With free agency underway, the NFL has already seen significant player movement that should impact NFL betting for the 2023 season. Derek Carr, the quarterback who wowed fans at the Pro Bowl skills competition while playing in the stadium of a team that had already indicated it would move on from him, is now in New Orleans. Jimmy Garoppolo has taken Carr’s spot with the Las Vegas Raiders. Carolina snagged the top draft pick from Chicago for wide receiver D.J. Moore and a stack of draft choices. The Panthers will get to make that pick when the NFL draft begins on April 27. What teams are making moves that will pay off this fall?
Which Teams Will Surprise Us after Free Agency? | NFL Odds and Lines
Philadelphia is still working to sign quarterback Jalen Hurts to a long-term deal. They made a solid signing when they added Marcus Mariota as his backup. Hurts likes to run the ball, and he is second in the NFL in quarterback contacts since the start of the 2021 campaign with 375, behind Lamar Jackson. Mariota has not shown that he can lead an offense as a starting quarterback, but he has started 74 games and can guide things while Hurts is out. Mariota also likes to run the ball, so the offense should be able to continue with less disruption under Mariota than it did under Gardner Minshew in the last few weeks of the 2022 season.
Miami rolled the dice by adding Mike White to the roster. Tua Tagovailoa is still listed as the team’s starting quarterback, but after his extended absence last season, we don’t really know if Tagovailoa will be ready to play this season. White has seven starts in his career; in three of them, he has thrown for at least 300 yards. Is he a flash in the pan? We may see sooner than later. The Dolphins also traded for cornerback Jalen Ramsey, who gives them instant credibility on the defensive side of the ball, making them even more dangerous in an intriguing AFC East.
The Jets are connected with Aaron Rodgers, a trade that seems on hold only for what the Jets are willing to give the Packers in terms of draft pick compensation. The Jets also signed Allen Lazard at Rodgers’ request so he will have a familiar face running routes. Another impressive deal by the Jets was the trade for Chuck Clark, who will replace Lamarcus Joyner at safety. Clark leads the league with 1,248 consecutive snaps on the field for defense; the last one he missed came in Week 15 of the 2021 campaign. Bringing him in only cost the Jets a seventh-rounder in 2024. His tackling ability will shore up the back of the Jets’ defense.
Carolina has moved from Matt Rhule to Frank Reich at head coach. Reich got a lot of the credit for the Eagles’ Super Bowl win, but he could not produce similar results with Indianapolis. Much of that had to do with the Colts’ inability to bring in a starting quarterback that could move the ball. With the top pick in the draft, it looks like the Panthers will add C.J. Stroud or Bryce Young at quarterback. Reich’s reputation as a quarterback whisperer will come under scrutiny no matter which young passer the team picks. The Panthers also added Vonn Bell at safety, which will let the team play Jeremy Chinn up by the line of scrimmage and change from a 4-3 to a 3-4 scheme, since Chinn can stop the run, blitz the passer or cover a tight end down the field.
New Orleans added some ceiling to their passing game by bringing in Derek Carr, and adding tailback Jamaal Williams updates the running game as well. Signing tight end Juwan Johnson to an extension will help the Saints in the red zone, as the offensive scheme includes using their receiving tight ends to score.
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