The start of the free agency period in the NFL has brought a wave of expectations and speculation about which players will stay home and which will find new horizons. Here are the latest details.
Cowboys Sign Running Back Ronald Jones After Terminating Ezekiel Elliot
The Dallas Cowboys reached a one-year deal with running back Ronald Jones after terminating Ezekiel Elliott. The Texans player returns to his home state after four pro seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and one with the Kansas City Chiefs.
Jones played last season with Kansas City, accumulating 70 yards on 17 carries. The 25-year-old running back only got the ball once in the postseason, accumulating no yards. The termination of Elliott plus the injury to Tony Pollard forces Dallas to add reinforcements to its ground attack.
Fowler Reinforces Dallas Defenses
The Vaqueros continue to bolster their defensive backfield with the addition of defensive lineman Dante Fowler. The one-year pact allows Fowler to support the Cowboys' defensive line after he notched six catches last season.
The Cowboys also retain linebacker Leighton Vander Esch and safety Donovan Wilson for next season.
Chiefs Sign Tranquill
The Chiefs added more versatility to their defense by signing linebacker Drue Tranquill from their division rivals, the Los Angeles Chargers. The signing of Tranquill offers more defensive options for the Kansas City roster after he will play in 16 games, tallying 146 tackles, 10 of which were for losses. Nick Bolton and Willie Gay are the defensive stars for the Chiefs so Tranquill will offer significant depth.
On the other hand, Kansas City adds former Buccaneer Mike Edwards via a one-year contract worth $3 million. The safety will bolster the Chiefs' secondary, who will look for more reinforcements during the free agency period.
Jets get a 2nd round pick by trading WR Elijah Moore to the #Browns plus a 3rd round pick. 🚨
Stocking up on picks for Rodgers trade#WorldNFL pic.twitter.com/8qJdTJsVEz
- NFL World (@MundoNFL) March 22, 2023
Smith-Schuster to the Patriots
Former Chief JuJu Smith-Schuster comes to the New England Patriots after signing a three-year pact worth $33 million. Smith-Schuster had a tremendous season in 2022, racking up 933 yards on 78 receptions. New England already has DeVante Parker and Kendrick Bourne so the addition of Smith-Schuster provides more offensive weapons for quarterback Mac Jones.
On the other hand, Smith-Schuster indicated that the most important attraction of playing for the Patriots was the opportunity to have the legendary Bill Belichick as coach. Belichick has an impressive resume, aside from developing players like Tom Brady.
Champion Announces Retirement
Three-time Super Bowl champion Dont'a Hightower announced his retirement this week. The linebacker made history with the Patriots after garnering three hardware, two Pro Bowl nominations, and a decade of success with the same franchise.
Now with the birth of his son, Hightower is retiring after a successful career as one of the most accomplished defensive players in the NFL. There remains a very difficult space to fill for the Patriots who are looking to reverse the difficult season they had in 2022.
