On the latest episode of the Razzball Fantasy Football podcast, Keelin Billue joins the show to discuss the offensive players who will be 2023 free agents in the NFC South. The below article is a high-level overview that will show how much cap space every team has going into the offseason, the percentage of snaps, and the fantasy points each key free agent had in 2022. During the podcast, we touch on the potential impact these free agents could have on the team if they were to leave in free agency this offseason. You can view the entire episode on the Razzball Fantasy YouTube channel or wherever you get your podcasts.
Team: Atlanta Falcons
2023 Cap Space: $49.4 million under
Notable Free Agents:
| Player | Position | 2023 Snaps | Age | Fantasy Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kaleb McGary | RT | 100.0% | 28 | |
| Olamide Zaccheaus | WR | 70.1% | 26 | 112 |
| Elijah Wilkinson | LG | 54.6% | 28 | |
| MyCole Pruitt | TE | 30.5% | 31 | 55 |
| Damiere Byrd | WR | 29.7% | 30 | 51.8 |
| Colby Gossett | RG | 25.4% | 28 | |
| Keith Smith | FB | 24.6% | 31 | |
| KhaDarel Hodge | WR | 18.9% | 28 | 39.2 |
| Anthony Firkser | TE | 14.2% | 28 | 19 |
| Chuma Edoga | LT | 5.2% | 26 | |
| Germain Ifedi | RT | 0.8% | 29 |
- The Atlanta Falcons enter the off-season with the second most cap space. This cap space should allow them to pursue top free agent quarterbacks like Derek Carr or acquire targets Lamar Jackson or Aaron Rodgers via trade. Currently sitting with the eighth pick in the first round, the likelihood of nabbing a top quarterback in the draft is unlikely, so a veteran heading to Atlanta could be the most likely scenario this off-season.
- Another key for the Falcons will be to retain offensive lineman Kaleb McGary. One of the biggest surprises of 2022 was the improvement of the Falcons’ offensive line. Atlanta finished in the top five in PFF’s end-of-season offensive line rankings. This level of continuity upfront, along with an upgrade to the quarterback position, would be big news for Kyle Pitts, Drake London, and Tyler Allgeier heading into 2023.
Team: Carolina Panthers
2023 Cap Space: $5.6 million over
Notable Free Agents:
| Player | Position | 2023 Snaps | Age | Fantasy Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bradley Bozeman | C | 66.8% | 29 | |
| Sam Darnold | QB | 37.1% | 26 | 93.3 |
| D’Onta Foreman | RB | 34.7% | 27 | 128.9 |
| Cameron Erving | RT | 7.5% | 31 | |
| Michael Jordan | LG | 5.3% | 25 | |
| Rashard Higgins | WR | 0.9% | 29 | 0 |
| Andre Roberts | WR | 0.0% | 35 |
- New Head Coach Frank Reich will have his work cut out for him as the Panthers currently have no cap space or quarterback and just ninth overall pick. The current quarterbacks on the roster include Matt Corral and Jacob Eason, who have combined for just 10 pass attempts in the NFL
- The next burning question for the Panthers will be what happens if they are unable to retain D’Onta Foreman. Foreman put together by far his best season in the NFL in 2022, with 914 rushing yards and nine touchdowns. If Foreman were to walk this offseason, Chuba Hubbard and Raheem Blackshear could be in line for a bigger workload if Frank Reich doesn’t bring in new running backs this off-season.
Team: New Orleans Saints
2023 Cap Space: $33.7 million over
Notable Free Agents:
| Player | Position | 2023 Snaps | Age | Fantasy Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Andy Dalton | QB | 70.0% | 36 | 183.2 |
| Jarvis Landry | WR | 28.6% | 31 | 58.2 |
| Mark Ingram | RB | 19.5% | 34 | 52.1 |
| Nick Vannett | TE | 18.7% | 30 | 11.5 |
| Keith Kirkwood | WR | 14.5% | 30 | 3.8 |
| Michael Thomas | WR | 12.9% | 30 | 51.1 |
| David Johnson | RB | 5.5% | 32 | 11.1 |
| Deonte Harty | WR | 2.3% | 26 | 3.3 |
| Ethan Greenidge | LT | 0.0% | 26 |
- The Saints will have an uphill battle as they currently have the second most money over the cap at $33.7 million. A bigger concern for the Saints is that not only do they lack cap space, but they are also searching for their future at quarterback. Their 2022 starter Andy Dalton is a free agent, and with Jameis Winston falling out of favor, it seems like they will have to unload a bunch of players in order to bring in a potential starter in 2023.
- The next item on the agenda for New Orleans is how they will rebuild their receiving core. The Saints do have the option to void Michael Thomas’s contract with a minimal cap hit after they restricted his contract in January. However, that would leave the Saints very thin at the position with fellow wide receiver Jarvis Landry a free agent as well.
- Finally, a situation to monitor is the potential suspension of Alvin Kamara. Both Mark Ingram and David Johnson are free agents. This leaves Dwayne Washington and Eno Benjamin as the only running backs on the team.
Team: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
2023 Cap Space: $58.5 million over
Notable Free Agents:
| Player | Position | 2023 Snaps | Age | Fantasy Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Julio Jones | WR | 28.9% | 34 | 70.4 |
| Josh Wells | LT | 26.8% | 32 | |
| Scott Miller | WR | 21.2% | 26 | 42.3 |
| Breshad Perriman | WR | 19.5% | 30 | 25.3 |
| Kyle Rudolph | TE | 6.5% | 34 | 11.8 |
| Giovani Bernard | RB | 2.1% | 32 | 4.7 |
| Blaine Gabbert | QB | 1.2% | 34 | 5.2 |
| Aaron Stinnie | LG | 0.0% | 29 |
- The Buccaneers might struggle to find new Offensive Coordinator Dave Canales a quarterback this off-season after Tom Brady’s retirement. Tampa Bay currently has the least amount of cap space in the league. As it stands today, Kyle Trask is the only quarterback on the roster, as last year’s backup Blaine Gabbert is a free agent.
- If the Buccaneers are able to maneuver themselves out of this cap situation, Geno Smith could be an option in Tampa. The new Offensive Coordinator Canales was his quarterback coach in Seattle, and Head Coach Todd Bowles was his former Head Coach in New York with the Jets.
Sources: RAZZBALL.COM, FFTODAY, SPOTRAC, OVERTHECAP, PFF.COM, TWITTER, PROFOOTBALL REFERENCE, AND SICSCORE.COM
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