The Daily Briefing Tuesday, March 14, 2023

We managed to put a DB together today.  Who knows if we’ll be back before next Tuesday or not.

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Free agency happens fast.

Going, going, almost gone. . . .

In a little more than 24 hours since the legal tampering period opened, only 57 of PFT’s top 100 free agents remain unrestricted free agents.

Six players received the non-exclusive franchise tag, and Commanders defensive tackle Daron Payne since has signed a long-term deal.

Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson ($32.4 million for 2023), Cowboys running back Tony Pollard ($10.091 million), Jaguars tight end Evan Engram ($11.345 million), Raiders running back Josh Jacobs ($10.091 million) and Giants running back Saquon Barkley ($10.091 million) have until July 17 to sign a long-term deal or they will play under the one-year tag.

Another 10 players on PFT’s free agent list have re-signed with their own team, and 27 have agreed to terms or signed with a different team.

Chiefs offensive tackle Orlando Brown, at No. 7, is the highest-remaining free agent on our list. He along with Eagles safety Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, at No. 9, and Eagles cornerback James Bradberry, at No. 12, are the only remaining players in PFT’s top 17 who are unrestricted free agents.

Twenty-five of PFT’s top 34 received the franchise tag, have signed with their current team or have agreed to terms /signed with a new team.

NFC NORTH

CHICAGO

Garrett Podell of CBSSports.com grades the Bears:

Chicago Bears: B+

Key additions: LB Tremaine Edmunds (Bills), LB T.J. Edwards (Eagles), G Nate  Davis (Titans), 9th overall pick in 2023 NFL Draft (Panthers, via trade), 62nd overall pick in 2023 NFL Draft (Panthers, via trade ), 2024 first-round pick (Panthers, via trade), 2025 second-round pick (Panthers, via trade), WR D.J. Moore (Panthers, via trade), DE DeMarcus Walker (Titans)

The signings of two inside linebackers Tremaine Edmunds (4 years, $72 million) and  T.J. Edwards (three years, $19.5M) will yield a positive impact for the Bears’ defense. However, they could’ve simply extended 2022 First-Team All-Pro linebacker Roquan Smith for a smaller cap hit than those two combined deals and retained one of the best linebackers in football. Instead, they traded him to the Baltimore Ravens.

The big reasons for the B+ grade is because of how they’ve already helped young quarterback Justin Fields significantly, and the draft hasn’t even started. Signing guard Nate Davis (3 years, $30M) and bringing in underrated, 25-year-old wide receiver D.J. Moore through the unloading of the 2023 NFL Draft’s first pick is a great start to the offseason. The only way to find out if your quarterback is good is to surround him with a real supporting cast, and the Bears are on their way to doing so.

NFC EAST

PHILADELPHIA

We like this signing, if, and a big if, RB RASHAAD PENNY is healthy.  Bo Wulf of The Athletic:

The Philadelphia Eagles made their first outside addition of free agency on Tuesday, reportedly agreeing to terms with former Seattle Seahawks running back Rashaad Penny. The deal was first reported by NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. Penny was No. 70 on The Athletic’s list of the top 150 free agents.

How he fits: Penny is an ideal placeholder running back who will not prevent the Eagles from adding to the position if they see fit during the draft. The 27-year-old has been one of the best running backs when healthy over the past two seasons — he’s just never healthy. His 6.2 yards per carry over the past two seasons are the best in the league among qualifying running backs, and he finished No. 1 in rushing yards over expected per carry in 2021, according to Next Gen Stats, when he ran for 749 yards on 119 carries. He will bring more between-the-tackles heft than the Eagles have had in recent seasons.

2023 impact: This presumably spells the end of Miles Sanders’ time in Philadelphia. The 2019 second-round pick had a career year in 2022 with 1,269 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns, but he rarely played on third downs and ceded playing time to Kenneth Gainwell during the playoffs. Like Sanders, Penny is not a major factor in the passing game. He’s never had more than nine catches in a season. Gainwell, then, remains the penciled-in third-down back.

