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Other teams FA news
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JackDRams
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I appreciate you @lockdnram21 was hoping someone would start a thread like this. Hate having to jump thread to thread for every new signing.
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49ers agreed to terms with FB Kyle Juszczyk, formerly of the Ravens.
Juszczyk is an excellent blocker, but also an adept pass catcher, snagging 78 passes over the past two seasons. He'll be a versatile body out of the backfield for creative play-caller Kyle Shanahan. Slowly but surely, the 49ers are at least adding a few viable NFLers to their skill corps. Juszczyk turns 26 in April.
Related: Ravens
Source: Adam Schefter on Twitter
Mar 8 - 4:48 PM
Juszczyk is an excellent blocker, but also an adept pass catcher, snagging 78 passes over the past two seasons. He'll be a versatile body out of the backfield for creative play-caller Kyle Shanahan. Slowly but surely, the 49ers are at least adding a few viable NFLers to their skill corps. Juszczyk turns 26 in April.
Related: Ravens
Source: Adam Schefter on Twitter
Mar 8 - 4:48 PM
simonblaze
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LACHAMP46
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Love the thread....Because I just found some hilarious stuff....check out the "Millen" grade. LOL
http://walterfootball.com/freeagentsigninggrades.php
March 8 Updates
Patriots acquire TE Dwayne Allen, 6th-round pick from Colts for 4th-round pick
I have no idea what's going on with the free-agency tight end market. It makes absolutely no sense. The Redskins are giving Vernon Davis $5 million per year. The Colts have paid Jack Doyle more than $6 million per year. And the Cardinals handed the pedestrian Jermaine Gresham $7 million per year. These contracts would be awful in a vacuum, and that's not even taking into account the incredible 2017 NFL Draft Tight End Prospects in this class. With so many great tight ends available, there's absolutely no reason for any team to overpay for sub-par talents like Gresham, Doyle and Davis.
While smart teams that need a tight end will draft one, the Patriots did something equally intelligent. They sent what's reported to be a late-round pick to the Colts for Dwayne Allen. Indianapolis signed Allen to a $29.4 million contract a year ago, but New England will only be on the hook for $2.5 million in 2017 and $4.5 million in 2018. Yes, Allen will be earning less than the three aforementioned tight ends, and it could be argued that he's better than all of them!
The one concern with Allen is that he's injury-prone. That'll keep New England from earning an "A" grade, but I still think they won this trade if all they're giving up is a late-round selection. They needed a replacement for Martellus Bennett, who will be set to earn a ton of money based on the other tight end contracts. The Colts, meanwhile, can't be graded harshly for getting a selection for Allen, given that they just overpaid for Doyle. It makes sense for them to get rid of Allen because of that contract, but this could've been avoided had they not overpaid Doyle.
Update: The compensation is Allen and a sixth for a fourth-round pick. That's not bad at all for the Patriots, as they obviously have a late selection in the fourth frame, so moving down a round-and-a-half for a decent tight end is pretty solid. The Colts, meanwhile, will save $3 million in cap space, but that's not important because they were in the top 10 in cap space entering this week.
Grade for Patriots - B+
Grade for Colts - B-
Cardinals re-sign TE Jermaine Gresham (4 years, $28 million): MILLEN KIELBASA HACKING Grade
Let's get to some bad contracts that I missed yesterday. The details of this deal weren't released until now, and I was utterly shocked by them because the Cardinals' front office often makes great decisions. Not this time, however.
I don't understand how Gresham is worth $7 million per year, especially in this market. First of all, have you seen the unbelievable 2017 NFL Draft Tight End Prospects in this draft class? They're unreal, so why overpay for a pedestrian tight end? And second, Gresham just isn't a very talented player. He's not really good at anything. He has 55 catches in two years with Arizona, and he's not a very good blocker either.
I'm shocked I'm giving Arizona an "F" (Millen) grade, but it has to be done. I just hate this signing, as it makes absolutely no sense to me because cheaper and better alternatives happen to be available.
Falcons re-sign QB Matt Schaub (2 years, $9 million): C Grade
The average salary for average backup quarterbacks in the NFL is about in the $3-$4 million range. Schaub has long been criticized for his habit of throwing pick-sixes, but he's not a bad backup signal-caller. He's average, so logical would dictate that he should be paid about $3.5 million per year; not $4.5 million.
I don't know why the Falcons are paying a premium for Schaub. Granted, it's a slight premium, but I have to wonder why Atlanta isn't attempting to acquire a better backup for Matt Ryan if the team is willing to spend more.
