NFL Free Agency Grades 2021: Analysis of Every Major Move

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This will be an unusual offseason in the NFL, given the lower salary cap and fewer opportunities to spot potential candidates. The full ramifications of these changes aren’t entirely known yet, but here’s our first guess with the legal tampering window now open: This will be the free agency of the Dream Teams. Whether it’s a team aspiring to become the Buccaneers, the Buccaneers trying to stay the Buccaneers or a sleeping superpower coming out of a long slumber to resume its role as the mainstay of the championship.

All of this will not be accomplished through a free agency. Unlike other big professional sports leagues, you can’t build a squad this way, but you can punctuate your enthusiasm around the roster with free agent acquisitions. And we’ve seen quite a bit of splash already.

Here’s what we’ve seen so far, along with our notes on each signing.

Mark Konezny / USA TODAY Sports

Joe Thuney to the chefs

The Chiefs would also be in the mix for Trent Williams, which would be a hell of a offseason if they managed to secure two high-profile offensive linemen to bolster their front. Everyone has seen the Super Bowl and understands the limits Patrick Mahomes will have if he doesn’t have time to be Superman. Thuney costs a lot of money, but when you find yourself in a window similar to the chefs, it’s worth the hefty price tag. An encouraging sign: Thuney allowed just two sacks last season, despite blocking for a recovering Cam Newton and a non-existent wide receiving body that at times forced games to lengthen unnecessarily.

GRADE: B +

Matt Judon at the Patriots

It felt like a winning streak for Bill Belichick. Not only is he paying well below market value for an excellent passer who helped a similar amoebic defense in Baltimore, but he also takes away a key element from a conference rival, who might have liked Judon to return. at that price (or around that price tag). Belichick was able to shop in the upper tier at an upper middle tier price, which could quickly help rebuild his defense.

GRADE: A

Rob Gronkowski re-signs with the Buccaneers

It’s a strange thing to say that Jonnu Smith is worth every penny at $ 12 million per season, but Rob Gronkowski is a luxury at $ 10 million. He’s become a different player for Tampa Bay, but again, we don’t know what Gronkowski will look like in 2021 with a full bodybuilding offseason and a better sense of his place in the Bruce Arians / Tom Brady system. It could be vintage Gronkowski. It could also be a bit of pride.

Category B-

Corey Linsley to Chargers

There is no better gift for a developing star quarterback than a center who controlled and called up the protection plans for one of the NFL’s most sophisticated and manic quarterbacks. Linsley can be a lifeline for the Chargers, and all of a sudden, the presence of the Packers’ offensive line doubles in the west. It’s never a bad thing to have more Ted Thompson offensive linemen.

GRADE: B +

Yannick Ngakoue at the Raiders

Jon Gruden is once again trying to replace the sleight of hand he gave away a few years ago. It’s not a linear comparison, of course, and there’s no way for Ngakoue to create the same kind of havoc on the pitch as Khalil Mack. That said, he’s a good pass passer who, despite some weird ping-pong around Minnesota and Baltimore, is worth over $ 13 million.

CATEGORY B-

Kendrick Bourne at the Patriots

Jimmy Garoppolo had a passer rating over 120 when he aimed for Bourne in 2019, which is worth bringing back for another day. Bourne appears to be the best of what Belichick covets in a wide receiver; the kind of player who can dominate the midfield and create space. A trio of Bourne, Julian Edelman and Nelson Agholor feels somewhat formidable, which is the first time in a long time that this can be said in New England.

CATEGORY B

Nelson Agholor with the Raiders. — Mark J. Rebilas / USA TODAY Sports

Nelson Agholor at the Patriots

Agholor is a phenomenal athlete with explosive speed who has been irregular at times, but who made the most of a contract season in Las Vegas last year, catching 48 balls for nearly 900 yards and eight touchdowns. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Belichick and Josh McDaniels get the most out of Agholor, although situations like these are always a big bet, especially for a wide receiver with a career catch percentage in the 50s and a situation uncertain under center at QB. (to be fair, Agholor’s drop rate is quite low, so the catch percentage is a bit misleading).

GRADE: C +

Jalen Mills at the Patriots

Mills is an ideal player for Belichick, who comes from the Eagles, a team that played a very similar man / zone cover division in 2020. Mills works in this defense because of his versatility. Last year alone he played a high percentage of snaps as a safe, but was also a slot wedge, wide wedge, and free safety on a formidable number of downs.

CATEGORY B

Shaq Barrett re-signs with the Buccaneers

The Buccaneers are in that glorious post-Super Bowl YOLO stage where an untouchable GM can tap his cash reserves and a horde of talented players all want to come and play there. Keeping Barrett, however, was always going to be more complicated. Coming out of a franchise tag, the negotiations could have become controversial, especially after the pass rush gave Tampa Bay a Super Bowl. But instead, the Buccaneers are giving him relative steal – $ 18 million per season. That alone makes the signing a good signing for Tampa.

GRADE: A

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Jonnu Smith at the Patriots

Cam Newton’s re-signing was a lukewarm start to free will, which is why Jonnu Smith’s signing was so compelling. New England is spending a lot of money ($ 12.5 million) on a tight game that catches passes and is demonic in space. Smith’s market was always going to be surprisingly high for the layman (the Titans are pushing to re-sign Anthony Firkser), which is why Tennessee had to let him go. The Patriots’ pronounced entry into the free agent market does not signal the time for rebuilding in New England. Smith will be a gift to Newton, or anyone who throws passes.

GRADE: A-

Jason Verrett re-signs with 49ers

Unfortunately for Verrett, a series of injuries forced him to agree to these short-term demonstration deals. Luckily for the 49ers, it’s a great cornerback coming back and helping them fix a secondary that will lose a lot of heart and soul this offseason. Verrett can be that astute veteran presence, especially after a season in which he played more than three-quarters of the team’s defensive shots with an opposite score of 76.2 QB.

GRADE: B +

Aaron Jones re-signs with the Packers

Green Bay are a smart team who understand the importance of layering a position like running back, especially in this particular offense. Maybe Jones isn’t here forever and maybe it’s affecting AJ Dillon’s development, but they make sure the position is well-stocked and they’re as versatile as they can get in the area. red.

GRADE: A

Kevin Zeitler at Ravens

Zeitler is one of football’s most prolific inside blockers, which makes perfect sense that he lowers 95 in Baltimore and helps anchor the spot once held by the great Marshall Yanda. Zeitler has missed one game since 2015 and, despite a 2020 offensive line-up collective fight with the Giants, should be able to maximize Baltimore’s downhill racing game. Bonus for Baltimore: Zeitler doesn’t change his compensatory selection formula because the Giants let him go. Thus, they recover a large victim from the cap and do not lose much in return.

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