Ranking the NFL's Top 7 Acquisitions of the 2023 Offseason so Far
Anyone who has followed the NFL for any length of time knows that it can take at least a full season to accurately judge an acquisition. Last offseason, for example, the Seattle Seahawks' re-signing of quarterback Geno Smith generated virtually no buzz. A year later, Smith is coming off his first Pro Bowl appearance and just signed a three-year, $75 million extension.
Of course, this fact has never stopped anyone from making snap decisions about how valuable fresh acquisitions can be. It's fun, and with meaningful football still six months away, it's all we have.
With the first full week of 2023 free agency nearing its completion, let's dive into our picks for the seven most impactful acquisitions so far. Choices are picked and ranked based on the factors we know—like past production, team needs, positional value, roster makeup and, naturally, the cost of acquisition.
7. Giants Trade for Darren Waller
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Before free agency even officially started, the New York Giants swung a trade for Las Vegas Raiders tight end Darren Waller. The cost was a mere third-round pick.
The cost was low—along with this move's ranking—because Waller has been limited by injuries over the past two seasons and played just nine games in 2022 because of a hamstring issue. That's a big concern. However, the Giants are getting a premier pass-catcher who topped 1,100 receiving yards in both 2019 and 2020.
New York is also getting a player motivated to make a difference.
"I'm willing to come out here and to be the best I can be to be a weapon for this team, a tool that this team can use to get to that next level that they want to go to," Waller said at his introductory press conference, per NFL Media's Kevin Patra.
The Giants are coming off a divisional-round appearance and are looking to go further. They're also looking to continue developing quarterback Daniel Jones into one of the better signal-callers in the NFL.
As a reliable receiver (when healthy), a tremendous security blanket and a legitimate playmaker, Waller can help accomplish both goals.
6. 49ers Sign Javon Hargrave
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The San Francisco 49ers have some questions at quarterback. They still don't know what they have in Trey Lance, Brock Purdy is recovering from elbow surgery and recent addition Sam Darnold has yet to show that he's more than just an average starter.
What the 49ers don't have questions about is their defense. San Francisco ranked first in both yards and points allowed last season, and the defense helped carry the 49ers to the NFC title game.
Had Purdy not been injured against the Philadelphia Eagles in that game, we might have had a Kansas City Chiefs and 49ers Super Bowl rematch from the 2019 season.
There are no weaknesses on the 49ers defense, and San Francisco made the unit even stronger early in free agency by signing Eagles defensive tackle Javon Hargrave to a four-year, $84 million deal.
The price was high, but so is the level of impact that Hargrave can make on an already elite unit. This past season, the 30-year-old notched 60 tackles, 11 sacks, a forced fumble and 18 quarterback pressures.
Hargrave is one of the best interior defenders in the league, and he joins a front seven that features Arik Armstead, Dre Greenlaw, Fred Warner, Drake Jackson and reigning Defensive Player of the Year Nick Bosa.
While the 49ers are sorting out their quarterback situation, they can lean on their defense and win games in 2023. With Hargrave now in the fold, that defense might be dominant enough to win it all.
5. Commanders Sign Jacoby Brissett
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The Washington Commanders might not be serious playoff contenders in 2022—though coming off an 8-8-1 season, they shouldn't be counted out. However, Washington is looking to establish its quarterback of the future.
That might be 2022 fifth-round pick Sam Howell, who won his only start as a rookie.
"Going in, [Howell will] start as the No. 1, but it's something he has to continue to earn and show us he deserves to be that guy," head coach Ron Rivera said during Super Bowl week, per ESPN's John Keim.
But Washington needed competition at quarterback and a veteran who can mentor its young signal-caller. It found the perfect solution in 30-year-old Jacoby Brissett.
Brissett started 11 games for the Cleveland Browns this past season and never once publicly complained about his status as a temporary starter. He has the right mindset needed to mentor Howell, serve as an extra coach on the sideline and help Washington win games if he's called upon.
As Cleveland's starter, Brissett was actually quite effective. He threw for 2,608 yards with 12 touchdowns, six interceptions and an 88.9 passer rating. He also rushed for 243 yards, two touchdowns and 28 first downs.
What makes this deal even better is the fact that Brissett signed on a modest one-year, $8 million deal. The Commanders now have a tremendous game plan at the game's most important position, and they didn't overpay to get it. This acquisition might not make a lot of headlines, but it was undoubtedly one of the savviest moves of the early offseason.
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4. Saints Sign Derek Carr
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Like the Commanders, the New Orleans Saints have been searching for a long-term answer at the quarterback position. They got it when they inked Derek Carr to a four-year, $150 million deal.
While this wasn't a budget acquisition like the Brissett signing, it wasn't a complete overpay. It's $10 million less than the Giants are paying for Jones' four-year extension.
Set to turn 32 later this month, Carr doesn't have the same long-term upside as Jones (25), but he's also significantly more proven. Carr is coming off his fourth Pro Bowl campaign has more than 35,000 passing yards on his resume and holds a career 91.8 passer rating.
