5 teams to watch during 2023 NFL free agency period
The 2023 NFL fiscal year once again starts in mid-March. So which five franchises could be the busiest once the free-agent market is open for business?
The restructuring of player contracts and salary-cap cuts have begun. Six players have been given the “franchise” tag. The preparation for the 2023 NFL is well underway. The league’s new fiscal year begins officially at 4:00 PM ET on March 15th. Over the next few days, clubs will be looking to retain their own potential unrestricted free agents.
On Monday, March 13th, the “legal tampering” begins as teams can reach out to potential free agents from other clubs. Of course, all 32 clubs must be under the salary cap, which is set at $224.8 million this year. As of this writing, a little under half of the teams in the league was looking to get to that number.
So begins the fourth decade of free agency. It says here that these five franchises are worth keeping an eye on over the next few months for any number of reasons.
NOTE: All financial information is provided by Spotrac.
5 teams to keep an eye on in 2023 NFL Free Agency
5. Atlanta Falcons
It’s been a rough stretch for a team that not too long ago reached the Super Bowl and followed that up with a playoff appearance. From 2016-17, the Atlanta Falcons owned a combined 21-11 regular-season win-loss record and actually came up with three postseason victories.
Since 2018, the club is a combined 32-50 and has finished with a losing record in five consecutive seasons. This past year, the Falcons were far more competitive than in Arthur Smith’s first season as head coach. Still, the NFC South will have a lot of new faces this season, especially at quarterback.
In 2022, Marcus Mariota was the team’s primary starter but he has been released by the organization. Desmond Ridder started the final four games of the season and made subtle strides each week. Former Saints’ assistant Ryan Nielsen is the club’s new defensive coordinator. The Falcons have plenty of decisions to make when it comes to re-signing their own players.