I’m not going to cover every single move, and I’m not going
to cover re-signings, even if it was guys who hit UFA and then re-signed
(Bulaga, McCourty, etc.). This is only about players switching teams. Also, I’m
going to go in Chronological order:
Indianapolis Colts sing Todd Herremans (G) to 1y x 3.5 MM
deal
A nice move for a team which needs all the depth and skill
it can get on the o-line. Herremans is old, but he still played well when
healthy and is signed at a reasonable price. Much like a lot of the Colts
moves, I like this.
Grade: B-
Miami Dolphins sign Ndamukong Suh (DT) to 6y x 114 MM (60 MM
guaranteed)
In reality, this is a three year deal for 60 million, which
is giant. This is the biggest contract ever given to a defensive player, not
surprising since this is a 28-year old dominant player at a position that ages
reasonably well. Look, if you’re the Dolphins you have to overpay for talent,
which they did, but talent’s of Suh’s quality almost never hit UFA. The money
is huge, and if Ryan Tannehill becomes a very good player, there may be serious
cap implications, but that’s a good problem to have. Any time you have a chance
to acquire a HOF-level player at a prime age, you take it.
Grade: A-
Philadelphia Eagles sign Byron Maxwell (CB) to 6y x 63 MM
(25 MM guaranteed)
This is a ridiculous contract. It is clear that CBs have
become the new hot position in the NFL, commanding ridiculous numbers two years
running, but Maxwell signed a deal bigger than either DRC or Aqib Talib (or Joe
Haden). He’s being paid close to what Richard Sherman was, and he is nowhere
near as good. We haven’t really seen one of the ‘other’ LOB guys outside of the
LOB, given Browner was playing himself in an excellent secondary, but chances
are he’ll be worse. This is a gross overpay for a guy who is basically the
equivalent of a hitter from the Rockies in the 1990’s.
Grade: C
Oakland Raiders sign Rodney Hudson ( C) to 5y x 44.5 MM
(unknown guaranteed)
Rodney Hudson is a good player, but this is a large contract
for an interior lineman. The Raiders have money to spend, and probably have to
overpay to sign anyone, but I’m not a fan of this deal. What irks me is the
Raiders let their own competent center, Stefan Wisniewski, leave in FA and then
signed a more expense, albeit better, player.
Grade: C+
Chicago Bears sign Purnell McPhee (DE/OLB) to a 5y x 40 MM
(16 MM guaranteed)
I guess the Bears are planning a switch to a 3-4 with Vic
Fangio is DC. I don’t think this is a great fit, though. McPhee’s great skill
is his versatility, which will be somewhat underplayed in a scheme that is
generally not to versatile in its front-7. McPhee has the ability to play down
and come inside, which he did all the time for the Ravens. Fangio just didn’t
do that in San Francisco. It isn’t huge money, and definitely less than
previous Baltimore OLBs were paid, but it is hard to like this move too much
given the fit and money.
Grade: C+
San Diego Chargers sign Orlando Franklin (G) to 5y x 36.5 MM
(20 MM guaranteed)
This is big money for an average player to fill a position
of great need. In that sense, it is hard to judge. In a vacuum I wouldn’t like
this deal, given that Franklin was not all that great in Denver. Being a
lineman for Peyton Manning is easy; and Franklin made it look reasonably hard.
But this isn’t a vacuum, the Chargers need to upgrade the o-line more than
anything else, and this is a step to add some stability, some average play from
a position that was well below average.
Grade: B-
Kansas City Chiefs sign Tyvon Branch (S) to 1y x 2 MM
Love this deal, love most 1-year deals anyway. Tyvon Branch
has been injured basically all of the past two seasons, but was a perfectly
above average safety before that, the head of some decent defenses in Oakland
from 2009-2011. With Eric Berry’s status uncertain (Get Well, Eric), this is a
very sensible move, and gives the Chiefs the flexibility to move on if Branch’s
injury issues come back.
Grade: A-
Indianapolis Colts sign Frank Gore (RB) to 3y x 12 MM (7.5
MM guaranteed)
I have very mixed feelings about this signing. The Colts
needed a RB, and this is not a huge price, and it is a contract that they can
get out of in 2 years with no penalty, right in time to pay Andrew Luck all of
the money. Still, it is signing a 31-year old running back who has a ton of
wear on his tires. The Colts won’t need him to have nearly as many touches as
the 49ers did, so his usage will go way down, but signing 30+ year old running
backs si never a good idea.
