Prior to the NFL Draft, which is sure to provide sparks for now-former University of Florida athletes, the NFL free agency officially kicked off on Wednesday, March 17 at 4 p.m. EST with the start of the league year, with legal tampering commencing on Monday, March 15 at 12 p.m EST.
Providing an action-packed frenzy following a bizarre 2020 season, unexpected twists and turns have occurred in abundance.
The most significant impact on the league – aside from the destinations for some of some top talent – was the lowering of the salary cap for the first time since 1994 by eight percent from $198.2 million to $182.5 million due to the shortcomings of revenue caused by the coronavirus pandemic during the 2020 NFL season.
As a result, many teams around the NFL were forced to make difficult personnel decisions to get their payrolls down below the cap, sending top talent onto the market.
However, due to the lower amounts teams are eligible to spend, it was a substantial worry that many players would not receive the compensation for their talents as they would in years past. Leading to a multitude of one-year deals, the 2021 free agency has set up for another entertaining 2022 NFL free agency.
Despite the uncertainty, seven former Florida Gators earned themselves new homes on new contracts, while others stayed put with their current franchise, signing franchise tags or extensions.
Let us look at the eight former Gators to ink new deals for the 2021 season and beyond.
Florida Gators Signed in Free Agency
Marcus Maye – Defensive Back – Remains with New York Jets
Arguably one of the best former Gators to currently be in the league, Marcus Maye was too good for the Jets to let him walk into free agency.
Starting in all 16 games, Maye was responsible for 88 tackles, 11 pass breakups, two interceptions, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and two sacks in 2020. Providing a significant cornerpiece to a new regime looking to restructure the roster and defense specifically, Maye provides a great jumping-off point for the new staff to keep around.
Accepting the franchise tag the organization placed on him for the 2021 season, Maye will reportedly be $10.6 million next season on the backend of the Jets, while both sides have until June 15 to agree upon a long-term extension.
Providing his playmaking prowess at free safety for Gang Green next season, New York will be looking to lock down their rising star before the deadline reaches so he can continue leading that secondary for years to come.
Janoris Jenkins – Defensive Back – New Orleans to Tennessee
Playing and starting in 13 games for the New Orleans Saints in 2020, defensive back Janoris Jenkins helped anchor down a talented secondary for Dennis Allen’s defense. In his ninth season in the NFL, Jenkins recorded 54 tackles, 12 passes defended, three interceptions and one touchdown.
Despite his high-level of play, Jenkins found himself as a cap casualty for the Saints, hitting the open market for the third time in his career. Just five days after he was cut, the veteran cornerback would ink a new deal with Tennessee to patch the holes left by Adoree Jackson and Malcolm Butler‘s release in the Titans defensive back rotation.
The details of Jenkins’ contract have yet to be disclosed, but as an experienced coverage man continuing to produce sustainable numbers going into year 10, his addition to the Tennessee secondary was much-needed.
Jarrad Davis – Middle Linebacker – Detroit to New York Jets
Selected in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft, Jarrad Davis was a consistent piece in the Lions defensive scheme throughout his first three years.
Starting in all 41 games he played in from 2017 to 2019, Davis logged a combined 259 tackles, 18 tackles for loss, 10 sacks, five forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries and one interception with his best year coming in 2018. In 2020, the usage of Davis plateaued; therefore, so did his production.
Playing a role in his inevitable departure from Detroit — even with Dan Campbell stepping in as the man in charge — Davis would hit the market as what many viewed to be a reliable depth piece for any team across the league.
As a result, the new regime in New York, employing the defensive-centric mindset with the addition of Robert Saleh as head coach, brought in Davis to operate behind the oft-inactive C.J. Mosley in the middle of the Jets defense on a one year, $5.5 million deal.
Keanu Neal – Weakside Linebacker – Atlanta to Dallas
Safety Keanu Neal is on the move, both locationally and positionally.
Standing at 6-feet tall, 211-pounds, Neal has played the longevity of his collegiate and professional career at the strong safety spot. A fact that is set to change. Due to his athleticism and hard-hitting nature, the former Gators’ tone-setter is making a shift from strong safety to weakside linebacker for the 2021 season, sporting new threads in the process.
