The past 72 hours in the NFL has been wild, intriguing, fascinating, captivating, absorbing, and all the synonyms in the dictionary. Teams have been making bold trades, shocking signings, and there was one important commitment that could change things up in the league in 2023. Another intriguing decision by some teams is to release a player who is a long-standing fan favorite. So, what are the big moves you need to be aware of from days 2 and 3? In this article, we discuss the five biggest storylines.
1. Aaron Rodgers gives Jets verbal commitment-Rodgers ended the speculation on his future when he went on the Pat McAfee Show and told the NFL World that he intends to play for the New York Jets in the upcoming season. It should be a relief for Jets fans to hear those words, and they should salivate at the prospect of having number 12 in the green and white uniform. Rodgers instantly becomes the best quarterback in the franchise’s history since Joe Namath in the 1970s. A precursor to the commitment was the signing of former Packers wide receiver Allen Lazard to a 4-year, 44-million-dollar deal. Rodgers has denied giving the team a wish list that reportedly includes Odell Beckham, Mercedez Lewis, and Randall Cobb. Despite the verbal commitment, the Packers and Jets need to agree on compensation for the deal. Jets fans will be nervous and desperate to get the deal signed and sealed based on the team’s history of blunders.
2. Patriots sign Juju Smith Schuster while Jakobi Meyers signs with Raiders- the New England Patriots entered the off-season with big questions surrounding their wide receivers. The team lacked a number one option, and the depth chart was in need of an upgrade. The first domino to drop was that their best receiver last season, Jakobi Meyers, signed a 3-year, 33 million dollars with the Las Vegas Raiders. In a surprise move, the Patriots did not push for the return of number 16. However, things took an interesting twist when the team signed Smith-Schuster, who starred in the Chiefs’ Superbowl win over the Eagles. Despite Juju’s signing, fans will be expecting another move to acquire a number one wide receiver.
3. Dallas releases Zeke Elliott and acquire Stephon Gilmore – the Dallas Cowboys made a surprising decision to release Ezekiel Elliot after six years with team. Elliott was a star player in Dallas winning two rushing titles, and was considered the backbone of the offense for long stretches. However, Elliott’s impact on the team has waned in recent years due to the emergence of Tony Pollard. The Cowboys also agreed on a trade with the Indianapolis Colts to acquire Stephon Gillmore for a fifth-round compensatory pick in the 2023 NFL draft. Gilmore is an All-Pro cornerback when healthy and won the Defensive Player of the Year in 2019. The Cowboys now have a dynamic duo at the cornerback position in having a pair of Gilmore and Trevon Diggs. The much-improved Cowboys defense just got better, while the offense will be searching for a younger running back.
4. Eagles resign Fletcher Cox but lose Miles Sanders-the decision to re-sign Cox will go over well with the Eagles fanbase. Cox is one of the most accomplished defensive players in Eagles history as a six-time Pro Bowler and was a cog in the defensive unit that had 70 sacks last season. Cox appears to be getting better despite age because last season, he recordedseven sacks, 14 quarterback hits, and seven tackles. By resigning Cox, the team will get stability as they look to avenge their Superbowl loss. On other hand, the Eagles failed to retain Miles Sanders, who signed a 4-year 25-million-dollar deal with the Carolina Panthers. Sanders is coming off a breakthrough year after making the Pro Bowl with 1,289 yards and 11 touchdowns. By allowing Sanders to leave, Nick Sirianni and the Eagles believe that their running game is about the system and is not dependent on any player. We must wait until next season to see if his theory is correct.
5. Raiders trade Darren Waller to Giants-in a surprising move, the Las Vegas Raiders traded tight end, Darren Waller, in exchange for the number 100 overall pick in the upcoming draft. Waller has lived an inspiring story as a sixth-round pick by the Ravens, who battled substance abuse issues and was suspended multiple times before ending up on the Raiders’ practice squad in 2018. Waller is now considered in the top 5 tight ends in the league after having back-to-back 1000-yard seasons in 2019 and 2020. Speculations are that Head Coach, Josh McDaniels, traded Waller because of a rift in their relationship, and he did not even invite the offensive-minded coach to his wedding. The trade makes little sense, and if done out of spite, then Las Vegas isin bigger trouble than we think.