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• The Bengals will have two new faces at the back: Beginning in 2022, both Jessie Bates III and Vonn Bell will head to the NFC South.
• Jaguars need Travon Walker and others to step up: After losing the Arden Key, Jacksonville will be looking for another source of steady pass-rush production.
• Steelers still need reinforcements at cornerback: Heading into the 2023 NFL Draft, Pittsburgh is skinny at the top spot.
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arizona cardinals: di Zach Allen
With JJ Watt retiring, Arizona may have the worst defensive line on paper in the NFL heading into the 2023 campaign. New head coach Jonathan Gannon has done the work for him after coordinating a Philadelphia Eagles defense that recorded 70 regular-season sacks in 2022, the third most on record.
They also didn’t rely on one or two big-name players to get there. In fact, they became the first team in NFL history to have four different players hit double digits in one year. Now in Arizona after Allen’s departure, Gannon leaves behind a current top pass rusher who probably won’t be in the top five of the Hawks’ roster, even with inside linebacker Javon Hargrave’s stint with the San Francisco 49ers. The same is true after signing a big free agent contract. Fortunately, Arizona has the No. 3 pick in the draft and can add a difference-maker on Day 1.
Read more: 2023 free agency results for all 32 teams
Atlanta Falcons: carbon fiber isaiah oliver
Oliver has been quietly becoming a depth player with limited ability at his position in Atlanta for the past two years, and that’s after he started his career as a 6-foot, 210-pound player playing on the perimeter. Oliver’s 75.1 coverage grade while in the slot over the past two seasons ranks in the top 30, despite the small sample size.
Atlanta added a ton of defensive players this offseason, recently adding former first-round cornerback Mike Hughes, who also offers flexibility inside and out and is expected to be a starter in 2023. Atlanta actually didn’t have much to lose this offseason, but Oliver provided some value as a versatile defensive back.
Baltimore Ravens: Auger ben powers
Bowles was one of the big winners in free agency, signing a massive four-year, $52 million deal with the Denver Broncos that’s as guaranteed this offseason as almost any other player. Free-agent guards get as much in total contract value. Bowers was an above-average elite pass blocker through his first three seasons, and he’s well-timed in 2022 with an 86.5 grade in that category.
Baltimore does have some offensive line depth to work with, with Ben Cleveland and Patrick Mecari on the floor, but Bowles is a big loss.
Buffalo Bills: pound Treyman Edmonds
The Bills simply couldn’t afford the four-year, $72 million deal Edmonds signed with the Chicago Bears — a deal that actually included a fully guaranteed $50 million at signing — especially at guard Mavericks. Te Milano was given a small raise due to his own contract extension due to his stellar performances over the past few seasons.
That being said, it’s never easy losing a player who you get traded in the first round of the draft and finally blossoms in his fifth-year option season. Edmunds will start his sixth NFL season at age 25 and is coming off a season in which he posted a career-high 88.1 coverage grade. The NFL game started to slow down for him, and better game recognition allowed him to think less and get the most out of his athletic tools.
Carolina Panthers: desk DJ Moore
Rather than losing to free agency, Moore has to be the answer we have here, especially considering the Panthers will be the least free agent loser of any team in the NFL, and they kept center Bradley Bozeman .
The Panthers now have arguably the worst offensive weapon in the NFL, even with the addition of very capable wide receiver Adam Thielen and tight end Hayden Hurst, both of whom will turn 30 in their first year.
Inside linebacker Matt Ioannidis might really be the best answer here, although he remains unsigned and could return to Carolina after all.
Chicago Bears: RB david montgomery
You’d be hard-pressed to find someone in the Bears’ building who doesn’t like the David Montgomery guy, and while he might not fit in as a runner in their wide rush, he’s provided more passes than their current committee Chance to catch the ball. New signing Travis Homer could be a solid pass protector in the backfield, another strength for Montgomery — his 71.7 pass interception rating since 2019 is a top-10 at the position — But as of now, every running back in the backfield is likely to tell opposing defenses.
All that said, signing D’Onta Foreman for a one-year deal of $3 million is a great value early backup, and maybe Chicago can add a Day 3 pick to round out the running back space if they’ We don’t like 2022 sixth-rounder Trestan Ebner.
Cincinnati Bengals: small jesse bates iii
The Bengals obviously won’t offer Betts the four-year, $64 million multi-year deal he received from the Atlanta Falcons. Former Los Angeles Rams safety Nick Scott is a solid replacement at free safety, but the loss of Betts will certainly remain. Cincinnati’s perimeter cornerbacks have struggled in recent seasons, especially after Chidobe Awuzie’s injury in 2022, and Bates’ ability to handle the ball at the back end is a big reason why the defense still holds up, according to reports.
The ever-reliable Vonn Bell also left the Carolina Panthers, adding to the loss. Over their past three seasons, the Tigers’ safety ranks sixth in run defense rating and coverage rating. It will be interesting to see how the defense moves forward without this dynamic duo patrolling the secondary.
