13 NFL Free Agency Predictions on Cowboys, Patriots, Bears and Lamar Jackson (2023)

We thought things weren't going to get crazy in the National Football League until next week.

But we were wrong.

The NFL's free agency is scheduled to begin Monday, with the league's "legal tampering deadline" beginning at 12 p.m. This Monday until the official start of the 2023 league year, which kicks off at 4:00 p.m. ET on Wednesday. That didn't stop the first big domino from falling, however, when news broke on Friday afternoon that theChicago Bearshad agreed to trade the first overall pick in 2023NFL drafttoCarolina-Panther, in exchange for aselection packageund Wide Receiver D.J. Moore

let the chaos begin

In the coming days, we'll get a much clearer picture of where all 32 teams are ahead of the next big event on the NFL schedule in 2023.NFL draft.

To that end, here are thirteen predictions for the upcoming free agency period.

Robbers of Las Vegasficha to Jimmy Garoppolo

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In recent weeks, it's been clear that the Raiders are taking a new direction at quarterback thanks to Derek Carr's departure to the NFC South. Given that the Raiders will pick seventh in the first round later this spring, they have been tied to several different rookie quarterbacks. From this pointNFL mock draftDatabase,Kentucky quarterback Will Levis is the oneconsensus selectionfor the raiders.

Ultimately, that may be the path the Raiders are taking, but they might also want an experienced Hedge in his place, or at least a more established quarterback to play under center through the 2023 season. Jimmy Garoppolo could be the perfect option. He has experience with Josh McDaniels and has shown in the past that he can get into the lineup quickly and keep the offense moving.

Carolina-Panthersign Jakobi Meyers

We knew there were a few different teams interested in becoming the first overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft in hopes of finding their next quarterback. HeIndianapolis Coltswere a popular choice, and even theHouston Texanerclimbing a place could have made such a leap.

Instead, it's the Carolina Panthers who now have first pick in the upcoming draft, giving them the option of quarterbacks in this draft class.

However, one question remains.

Who does this newcomer throw himself at?

With the addition of wide receiver D.J. Moore on the deal, the Panthers need a wide receiver now. They can help fill that need by adding Jakobi Meyers, perhaps the best option in this class for getting free agents. Meyers can operate off the slot as well as along the edge, and his experience as a quarterback gives him a great sense of finding open spaces in cover. He'll be a huge asset to any rookie quarterback who throws the ball to him in the fall.

Tampa Bay BuccaneersFirma Jacoby Brissett

With the retirement of Tom Brady, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have a huge quarterback gap. It's not a void that can be filled overnight, especially when a first-round Hall of Famer retires, but there's another reason the Buccaneers need to fill the quarterback spot in the league: free agency .

Right now, Kyle Trask is the only quarterback on the roster.

Head Coach Todd Bowles met with the media at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis last week and had the following to say about Trask and the team's quarterback situation:

"[Trask] doesn't exclude you from anything," Bowlessayingin Indianapolis. "It's going to be a competition in every place, it's going to be every year.

“As long as he is a coach there will be competition. We'll look at all of them. We will try to take the best available players. We'll see who can help us, who can try to help us, but Kyle will keep up. He's the only one on the list at the moment."

Veteran Jacoby Brissett makes a lot of sense for Tampa Bay. The Buccaneers are probably out of reach for one of the best quarterbacks in the draft, and Brissett has been a solid backup and starter throughout his NFL career. It would give the team another option should Trask not take the starting job, and honestly there's a chance Brissett could win the job at training camp.

New England PatriotsJulian Loves Firma

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Among the traits Bill Belichick values, versatility tops the list. Especially when it comes to the security position. Belichick loves having position defenders who can play in the box, slot, linebacker, and deep safety roles.

Cheater Devin McCourtyannounce his resignationOn Friday, getting into the safety group should be high on New England's to-do list this offseason. Julian Love looks like the prototypical Belichick fuse. last season for theNew York GiantsLove has ranked across the field and has been cast in a variety of roles. According to the cartographic data ofFocus on professional football, Love was used in 154 games in the slot, as a boundary corner in 37 games, in the box in 271 games, and as a depth fuse in 494 games.

If you watch him on video, you can see him dropping into a deep mid on the first descent, a deep third on the second descent, dashing all the way to the flat on the third descent, and then rushing the passer in a fourth descent situation.

That kind of versatility will likely bring you to New England for fall. And not just to see the leaves.

Lamar Jackson isn't going anywhere

The hot topic of the last few days was, of course, quarterback Lamar Jackson. With the decision ofBaltimore RavensUsing the non-exclusive franchise tag on the quarterback has opened the door for Jackson to play elsewhere next season, along with breathless speculation as to where he might be.

However, when the dust settles, Jackson will still be a Raven.

According to recent reports, mainly fromfrom ESPNAdam Schefter, the Ravens and Jackson have been working on a deal for almost two years. However, they could not agree. Sometimes a new perspective is required to reach an agreement. In the legal world, this could mean taking a case to mediation, where a third party assesses the merits of each party's case and makes recommendations for attempting a solution.

(And I was told that my experience as a lawyer would not help me as a sportswriter.)

In the world of the NFL? That could mean helping the market crystallize conditions. If a team or teams approach Jackson and even go so far as to sign him on an offer sheet, it could point the Ravens and quarterback in the direction of making a deal. And if no offers come in (which, honestly, is still hard to believe), the parties can use that information to complete a renewal.

Anyway, Jackson is still in Baltimore next season.

Houston TexanerFirmar Tremaine Edmunds

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IsBüffelschnäbelThey face some tough decisions this offseason as the team faces salary caps and a slew of free agents emerge, including linebacker Tremaine Edmunds and safety Jordan Poyer. Edmunds had perhaps his best NFL season last year, and his biggest improvement came in coverage.

