LSU Football Winners of 2022 NFL Free Agency
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The NFL free agency period has been a marked success for a number of talented former LSU Tigers. La'el Collins is protecting Joe Burrow and a couple of former Tigers' skill position players have some long term security on a contending NFC South team.
Here's a look at some of the biggest LSU winners in free agency.
Joe Burrow (QB)
The Bengals hit on pretty much every offseason goal during free agency by boosting the offensive line for Burrow and bringing in another weapon at the tight end spot. Not afraid to spend during this free agency period, the Bengals signed tight end Hayden Hurst, center Ted Karras, guard Alex Cappa and capped it off by signing former LSU and Dallas Cowboys tackle La'el Collins.
Collins can certainly be thrown into the winners category, signing a three-year, $30 million deal with the Bengals. As a last ditch recruiting pitch to Collins, Burrow even had all of the new free agents over to his house to try and reel Collins into signing with Cincinnati, according to Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer.
“One of the coolest guys you’ll ever meet. Down to earth and a guy I just want to protect without a doubt,” Collins told Bengals.com. “Just visualizing that moment (in 2020) of winning that championship and knowing how he felt after that game and Chase and all those guys felt to being able to bring that here, I think we’ve got something special, and we could get it done.”
Burrow finally has an o-line that can keep him upright and that is without a doubt one of the bigger wins of the NFL offseason to this point.
Leonard Fournette (RB)
For the last few seasons, Fournette has only been able to generate a little bit of interest on the free agency market, inking one-year deals in each of the previous two seasons with Tampa Bay.
But following a resurgent year in his career as a lead back, Fournette earned a little more long term security by inking a three-year, $21 million deal with the Bucs. The return of Tom Brady certainly helped in Tampa Bay's efforts to retain Fournette but there's no doubt there was interest from other teams. It was pretty much the perfect scenario, to return to a team with Super Bowl aspirations on a longer term deal.
Now Fournette, Brady and the Bucs will look to take advantage of a wide open NFC in 2022.
Russell Gage (WR)
The former Tigers seventh round draft pick earned a huge pay day, inking a three-year, $30 million deal. He catches a high percentage of balls thrown his way and will only continue to ascend in an offense helmed by Tom Brady. Called one of the most underrated moves by CBS Sports this offseason, Gage is the perfect No. 3 option.
Gage will stay in the NFC South, moving from Atlanta to Tampa Bay and join forces with recently Brady and the Buccaneers on a deal. The former LSU receiver is one of the more underrated deep threats in the game and will be a threat alongside Mike Evans and Chris Godwin for the Tampa Bay offense.
