At 4 pm EDT on Wednesday, the 2021 NFL season really started. At that time, the teams could officially start signing free agents after two days of legal tampering. And while many players agreed on contracts during the adulteration period, more than half of the players on Pete Prisco’s list of the 100 best free agents were still available on the first day of the league’s new year.
The Patriots were undoubtedly the unofficial winner of the league’s two-day adulteration period. And when it looked like the Pats would one day go quietly, New England brought back linebacker Kyle Van Noy, the same player the team received a compensatory 2021 pick from after losing him last season.
Patriots aside, here’s a look at the (other) winners and losers from the first day of the new league year.
The Panthers approached their pass rush with the acquisition of Haason Reddick, the best pass rusher available earlier in the day. In Reddick, the Panthers are hosting a player who had 12.5 sacks and six forced fumbles last season. In addition, Carolina acquired Reddick for a reasonable salary of $ 8 million. The Panthers also reached an agreement with Denzel Perryman, a veteran linebacker who spent his first six seasons with the Chargers.
Fitzgerald is a “loser” only in terms of his chances of staying with the Cardinals after Arizona signed with former Bengals player AJ Green for a year. If he continues to play in 2021, Fitzgerald will likely have to find a new team. One option could be Steelers, who may decide to add a veteran to their reception corps with the expected departure of JuJu Smith-Schuster.
The eight-time Pro Bowler became the highest-paid offensive striker in the league’s history when he and the 49ers reached a six-year, $ 138 million deal. The deal also includes a guaranteed $ 55.1 million and a $ 30.1 million signing bonus. After a hiatus of a year, Williams, 32, proved last season that he is still among football’s best lefts.
In a perfect world, the Chiefs would have paired the new guard Joe Thuney with Williams or Rodney Hudson. But after failing to get any of the players, the Chiefs signed with former Bears striker Kyle Long for a year. Although Long was a good player for Bears, he hasn’t played in a year and has dealt with injuries during his last four years in Chicago. Long is a decent addition, but the Chiefs missed a chance to make a home run on the offensive line.
Winners: Curtis Samuel / Washington Football Team
Washington needed a number 2 receiver, opposite Terry McLaurin, and Samuel was looking for a big payout. Both parties got what they wanted after the ex-Pantera reached a three-year deal worth $ 34.5 million. And while some may criticize Washington for spending too much on Samuel, that won’t be the case if Samuel helps the football team win their second consecutive NFC East title in 2021.
Losers / winners: Giants / Bengals
That will depend on which team will be able to protect Kenny Golladay. The two teams are reportedly looking for Golladay, who is arguably the best receiver yet on the market. Golladay would be the perfect complement for Giants recipients, Darius Slayton and Sterling Shepard. He would also be an ideal target for Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow. Golladay is a winner, regardless of how it happens, and it looks like he may be in the middle of a bidding war.