My reactions to the official franchise/transitions tags of the NFL clubs and first day of free agency. We’ll start with the franchise tags. Ratings out of 10 based on the caliber of the player and the situation of the club.
Franchise Tags
1. Arizona Cardinals: Kenyan Drake (RB) 6/10 Kenyan is a good player and while this is better than a long term deal with a lot of committed money I’m not sure Drake is worth $8,483,000. Def better than a long term deal.
2. Baltimore Ravens: Matthew Judon (EDGE) 7/10 I’m happy they didn’t sign him to long term deal because of his out of character last season. Good player in a better scheme.
3. Dallas Cowboys: Dak Prescott (QB) 7/10 Need to get a long term deal done as soon as possible. At least they have him next year.
4. Denver Broncos: Justin Simmons (S) 8/10 Really good player, will hopefully lock him up long term.
5. Jacksonville Jaguars: Yannick Ngakuoe (EDGE) 5/10 This will move depending on what the Jaguars can get for him in terms of a trade. Good enough move for now.
6. Kansas City Chiefs: Chris Jones (DT) 9/10 Great player, win now team. I would give him a big deal if you have the room but for now this is smart.
7. Los Angeles Chargers: Hunter Henry (TE) 6/10 I’m a lot more weary about this than the others. I wouldn’t give Henry a long term deal because of the injury history but I’m unsure the direction of the team. If they are trying to win now then I like it, but if they plan on keeping Henry long term I would not like this move.
8. Minnesota Vikings: Anthony Harris (S) 8/10 Good move, would like to keep him for longer if I was the Vikings but I get their cap situation isn’t perfect.
9. New England Patriots: Joe Thuney (G) 7/10 Get him locked up, the line is so important the Patriots know that more than most franchises.
10. New York Giants: Leonard Williams (DT) 5/10 Should have locked him up earlier, need to get a long term deal done or this is a waste.
11. Pittsburgh Steelers: Bud Dupree (DE) 8/10 Dupree had a crazy good year in a contract year. I’m not convinced and neither are the Steelers that he’s worth a long term extension.
12. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Shaquil Barrett (EDGE) 8/10 Another player who played out of mind last year. Not giving him a long term deal is smart.
13. Tennessee Titans: Derrick Henry (RB) 9/10 Run him into the ground and don’t pay him. Really smart move.
14. Washington Redskins: Brandon Scherff (G) 6/10 Need to use cap space on the line for sure. Scherff has to get locked up the one year deal isn’t good enough.
Free Agency Day 1
Free Agents
1. Christian Kirksey (LB) Signed by the Packers for 2 years, $13,000,000, $4,000,000 guaranteed. 4/10 I know it’s not a lot of money overall nor is it a lot guaranteed but this doesn’t replace Blake Martinez in the slightest. A downgrade for the Packers right now.
2. Austin Hooper (TE) Signed by the Browns for 4 years, $42,000,000, $23,000,000 guaranteed. 4/10 This has disaster written all over it. The Browns need an upgrade at tight end but giving Hooper so much money is not smart. This is an improvement but the price is too much for me.
3. Nick Kwiatkowski (LB) Signed by the Raiders for 3 years, $21,000,000, $13,500,000 guaranteed. 5/10 A decent amount of guaranteed money to a guy who hasn’t started 16 games his entire career. Not sold on this but for Raiders it’s OK considering their cap.
4. Jack Conklin (OT) Signed by the Browns for 3 years, $42,000,000, $30,000,000 guaranteed. 9/10 Great signing, wish it was for more years but Conklin is only 25 and one of the top guys on my board. Would have been a 10/10 if it was for like 4 or 5 years at this average.
5. Halapoulivaati Vaitai (OT) Signed by the Lions for 5 years, $50,000,000. 5/10 Has played in a limited role. 10 Mil on average is a little much for such an unproven asset.
6. Case Keenum (QB) Signed with Browns for 3 years, $18,000,00, $10,000,000 guaranteed. 7/10 Good backup, not too much money. This is fine.
7. Graham Glasgow (OG) Signed by the Broncos for 4 years, $44,000,000, $26,000,000 guaranteed. 7/10 Seems like a good deal. He was a good center on the Lions and every team needs upgrades at the O-line so this works. Not too much money but not cheap either.
