While we do still have one game left in the 2023 season, why not look ahead during a slow news week at what should be a pretty interesting free agent class. Some real star power, who'll command some proper paychecks. Let's dive into the names:
Quarterbacks: Profitable offseason ahead for Kirk Cousins and Baker Mayfield, with a bunch of QB-needy teams already slotted high in the draft and an incredibly thin bunch behind them. It'd be very surprising to see Mayfield not resign a respectable long term deal down in Tampa Bay, but Captain Kirk is a real wild card here. Minnesota is a pretty prime situation for him, and they were poised to make a splash before his Achilles tear in October, but would a potential exodus to Las Vegas be of any intrigue?
Other quarterbacks you'll see on the market include:
Ryan Tannehill- Old, slow, bad
Jacoby Brissett- Average, slow, eventually bad
Tyrod Taylor- Still pretty quick, slings the ball, usually suffers injuries to the torso
Marcus Mariota- Quitter, bust, bad
Sam Darnold- Ehh
Jameis Winston- Gunslinger, exercise pioneer, motivational orator
Gardner Minshew- Mullet, RV, probably the best of the bunch
Running Backs: Quite a conundrum with the running back market. The list of names is a real who's who, many of which aren't completely out of gas. But given the current valuation of the position, and just how much tread is on some of their tires, it'd be shocking to see any major contracts doled out.
Saquon Barkley will probably be the consensus favorite of this bunch, being a 26 year old, three-down back. Some will point to his 3.9 yards per carry and claim him to be washed, but it'd be tough for anybody to run the ball well in last year's Giants' offense.
Derrick Henry and Zeke are the vets of the bunch, each coming off of relatively productive seasons, given their respective expectations. The former has more upside, with a price tag that'll likely reflect that.
Austin Ekeler and Josh Jacobs, like Barkley, are versatile guys that don't need to leave the field when they're on. It'd be weird to see either in a different uniform, but it seems like that's almost a guarantee for Ekeler. And unless Jacobs takes a really friendly deal, it's likely he won't playing be in silver and black again.
Gus Edwards and Tony Pollard are interesting because they haven't been dogged by massive workloads in their careers, but are somewhat one dimensional. Gus thrives on the early downs, while Pollard showed last year he's better suited as a 1B and 3DRB in any offense. Sounds like a perfect complement for a team looking to revamp the backfield!
Pass Catchers: We're going to see 3-4 massive contracts given out to these guys. How often is a surefire Hall of Famer like Mike Evans on the open market after a 79/1,255/13 campaign? If he chooses not to ring chase, he'll absolutely be breaking some franchise's bank.
Tee Higgins and Michael Pittman Jr. are the big names on the block, with many pointing to the former has the crowned gem of this free agency class. Higgins doesn't scream WR1 to me though, so I think he'll ultimately be overpaid. MPJ is just as tall, quicker, and able to play out of the slot as well as the X or Y. Depends on what your team needs though; a guy who'll snag you 6 balls a game underneath, or the dude guaranteed to catch the big one in the end zone.
Calvin Ridley and Hollywood Brown make up the second tier of wideouts, each coming off of inconsistent showings. Ridley's the better talent of the two overall, but he's also 3 years older. Darnell Mooney, Curtis Samuel and Odell Beckham Jr. round out a pretty drab class. Mooney is a big play threat, Samuel is a Swiss Army knife-- who actually stood out briefly in Washington this year-- and OBJ's far from his old self. Dollar general brand at Target prices.
Not much to gleam over as far as tight ends go, with Dalton Schultz and Hunter Henry being the top available. Schultz is steady, providing a consistent, albeit inexplosive, safety blanket wherever he goes. Henry loves catching touchdowns and was surprisingly decent given the Patriots' offensive woes.
Offensive Line: Not a good spot to be in if you're shopping for an offensive tackle. Tyron Smith and Trent Brown are solid, but it'd hard to view either as long term solutions. Arguable first round busts Mekhi Becton and Jonah Williams are seeking greener pastures than the ones they experienced their first few years in the league. Becton regularly had to deal with weight issues, while Williams' never quite seemed to gain traction in Cincy.
Jermaine Eluemunor may be the best bargain bin option of the tackle group. He turned into a pretty reliable player for the Raiders after being traded away from Baltimore a few years ago. Mike Onwenu ended up playing some good ball at right tackle too for New England by years end. He's a big body with experience all over the line.
The guards are a little more exciting, with 27-year old's Kevin Dotson and Robert Hunt leading the way. Obviously there's never a teeming market for the position, but either of those two would solidify an interior. Kevin Zeitler's as pure an example of a plug and play guard that you'll find, probably good for another go or two. Dalton Risner may still have some upside after a nice showing in Minnesota. At 28, he'll be looking to secure his first, big(ish) long term deal.
Wrapping up the O-Line with our unheralded centers. Connor Williams was excellent for the Dolphins, but tore his ACL in their week 14 loss to Tennessee. Wouldn't be surprised to see him take a one-year, prove-it deal somewhere. Andre James and Lloyd Cushenberry III were anchors in Las Vegas and Denver, really ascending in play through their rookie contracts.
