The free agency is not over; it seems so. In this week’s MAQB …
Brett Davis / USA TODAY Sports (Farley); Mike De Sisti / The Milwaukee Journal / USA TODAY Network (Rodgers); Raj Mehta / USA TODAY Sports (Stafford)
• In this morning’s column, we highlight Matthew Stafford’s entry into Los Angeles. But just as interesting, I thought, was his departure from Detroit – and how much concern and dismay was the early January exchange request he filed with Lions owner Sheila Ford Hamp and President Rod Wood. “It was difficult,” said Stafford on Friday. “When I was called there in 2009, I had every intention, like every athlete, to throw every photo of my career in a Detroit Lions uniform, and just be there. Obviously, a wild trip over 12 years, and a lot of good and hard times too. It just got to the point where it was the best thing for both sides. They were amazing to me after I talked to them about it. Both the Ford family and the front office were excellent and really helped me through the process and, obviously, I got to where I am now. It was a crazy ordeal, but I am excited to be where I am and have many fond memories of Detroit that I will never forget. And I will always be rooting for Lions, as long as we are not playing with them or fighting for a playoff spot with them. I have a lot of respect and love for this organization. ”And during the time between the order and the negotiation itself – a period of almost four weeks – Stafford did not hesitate. As much as he took the question of asking first seriously, he wanted to be so diligent in evaluating where he might want to go (we mentioned in January that his three main choices were the Rams, 49ers and Colts), even though I have no control about this. “I was definitely doing my homework, just going and seeing who they had as a free agency, who the guys on the list were,” said Stafford. “I’m an NFL fan. I watch football constantly and know what these teams are from an offensive point of view, in terms of how they like to play. Do I know the terminology? No. But I know how they like to play. I was not a free agent, so it was something that would have to work for both teams, and I understood that. I didn’t put my heart anywhere. Obviously, I have a lot of respect for Coach McVay, and how Sean does it from an offensive point of view, and the culture he created here in Los Angeles and that was exciting for me. Some other teams were also exciting, but I am very happy to have crashed. I think it was one of those businesses where it was supposed to be, and I’m excited to have the opportunity to play for this organization, this team, this fan base. They have been very successful in the recent past, and I’m just looking to add to that. “
• ESPN reported for the first time on Monday that Virginia Tech CB Caleb Farley will undergo a microdiscectomy on Tuesday, which will eliminate him from the Hokies’ professional day, and you should pay attention to this because it can impact Farley on two fronts . First, Farley chose to leave the 2020 season, so the teams would want to see him move physically. In addition, the 6 ‘2 “, 207 pounds is seen as an athletic freak, and having the chance to test in that way would have helped you. That shot is now lost. Secondly, this is not your first back problem. In fact, he missed the last two games of his 2019 season with spasms in his back, and the teams were already a little worried about it (he also tore his ACL in 2017, but that’s less of a problem for him.) Some and Farley probably it goes from the first corner to chase Patrick Surtain from Alabama on that front, and maybe fight for a position with Jaycee Horn from South Carolina too. And that prepares for a very important series of medical examinations from April 8 to 10 in Indianapolis for Farley , where some of those concerns could be allayed. In turn, Dr. Robert Watkins, who will have the surgery at Farley, told people he expects the 21-year-old to make it to the training camp in time.
• A restructuring of Aaron Rodgers ‘contract – which my friend Mike Silver reported could be coming – would be a very sensible conclusion to give everyone a close on Rodgers’ comments after the Bucs eliminated the Packers from the playoffs in January. Why? Well, I can’t imagine that Green Bay would go to the 37-year-old with the idea of doing so without presenting him with a plan for how the team would make use of their newly discovered boundary space. If they get there, I imagine everyone can move on with a clear head.
