The Most Overlooked Additions of the 2023 NFL Offseason
Flashy free agents who earn massive contracts may dominate the news cycles during the NFL offseason, but championship teams aren't built on those blockbuster signings alone. General managers know it takes more than just stars to win in this league, and the best ones tend to maximize their roster's talent by making a series of savvy, cost-efficient veteran pickups every spring.
While these types of signings don't draw a ton of headlines, they do move the needle on the field. Having a deep lineup loaded with serviceable, experienced players who do their jobs well without taking up too much valuable salary-cap space can make all the difference between a Super Bowl run and missing the playoffs entirely.
With that in mind, here are five of the most overlooked additions of the 2023 offseason. These players may not be stars, but all of them are expected to be significant contributors during the upcoming season and should offer a strong return on investment.
All contract data courtesy of Spotrac.
Mike Gesicki, TE, New England Patriots
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The New England Patriots have struggled to find competent tight end play since Rob Gronkowski left the team in 2019. The organization attempted to bolster the position with a pair of high-profile signings during the 2021 offseason, but neither Hunter Henry nor Jonnu Smith has lived up to the initial hype. Despite those prior free-agent missteps, the Pats may have finally found the right player to energize this position after coming to terms with Mike Gesicki.
Gesicki spent the first half-decade of his career with the rival Miami Dolphins. While the 2018 second-round pick had his moments with that club, he never truly reached his potential. His best years came in 2020 and '21, a two-year span in which he recorded 126 receptions for 1,483 yards and eight touchdowns. Gesicki wasn't a good fit in new head coach Mike McDaniel's system last year, however, and was largely phased out of the offense after the arrival of star wideout Tyreek Hill. Gesicki caught only 32 balls for 362 yards and five scores in 2022.
Although he is coming off a down year, the best is likely still to come for this 27-year-old tight end. Gesicki is joining a New England offense that has been downright desperate for playmaking pass-catchers at his position. Gesicki could post his best numbers under Bill O'Brien, who is returning to Foxborough to fulfill an NFL offensive coordinator role he last held in 2011, a season in which Gronkowski set career highs with 1,327 yards and 17 touchdowns on 90 receptions.
While Gesicki may not be the second coming of Gronk, he should see plenty of volume and produce at a level far higher than a $4.5 million contract would usually indicate.
Arden Key, Edge, Tennessee Titans
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The Tennessee Titans pulled off a coup against a divisional rival when they signed Arden Key to a three-year, $21 million deal this offseason. The club was not only able to lure away a competent pass-rusher from the Jacksonville Jaguars, but it also found a younger replacement for DeMarcus Walker after the edge-rusher secured a similar deal from the Chicago Bears.
While Key is slightly smaller than the player he's replacing, he's nearly two years younger while having just one fewer season of experience than Walker. The 6'5", 240-pound Key was a third-round pick in 2018 but didn't truly find his footing in the league until 2021 when he emerged with a 6.5-sack campaign for the San Francisco 49ers. He followed that up with 4.5 sacks last year while earning a career-best 81.3 PFF grade for his efforts. He's just entering the prime of his career and could have his best years in the Music City.
Even if Key doesn't end up amassing eye-popping sack totals, he's still a versatile defender who can line up both inside and outside in Tennessee's schemes. He's been an adequate run defender whose presence will help the Titans stay dangerous on his side of the ball while the club sorts out its quarterback situation and other offensive issues. His signing may not have made many waves, but it will certainly be noticeable for those facing Tennessee's defense in 2023.
Julian Love, S, Seattle Seahawks
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One of the more surprising stories of the 2023 offseason was just how cheaply the Seattle Seahawks were able to sign up-and-coming safety Julian Love for. The 25-year-old emerged as a big part of the New York Giants secondary during their resurgent 2022 campaign, starting 16 games for Big Blue while recording 124 tackles, five pass defenses, two interceptions, a sack, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. The G-Men surprisingly elected to let Love walk in free agency following this impressive showing and Seattle took advantage by inking him to a two-year, $12 million deal.
