LT Anthony Castonzo re-signs w/ IND
2 yr / $33 million
The Colts did right by bringing back the nine year veteran. Castonzo has not shown signs of slowing down at the age of 31 despite pondering retirement before free agency began. He will continue to be a reliable source of protection for the next few seasons for the Colts. The question now remains who will be under center day one, though Philip Rivers has been rumored to be linked to the franchise in recent news.
Grade: A-
QB Ryan Tannehill re-signs w/ TEN
4 yr / $118 million
The richest deal in free agency thus far goes to the likes of the former Aggie, who rejuvenated his career after being traded from Miami last off-season. While the number will raise some eyebrows across the country, especially after the rumors of Tom Brady sniffing around the organization, running it back with Tannehill was the right call for the Titans, and was at a relatively low cost on a per year basis. While the deal is for the next four years, the dead money goes down significantly after two years to $10 million in 2022 and $5 million in 2023 respectively, essentially ensuring an easier out should he not perform up to expectations in the first two seasons. Tennessee may have spent a pretty penny, but this is a low risk move that will not sink the franchise should he not pan out.
Grade: B+
Jaguars DE Calais Campbell traded to the Ravens for a 2020 5th round pick; signs extension w/ BAL
2 yr / $25 million
JAGUARS
It is no secret after this deal that the Jaguars are trying to get younger and unload all the big contracts given over the last few seasons, but the lack of compensation is puzzling to say the least. Campbell is getting up there in age, but even in his age 33 season, he was able make three Pro Bowls while playing in all 48 games during his tenure with the organization. That alone should have warranted at least a third round pick. Nevertheless, it is clear the Jaguars have blown it up and will likely continue to get all they can out of their remaining assets such as recently tagged edge rusher Yannick Ngakoue.
Grade: D-
RAVENS
The Ravens managed to turn an undrafted kicker/punter into one of the best defensive linemen in the NFL. Those are the types of moves that have made the Ravens one of the best organizations in the last 20 years. Campbell will plug a huge hole on the defensive front and will provide veteran leadership role for a team that ended a dominant season in disappointing fashion.
Grade: A+
CB Bradley Roby re-signs w/ HOU
3 yr / $36 million
Houston desperately needed to bring in a corner off the market after allowing their top three cornerbacks to test free agency. Roby struggled with consistency in his lone season with the Texans, but obviously showed enough promise for the team to bring him back on a lucrative deal. This will not solve all the issues in the secondary, but it is a step in the right direction.
Grade: B-
FS Devin McCourty re-signs w/ NE
2 yr / $23 million
McCourty returning to Foxborough was a move that felt just right. He has been a reliable presence in the system for the last decade and the deal allows the safety to finish his career with the Patriots. His leadership role will be essential to a team having to face the departures of linebackers Jamie Collins and Kyle Van Noy.
Grade: A-
LB Christian Kirksey signs w/ GB
2 yr / $13 million
The Packers needed to address the linebacker position after allowing Blake Martinez to walk, but I am unsure this is the guy to fill that void. Kirksey has missed 23 games over the last two seasons and has not performed well in the games he was able to play, grading out no better than 48.3 according to Pro Football Focus. The first domino to fall for the Packers this off-season was a relatively uninspiring one.
Grade: D+
G Ereck Flowers signs w/ MIA
3 yr / $30 million
The former top 10 pick was a horrid bust as a member of the Giants, but was able to slide inside and put together a solid year for the Redskins in 2019 as a guard. One good year does not necessarily guarantee he has turned into a quality player, but it was enough to warrant an eight figure contract. Miami may have very well overpaid, but with holes across the entire offensive line and nearly $90 million in cap space to start free agency, it was an upgrade, nevertheless.
Grade: C
Texans WR DeAndre Hopkins and a 2020 4th round pick traded to the Cardinals for RB David Johnson, a 2020 2nd round pick (40th) and 2021 4th round pick
ARI
The Cardinals were able to accomplish two A+ feats in this trade: give their young star quarterback an elite weapon in his prime and unload one of the worst contracts in the NFL without having to give up a 1st round pick. Hopkins to Arizona on paper gives Kingsbury a top ten offense with the potential to lead the league in several offensive categories should Kyler Murray progress as anticipated. The franchise has come a long way since taking Josh Rosen in 2018 and the future is very bright because of aggressive and quality moves over the last 11 months.