Dolphins re-sign DE Andre Branch (3 years, $27 million): MILLEN ILLEGAL KIELBASA-TAPPING Grade
In the immortal words of Sheila Broflovski, "What, what, WHAT!?" Those three words popped into my head when I saw the details of this contract. How in hell is Andre Branch worth $9 million per year? Did the Dolphins forget a decimal point? Because three years, $2.7 million actually makes more sense.
Andre Branch is not a good football player. Never has. Never will be. He's a mediocre pass-rusher who struggles mightily in run support. Here are his sack totals the past three years: 3.0, 4.0 and 5.5. In what world is that worth $9 million per year?
This is an easy "F" (Millen) grade. I'd strongly advise the Dolphins to contact their lawyers because they clearly forgot the all-important decimal point in Branch's contract.
Bills sign FB Patrick DiMarco (4 years, $8.5 million): B+ Grade
The Bills were pursuing Kyle Juszczyk, but apparently decided he was too expensive. The next-best option was Patrick DiMarco, who appears to be a very good signing for Buffalo.
DiMarco doesn't do much besides block, but he's very good at that aspect. DiMarco blasted open huge running lanes for Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman, and he'll do the same for LeSean McCoy.
I like this move, and I'll give the Bills a B+ for it. It's not a blockbuster signing that provides great value - keeping this out of the "A" range - but it's a solid move. If the Bills wanted to spend about $2 million per year to improve their ground attack with a fullback, I'm all for it.
Bills retain QB Tyrod Taylor (restructured contract): B+ Grade
The Bills sat Tyrod Taylor in Week 17 this past season to avoid being on the hook for him in the event of an injury. It appeared as though the relationship was so splintered as a result that Taylor would leave the team for sure this spring. That, apparently, is not the case, as the two sides have kissed and made up. Taylor will return for 2017 on a restructured contract.
It's not clear what the financial details are, but I like this move regardless. Taylor is a solid quarterback, as he's scored 47 touchdowns and thrown just 12 interceptions in two seasons with the Bills. He's far from the problem in Buffalo, so the team wanting to part ways with him never made any sense to me. The Bills will be competitive as long as Taylor is healthy, and Taylor is certainly capable of leading the team into the playoffs for the first time since the 1999 season.
The one thing I want to note that worsens this grade is that by keeping Taylor, the Bills won't intentionally tank, as was previously reported. The 2018 class is stacked at quarterback - check out my 2018 NFL Mock Draft - so Buffalo will now miss out on Sam Darnold and Josh Rosen.
Giants sign WR Brandon Marshall (2 years, $12 million): B- Grade
The Giants cut a declining receiver and replaced him with a declining receiver. However, unlike Victor Cruz, Brandon Marshall can still play well. Maybe.
Marshall had posted 1,000 or more yards in eight of nine seasons prior to last year, but his production fell off a cliff in 2016. Part of that was because of horrible quarterbacking. Numerous injuries could be blamed as well, and it's likely that Marshall will be much healthier in 2017. Then again, he turns 33 at the end of the month, so it's possible that his regression could be permanent.
That said, I like this signing, and I'm willing to give it an A-. Marshall could be done, and this acquisition might be worthless as a result, but even if it is, the Giants aren't taking much of a chance with this 2-year, $12 million contract. This deal seems like it has nothing but upside, as Marshall, a possession receiver, theoretically should be able to play well into his 30s, much like Anquan Boldin. He'll be paired with a better quarterback - albeit a declining one - and he's still a big name, so he should be able to take attention away from Odell Beckham Jr.
Update: I've been doing some thinking about this grade, and I was helped by some comments made by Nathan T. and Will L. on my Facebook wall. Something I missed in my write-up was any negative locker room ramifications Marshall could come with. Marshall, who has a lengthy history of causing problems, may not mesh well with Odell Beckham Jr. Both are drama queens, so this could cause issues for the Giants in 2017. Furthermore, this is a high-profile signing, and as a result, people are losing their minds and placing high expectations on the Giants. Jerry Rice, for example, tweeted "what a combo" about Marshall joining Beckham. Why is it a crazy combo? Marshall is not the same player he once was. He could still be good, but he's 33, and he struggled last year. Everyone expecting the Giants to have one of the best receiving duos in the NFL is not projecting for the future. It's more likely that Marshall creates problems, as there's a reason he's never been on a playoff team.