• One deal closed last week that really caught my eye was Joe Thuney’s in Kansas City. In a confusing market, the ex-Patriot leveraged a market that included his former Foxboro team, the Jets and Bengals to get $ 16 million a year from the two AFC champions – which is almost $ 2 million of course. Philly gave it to Brandon Brooks two years ago, and about $ 2 million more than Zack Martin of Dallas received. Thuney also had a third year warranty, which is extremely rare for a guard. His $ 15 million base for 2022 becomes secured next March, which means that the Chiefs would have to cut him down and he would earn $ 32 million for a single year, or he would make it. at least $ 48 million in three years. And that three-year take takes away what Martin ($ 44.66 million), Andrew Norwell ($ 41.5 million) and Brooks ($ 40.7 million) received in the first three years of their business. (To be fair, of these four, only Thuney and Norwell were free agents.) It is an immense commitment. It is an immense commitment from KC and which, I am told, is largely based on Thuney’s reliability as a person as a player. The Patriots have played 90 games, including playoffs, since Thuney was called up in 2016. Thuney started them all.
• While we’re there, Denver security star Justin Simmons also deserves mention as the only player besides Thuney to redefine the market in his position (49ers OT Trent Williams did it technically, too, but only because a gigantic number in 2026 – over $ 33 million! – brought the total average per year there). Meanwhile, the new Chargers center Corey Linsley equaled the $ 12.5 million a year that the Colts gave Ryan Kelly last year.
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• Rodney Hudson is indeed a great addition to the Cardinals, who need strong internal strikers in front of Kyler Murray for the same reason that Drew Brees needed them in New Orleans for all those years (yes, it’s related to height). So why would Vegas trade Hudson, a player and star leader, though? Obviously, finances helped them trade, but we also said Monday morning that Raiders love Andre James, who is apparently Hudson’s heir. And they showed that by giving him a three-year, $ 12.5 million extension. It’s, of course, a calculated risk for a two-year-old guy and a start on his resume. But if the Raiders hit him, it may well end up being a great bargain.
• One thing that Kenny Golladay’s signing should do is give the Giants their answer about Daniel Jones. The team spent dollars from top-notch agent (Nate Solder, Golladay) and draft capital (Andrew Thomas, Will Hernandez, Evan Engram, Saquon Barkley), rewarded their own (Sterling Shepard) and added complementary pieces, old and young (Kyle Rudolph, Matt Peart, Shane Lemeiux) to surround the quarterback with the right kind of people. And now, it’s up to Jones to show why he was the sixth choice in 2019, with a big decision coming in the spring of 2022 (in Jones’s fifth year option) that often proved to be the fork in the road for teams with their youngsters defenders.
• It definitely caught my attention the frequency with which the corsairs TE Rob Gronkowski mentioned his physical state in the past year. He did it again at a meeting with Tampa Bay media on Monday. “I feel like I could play another season now, if it starts,” said Gronkowski. “I feel really good. … I feel light. I feel flexible. I feel like I can go out and just play some football, and just go out and not be in pain … running routes and doing what I have to do out there on the field. So, I definitely feel like I’m ready to go, to play another full season coming up this year and just spend a year at a time like this. I will never forget what Gronk looked like in an almost empty locker room after his last game as Patriot, Super Bowl LIII – he sure seemed to be a player who completely emptied himself and had nothing left to give. And I know that the physical demands of the Patriots’ program (and some of its reluctance to allow players to use the TB12 Method, which helped it) irritated Gronkowski. Therefore, I would not be surprised if his physical state was registered as another victory in a year full of them for the future Hall of Fame.
• I am undecided about Alabama WR DeVonta Smith’s decision not to compete on his professional day. On the one hand, the tape of the Heisman caliber game must speak for itself. On the other hand It is doubt as to how he will project himself and behave like a professional. He said he has 170 pounds, and the scouts have the perception that he would run in the 4.5 range – he is seen as a fast, but not having dazzling speed – if he gave up. Therefore, running a 4.4, in my view, probably would have helped, since there is no guarantee that it will be the first or even the second receiver to be taken. (He’s fighting LSU’s Ja’Marr Chase and teammate Jaylen Waddle on that front.) What if he runs a 4.5? Well, then the same teams that loved him would continue to love him, and skeptics would remain skeptical. It would have been a lossless situation, if you ask me.
• I am interested to see and hear more about the NFL plans for the draft in Cleveland, because the way the draft has been (before last year’s event changed by COVID) really reflects what you would see at a music festival next year. open air. Did we get to the point where this could be done safely? We’re about to find out. And the pace of things can be an interesting step to have fans at the games in the fall, or even on the training grounds in the summer.