2023 free agency – Page 30 – Syndication Server

PFF predicts landing-spots for top Saints pending free agents

Pro Football Focus predicted landing-spots for the New Orleans Saints’ top pending free agents, defensive linemen Marcus Davenport and David Onyemata:

There’s a lot of hand-wringing within the New Orleans Saints fanbase over the futures of tight end Juwan Johnson and linebacker Kaden Elliss, but the analysts at Pro Football Focus don’t see either player as the team’s top pending free agents: that recognition belongs to defensive linemen Marcus Davenport and David Onyemata.

Both Onyemata and Davenport were ranked within the top 50 free agents at PFF, where analysts Arjun Menon and Brad Spielberger predicted the landing-spots for all of those players set to hit the market. They see Davenport leaving for an AFC Super Bowl contender, but Onyemata ends up staying a little closer to home in the NFC South:

Andrus Peat gets dubious honor of a selection on Spotrac’s ‘All-Roster-Bubble Team’

Saints left guard Andrus Peat received the dubious honor of a selection on Spotrac’s ‘All-Roster-Bubble Team’ ahead of offseason NFL roster cuts:

The New Orleans Saints are hard at work restructuring contracts and discussing pay cuts or extensions with different players as they seek to reach salary cap compliance, but some outright releases could be on the way in the near future. Banged-up star wide receiver Michael Thomas appears to be on the way out (unless the Saints land free agent quarterback Derek Carr, maybe?) as a post-June 1 cut, and that’s also in play for Jameis Winston, New Orleans’ former starting quarterback.

But if either player stays with the Saints for 2023, oft-injured left guard Andrus Peat makes sense as another cuts candidate. Spotrac’s Michael Ginnitti put together an “All-Roster-Bubble Team” of the best players at each position who could be salary cap cut casualties in the weeks ahead, and Peat won the dubious distinction of making the list:

“Back-to-back restructures keep this contract difficult to move off from, but it seems a foregone conclusion anyway. A Pre 6/1 release only frees up $1.3M of cap space, while a Post 6/1 designation would open up $11.825M. The Saints have had players agree to base salary pay cuts in order to help facilitate a Post 6/1 move, and this feels like one of those situations. Dropping Peat’s deal down to the minimum for 2023 lowers his cap hit to $7.71M, a much more tenable number to have to carry through June 1st.”

Injuries have limited Peat to 17 appearances over the last 34 games, and he never completed a full 16-game season before the NFL expanded to a 17-week slate (twice playing 15 games, back-to-back in 2016 and 2017). The Saints will only receive modest salary cap savings by moving off of his contract, due to those past restructures, and they’ll probably only part ways with him if they choose to hold onto either Thomas or Winston instead. It’s a difficult problem they’ve made for themselves by doubling and tripling down on an aging player with durability concerns.

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Derek Carr free agency: Every NFL quarterback making $35 million or more per year

Saints free agent target Derek Carr reportedly wants to earn more than $35 million per year on his next contract. Here’s the company he sees himself joining:

New Orleans Saints free agent target Derek Carr reportedly wants to earn more than $35 million per year on his next contract. The company he sees himself joining includes some of the league’s highest-paid passers, like Kirk Cousins, Matthew Stafford, and Dak Prescott. But they’re all part of a second tier beneath the top earners at quarterback in the NFL, and there’s a new crop of talent looking to reset the market soon in Lamar Jackson, Joe Burrow, and Justin Herbert.

Here’s a quick look at the signal-callers who are bringing home the most bacon under their current contracts with their teams, and who Carr wants to rank among — maybe on a new deal with New Orleans:

Philadelphia Eagles: 7 biggest questions entering the 2023 NFL offseason

We’re looking at the 7 biggest questions for the Philadelphia Eagles entering the 2023 NFL offseason

With the Super Bowl in the rearview mirror, the Eagles and 31 other NFL teams will start the process of financially retooling with the goal of advancing to the postseason.

Between the 2023 NFL draft, free agency, and more, Philadelphia will look to acquire the pieces needed for a return trip to the postseason.

With the NFL offseason now in full swing, here are the seven biggest questions the Eagles need to answer.

Stay or Go: Predicting the fates of Eagles free agents in 2023

With the NFL’s new league year fast approaching, we’re predicting which Philadelphia Eagles free agents should stay or go

The NFL is a continuously evolving business, and with all eyes, on the 2023 offseason, it is never too early to look at the key players who’ll be entering free agency.

Philadelphia has 18 guys who could hit the open market and one ERFA who’ll be looking to return to the Eagles in some compacity.

Miles Sanders had a Pro Bowl season but could find big money elsewhere, while players like James Bradberry, Kyzir White, C.J. Gardner-Johnson, and Javon Hargrave will look for big paydays.

Team GM Howie Roseman will be busy doing research on veterans and top prospects with the draft just a couple of months away.

