NFL Free Agency: LJ Collier signs new contract with Arizona Cardinals
LJ Collier has signed a one-year deal with the Arizona Cardinals, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. He remains in the NFC West after starting his career with the Seattle Seahawks.
Collier, a former TCU standout defensive end, has spent his entire four-year career with the Seahawks. He only appeared in eight games during the 2022 season thanks to injuries, the lowest single-season total of his career. In four seasons, Collier was able to compile 40 total tackles to go with three sacks and five passes defended.
His most productive season came in 2020, which was his second in the league. It was the only year so far where he played in every game and saw him notch 16 solo tackles and all three sacks of his career.
During his senior season at TCU, he exploded for 42 tackles, six sacks and four passes defended for the Horned Frogs. That season earned him a spot on the 2018 First Team All-Big 12 team along with an NFL combine invitation. He was later drafted 29th overall by the Seahawks in 2019.
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.