Tuesday marked the beginning of free agency (officially), and it was quite a day. A flurry of moves included signings and releases, and actually a couple of trades (weird ones at that). Below is my reaction to those moves, and a preview of what's still to come in free agency.
Moves I Liked
Denver Broncos - Denver is in a win-now mode with an aging star QB in Manning. They knew they had to address defense in order to continue having success. Yesterday they signed Aqib Talib, arguably the best CB available right now, and TJ Ward, who was evaluated as the third best safety in the NFL last season. The scary thing is that they also emerged as a favorite for Demarcus Ware, and will be hosting him today. He and Von Miller together could be a big pay off. Way to go John Elway!
Saints sign Byrd - For a team that has been all about offense the last five years, the Saints made a major splash by signing Byrd, a rising star at the safety position. He and 2013 first round pick Kenny Vaccaro make up a dynamic safety combo, probably the second best pair in the league (behind Seattle). Suddenly, the future on defense looks very bright.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers - We knew when Lovie Smith took over that he'd start by transforming the defense. Yesterday proved that to be true, as they signed DE Michael Johnson and CB Alterraun Verner to nice deals. While they likely overpaid Johnson, he will be a huge part of Lovie's 4-3 scheme. Verner meanwhile seems to be a steal, especially considering how much money they'll save by trading or cutting Revis (likely in the next day or two). Another sneaky move was signing Brandon Myers, a decent TE option that will give the offense another weapon. The Bucs aren't done either, as they are still eyeing players on both sides of the ball, including many former Bears.
Michael Bennett - As disappointed as I was as a Bears fan to lose the Bennett sweepstakes, I think Bennett made a great decision by re-signing with Seattle. I think the pieces around Bennett there will keep him successful as a player, and he'll likely be in the mix now to win more rings with the team. It was nice to see a player consider those things instead of just money, as he took less money to stay in Seattle vs. other teams such as Chicago. I liked seeing that.
Miami Dolphins - Let me start by saying that for the second year in a row, Miami overpaid guys. But I love the aggression and I'd still be happy if I were a Dolphins fan. It started last week by re-signing Brent Grimes. Then, they addressed the woeful offensive line by signing tackle Branden Albert. He'll help a ton, although the line still needs more work. They also helped the defense by signing Earl Mitchell. Lastly, the team traded Jonathan Martin for a 7th rounder (SF), which was good simply so they could put the whole Incognito situation behind them. Good for Martin too as he moves close to home, and will now play for his college coach.
Cardinals sign Veldheer - In both of our blog's mock drafts, we've discussed the glaring hole the Cardinals have at offensive tackle. While Veldheer isn't a household name, he is a very solid player that definitely fills the need. This will allow the Cardinals to take the best available talent this summer, and will dramatically help them going forward. Perhaps they'll draft a young linebacker since they let the overpaid, old Dansby walk to save money.
Moves I Hated
Zane Beadles - Just as I credited Bennett for taking less money so he could stay with a contender, I'll state that I hated Beadles going from Denver to Jacksonville because of a large contract. I mean, when it comes to millions of dollars, you will be rich no matter where you go. So why go to Jacksonville and have a miserable five years of your life?
Oakland Raiders - Oakland has an absolute ton of money to spend, but they can't get anyone (except for an overpaid lineman in Saffold). They've even lost their own guys, such as Lamarr Houston to Chicago. They'll continue to be a franchise in disarray.
No Offensive Movement - The big name receivers (Decker, Nicks, Edelman) got nothing yesterday. Same for the top running backs and quarterbacks. I'm still waiting for the offensive pieces to fall, because teams have needs and aren't going out and filling them quickly.
Kansas City Chiefs - This is a team that broke out last year, but definitely showed they had holes they needed to fill. Not only did they fail to sign anyone of significance, they lost many of their own, particularly on their offensive line. Can they recover in the days to come?
Brown to Chargers? - One running back who did get signed was Donald Brown. The Chargers signed him which is utterly confusing. They had a great rushing attack a year ago with Mathews and Woodhead, so why bring in Brown? I'm baffled with why they'd waste money on another running back.
Moves in the Middle
Indianapolis Colts - While they brought in D'Qwell Jackson and Art Jones, they lost Antoine Bethea. That's a big loss for he was a true backbone for this team both on and off the field.
Bethea for Whitner - The Colts loss was the 49ers gain. The problem is that Bethea is simply a replacement for Whitner, who they lost to the Browns. We'll see how the switch pays off, but it seems neutral at this point.
Cleveland Browns - Things started rocky for Cleveland being forced to cut Jackson and losing Ward to Denver, but they recovered by signing Dansby and Whitner. Even though I'd rather have the old combo, they'll get similar production from the new guys. What would help is if they can pull off a deal for Revis, who they are now targeting. He and Joe Haden would be lethal as a CB tandem.
The Bears Defense - There is a ways to go in the offseason, but the Bears defense is in turmoil still. They signed Lamarr Houston and Ryan Mundy which will surely help, but they cut Peppers and may lose Henry Melton, Corey Wooten, Charles Tillman, Major Wright, James Anderson, Craig Steltz, etc. The defense needs a lot of work, but with every step forward there seems to be steps back. At this point, I just think they are treading water.
The 49er Trades - This team traded draft picks for Blaine Gabbert and Jonathan Martin. While reuniting Martin with his college coach makes some sense, I'm baffled by the Gabbert deal. Do they think he'll be a valuable backup for Kaep... Why waste a pick on him instead of signing a vet?
Still to Come
Eric Decker - Decker was one of the biggest names in free agency. Where will he end up? I heard Detroit early yesterday was possible, but now I'm hearing the Jets. Also waiting on fellow WR's Nicks, Edelman, Tate, etc.
Quarterbacks - McCown, Vick, Freeman, Sanchez... who goes where? Will any of these signings affect the draft in a few months?
Stars that were Cut - Big name players like Peppers, Ware, Revis were either cut or will be cut/traded. Which teams will grab these guys and take a chance on them. How much money will they demand?
Jared Allen and Henry Melton - Two of the best remaining free agents are defensive lineman. I've heard many teams come up in conversation about these two. I'm utterly confused as to where they will go. The rumor I've heard the most is Melton to Dallas, but who knows really.
I hope the frenzy continues over the next couple of days because yesterday was awesome! Stay tuned.
By: The Sports Guys
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