With the opening of free agency set to begin next week, and the NFL draft to commence in April, the offseason is about to get really busy for teams around the league. Even with those things in the near future, this was a really busy week for teams as they made roster cuts and decisions on franchise tags.
Let’s take a look at the biggest stories of the week around the National Football League.
Saints Find Their Quarterback
After being released by the Las Vegas Raiders, quarterback Derek Carr was able to sign with any team of his choosing. On Monday, he chose the New Orleans Saints.
First reported by Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, the contract for Carr is for four years and $150 million. The deal includes $100 million in guaranteed money.
Last season, with the Raiders, he threw for 3,522 yards, 24 touchdowns, and 14 interceptions. Moving to the NFC, he will now enter a division that does not feature Patrick Mahomes, making his avenue to a division title much clearer.
For the Saints, they finished third in the NFC South at 7-10, a game behind the division-winning Tampa Bay Buccaneers. For this upcoming season, the Saints are now the favorites to win the division (+115) and are +3500 to win the Super Bowl.
Raiders Keeping Jacobs
While the Raiders parted ways with Carr, they are keeping running back Josh Jacobs. On Monday, they used the franchise tag on Jacobs, keeping him in Las Vegas for at least another year at $10.1 million.
The 25-year-old Jacobs was stellar last year, rushing for 1,653 yards and 12 touchdowns. That was good enough to earn Jacobs the NFL rushing title this season. He also had 53 receptions for 400 yards.
Even after retaining Jacobs, the Raiders are expected to take a major step back. They currently are just +4400 to win the Super Bowl.
Giants Sign QB To Long-Term Extension
After a season in which he threw for 3,205 yards and 15 touchdowns, and rushed for 708 yards and another seven scores, Daniel Jones has himself a contract extension with the New York Giants.
Avoiding the need for a franchise tag, the Giants agreed to a deal with the 25-year-old quarterback on a four-year extension worth $160 million.
The team also used their franchise tag on Saquon Barkley, ensuring that the 26-year-old running back would be back for at least one more season. Barkley rushed for 1,312 yards and 10 touchdowns this season.
New York currently has the third-best odds of winning a loaded NFC East at +550. They are +4000 to win Super Bowl LVIII.
QB Situation Getting Messy In Baltimore
For quite some time, the Baltimore Ravens and quarterback Lamar Jackson have not been able to reach an agreement on a contract extension. This week that came to a head.
The Ravens have decided to put the non-exclusive franchise tag on the quarterback, meaning that other teams can try to sign Jackson to an offer sheet. While Baltimore could match any offer sheet, it still creates an increased potential for a sign-and-trade.
If he is not signed, Jackson would return on a $32.4 million contract, a little under $13 million less than the exclusive franchise tag would have been ($45 million).
As it stands, Baltimore has the second-best odds of winning the AFC North at +200, but this is certainly a story to follow as quarterback-needy teams might try to pry him away.