History: A 2018 first-round pick, Penny has a long history of injuries. As our Michael-Shawn Dugar pointed out, Penny landed on injured reserve in 2019 with an ACL tear, in 2021 with a calf injury and in 2022 with a broken fibula. That last injury was suffered in Week 5, so the Eagles might not have any assurance that Penny will be 100 percent by training camp.

Cap update: The terms of the deal have not yet been reported, but it’s hard to imagine Penny costing much considering the market for veteran running backs. Presuming restructured contracts for Lane Johnson and perhaps Darius Slay, there will still be room to operate.

Outlook: The Eagles have what is probably the most running back-friendly offense in the league given the amount of attention paid to Jalen Hurts’ rushing ability and the quality of the offensive line. They should expect running back production from anywhere, but Penny inches that upside a little higher. If anything, Penny’s ability to run effectively between the tackles might be part of a conscious plan by the organization to rely a little less on Hurts as a runner in short yardage. After all, they need to keep Hurts’ long-term health in mind given the expected long-term contract coming his way.

NFC SOUTH

NEW ORLEANS

The JAMEIS WINSTON Era in New Orleans is not over.  Katherine Terrell of ESPN.com:

– Quarterback Jameis Winston is finalizing a deal to return to the New Orleans Saints, he told CBS Sports, a move that keeps him with the team as a backup on a revised contract.

Winston, who was set to make $12.8 million in base salary in the final year of a two-year extension he signed in 2022, will sign an amended contract for one year and $4 million, with incentives bringing the potential total value of the deal to $8 million, a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Winston’s new deal will free up more cap room for the Saints, who entered the offseason more than $50 million over the 2023 salary cap. They have whittled that number down after a series of restructures to get cap compliant by the start of the new league year Wednesday.

The Saints proposed a new contract to Winston last week after agreeing to a four-year deal with former Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr on March 6. Winston had until Wednesday to agree to the deal or be released, with $5.8 million of his salary due to become guaranteed Friday.

Had Winston been released, he likely would have saved $4.4 million against the salary cup as a standard cut, or $12.8 million if the Saints had chosen to give him a post-June 1 release designation.

The Saints gave Winston a new deal last March after trying and failing to acquire former Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson, who was traded to the Cleveland Browns. Winston entered the summer as the expected starter even though he was rehabbing from a torn ACL.

Winston recovered from the ACL tear in time to participate in training camp, but back and foot injuries early in the season limited him to only three games in 2023. Saints coach Dennis Allen said he initially sat Winston in Week 4 to let him heal, but Winston never got his starting job back from Andy Dalton, even when he was deemed healthy enough to play later in the season.

Winston’s 2022 season was also cut short after he suffered the ACL tear against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Halloween. Winston, who was drafted No. 1 overall by the Buccaneers in 2015, has not started a full season since he went 7-9 in 2019, his final season in Tampa.

NFC WEST

SAN FRANCISCO

The 49ers have added QB SAM DARNOLD.  ESPN.com:

The San Francisco 49ers have agreed to a one-year deal with former Carolina Panthers quarterback Sam Darnold, a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

He bolsters the 49ers’ depth at quarterback with Jimmy Garoppolo’s exit to the Las Vegas Raiders and both Brock Purdy and Trey Lance returning from injuries.

Darnold, 25, took a step last season toward rebuilding his career that had been on a downward spiral since being selected with the third pick of the 2018 draft.

He went 4-2 over the final six games for the Panthers after being activated from injured reserve, threw seven touchdowns to three interceptions and rushed for two touchdowns.

It was a stark contrast from the player that went 13-25 in three years with the Jets, throwing 45 touchdown passes to 39 interceptions after a stellar college career at USC.

He also showed improvement from his 2021 season with Carolina in which he went 4-7, throwing 13 interceptions to nine touchdowns.

