The 2023 NFL season officially begins with free agency, where there are hires, cuts and changes among the 32 franchises of the league, which means being able to retain or attr act talent to be able to build a roster that makes them compete with the other teams, to seek to get the best possible to the new season that begins in the second half of the year.
2023 NFL Free Agency First Moves Highlights
Jimmy Garoppolo
The quarterback left the 49ers after six seasons and joined the Raiders, who were looking for a replacement for Derek Carr. Garoppolo signed a three-year, $66 million contract, with $34 million guaranteed. The passer will look to lead an offense that features the likes of Davante Adams and Josh Jacobs.
Josh Jacobs
He has lived a season of contrasts in the NFL. On the one hand, the running back renewed his contract with the Raiders as a franchise player for five years and 75 million dollars, becoming one of the highest-paid players in his position.
Jalen Ramsey
So far it is the most surprising news of this year since the Los Angeles Rams agreed to the transfer of the star cornerback to the Miami Dolphins. The Rams had renewed his six-year, $120 million contract in free agency last offseason, but decided to relocate to Florida in exchange for a third-round pick in the 2024 draft and tight end Hunter Long.
Darren Waller
He was the Raiders’ top receiver last season, but the team decided to trade him to the Giants in exchange for a third-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. The Giants needed to bolster their position after Evan Engram left for the Jaguars in free agency. The Giants restructured Waller’s contract and paid him $9.835 billion as a signing bonus.
Derek Carr
The quarterback was reunited with his first head coach in the NFL, Dennis Allen, who now manages the Saints. Carr will have the opportunity to lead an offense that has Michael Thomas, Alvin Kamara and Adam Trautman as its main weapons. The Saints made a big bet on Carr by offering him a four-year, $150 million contract, with $100 million guaranteed.
So far these are the most important signings that have been made in the NFL Free Agency that officially began on March 15, but many more movements are expected that will have an impact on the development of the 2023 season.