The first two days of the legal adulteration period in the NFL were incredibly hectic, as dozens of players agreed to new deals with news teams, others returned to the current club and other players were released, and quickly found themselves in the fight for the free agency. On Tuesday, we saw several defenders switching teams, a big receiver came off the board and, once again, Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots were incredibly aggressive in their negotiations.
There were some clear winners and losers on Day 1, but what about Day 2? We still have a long way to go at the free agency, but let’s take a look at some teams that won on Tuesday and some that lost.
Winners: Jacksonville Jaguars
First-year coach Urban Meyer began to shape his squad in Jacksonville. To start things on Tuesday, the Jaguars agreed to a three-year, $ 40 million deal with former Seattle Seahawks cornerback Shaquill Griffin. Despite losing four regular season games in 2020, Griffin recorded three interceptions, 12 deflections and 63 combined tackles, the record of his career. The Seahawks started using the franchise brand on it and have now paid the price. Hours later, the Jags made a big impact by picking up former Detroit Lions receiver Marvin Jones – reportedly giving him a two-year contract worth $ 14.5 million. While he was just 31, Jones reached 76 passes, his career record, for 978 yards and nine touchdowns in 2020. He’s also the single NFL player who picked up at least nine touchdown passes in each of the past two seasons. To top things off, the Jaguars traded with the New Orleans Saints for striker Malcolm Brown, according to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, who was scheduled to be released as a victim of the cap. The defensive tackle had been a consistent presence on the New Orleans defensive line and was expected to play an important role in filling the race with Jacksonville right away.
Losers: Chicago Bears
The Bears finally received some news from the quarterback, but it was not the news that fans expected. On Tuesday, the Bears reportedly agreed to the terms of the former Dallas Cowboys backup, Andy Dalton, in a one-year deal for $ 10 million. According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, the Bears made “a very aggressive chase” to Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russel Wilson, but were told that Seattle was not negotiating him at this time. Last week, CBS NFL insider Jason La Canfora reported that the Bears were prepared to launch a “boat full” of picks on the Seahawks for Wilson or the Houston Texans for Deshaun Watson. Instead, Chicago ends up with Dalton. If the Seahawks ended up launching offers for Wilson in the near future, you would have to imagine that the Bears would put themselves back in the mix. Still, Tuesday was not a happy day for Bears fans. In fact, your chances of winning the Super Bowl decreased with the addition of Dalton!
Winners: New England Patriots … again
The Patriots were the clear winners on Day 1 after catching tight end Jonnu Smith, wide receivers Nelson Agholor and Kendrick Bourne and linebacker Matt Judon, but they had shock waves again on Tuesday by agreeing to the ex’s terms -tight end of the Los Angeles Chargers Hunter Henry. Smith was already considered one of the elite tight ends looking for a new home in the NFL, but the Patriots chose the best in Henry. He has recorded at least 550 yards received in his last three active seasons, with a record 652 yards in his career in 2019, despite playing in just 12 games. Henry also managed at least four touchdowns each season. We know how much success Belichick and the Patriots have achieved with elite tight ends in the past, and having Smith and Henry will open this attack in great ways for Cam Newton to move on. While the Patriots have been the clear headline at the free agency so far, we may need to hit the brakes when it comes to predicting how they will fare in 2021. Still, there is a chance that the Patriots are not finished yet. CBS Sports NFL copywriter Tyler Sullivan wrote an article on Tuesday with the hypothesis that the Pats’ aggressive mentality will not change anytime soon.
Losers: Derek Carr
Carr was right in the middle of the pack when it comes to how many times he was fired in 2020, as he was shot down 26 times – which tied for 16th place. As of now, it looks like that number will increase in 2020, with the Las Vegas Raiders coming out of four of its five initial attackers. The Raiders exchanged Trent Brown’s tackle with the Patriots, eliminated offensive guards Gabe Jackson and Richie Incognito and, on Tuesday, eliminated center-star Rodney Hudson, according to Rapoport. It was a move that was not expected, as the Raiders do not save money by separating from it. Hudson has already been a three-time Pro Bowler and was named the second All-Pro team in 2019. Just two years ago, the Raiders made him the highest-paid center in the league! Suddenly, Jon Gruden is facing a major reconstruction along the offensive line.
Winners: New York Giants
How about a little love for Big Blue? On Tuesday, the Giants and striker Leonard Williams agreed to a three-year, $ 63 million deal to keep him in New York after the 2021 season. The average annual salary of $ 21 million is higher than the projected $ 19.4 million that Williams would have received under the franchise brand this year. After being traded from one New York NFL team to the other, Williams recorded 57 combined tackles and a career record of 11.5 sacks in his first season as a giant. Williams’ 42 pressures and 12 pressures were in third place among all defensive tackles (behind only Aaron Donald and Chris Jones) and his 30 hitting strikes took all players into position. The Giants also made an intriguing play on the offensive side of the ball, as they allegedly agreed to the terms of former Cincinnati Bengals sprinter receiver and sprinter John Ross on a one-year contract, according to Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network. The former Washington star will be remembered for breaking Chris Johnson’s 40-yard time in the 2017 NFL match, when he recorded a 4.22 run. It was so impressive that Ross flew with the draft boards and was selected by the Bengals with the ninth overall choice. He hasn’t been able to stay on the pitch and he certainly hasn’t been able to maintain a consistent game, but this is a low-risk signing that can help Daniel Jones in the passing game.