NFL Free Agency winners and losers: Aaron Rodgers Jets bound, Bengals steal Chiefs LT on Day 3
The 2023 NFL Free Agency is in full force. The tampering period ended at 3 pm ET on Wednesday and the new league year has officially begun.
Day 3 of the 2023 NFL Free Agency witnessed some eye-popping signings by the teams. There were also some expected trades by the teams. One big question that still remains is - Where will Lamar Jackson play? We will find out more as the off-season progresses. Until then, here are the winners and losers on Day 3 of the NFL Free Agency.
Winner: New York Jets
Aaron Rodgers broke his silence and announced to the world on the Pat McAfee Show that he wants to play for the New York Jets. The signing will be a phenomenal addition as the Jets look to find a franchise quarterback and make their first trip to the Super Bowl in 55 years.
The Jets have a very good young roster with the likes of Garrett Wilson, Breece Hall, and Sauce Gardner. In addition, they've added former Packers WR Allen Lazard.
They will be looking to target a couple more pieces in Odell Beckham Jr., Randall Cobb, and Marcedes Lewis. Aaron Rodgers in the Big Apple will be more electrifying than ever. With the signing of the four-time MVP, they are definitely the favorites to come out of the AFC.
Winner: Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals played chess during the tampering period. Late on Wednesday evening, the Bengals pulled off a massive move by signing free agent OT Orlando Brown Jr. to a four-year $69.04 million contract. This is an incredible addition to their offense.
Brown has been sensational in protecting his quarterback. He's only allowed 4 sacks in a total of 1133 snaps played last season. Joe Burrow, who is known to get sacked a lot, will absolutely enjoy this protection. This will allow Burrow to operate more freely from the pocket. The Bengals have also retained their core WR group. It will be an exciting 2023 season for Cincinnati.
Winner: Green Bay Packers
As wild as it sounds, the Green Bay Packers are the clear winners on Day 3. Most of the time, the winners and losers during this tampering period are determined by the number of good pieces a team adds and the number of good pieces a team lets go of. While it is a good metric to measure, it doesn't exactly consider one thing - the direction of the franchise.
This is where the Packers have won. By letting go of Aaron, the Packers are now free. This is exactly what they wanted and it is exactly what they received. The Packers now have only one job on their hands - building the right pieces around their new starting quarterback, Jordan Love, and putting him in a position to win.
Also read: NFL Free Agency Day 1: Looking at the winners and losers
Loser: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Bucs have been in shambles since the retirement of Tom Brady. They have lost some of their key pieces Leonard Fournette (RB) and Donovan Smith (LT). Having a backup quarterback and not developing him is biting them big time. On Wednesday, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers signed Rams quarterback Baker Mayfield to a one-year $8.5 million contract.
However, this doesn't quite fix the problems for Tampa. The former No. 1 overall pick is coming off his third team in just a year. Although his last five games with the Rams have shown promise, the biggest question remains on his consistency. The quarterback will look to seek redemption as he competes with Kyle Trask for the starting position in 2023.
Loser: Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions might have fumbled on Day 3 as they let go of RB Jamaal Williams to the New Orleans Saints. Williams had a career year in 2022 as he rushed for a career-high 1066 yards and 17 touchdowns. The move made no sense, given his high production over the past two years in Detroit.
The Detroit Lions didn't quite upgrade by signing former Bears RB David Montgomery. They've signed a running back who's dealt with a ton of injuries from ankle to head. This is a gamble. To top this off, they've signed the RB for a three-year $18 million contract, which is $6 million more than what the Saints have offered Jamaal Williams, three years and $12 million.
Also read: 2023 NFL Free Agency: Day 2 Winners and Losers