By Marvin Moore July 19, 2023
A bevy of NFL star-studded players changed teams via trades and free agent signings this past offseason. While the jury is still out on which talents will help their new teams chase a Super Bowl ring, there is no doubt that these off-season acquisitions have created excitement for numerous franchises.
The Philadelphia Eagles struck gold in the spring of 2022 with the signing of outside linebacker Haason Reddick. Despite concerns about his size, the 28-year-old finished second in the league last season with 16 sacks and forced an NFL-high six fumbles.
Below are the best off-season acquisitions heading into the 2023 NFL season.
10. Darren Waller, TE, New York Giants
New York acquired Waller in a trade with the Las Vegas Raiders this past March for a compensatory 2023 third-round pick. The former Pro Bowl tight end has played in just 20 games over the past two seasons but caught 107 balls for 1,196 yards and nine touchdowns in 2020. Waller is a big-play threat who averaged 13.9 per catch last year and will provide Giants’ quarterback Daniel Jones a blue-chip security blanket and red-zone weapon.
9. Javon Hargrave, DT, San Francisco 49ers
Hargrave inked a four-year, $84 million contract with the 49ers in March after recording a career-high 11 sacks with the Philadelphia Eagles last year. The 30-year-old defensive lineman has averaged nine sacks over the past two seasons and joins a stout San Francisco defense headlined by the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year, Nick Bosa. Look for Hargrave to tally double-digit sacks and earn his second trip to the Pro Bowl.
8. Stephon Gilmore, CB, Dallas Cowboys
The five-time Pro Bowler was traded to the Dallas Cowboys for a 2023 compensatory fifth-round pick. Gilmore ranked ninth among all cornerbacks in 2022 with a 77.6 grade on press coverage snaps and logged a career-high 1,064 snaps at the age of 32. The 2019 NFL Defensive Player of the Year will be paired with Pro Bowl defensive back Trevon Diggs to give the Cowboys one of the league’s top cornerback tandems.
7. Za’Darius Smith, EDGE, Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns traded two fifth-round picks for Smith and two draft selections in May. Smith posted 10 sacks last year with the Minnesota Vikings and has averaged 12 quarterback takedowns over the previous three seasons in which he has played 16 games. The three-time Pro Bowl pass rusher will
have plenty of opportunities to add to his 54.5 career sacks while opposing teams focus on All-Pro defensive end Myles Garrett.
6. Leonard Floyd, EDGE, Buffalo Bills
Floyd signed a one-year, fully guaranteed $7 million contract with the Bills in June. The 30-year-old tallied nine sacks with the Los Angeles Rams in 2022 and has 29 over his last three seasons. Floyd is an extremely durable player who has not missed a game since 2017. The former first-round pick will join Von Miller and Greg Rousseau to give the Bills an upgraded pass rush.
5. Odell Beckham Jr, WR, Baltimore Ravens
In April, Beckham signed a fully guaranteed one-year, $15 million contract with the Baltimore Ravens. The three-time Pro Bowl wideout missed the entire 2022 season recovering from an ACL injury but caught 44 passes for 537 yards and five touchdowns in 2021 with the Cleveland Browns and Los Angeles Rams. The Ravens have installed a modern passing attack for quarterback Lamar Jackson, and Beckham could post monster numbers if he can avoid the injury bug.
4. Jessie Bates, S, Atlanta Falcons
In March, Bates signed a four-year, $64.02 million contract with the Atlanta Falcons. The former second-round pick notched a career-high four interceptions in his final season with the Cincinnati Bengals. Bates has picked off 14 career passes and averaged 95.8 tackles in his five pro seasons. The veteran safety will be the leader of an underrated Falcons defense that could surprise in a subpar NFC South division.
3. Jalen Ramsey, CB, Miami Dolphins
Ramsey was traded to the Miami Dolphins in March for a 2023 third-round draft pick and tight end Hunter Long. The six-time Pro Bowl defensive back has posted four interceptions in back-to-back seasons and has missed just two games over the past three years. Ramsey remains one of the league’s top lockdown cornerbacks. He will upgrade a Dolphins’ secondary that will face top-notch quarterbacks like Josh Allen, Aaron Rodgers, and Tua Tagovailoa twice in the rugged AFC East division.
2. D.J. Moore, WR, Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears acquired Moore, the ninth overall pick, and several other draft selections in the 2023 NFL Draft from the Carolina Panthers in exchange for the first overall pick. The 26-year-old caught 63 passes for 888 yards and seven touchdowns last season despite a cast of mediocre quarterbacks. However, Moore posted three consecutive seasons of 1,100-plus receiving yards from 2019-21 and will be the top target for quarterback Justin Fields this upcoming season.
1. Aaron Rodgers, QB, New York Jets
The New York Jets acquired Rodgers and two draft picks in the 2023 NFL Draft for first, second, and sixth-round selections in the 2023 draft and a conditional second-round selection in the 2024 NFL Draft.
The future Hall of Fame quarterback tossed just 26 touchdowns last season but will have a much better group of pass catchers in 2023, including reigning NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, Garrett Wilson. Rodgers, who is surrounded by an array of offensive playmakers and one of the league’s top defensive units, is primed for a magical season if he can stay healthy.
