2023 NFL Free Agency: Parris Campbell to Giants Tops List of Thursday Value Signings
The 2023 edition of NFL free agency entered its second wave on Thursday. Though the market didn't officially open until 4 p.m. ET on Wednesday, the contact window has been open since noon ET on Monday.
By the time the new league year started yesterday afternoon, many of the top free agents had already been claimed. A few big-money deals still came through on Wednesday, including those of JuJu Smith-Schuster, Miles Sanders and Hayden Hurst.
The Cincinnati Bengals capped Wednesday's activity by giving offensive tackle Orlando Brown Jr. a four-year, $64 million deal, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero,
The money hasn't flowed as heavily on Thursday, but it's important to remember that the earliest and the biggest deals aren't always the best ones. We've now reached the stage where value signings—under-the-radar deals that could pay off big for the teams that ink them—dominate the transaction wire.
Thursday's moves might not dominate the offseason headlines, but they could prove to be some of 2023's biggest bargains. Here, we'll dive into some of the top budget deals from Thursday. Readers who want to catch up on all of the day's deals can check out Bleacher Report's free-agency grades for Thursday.
Giants Sign Parris Campbell to One-Year Deal
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On Wednesday, the New England Patriots signed Smith-Schuster to a three-year, $33 million deal, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. That's a fair price for arguably the top receiver on the 2023 market, but it's not quite a bargain.
A day later, the New York Giants signed former Indianapolis Colts wideout Parris Campbell to a one-year deal that could be worth up to $6.7 million with incentives.
This is a tremendous deal for the Giants, who are looking to upgrade Daniel Jones' supporting cast. Campbell was hampered by injuries early in his career, but he had a breakthrough campaign in 2022. He caught 63 passes for 623 yards and three touchdowns in an Indianapolis offense that ranked 30th in yards per pass attempt (5.2).
Campbell can serve as a slot specialist or complementary receiver alongside Isaiah Hodgins and trade acquisition Darren Waller. Meanwhile, New York did a great job of protecting itself by making it an incentive-laden deal.
At only 25 years old, Campbell could emerge as a long-term contributor in New York. First, he'll have to show that he can stay healthy and productive. If he can't, the Giants won't take a huge financial hit.
Bears Land Andrew Billings on One-Year Deal
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Thursday afternoon, the Chicago Bears added another productive player to their new-look defense. According to NFL Media's Ian Rapoport, the Bears signed defensive tackle Andrew Billings to a one-year, $3.5 million deal that includes $2.4 million in guarantees.
It's a massive bargain compared to some of the other contracts defensive linemen have gotten in free agency this year. Dalvin Tomlinson, for example, landed a four-year, $57 million contract from the Cleveland Browns, according to Spotrac.
Is Billings the same type of disruptive interior defender that Tomlinson can be? Perhaps not, but he was productive with the Las Vegas Raiders last season. He finished the year with 39 tackles, a sack, three quarterback hits and three tackles for loss.
The 2022 season wasn't an outlier for Billings, either. Between the 2018 and 2019 seasons—Billings opted out of 2020 and played sparingly in 2021—he tallied 67 tackles, 3.5 sacks and 12 tackles for loss.
Billings might not be an elite defensive lineman, but he's a starting-caliber player who can bolster a Bears run defense that ranked 27th in yards per carry allowed (4.9) last season. Billings will make an impact in 2023, and he comes in at a team-friendly price.
Vikings Restructure Harrison Smith's Contract
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The Minnesota Vikings kept safety Harrison Smith off the free-agent market by restructuring his contract on Thursday.
A base price of $8 million is a fair deal for the Vikings. For context, consider that the Atlanta Falcons signed safety Jessie Bates III to a four-year deal worth $16 million annually, according to Spotrac.
Bates (26) is much younger than Smith, of course, but the 34-year-old is still an effective defender. In 2022, Smith compiled 85 tackles, five interceptions, 10 passes defended and allowed an opposing passer rating of only 73.0 in coverage.
Smith was one of the few consistent players on a Minnesota defense that ranked 31st overall and 28th in points allowed. The Vikings have plenty of reloading to do on that side of the ball, but Smith was definitely worth keeping. The Vikings will do that thanks to a sneaky-smart bargain agreement.
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Buccaneers Sign Chase Edmonds to a One-Year Deal
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The running-back dominoes began to fall on Wednesday when the Detroit Lions signed David Montgomery to a three-year, $18 million deal, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers landed a much bigger bargain on Thursday when they signed Chase Edmonds to a one-year deal worth just under $1.1 million.
Montgomery spent the last four years as the Chicago Bears' starter, but he hasn't been particularly efficient over the past two seasons—he averaged just 4.0 yards per carry in 2022 and has averaged 3.9 yards per carry in his career.
Edmonds hasn't held down the same starting role, but he's a fantastic complementary piece. He's averaged 4.5 yards per carry as a pro and has 1,796 rushing yards, 144 receptions, 1,078 receiving yards and 17 touchdowns in five seasons.
A viable dual-threat, Edmonds can play a significant role in a Buccaneers offense that officially parted with Leonard Fournette on Wednesday. He can be a valuable third-down back and rotational runner and help whoever emerges from Tampa's quarterback competition—Kyle Trask or recent addition Baker Mayfield—tremendously.
*Advanced statistics from Pro Football Reference
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