Grade: A++
HOU
There is nothing worse for an NFL franchise than to be indecisive on the direction of the team moving forward, which is the case we have with the Texans. After trading multiple first round picks for left tackle Laremy Tunsil, it looked as though Houston was in win-now mode, however that philosophy was turned upside down after parting ways with All-Pro DeAndre Hopkins. The worst part is not trading the ultra-productive wide receiver, but more so the pathetic set assets acquired for him. David Johnson is a player that has not had a productive year as an elite back since Obama was president and getting a 2nd and future 4th will not make up for the losses in production that will occur. Let’s look at recent receiver deals. OBJ, Amari Cooper, Brandon Cooks (TWICE!), and most recently Stefon Diggs were all able to be traded for at least a 1st. While all good players, none of the players previously listed have been as durable, consistent and successful as Hopkins has been over the last six years. I do not want to hear anything about, “we didn’t want to restructure his deal with three years left” when you have plenty of cap space to make the Clemson alumnus one of the highest paid receivers. Not only did Houston screw their immediate chances of contending, the move is a disservice to franchise quarterback DeShaun Watson. While he is talented to keep his team competitive, it is not enough to overcome the awful leadership of the organization.
Grade: F-
TE Austin Hooper signs w/ CLE
4 yr / $42 million
Hooper is a very quality player, however the fit is puzzling. The Browns do not fall short of weapons, but opted to make the tight end the highest paid at his position. While he has developed into a reliable target early in his career, there are only so many balls to go around. In terms of skill players, there is no doubt the Browns have a plethora of talent, but we saw last year that getting others involved hindered the performance of the passing game, especially with Odell Beckham Jr. Perhaps Baker is able to tweak his chemistry with his two elite wide outs, but it could very well come at the expense of the now former Falcon and even their breakout star of a running back. Until I see Cleveland’s offense mesh together successfully, I will remain skeptical.
Grade: C+
Ravens TE Hayden Hurst and a 2020 4th round pick (143rd) traded to the Falcons for a 2020 2nd round pick (55th) and a 2020 5th round pick (157th)
BAL
The Ravens had an embarrassment of riches at the tight end position after picking up two quality players in the 1st and 3rd round of the 2018 draft. After Andrews was able to break out and permanently take the starting gig, it left Hurst as the odd man out. Hurst was a quality player, but the Ravens were able to flip him for solid draft capital for a player not in their future plans.
Grade: A-
ATL
Many will ridicule Atlanta for opting to go with Hurst over a budding star in Hooper, but this was a solid way to replace the latter. There is no guarantee Hooper can live up to being the NFL’s highest paid tight end, but Hurst is much more likely to live up to his relatively inexpensive contract. It is no secret Matt Ryan loves his tight ends, so the former MVP should be able to squeeze out every ounce of production he can from Hurst.
Grade: B
DE Jason Pierre-Paul re-signs w/ TB
2 yr / $27 million
In his two seasons in Tampa, JPP was able to accumulate 21 sacks, despite missing six games in 2019. That was enough for the cap-happy Bucs to bring back the veteran to set the edge. Pairing him with recently tagged Shaq Barrett gives the team one of the best edge rushing duos in the league and will help mask the secondary woes they will look to fix throughout the off-season.
Grade: B+
DE Shaq Lawson signs w/ MIA
3 yr / $30 million
In his first four seasons as a member of the Bills, Lawson did not necessarily live up to expectations as a former first round pick. Last year, he had a productive year as a situational pass rusher, but did so without starting a game. Miami taking a chance on snagging him away from a division rival is the type of risk they need to take, but Lawson needs to prove early and often the early struggles in his career were more so due to fit instead of talent.
Grade: B-
DE Arik Armstead re-signs w/ SF
5 yr / $85 million
Armstead’s breakout year forced the 49ers to break the bank to retain his services. At first the deal looked to be a reach largely due to recently drafting Nick Bosa and giving an $85 million dollar deal last year, but the trade of DeForest Buckner soon after the deal with Armstead gave more light to their plans. Buckner may be a better player, but warranted a much steeper price that San Francisco was obviously not willing to give. It remains to be seen how the loss of Buckner will affect Armstead’s production, but for now he remains an integral part of an elite defensive line.
