Some Non-Vikings Moves on Day 1 of NFL Negotiations
Josh Frey
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The first day of the NFL negotiation period, otherwise known as the “legal tampering” period, before free agency’s official start on March 15th certainly was an eventful one. The Minnesota Vikings didn’t make any massive moves, with their only agreement being with TE Josh Oliver, but there were plenty of new contracts agreed to throughout the NFL. Here’s a quick look at some of the biggest non-Vikings moves of the day.
Jimmy G Goes to Vegas
Just a few weeks after releasing their longtime starting quarterback Derek Carr, the Las Vegas Raiders have found their new guy. Jimmy Garoppolo has been connected to the Raiders for some time now, and on Monday, the two sides officially agreed to a deal that will land Garoppolo in Vegas for the next three years.
The contract is worth a total of $67.5 million with $34 million guaranteed. He will make $24.25 million in the first year of the deal.
Bears Make Big Moves
As expected, the team with the most salary cap space in the NFL swung early and often in the first day of contract negotiations. They landed a few huge names in the free agency pool, including the following:
- LB T.J. Edwards
- LB Tremaine Edmunds
- G Nate Davis
Most notably, linebacker Tremaine Edmunds got a front-loaded 4-year/$72 million contract, and pairing he and Edwards together should create a dynamic duo at the linebacker position.
Jamel Dean Stays in Tampa
Perhaps in one of the bigger surprises of the afternoon, star cornerback Jamel Dean has decided that he will stay with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Dean was one of the bigger targets at the position, and one the Vikings likely had their eye on at one point or another.
Instead, he returns to Tampa Bay and gets a 4-year/$52 million contract to remain a stalwart presence in the Buccaneers secondary.
The Niners Defense Gets Even Better
The rich get richer. After losing to the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Championship Game, the San Francisco 49ers went out and stole one of their best defenders in free agency, DT Javon Hargrave.
The veteran interior defensive lineman gets a 4-year/$80 million deal with the Niners and pairing him with Arik Armstead in the middle of the defensive line gives San Francisco a ferocious 1-2 punch. Oh, and they also have Nick Bosa on the edge.
Cam Sutton Heads to Detroit
Cam Sutton was my top free agency choice for the Minnesota Vikings this offseason, but just over an hour into the opening of negotiations, those hopes were dashed. Making that reality even more painful was the fact that Sutton opted to head to Detroit, signing with Minnesota’s NFC North rival Lions.
Jessie Bates Gets Massive Contract
Jessie Bates entered free agency after a stellar season with the Cincinnati Bengals in 2022, recording 4 interceptions, and it didn’t take long for him to land a new contract.
In fact, his new deal with the Atlanta Falcons is the fourth-largest contract ever for a safety, landing him in Atlanta for four years and netting him $64.02 million.
Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho with a bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys running, gaming, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. Check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.