8. Shaq Lawson (DE) Signed by the Dolphins for 3 years, $30,000,000, $21,000,000 guaranteed. 7/10 I like Lawson, it’s a good amount of money to spend and the guarantees are high but he could be worth it in a full time role on a new team.
9. James Bradberry (CB) Signed by the Giants for 3 years, $45,000,000, $32,000,000 guaranteed. 5/10 Bradberry seems good and he’s young enough but 32 guaranteed and 45 over 3 years is a lot of money.
10. Byron Jones (CB) Signed by the Dolphins for 5 years, $82,500,000, $57,000,000 guaranteed. 9/10 The best non-QB on the market. Should speak for itself. It’s a good amount of money but worth it.
11. Michael Brockers (DT) Signed by the Ravens for 3 years, $30,000,000, $21,000,000 guaranteed. 6/10 A little bit too much money for for a 29 year old player who is a run stopping machine. Ravens stacking up the defense but this individual deal is not on par with other moves they made.
12. Jimmy Graham (TE) Signed by the Bears for 2 years, $16,000,000, $9,000,000 guaranteed. 2/10 I doubt Graham will get through 1 year of this deal. He’s washed and this was a bad deal.
13. George Fant (OT) Signed by the Jets for 3 years, $30,000,000, $13,700,000 guaranteed. 5/10 Neutral deal here. The lack of guaranteed money is good for the Jets so I don’t hate it but Fant is very unproven. I’m not sure if he’s good or not.
14. Eric Murray (S) Signed by the Texans for 3 years, $20,250,000, $6,750,000 guaranteed. 4/10 I’m not sure what this guy did to get a long term deal with another club. He’s never really played too often but at least there isn’t a lot of guarantees here. The Texans needed more help in the secondary than this.
15. Kyle Van Noy (DE) Signed by the Dolphins for 4 years, $51,000,000, $30,000,000 guaranteed. 5/10 I’m not convinced Van Noy will be good in another scheme. I thought the deal would have been worth more so only having 30 mil in guarantees is a win for Miami.
16. Jamie Collins (LB) Signed by the Lions for 3 years, $30,000,000, $18,000,000 guaranteed. 7/10 Been good in two systems, going to an Ex-Patriots teams, not having over 20 mil guaranteed. There is a lot to like about this deal even if he’s 29.
17. A. J. Klein (LB) Signed by the Bills for 3 year, $18,000,00, $9,700,000 guaranteed. 5/10 Average player signing an above average contact. Should have been for less.
18. Amari Cooper (WR) Signed by the Cowboys for 5 years $100,000,000. 7/10 Probably too much money for Cooper depending on how much is guaranteed but locking up a special WR to a long terms deal is important for any franchise. You need to be able to pass to win and Amari helps tremendously in that regard.
Trades
1. Hayden Hurst (TE) and a 2020 fourth-round pick traded to Atlanta for a 2020 second- and fifth-round selection. Atlanta gets a new tight end who I think has been undervalued since coming into the NFL. Baltimore gets a second round selection while getting rid of a player (however good) at a position they have great depth at. Verdict: Win for both, maybe a slight edge for the Ravens.
2. Calais Campbell (DE) Traded to Ravens for a 2020 5th round selection. Ravens got one of the top defensive lineman in the league for a 5th round pick. The Jaguars should have gotten more but this trade is semi mutually beneficial. The Ravens are going into win now mode and the Jags needed salary relief for their rebuild. Verdict: Ravens win this deal hard, the Jaguars didn’t get enough in return even if they are just looking to clear cap. The Ravens will benefit from this deal more than the Jags ever could with a 5th rounder.
3. DeAndre Hopkins (WR) and a 2020 fourth-round pick traded to Cardinals for David Johnson (RB), 2020 second-round pick and a 2021 fourth-round pick. This is clear the Texans got obliterated, like Yami mind crushing Kiabi in episode one of YuGiOh. Hopkins def is losing a step but he’s still a top 5 receiver in the league. David Johnson has a ridiculous contract the Cardinals don’t have to pay any more of it. The Texans get a second round pick I guess but the loss of Hopkins probably puts them in 3rd place behind the Titans and the Colts which is crazy because the Texans are built to win now. Verdict: Cardinals win, one of the worst trades since the Max Unger deal.
