NFL free agency reaction: Day 1 winners and losers
Looking at the first day of 2022 NFL free agency, here are some of the winners and losers of what we saw transpire across Monday.
Winners
– Los Angeles Chargers
No team brought in more quality on Day 1 of the 2022 NFL free agency. Los Angeles is trying to chase down the Kansas City Chiefs ni the AFC West and began the process last week by trading for Khalil Mack to pair with Joey Bosa. Fast forward to Monday, and general manager Tom Telesco landed corner J.C. Jackson on a five-year deal and defensive tackle Sebastian Joseph-Day on a three-year, $24 million pact. Nice work.
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– Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles didn’t do a ton, but the one move they made was my favorite signing f the day. General manager Howie Roseman was able to sign edge rusher Haason Reddick to a three-year, $45 million deal. Over the past two years with the Arizona Cardinals and Carolina Panthers, the 27-year-old racked up 23.5 combined sacks. A steal for Philadelphia.
– Cincinnati Bengals
Nothing splashy, but smart moves. The Bengals were able to keep defensive tackle B.J. Hill in town on a three-year contract, while also upgrading the offensive line with guard Alex Cappa and center Alex Karras. Neither are stars, but both are solid. Good work from Cincinnati.
– New York Jets
In a similar vein, the Jets didn’t add All-Pro talent but did well to land a few impact players on the offense. Getting guard Laken Tomlinson and tight end C.J. Uzomah on three-year deals bodes well for the fortunes of second-year quarterback Zach Wilson.
Read: Kirk Cousins Signs One Year Extension With Vikings Worth $36.2M
Losers
– Jacksonville Jaguars
Nobody spent more money than the Jaguars, but what do they have for it? Guard Brandon Scherff getting three years and $49.5 million was a steal, but their grade is brought down by signing receivers Zay Jones and Christian Kirk for close to $100 million combined. Kirk is a quality player, but the price tag is very rich. Jones has never amassed more than 652 yards in a season. Jacksonville did some good things, but those deals overshadowed them.
– Pittsburgh Steelers
Tough to see a winning plan here. No reasonable person believed the Steelers would fix their quarterback problem today, but signing Mitchell Trubisky is essentially cloning Mason Rudolph with a bit more potential. The contract is fine, but he’s underwhelming. Additionally, signing right tackle Chukwoma Okorafor to a three-year deal worth close to $30 million isn’t inspiring either. Not a disastrous day for Pittsburgh by any means, just a day of money spent without much of an upgrade.
