NFL Free Agency: Jakob Johnson signs new contract with Las Vegas Raiders
The Las Vegas Raiders and fullback Jakob Johnson have agreed on a new deal to keep the ball carrier and blocker with the team, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. His new contract is a one-year deal.
Johnson came to Las Vegas in 2022 along with new head coach Josh McDaniels. Johnson had played three years under McDaniels while the latter was the offensive coordinator in New England. Johnson mostly serves as a lead blocker and pass protector, but he’s ultimately a Swiss army knife for McDaniels and the Raiders offensive coaching staff.
Johnson, born in Stuttgart, Germany, played college football at Tennessee, where he began as a defensive lineman. He played his final three years at tight end for the Volunteers before the Patriots brought him in and made him a jack-of-all-trades player in the offense.
More on the 2023 NFL offseason, free agency
The NFL 2023 calendar year is set to begin at 4 p.m. ET on March 15 when contracts running through 2022 will officially run out, making those players free agents. Prior to the beginning of free agency, teams will have a chance to designate one franchise or transition tag player, starting on Feb. 21 at 4 p.m. ET and ending on March 7. Beginning March 13 through March 15 teams will be allowed a legal negotiation with players who are set to become unrestricted free agents.
In addition to NFL free agency, the new year also marks the beginning of all trades being made official by the league office. April 21 marks the deadline to sign restricted free agents to offer sheets while April 26 marks the deadline for teams to match restricted free agent offers sheets. 722 players are slated to become free agents in 2023.
More on restricted, exclusive rights free agents
Players with only three years of accredited NFL experience become restricted free agents. Their original team will have the option to apply first-round, second-round, original-round, and right-of-fight-of-first-refusal tenders on players at escalating price tags. The higher the round, the more expensive the tender amount; however, if a separate team does offer a contract and the original team does not match that round pick will be conveyed from the new team to the original team. Right of first refusal only gives a team the option to match or not. If they don’t match, they get nothing in return. An original-round tender would send a draft pick from whatever round the player was drafted back to the original team if they chose not to match. The original team will have five days to match once a player signs an offer sheet from a new team.