NFL free agency always pretends to be interesting and meaningful, but in reality, there’s a lot of noise with very little impact.
NFL contracts are fake and, in a year when the salary cap is down about $30 million from where it was projected to be, teams are basically just handing out pretend deals. Players, meanwhile, have been OK with signing these deals because the market is constrained — and because a new TV rights deal should make the cap explode again soon.
So it’s ultimately quite difficult to read too much into what has happened during the legal tampering period.
That’s not to say it’s been completely insignificant. Things got better for some people and teams. Things got worse for other people and teams.
Here are a few winners and losers, so far. Charles McDonald has the winners and Steven Ruiz, a natural-born hater, has the losers…
Winner: Cam Newton
AP Photo/Adam Hunger
Cam Newton is the big winner of the legal tampering window. Assuming he gets to start for the Patriots this year, he’s going to play with players that we’ve actually heard of before! Jonnu Smith and Hunter Henry make up the best tight end duo he’s had in his career and Nelson Agholor and Kendrick Bourne are improvements on the outside. Now, Josh McDaniels and Bill Belichick just need to find a way to put it all together.
Loser: Derek Carr
Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports
Even as an ardent Derek Carr skeptic, I have to admit there have been numerous times throughout his career when he’s played like a Pro Bowl-level quarterback. BUT! The common denominator there has always been stellar pass protection, and, well, the Raiders just cleared out 80% of their starting offensive line in a matter of weeks. Trent Brown was traded for a fifth-round pick. Richie Incognito, Gabe Jackson and Rodney Hudson were released for minimal cap savings. Only Kolton Miller remains at left tackle. Carr doesn’t like to hold the ball too long when there are bodies around him. Well, there are going to be a lot of bodies around him in 2021.
Winner: The Green Bay Packers
Mike Dinovo-USA TODAY Sports
The Packers are winners simply because the other teams in the NFC North haven’t gotten much better. The Vikings are going in on a dual nose tackle defense after the signing of Dalvin Tomlinson, the Lions are entering a multiyear rebuild, and the Bears just signed Andy Dalton to be their quarterback. Barring injury to Aaron Rodgers, the Packers should cakewalk through the North.
Loser: The Cincinnati Bengals
Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
I’d say it is a very Bengals thing to do to let Carl Lawson and William Jackson leave town and replace them with clear downgrades … but it’s not actually a very Bengals thing to do. This is a team that has prioritized its homegrown talent in the past, so it makes the decisions a bit more confounding. Maybe the signing bonuses that Lawson and Jackson signed elsewhere were a factor for a front office known for its frugality. Either way, it’s been a frustrating few days (or decades) for Bengals fans.
Winner: The New York Jets (!?)
Joe Douglas and the Jets added two core players to their roster with Carl Lawson and Corey Davis. Lawson gives the Jets the pass rusher they’ve been looking for about a decade now and Davis is a well-rounded wide receiver that fits well into what they’re doing.
Loser: The Chicago Bears
Mike Dinovo-USA TODAY Sports
The Bears have had two years to find a replacement for Mitchell Trubisky. And all GM Ryan Pace has managed is Nick Foles and, now, Andy Dalton!?!? Instead of seeking an upgrade at the quarterback position, it appears as if Pace looked for the exact middle ground between Foles and Trubisky. Dalton is probably better than either of those two, but it’s not enough of an upgrade to move the needle. The Bears are going to be the same exact team they’ve been the last three seasons, and with Pace’s job on the line once again, that’s a sad way to go out.
Winner: The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (sigh)
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
The band is back together in Tampa Bay and for that, the Bucs are winners. Sure, it’s a bit risky not making any major changes (yet) to their roster, but if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Everyone seems happy down in Tampa Bay with their offseason moves so far.
Loser: Russell Wilson
AP Photo/Ashley Landis
So, here’s Wilson’s list of teams he’d approve a trade to: The Cowboys, Saints, Bears and Raiders. Well, the Cowboys finally re-signed Dak Prescott, the Saints brought back Jameis Winston and Taysom Hill (and have no money anyway), the Bears seem to be rolling with Dalton and the Raiders no longer have an offensive line. It looks like Russ needs to come up with a new list of teams or else he’ll have to settle for another season behind Seattle’s offensive line, which hasn’t been added to at all during the early part of free agency.
