NFL Free Agency 2024: Desmond Ridder, Rondale Moore Trade Tops Value Moves of Day 4
Kristopher Knox@@kris_knox
Correspondent IMarch 14, 2024
We're officially in Day 2 of 2024 NFL free agency, though we're actually quite deep into the process. The legal-contact period opened on Monday, and many of this year's top free agents had deals in place long before the market actually opened at 4 p.m. ET on Wednesday.
As a practical matter, we're on Day 4 of free agency.
Players like Saquon Barkley, Josh Jacobs, Kirk Cousins and Danielle Hunter all found new homes before they were legally allowed to sign. Wednesday brought a few surprises too, like Tennessee Titans' surprising landing of wide receiver Calvin Ridley.
It may feel like free agency has little to offer as it moves into its second wave, but that couldn't be further from the truth. This is the point in the offseason where teams start finding real value, and we saw plenty of that on Thursday.
The day's biggest move was a trade between the Atlanta Falcons and Arizona Cardinals. Atlanta, fresh off of signing Cousins, dealt third-year quarterback Desmond Ridder to Arizona in exchange for wide receiver Rondale Moore.
This move provides great value for both franchises. The Falcons had their new quarterback but virtually no experienced receiver depth behind Drake London and recent addition Darnell Mooney. They get a talented if often underperforming receiver in exchange for a quarterback who wasn't in their future plans.
The Cardinals, meanwhile, dump the final year of Moore's rookie contract for much-needed quarterback depth. Kyler Murray is their starter, but the inexperienced Clayton Tune was the only other QB on the roster.
Arizona gets its QB depth, while Atlanta gets a slot contributor who can complement Mooney, London, Kyle Pitts and Bijan Robinson.
We saw some great value signings on Day 4 as well. The Cincinnati Bengals, for example, brought back a familiar face on the cheap.
Ian Rapoport @RapSheetThe <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Bengals?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Bengals</a> are bringing back S and captain Vonn Bell, per agent <a href="https://twitter.com/davidcanter?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@davidcanter</a>. He gets a 1-year, $6M fully guaranteed deal... that's getting paid by Carolina. He's on the minimum from Cincy.
Safety Vonn Bell was a significant contributor the last time he played for Cincinnati—he started 16 games and snagged four interceptions in 2022—and now he's back on a one-year deal.
Since the Carolina Panthers released Bell in a cap-saving move, the Bengals are only on the hook for a league-minimum contract. Bell struggled in Carolina, but he knows Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarmuo well and should bolster the secondary at a bargain price.
The Cleveland Browns, meanwhile, agreed to a one-year deal with former New York Jets defensive tackle Quinton Jefferson.
While Jefferson wasn't one of the biggest names in this year's free-agent class, he's a sneaky-good addition to an already talented Cleveland defensive front.
The 30-year-old has appeared in 48 games over the past three seasons and was terrific as an interior pass-rusher in 2023. Despite playing only 49 percent of the defensive snaps, he recorded six sacks and 18 quarterback pressures.
The Chicago Bears are widely expected to use the No. 1 pick in April's draft on USC quarterback Caleb Williams. On Thursday, they made sure that their next quarterback will have a viable starting center in 2024.
Chicago had already traded for former Buffalo Bills center Ryan Bates. on Thursday, it inked Coleman Shelton to a one-year deal.
Shelton started 17 games for the Los Angeles Rams last season and was largely reliable. The 28-year-old was responsible for six penalties but two sacks, according to Pro Football Focus.
Shelton's experience playing for Sean McVay in Los Angeles could also be valuable. New Bears offensive coordinator Shane Waldron gained exposure as the Rams' passing game coordinator before moving on to the Seattle Seahawks in 2021.
Bell, Shelton and Jefferson exactly how teams can find value later in free agency by targeting scheme-specific fits and avoiding the hefty early contracts that come with the initial wave.
A team doesn't have to "win" the opening days of free agency to come out ahead, get better and lay a foundation for the draft.
For teams that have yet to dive deep into the player pool or are waiting to find value, there's still plenty of talent available. Top players still available include linebacker Devin White, defensive tackle D.J. Reader, offensive tackle Trent Brown and pass-rusher Chase Young.
And for fans who want to follow along as free agency continues to unfold, Bleacher Report's grades for Day 4 trades and signings can be found here.
*Advanced statistics from Pro Football Reference unless otherwise noted.