Grade: B
New York Giants sign Shane Vereen (RB) to 3y x 12 MM (5 MM
guaranteed)
The Giants also went after a RB on a three year deal, but
they paid less than the Colts for a better, younger and more needed player. The
Giants running game needs serious work, as Andre Williams was awful and Rashad
Jennings was injured. Vereen is not a great runner, but he is excellent
receiver, something that was extremely lacking, but extremely valuable, in the
offense the Giants want to run. I really like this signing and expect him to
have a really nice year as a receiving back on 3rd down.
Grade: A
Arizona Cardinals sign Mike Iupati (G) to 5y x 40 MM (22.5
MM guaranteed)
The Cardinals really need o-lineman, especially o-lineman
who can run block as their running game was pathetic last year. Well, they just
got one who does those things, who is still in his prime, at a reasonable price
for premier interior guards in today’s league. The Cardinals also take away a
key player from one of their biggest rivals. He’s not a great pass blocker, but
the Cardinals right now need to take a collect value assets approach to fixing
their perennially bad o-line.
Grade: B+
San Francisco 49ers sign Torrey Smith (WR) to 5y x 40 MM (22
MM guaranteed)
It is interesting Smith basically got the same deal
structure as Iupati. It is an interesting question on who is a better, or more
valuable player, but the 49ers need impact WRs. Considering they’ll likely lose
Crabtree, they only really have Boldin to put opposite him, and while that
worked well for Baltimore in 2011-12, I do worry about how Smith will be
covered. Then again, Torrey Smith is an underrated player, who gets about 200
hidden yards a year on his odd ability to draw DPI. Smith is a good fit for
Kaepernick as well.
Grade: B
Jacksonville Jaguars sign Julius Thomas (TE) to 5y x 46 MM
(24 MM guaranteed)
On the positive side, Thomas is young, he’s athletic, and he
is a great red zone target for a young QB like Bortles, and I don’t care about
the cost given the oodles of cap room the Jaguars had. On the other hand, the
history of Manning receivers after leaving Manning are quite bad (Eric Decker
is by far the best). Thomas also has injury concerns, both getting hurt and
healing slowly last year. The Jaguars got a good player, but they got a
maddening one as well.
Grade: B-
New York Jets sign Darrelle Revis (CB) to 5y x 70 MM (39 MM
guaranteed)
This is far better than overpaying for Byron Maxwell, and it
is making a division rival worse, but to me this seems a year too late. The
Jets could have given Darrelle Revis this exact same deal one year ago, but
Idzik passed on it. Macagnan did not, and got Revis back. Rex Ryan must be
pissed. Anyway, Revis is old, but he’s so good that I can see him aging well.
Most of this money is paid in Y1-3, which is his 31-33 seasons, where he should
still be reasonably good. For the money and age, I can’t give too high a grade,
but I love their determination to rectify a mistake.
Grade: B
Washington Redskins sign Stephen Paea (DT) to 4y x 21 MM (15
MM guaranteed)
This is a sizable deal for a rotation tackle, but he’s a
good rotation tackle at least. Paea will just be 27 next year, so they’re
getting prime years, and for once the Redskins aren’t throwing around stupid
money. Paea is coming off of his best year, and the optimist in me sees that as
turning the corner. For years we laughed at the Redskins FA potency, but I do
think this is a sensible, if a little overvalued, move.
Grade: B
Kansas City Chiefs sign Jeremy Maclin (WR) to 5y x 55 MM
(22.5 MM guaranteed)
If you didn’t know, the Chiefs went the entire season
without throwing a TD to a WR. Jeremy Maclin, by that measure, is a reasonable
signing. Even the money is reasonable for a guy who will be just 27 this
season, despite being in the league since 2009 (not a joke). The Chiefs are
getting a nice player. There might be injury concerns, but he was never really
injured beyond missing all of last offseason. This might be an overpay, but you
overpay for quality. 27-year old WRs with reasonable results would command
something similar in any market.
Grade: B+
Arizona Cardinals sign Corey Redding (DT) to 2y x 6 MM
The Cardinals effectively signed Redding to replace the loss
of Darnell Dockett, but are paying Redding far less than what Dockett would
have been paid. In that sense, Redding is definitely cheaper, but there is a
reason he’s cheaper. Redding has stayed really healthy and effective for a guy
who is 35, but he’s also 35. This signing is low-risk, but the reward isn’t
that great when you sign a 35-year old DT.
