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The first day of the legal forgery period got off to a good start on Monday. Huge amounts of money were invested in the NFL ahead of the start of the league’s new year and some of the biggest free agents are now starting to leave the board. Of course, not all of these deals can become official until the New Year actually begins on Wednesday, but these handshake deals are as real as they get this time of year.
While Monday’s action is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to player movement during the offseason, we’re going to dissect some of the more notable signings and determine who is currently leading the pack with their loot. after day 1. Below you will find our winners and our losers from the unofficial start of free will.
Bill Belichick entered free will as his stimulus check was just wiped. The Patriots wasted no time trying to rebuild a 7-9 roster in 2020 and responded quickly to key needs. The first big splash was the signing of tight winger Jonnu Smith to a four-year, $ 50 million contract that consolidates a position the club have been trying to fill since Rob Gronkowski retired. Smith is also well balanced from a tight end that they come with the ability to block and be a lethal receiver, especially after the catch. From day one, he should be seen as the Patriots’ best pass-catching option. Not only did the Patriots add a tight end, but they also called on receivers Nelson Agholor and Kendrick Bourne. Agholor will help Josh McDaniels’ offense stretch the pitch while Bourne could be an option for the club out of the slot.
Meanwhile, the most surprising splash of the day for the Patriots came on the defensive end of the ball as they agreed with linebacker Matt Judon on a four-year, $ 56 million contract. He brings elite talent to a Patriots sleight of hand that will also boast Josh Uche, Chase Winovich and Dont’a Hightower. Suddenly, this grouping promises to be quite deadly. Finally, the Patriots solidified the inside of their defensive line by adding Henry Anderson and Davon Godchaux.
It wasn’t all good for the Patriots, however, as they lost star left guard Joe Thuney (more on him below).
Loser: Ravens pass rush
While the Ravens made a big addition to their O-line by adding guard Kevin Zeitler, John Harbaugh’s forward seven took a hit with the club losing both Yannick Ngakoue (Raiders) and Matt Judon (Patriots). Judon led the team in quarterback sacks and hits while Ngakoue was not too far behind having only joined the club for nine games after a mid-season trade from the Vikings. While the Ravens are used to replenishing their defense on the fly – and should see even more production from middle linebacker Patrick Queen in year two – the advantage will need to be managed as a free agency and the draft. advanced.
Giving credit to Bruce Arians, his statement at the Tampa Bay Super Bowl LV celebration that the Buccaneers would bring all of their key free agents back on hold has turned out to be true. While the club had already struck a deal with linebacker Lavonte David and franchise wide receiver Chirs Godwin, Shaq Barrett’s status was still on the line. However, the club were able to retain the star player by signing him on Monday at a $ 72 million four-year contract. Not only were the Bucs able to keep Barrett, they also brought Rob Gronkowski back to a one-year contract. As it stands, Tampa Bay is well positioned to defend its title.
With the uncertain status looming over Russell Wilson, you’d think it would be up to Seattle to show up on day one of free agency and give the star quarterback what he wants: protection. However, the Seahawks remained calm Monday as guards Joe Thuney and Kevin Zeitler came out of the table with star center Corey Linsley. If the Seahawks had taken Wilson’s earlier comments this offseason about adding the offensive line to heart and stepped out of the gate, it could have been a key olive branch to eventually fix some fences. At the moment, it doesn’t look like Seattle has done much to smooth things over with the cornerstone of their franchise.
Patrick Mahomes clearly doesn’t want to be beaten anymore like he did in Super Bowl LV. The quarterback recently restructured his contract with the Chiefs to give the club more room and it paid immediate dividends with the team signing left guard Joe Thuney to a five-year contract. Thuney has been a key part of the Patriots’ offense through two Super Bowl championships and he will now be looking to add to his resume by blocking Mahomes for the next half decade. According to PFF, Thuney has only allowed three sacks since 2018. Not only does he bring elite production, but he’s also proven to be one of the most enduring offensive linemen.
Obviously, Mahomes loves what his team does on day one of free agency.
With tight end Jonnu Smith signing with the Patriots and Corey Davis signing a deal with the Jets, Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill is losing two of his top three pass catchers a season ago. Smith and Davis combined 1,432 yards on Tannehill’s 3,819 passing yards in 2020, or about 37.5% of his production. Of Tannehill’s 33 touchdowns last season, 13 were for either Smith or Davis. Sure, Tannehill can always rely on wide receiver AJ Brown and running back Derrick Henry to help push Tennessee’s offense into the field, but it has likely gotten a little more difficult with Smith and Davis.
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