With the scouting combine set to start, we’re predicting whether these Eagles’ free agents stay with the team or go via free agency.

Ranking Bears’ top 10 pending free agents by importance

The Bears don’t have many noteworthy pending free agents, but here’s a look at those who the team could consider re-signing this offseason.

The Chicago Bears are gearing up for the start of NFL free agency, where general manager Ryan Poles will look to retool arguably the league’s worst roster from last season.

Luckily, Poles has the resources to bring in some impact players. The Bears are estimated to have roughly $100 million in salary cap space, which is the most in the NFL by a wide margin.

While Chicago will look to add some new faces to the roster, they have some in-house free agents that could factor into their plans for the 2023 season.

The Bears don’t have many noteworthy pending free agents, but here’s a look at those who the team could consider re-signing.

Bears 2023 free agency preview: Have we seen the last of Byron Pringle?

Byron Pringle was the Bears’ top wide receiver acquisition last offseason, but he didn’t exactly live up to expectations.

NFL free agency will be here before we know it, and the Chicago Bears have plenty of players set to hit the market. From key starters to valuable reserves, general manager Ryan Poles will have important decisions to make about who to bring back.

Here at Bears Wire, we’re going through each individual player and breaking down their 2022 performance and whether or not they fit in the Bears’ long-term plans.

Next up is wide receiver Byron Pringle, who didn’t have nearly the production many expected after being the team’s top wide receiver acquisition last offseason.

Every NFL team’s available salary cap space ahead of free agency

Here’s a look at every NFL team’s current available salary cap space heading into free agency:

We’re just a few weeks away from the start of NFL free agency, where teams around the league will build their roster with some intriguing names set to hit the open market.

The Chicago Bears are in a great position with the salary cap ahead of free agency, where general manager Ryan Poles could still make some moves to free up more cap space.

But where does Chicago rank among the rest of the league in cap space?

Here’s a look at every NFL team’s current available salary cap space — based on a $224.8 million cap — heading into free agency:

Salary cap numbers courtesy of OverTheCap.

Bear Necessities: Daniel Jeremiah shares his thoughts on Justin Fields vs. Bryce Young

Which QB is the better fit for the Bears – Justin Fields or Bryce Young? Daniel Jeremiah explains his choice.

This is our online morning newsletter, Bear Necessities — weekly offseason edition. Subscribe to get the latest Bears news delivered to your mailbox every day.

One of the debates that’s dominated NFL draft discussions to this point has been whether the Bears should use the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NFL draft to select a quarterback.

There’s been no indication that Chicago would be leaning in that direction — and why should they — especially after Justin Fields emerged as one of the league’s most electric players last season.

With Alabama’s Bryce Young the presumed QB1 of this draft class, some have said the Bears should select Young and trade Fields. But that’s not necessarily the best move, especially considering how long it’s taken Chicago to find an exciting, young QB like Fields and nothing is guaranteed.

NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah was asked about the Fields vs. Young debate during a conference call ahead of the NFL Combine next week, and he explained his position.

“I have a higher grade on Bryce coming out than I did on Justin, but I don’t think that Bryce is a great fit in Chicago,” he said. “And Justin, you know, obviously — I think the evaluation is both easy and complicated. It’s easy in that you can see the play-making ability and what he has done with his legs and the competitiveness and the toughness. That’s easy to see.

“Then, it’s complicated because how do you evaluate him with what he has got, with who he is working with?”

Jeremiah likened Fields’ situation to another young quarterback who recently took a big step forward in Philadelphia’s Jalen Hurts. It’s a popular and easy comparison to make. Just last offseason, people questioned whether Hurts was the guy in Philadelphia after his first two seasons. But he took a massive step forward in Year 3 — thanks to some help from the front office — and was in the MVP conversation.

Jeremiah, who knows people inside the Eagles organization, pointed to Hurts’ commitment and work ethic and how it ultimately paid off. And from what we’ve heard about Fields and his work ethic, there’s no reason to believe Fields can’t make a similar step forward — with some help from GM Ryan Poles.

“I don’t have the same relationships there in Chicago. I’ve never heard anything that would lead me to believe that Justin is not doing that,” Jeremiah said. “If Justin is doing what he needs to be doing from that standpoint, I would be, like, oh, this guy has so much ability, and he is committed to it. Let’s give him some help and try to build around him.”

Bears 2023 free agency preview: Does Riley Reiff have a future in Chicago?

Riley Reiff brought veteran leadership and experience to the Bears offensive line. But with an overhaul on the way, does he have a future?

Here at Bears Wire, we’re going through each individual player and breaking down their 2022 performance and whether or not they fit in the Bears’ long-term plans.

Next up is offensive tackle Riley Reiff, who was brought in to compete for a starting job and bring some veteran experience to the offensive line. But with an overhaul of the offensive line coming, does Reiff have a future in Chicago?