Drafted by Atlanta in the 2016 NFL draft, Neal played five seasons with the Falcons, shining when he when part of the lineup but fell subject to the injury bug in his early career. Seeing the turf in just four combined games in his third and fourth NFL seasons — suffering a knee injury in the 2018 season opener before going down with an Achilles injury in 2019 — Neal was out of action for a considerable amount of time.
However, accounting for over 100 tackles in each of his first two years, along with 97 tackles in 2020, Neal looks to reset his pro campaign with the Cowboys next season, coming to terms with Jerry Jones and company on a 1 year, $4 million deal ($3 million guaranteed) on March 20.
Alex Anzalone – Middle Linebacker – New Orleans to Detroit
Starting in nine of 16 games played in 2020 at middle linebacker for the Saints, Alex Anzalone anchored down the middle of a talented New Orleans defense for the majority of the year.
Recording 41 tackles and three tackles for loss on 50 percent of the Saints defensive snaps last season, Anzalone’s production was sufficient following a shoulder injury in 2019 that led him to see action in just two games. Despite providing the Saints with a reliable rotational piece and situational starter, Anzalone would hit the market for 2021 free agency due to New Orleans focus on adhering to the lowered salary cap.
However, Anzalone would find a home in Detroit, seemingly replacing fellow former Gators and new Jets signee Jarrod Davis in the middle of the Lions linebacker corps. Being one of the first dominoes to fall when it pertains to the sizable question mark surrounding the second level of the Lions defense, Anzalone signed a one-year $1.75 million deal to with Dan Campbell and company in the Motor City.
Presenting a skillset that screams potential — and the probability that he starts — the only question remaining on Anzalone’s end is: Can he stay healthy enough to make a vast impact in the rebuild for the Lions?
Jacoby Brissett – Quarterback – Indianapolis to Miami
Thrown into the mix as a starter following the unexpected retirement of Andrew Luck in 2019, Jacoby Brissett flashed immense potential due to his strong arm in his 15 games as a starter in Indianapolis. Completing 60 percent of his passes for 2,482 yards, 18 touchdowns and six interceptions, the plug and play to overcome their franchise quarterbacks blindside worked well for the time being.
Producing a 7-8 record in that season, the Colts looked to go a different direction in 2020 with veteran quarterback Philip Rivers stepping into the fold for one season, kicking Brissett back to being one of the NFL’s most coveted backup options.
As a result, when he hit free agency for the 2021 season, he was quick to be taken off the market by the Miami Dolphins, attempting to add insurance for Tua Tagovailoa with Ryan Fitzpatrick on his way out the door.
Putting pen to paper on a one-year, $5 million deal, the Dolphins add the necessary depth to their quarterback room while Brissett gets a trial to prove himself behind Tagovailoa.
Trent Brown – Offensive Tackle – Las Vegas to New England
The return to Foxboro.
Following his rather shocking release from Las Vegas just two years after a massive four year, $66 million contract in March of 2019 — as Jon Gruden seemingly looks to rebuild Derek Carr’s protection — offensive lineman Trent Brown returns to the fold in New England on a one-year, $9 million contract.
Taking a pay cut to reunite with the surprisingly aggressive Patriots in free agency, a place where Brown spent one season after being acquired in a trade from San Francisco, the league’s heaviest player — standing at 6-foot-8, 359-pounds — provides substantial size and power to man the exterior of the New England offensive line.
Given the shift in scheme that has occurred since Tom Brady’s move to Tampa Bay — with the dual-threat capabilities of Cam Newton — Brown helps to retool an offensive line that is relied upon to create rushing and passing lanes for their quarterback.
David Sharpe – Offensive Tackle – Stays in Washington
Drafted in the fourth round of the 2017 NFL Draft, the Jacksonville (Fla.) native has bounced around the league in his early years. However, Sharpe seems to have found a home — at least for the time being.
Looking to be a career depth piece in the NFL, at best, David Sharpe returns to the Washington Football Team on a one-year, $1,127,500 deal with just $137,500 guaranteed.
Appearing in 17 percent of offensive snaps last season, Sharpe presents an experienced and viable plug-and-play option in case of injury along the offensive line for WFT.
Likewise to many other players around the league, Sharpe is given the opportunity to make his mark by way of a one-year deal before the salary cap raises again next season, providing a contract year to the former Gators mauler.