Free Agency 2023 – Safeties

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March 1, 2023

By Noonefromtampa

The Commanders announced earlier this week that safety and slot cornerback Bobby McCain was released. This was mainly because of the depth and growth of the young safeties that Washington has drafted over the last several years, namely Kamren Curl, Darrick Forrest and Percy Butler. Jeremy Reaves, who had a Pro Bowl season on special teams, can fill out the fourth safety role, leaving little playing time for McCain. The safety position will probably not be a major factor in the free agency plans for the Commanders this offseason.

Across the league the free agent safety pool is a good one this season:

Player Pos. 2022 Team Type Snaps Age Int PD Tckl
Marcus Epps S Eagles UFA 99.10% 27 0 6 94
Vonn Bell S Bengals UFA 98.80% 29 4 8 77
Jessie Bates III S Bengals UFA 98.20% 26 4 8 71
Devin McCourty S Patriots Void 97.20% 36 4 8 71
Tashaun Gipson S 49ers UFA 96.70% 33 5 8 61
Duron Harmon S Raiders UFA 95.70% 32 2 5 86
Adrian Amos S Packers Void 94.60% 30 1 5 102
Kareem Jackson S Broncos UFA 93.60% 35 0 3 94
Rodney McLeod S Colts UFA 90.60% 33 2 8 96
Nick Scott S Rams UFA 90.40% 28 2 5 86
Taylor Rapp S Rams UFA 89.70% 26 2 6 92
Julian Love S Giants UFA 88.90% 25 2 5 124
Juan Thornhill S Chiefs UFA 84.80% 28 3 9 71
Nasir Adderley S Chargers UFA 84.20% 26 2 4 62
Donovan Wilson S Cowboys UFA 83.70% 28 1 2 101
Terrell Edmunds S Steelers UFA 83.30% 26 0 5 70
Jonathan Owens S Texans UFA 82.80% 28 0 4 125
Lamarcus Joyner S Jets UFA 76.70% 33 3 6 57
DeShon Elliott S Lions UFA 76.10% 26 1 3 96
Mike Edwards S Buccaneers UFA 72.60% 27 2 3 82
Jordan Poyer S Bills UFA 71.80% 32 4 8 63
C.J. Gardner-Johnson, Jr. S Eagles UFA 65.90% 26 6 8 67
Jimmie Ward S 49ers Void 47.60% 32 3 5 50

Top Tier

The safeties most in demand this offseason will be Jessie Bates III, Vonn Bell, C.J. Gardner-Johnson, Jr., Jordan Poyer and Taylor Rapp. Gardner-Johnson had a fantastic year after being traded from the Saints to the Eagles and was key member of the stout Eagles defense. The Bengals have both of their starting safeties (Bell and Bates) entering free agency at the same time. I would expect them to make a concerted effort to re-sign at least one of the two. Poyer has been a solid player with the Bills but has some injury history. Rapp is a sure tackler who doesn’t make many mistakes in coverage. He is not flashy like some of the others on this list but is consistent force in the secondary. This group of players will fall in the $11 Million to $15 Million average per year range.

Second Tier

Julian Love, Juan Thornhill, Jimmie Ward, Donovan Wilson, and Marcus Epps are the key members of this tier. Love is a younger version of McCain. He can play multiple spots and even the slot. Thornhill is part of the large group of Chiefs free agent. Kansas City doesn’t have enough money to cover everyone, so they may have to find a cheaper alternative to for this solid player. Epps was a first full-time starter in 2022 and complemented Gardner-Johnson’s play well. However, Epps is not as consistent or mistake free as is Gardner-Johnson. This group of players will fall in the $7 million to $11 million dollar average per year range.

Third Tier

Devin McCourty, Duron Harmon, Adrian Amos, Tashaun Gipson, and Rodney McLeod. This group of players are solid, well known veteran types. They will get shorter or one-year deals to fill holes on teams that need a well-versed safety to complete their defense. Bobby McCain will also fall into this category.

 

Sources: overthcap.com, spotrac.com, pro-football-reference.com