Top 20 Free Agency Signings (so far)

Below are the top 20 signings of the free agency period so far. Top 10 offense completed by James Howell and top 10 defense completed by David Payne.

OFFENSE

1. QB, Kirk Cousins, Minesota Vikings – 3 Years, $84 million (all guaranteed)

Kirk Cousins has been in the league since 2012 when he was drafted in the fourth round by the Washington Redskins and has been a starter for 3 seasons thus far. Cousins has been very consistent over those 3 seasons throwing for over 4,000 yards in each and maintaining a passer rating of 60% or more. 2016 and 2017 should of seen Kirk Cousins become a free agent, but the Redskins franchised tagged him in both years making him the first quarterback in NFL history to be tagged in consecutive years. In 2017 he finished the season off with 347 out of 540 completed passes for 4,093 yards, 27 touchdowns and 13 INTs. When he hit the market in 2018, he was ranked number 1 overall free agent. He had been linked to many teams including the Browns, Jets and the Broncos, but the Vikings have seemingly won. But in doing so, the Vikings have made Cousins again top the record board by offering him a 3 year contract at $84 million will all money guaranteed, the first fully guaranteed contract in NFL history. I like the move, and the Vikings were so close last season to appearing in a Super Bowl that with the roster they have, Cousins could take them all the way to the big SB.

2. OG, Andrew Norwell, Jacksonville Jaguars – 5 Years, $66.5 million ($30 million guaranteed)

Andrew Norwell has been in the league since 2014 when he was signed by the Carolina Panthers as an undrafted free agent. In the 2014 season, the Panthers line was struggling and Norwell was inserted into the starting line at week 7. It wasn’t long until he showed his worth, almost immediately in fact. The Panthers offensive line instantly stabilised and over his last 6 games of that 2014 season, Pro Football Focus ranked Norwell as the fourth best guard in the NFL. Not only that, but by inserting him into the line-up, the panthers positioned themselves as number in the NFL for rushing. During his rookie season he was the least penalised player at that position and did not allow a single quarterback sack. In 2017 he started all 16 games for the Panthers and was named first team all-pro and ranked the third best guard in the NFL by Pro Football Focus. I rank Andrew Norwell higher than Nate Solder, and it was reported that the Giants were speaking to Norwell, however he decided to go with the Jaguars. Its clear Norwell is incredibly talented and will add a completely new element to the Jags offensive line.

3. RB, Jerrick McKinnon, San Francisco 49ers – 4 Years $30 million

Jerrick McKinnon has been in the league since 2014 when he was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the 3rd round of the 2014 NFL Draft. As a rookie he played well for the Vikings and led the teams in yards per carry at 4.8 and ranked second on the team in rushing yards, despite only playing in 11 games with 6 starts. In 2017 the Vikings had a breakout season under Case Keenum when Sam Bradford went out injured in the 2nd game of the season. McKInnon played well for the Vikings over the course of the 2017 season, he rushed for 570 yards and 3 TD’s and caught 51 receptions for 421 yards and 2 TD’s. Under the offensive mind of Shanahan I believe McKinnon will shine, we will see him partnered with another stunning back although this is yet to be seen in free agency.

4. LT, Nate Solder, New York Giants – 4 Years, $62 million ($35 million guaranteed)

Nate Solder has been a member of the most successful Patriots team in recent history and has 2x Super Bowl rings. He was drafted by the Patriots in the 1st round of the 2011 NFL Draft. Solder played his first game on September 12th, 2011 against the Miami Dolphins allowing just one sack against pro bowler Cameron Wake. In 2016 he came back from an injury sustained in a week 5 matchup against the Dallas Cowboys in 2015 and started 15 regular season games. That year, the Patriots reached the Super Bowl and won against the Atlanta Falcons, Solder was a part of that starting team. The giants have made Nate Solder the highest paid offensive lineman in the league with this contract. Many see him as an instant upgrade on Ereck Flowers in providing protection for Eli Manning. However, the stats for 2017 show that Flowers surrendered 39 pressures whist Solder surrendered 51. Let’s see what he does under a new offensive coordinator and in a new offensive scheme, but by signing the contract he has, he will have a lot to prove and fast.

5. QB, Case Keenum, Denver Broncos – 2 Years, $36 million

Case Keenum has been in the league since 2012 after being signed by the Houston Texans as an undrafted free agent. Keenum only lasted till 2014 pre-season and was waived and eventually picked up by the St Louis Rams practice squad. He signed back with the Texans in 2014, and in 2015 the Rams gave away a draft pick for him where he played until signing with the Vikings in 2017. In week 2 of the regular seasons, starting quarterback for the Vikings, Sam Bradford went out injured with his knee and Keenum stepped in as back-up. Everyone wrote the Vikings off once this happened, however Keenum stunned everyone by propelling the Vikings to a 13-3 season and NFC North Division champions. The Vikings missed out on a Super Bowl appearance after losing divisional championship game to the Eagles. A lot has been said about back-up quarterbacks after the stunning 2017 season that the likes of Keenum and Foles put up and I think this move makes sense for the Broncos. Sadly, I don’t think Keenum will remain with the Broncos for long, and I think he is seen as a stop gap QB until whoever the Broncos pick up in the draft is ready to step up. But, I believe we will see another great turnaround by Keenum and I am excited to see him under center.

