The 2022 NFL trade deadline was one of the wildest in history. Rosters are now fairly set in stone until the 2023 offseason, when we get to see what happens with an intriguing free-agent class.
Teams got aggressive at the deadline this year. With 12 deals going down on deadline day, it's apparent teams are becoming less hesitant to take a big swing to improve their teams.
That boldness could spill over to free agency, which is the next opportunity for teams to radically change their roster.
We've already taken a preliminary look at who will be the top free agents in the 2023 class with our free-agent big board. Now it's time to make some predictions as to what will happen with some of the biggest names with expiring contracts.
Players appear in the order they are ranked on the big board as we take a closer look at some of the most interesting cases.
TE Mike Gesicki, Miami Dolphins
Free-Agent Big Board Ranking: No. 17
Mike Gesicki didn't quite crack the top 15 of our free-agent big board, but he should still be a hot commodity on the open market.
The receiver market is relatively bare. JuJu Smith-Schuster was the only wideout who cracked our board. He's revived his career in Kansas City with Patrick Mahomes, so it's hard to see him not wanting to stay with one of the best quarterbacks in the game.
Dalton Schultz is the only tight end ranked higher than Gesicki on our big board, but the Cowboys essentially chose to tag him over retaining several other key players last offseason, so it seems unlikely they are backing off that commitment.
That leaves Gesicki as the most likely passing-game weapon who could hit the open market. He has recently emerged as a red-zone threat, but his overall numbers have taken a hit in the new-look Dolphins offense orchestrated by head coach Mike McDaniel and featuring Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle.
Gesicki has gone over 700 yards in each of the last two seasons, but he is on pace to fall just short of 500 this year. He doesn't provide much as a blocker, either, so he doesn't appear to be a long-term fit in South Beach.
He would, however, be the kind of big-bodied receiver who could help a young quarterback like Justin Fields in Chicago or add to Tom Brady's arsenal in Tampa Bay. Even if the Dolphins have interest in bringing him back, a team that is willing to feed him more targets is going to come along and offer a better contract.
Prediction: Gesicki signs with the Chicago Bears