SEATTLE

A big signing by the Seahawks, per Brady Henderson of ESPN.com:

The Seattle Seahawks are making a rare splash in the first wave of free agency to address their biggest position group of need.

The team has agreed to a three-year deal with former Denver Broncos defensive lineman Dre’Mont Jones, he told CBS Sports on Monday night.

The deal is worth $51 million, according to The Score. That easily makes it the largest contract in terms of annual average the Seahawks have given to another team’s free agent under coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Schneider, topping the $9.5 million average of the deal they gave Uchenna Nwosu last year.

Schneider spoke bluntly at the NFL scouting combine last week and the need to improve the front seven of Seattle’s defense after the Seahawks allowed the third-most rushing yards per game of any team last season and finished 28th in ESPN’s Pass Rush Win Rate.

“I think we’ve got to get a lot better,” Schneider said. “Yeah, we need to be better up front. I think that was pretty evident. We were on the field a lot. We didn’t defend the run real well. We had some games in there [when] we did a really nice job. And we had several games that didn’t go so well. We know what the issues are and we’re ready to attack them and fix them.”

Jones led the Broncos with 6.5 sacks this season despite missing the final four games of the season with a hip injury that did not require surgery. He was moved to injured reserve Dec. 11.

AFC WEST

KANSAS CITY

The Chiefs could be adding T LAREMY TUNSIL from the Texans.  The RedZone.org:

The Texans discussing a trade of left tackle Laremy Tunsil to the Chiefs is “more than a rumor” according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston.

Wilson notes that while a trade has been discussed between the two sides, it “doesn’t mean they will have an actual deal.” Any team trading for Tunsil will need to work out a new contract with him, as the three-time Pro Bowler is on the final year of a contract he signed back in 2020. Reportedly interested in resetting the offensive tackle market, Tunsil is aiming to be the highest-paid tackle in the league whenever he signs his next deal.

The Super Bowl champion Chiefs signed former Jaguars offensive tackle Jawaan Taylor on Monday and have seemingly move on from 2022 starter Orlando Brown but Taylor has primarily played right tackle in the NFL.  They would love to land a premier left tackle but they may not have the salary cap space to meet Tunsil’s demands.  Wilson added that the Bears also briefly discussed a trade for Tunsil, but there wasn’t much that materialized from that.  Tunsil may have to lower his expectations regarding salary if or he may end up playing out his contract-year with the rebuilding Texans in 2023.

LAS VEGAS

QB JIMMY GAROPPOLO will succeed QB DEREK CARR in Las Vegas.  ESPN.com:

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo plans to sign with the Las Vegas Raiders, sources told ESPN’s Dianna Russini and Adam Schefter.

Garoppolo agreed to a three-year, $67.5 million deal, including $34 million guaranteed, a source told Schefter. He will be reunited with Raiders coach Josh McDaniels, who served as the Patriots’ offensive coordinator during Garoppolo’s three years in New England.

The Raiders released longtime starter Derek Carr last month, and Jarrett Stidham, the quarterback who replaced Carr as the starter for the final two games of last season, is expected to sign a two-year contract with the Denver Broncos to back up Russell Wilson, according to ESPN and multiple reports.

Garoppolo spent the past five-plus seasons with the 49ers after they acquired him in an October 2017 trade with the Patriots. Upon arrival, Garoppolo led the Niners to five straight wins to close that season, earning him a five-year, $137.5 million deal that, at the time, made him the highest-paid player in the league.

From there, Garoppolo enjoyed plenty of highs — including a career-best season in 2019 in which the Niners went to Super Bowl LIV — and his share of lows, most of which were the result of injuries.

Garoppolo, 31, played last season on a reworked one-year deal that prevented the Niners from using the franchise tag on him this offseason after San Francisco spent last offseason looking to trade him. A right shoulder injury prevented the Niners from finding a trade partner, which led to Garoppolo agreeing to stay.