Adding Carr should put New Orleans right in the thick of the NFC South mix in 2023. The Saints went 7-10 last season and boasted a top-10 defense in both yards and points allowed. However, they struggled offensively, ranking 19th in yards and 22nd in scoring.
Carr should help the offense tremendously, and it's in no way a stretch to say that New Orleans now has the best quarterback in the division—though that could change by April, and we'll get to that shortly.
This move also reunites Carr with head coach Dennis Allen, who was the Raiders coach when Carr was drafted by the franchise. The NFC South is there for the taking, and the Saints now stand a very good chance of winning the division for the first time since 2020.
3. Broncos Trade for Sean Payton
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The Denver Broncos' big 2021 acquisition has yet to pay dividends. Denver sent two first-round picks, two second-round picks, a fifth-round pick, quarterback Drew Lock, defensive lineman Shelby Harris and tight end Noah Fant to the Seattle Seahawks for quarterback Russell Wilson and a fourth-round selection.
Wilson flopped in his first season, finishing the year with 16 touchdown passes, 11 interceptions and a lowly 84.4 passer rating. Head coach Nathaniel Hackett was fired during the regular season, and Denver has now pivoted to Sean Payton.
Since Payton was still under contract with New Orleans, though, the Broncos had to acquire his rights in a trade. It cost Denver a 2023 first-round pick and a 2024 second-round selection. That's quite a price, but it will be worth it if Payton can salvage Denver's gamble on Wilson.
There's plenty of reason to believe this latest addition will pay off. Payton helped Drew Brees establish himself as a Hall of Famer in New Orleans. He's played quarterback, and he knows how to develop them—Jameis Winston had a career-best 102.8 passer rating in Payton's final season with the Saints.
Payton also knows what it takes to win a Super Bowl, having done so in the 2009 season.
The Broncos have to find a way to get Wilson back into Pro Bowl form while becoming relevant in the loaded AFC West. Acquiring Payton wasn't cheap, but it may help make that happen.
2. Bengals Sign Orlando Brown Jr.
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An argument could be made that this move deserves to be No. 1, but it doesn't have quite the same big-picture impact as our next entry.
That said, there's nothing not to like about the Cincinnati Bengals' acquisition of offensive tackle Orlando Brown Jr. after his departure from Kansas City. Cincinnati has established itself as a perennial contender, and it features an offense loaded with legitimate stars like Joe Burrow, Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd.
What the Bengals have lacked is a reliable offensive line. Adding Brown helps change that.
The former Baltimore Ravens and Chiefs starter is coming off his fourth straight Pro Bowl campaign. This past season, he was responsible for eight penalties and four sacks allowed, according to Pro Football Focus. While those aren't elite numbers, they're far better than what the Bengals have been getting out of left tackle Jonah Williams.
Williams was responsible for four penalties and 12 sacks allowed this past season, according to PFF. Cincinnati can live with a few more penalties if it means keeping Burrow—who has been sacked 153 times in three years, including playoffs—upright.
Cincinnati also landed Brown at a very fair price. At four years and $64.1 million, Brown will not be significantly overpaid. The Chiefs, for example, just signed Jawaan Taylor to a deal worth $20 million annually
Brown will help protect Cincinnati's biggest asset, Burrow, and it won't hamstring the Bengals financially. Viewed from any angle, this acquisition was a veritable home run.
1. Bears-Panthers Trade for the No. 1 Pick in April's Draft
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This early-offseason trade between the Chicago Bears and Carolina Panthers gets our top spot because it may dramatically alter the futures of two franchises.
Carolina got the No. 1 overall pick in April's draft, while Chicago landed wide receiver DJ Moore, the ninth overall pick in the draft, the 61st pick in the draft, a 2024 first-round pick and a 2025 second-round pick for the No. 1 selection.
It's a huge get for the Panthers, who now have their choice of the top quarterback prospects—namely, Ohio State's C.J. Stroud, Alabama's Bryce Young or Florida's Anthony Richardson.
If the Panthers, who went 7-10 in 2022, make the right choice on draft night, this trade could and should make them perennial contenders in the NFC South. There's still the matter of drafting and developing the right guy, of course, but no acquisition is more valuable than one that yields a franchise quarterback.
The Bears, meanwhile, acquired a receiver who has 5,201 receiving yards in five seasons and can help quarterback Justin Fields immediately. They also landed a ton of extra draft capital that can be utilized to further strengthen the roster.
Chicago "earned" the No. 1 pick in the draft by having one of the most underwhelming rosters in the NFL. It has already added the likes of Moore, tight end Robert Tonyan, running back D'Onta Foreman, guard Nate Davis and linebackers T.J. Edwards and Tremaine Edmunds this offseason.
With an extra second-rounder this year and more future draft capital incoming, Chicago could have one of the conference's best rosters sooner than later.
This was the rare win-win trade for two franchises looking to return to relevance. Its impact could echo in the NFC for years to come.
*Contract information via Spotrac. Advanced statistics from Pro Football Reference unless otherwise noted.
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