Grade: B-
Indianapolis Colts sign Andre Johnson (WR) to 3y x 21 MM (15
MM guaranteed)
Personally, I love this deal. I don’t care some have panned
it, criticizing the Colts for going older, but what the Colts need are 2-3 year
guys to span this current group and the future of the Colts, when Luck, Hilton,
Fleener/Allen get their contracts and the cap room goes away. Andre Johnson did
not have a great season last year, but
he had a very good one just one year earlier with an awful QB situation. Andre
Johnson can easily replace what Reggie Wayne gave the Colts, and fills a
massive need for the Colts (possession receiver) at a very reasonable price. He’s
also been a great locker room guy his whole career, and can help teach the
young WRs of the future of the Colts. Love the deal.
Grade: A
New England Patriots sign Jabaal Sheard (DT) to 2y x 11 MM
(5.5 MM guaranteed)
I’m just assuming Jabaal Sheard will be good. He’s a talented
player that was relatively good for Cleveland through his 4 years there. What
is concerning is his trend in sacks: 8.5 -> 7.0 -> 5.5 -> 2.0. And it
wasn’t like he was getting hurt and playing less games. He was slightly miscast
in Pettine’s 3-4 last year, but the Patriots don’t exactly play a pure 4-3 like
the one Sheard did in his first two seasons. The Patriots have a habit of
making these guys good, and he’ll be only 26 this season, but I think this is
fair value, not great value.
Grade: B
Chicago Bears sign Antrel Rolle (S) to 3y x 11.25 MM (5 MM
guaranteed)
Antrel Rolle is 32 at a position that does not age well, so
the length of the contract concerns me, but I have liked Antrel Rolle the
player for a long time. The Bears need a lot of improvement from their
secondary, and Rolle is a solid professional who’s probably past the age where
he’ll be making tons of splash plays, but he also won’t get burned like all the
Bears did last year.
Grade: B-
Tennessee Titans sign Da’Norris Searcy (S) to 4y x 24 MM
(10.5 MM guaranteed)
I’m always a bit skeptical of players like Searcy, secondary
players who played on very good defenses whose main strength was their front-7.
The Bills have, probably, the best front 7 in the NFL the past two seasons.
Those also happen to be the two seasons where Searcy was better than average.
The Titans had cap room and Searcy is definitely an upgrade, but I doubt he’s
worth this type of money.
Grade: B-
Philadelphia Eagles sign DeMarco Murray (RB) to 5y x 42 MM
(21 MM guaranteed)
Aren’t we past these types of contracts in 2015, especially
for a player who has a significant injury coming of a season where he carried
the ball 393 times. What’s worse for Murray is that we can add a whole 57
touches to that 392 figure, as he’s an active part of the passing game,
something the previous 370+ carry guys were definitely not (Shaun Alexander,
Larry Johnson, Michael Turner). None of those players were good again. I think
Murray will stay good, but this is more than McCoy was making, and way more
than they were thinking of signing Gore for. I’m not a fan of this move at all.
Grade: C
New York Jets sign Antonio Cromartie (CB) to 4y x 32 MM
(unknown guaranteed)
I like this idea of ‘getting the band back together’ for the
Jets by signing Cromartie to tag team with Revis, replicating their awesome
combination in 2010, but while Revis has stayed really, really good, Antonio
Cromartie is aging like a human. Cromartie looked slower to me in 2014, getting
burned more often than in the past. He’ll be picked on all the time, and while
he can excel in that role, this is a big overpayment for a guy who will be 31
this season.
Grade: C+
Houston Texans sign Rahim Moore (S) to 3y x 12 MM
Love this deal for the Texans, who are really building a
great defense here (assuming Clowney ever actually plays). Rahim Moore is a
known name because of his legendary screw-up at the end of the 2012 Divisional
Round against Baltimore. Rahim Moore, though, has moved past that in flying
colors, playing really well for Denver the past two seasons. I’m not sure why
the Broncos didn’t re-sign him given the small contract Houston gave him, but
the Texans got a really nice player here.
Grade: A
New Orleans Saints sign Brandon Browner (CB) to 3y x 15 MM
Let’s move past the fact that the Saints alternate being in
fire-sale mode and making signing like this, but I like this deal for the Saints.
What really tickles me about this deal is now this is if you take this deal,
Browner’s deal from last offseason, and the last two contracts signed by Walter
Thurmond, you have four deals signed by ex-Seahawks CBs for less money than
Byron Maxwell was given. And for those that don’t remember, in mid-2012, Byron
Maxwell was behind both those guys on the Seahawks depth chart.