When San Francisco starter Trey Lance suffered a broken right ankle in Week 2, Garoppolo reclaimed the starting job and was amid one of his best stretches of football before breaking his left foot on Dec. 4 against the Miami Dolphins.

In his time in San Francisco, Garoppolo threw for 13,599 yards and 82 touchdowns with 42 interceptions while completing 67.6% of his passes. In his 63 starts (including the playoffs), the Niners went 44-19.

Garoppolo missed 30 games with various ankle, shoulder, thumb and knee injuries after becoming the Niners’ starter.

The Raiders on Monday also reached a two-year, $12 million deal with safety Marcus Epps that includes about $8 million guaranteed, a source told ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. This addresses a weak link in their defense — the secondary. Epps played a team-high 1,058 defensive snaps last season for the NFC champion Philadelphia Eagles. With 94 tackles, a career-best six passes defensed and a forced fumble in a career-high 17 starts, Epps should be a fine complement to free safety Tre’von Moehrig as the last line of Las Vegas’ defense.

In addition, a source confirmed to ESPN’s Paul Gutierrez that the Raiders are bringing back a familiar face in cornerback Brandon Facyson, who played for Las Vegas in 2021 and spent last season in Indianapolis, where he started four of 16 games for the Colts and had six passes defensed.

Did Garoppolo know he wouldn’t have TE DARREN WALLER to throw to?

The Giants’ offense is adding another weapon in the form of tight end Darren Waller.

The Raiders are trading Waller to the Giants for a third-round draft pick, according to multiple reports. Trades cannot become official until the start of the league year tomorrow, but both sides have agreed to the deal.

The pick the Raiders are getting is No. 100 overall, the compensatory pick originally awarded to the Chiefs that Kansas City sent to the Giants for Kadarius Toney.

When healthy Waller has been one of the best tight ends in the NFL, with back-to-back 1,100-yard seasons in 2019 and 2020. But he played in only 11 games in 2021 and only nine in 2022. He also has a $12 million salary cap hit this season, another reason the Raiders may have decided to move on.

The Giants, however, think they’ve already got their offense heading in the right direction with franchise quarterback Daniel Jones, and now they’re adding a tight end to the mix as they hope to take a big step forward in 2023.

This “backstory” from The Athletic:

There have been rumors of the Raiders shopping Darren Waller for a year now, with league sources saying the Raiders passed on a second-round pick from the Green Bay Packers at last year’s trade deadline. And while a deal obviously didn’t get done either time, it became clear that Waller wasn’t off limits despite the Raiders giving him a 3-year, $51 million extension going into last season. The structure of the deal made it easy for them to move on, and his mixture of unavailability and lackluster play in 2022 didn’t give them much reason to close the door on doing so.

The trade comes 10 days after Waller’s wedding to Las Vegas Aces guard Kelsey Plum. The timing is only interesting because Raiders coach Josh McDaniels accidentally leaked the news of his wedding to reporters at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. Waller was upset with McDaniels when the Las Vegas Review-Journal posted a story announcing the wedding was scheduled for later in the week. The couple had not publicly announced their plans to get married.

The only tight end on the Raiders roster is Jesper Horsted, as they are letting Moreau test free agency. —

But he will have WR JAKOBI MYERS to throw to:

New England Patriots free agent wide receiver Jakobi Meyers has agreed to a three-year contract with the Las Vegas Raiders worth $33 million, including $21 million guaranteed, sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

The move reunites Meyers with Raiders coach Josh McDaniels, who was Meyers’ offensive coordinator with the Patriots 2019-21.

It also returns Meyers to the scene of a play he’d like to forget from last season. The Raiders had a walk-off victory against the Patriots after Meyers attempted a lateral to quarterback Mac Jones only to have it picked off by Chandler Jones, who returned it 48 yards for the winning touchdown.

Meyers, 26, was an unrestricted free agent for the first time after entering the NFL as an undrafted free agent out of NC State in 2019.