This signing could still work out, but I don't nearly like it as much as I did initially. I'm dropping this a full grade. I hate the high expectations the Giants suddenly have, as teams with no history of success having high expectations often disappoint because of insane amounts of pressure.
Texans re-sign K Nick Novak (1 year, $1.15 million): B Grade
Nick Novak made the second-most field goals in the NFL last year, hitting 35 of his 41 attempts. Novak was 3-of-6 from 50-plus.
Novak was so productive because the Texans were so atrocious offensively in the red zone. He's hit at least 84.6 percent of his field goals every season since 2012, so it's nice that Houston was able to retain him. Novak, however, missed three extra points last year, so he has to clean that up.
Chargers re-sign S Jahleel Addae (4 years, $22M; $8M guaranteed): B+ Grade
The Chargers lost Eric Weddle last offseason, so seeing another talented safety depart would've hurt. Fortunately for them, they were able to retain Jahleel Addae on a solid deal.
Addae had often been penalized prior to 2016, but he cleaned up his act this past season. Of course, he missed half the year with a broken collarbone, but he played on a very high level upon his return. Just 27, Addae has a bright future ahead of him. He's not extremely talented, but he's a solid player, and he was 58th in our Top 100 NFL Free Agent Rankings.
I think this signing is worth a B+. Addae doesn't have an extensive history of performing on a high level, but he has the ability to do so. This contract is giving him just $8 million guaranteed, so it's not like the Chargers are breaking the bank to retain him.
Redskins re-sign TE Vernon Davis (3 years, $15 million): MILLEN SHOULD HAVE BEEN SENT HOME Grade
What the hell are the Redskins doing? They apparently sent general manager Scot McCloughan home, and ever since doing so, they have seemingly fallen apart. They keep screwing up the Kirk Cousins situation and now appear set on trading him to the 49ers, and now they're giving a bum $5 million per year. Perhaps the mid-aughts Lions should've employed the same strategy and sent Matt Millen home, where I'm sure he would've pleasured himself with some kielbasas.
This is an awful signing. There's no other way of saying it. Davis is a lethargic player with an extensive history of quitting on his teams. He did this on multiple occasions in San Francisco, ultimately getting cut. The Broncos picked him up, but he didn't even see the field during the team's Super Bowl run because of countless dropped passes. It seemed like he was given one final chance in Washington, where he signed a 1-year "prove it" deal.
Davis actually had a strong 2016 campaign - 44 catches, 583 yards - but he did so only because he was nearly out of the league. Now that he's gotten a nice pay day, he'll go back to slacking off. And even if he does try, he's now 33 and currently in decline.
This contract is absolutely horrible and deserves an "F" (Millen) grade. The Redskins are capsizing.
http://walterfootball.com/freeagentsigninggrades.php
March 8 Updates
Patriots acquire TE Dwayne Allen, 6th-round pick from Colts for 4th-round pick
I have no idea what's going on with the free-agency tight end market. It makes absolutely no sense. The Redskins are giving Vernon Davis $5 million per year. The Colts have paid Jack Doyle more than $6 million per year. And the Cardinals handed the pedestrian Jermaine Gresham $7 million per year. These contracts would be awful in a vacuum, and that's not even taking into account the incredible 2017 NFL Draft Tight End Prospects in this class. With so many great tight ends available, there's absolutely no reason for any team to overpay for sub-par talents like Gresham, Doyle and Davis.
While smart teams that need a tight end will draft one, the Patriots did something equally intelligent. They sent what's reported to be a late-round pick to the Colts for Dwayne Allen. Indianapolis signed Allen to a $29.4 million contract a year ago, but New England will only be on the hook for $2.5 million in 2017 and $4.5 million in 2018. Yes, Allen will be earning less than the three aforementioned tight ends, and it could be argued that he's better than all of them!
The one concern with Allen is that he's injury-prone. That'll keep New England from earning an "A" grade, but I still think they won this trade if all they're giving up is a late-round selection. They needed a replacement for Martellus Bennett, who will be set to earn a ton of money based on the other tight end contracts. The Colts, meanwhile, can't be graded harshly for getting a selection for Allen, given that they just overpaid for Doyle. It makes sense for them to get rid of Allen because of that contract, but this could've been avoided had they not overpaid Doyle.
Update: The compensation is Allen and a sixth for a fourth-round pick. That's not bad at all for the Patriots, as they obviously have a late selection in the fourth frame, so moving down a round-and-a-half for a decent tight end is pretty solid. The Colts, meanwhile, will save $3 million in cap space, but that's not important because they were in the top 10 in cap space entering this week.
