Three Sneaky Offseason Stories Before NFL Free Agency Begins

NFL Free Agency begins on March 12 at 4 pm ET when the new league year starts. Teams are allowed to legally negotiate deals on March 10 at 12 pm, two days before the start of free agency. It means that we are about a week away from the frenzy of signing a superstar to fill the biggest void in your local gridiron team. However, some teams have been dealing with their internal personnel issues before looking externally to the market for help. In this article, we will discuss the three biggest sneaky offseason stories in the NFL.

1. Stafford Restructures to Stay with Rams- Matthew Stafford became a hot commodity on the open market when the Rams permitted his agent to seek a potential trade. The New York Giants were rumored to be pursuing Stafford, with HC Brian Daboll and GM Joe Schoen seeking a quick turnaround from a disastrous 2024 season. The Pittsburgh Steelers were also looking for an upgrade at the quarterback position and thought Stafford could unlock their offense. Even Tom Brady was rumored to be swaying Stafford to come play for the Las Vegas Raiders. Ultimately, Matt decided to stay home in Los Angeles with the Rams in a restructured deal. It means Stafford will be able to likely finish his career with the team that he led to the Super Bowl LVI Championship in 2022. It is a blow for the teams previously mentioned, who will either have to sign a lower-graded veteran or draft a talented but young rookie in the draft.

2. Tee Higgins gets franchise tagged again- for the second year in a row, the Cincinnati Bengals decided to assign the franchise tag to the former Clemson Tiger Wide Receiver. If Higgins cannot agree to a long-term contract with the Bengals by the July 15 deadline, the franchise tender will earn him 26.2 million dollars. Before the Bengals’ decision, Higgins was projected to be the top Wide Receiver, if not the top free agent in the class. Teams such as the Buffalo Bills, Dallas Cowboys, and the New England Patriots were in the running to sign the prolific Receiver. It will be interesting to see whether a long-term contract is agreed because the Bengals have a reputation for being rigid negotiators. Usually, a team that assigns a consecutive franchise tag on a player has resulted in a contract extension, with 7 of the last eight players eventually signing on the dotted line. The last scenario was when the Buccaneers signed Chris Godwin in 2022 after assigning the franchise tag in back-to-back years.

3. 49ers trade Deebo Samuels to Commanders-Deebo Samuels was unsatisfied with his contract situation in San Francisco and expressed his desire to get traded in exit interviews at the end of the season. At the scouting combine, 49ers general manager John Lynch stated they would honor that request. It was not a surprise then when the news broke on March 1 that Deebo was traded to Washington for a fifth-round pick. It means that Washington will pay the remainder of Samuel’s contract and the full $17.55 million salary. On the other hand, San Francisco will absorb a $31,550,012 dead money hit on this year’s salary cap. Deebo struggled last season in the Bay and maybe needed a fresh start with rookie sensation, Jayden Daniels. Daniels is poised to unlock his potential to change football games. Samuels emerged as a mercurial talent in 2021 when he recorded 1,770 scrimmage yards and 14 total touchdowns. It feels like he found a good spot in Washington as a consistent second option alongside Pro Bowl wide receiver Terry McLaurin. Shedding just a fifth-round pick for Deebo makes this an incredible move and another step for the Commanders toward a Super Bowl berth.