NFL Free agency: Shy Tuttle signs with Carolina Panthers

Defensive end Shy Tuttle has made a decision on his next NFL stop. According to Adam Schefter, Tuttle has decided to join the Carolina Panthers on a three-year deal worth $19.5 million. The former Tennessee Volunteer’s deal includes $13 million guaranteed at signing.

Tuttle has spent his whole NFL career in New Orleans but is now heading to an NFC South rival.

Tuttle went undrafted in the 2019 NFL Draft but signed with the Saints shortly after the draft. He spent four years at Tennessee before opting for the draft. With the Volunteers, the defensive lineman played in 30 games and recorded 79 total tackles, 29 solo, 6.5 tackles for loss, one sack, and an interception.

CLICK HERE to WIN March Madness Prizes in On3’s Bracket Challenge

With the Saints, Tuttle has been a near iron man, playing in 63 of a possible 66 games. The interior d-lineman has started in 33 games while recording 143 tackles, 68 solo, 14 passes deflected, nine tackles for a loss, five passes defended, four sacks, a forced fumble, and one fumble recovered.

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 February 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.