What an incredible start to the free agency season…. And it’s not even close to being done! This has to be one of the most intriguing free agencies I can remember with all of the intriguing names on the market and especially at the quarterback position. I’d say this all really started when the Titans resigned Tannehill to a massive 4 year $118 million dollar deal. Tannehill, to my surprise, had a pretty good season in Tennessee and he seemed to fit very well in the system. I do feel like it was a lot of money for the Titans to pay considering Tannehill still has a lot to prove in my opinion. To everyones surprise, the Texans traded elite wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins to the Cardinals for David Johnson with both teams receiving some draft picks. To say this came as a shock to me would be an understatement. I’m not too sure of the thought process behind this trade for the Texans, but my best guess would be that they wanted to change things up. With Hopkins, the Texans were a good team but not a super bowl contender and I guess they were tired of being stuck in the middle, per se. Not sure if trading the best player on your team is the best way to go about things though. To add to this, David Johnson struggles to stay healthy and we have not seen too much of him over the last year or so. So, for the Cardinals I love this trade and thinks it betters them immediately. Hopkins is a top 3 wide receiver, and to pair him up with the veteran in Larry Fitzgerald should be fun to watch.
As a Dolphins fan, I love what I’m seeing so far!!! I had a feeling they would be big spenders considering they had the most cap space and they have not disappointed. They have already agreed to terms with Ereck Flowers, Shaq Lawson, Jordan Howard, Kyle Van noy, and the now highest paid cornerback in the league in Byron Jones!! The Jones trade was the one that most surprised me. The Dolphins already have Xavien Howard who used to be the highest paid cornerback in the NFL. Watching him and Byron Jones in the secondary will be a treat. So they now have the two highest paid cornerbacks in the league. On top of that, they added 2 time Super Bowl champion Kyle Van noy who is now reunited with head coach Brian Flores, and also added former first round pick pick Shaq Lawson from the Bills. I’m not too sure how I feel about the Jordan Howard signing, but the Fins needed to address that position as they were the worst rushing team last year. Maybe they will try and pursue Melvin Gordon too? I think they will go after another running back in the draft with their 3 first round picks. Speaking of the draft, I am hoping that Tua is still available when the Dolphins pick at number 5 and that they take him. In short, I love what Miami has done so far and it should only get more exciting with their 3 first round picks! #FinsUp
Now, to talk a little bit about the other signings…. I like what the Browns did in getting Hooper and Conklin. I think this only betters their team. The Bills getting Stefon Diggs was huge and I feel like he fits the Bills perfectly. They have been looking for a true number 1 receiver for a while and Diggs can be that for them. The Raiders adding Mariota makes sense to me. It will provide Carr with some competition. I love, absolutely love the Rivers signing for the Colts. I think this team could have been a super bowl contender last year with Luck. Rivers probably only has a maximum of a couple years left and the Colts have the core to make a deep run. Especially with the acquisition of Deforest Buckner.
I’m not a huge fan of the Panthers signing Bridgewater. He did go 5-0 last season with the Saints, but the Panthers are obviously not the Saints. I see Teddy as a guy who won’t lose you games rather than someone who will win you games, if that makes any sense. I’d like to see him take more shots downfield and less of him playing it safe. With Bridgewater gone, I’d say the most intriguing QBs left are Dalton, Winston, and Newton. With Brady going to Tampa Bay (I’ll get to that soon), I think the Patriots will go after Dalton. New England does not seem like a team that will take a risk on Winston and/or Newton. Winston, because of his turnovers and Newton because of the drama that always surrounds him. I think Winston will land with the Chargers and they’ll draft a QB in the draft with their 6th overall pick. I get the feeling Newton will struggle to find a home. We just don’t know if he’ll ever get back to the old Cam Newton. A potential landing spot for him could be Washington. I think they’ll take Chase Young with the second overall pick in the draft and not draft a QB. Getting Newton could be a good backup plan if Haskins doesn’t work out for them.
I never thought I’d ever say this, but Tom Brady is leaving the New England Patriots. He has agreed in principle to join the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Im just going say it straight up… I do not understand this decision whatsoever. I’ve heard he wants to stay close to his family which would make sense to me, but from a strictly NFL perspective it almost shocks me. The Bucs do have a good receiving core and are an up-and-coming team, but even with Brady I do not see them as a super bowl contender. Their defense is quite poor, and gave up over 28 points per game last season. If Brady’s goal in going to Tampa Bay was to win a super bowl, I am sorry but I simply don’t get it. Being a Dolphins fan, I’m definitely happy to see him leave not on the division, but the conference too.
NFL free agency has been crazy to say the least, and it’s not over yet. We still need to wait and see what happens with Melvin Gordon, Robby Anderson, Clowney, all the other quarterbacks and maybe even Todd Gurley!!! Hope you’ve enjoyed the free agency period as much as me. One thing’s for sure…. The NFL is going to look a lot different at the start of next season.