6. RB, Dion Lewis, Tennessee Titans – 4 Years, $20 million

Dion Lewis has been in the league since 2011. He was drafted in the fifth round by the Philadelphia Eagles. During his rookie season he spent games as a kick returner. In 2015 he joined the Patriots offense on a future/reserve contract, Lewis made the 53-man roster and played his first game on September 10th 2015. In 2017 Lewis shone for the Patriots and provided them with valuable points leading up to their super bowl appearance. In week 16 he earned AFC Offensive Player of the Week. Lewis is still young and still has a lot to give. However, Lewis is prone to injury and will need to stay healthy if he is to see out the entirety of his contract.

7. WR, Danny Amendola, Miami Dolphins – 2 Years, $12 million ($8.25 million guaranteed)

Amendola has been in the league since 2008 when he was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Dallas Cowboys. He played four seasons with the St Louis Rams and joined the Patriots as a free agent in March 2013. Amendola proved to be a useful receiver for the Patriots and true to his nickname (given to him by Tom Brady) Danny “playoff” Amendola always turned up in the playoffs. However, that won’t help him much playing for a team who haven’t made it to the playoffs for a number of years. The money involved in this deal is modest, which means it’s a good deal for Miami and it’s a prove yourself deal for Danny. He has proved himself in New England, and is a 2x Super Bowl champion, let’s not forget that. It will be interesting to see what he does with a QB who is less effective than Tom Brady at getting balls to his receivers and in an offense, he is not familiar with. However, having said that, I think he is an exciting player to watch and stepped up in 2017 with the injured Julian Edelmen on the bench. It’s a good deal all in all.

8. WR, Taylor Gabrial, Chicago Bears – 4 Years, $26 million ($14 million guaranteed)

Gabrial has been in the league since 2014 when he signed as an undrafted free agent by the Cleveland Browns. He made his debut against the Pittsburgh Steelers on September 7th, 2014. In 2016 when Gabrial was released he was claimed off waivers by the Atlanta Falcons. During this 2016 season, he played a significant role in propelling Atlanta to the Super Bowl. He finished the 2016 season with 35 receptions for 579 yards and 6 TD’s. Taylor was less productive in 2017 gaining 33 receptions for 378 yards and just 1 TD. It’s often been said that Gabrial can only produce if he is paired with the right play caller, a good play caller could make him an unstoppable force, Matt Nagy may turn him into that player. Overall, I think it’s a good signing providing Nagy can call the right plays that really benefit Gabrial. Given his production however over the last 4 years, it would appear that $14 million in guaranteed money is too much of a spend for the caliber of player. But it remains to be seen if it’s a good investment or a bad one.

9. OT, Chris Hubbard, Cleveland Browns – 5 Years, $37.5 million

Hubbard has been in the league since 2013 when he was signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers as an undrafted free agent. Hubbard was cut and signed by the Steelers three times over his career with the Steelers. It was on October 9th, 2016 that he got his first start, filling in for right tackle Marcus Gilbert who was unable to play due to injury. Mike Tomlin and Ben Roethlisberger praised Hubbard for his performance and as a result, he received a second start on October 23rd against the New England Patriots. Hubbard began the 2017 as a back-up and when Marcus Gilbert went down with a hamstring injury, Hubbard started 5 out of the last 6 games at right tackle. For me this move makes sense for the Browns. They have just lost tackle Joe Thomas therefore are missing an integral piece of that offensive line for the 2018 season. It seems to me that Hubbard hasn’t been given the starts he deserves and I think being given this opportunity will fire Hubbard up and we will see some good production from him in protecting Tyrod Taylor.

10. RB, Jonathan Stewart, New York Giants – 2 Years, $6.9 million ($2.95 million guaranteed)

Jonathan Stewart has been in the league since 2008 when he was picked by the Carolina Panthers in the first round at number 13. Stewart was a solid starting back for the Panthers for many years and continued to produce right up to the end of his time with the Panthers, and In week 14 was named NFC Offensive Player of the Week. Stewart can be a stop gap back, and he will most certainly be sharing the snaps. However, his age and longevity need to be considered here. He will be 31 on March 21st and moving into his 11th season. Whilst he leaves the Panthers as their all-time leading rusher, how long can he perform at a high level for? Ideally, if I was the Giants, I would want to be drafting Saquon Barkley at number 2 overall, and some suggest that might happen given the Browns high signing of Carlos Hyde. Drafting Barkley and allowing Stewart to mentor him and prepare him for life as a starting RB will be beneficial to both Barkley and the team. If that’s the basis I had to rate this signing, it would be high, maybe 7, however, until Barkley is drafted I can’t see the benefit the Giants get from this just yet.

