ defensive snaps in 2022 and 2023, or earn Pro Bowl honors in both seasons, in order to have the option to get out of the final three years.
There were questions about how the Rams were able to acquire Wagner when news of him agreeing to terms broke last week. The Rams had just over $8.7 million of 2022 salary cap space, according to NFLPA, prior to signing him. Wagner’s 2022 cap number is just $2.5 million ($1 million of signing bonus proration and $1.5 million base salary).
The modest $5 million signing bonus allows the Rams to exit the deal after one season prior to an additional $10 million becoming fully guaranteed on the fifth day of the 2023 league year, with minimal cap consequences if Wagner’s skills start to rapidly diminish this season. Wagner’s 2023 cap number is $12 million while the Rams would have a $7.5 million cap charge with him having a very short stint in Los Angeles.
In this case, Wagner would have a one-year deal for $10 million because the March 2023 roster bonus doesn’t have an offset. The lack of an offset prevents the Rams from reducing the $3.5 million owed to Wagner if released by the amount of his new deal with another team. Wagner would get to “double dip” where he would receive $3.5 million from the Rams in addition to his full salary from his new contract with another club. With an offset, Wagner would have a one-year deal for $6.5 million because the Rams would be able to recoup the $3.5 million owed to him from his next contract. Presumably, none of the incentives would be earned in this worst-case scenario.
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How earnable are Wagner’s incentives?
Wagner characterized the incentives as “achievable” in a CNBC interview with Jabari Young. The intention is for Wagner to remain on the field every down and pair him with 2021 third-rounder Ernest Jones at inside linebacker.
The incentives needed to qualify as not likely to be earned (NLTBE) so there wouldn’t be any cap charges during the season given the Rams’ salary cap constraints. Any incentive based on what Wagner or the Rams achieved statistically during the 2021 season is considered likely to be earned and immediately counts against the salary cap while anything that wasn’t achieved in 2021 doesn’t initially count. Wagner’s playtime in 2021 was 89.1%, which is why the standalone threshold is 90% playtime.
Linking individual and team achievements together also classifies an incentive as NLTBE. The three easiest achievable team categories based on the Rams’ 2021 performance are the ones in Wagner’s contract. The Rams ranked 15th, 15th and 17th last season in points allowed, average net yards given up per passing play and total defense. The playtime/team improvement incentives are based on performance bonuses in the extension inside linebacker Alec Ogletree signed with the Rams in 2017, except his playtime threshold was 85% instead of Wagner’s 80%.
Wagner has a legitimate chance of earning the $2 million of playtime/Rams performance incentives annually provided he stays healthy and continues to be an every-down linebacker. Over the past five seasons (2017-21), Wagner was on the field for 94.5% of Seattle’s defensive plays.
Wagner will need to have a similar career trajectory of the off-ball linebackers inducted into the Hall of Fame in recent years to earn any of the honors incentives. Ray Lewis was selected to the Pro Bowl during every season for the ages Wagner is under contract to the Rams (32 through 36). He was a first team All-Pro as a 33- and 34-year-old. Brian Urlacher was a Pro Bowler at 32 and 33. Derrick Brooks’ last first team All-Pro selection came when he was 32. He went to the Pro Bowl when he was 32, 34 and 35. The most recent inductee, Sam Mills, was named first team All-Pro as a 37-year-old.
It’s conceivable that Wagner will earn the right to opt out of his contract. Considering Wagner’s age was a concern this year, trying to get more than $32.5 million, with an additional $9 million of incentives over the final three years of this contract on the open market two years from now for seasons when he is 34, 35 and 36, would be a risky proposition. If Wagner maintains his level of play, he might be able to use the void to get the final three years structured better where there is additional security and some, if not all, of the incentives are put in the base value of the deal.
Final thoughts
The value of Wagner’s contract will depend on how he continues to perform. It’s a one-year deal for $10 million in the worst-case scenario. As long as Wagner is still with the Rams next March after the fifth day of the 2023 league year, he is assured of $20 million from the contract. Wagner maintaining his current level of play for an extended period of time should allow him to get into latter years of deal. If so, it’s hard imagine that Wagner wouldn’t have a realistic opportunity to earn at least $2 million of the incentives annually.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Tennessee Titans have acquired wide receiver Robert Woods from the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for a 2023 sixth-round pick, sources confirmed to ESPN on Saturday night.
Woods tore his ACL Nov. 13 and was due a $3.5 million roster bonus from the Rams on Sunday. The veteran wide receiver became available after Los Angeles signed free agent receiver Allen Robinson II to a three-year, $45 million contract last Thursday.