4. DeForest Buckner (DT) Traded to the Colts for the 13th overall selection in the 2020 draft. Buckner signed a 4 years deal $84,000,000 base and $44,378,000 guaranteed. Buckner is a top 10 defensive tackle but a first round pick in this draft might be worth it if you need cap relief. I don’t like trading Buckner and signed Armstead but if you had to keep one and trade one getting a first round pick is worth it. Verdict: Colts win but the 49ers don’t lose entirely. The Colts get a superstar for a first round pick and they have the money to pay him long term.
5. Stefon Diggs (WR) and a 2020 7th pick traded to the Bills for 2020 a 1st-round pick, a 5th-round pick, a 6th-round pick and a 2021 4th-round pick. Almost an even trade maybe. The Bills get a star wide receiver they desperately needed to help them win the AFC East this year on a surprising favorable contract. The Vikings get some cap relief, a first round pick plus 3 other lottery picks which will help the Vikings sign their core players (with cap relief) and add new talent at a discounted price (through the draft). Verdict: Win for both maybe slightly more for the Bills since they get a known asset.
Re-Signed Players
1. Quinton Spain (OL) Resigned by Bills for 3 years, $15,000,00, $4,500,000 guaranteed. 8/10 Really good deal, not too much money spent. Good lineman, hard to find, and can be cut without much loss next year.
2. Arik Armstead (DE) Resigned by the 49ers 5 year, $85,000,000, $40,000,000 guaranteed. 4/10 I’ve always thought Armstead was the most underrated guy on the 9ers D line but that doesn’t seem to be the case anymore. I would have spent the money on Buckner and let Armstead walk. I don’t think he deserves this deal considering the other guys around him were so good. He’ll need to do it next year not lined up next to Buckner which I find very difficult to envision. He’s also only had one year so far with double digit sacks. Not a good sign.
3. Blake Jarwin (TE) Resigned by the Cowboys for 4 years, $22,000,000, $9,250,000 guaranteed. 4/10 I know it’s not a whole lot of mponey but it’s a good amount for a tight end that hasn’t proven himself yet. I feel like teams are panicking at the TE position because this years draft class isn’t very deep. Hopefully the Cowboys know what they are doing for their own sake.
4. Dennis Kelly (OT) Resigned by the Titans for 3 year, $21,000,000, $8,750,000 guaranteed. 5/10 New guy step up since Jack left. Could be a good backup option, I’m unsure if he’s up to the task.
5. Jon Bostic (LB) Resigned by the Redskins for 2 years, $5,000,000, $1,750,000 guaranteed. 6/10 Not too much money for a stating caliber linebacker, good value here.
6. Ryan Tannehill (QB) Resigned by the Titans for 4 years, $118,000,000, $91,000,000 guaranteed. 6/10 It’s a lot money and a lot guaranteed but only for 4 years it might not be so bad. I think Tannehill is the best QB Nashville has had since McNair and locking him up long term is important. He’s a top 15 QB and a guy who can win a super bowl and it could be so much worse without him for the Titans. As much as I hate them this was a good enough deal.
7. Kirk Cousins (QB) Resigned by the Vikings for 2 years, $66,000,000, $66,000,000 guaranteed. 6/10 I like Kirk more than the next guy but another all guaranteed deal is good but a bit unsettling for me. It’s only two years so that’s good for the Vikings I guess. Kirk is worth it if you are trying to win now, top 15 QB easy.
8. Jarran Reed (DT) Resigned by the Seahawks for 2 years, $23,000,00, $11,500,000 guaranteed. (4/10) Seems like a run of the mill DT, probably not worth the money. This is worse than a 5 because of the amount of money they spent here. The length of the deal saves this from being even worse.
Cuts
1. Devonte Freeman (RB) cut by Atlanta. They only saved a few million on this move. Freeman is still a valuable running back and while he shouldn’t have been paid anywhere near what he was getting only saving 3 million isn’t worth not having a valuable player on the Falcons. Another team is going to get great value from Freeman if they can lock him up for a few years on a way smaller deal (which I think is probable).