BY: Tony LiebertThis year’s NFL free agency has been one of the wildest in recent memory. There were blockbuster trades, big name free agents, and one “headline” move. The NFL will definitely have some different teams in the playoffs next season (as it always does) and these offseason moves will clearly have an effect on the league next season. I decided to rank the moves not necessarily skill or talent of the player acquired. I focused more on the influence that the player will have on their new team. I ranked them by how much they increase their teams Super Bowl chances. As with every free agency period there are moves that don’t necessarily receive the publicity of media attention they deserve, and I think there were plenty this year. Underrated Moves (in order): - S Adrian Amos signing with the Green Bay Packers - RB Mark Ingram signing with the Baltimore Ravens - DT Malik Jackson signing with the Philadelphia Eagles - WR Devin Funchess signing with the Indianapolis Colts - OT Ty Nsheke signing with the Buffalo Bills - RB Tevin Coleman signing with San Francisco 49ers - RB Carlos Hyde signing with the Kansas City Chiefs There are also overrated moves every year. I don’t necessarily think these players are bad, I just think they were overpaid, or they’re just viewed as better players than they actually are. Overrated Moves: - ILB Kwon Alexander signing with the San Francisco 49ers - The Denver Broncos trading for RB Joe Flacco - LB Clay Matthews signing with the Los Angeles Rams - OT Trent Brown signing with the Oakland Raiders #10 The Philadelphia Eagles trading for WR Desean Jackson… and then extending him. Full Trade Details: Buccaneers Receive- - 2019 6th Round Pick Eagles Receive- - 2020 7th Round Pick - WR Desean Jackson Contract Details: - 3 years $27.9 million ($15 million guaranteed) Desean Jackson’s prime of his career was definitely on the Eagles and now he will be returning to Philadelphia. The Eagles clearly lacked a deep ball threat last season, and Jackson will certainly help in that area next season. The Eagles are currently lacking a definitive culture, after their whole QB situation last season between Nick Foles, and Carson Wentz. And I think bringing back Jackson shows Wentz and the rest of the franchise that they are committed to the team they currently have. #9 OLB Justin Houston signing with the Indianapolis Colts. Contract Details: - 2 years $24 million ($18.5 million guaranteed) The Colts made a deep playoff run last season, with really not much talent on the defensive side of the ball. Every NFL team definitely needs an elite level pass rusher in today’s modern NFL. Houston is another veteran player being 30 years old, and his career is clearly on a decline. But I do think Houston can still contribute pro-bowl level snaps when the the Colts need him most. Houston will improve the Colts defense next season, and may lead to another deep playoff run, with hopefully better results. #8 TE Jared Cook signing with the New Orleans Saints. Contract Details: - 2 years $15.5 million ($8 million guaranteed) Last season the Saints clearly looked like one of the best offenses in the NFL, and if it weren’t for a blown call they would’ve been in the Super Bowl. If there were a hole in the Saints offense last season it clearly was tight end. Cook is coming off a pro-bowl level season where he had 68 receptions, 896 yards, and 6 touchdowns. Even though Cook is no 31 years old, I think the Saints’ offense will have a great tight end for the next two seasons, and they will look even more unstoppable next season. #7 S Landon Collins signing with the Washington Redskins. Contract Details: - 6 years $84 million ($26 million guaranteed) Landon Collins was surprisingly let go by the New York Giants, then he didn’t last long on the free agency market. Signing Collins is a great move for the Redskins. They quietly have a very underrated defense, and their biggest weakness may have been safety, so they decided to go out and sign one of the best in the NFL. I really like this move, but a terrific defense can only go so far, without a star quarterback. Therefore this move COULD be terrific but I think the Redskins still need to add a competent quarterback before they can make a playoff run. #6 S Tyrann Mathieu signing with the Kansas City Chiefs. Contract Details: - 3 years $42 million ($26.8 million guaranteed) This offseason the Chiefs decided to move on from all-pro safety Eric Berry. So they clearly needed to add to their horrible secondary. I think the “honey badger” is a great replacement for Berry. If Earl Thomas is the most versatile safety in the NFL, Mathieu is definitely top three. He has shown the ability the make tackles, cover tight ends, and play traditional free safety