This will be an unusual NFL offseason, given the declining salary cap and fewer opportunities to scout draft prospects. The full ramifications of these changes are not quite known just yet, but here’s our early guess with the legal tampering window now open: This will be the free agency of dream teams. Whether it be a team aspiring to become the Buccaneers, the Buccaneers trying to remain the Buccaneers or a dormant superpower rising from a long slumber to reclaim its role as a championship mainstay.
Not all of this will be accomplished via free agency. Unlike other major professional sports leagues, you cannot build a team that way, but you can punctuate your excitement surrounding the roster with free agent acquisitions. And we’ve already seen quite a splash.
Here is what we’ve seen so far, as well as our grades on each signing.
Joe Thuney to the Chiefs
The Chiefs are reportedly in the mix for Trent Williams as well, which would be one heck of an offseason if they managed to secure two top-flight offensive linemen to bolster their front. Everyone saw the Super Bowl and understands the limitations that Patrick Mahomes will have if he’s not allowed the time to be Superman. Thuney cost a lot of money, but when you find yourself in a similar window as the Chiefs are in now, it’s worth the premium price tag. One encouraging sign: Thuney allowed just two sacks this past season, despite blocking for a recovering Cam Newton and a nonexistent wide receiver corps that sometimes forced plays to elongate unnecessarily.
GRADE: B+
Matt Judon to the Patriots
This felt like a series of wins for Bill Belichick. Not only does he pay well below market value for a great pass rusher who helped a similarly amoebic defense in Baltimore, but he also takes a key piece away from a conference rival, which may have loved to have Judon back at that price tag (or around that price tag). Belichick was able to shop in the top tier at an upper-middle-tier price, which could quickly help rebuild his defense.
GRADE: A
Rob Gronkowski re-signs with the Buccaneers
It’s an odd thing to say that Jonnu Smith is worth every penny at $12 million per season, but Rob Gronkowski is a luxury at $10 million. He’s evolved into a different player for Tampa Bay, but then again, we don’t know what Gronkowski will look like in 2021 with a full offseason of weight training and a better idea of his place in the Bruce Arians/Tom Brady system. It could be vintage Gronkowski. It could be a bit of hubris as well.
Grade: B-
Corey Linsley to the Chargers
There is no greater gift for a developing star quarterback than a center who has controlled and called the protection schemes for one of the most sophisticated and maniacal quarterbacks in the NFL. Linsley can be a lifeline for the Chargers, and all of a sudden, a Packers offensive line presence doubles out west. This is never a bad thing to have more Ted Thompson offensive linemen.
GRADE: B+
Yannick Ngakoue to the Raiders
Jon Gruden takes another stab at replacing the pass-rushing talent he gave away a few years back. This isn’t a linear comparison, of course, and there’s no way Ngakoue can create the same kind of havoc on the field as Khalil Mack. That said, he is a good pass rusher who, despite some odd ping-ponging around Minnesota and Baltimore, is worth more than $13 million.
GRADE: B-
Kendrick Bourne to the Patriots
Jimmy Garoppolo had a passer rating over 120 when targeting Bourne back in 2019, which is something worth tucking away for another day. Bourne seems like the best of what Belichick covets in a wide receiver; the kind of player who can dominate the middle of the field and create space. A trio of Bourne, Julian Edelman and Nelson Agholor feels somewhat formidable, which is the first time in a long time we can say that in New England.
GRADE: B
Mark J. Rebilas/USA TODAY Sports
Nelson Agholor to the Patriots
Agholor is a phenomenal athlete with explosive speed who has been streaky at times, but made the most out of a contract season in Las Vegas last year, catching 48 balls for nearly 900 yards and eight touchdowns. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Belichick and Josh McDaniels get the most out of Agholor, though these kind of situations are always a big bet, especially for a receiver with a career catch percentage in the 50s and an uncertain situation under center at QB (to be fair, Agholor’s drop rate is quite low, so the catch percentage is a bit misleading).
GRADE: C+
Jalen Mills to the Patriots
Mills is an ideal player for Belichick, who comes from the Eagles, a team that played a very similar man/zone coverage split in 2020. Mills works in this defense because of his versatility. Last year alone, he played a high percentage of snaps as a box safety, but was also a slot corner, wide corner and free safety on a formidable number of downs.
GRADE: B
Shaq Barrett re-signs with the Buccaneers
GRADE: A
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Jonnu Smith to the Patriots
The Cam Newton re-sign was a tepid start to free agency, which is why the Jonnu Smith signing was so fascinating. New England spends big money ($12.5 million) on a pass-catching tight end who is demonic in space. Smith’s market was always going to be surprisingly high to the layperson (the Titans are working to re-sign Anthony Firkser), which is why Tennessee had to let him go. The Patriots’ pronounced arrival onto the free-agent market signals no time for a rebuild in New England. Smith will be a gift to Newton, or whomever is throwing passes.
GRADE: A-
Jason Verrett re-signs with the 49ers
Unfortunately for Verrett, a series of injuries has forced him to accept these short-term prove-it deals. Fortunately for the 49ers, he’s a great cornerback who comes back and helps them repair a secondary that will lose a lot of heart and soul this offseason. Verrett can be that crafty veteran presence, especially after a season in which he played more than three-quarters of the team’s defensive snaps with an opposing QB rating of 76.2
GRADE: B+
Aaron Jones re-signs with the Packers
Green Bay is a smart team that understands the importance of layering a position like running back, especially in this particular offense. Maybe Jones isn’t around forever and maybe he affects AJ Dillon’s development, but they ensure that the position is well-stocked and that they are as versatile in the red zone as possible.
GRADE: A
Kevin Zeitler to the Ravens
Zeitler is one of the more prolific inside blockers in football, which makes complete sense that he’d roll down 95 to Baltimore and help anchor the spot once held by the great Marshall Yanda. Zeitler has missed one game since 2015 and, despite a collective offensive line struggle in 2020 with the Giants, should be in a place to maximize Baltimore’s downhill running game. A bonus for Baltimore: Zeitler does not ding their compensatory pick formula because the Giants let him go. So they salvage a major cap casualty and don’t lose much in return.
GRADE: A-
Tyrell Williams to the Lions
The Lions are soft-tanking, which is an absolute necessity after Matt Patricia came in and covered a brick house in dilapidated vinyl siding. They let Kenny Golladay go and essentially inherited a bare cupboard at wide receiver. Williams comes in as Jared Goff’s only dependable receiving target aside from tight end T.J. Hockenson, after missing the entire 2020 season with a labrum tear.
GRADE: D+
Mark Ingram to the Texans
The Texans are showing the kind of market they’ll be operating in. At best, they’ll be a lifeline for several veterans with soft markets elsewhere. At worst … well … Houston might be living its worst-case scenario right now. The bonus here? Ingram is a valuable veteran and cornerstone player who could help develop other talent at the position.
GRADE: C
Brian Fluharty/USA Today Sports
Cam Newton re-signs with the Patriots
I think most everyone realizes how valuable it is to have Newton on a paltry contract, loaded with incentives, like this one. It’s an interesting pairing in Foxboro; he seems to be legitimately in love with the idea of playing for Bill Belichick and the Patriots, which, as we all know, can be an acquired taste for some. Having Newton on a backup QB salary gives New England the flexibility to go upgrade the rest of the offense while also ensuring that they have a good-enough QB should other options (via draft or via trade for someone like Jimmy Garoppolo) fall through.
GRADE: B
J.J. Watt to the Cardinals
GRADE: B