Read more: 2023 free agency results for all 32 teams
Cleveland Browns: edge jadwin clown
Newly signed edge defender Ogbonnia Okoronkwo could fill in for Clowney, but while Clowney may not be as productive as another No. 1 overall edge defender, Myles Garrett, his playing field is very high.
Joker’s 91.0 run rating since joining the league in 2014 ranks fifth among NFL edge defenders, and his 12.2 pressure rate over the past two seasons ranks 46th at the position.
Cleveland retained center Ethan Pocic and off-ball linebacker Anthony Walker Jr., two other notable potential departures.
Dallas Cowboys: TE Dalton Schultz
The Cowboys are willing to pay Schultz a franchise tag of $10.93 million in 2022, but apparently aren’t interested in more than the one-year, $6.75 million free agent deal he signed in 2023. Dallas got a head start on Schultz’s departure by adding Jake Ferguson and Peyton Hendershot ahead of the 2022 season, but there’s no guarantee either of them will develop into the quality all-around player Schultz has become.
As evidenced by straddling tight end positions in free agency, the NFL adjusted after Hunter Henry, Jonuh Smith and other secondary players clearly underperformed relative to their trades. Plus, it could be a signal that the NFL sees the tight end category in the 2023 NFL Draft as one of the best in years, which is the consensus view among analysts.
Denver Broncos: DI Demond Jones
The Broncos, with their many line rushers, quickly reunited new defensive coordinator Vance Joseph with Arizona Cardinals inside linebacker Zach Allen. A career-high 35 quarterback pressure peaks.
That said, Jones has vastly outperformed Allen in pass completion percentage (14.7 percent vs. 9.8 percent) and pressure rate (10.3 percent vs. 7.3 percent) over the past two seasons.
Detroit Lions: intraocular lens evan brown
One of the underappreciated parts of the Lions’ good free agency so far is that they either provide internal replacements for every player they lose or sign someone to fill the void. That goes for Brown, too, but he offers solid inside offensive line depth and flexibility at all three positions, though he’s best suited at center.
Brown, who started most of the 2021 season at center, has a 72.4 pass interception grade and is a savvy addition to the Seattle Seahawks’ many such additions.
Green Bay Packers: TE Marcedes Lewis & Robert Tonian
We’re still waiting to trade Aaron Rodgers to the New York Jets, but expect Marcedes Lewis to follow him into eternal wonder. Lewis’ 75.9 run rating ranks fourth among tight ends over the past three seasons, and he shows little sign of slowing down, entering his age-39 season in 2023, which will be his 18th season.
Tonyan joins his hometown Chicago Bears with a career-high 53 catches in a season, and his 1.6 percent fumble rate over the past three seasons is the highest among tight ends. Neither tight end is a game-changing weapon, but both are solid in their respective roles.
Safety Adrian Amos is another potential answer here, especially with former first-round safety Darnell Savage sitting on the bench this season before switching to cornerback, but with Green Bay retaining the defensive coordinator With Joe Barry, it doesn’t seem to matter how much they invest in defense.
Houston Texans: edge Ogbanya
It’s a bit puzzling why Houston didn’t do more to keep Okoronkwo, but maybe they did and he just wanted to go elsewhere. After a slow start heading into the team’s Week 6 bye, Okoronkwo exploded from Week 7, and his 88.5 passer rating has since ranked sixth among edge defenders.
Okoronwo’s 22.9 percent pass rush win rate ranks seventh among fullbacks in the same period, and his 17.5 percent compression rate ranks eighth among fullbacks. He made his first career start in Week 11 and didn’t dip in the second half — reducing efficiency. He might not be a 1,000 steals player, but 500-700 steals at this level is a lot of value, and Cleveland might have a steal here.
Read more: 2023 free agency results for all 32 teams
Indianapolis Colts: desk Paris Campbell
Linebacker Bobby Okereke also makes sense here, but the Colts are heavily invested in Shaquille Leonard at the position, and while EJ Speed’s main contribution thus far has been on special teams, he has a 78.4 overall grade and 82.8 ERA. Overall Rating 2022 Run Rating.
Campbell is outperforming his 2019-21 three-year cumulative total in 2022, was healthy at one point in nearly every statistical category, and had nine games that year with at least 40 receiving yards. The New York Giants continue to add slot receivers to their roster, a trend that has spanned multiple regimes, but Campbell’s $4.7 million one-year flyer is a tremendous value.
The Colts’ offense ranks last in the 2022 EPA, and while a new quarterback could change that more than Campbell does, he’ll certainly help.
Jacksonville Jaguars: edge arden key
Yes, Jawaan Taylor’s four-year, $80 million deal with the defending champion Kansas City Chiefs makes a lot of sense here. However, there’s a reason the Jaguars chose to use the franchise tag on tight end Evan Engram: Clearly, they strongly believe that 2021 second-round pick Walker Little will replace Taylor.
Key played one year in his one-year career, a $4 million flyer,…
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