He allowed an NFL passer rating of just 82.1 last season when he was tackled in the passing game, a career high. He also recorded a career-high six pass separations.

Edmunds is athletic, has five years of experience under his belt and is young, turning 25 in May.

The Texans' new head coach, DeMeco Ryans, is a former linebacker, and this seems like an ideal pairing. Edmunds can continue to develop his game under the Ryans' tutelage, and the defensive-minded head coach can build a defense around Edmunds and his athleticism like the ones he created in San Francisco with Fred Warner.

The Chicago Bears sign Mike McGlinchey

The Chicago Bears now have four picks in the first three rounds of the upcoming NFL draft thanks to their trade with the Panthers. That gives them plenty of draft capital to build their roster for 2023 and beyond.

Ensuring they can protect Justin Fields must be part of GM Ryan Poles' offseason plan. While Orlando Brown Jr. may be the best offensive lineman to bat after free agencyKansas City chiefsrefused to franchise it for the second straight season, there could be a better way for Chicago.

In their season-ending press conference, the Poles highlighted rookie offensive lineman Braxton Jones, who came on in the left tackle. There were certainly ups and downs, but the general manager liked what he saw overall. "It's still a long way to the ceiling," said the Polessaying. "But by the way, and if you look at that, not a lot of people look at a player's schedule going into the off-season.larger shell, match, compete as a fifth-round pick, battle in camp, earn a spot, then play every game for a season. That's an achievement right there. That tells me it's well connected. He has mental strength, he has survived ups and downs.

So while Brown could be an upgrade at LT, Jones would need to move to RT after logging 1,000+ snaps on left tackle as a rookie.

Perhaps a softer plan would be to sign Mike McGlinchey, the youngest right tacklesan francisco 49ers. McGlinchey could fit right into Chicago's scheme with offensive coordinator Luke Getsy.

Pittsburgh SteelersFirmar CJ Gardner-Johnson

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While there were rumors thatPhiladelphia EaglesGeneral manager Howie Roseman would mark the franchise tag for all-round defender C.J. Gardner-Johnson, the deadline came and went this week.

This led to Gardner-Johnson posting a cryptic message on social media, speculating rampantly that the defense attorney could leave Philadelphia.

If that's the case, a move across Pennsylvania could be in the works. The Pittsburgh Steelers are on the verge of losing safety Terrell Edmunds and a versatile defenseman in Cameron Sutton. The Steelers could add Gardner-Johnson, field Arthur Maulet in the slot, and end up with a very versatile safety tandem between Gardner-Johnson and Minkah Fitzpatrick.

Atlantic hawksFirmar Jesse Bates III

The Atlanta Falcons have some holes to fill on both sides of the ball, but they also have some pocket money. Atlanta enters open hand with more than $60 millionaccessiblein the Cap room, second only to the aforementioned Chicago Bears.

A player that should be on your radar? Security Jesse Bates III. Having received the franchise tag a season ago, security will hit the free hand thereafterBengal of CincinnatiHe refused to tag him for the second straight season. Bates is a versatile defender who spent most of his time in a deep security role last season but can also play in the slot or even in the box. It would give Falcons Secondary a huge boost for next season.

Dallas CowboysFirma James Bradberry

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CJ Gardner-Johnson may not be the only member of Eagles High School 2022 to leave Philadelphia. Darius Slay receivedPermissionto explore a trade, and James Bradberry is also willing to meet the free hand.

Heading into the offseason, the Dallas Cowboys are in need of wide receivers and cornerbacks. It would be wise to add Bradberry and place him across from Trevon Diggs, which would give the Cowboys a very solid 1-2 shot in the secondary. You can then add the wide receiver room over the design.

Or... they could do that.

The Dallas Cowboys sign Odell Beckham Jr.

Last year, the Cowboys had lengthy discussions with free-agent wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. about signing Dallas. While these never materialized, the team were concerned about his recovery from the knee injury he sustainedSuper BowlLVI has now enjoyed even more recovery and rehabilitation time.

Given the questions surrounding this class of wide-receiver designs, Beckham could be Dallas' best option for expanding its reception space. He would give the Cowboys a pretty solid trio along with Michael Gallup and CeeDee Lamb.

Plus, this could give the Cowboys a way to address another need that has a tight end. With Dalton Schultz likely to earn a big freehand payday, the Cowboys can delve into a very talented and deep tight end class in the draft.

Green Bay Packerficha a Taylor Rapp

While the primary storyline the Green Bay Packers are currently facing focuses on the ongoing Aaron Rodgers saga, the organization has a secondary need. Adrian Amos is ready to go to the open market and fellow safety Darnell Savage is entering the final year of his rookie contract and Savage was benched for a few games last season.

Ideally, the Packers would find a way to sign Jesse Bates III, the top safety set to hit the free hand. Assuming the above prediction is correct and Bates finds his way to Atlanta, Taylor Rapp is another good option for the Packers. Rapp played all over the field for themlos angeles ramthe past few seasons, and he's about as surefooted as a tackler, which Packers fans are probably happy to hear.

Denver BroncosFirma Jawan Taylor

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New Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton has "fixing Russell Wilson" high on his to-do list.

part of this process? Make sure the Broncos have top five options against Wilson so he's comfortable in the bag.

Jawaan Taylor is coming off what is perhaps his best season as a pro and he excels as a pass blocker. According to the cartographic data offocus on professional football,Taylor allowed the rush on just 2.5% of kickbacks a season ago, and that was the third best brand of tackle in the NFL. Getting him to cement the right tackle job gets the Broncos that much closer to setting up their best five against Wilson.

And it brings Payton that much closer to making the point at the top of that list.