He has played in 60 career NFL regular-season games (39 starts), totaling 235 receptions for 2,758 yards and eight touchdowns. It marks the most career receptions and yards for an undrafted free agent in Patriots history.

Meyers played the 2022 season on a $3.98 million restricted free agent contract. He has proved to be an intermediate target in the pass game with outside flex and has the ability to stretch defenses on seams and deep over routes.

His initial contract with the Patriots was a three-year, $1.76 million pact that included a $10,000 signing bonus.

Six-foot-2, 200-pound Meyers, who had been recruited to NC State as a quarterback, had played wide receiver for only three seasons when he arrived in New England. He has steadily grown into the position, while also tapping his old QB skills on trick plays, as he is 4-of-4 for 88 yards, with two touchdown passes.

LOS ANGELES CHARGERS

A parting of the ways between the Chargers and RB AUSTIN EKELER?  Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com:

Chargers running back Austin Ekeler appears to be on the verge of heading elsewhere.

Ekeler was given permission by the Chargers to seek a trade today, after the team and the player failed to come to an agreement on a new contract, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.

That doesn’t necessarily mean Ekeler’s time in Los Angeles is coming to an end, but usually when a player is given permission to seek a trade, that means he’s leaving.

Ekeler is entering the last year of his contract and is set to make $6.25 million in base salary in 2023. Last year he was the Chargers’ leading rusher with 204 carries for 915 yards and 13 touchdowns, and he also led the Chargers with 107 catches and five receiving touchdowns.

AFC NORTH

BALTIMORE

Did the Ravens offer $200 million guaranteed or not to QB LAMAR JACKSON? Shanna McCarriston at CBSSports.com:

Quarterback Lamar Jackson still has not signed a contract, and where he will play in 2023 is still unknown. He got a non-exclusive franchise tag from the Baltimore Ravens after the two sides failed to reach a long-term deal. The non-exclusive franchise tag means No. 8 is allowed to negotiate with other teams.

Throughout the negotiation process, there have been rumors about the amount of money Jackson is looking for, what he has been offered and what teams are interested. On Tuesday, Jackson seemingly cleared the air about one report.

Jackson quote tweeted a report from ESPN’s Adam Schefter that Jackson turned down a $200 million guaranteed deal in September, appearing to dispute the news.

The gif he used shows someone pursing their lips and raising their eyebrows, and if that message was not clear enough, the tweets that followed definitely showed how he feels about the report.

He then replied to that tweet saying, “133/3years fully guaranteed [side eye emoji] but I need a agent?” with a laughing and a face palm emoji at the end of his message. Jackson does not have an agent, and the main issue of a long-term deal with the Ravens has been the guaranteed money.

The 26-year-old was not done there. To really make his message clear, he also tweeted, “People throw [poop emoji] at the wall and hope it stick.”

CLEVELAND

A DT with the initials DT is now a Cleveland Brown.  Jake Trotter of ESPN.com:

The Cleveland Browns and former Minnesota Vikings defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson have agreed to a four-year deal, a source told ESPN on Monday night.

The deal is worth $57 million, with $27.5M guaranteed, the NFL Network first reported.

The Browns entered free agency with defensive tackle as their biggest need, and they landed one of the top defensive ones on the market.

Tomlinson, who turned 29 in February, was a second-round pick of the New York Giants in 2017. He played his first four seasons with the Giants before signing a two-year, $22 million free agent contract with the Vikings in 2021.

Over that time, Tomlinson developed a reputation as a durable and reliable interior defender who can fit into a 4-3 or 3-4 base front. He can clog up running lanes with his size and strength while using his lateral quickness to engulf ball carriers. With 13 sacks over six seasons, Tomlinson demands double-teams and provides an interior push to take away quarterbacks’ throwing platforms.