Grade: B+
Denver Broncos sign Vance Walker (DT) for 2y x 4 MM
Obviously, this is a low-risk move, signing a rotational guy
for small money. I’m really confused by Denver, who has cap room (but
apparently not a huge amount of pure cash on hand – needed for signing bonuses
and the like) letting Knighton walk and paying similar money to a worse player.
Anyway, in isolation this move is fine. Combined with letting Knighton walk,
this makes far less sense.
Grade: B-
Washington Redskins sign Terrance Knighton (DT) to 1y x 4 MM
Speaking of which, who kidnapped the Redskins? Why are they
making all these sensible, low-risk signing. Now if only Scott McCloughan could
be allowed to do so with the coaching staff as well. This is a fine signing,
low-risk for a player who is somewhat high-risk given his weight issues. A
1-year deal for a player over 30 is never, ever a bad thing.
Grade: A-
Washington Redskins sign Chris Culliver (CB) to 4y x 32 MM
And just when I thought I was done with the Redskins
ridiculousness, they pull me back in… Chris Culliver is not a bad player, but
this is a lot for a guy coming off of an ACL, and a guy who was rarely the top
CB on his own team. The Redskins need a CB, and he’s young, and McCloughan
knows him having drafted him, but that all seems too convenient.
Grade: B
Tennessee Titans sign (DE/OLB) Brian Orakpo to 4y x 32 MM
(13.5 MM guaranteed)
I like that the Titans are paying Orakpo as much as the
Redskins paid Culliver. Culliver is younger, but at a position that ages
quicker. They both have stayed healthy outside of major injuries that forced
them to miss most of two seasons. Orakpo, when healthy, has been a 9-10 sack a
year guy, and the money paid here is in line with that. However, even
discounting his injury Orakpo was not very good last year. He’s a nice player,
and this is a fair price, but I don’t think he’ll give this value in return.
Grade: B-
Dallas Cowboys sign Darren McFadden (RB) to 2y x 6 MM (200K
guaranteed)
That is actually a real NFL signing bonus. The Cowboys can
basically cut McFadden and walk away completely unscathed. Because of that, I
think this contract is great. Replacing DeMarco Murray will not be easy, but
having a stellar O-Line like they have makes it a lot easier. Joseph Randle is
a nice in-house option, and McFadden is the definition of a low-risk move. He’ll
likely not work out, but in the best o-line he’s ever had, and the natural
speed he did possess, this could work out reasonably OK.
Grade: A
St. Louis Rams sign Nick Fairley (DT) to 1y x 5 MM
This might be the best signing this year. Nick Fairley does
struggle with weight, and has some history of his passion and work-ethic being
questioned, but he’s also a darn good player. Having him as your 3rd
DT in a rotation is almost unfair. He provides excellent depth, and if one of
the Donald/Brockers combo gets hurt, you get a back-up with little to no
dropoff. A 1-year contract should keep him motivated, and Jeff Fisher has done
well motivating DTs before (Albert Haynesworth, anyone). Awesome signing, I
love it when teams make their strengths even stronger.
Grade: A
New Orleans Saints sign CJ Spiller (RB) for 4y x 18 MM (9 MM
guaranteed)
This is a fair deal for a player who’s had injury issues,
and always seemed better on paper than in real life. The Saints have an offense
that, at least through last season, has generally been good for RBs to succeed
in, and Spiller is a good receiving back. The fit works extremely well, at
least for a Saints offense that had Graham and Ben Grubbs. This current Saints
offense? Maybe not so much, but it is still fair value for a once-hot commodity.
Grade: B
Atlanta Falcons sign Justin Durant (LB) to 3y x 11 MM (3 MM
guaranteed)
In what essentially amounts to a 1-year deal, the Falcons
get good value for an injury-prone, but talented player. Durant has been very
good when healthy, but he’s almost never healthy for an entire season. I’m not
too confident of his ability to stay healthy here, but this is a decent
low-risk move for the Falcons, a team that’s been burned before in FA.
Grade: B
I may do a Round 2 of this in a few weeks when all the
remaining impact players are signed, but so far I think this offseason has
generally been one of the saner one’s, at least in terms of Free Agents. Only the
Maxwell contract stands out as terrible, and a few others as likely bad, but I
see a lot of short-term deals for players that have 2-4 years of prime
production left. The NFL is getting smarter, at a time when it is arguably
getting worse at the draft. It’s interesting times for Front Offices.