Grade for Patriots - B+
Grade for Colts - B-
Let's get to some bad contracts that I missed yesterday. The details of this deal weren't released until now, and I was utterly shocked by them because the Cardinals' front office often makes great decisions. Not this time, however.
I don't understand how Gresham is worth $7 million per year, especially in this market. First of all, have you seen the unbelievable 2017 NFL Draft Tight End Prospects in this draft class? They're unreal, so why overpay for a pedestrian tight end? And second, Gresham just isn't a very talented player. He's not really good at anything. He has 55 catches in two years with Arizona, and he's not a very good blocker either.
I'm shocked I'm giving Arizona an "F" (Millen) grade, but it has to be done. I just hate this signing, as it makes absolutely no sense to me because cheaper and better alternatives happen to be available.
The average salary for average backup quarterbacks in the NFL is about in the $3-$4 million range. Schaub has long been criticized for his habit of throwing pick-sixes, but he's not a bad backup signal-caller. He's average, so logical would dictate that he should be paid about $3.5 million per year; not $4.5 million.
I don't know why the Falcons are paying a premium for Schaub. Granted, it's a slight premium, but I have to wonder why Atlanta isn't attempting to acquire a better backup for Matt Ryan if the team is willing to spend more.
In the immortal words of Sheila Broflovski, "What, what, WHAT!?" Those three words popped into my head when I saw the details of this contract. How in hell is Andre Branch worth $9 million per year? Did the Dolphins forget a decimal point? Because three years, $2.7 million actually makes more sense.
Andre Branch is not a good football player. Never has. Never will be. He's a mediocre pass-rusher who struggles mightily in run support. Here are his sack totals the past three years: 3.0, 4.0 and 5.5. In what world is that worth $9 million per year?
This is an easy "F" (Millen) grade. I'd strongly advise the Dolphins to contact their lawyers because they clearly forgot the all-important decimal point in Branch's contract.
The Bills were pursuing Kyle Juszczyk, but apparently decided he was too expensive. The next-best option was Patrick DiMarco, who appears to be a very good signing for Buffalo.
DiMarco doesn't do much besides block, but he's very good at that aspect. DiMarco blasted open huge running lanes for Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman, and he'll do the same for LeSean McCoy.
I like this move, and I'll give the Bills a B+ for it. It's not a blockbuster signing that provides great value - keeping this out of the "A" range - but it's a solid move. If the Bills wanted to spend about $2 million per year to improve their ground attack with a fullback, I'm all for it.
The Bills sat Tyrod Taylor in Week 17 this past season to avoid being on the hook for him in the event of an injury. It appeared as though the relationship was so splintered as a result that Taylor would leave the team for sure this spring. That, apparently, is not the case, as the two sides have kissed and made up. Taylor will return for 2017 on a restructured contract.
It's not clear what the financial details are, but I like this move regardless. Taylor is a solid quarterback, as he's scored 47 touchdowns and thrown just 12 interceptions in two seasons with the Bills. He's far from the problem in Buffalo, so the team wanting to part ways with him never made any sense to me. The Bills will be competitive as long as Taylor is healthy, and Taylor is certainly capable of leading the team into the playoffs for the first time since the 1999 season.
The one thing I want to note that worsens this grade is that by keeping Taylor, the Bills won't intentionally tank, as was previously reported. The 2018 class is stacked at quarterback - check out my 2018 NFL Mock Draft - so Buffalo will now miss out on Sam Darnold and Josh Rosen.
The Giants cut a declining receiver and replaced him with a declining receiver. However, unlike Victor Cruz, Brandon Marshall can still play well. Maybe.
Marshall had posted 1,000 or more yards in eight of nine seasons prior to last year, but his production fell off a cliff in 2016. Part of that was because of horrible quarterbacking. Numerous injuries could be blamed as well, and it's likely that Marshall will be much healthier in 2017. Then again, he turns 33 at the end of the month, so it's possible that his regression could be permanent.
That said, I like this signing, and I'm willing to give it an A-. Marshall could be done, and this acquisition might be worthless as a result, but even if it is, the Giants aren't taking much of a chance with this 2-year, $12 million contract. This deal seems like it has nothing but upside, as Marshall, a possession receiver, theoretically should be able to play well into his 30s, much like Anquan Boldin. He'll be paired with a better quarterback - albeit a declining one - and he's still a big name, so he should be able to take attention away from Odell Beckham Jr.