at a very high level. I think the three year $42 million dollar deal is almost a bit of bargain, and I think the addition of Mathieu will lead to an improved Chiefs secondary next season. #5 RB Le’Veon Bell signing with the New York Jets. Contract Details: - 4 years $52.5 million ($27 million guaranteed) This move is a bit confusing for Le’Veon Bell… but that’s a different conversation. For the Jets on the other hand this is a terrific move. I think Bell is the number two running back in the NFL, and will perform at that level for the Jets. New York has decided that Sam Darnold is their QB of the future, and adding weapons to your offense is the best thing that you can do for a young QB. I think adding Bell will lead to a much improved Sam Darnold next season, and could be the beginning of a great NFL career, and a new era in New York with new head coach Adam Gase. #4 The San Francisco 49ers trading for OLB Dee Ford… and then extending him. Full Trade Details: Chiefs Receive- - 2020 Second Round pick 49ers Receive- - OLB Dee Ford Contract Details: - 5 years $85 million ($19.75 million guaranteed) The Chiefs originally decided to franchise tag Ford, but then made it public that they were open to trading him. The 49ers didn’t wait long, and GM John Lynch decided to make a big move. Dee Ford is coming off a breakout season where he had 13 sacks and 13 tackles for loss. The 49ers have been missing a dominant pass rusher for years and this move tells me that they are going “all in” on this season, and the future. Even though Ford has only had one season with 10+ sacks I think this move improves the 49ers defense and their chance at a deep playoff run. #3 The Raiders trading for WR Antonio Brown… and then extending him. Full Trade Details: Steelers Receive- - 2019 3rd round (66th overall pick) - 2019 5th round (141st overall pick) Raiders Receive- - WR Antonio Brown Contract Details: - 3 year $50.1 million ($30.1 million guaranteed) Some people may look at this move and think it may be overrated, or that, “Antonio Brown is a locker room cancer, he is 30 years old, and now he’s being overpaid.” Even though all those may be true, this was a move the Raiders needed to make. Antonio Brown is without a doubt a top three wide receiver in the NFL, and a third and a fifth round pick is not really a risk whatsoever. John Gruden and the Raiders now have their star player when they make their move to Las Vegas, and a great weapon for Derek Carr, in a season that I can see Oakland making a decision if Carr is their QB of the future. Some may say 50.1 million is way too much of an overpay and I think that it might be but, a three year deal is not much of a commitment. This move needed to be made, and has little to no risk for the Raiders. #2 S Earl Thomas signing with the Baltimore Ravens. Contract Details: - 4 year $55 million ($32 million guaranteed) To start the NFL free agency period the Ravens decided to release veteran safety Eric Weddle. Therefore they were definitely in the market for a safety. They decided to sign arguably the best one in the league. Although Thomas is 30 years old and coming off of a broken leg. There is no doubt that he is one of the most versatile players in the NFL. The Ravens lost the heart of their defense with C.J. Mosely, Eric Weddle, and Z’Darius Smith all leaving in free agency. I think they NEEDED to make a splash move on the defensive side of the ball, and they sure did. #1 The Cleveland Browns trading for WR Odell Beckham Jr. Full Trade Details: Giants Receive- - 2019 1st round (17th overall pick) - 2019 3rd round (95th overall pick) - OG Kevin Zeitler - S Jabrill Peppers Browns Receive- - WR Odell Beckham Jr. - DE/OLB Olivier Vernon If you were living under a rock, one of the NFL’s top receivers Odell Beckham Jr was traded to the Cleveland Browns, which was the “headline move” of this year’s free agency. With this move the Browns added a true number one receiver, whom I believe is not a so called “headache” or “cry baby” or whatever you would call him. OBJ was in the worst situation possible in the NFL with the New York Giants and I think that he will thrive in Cleveland with a fresh start. The Browns also added another pro-bowl caliber pass rusher Olivier Vernon. Vernon may not put up monster sack totals but he will be a terrific compliment on the other side of Myles Garrett. Although losing veteran guard Kevin Zeitler is a significant loss I don’t think the Giants really gave up much else. Jabrill Peppers an overrated safety, to go along with a first and third round pick is a heist for the Browns by adding a top three wide receiver in the NFL.
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May 2020
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