The Titans’ acquisition of Woods gives them a viable option as the team’s No. 2 wide receiver. Tennessee released Julio Jones on Wednesday with a post-June 1 designation. The move saved the Titans $9.5 million in cap space. Woods holds a $13.5 million salary cap hit in 2022. The 30-year old receiver signed a four-year, $65 million contract with the Rams in 2020. He has no dead cap hit in the remaining years of his contract.
Woods, 29, was a second-round choice by the Buffalo Bills in 2013 out of USC, and had 45 receptions last season for the Super Bowl champions, totaling 556 yards and four touchdowns before suffering the major knee injury. He was a key cog in the offense early on, as the Rams built up momentum and chemistry with new quarterback Matthew Stafford, but played in only nine games. Meanwhile, Cooper Kupp and Odell Beckham Jr. became Stafford’s primary targets en route to the title.
Though he didn’t suit up with his teammates for the Super Bowl, Woods did speak with reporters prior to it, and expressed his appreciation for the postseason run.
“I feel like recently I was able to overcome that feeling of like ‘Ah man, not being a part of it,'” Woods said at the time. “I feel like the team has been really, really big on like ‘You’re a part of this, you’re a part of this, you’re a part of this.’ Initially, you’re fresh out of being injured, fresh out of surgery and you’re like ‘Man, I was just doing that a few weeks ago’ … But really, I feel like I was able to get past that and able to really enjoy this whole playoff experience.”
Many teammates lauded the attitude and approach Woods took through the journey, including Stafford.
“Robert Woods is the L.A. Rams,” he said. “When I think about him, I think about the toughness. I think about the attention to detail. I think about unselfishness, and I think about all of the things that we talk about as a team that we want to be. That’s bottled up into one person.
“Few guys on our team care more about other guys than Robert Woods.”
Woods has 7,077 receiving yards and 35 touchdowns for his career on 570 receptions.
Could Robert Woods be on the trade block? The Rams have received calls about the receiver’s availability, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter).
[RELATED: Rams To Sign Allen Robinson]
The Super Bowl champs shocked many when they inked Allen Robinson to a deal, and subsequent reports indicated that the team was still interested in re-signing Odell Beckham Jr.. Cooper Kupp obviously isn’t going anywhere, and Van Jefferson was productive during his sophomore season. While the Rams have a high-flying offense, something was clearly going to give.
It could end up being Woods, who hauled in 45 receptions for 556 yards and four touchdowns before tearing his ACL in practice. That injury happened in November, and while we’ve seen some miraculous recoveries in recent years, Woods would be hard pressed to be ready for the start of the 2022 season.
When healthy, Woods has been one of the most productive receivers in the NFL. He topped 1,000 yards from scrimmage each season between 2018 and 2020, and inquiring teams are surely counting on Woods returning to form. Woods inked a four-year, $65MM extension with the Rams in 2020, and he’s attached to $15MM+ cap hits for the next four seasons.
The 2022 NFL offseason is officially upon us. Several big-name quarterbacks found new homes ahead of the kickoff of the legal tampering period Monday, but now dozens of notable veterans are actually hitting the market, free to negotiate with other teams. From blockbuster moves to bargain-bin shopping, we’ve got you covered below with a running tracker of every team’s 2022 additions, including external signings and trade acquisitions:
Acquisitions:
It’s not that the players the Cardinals added or retained are bad; Conner and Ertz are vital to their offense. But paying those two a combined $50M+ on long-term deals? What is this, 2017? Arizona went all in on older and/or injury-prone veterans a year ago, but it’d be nice to see the team go a little greener if its gonna spend big money. It has also got pass rusher to address.
Locking up one of the NFL’s most accurate kickers is fine. But they’ve got lots of holes still to fill, especially if they plan on competing with Matt Ryan (or, somehow, Deshaun Watson) at QB. Letting Russell Gage walk may haunt them. They did recently take a step in the right direction by inking Casey Hayward to a two-year deal to be the team’s No. 2 corner.
There are other areas (OL, DL) that need addressing, but Williams is a top-flight ball hawk who will instantly improve their defense in transition, especially alongside a healthier Marcus Peters, Marlon Humphrey, etc.
Von Miller will be a huge difference maker on defense. They basically swapped out Daryl Williams for Saffold, which isn’t an obvious upgrade. Settle is a solid pickup for the D-line, as is Howard for the offense.
Foreman gives them big-bodied insurance for Christian McCaffrey, which is smart. And Corbett is their best O-line investment in two years. Woods, meanwhile, brings experience to the back end of the defense at a reasonable price. Now, what happens at QB?