Update: I've been doing some thinking about this grade, and I was helped by some comments made by Nathan T. and Will L. on my Facebook wall. Something I missed in my write-up was any negative locker room ramifications Marshall could come with. Marshall, who has a lengthy history of causing problems, may not mesh well with Odell Beckham Jr. Both are drama queens, so this could cause issues for the Giants in 2017. Furthermore, this is a high-profile signing, and as a result, people are losing their minds and placing high expectations on the Giants. Jerry Rice, for example, tweeted "what a combo" about Marshall joining Beckham. Why is it a crazy combo? Marshall is not the same player he once was. He could still be good, but he's 33, and he struggled last year. Everyone expecting the Giants to have one of the best receiving duos in the NFL is not projecting for the future. It's more likely that Marshall creates problems, as there's a reason he's never been on a playoff team.
This signing could still work out, but I don't nearly like it as much as I did initially. I'm dropping this a full grade. I hate the high expectations the Giants suddenly have, as teams with no history of success having high expectations often disappoint because of insane amounts of pressure.
Nick Novak made the second-most field goals in the NFL last year, hitting 35 of his 41 attempts. Novak was 3-of-6 from 50-plus.
Novak was so productive because the Texans were so atrocious offensively in the red zone. He's hit at least 84.6 percent of his field goals every season since 2012, so it's nice that Houston was able to retain him. Novak, however, missed three extra points last year, so he has to clean that up.
The Chargers lost Eric Weddle last offseason, so seeing another talented safety depart would've hurt. Fortunately for them, they were able to retain Jahleel Addae on a solid deal.
Addae had often been penalized prior to 2016, but he cleaned up his act this past season. Of course, he missed half the year with a broken collarbone, but he played on a very high level upon his return. Just 27, Addae has a bright future ahead of him. He's not extremely talented, but he's a solid player, and he was 58th in our Top 100 NFL Free Agent Rankings.
I think this signing is worth a B+. Addae doesn't have an extensive history of performing on a high level, but he has the ability to do so. This contract is giving him just $8 million guaranteed, so it's not like the Chargers are breaking the bank to retain him.
What the hell are the Redskins doing? They apparently sent general manager Scot McCloughan home, and ever since doing so, they have seemingly fallen apart. They keep screwing up the Kirk Cousins situation and now appear set on trading him to the 49ers, and now they're giving a bum $5 million per year. Perhaps the mid-aughts Lions should've employed the same strategy and sent Matt Millen home, where I'm sure he would've pleasured himself with some kielbasas.
This is an awful signing. There's no other way of saying it. Davis is a lethargic player with an extensive history of quitting on his teams. He did this on multiple occasions in San Francisco, ultimately getting cut. The Broncos picked him up, but he didn't even see the field during the team's Super Bowl run because of countless dropped passes. It seemed like he was given one final chance in Washington, where he signed a 1-year "prove it" deal.
Davis actually had a strong 2016 campaign - 44 catches, 583 yards - but he did so only because he was nearly out of the league. Now that he's gotten a nice pay day, he'll go back to slacking off. And even if he does try, he's now 33 and currently in decline.
This contract is absolutely horrible and deserves an "F" (Millen) grade. The Redskins are capsizing.
NERamsFan
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JackDRams
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MadGoat
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Maybe the Rams should reach out to the Dolphins about Leonte Carroo's availability. Despite giving up a fortune to draft him last year, he's obviously not a big part of their future plans.
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Free agency updates this morning:
Nick Perry staying in GB 5 yr deal
Glennon to Bears official 3 yr 43.5 mil
DJAX to Bucs imminent second time around.
Khalil expected to join his brother in carolina.
AJ Buoye not expected back with Texans and will sign elsewhere, not named Philly. My guess is JAX.
Nick Perry staying in GB 5 yr deal
Glennon to Bears official 3 yr 43.5 mil
DJAX to Bucs imminent second time around.
Khalil expected to join his brother in carolina.
AJ Buoye not expected back with Texans and will sign elsewhere, not named Philly. My guess is JAX.
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Shocker alert!!!
View: https://twitter.com/adamschefter/status/839837410087272448
Damn patriots... good signing, kid's a beast.
View: https://twitter.com/adamschefter/status/839837410087272448
Damn patriots... good signing, kid's a beast.
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I did not see that one coming, but Gilmore-Butler is a hell of a CB duo