The NFL offseason has seemed to have been already going on forever, but it is only just beginning. With many quarterbacks to still possibly be on the move and free agency officially beginning this Wednesday, NFL fans have only gotten a taste of what's to come. Today, teams were officially permitted to tamper with free agents and the headlines didn't disappoint. What moves have already made the biggest impact and what moves are most likely to come?
With big names on the move such as Carson Wentz to the Colts and Matthew Stafford to the Rams early this offseason and the franchise tag bringing back players like Allen Robinson, Justin Simmons, and Chris Godwin to their teams, the question is where will the other big stars end up? With legal tampering underway some of the bigger names have already been snatched up in the free agency frenzy.
Tompa Bay:
What do Tom Brady and the Buccaneers do after winning the Super Bowl? They don't regroup, they reload. In Tom Brady's words, "...we're keeping the band together." First off is a franchise tag to Chris Godwin ensuring another season in Tampa. Following the tag, they proceeded to bring back players as they resigned Lavonte David to a two year deal worth up to $25 million. Brady himself also helped the cause as he signed a contract extension through 2022, allowing 17 million dollars in cap space for this offseason. This also allowed to them to make the big resigning of Shaquil Barrett on a 4-year $72 million dollar deal with $36 million guaranteed. Along with Barrett they also went ahead and brought back none other than the great Rob Gronkowski on a 1-year $10 million dollar deal keeping him attached to Brady and the Bucs. It will be interesting to see if a team this talented can make their roster even more exciting to watch after just winning a Super Bowl. If you ask Tom Brady, he would probably say yes as he chases ring #8.
Comeback Season?:
On the other hand, after a greatly disappointing season for Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots, the front office made it their point to make a HUGE splash this offseason. After a trade to being offensive tackle Trent Brown back to Pats, they also went ahead and signed Cam Newton to a one year contract worth $14 million. This comes to some surprise, but after some great comments by Cam about coach Belichick, it sounds like the tandem is ready to run it back again this year as it will be his second year in the system. One of the biggest struggles for Newton this past year was his lack of weapons, and the Patriots organization certainly made that a top priority on day one. They began March 15th with the signing of tight end Jonnu Smith, who was one of the top targets in free agency as a whole. The deal worth $50 million with $31.25 million guaranteed was followed later by a 2-year $26 million deal with Nelson Agholor, who had a breakout year in Las Vegas in 2020. On the other side of the ball the Patriots added one of the games leading pass rushers in Matthew Judon with four-year $56 million dollar deal. Judon had previously led the Ravens in sacks the passed to years and will be a huge asset to this strong New England defense. Other players that the Pats went out and signed include wideout Kendrick Bourne, defensive back Jalen Mills, and former Dolphins NT Davon Godchaux. In a division that seems to be on its way up in talent, the Patriots don't seem to have any quit in them as they now will try to make a playoff push in their second season without Tom Brady.
Lineman Get Paid Too:
On a busy March 15th, some of the top free agents on the market also found new homes. In arguably the biggest signing of the day, guard Joe Thuney signed a 5-year $80 million dollar deal with last seasons AFC Champions, the Kansas City Chiefs. With only a portion of that $80 million guaranteed, the team looks to fill out that offensive line after releasing both former #1 overall pick Eric Fisher and tackle Mitchell Schwartz. Another O-lineman on move is the highly regarded center Corey Linsley, who will be joining the Los Angeles Chargers and Justin Herbert on a deal worth $62 million with $17 million guaranteed. Next up on the offseason player carousel would be safety John Johnson III, who coming off a rough year with the Rams, signing a three-year, $33 million deal with the Cleveland Browns. Sticking the AFC, wide receiver Corey Davis will be on the move from Tennessee to New York on a 3-year $37.5 million dollar deal with the Jets. This will most likely be one of the many moves the Jets will make this March, as they headed into the offseason with the most cap room to spend. Lastly, following the early resigning of Taylor Heinicke, the Washington Football Team ended a wild day 1 of free agency with an agreement with quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick to a one-year, $10 million deal.
Other Signings Include:
- Quarterback Jamies Winston has reached an agreement to return to the Saints on a one-year $12 million deal.
- Rams resign edger rusher and linebacker Leonard Floyed to a $64 million deal.
- Carlos Hyde will take his veteran play to Jacksonville on a two-year, $6 million deal with the Jaguars.
- Defensive end Yannick Ngakoue finds a new home once again, this time in Las Vegas with the Raiders on a 2-year $26 million deal.
- Linebacker Jarrad Davis will sign a one-year deal worth $7 million with the Jets.
- Lineman Pat Elfein is on his way to the Panthers on a 3-year, 13.5 million deal; $6 million guaranteed.
- Kevin Zeilter, offensive guard who was just cut by the Giants, will be signing a three-year, 22.5 million deal with$16 million fully guaranteed.
- DE Henry Anderson stays in the AFC East signing a two-year, $7 million deal with the Pats
- Edge rusher Bud Dupree will sign a deal with the Titans with an average of $16.5 million per year. (details to come)
- Cornerback Ronald Darby agrees to a three-year 30 million deal with the Denver Broncos; $19.5 million guaranteed.
- Kyle Juszczyk, fullback, signs a 5-year, 27 million dollar deal with the San Francisco 49ers. It is the largest fullback deal in NFL history.
- DE Romeo Okwara re-signed with the Detroit Lions on a $39 million deal that is three years long.
- Cornerback Jason Verrett will sign a one-year contract with the 49ers worth $5.5 million.
- Trey Hendrickson will get a well earned 4-year, $60 million deal as he signs with the Cincinnati Bengals
Who will be the the next NFL star to be on the move? Both potential trades and talented players in free agency can be found everywhere this offseason, and the futures of players like Desaun Watson and Julio Jones could be seeing changes. Let us know in the comments who you think will sign where, and what big deals will go down in the next couple weeks.
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