NFL Free Agency: Denver Broncos sign wide receiver Lil'Jordan Humphrey

NFL franchises have just wrapped up using their franchise tag for the upcoming 2023 off-season. But instead of announcing a designation for their franchise tag, the Denver Broncos have announced a new addition to their team. According to ESPN’s Field Yates, the Broncos have signed former Texas Longhorns wide receiver Lil’Jordan Humphrey.

Currently, there is no further information on the contract specifics between Humphrey and Denver. But the move does help bring in some additional depth at the wideout position for Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson and newly fired head coach Sean Payton.

Humphrey spent the first three years of his NFL career, 2019-2021, with Payton and the New Orleans Saints. In his last season with New Orleans is where he put together his best statistical season. Humphrey finished his 2021 season with 13 receptions on 18 targets in 10 games, starting in four of them. He would go on to finish the year with a total of 249 receiving yards with two touchdowns.

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.