D-Line: A top heavy bunch here! Joke intended, but there are some defensive lineman who are going to make the big bucks this winter. Chris Jones will be 30 the start of training camp, but he showed no signs of slowing down last season, racking up 10.5 sacks. He was topped by Baltimore's Justin Madubuike, who totaled 13 sacks, including at least 1/2 of one in 11 straight games. At the ripe age of 26, the former 3rd round pick is primed for a massive payday.
Christian Wilkins, Leonard Williams, DJ Reader, and Sheldon Rankins are all under 30 with track records of success in some capacity or another. Given how foundational Wilkins and Reader are for Miami and Cincinnati, I would be surprised if they got away. Seattle also paid a pretty penny for Leonard Williams this trade deadline, presumably not as a rental. So we'll see how many actually talk to other teams.
Grover Stewart, and more so Fletcher Cox, are the wily vets of this bunch. Grover's been a lowkey horse for the Colts and will make an impact wherever he ends up. Cox balls out whenever he gets the opportunity to in his own right, would be weird seeing him play anywhere but Philly, but anything is possible in the City of Brotherly Love after this recent collapse.
Edge: Speaking of money...could be a broken bank or two here. Josh Allen and Brian Burns highlight this stacked group, with Allen coming off a career 17.5 sacks. Don't be surprised if a franchise tag is used on either of these guys in the worst case scenario, although Burns' name constantly comes up in trade talks. Given Carolina's limited draft capital, a tag and trade is certainly in play.
Danielle Hunter, Jadaveon Clowney, Za'Darius Smith and Leonard Floyd are established, productive veterans who are definitely set to make 8 figures, but only Hunter seems to have any prospects of a long term deal. Seems like his time in Minnesota is up. Clowney was awesome for Baltimore, hoping they manage to bring him back. Smith's time in Cleveland was a little rocky, so don't anticipate him returning, nor Floyd in Buffalo. They've invested too much in the position draft wise recently, time to let the kids play.
Bryce Huff is a pure pass rush specialist who'll be seeking a contract that says otherwise. Chase Young isn't quite in the bust discussion, but he's certainly fits the "not living up to the 2nd pick expectation" billing.
Jonathan Greenard was quietly a beast for Houston, racking up 12.5 sacks in just 15 games. The third round pick is going to get himself a nice payday, potentially from the only team he's ever known. Growing the pass rush talent around Will Anderson doesn't seem like an unwise move.
Denico Autry has also been an under the radar talent, totaling 48.5 sacks over his last six seasons. He gets to the quarterback wherever he plays, plain and simple. He'll be 34 by the start of training camp and could be looking for a one year deal to chase a ring.
Linebackers: Not a terrible offseason to need an upgrade at linebacker, with a pretty diverse group of dudes on the market. Lavonte David and Bobby Wagner are the veterans of the bunch, tackling machines for the twelve seasons they've been playing. Don't expect either of them to ink a deal for more than a year or two.
Patrick Queen, Devin White and Jordyn Brooks are all coming off of their rookie deals, with varying levels of success. Queen never quite developed into the true middle linebacker Baltimore had hoped, but he really shined as a pass rusher and playmaker once paired with Roquan Smith. Devin White showed a ton of promise early on, but fell out of favor in Tampa Bay. Can't imagine the team lets him and David walk though, for continuity sake if nothing else. Brooks was a decent but replaceable player in Seattle,
Frankie Luvu and Azeez Al-Shaair were fan favorites in Carolina and Tennessee but surprisingly are being allowed to test their values elsewhere. Each project more as two-down backers, but provide plenty of pop in those roles.
Secondary: Wrapping things up in the secondary, starting out with the cornerbacks. Jaylon Johnson and L'Jarius Sneed highlight a pretty thin group, each coming off of really productive campaigns. Kendall Fuller was featured among one of the worst defenses you'll come across last year in Washington, but there'll surely be a team that takes a chance on him.
Chidobe Awuzie, Kenny Moore II and Adoree' Jackson are all 28 and have shown to be competent for extended stretches during their careers. Moore is my favorite of the three, with Jackson probably commanding much more than he's worth.
Stephon Gilmore and Steven Nelson are a little older but can offer plenty to a needy CB room. Gilmore was above average for most of the season in Dallas, and that was without top running mate Trevon Diggs opposite of him.
A couple big names available at safety too, most notably Antoine Winfield Jr. The Bucs' stalwart will be a hot commodity-- don't be surprised to see Tampa find a way to keep him.
Kyle Duggar and Kamren Curl each have pretty high floors and decent track records, but neither are considered game breakers. Xavier McKinney has the potential to fill the role however, particularly when he's able to remain healthy and active. He'll be an interesting pickup for some team.
Geno Stone is another name to keep an eye on. He finished second in the league with 7 interceptions despite being the third safety on his own team. Does he have what it takes to step into a starting role somewhere?
------
@Choppinglines
*I own no rights to any images found in this blog
Comments
Post a Comment