The NFL free agent frenzy is in full force. As soon as players were allowed to be signed and trades were allowed to be discussed moves were being made. It was expected to be an exciting few days. With the number of potential starting quarterbacks out there to change teams it is something we have not seen before. It is not just the quarterbacks but there is a large number of starters out there that could potentially change teams at all positions. With all that is going on in the world somehow the NFL timed things correctly again and all eyes are on every move the NFL makes. The free agent frenzy will continue for a few more day. With the start of the league year on March 18th the deals can all be signed.
With all the social distancing going on I am sure that these deals will be signed with some kind of a disclaimer in them about being contingent on a physical. I don’t see how else they would be able to do them with out that. There so many trades cuts and free agent signings that I am only going to look at a few of them for now. As we get trapped inside over the next few weeks I hope to have time to go into more detail.
Free Agent Frenzy Strange
There are deals of all kinds every year. Like a generational player sometimes there are generational trades. Depending on which team you are that trade will turn out to be a really good trade or it will turn out to be a really bad trade.
Texans Trade DeAndre Hopkins out of Spite
In the category of a major head scratcher is the trade between the Houston Texans and the Arizona Cardinals. In a deal that shows why most coaches should not be the coach and the GM. Bill O’Brien traded his most explosive offensive weapon in DeAndre Hopkins and a fourth round pick to the Arizona Cardinals for a past his prime running back in David Johnson and a second round pick this year and a fourth rounder in 2021. So basically the Texans traded a receiver in Hopkins that is at the top of his game for a second round pick. The fourth round picks will basically be a wash. Getting David Johnson would have been great three years ago maybe even four. Getting him now does not really help your team that much. If at all. Maybe O’Brien was looking for some veteran leadership on his team. I really don’t belive that is the case.
What it more than likely comes down to is that O’Brien and Hopkins did not have the greatest relationship. O’Brien has show that is not very flexible as a coach. As with most coaches coming out of the Bill Belichick coaching tree they all think they can do things like Bill. even though they share the same first name that is all they share. With the amount of talent the Texans have had. This team has vastly under achieved under O’Brien. When he was named GM as well as coach a lot of people got whip lash from doing the double take. This deal just shows that they were probably right. It could work out. More than likely it will go down as one of the worst deals ever for the Texans and an amazing deal for the Arizona Cardinals and Kyler Murray will send Bill O’Brien a Christmas card every year thanking him for making this trade.
Bill O’Brien is saying now that he traded Hopkins because he had three years left on his contract and was looking for a raise. That could very well be true. I am sure that almost every other GM in the NFL would have handled that request much differently than to ship your best player off for a bag of peanuts.
Tom Brady to Tampa Bay
I really thought that he was going to go back the the Patriots. Turns out he was done in New England. He is not the first high profile quarterback to move on from a long time team. Joe Nameth finished his career with the Rams. Brett Favre went to the Jets so he could finish with the Vikings and prove to the Packers he still had a few years in him. Joe Montana finishing up in Kansas City. It has happened before and it will happen again. The most recent high profile switch was Payton Manning going to Denver and winning a super bowl. Of course it is funny that in the year in Denver he was really good they did not win the Super Bowl. In the season where he was a shell of himself they won. Interesting how things turn out.
Brady signed a two year $60 million contract with the Buccaneers. This looks like it will be a really good deal for everyone involved. Even if Brady is not the quarterback he used to be it will still bring stability to the Buccaneers offense. With Winston at the controls putting up numbers was not a problem. The killing of drives with all the turnovers was the problem. Even if Brady somehow throws 15 interceptions that would be half the number of Winston. That alone would lead to at least one more win. Probably more. Of course this is assuming that nothing else goes wrong during the season.
Something that might be even more important than cutting down on the interceptions is the stability and leadership Brady will bring to the team. Not only to the offense but to the whole team. This will give Brady the opportunity to show that he can do it without Belichick and give Tampa another shot at a Super Bowl.
Ryan Tannehill for the Win with the Titans
Tannehill turned a move from the Dolphins to the Titans into a huge payday. When the Titans signed him it was thought that he would be a backup to Marcus Mariota. Tannehill was named the starter week 7 after Mariota had been mostly ineffective. He was able to have a really good second half of the season and lead the Titans to the AFC Championship game. The Titans had a really impressive season and a fantastic playoff run.
The Titans were rumored to be in the hunt for Brady. When it became clear that they were not going to get him the Titans went all in on Tannehill to take them into the 2020 season. The Titans let Mariota leave and go to the Raiders. His time with the Titans was done anyway.
The Titans are all in with Tannehill for at least a few years. With the guaranteed money $62 million they are going to have to commit to him for at least two years. The deal is a four year deal in total. The Titans used the franchise tag on Derrick Henry. That will pay him a little over $12 million next season. The Titans are putting a lot of their hopes on Tnnehill and Henry. It worked last season. It will be interesting to see if that continues.
Teddy Bridgewater With the Panthers
This looks like it has potential to be a really good fit for the Panthers and for Bridgewater. With the Panthers pushing Cam Newton out the door. They needed to find someone to fill the void. Bridgewater has had a very interesting and unique path in the NFL. After getting picked by the Vikings in the first round of the 2014 NFL draft. Bridgewater started out on what was looking to be a promising career. Then in traning camp for the 2016 season he had a freak accident on the field. A non contact injury to his knee cost him a whole season, He was able to recover from that injury and get back on the field is amazing. In his two years with the Saints he learned a lot from Sean Payton and Drew Brees. The Saints had a choice to make to keep Bridgwater or Taysom Hill. They decided to keep Hill. For the Saints I am not sure that either choice was a bad choice.
For the Panthers that choice turned out to be pretty good. The Panthers were wiling to give Bridgewater a three year $63 million contract. Last year he showed that he can be a starting quarterback in the NFL. When Brees went down last year with a serious thumb injury he came in and led the Saints to five straight wins. It will be interesting to see what he can do with the Panthers. He will not have the same weapons that he had with the Saints and it will be interesting to see if Matt Rhule will be able to bring the same kind of offense he had at Baylor to the NFL.
Many Deals Out There But Not Complete
Many of the deals out there have not been completed. They are announced and agreed to in principle but due to Covid-19 and the social distancing mandate. Teams have been unable to get physicals done to complete these deals. Could you imaging if the DeAndre Hopkins deal gets nullified if he or David Johnson fail the physical. I can see it now. Hopkins strolls back into the Texans locker room and says Hey Bill! Remember me???? Now that would be interesting.
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