Grade: B
49ers DT DeForest Buckner traded to the Colts for a 2020 1st round pick (#13); signs extension w/ IND
4 yr / $84 million
IND
The Colts were looking to make a splash and add a quality piece to their defensive interior and did so by making Buckner the 2nd highest paid defensive tackle in the NFL. The high draft pick was a surprise to some, but having two high 2nd round picks was enough to warrant the aggressive move. Buckner is now locked up through 2024 and will be a key piece of a defense looking to get back on track in 2020.
Grade: A
SF
While it is unclear why the 49ers chose to move on from Buckner, it is hard to fault them for getting back a top 15 pick for compensation. The defensive line was loaded, so being able to use a high draft pick to improve other areas is a very smart move by GM John Lynch. While Super Bowl runner up does not have many holes, having two first round picks is a great way to strengthen the depth of the young team.
Grade: A
RT Jack Conklin signs w/ CLE
3 yr / $42 million
The Browns had a huge need to fill both offensive tackle slots and accomplished just that by landing the top remaining lineman in free agency. At just 25, Conklin has plenty of time to grow as a player and develop into one of the best at his position. Considering they did not come close to matching what the Raiders gave Trent Brown last off-season and that the former Titan is a better player, this deal has to be a win in the Browns’ book.
Grade: A
DT David Onyemata re-signs w/ NO
3 yr / $27 million
While Onyemata did not have the best year in his first as a full-time starter, he was a steady presence in the middle in 2019. The price seems a tad steep considering the options available, but he is a guy well received in the locker room and could develop into a solid piece of the front seven over the next few season
Grade: B-
G Halapoulivaati Vaitai signs w/ DET
5 yr / $50 million
The former 5th round pick cashed in on a huge deal with the Lions to man the ride side of the line for the next half decade. While he never earned a full-time starting role with the Eagles, he stepped in at multiple spots on the offensive line during his tenure, including filling in for Jason Peters during their Super Bowl run. Detroit is taking a massive risk that Big V can live up to that deal, but need to do everything necessary to protect Matthew Stafford moving forward.
Grade: C
G Graham Glasgow signs w/ DEN
4 yr / $44 million
Glasgow entered free agency slightly overlooked, but soared up team’s target lists after the top guards on the market were tagged before negotiations began. The Broncos swooping into pick him up was a smart move and will be a strong upgrade to Ronald Leary, who was released last month. He has experience at both guard spots, as well as center. Denver should have no problem finding him a spot in the interior.
Grade: B+
CB James Bradberry signs w/ NYG
3 yr / $45 million
The Giants severely needed to upgrade on the back end, but did not do it without a hefty charge. Bradberry has been solid over the last few years for the Panthers, but he plays a position which tends to be one of the most overpaid among free agents throughout time. Considering the Giants just moved on from a solid corner with a higher salary such as Janoris Jenkins, you would have thought they would opt to go a cheaper route rather than pay another guy with the same cap hit. Does not seem like much of an upgrade, even considering the five year difference in age.
Grade: C-
TE Blake Jarwin re-signs w/ DAL
4 yr / $22 million
Re-upping Jarwin was a smart decision at a relatively low cost to address their starting tight end gig after the Cowboys announced they would part ways with long time stalwart Jason Witten. At this stage in his career, Blake is a clear upgrade over Jason and should get an opportunity to thrive in a full-time starting role. Considering he is guaranteed only $3 million over the final two years of his contract, he can be easily replaced should he not pan out as a number one.
Grade: A-
CB Byron Jones signs w/ MIA
5 yr / $82.5 million
Talks of Jones becoming the highest paid corner in the NFL were further put to reality after agreeing to a record-setting deal with the Dolphins. Miami was not expected to be shy this off-season with all their cap space, but the franchise now is home to the two top paid corners in the league with Xavien Howard and Byron Jones at the helm. Giving top dollar to a guy who has not recorded an interception in 40 games is something I personally would be reluctant to do, but from a talent standpoint, the Dolphins will field one of the best cornerback duos in the NFL. Time will only tell if Jones can live up to the suddenly high expectations.
Grade: C+
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