NFL free agency begins with Eric Weddle to the Rams

The NFL free agency period doesn’t officially begin until Wednesday, although the tampering portion kicks off on Monday. That said, things got rolling on Friday.

Only a few days after the Baltimore Ravens released veteran safety Eric Weddle, the Los Angeles Rams scooped him up on a two-year deal worth $12.5 million. Weddle, 34, provides the Rams with a replacement for fellow safety Lamarcus Joyner, who is hitting the open market after playing 2018 on the franchise tag.

With Weddle now signed in Los Angeles, the safety market becomes a bit clearer, although there are ample options waiting their turn including Landon Collins, Earl Thomas, Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, Adrian Amos, Jonathan Cyprien, Jimmie Ward, Tyrann Mathieu, Darian Stewart and Joyner, among others. Now with Weddle’s deal coming in at $6.25 million per year. there’s a baseline of what to expect for those seen as more and less valuable.

Friday also saw a handful of other moves worth noting. The Pittsburgh Steelers traded right tackle Marcus Gilbert to the Arizona Cardinals for a sixth-round pick, one day after extending guard Ramon Foster and center Mike Pouncey. Meanwhile, the New York Giants and Cleveland Browns completed an expensive swap, with guard Kevin Zeitler going to the Giants in exchange for edge rusher Olivier Vernon. Finally, Michael Bennett was dealt along with a seven-round pick in 2020 from the Philadelphia Eagles to the New England Patriots in exchange for a 2020 fifth-round choice.

None of those deals can become official until the new league year on March 13, but have been agreed upon in principle.

All of this sets up for next week, which should begin with its typical flurry of agreements. The names to watch are going to be Le’Veon Bell, Trey Flowers, Nick Foles, Preston Smith, Rodger Saffold, C.J. Mosley and Tyrell Williams among others, especially in the safety section of the market.

For all the teams that are going to be spending money, the Indianapolis Colts could be the most fascinating. After building through the draft last year with All-Pros in guard Quenton Nelson and linebacker Darius Leonard, Indianapolis now has more than $100 million in cap space. The Colts have some pressing needs including a second receiver to play opposite T.Y. Hilton, a pass-rusher or two off the edge, and a completely revamped secondary surrounding Malik Hooker.

In 48 hours, the league turns upside down with teams trying to rapidly improve at an astronomical cost. For fans, it’s entertaining to the hilt. Welcome to free agency.