Underrated Early NFL Free Agency Contracts That Will Pay Off Next Season
Since headlines can hardly keep up with the frenzy of early signings in NFL free agency, the biggest moves tend to command the most attention.
For example, the first day of the legal tampering period featured Javon Hargrave heading to the San Francisco 49ers and Jimmy Garoppolo agreeing to sign with the Las Vegas Raiders. The Chicago Bears and Denver Broncos committed to writing a few enormous checks, too.
Unless you're a fan of the particular team, though, you probably didn't consider the impact of Connor McGovern joining the Buffalo Bills or Bradley Bozeman staying with the Carolina Panthers.
Fear not, my friend: We did.
The choices are subjective but are limited to players who agreed to contracts worth less than $8 million annually, are expected to hold a starting role and produce at a level well above their pay rate.
Connor McGovern, OG, Buffalo Bills
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Contract: Three years, $23 million
Connor McGovern is not an incredible player. In all likelihood, he will not suddenly ascend to All-Pro status with the Buffalo Bills.
But anything that keeps Josh Allen upright in the pocket is a worthwhile move for Buffalo.
McGovern agreed to a three-year, $23 million pact with the Bills, according to NFL Network's Mike Garafolo. He had the 13th-best pass-blocking grade for interior linemen last season, per Pro Football Focus (h/t Matt Parrino of Syracuse.com). On that front, he's a considerable upgrade over left guard Rodger Saffold.
If McGovern sticks at right guard when he joins the Bills, Ryan Bates will likely return to the left side, where he performed well as a late-season starter in 2021.
Bradley Bozeman, C, Carolina Panthers
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Contract: Three years, $18 million
You know what's good for a rookie quarterback? Stability.
Shortly before free agency began, the Carolina Panthers dropped a metaphorical bomb on the NFL world. They acquired the No. 1 overall selection in the 2023 draft in exchange for wideout D.J. Moore and a package of picks.
Trading away Moore doesn't offer much help in the stability department. But bringing back Bradley Bozeman means Carolina will return its entire starting offensive line in front of its new signal-caller.
They were an effective group last season, ranking 11th in sacks allowed and tied for 12th in yards per rushing attempt.
The veteran center landed a three-year, $18 million extension from the Panthers, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. Along with Bozeman, left tackle Ikem Ekwonu, left guard Brady Christensen, right guard Austin Corbett and right tackle Taylor Moton are all signed through at least the 2024 campaign.
Carolina needs to replenish its receiving corps, but the offensive line is awfully low on its list of concerns.
Ogbo Okoronkwo, Edge, Cleveland Browns
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Contract: Three years, $22 million max
Late in the season, it became clear that the Cleveland Browns would not be keeping Jadeveon Clowney. His inevitable departure added yet another void on a thin defensive front.
On Monday, Cleveland completed Step 1 in retooling the unit.
The big-name addition is defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson, who agreed to a four-year, $57 million deal, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. But the Browns also picked up Ogbo Okoronkwo on a three-year contract worth up to $22 million, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston.
That's a perfectly reasonable rate for a player who turns 28 this offseason. Okoronkwo had a career-high 44 tackles and five sacks last season along with the league's third-highest pressure rate, per Next Gen Stats.
Okoronkwo's production may rise sharply in a complementary role alongside Myles Garrett and Tomlinson.
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David Long Jr., LB, Miami Dolphins
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Contract: Two years, $11 million
First, the Miami Dolphins exercised Tua Tagovailoa's fifth-year option worth $23.2 million in 2024. Then they traded for All-Pro corner Jalen Ramsey and agreed to sign former New York Jets quarterback Mike White as the insurance policy for Tagovailoa.
Amidst all of that, the Fins also agreed to sign linebacker David Long Jr. to a two-year, $11 million, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.
Given the name and positional value of the Dolphins' other moves, Long won't attract as much attention. However, he should be a tremendous fit for Miami's defense.
Last year, Long finished with a career-high 86 tackles and ceded a modest 6.3 yards per target in 12 games with the Tennessee Titans. He'll start at inside linebacker as the Dolphins transition to new defensive coordinator Vic Fangio and presumably let Elandon Roberts walk in free agency.
T.J. Edwards, LB, Chicago Bears
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Contract: Three years, $19.5 million
The Chicago Bears made a headline-demanding splash Monday when they agreed to sign former Buffalo Bills linebacker Tremaine Edwards to a four-year, $72 million deal, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.
But the Bears also added a second linebacker at a bargain price. They agreed to sign former Philadelphia Eagles linebacker T.J. Edwards to a three-year, $19.5 million contract, according to ESPN's Courtney Cronin.
Edwards racked up 289 tackles over the last two seasons and surrendered only 5.3 yards per target last year. He led the NFC champion Eagles with a career-high 159 total tackles this past season.
The local kid—Edwards grew up just north of Chicago—will immediately slot into the Bears' starting lineup. Between his tackle production and reliability in coverage, Edwards is an absolute steal at that price for a rebuilding team.
Jimmie Ward, S, Houston Texans
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Contract: Two years, $13 million
After spending six seasons with the San Francisco 49ers—including the last two as the defensive coordinator—DeMeco Ryans is now the head coach of the Houston Texans.
He's bringing a captain from the Bay Area with him. Safety Jimmie Ward agreed to a two-year, $13 million deal with the Texans, according to SiriusXM NFL's Adam Caplan.
Until now, Jimmie Ward has played all nine of his NFL seasons with the Niners. Although he's dealt with a variety of injuries throughout his career, Ward has made 79 career regular-season starts and has rarely left the field when healthy.
The Texans probably won't win many games in 2023. They might not in 2024, either. But in both seasons, Ward can provide a ton of scheme knowledge and veteran wisdom to a secondary that includes Jalen Pitre and Devin Stingley Jr., two promising young defenders for Ryans to build around early in his Houston tenure.
Keisean Nixon, KR, Green Bay Packers
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Contract: One year, $6 million max
It's difficult to overstate just how problematic the Green Bay Packers' kick-return unit had been lately. They ranked 30th in yards per return in 2021, 31st in 2020 and no higher than 21st in 2018 or 2019.
Keisean Nixon quickly halted that trend.
Last season, the speedster earned first-team AP All-Pro recognition after ranking second in the NFL with 28.8 yards per kick return. While he didn't qualify for the punt-return leaderboard because he had only 11, his 12.7-yard average also would've led the NFL.
The value of Rich Bisaccia, a longtime special teams coordinator, should not be discounted. The former Las Vegas Raiders interim coach made an undeniable impact in his first season with Green Bay.
Nixon parlayed a great opportunity and excellent coaching into a stellar year and a one-year extension worth up to $6 million, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.
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