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2021 NFL Free Agency Thread (3 Viewers)

Dianna Russini@diannaESPN

Just texted with an NFL head coach about the upcoming cuts and what he expects…

“It’s going to be a massacre next week all around the league”

 
Buckna said:
Man, I like PFF but that is a terrible article.
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It was kind of like a scoop of Neapolatin ice cream. A few were very well thought out, a few were middle of the fairway, and a few were just awful. That may be by design. You don't get many clicks by suggesting a team weak at coverage LB sign a coverage LB.

For instance, while I think Cam is just an awful fit in NO he will likely be playing for crumbs(and that is all NO can afford) and the author makes a fair point he's one of the few veteran backups on the market that will be able to use the same playbook as Taysom Hill.

The Winston to NE scenario seems like pure click bait to me. NE really comes down to Winston or Fitz? Neither makes any sense to me, but Cam didn't make any sense to me last season either so who knows. IF SF really did sign Dak Preckott(rolling my eyes) then I have no doubt JimmyG ends up back in NE probably on a re-worked contract. I wonder if you can make a prop bet on Prescott being the opening day starter in SF and Winston being the opening day starter for NE? Seems like a trillion to one shot to me.

 
BoltBacker said:
It was kind of like a scoop of Neapolatin ice cream. A few were very well thought out, a few were middle of the fairway, and a few were just awful. That may be by design. You don't get many clicks by suggesting a team weak at coverage LB sign a coverage LB.

For instance, while I think Cam is just an awful fit in NO he will likely be playing for crumbs(and that is all NO can afford) and the author makes a fair point he's one of the few veteran backups on the market that will be able to use the same playbook as Taysom Hill.

The Winston to NE scenario seems like pure click bait to me. NE really comes down to Winston or Fitz? Neither makes any sense to me, but Cam didn't make any sense to me last season either so who knows. IF SF really did sign Dak Preckott(rolling my eyes) then I have no doubt JimmyG ends up back in NE probably on a re-worked contract. I wonder if you can make a prop bet on Prescott being the opening day starter in SF and Winston being the opening day starter for NE? Seems like a trillion to one shot to me.
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Good point about writing to get clicks, I often forget that hot takes, etc. are to generate talk and are there on purpose sometimes.

 
The Athletic's Joe Buscaglia reports the Bills are "intent" on adding a tight end in free agency. 

Dawson Knox last season, struggling through multiple injuries, saw a meager 3.75 targets per game in 11 contests, though a more dynamic tight end could command a larger target share in Buffalo's wildly pass-heavy offense. The team will have a range of free agent tight end options from which to choose, including Jonnu Smith, Cameron Brate, Hunter Henry, Kyle Rudolph, Gerald Everett, and possibly Zach Ertz. “At the end of the year, I thought we did a little bit, Dawson started to get his groove. But it was never where the opposing defense was like, ‘Man, we’ve got to stop their tight ends from going off,'" Bills general manager Brandon Beane said. "So we’ll look into that group.” Buscaglia said Smith "would immediately be the top tight end on the roster and has enough blocking abilities to stay on the field for all three downs," but mentioned his route running as a weak point that could make Henry the superior option for Buffalo. Everett, Buscaglia said, could be the best financial fit for the team. 

RELATED: 

Kyle Rudolph

, Cameron Brate

, Gerald Everett

, Hunter Henry

SOURCE: The Athletic 

Mar 8, 2021, 11:25 AM ET
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Seahawks released DE Carlos Dunlap.

The move creates $14.07 million in cap space for Seattle, which currently projects to have just $11 million in cap available entering the new league year. Dunlap, 32, made an impact upon being acquired by the Seahawks mid-season, collecting 14 tackles and 14 quarterback hits in only eight games played. Although $14 million was an unreasonable ask ultimately leading to his release, it's possible the organization attempts to bring him back with a significantly lower offer.

SOURCE: Gregg Bell on Twitter

Mar 8, 2021, 1:07 PM ET
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Free agent CB A.J. Bouye visited the Raiders Monday.