Tomlinson should help Cleveland dramatically improve upon last season’s second-worst run defense (-23.11 EPA). Although his 325-pound frame implies he is a natural run stopper, Tomlinson impressed the Vikings’ defensive coaching staff in 2022 with his energy as a pass rusher. He ranked No. 34 among all NFL interior defensive linemen in pass rush win rate (7.3%) and had the Vikings’ third-highest pressure rate (5.3%) last season.

PITTSBURGH

The Steelers land CB PATRICK PETERSON.  Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com:

Veteran cornerback Patrick Peterson wanted to stay with the Vikings. But the Vikings didn’t offer enough money to keep him.

The Steelers offered enough to snatch him. He’ll get, per a source with knowledge of the deal, a two-year contract worth a total of $14 million.

However, the structure shows that it’s a one-year, $7.15 million contract, with a non-guaranteed  compensation package of $6.85 million in the second year.

The deal has a $3 million roster bonus due on the third day of the 2024 league year, with a 2024 base salary of $5.15 million.

So, clearly, the Vikings weren’t willing to go that far.

“I definitely wanted to go back to Minnesota,” Peterson said Monday on his podcast, via Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. He said that the negotiations were all business with “no curve balls.”

“I felt like [Minnesota] was home,” Peterson said.

Pittsburgh is home now.

“It was kind of out of left field,” Peterson said. “My agent was doing his job. He was calling around to see what teams wanted to have me in their locker room.”

AFC EAST

MIAMI

The Dolphins like their running back committee.  ESPN.com:

In one day the Miami Dolphins locked up their backfield, agreeing to deals with running backs Raheem Mostert and Jeff Wilson Jr. on Tuesday.

Wilson is staying in Miami on a two-year deal that has a max value of $8.2 million, a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Mostert’s agent, Brett Tessler, told ESPN that his client is returning to the Dolphins with a two-year contract as well, with a source telling Schefter that Mostert’s deal is worth $7.6 million with incentives.

Wilson and Mostert were previously teammates in San Francisco, where Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel was the offensive coordinator.

Wilson is one of the few players who spent time as the lead back for two teams last season. After impressing on 102 touches with the 49ers, Wilson was traded in Week 9 to the Dolphins after the Niners acquired Christian McCaffrey.

Wilson immediately stepped into a large role alongside Mostert in Miami, using his physical running style to gain 209 yards and two touchdowns in his first three games with the team. After trading for Wilson, the Dolphins ranked ninth in the NFL in yards after first contact through the remainder of the regular season.

Mostert came to Miami as a free agent last offseason, and set career highs in both rushing yards (891) and carries (181).

Originally slated to split carries with Chase Edmonds, Mostert, 30, seized control of the Dolphins’ backfield in Week 4 and operated as their lead back until the team landed Wilson.

Mostert’s best performance of the season came in a last-second loss to the Buffalo Bills in Week 15, when he rushed for 136 yards on 17 carries. He remained relatively healthy throughout the 2022 season after playing just nine games the previous two seasons.

His career average of 5.4 yards per carry is fourth best in NFL history among all backs with 300-plus attempts. However, due to frequent injuries, Mostert has had just 465 career rushing attempts over eight seasons, and he has played more than 11 games in a season just twice.

Wilson saw his production taper off last season during a five-game losing streak in December. Wilson finished the season with a combined 860 rushing yards and five touchdowns on 176 carries between Miami and San Francisco.

Wilson averaged 10.5 carries and 2.8 targets per game with the Dolphins over eight games.

Despite facing heavy boxes at a very high rate, Wilson owns a solid 4.5 yards-per-carry rate on 474 career attempts. In five seasons, he has rushed for 2,125 yards and has scored 23 total touchdowns.

They also made what could be a sneaky good QB signing.  ESPN.com:

The Miami Dolphins and former New York Jets quarterback Mike White have agreed to a two-year deal worth up to $16 million, a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

White will back up Tua Tagovailoa, who had the fifth-year option on his rookie deal picked up, sources told ESPN on Friday.

