Happy New Year!
The NFL’s calendar turned over at 4 p.m. ET Wednesday and now every move that’s been made during free agency’s legal tampering period can become official.
Since Monday, plenty has happened. Brian Burns was traded to the Giants, Tee Higgins demanded a trade, Christian Wilkins signed for $110 million and Kirk Cousins bolted from the Minnesota Vikings to join the Atlanta Falcons.
Since then, we’ve also seen Derrick Henry sign with the Baltimore Ravens, while trades have sent Joe Mixon to the Houston Texans and Morgan Moses to the New York Jets. We also saw Jake Elliott agree to a new four-year deal with the Philadelphia Eagles, making him one of the highest-paid kickers in history.
Finally, check out our handy top 50 NFL free agents list with salary projections for each player. As free agency unfolds, we’ll have grades for each signing as it happens.
[ 2024 NFL Free Agency: Latest News & Analysis ]
March 18Edge Chase Young plans to sign with the Saints
Chase Young had to wait a week, but his patience turned into a lucrative prove-it-deal from the New Orleans Saints.
Young, the 2020 No. 2 pick, agreed to a one-year, fully guaranteed $13 million deal from the Saints, according to reports. That’s plenty of money for Young after a down season, and a low-risk, high-reward addition for the Saints, who needed another edge rusher next to veteran Cameron Jordan.
Young struggled against the run, playing in 12 games for the 49ers—he was traded from Washington to San Francisco during October’s trade deadline. But Young made an impact in the Super Bowl against the Chiefs, showing that he can still rush the passer at a high level.
If Young stays healthy and improves his areas of weakness, the Saints could have a dominant defensive front, possibly setting up Young for a long-term contract next offseason. Young had high expectations in Washington as the 2020 Defensive Rookie of the Year, but he dealt with many injuries in his first four seasons in the league.
Grade: B
