[ad_1]
Of course, Matt Stafford’s blockbuster came together quickly and smoothly. But don’t be fooled. The rest of the quarterback market will be slower, with ownership and management groups in Houston and Green Bay yet to master everything that might lie ahead, and other teams interested in these quarterbacks stuck with their own current rookies. . Meanwhile.
There will be ripples – more like waves – of trades at the most important position of all professional sports throughout the offseason. Any move will have corollaries – call it trickle-down tradenomics, if you will: Deshaun Watson goes, say, the Jets, spawning an inevitable move from Sam Darnold to a place like, say, the 49ers, which then would move. Jimmy Garoppolo elsewhere.
And that’s just the first tier, which could very well include Aaron Rodgers as well, lest the Packers calm him down both financially and in terms of building / keeping a roster that he deems truly worthy of the Super. Bowl. Sorting out Watson’s situation and tracking Rodgers – as so many teams are – will take time, and not all teams will be willing to wait until the end. But some surely will.
As long as there are dead ends at the top of the market, life could get even more complicated for guys like Cam Newton, Jameis Winston and Andy Dalton – who have already had to deal with the unique forces of the pandemic market a long time ago. an, as they finally found out. new houses. This will likely be the case again in 2021.
Then there’s the unusual assessment process for this class of college quarterbacks, some of whom barely played and neither team got to spend time like they normally would in or out of season. The combine is very different, the tasting and dining trips to the team facilities are over, and the Pro Days are also changed. Fewer scouts and cadres in the field. Less information than normal. Even more projections than normal (better to have a high level analysis staff).
This complicates things, but in the end expect at least five passers-by to participate in the first round and possibly four in the top 10; some of those teams that end up selecting such a high QB will have been among those that were already on Stafford, Watson et al. Don’t worry… it’s going to be another wacky year of quarterback activity. It will simply take more patience than the Stafford / Goff swap required.
The curious dolphins co-coordinators move
The Dolphins’ coaching staff remains to be watched. The constant turnover at critical points – especially on offensive staff – has been less than optimal and the promotion of two co-offensive coordinators from within also seems ripe for potential discord.
Brian Flores did a lot of really good things laying the groundwork in Miami, and the team is heading in the right direction overall, but the tendency to tinker around and try a little too hard is hard to miss. Whether it’s New England or not, at some point more stability is in order, especially if they really want to build around Tua or another young QB to grab later. And if they want to compete in the Deshaun Watson rodeo, as many have suggested, promoting former assistant Bill O’Brien and defrocked caller George Godsey is a weird way to go about it. This could be a deciding factor for a QB with a no-trade clause and great leverage.
Jags to covet the Ravens defenders
Keep an eye out for the Jacksonville Jaguars picking up multiple free agency Ravens. Their new defense, led by former Ravens assistant Joe Cullen as the new coordinator, will reward many of the body types and characteristics that have worked so well for Wink Martindale in Baltimore.
Only Jacksonville has tons of ceiling space and this owner is willing to spend big on new coach Urban Meyer and it will be tough for the Ravens to compete to keep a lot (some?) Of their edge defenders bonuses that aren’t. not under contract for the next one. season. It’s a diverse roster led by Matt Judon, who starred on the franchise label in 2020 and is an ultra versatile advocate. Tyus Bowser was among the leaders in the NFL league in linebacker interceptions. He has a good rate of return home on pushes / kickbacks and he’s beefy enough to set the edge and is only 25 with an advantage; some think it could land in the $ 10 a year range, if not more.
Pernell McPhee and Jihad Ward were great low-cost one-year adjustments for the Ravens, but they could see the Jags action as well. One guy on board who won’t be making his way to Jacksonville is former Jags franchise player Yannick Ngakoue, who struggled in Baltimore and left $ 6 million on the table just to get out of Jacksonville before the season.
Free agents facing an uncertain market
There is much less information as of early February on the next free agent market this year for a multitude of reasons. For starters, no one knows what the cap will be, with expert estimates ranging from $ 195M to $ 175M obviously a huge sinkhole. This has put the market on hold for the most part, tampering is at a minimum, and with the combine essentially a virtual event in 2021, which further limits normal pre-free agency flirting modes.
A lot of the agents and executives I’ve spoken to believe we might see a much slower than normal rollout on paydays. Of course, there have been and will be more trades done before the start of the league year. These are largely fixed costs. But it’s harder than ever to find the exact sweet spot for some free agency players, with projections for even high-end players fluctuating depending on who you’re talking to.
[ad_2]
Source link