White, who turns 28 on March 25, wound up starting four games for the Jets in 2022 after entering training camp as the third-string quarterback behind Zach Wilson and Joe Flacco. He went 1-3 as a starter while replacing the demoted Wilson.

White opened with a 315-yard, three-touchdown game to beat the Chicago Bears, as the Jets appeared playoff-bound with a 7-4 record. They didn’t win another game, however, and White’s performance leveled off before he was forced to miss two games with several fractured ribs after he was crushed by Buffalo Bills linebacker Matt Milano.

Still not 100%, White returned for a must-win game against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 17, but he aggravated the injury and played poorly with two interceptions in the 23-6 loss.

Though his final statistics weren’t eye popping — three touchdowns, four interceptions and a 58.9% completion rate — White won over the locker room with his toughness and leadership. He demonstrated big-play ability, throwing for more than 300 yards in two of his starts. He also played well enough to win the trust of the coaching staff, who were prepared to play him for the rest of the year before he got hurt.

White became an unrestricted free agent for the first time after making $2.54 million last season on the tender he received as a restricted free agent.

The DB can confirm Schefter’s report, as White finalized his deal while playing in a pro-am at the PGA TOUR’s Valspar Championship.

And, the Fins have added CB JALEN RAMSEY.

The Los Angeles Rams have agreed to trade star cornerback Jalen Ramsey to the Miami Dolphins for a 2023 third-round pick (No. 77 overall) and tight end Hunter Long, sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Sunday.

The trade will be processed Wednesday, when the 2023 league year officially begins.

Ramsey tweeted his excitement for the trade Sunday, writing: “I prayed for this specifically for about a month & now it’s happening! @MiamiDolphins LETSGO!”

Ramsey has three years remaining on that contract. As part of the trade, the Dolphins agreed to guarantee the next two seasons on Ramsey’s deal, a source told ESPN, confirming a report by NFL Network.

NEW YORK JETS

The smart money is driving down the Jets odds even before QB AARON RODGERS is firmly with his next Gang Green:

The New York Jets continue to surge up the Super Bowl odds for next season as bettors continue to wager on the Jets in anticipation of Packers star quarterback Aaron Rodgers joining the team in a trade from Green Bay.

The Jets are now +1400 to win the Super Bowl next season after opening at +2500 after the Chiefs beat the Eagles in Super Bowl LVII. Yes, Rodgers will turn 40 in December and had one of his worst seasons last year, but the Jets defense is talented, and the team also has wide receivers Garrett Wilson and Elijah Moore. Wilson won the Offensive Rookie of the Year award while defensive back Sauce Gardner was voted Defensive Rookie of the Year. There’s a lot to like about the Jets, but will Rodgers be enough to push them over the top in a stacked AFC that includes star quarterbacks Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen and Joe Burrow?

Rodgers is commanding the Jets to bring in some playmates.  Mike Florio ofProFootballTalk.com:

By bending over backward to land quarterback Aaron Rodgers, the Jets are surrendering plenty of power to Rodgers.

And he’s using it.

Via ESPN.com, Rodgers has indeed given the Jets a wish list of free agents — and the list includes Odell Beckham, Jr.

It’s become clear over the past day that the Jets are trying to get players Rodgers wants to play with, from reportedly agreeing to terms with receiver Allen Lazard (I’m told it’s not done yet) to pursuing receiver Randall Cobb to showing interest in tight end Marcedes Lewis.

The Packers have been linked to OBJ in the past. In 2021, they appeared to make a half-hearted effort to sign Beckham after he was cut by the Browns. It was enough to make Rodgers think they tried, even if they didn’t.

With Lazard on the way and Cobb on the radar and OBJ looming, some of the team’s current receivers could be on the way out of New Jersey — traded to the Packers or maybe to a different team.

Of course, with Beckham looking for the same $20 million per year he wanted during the 2022 regular season, it could take some work to get him to New York.

Would he reduce his expectations to play with Rodgers? We’ll see.