The official start of NFL free agency doesn’t begin until March 13. That’s when deals are officially negotiated and reported signings fly across the landscape like mustard bottles and golf balls at the sound of a bad call at Neyland Stadium.
That 3 p.m. EST start will be the shotgun blast that unofficially kicks off the league’s new year. While it’s still roughly two weeks away, we have a broad understanding of what the parameters will be. Some of the biggest pending free agents will have been secured under the franchise tag by then. Others will be cast to sea by teams struggling to fit under 2023’s $224.8 million spending limit.
We know who the most coveted veterans will be. We also know who the biggest players will be after a month of restructuring contracts and releasing redundant players has primed all 32 teams to spend on new acquisitions. What we don’t know is who will go where and what impact they’ll have.
That isn’t going to stop me from guessing, of course. Here’s where I think the top 21 free agents of 2023 will wind up — a number that started at 20 and grew by one with Bobby Wagner’s reported separation from the Los Angeles Rams pending. And, because it’s the offseason, I threw Tom Brady in at the end as well.
Don’t worry, I picked the weirdest possible destination for him.