While the Seahawks weren't hurting for talent at the safety position—the team already had Jamal Adams and Quandre Diggs under contract—they wisely didn't pass on the opportunity to get a player of Love's caliber at that price.
The move gives Seattle arguably the deepest safety corps in the league and opens a variety of unique looks for the defense to deploy. For instance, Love's presence could allow Adams to assume a hybrid-linebacker role and attack the quarterback more often. With Love able to play some nickel and head into the box himself, head coach Pete Carroll can be creative with his scheming this year.
The Love signing also provides some much-needed injury insurance for Adams after the three-time Pro Bowler missed at least four games in each of his three Seattle seasons, including participating in just one game all of last year. The franchise has a cost-effective opportunity to move on from Adams next offseason, removing the veteran safety's $23.6 million cap hit from the books in exchange for a $14.2 million dead cap charge. Cutting Adams would vault Love into an even more prominent role for 2024 and potentially beyond should he elect to re-up in the Pacific Northwest.
Byron Murphy Jr., CB, Minnesota Vikings
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The Minnesota Vikings added a key piece to their rebuilding defense at a great price when they signed veteran cornerback Byron Murphy Jr. to a two-year, $22 million contract. The move gives the club an experienced, tough defender who can line up at several spots. That versatility will be welcomed in a secondary that was largely responsible for the disappointing ending to the team's 2022 campaign.
While the Vikings posted an impressive 13-4 record during the regular season last year, a suspect defense was exposed by the New York Giants in the Wild Card Round. Leading up to that playoff contest, Minnesota had allowed a concerning 265.6 yards per game through the air and conceded 29 passing touchdowns, the second-worst marks in the NFL in each of those categories. Murphy's presence will help bring these numbers down in 2023 by making this unit more competitive against opposing signal-callers.
New defensive coordinator Brian Flores will enjoy having an intelligent, gritty playmaker like Murphy who can be used either outside or in the nickel as needed. While the 25-year-old is coming off a season-ending back injury, he's only a year removed from a 2021 campaign in which he racked up 64 tackles, 12 pass defenses and four interceptions while starting 16 contests. Prior to going down in Week 9 last year, Murphy was only allowing a 63.8 percent completion rate—a career-best mark—when targeted in coverage.
With rookie corners Mekhi Blackmon and Jay Ward also expected to play large roles this season—helping offset the losses of veterans Patrick Peterson and Chandon Sullivan in free agency—the Vikings have a real opportunity to emerge as a capable defensive squad.
Rashaad Penny, RB, Philadelphia Eagles
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Fresh off a Super Bowl appearance, the Philadelphia Eagles made one of the more shrewd pickups of the offseason and instantly improved their chances of getting back to the Big Game by signing Rashaad Penny. The gifted running back was acquired on the open market for a bargain-bin price, costing the club a mere $1.35 million for the upcoming campaign.
Penny is clearly betting on himself and has a great opportunity to earn a bigger contract in 2024 if he can stay healthy. That hasn't been easy, however, as the 27-year-old has missed a significant amount of action since he first entered the league as a first-round pick in 2018. Penny has participated in only 42 of a possible 82 games in that span, missing at least six contests in each season that followed his rookie year. After finishing the 2021 campaign on a high note—rushing for 671 yards and six touchdowns over the last five weeks—Penny went down again in 2022 with a broken fibula just five weeks into the season.
That injury would mark the end of Penny's time with the Seattle Seahawks, allowing the Eagles to capitalize on his availability with a low-risk signing that could pay dividends for the reigning NFC champs. According to Brad Spielberger of PFF, no back averaged more yards per carry or yards after contact from 2021 to '22 than Penny. Now playing behind one of the NFL's top offensive lines in the City of Brotherly Love, Penny has a perfect opportunity to finally stay healthy and consistently produce at a high level.
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