Top 5 free agency signings so far

As expected, the first week of free agency was a rollercoaster ride, with deals a plenty from across the league. It is always one of the most exciting times of the NFL offseason, and there will be any fans feeling excited for the team’s chances in 2023.

There are plenty of free agents still out there, but we’ve seen some great deals so far for some of the top players available.

Here are our top five signings of free agency after week one of the window:

5. Dalvin Tomlinson to the Browns

A four-year, a $57 million contract for a name like Dalvin Tomlinson may seem excess, but it is an incredibly positive deal for the Cleveland defense.

The Browns had one of the worst run defenses in the entire league in 2022, and were incredibly thin at defensive tackle. Cleveland have added an effective run defender and interior pass rusher, as well as much needed experience to the defense.

Tomlinson is exactly what the Browns need to stop being leaky on the opposite side of the ball.

4. T.J. Edwards to the Bears

Edwards is coming off of a career year that saw him rank sixth among all linebackers with an 81.6 PFF grade. The undrafted free agent from 2019, Edwards is a good, and incredibly cheap, replacement for Roquan Smith, signing a three year, $19.5 million, $12 million guaranteed deal with Chicago from Philadelphia.

The Bears lacked leaders on defense last year. Adding Edwards, alongside other new signing Tremaine Edmunds, will help to shore up the Chicago defensive unit and make them much more competitive in 2023.

What a few weeks for the Bears!

3. Orlando Brown Jr. to the Bengals

The Kansas City Chiefs, and most NFL teams, don’t truly view Orlando Brown Jr. as a left tackle. This judgement helped the Bengals to swoop in and find great value in improving their offensive line.

Brown allowed just four sacks and seven hits across 769 pass-block snaps in 2022 and will immediately improve the Bengals run-game, having averaged the fourth-lowest yards per carry last year (3.8). This could give Cincinnati the jump they need to take their offense to the next level.

2. Jessie Bates III to the Falcons

It was inevitable that Jessie Bates III was destined to leave the Bengals, and he’s found an ideal fit in joining the Atlanta Falcons.

The safety earns a four-year deal worth an average of $16 million per season. That’s a big deal, but Bates fills a huge void on the Falcons defense. Not just positionally, but Bates immediately steps in as a leader on the Atlanta roster.

1. Javon Hargrave to the 49ers

Defensive tackle Javon Hargrave was possibly the best player available in NFL free agency. But no one expected him to land with the already star-studded San Francisco 49ers.

Hargrave posted the third-highest ESPN pass-rush win rate (17%) among defensive tackles last season. He’s an elite defender who made a name for himself with the Eagles, and will be looking to take his game to the next level this year.

General manager John Lynch deserves huge credit for taking advantage of having two quarterbacks on rookie contracts, and making another statement in bolstering his already frightening defense. With Hargrave joining the likes of Nick Bosa, Javon Kinlaw and Arik Armstead on the San Francisco defensive line, it is best of luck to opposition offenses in 2023.