OK, we now have a full week of free agency in the books…signings, re-signings, trades…a bunch of activity to go through and digest. I'm going to go through team-by-team (in alphabetical order) and giving an NFL and/or FF reaction to their signings and losses through Sunday 3/19...
ARI:
Losing J.J. Watt, ditching Center Rodney Hudson (aging out)…DeAndre Hopkins on the block. Kyler with an ACL. New head coach. No juice…no excitement…no one rushing to sign with Arizona, AND they do have CAP space.
It's a full-fledged disaster taking place in Arizona. Only a 'dumb' team would spend any money on Kyzir White…and that's exactly what Arizona did; their only real free agent signing.
ATL:
I walked into free agency thinking (on ATL): All Arthur Smith wants to do is run the ball and he wants a lukewarm QB he can control to push the run game with -- which means no real passing game talent wants to go to ATL, and on top of that they need defense bad.
So, what do they do? Exactly what their M.O. is…
They put all their money into O-Line (re-signing their own guys)…which is smart. But they signed Taylor Heinicke because they want to run the ball and Art Smith wants QBs he can control. That can only take you so far in the NFL game right now -- the league is ruled by the high-end passing teams. And ATL also added random defenders, mostly from the Saints, which is where their new D-C came from.
Jessie Bates is fine, but you shouldn't put big money into a safety…but they did.
I totally missed, for a few days, that they signed OLB Kaden Elliss…one of the best free agents out there this year, in my opinion.
Trading for Jonnu Smith is another sign they have no plans to change anything for Kyle Pitts.
This is an OK offseason so far. They're playing to Arthur Smith's strengths…and that will cost them in the end as they will have a great run team -- Tyler Allgeier is really helped here, and the passing game will suffer again…thus, Drake London is dying here. This is a 6-8 win team…and that could compete for an NFC South title with how pathetic that division is.
BAL:
Total turmoil…
They haven't added anything of value, so far…but they've lost Calais Campbell (cut), Chuck Clark, and Josh Oliver -- not major losses, but they're not getting better in the free agent sessions as we go either…no impact players signed.
Of course, it all comes down to Lamar Jackson…who is running out of places to play/go when you consider the teams that are going to draft a QB. Lamar is the media's top QB in the NFL, only Patrick Mahomes is better for the media, but the NFL people are saying…”Lamar's not that valuable.” No one wants him for big deal money.
It's looking like Lamar will tuck his tail and accept a lesser deal to go back to the Ravens…and he won't be happy, and this team has no juice going forward. The Ravens are spinning their wheels, and Lamar is the mud they're spinning in.
BUF:
They're holding their core group. Jordan Poyer stays…Tremaine Edmunds goes, and I think Sean McDermott was fine with that. The Bills are staying intact so far, and added a smart, lower cost free agent in Deonte Harty.
Harty for FF? I need to see how this develops. We've got two potential paths…
1) Harty becomes the slot WR for Buffalo…and gets to work with Josh Allen…and this ends up a nice FF thing.
2) Harty becomes the new Isaiah McKenzie and is a part-time #4 WR and key return man…and his FF value dies.
My lean was towards #2, at first, but then the Bills dumped McKenzie the next day -- so there's a clearer path for Harty all of a sudden…but he'll be battling Khalil Shakir and Gabe Davis as the #2-3-4 in the pecking order.
CAR:
Not doing too bad…considering the division they're in, and the driver's set they're in with the #1 pick (as long as they don't take Bryce).
Andy Dalton is a fine backup. Hayden Hurst is a solid TE (sorry, Tommy Tremble…I've now stripped you of the 'deep sleeper' for 2023 label). DeShawn Williams is a sneaky pull by the former Broncos D-C.
Miles Sanders is a giant waste of money, but for FF…he's in a great spot with a coach who likes him and will feature him.
CHI:
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Photo Credit: Coastal Elite from Halifax, Canada