They’re betting on Ogunjobi’s continued development, but the price tag is still relatively steep at $13.5M per year. Let’s see what they do at other important spots (WR, OL, etc.).
Good for them, finally getting Joe Burrow some more help up front. Cappa and Karras weren’t necessarily the best options out there, but they’ll do. Also, was B.J. Hill worth locking up over Larry Ogunjobi? Maybe. Maybe not.
Losing Jarvis Landry hurts, but getting Cooper gives them a bona fide No. 1 — at a reasonable cost, considering the free-agent market, no less. Bryan and Winovich are decent depth additions. Let’s see what happens at QB.
Dallas Cowboys: C
Gallup is worth keeping, no doubt, but they’re gonna miss Amari Cooper more than most realize, especially with Cedrick Wilson now gone as well. They deserve props for retaining Schultz, too, but there’s still a glaring pass-rushing need to fill after they whiffed on re-signing Randy Gregory.
It would be really hard for them to lose an “A” this offseason, because, well, Russell Wilson. They promised to be aggressive at QB, and they delivered. Jones is their next-best addition, giving an already-solid defense an ascending big man on the interior. They may well have overpaid for Gregory, but he at least brings long-term upside opposite Bradley Chubb.
QB Tim Boyle (1 year, $2 million)
QB David Blough
FB Jason Cabinda (2 years, $4.1 million)
Jaguars WR D.J. Chark (1 year, $10 million)
WR Josh Reynolds (2 years, $6 million)
WR Kalif Raymond (2 years)
C Evan Brown (1 year, $2.05 million)
DE Charles Harris (2 years, $14 million)
LB Josh Woods (1 year, $1.55 million)
LB Alex Anzalone (1 year, $2.25 million)
LB Shaun-Dion Hamilton (1 year, $1.035 million)
S Jalen Elliott (1 year, $825,000)
S Tracy Walker (3 years, $25 million)
S C.J. Moore (1 year, $1.75 million)
Nothing splashy here, but they were always gonna make more of their noise in the draft. Chark and Reynolds are an underrated duo out wide, giving Jared Goff — or whomever they draft at QB — some big-play talent.
Retaining Aaron Rodgers was the biggest move of the offseason, even if the QB wasn’t technically a free agent. Adams, meanwhile, is seemingly threatening a holdout barring a long-term deal, so his return is still TBD. Campbell is a rock-solid playmaker for their defense, but $50M for a soon-to-be 29-year-old linebacker is a little rich.
Commanders QB Kyle Allen (1 year, $2.5 million)
WR Chris Conley (1 year, $2 million)
Jaguars RB Dare Ogunbowale (2 years, $3.3 million)
RB Royce Freeman (1 year, $1.187 million)
TE Pharaoh Brown (1 year, $4 million)
Titans OT Cedric Ogbuehi (1 year, $1.4 million)
Jaguars OG A.J. Cann (2 years, $10.5 million)
C Justin Britt (2 years, $9 million)
DT Maliek Collins (2 years, $17 million)
LB Christian Kirksey (2 years, $10 million)
Rams LB Ogbonnia Okoronkwo (1 year)
Lions LB Jalen Reeves-Maybin (2 years, $7.5 million)
Jets LB Blake Cashman (via trade)
DB Desmond King (2 years, $7 million)
S Eric Murray (2 years, $10 million)
Browns S M.J. Stewart (1 year, $3 million)
S Terrence Brooks (1 year, $2 million)
Another year, another free agency filled with cheap deals for mid- and low-tier veterans. In truth, none of these moves are glaringly bad, but the talent is still sorely lacking in Houston.
The clock is ticking on a QB addition, unless they’ve got a draft-day surprise up their sleeve. Also, they still need help up front and out wide.
The toughest team to grade, the Jags have certainly improved the supporting cast for Trevor Lawrence. But it’s awfully hard not to think they could’ve allocated resources better. Kirk, Jones and Engram, for example, are all nice upside bets, but did they have to pay that much? Why not just go all in on an Allen Robinson reunion? On defense, it’s the same thing: Oluokun is a rangy building block, but did a LB really need $15M per year? Their best work has been up front, where Lawrence should have a better line.
Adding Reid likely signals the end of the Tyrann Mathieu era, but it’s a smart long-term gamble. Let’s see how they handle the D-line beyond restructuring Frank Clark’s deal.
The Raiders made two blockbuster trades and are legit contenders in a loaded AFC West.
It’s very possible they overpaid for Jackson, but at the same time, they are absolutely right to go all in on their opening window with Justin Herbert at QB. Their defense already looks much better on paper, and retaining Williams out wide was huge.
