2023 NFL Free Agency Grades: Signings, trades and latest transactions

The 2023 NFL offseason is officially in full swing, with free agency kicking off on Monday, March 13 at 12 p.m. ET.

PFF will be providing live reactions and analysis on every transaction, including signings, trades and major cuts. We will be grading every transaction from a team fit, roster context and need perspective, as well as from a pure value standpoint based on the cost.

Keep this page bookmarked all offseason long as we break down every move from every team, with the moves logged chronologically.

Last updated: March 20, 7:00 p.m. ET

UNLOCK FREE AGENT GRADES WITH PFF+ FREE TRIAL
CLICK HERE TO UNLOCK

Click here to jump to the biggest signings/trades of free agency so far:

Dalton Schultz signs with Houston Texans

2022 PFF Grade: 68.3 (18th/73 TE) 2022 PFF WAR: 0.3 (9th TE)

Fit/need grade: A+
Value grade: A+
Contract: One year, up to $9 million
PFF projected contract: Four years, $58 million ($14.5 million per year), $36 million total guaranteed

A day after the Houston Texans traded wide receiver Brandin Cooks to the Dallas Cowboys, the former Cowboys tight end signs in Houston on a one-year flier that is one of the more surprising deals of the entire offseason. Houston needs another reliable pass-catcher in their offense for a rookie quarterback on the way, but the Texans also get a tight end that can block with some of the best in the NFL in an offense that is expected to need that skill set at the position. Over the last three seasons, Schultz joined George Kittle and Mark Andrews as the only tight ends to earn receiving and run-blocking grades above 70.0 in each year.

Clearly, the NFL has adjusted with their free agency approach at the tight end position, with second-tier players such as Hunter Henry, Jonnu Smith and others dramatically underperforming their deals, which perhaps had caused a reaction. Furthermore, the tight end class in the 2023 craft is viewed as one of the best in years, and this can always have a negative effect on veterans looking to cash in. Nevertheless, this is a huge addition for Houston.

Nathan Shepherd signs with New Orleans Saints

2022 PFF Grade: 68.9 (36th/127 DI) 2022 PFF WAR: 0.1 (51st among DI)

Fit/need grade: A+
Value grade: B-
Contract: Three years, $15 million, $10.18 million guaranteed
PFF projected contract: N/A

Shepherd is a former third-round pick out of Fort Hays State who is one of those under-the-radar signings that could look pretty smart in the near future, as he was buried on a very talented depth chart with the New York Jets but will now presumably have a much larger role in New Orleans. That said, this is a fairly sizable investment for a rotational defensive lineman that turns 30 in 2023, but with the market explosion at the position underway this offseason, it’s not too surprising.

Shepherd’s underlying pass rush metrics were exceptional in 2022, and that’s the bet here. Among interior defenders with at least 100 pass rush snaps, Shepherd’s 15.2% pass rush win rate ranked tenth and his 79.5 pass-rush grade ranked ninth. If he can carry forward some of that efficiency with a larger role, this could be an important signing for the Saints.

Khalen Saunders signs with New Orleans Saints

2022 PFF Grade: 58.5 (74th/127 DI) 2022 PFF WAR: 0.04 (71st DI)

Fit/need grade: A+
Value grade: B
Contract: Three years, $13.5 million ($4.5 million per year), $8 million total guaranteed
PFF projected contract: Three years, $12.3 million ($4.1 million per year), $6.6 million total guaranteed