DEFENSE

1.CB, Richard Sherman, 49ers – 3 years, $39 million contract

Sherman is, undoubtedly, one of the best corners to play in the league the last 20 years but the 49ers are taking a bit of a risk on his health and his ability to rebound from the Achilles injury which saw him only play 9 games for the Seahawks in 2017. If Sherman can regain his top form, this is the deal of the century but, if not, the 49ers should still possess an above average starter. The deal has only 3m guaranteed so a parting, early in the contract, would not hurt the 49ers massively.

2. DL, Muhammad Wilkerson, Packers – 1 year, $5 million contract

The 1 year deal works for both the Packers and Wilkerson. There was a time when Wilkerson was considered one of the premier D-Linemen in the league but his play appeared to drop off and there were accusations that he wasn’t trying which lead to his inevitable parting with the Jets. Wilkerson is a perfect fit for the Packers 3-4 front and he’s re-united with Mike Pettine who ran the defense in New York when Wilkerson was at his peak. Wilkerson is 28, he had 3.5 sacks in 13 games last year.

3. LB, Avery Williamson, Jets – 3 years, $22.5 million contract

Linebackers don’t tend to get massive contracts but this appears to be good value for an above average, multi-year starting Inside Linebacker. This was a position of need for the Jets and Williamson should arrive in his prime (age 26). Williamson will slot in as an inside backer in the Jets 3-4 defense. Williamson is excellent against the run but struggles in coverage, the Jets may choose to use him as only a 2 down player but then the value doesn’t seem so good.

4. LB, Nigel Bradham, Eagles – 5 years, $40 million contract

The Eagles made the re-signing of Bradham a priority in free agency and they secured their man with an 8m per year deal. Bradham was excellent for the Eagles in their Superbowl campaign last year but he’s generally been under-rated through his career so far. Bradham fits nicely in the Eagles 4-3 scheme and gives the champs the continuity they need on a good looking defense, he made 88 tackles in 2017. Bradham has been in the league since 2012 after being drafted by Buffalo, he is 28.

5. DT, Star Lotulelei, Bills – 5 year contract

I don’t yet know the value of the contract but the Bills get an excellent defensive lineman. The Bills have, in recent years, been known for their strong defensive line and Lotulelei reinforces that for 2018 and beyond, he’ll pair up with Kyle Williams in the middle. 5 years seems a longer term of contract than would be ideal, as it takes Lotulelei to his age 33 season, but it all depends on the guaranteed money. Lotulelei won’t blow you away with stats (11.5 sacks in 5 years) but he’s durable and dependable.

6. CB, Trumaine Johnson, Jets – Reported to be $15 million per year

I don’t yet know the full terms of the deal, but the Jets have seemingly used their sizeable cap space to go out and get one of the better available players at a position of need. Johnson had been franchise tagged by the Rams the last two seasons and it appeared they were keen to resign him. Johnson isn’t elite but he’s a decent age (28) and he’s a good size (6ft-2, 213lb). Johnson should add a nice piece to the rebuilding Jets in a secondary now full of talent.

7. CB, Bashaud Breeland, Panthers – 3 years, $24 million contract

This was a fairly under the radar signing that I like a lot. The Panthers have got good value for a decent young (26) corner which, at the same time, fills a massive need on their roster. Breeland isn’t elite, he was inconsistent fir the Redskins since being drafted in 2014, but he is an above average starter with 8 career interceptions. The Panthers may look to add more help in their secondary in the remains of free agency and/or the draft. It will be interesting to see how Breeland fairs playing a division that has Julio Jones, Michael Thomas and Mike Evans at receiver.

8.CB, Malcolm Butler, Titans – 5 years, $61 million contract

I’m not so keen on this move, the money is as expected for someone with Butler’s reputation but the Titans paid Logan Ryan, another Ex-Patriot, decent money on last year’s free agency and corner didn’t appear to be a massive need. Another reason for the question marks is that Butler may not be worth the money. Butler’s worth will always be embellished because of the play that won Superbowl 49 and there are some unanswered questions surrounding his omission from Superbowl 52.

9. LB, Anthony Hitchens, Chiefs – 5 years, $45 million contract

Hitchens had been a good player for the Cowboys and he’s young (25) but this seems a lot of money for a player of his calibre and, especially, at the Linebacker position. The Chiefs had the need for an inside Linebacker after deciding not to re-sign Derrick Johnson. Hitchens is a really solid player and he offers some versatility but he’s mainly a run stopper who’s not used on passing downs. Hitchens had his most productive season in 2017 with 84 tackles. The Chiefs are rebuilding their defense and should add more pieces in the coming weeks and then the draft.

10. DL, DaQuan Jones, Titans – 3 years, $21 million contract

The Titans moved quickly to re-sign Jones as he’s clearly a player they like a lot that fits in to their scheme. The contract value seems fairly high and the guaranteed money (14m) is really high. Jones is only 26 and has been a starter for the Titans since 2015. Jones excels as a run defender but offers little as a pass rusher (6 sacks in 4 years). It’s unlikely Jones would have got a higher contract elsewhere so I’m surprised the Titans weren’t able to bring him back on a home-town discount.

#FreeAgency #KirkCousins