With Andrew Whitworth retiring, they wisely locked up his successor, basically at the price tag of a starting right tackle. Keep Matthew Stafford upright, that was always most important.
Cardinals RB Chase Edmonds (2 years, $12.6 million)
49ers RB Raheem Mostert (1 year, $3.125 million)
Raiders FB Alec Ingold (2 years, $7.5 million)
Cowboys WR Ced Wilson (3 years, $22.8 million)
WR Preston Williams (1 year, $1.99 million)
49ers WR Trent Sherfield (1 year,
TE Mike Gesicki (franchise tag)
Cowboys OG Connor Williams (2 years, $14 million)
LB Sam Eguavoen (1 year, $2 million)
LB Elandon Roberts (1 year, $3.25 million)
OLB Brennan Scarlett (1 year)
LB Duke Riley (1 year, $3 million)
CB Keion Crossen (3 years, $10.5 million)
S Sheldrick Redwine (1 year)
New coach Mike McDaniel needed bodies in the backfield and up front, and he got both. Teddy also makes a solid backup and spot starter behind Tua Tagovailoa, especially at a bargain price.
They came in with little money to spend, and Phillips is a so-so investment as a replacement for Michael Pierce, but Hicks is an underrated leader for the middle of a rebuilding “D” alongside Eric Kendricks.
Not a whole lot of action here, besides dealing Shaq Mason out of town. Getting White back should be helpful for Mac Jones, but they still need an addition out wide.
The Saints made quick work of replacing Marcus Williams, who inked a long-term deal with the Ravens in free agency. Maye should be expected to slot in as the starter, but he is rehabbing from a torn Achilles and could face discipline from the league for a DUI arrest last February. In terms of his on-field capabilities, Maye should be an adequate replacement for Williams.
Like the Vikings, they didn’t have much money to spend in the first place. Good for them getting a rock-solid interior starter to put in front of Daniel Jones in Glowinski. Taylor is an uninspiring starting option at QB, but he at least has the Bills connection and gives New York higher-floor insurance/competition for Jones.
QB Joe Flacco (1 year, $3.5 million)
RB Tevin Coleman (1 year, $1.5 million)
WR Braxton Berrios (2 years, $12 million)
Bengals TE C.J. Uzomah (3 years, $24 million)
Vikings TE Tyler Conklin (3 years, $21 million)
49ers OG Laken Tomlinson (3 years, $40 million)
OG Dan Feeney (1 year)
DT Nathan Shepherd (1 year)
Texans OLB Jacob Martin (3 years, $13.5 million)
Seahawks CB D.J. Reed (3 years, $33 million)
S Lamarcus Joyner (1 year, $4.5 million)
Buccaneers S Jordan Whitehead (2 years, $14.5 million)
If they just get another starting-caliber option out wide, they’ll stay in the “A” territory. Uzomah is a nice pass-catching addition for Zach Wilson, and Tomlinson helps beef up the line.
They’ve got other needs (WR, LB, S), but Reddick is a supreme get at a premier position, giving them the most explosiveness off the edge they’ve had in years.
They were never gonna definitively solve QB through free agency, so Trubisky is a perfectly fine, decent-upside addition there. Good on them for addressing the trenches, too, particularly with Daniels. Wallace is a quality plug-and-play corner.
Ward is a fine gamble at corner, where they needed to get younger. But they’ve got holes to address yet, with Laken Tomlinson departing as a starting guard and Jimmy Garoppolo’s market yet to materialize.
Seattle Seahawks: C+
They got a nice haul for Russell Wilson, but the sting of losing the franchise QB will linger until they get it right under center again. Also, was it really necessary to pay Dissly big bucks after landing Fant at tight end? Diggs is the only other name you’re really proud of here, serving as Seattle’s best back-end playmaker.
Somehow, they didn’t just get Tom Brady back from retirement, but also found a way to keep the anchor of his line and their top young cover man. Gage, meanwhile, is a sneaky good addition as a new No. 3 wideout who should draw all kinds of targets.
Locking up Landry was key for the front seven. Investing in the line is also smart, considering the turmoil Ryan Tannehill endured for parts of 2021. They’ve got secondary needs still, with Jackrabbit Jenkins gone.
Washington Commanders: C-
The Wentz move could certainly blow up in their face, given the QB’s polarizing tendencies. But you can’t fault them entirely for swinging higher than the free-agent market, even if someone like Mitchell Trubisky would’ve been a more cost-effective gamble. The issue is, they haven’t yet done much to improve the rest of the roster.
