Tag: 2024 free agency

8 pending free agents who may be playing their final games with the Saints

Whether it’s due to age, contract status, or other factors, these 8 pending free agents may be playing their final games with the Saints:

There are just a few weeks left in the 2023 season, meaning some New Orleans Saints players are going to be playing their final games in black and gold. A few of them already have. Free agency is looming off on the horizon in March and the Saints are going to have to make some tough decisions given their difficult salary cap outlook.

Some players have really helped themselves by stepping up when their number was called. Others are poised to move on in free agency and seek better opportunities. And a few are aging out and likely headed for their next chapter in pro football.

Here are the players we’re watching closely in the final weeks of the 2023 season:

Two Jets land in PFF’s top 50 free agents for 2024

The Jets have a pair of upcoming free agents ranked among the best in the league for 2024.

Free agency in 2023 hasn’t exactly been kind to the Jets this season. They’re hoping for much better luck in 2024 as they push to make a Super Bowl run. That includes trying to re-sign some of their own free agents of which the Jets have some good ones set to hit the open market.

Brad Spielberger of Pro Football Focus recently unveiled his top 50 free agents for 2024 and the Jets have a pair of players cracking the list, one making it into the top 20.

That top-20 player is defensive end Bryce Huff at No. 18. The Jets gave Huff a second-round tender this past offseason as he was a restricted free agent. They can’t do that this offseason. They’ll need to pony up if they want to keep Huff, who is leading the team with seven sacks.

Huff set out to prove that his absurd pass-rushing efficiency in 2022 wasn’t an aberration, and he’s done just that in 2023 with a crazy high pass-rush win rate once again. Still, there’s a reason the team that developed the former undrafted free agent and sees him every day doesn’t like to deploy him against the run and hasn’t made much of an effort on an extension. This will be a nuanced negotiation for a designated pass rusher type — fortunately, that’s the richest facet to excel in for an edge defender.

Former Baltimore Raven and Chicago Bears pass-rush specialist Pernell McPhee comes to mind as a comparable player, as does Huff’s current teammate Carl Lawson.

Also making the top 50 from the Jets is offensive tackle Mekhi Becton, who worked his way back into the starting lineup in training camp in what became a prove-it season after the Jets declined his fifth-year option. It will be interesting to see if the Jets decide to keep Becton or start fresh at the left tackle position.

The former No. 11 overall pick of the 2020 draft has always had the athletic ability to play at a high level in this league — injuries have just destroyed a promising young career.

More importantly than anything else, Becton is on pace to play more snaps in 2023 than he did over his first three seasons combined. The 6-foot-7, 363-pound dancing bear looked leaner in training camp and has performed admirably as a pass protector despite the revolving door of quarterbacks operating behind him. He has the ability to be the lead blocker to the play side but has gotten caught up in the muck this season when pull-blocking across the formation, getting his feet tangled and ending up on the ground.

36 Colts slated to become free agents in 2024

These are the Colts slated to be free agents in 2024.

The Indianapolis Colts are preparing for the start of training camp at the end of the month, and there will be several players competing in the final year of their current contracts.

There are some big names currently on the roster going into contract years. Some of them will get extensions before the season starts while others may have to prove a bit more before they get theirs.

This group is highlighted by key contributors including running back Jonathan Taylor, wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. and defensive tackle Grover Stewart.

In total, the Colts currently have 36 players slated to hit free agency. Some of that will change because we’re currently dealing with the 90-man roster and several of them won’t make the final roster cuts. Regardless, 22 of them are considered unrestricted free agents (UFA), four of them are considered restricted free agents (RFA) and 10 are considered exclusive rights free agents (ERFA).

Here’s a look at the Colts’ free agents during the 2024 season, according to Over The Cap:

35 Bears slated to become free agents in 2024

Cole Kmet, Jaylon Johnson, Darnell Mooney and Chase Claypool highlight the Bears’ list of pending 2024 free agents.

Following the first couple of weeks of free agency, the Chicago Bears have welcomed some new faces and lost a few to other teams. But, for the most part, the Bears haven’t had any debilitating losses, with running back David Montgomery being the biggest.

While the 2023 offseason is far from over, it’s not too early to look ahead to the 2024 offseason, especially with some impact Bears set to hit the free agent market after this year. That group is headlined by tight end Cole Kmet, cornerback Jaylon Johnson and wide receivers Darnell Mooney and Chase Claypool.

Chicago current has 35 players who are set to become free agents in 2024, including 21 unrestricted free agents, three restricted free agents, 10 exclusive rights free agents and one player with a void year.

With that in mind, here’s an early look at the Bears’ 2024 free agents via Over The Cap.

Look Ahead: 24 Cowboys are entering contract seasons in 2023

After the euphoria of their increased activity in 2023 wears off, Dallas is looking at a 2024 free agent class fraught with potential loss of many starters. | From @KDDrummondNFL

Contract years are always an interesting thing. There’s a ton of evidence out there that many players have their best seasons when they are fighting for that new deal. In a fairy tale land, every player works to the utmost potential and gives 100% effort on every single play in every single year. This is stupid; there are very few people in the world capable of doing this at any profession.

However there are also some people who rarely give this effort, and sometimes being in a walk contract year is the impetus for them finally going all out. These are dangerous investments, because while sometimes that turns into repeated effort, often times the player reverts after they secure the bag.

Regardless of what version their pending free agents eventually become, the Dallas Cowboys would reap the rewards of a contract-year bump. Here’s a look at each of their current 2024 pending free agents; 25 in total including nine projected starters.

All financial figures are provided courtesy of Over the Cap.