It's Bouye's first official visit since he was released by the Broncos in February. The 29-year-old appeared in seven games in his lone season in Denver due to multiple injuries and suspension, the latter which he still has two games left to serve at the start of next year. Although he was initially owed $13 million on the final year of his deal before being cut, Bouye should expect less than half of that on the open market.

RELATED: 

Las Vegas Raiders

SOURCE: Mike Klis on Twitter

Mar 8, 2021, 1:11 PM ET
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NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports the Seahawks will not franchise tag CB Shaquill Griffin, making him a free agent. 

Rapsheet does claim the Seahawks will "work to retain Griffin in free agency." We'll see about that. 25-year-old Griffin is one of the 2-3 best corners available, and it is a position that does not struggle to bring home big money on the open market. Griffin's four years in Seattle have been something of a rollercoaster, but teams are always willing to gamble on intriguing, experienced young cornerback talent. 

RELATED: 

Seattle Seahawks

SOURCE: Ian Rapoport on Twitter 

Mar 9, 2021, 2:02 PM ET
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Browns released DE Adrian Clayborn. 

The move creates an even $3 million in cap space. 32-year-old Clayborn's stay in Cleveland ended up being only one season. He registered four sacks on 404 snaps in 2020. Four months shy of his 33rd birthday, Clayborn will be moving onto his fourth team in four years. 

RELATED: 

Cleveland Browns

Mar 9, 2021, 1:55 PM ET
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The Cardinals will not assign the franchise tag to LB Haason Reddick, making him a free agent. 

The Cardinals declined Reddick's fifth-year team option last spring and he responded by having a career year. His tag would have been difficult to fit under the cap after the Cardinals signed J.J. Watt. Headed into his age-27 campaign, Reddick's 12.5 sacks last season more than doubled the total from the first three years of his career. That will surely weigh on potential teams' minds as they evaluate Reddick in free agency. 

RELATED: 

Arizona Cardinals

SOURCE: Adam Schefter on Twitter 

Mar 9, 2021, 2:59 PM ET
Click to expand...

 
The Titans will not franchise tag TE Jonnu Smith, making him a free agent. 

The tag was never expected for a seam stretcher who finished 2020 with a 41/448/8 line. Five months shy of his 26th birthday, Smith slots in near the top of the tight end market, with only Hunter Henry clearly ahead of him. Established as both a red zone and YAC threat, Smith will not hurt for interest. 

Bills or Colts could use him.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Buccaneers re-signed LB Lavonte David to a two-year, $25 million contract.

The deal includes $20 million guaranteed and three voidable years tacked on the end that help keep his cap number at a manageable $3.5 million annually. 31-year-old David was Pro Football Focus' No. 1 coverage linebacker last year, flashing his sideline-to-sideline abilities in the Super Bowl as he matched his assignments step for step. With Chris Godwin returning in 2021 on the franchise tag, the Buccaneers have already shored up two leaders on both sides of the ball early into free agency. The team will undoubtedly look to bring back Shaq Barrett long-term with its next transaction.

SOURCE: Ian Rapoport on Twitter

Mar 9, 2021, 4:31 PM ET
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Titans released CB Malcolm Butler. 

The thoroughly unsurprising move clears $10.2 million in cap space. Now 31, Butler was by no means the weakest link of the Titans' underachieving 2020 defense, but he had never lived up to expectations after signing a five-year deal in 2018. Still capable of being an every-down player, Butler picked off four passes in 2020. He should find a new home in relatively short order. 

RELATED: 

Tennessee Titans

SOURCE: Jeremy Fowler on Twitter 

Mar 9, 2021, 5:36 PM ET
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The NFL's 2021 salary cap will be $182.5 million per team. 

The official cap is about $500,000 less than what teams were expecting, and a marked drop off from 2020's cap of $198.2 million. The league told teams they won't be allowed to borrow cap room from future years to help them in 2021. The NFLPA told its reps this week that this year’s cap would have dropped to about $155 million if all COVID-related losses had been taken into account. That would have been disastrous for a number of teams. ESPN's Dan Graziano said the NFLPA negotiated a cap “floor” of $175 million last summer to guard against such a scenario. Dak Prescott's front-loaded deal is a sign that the 2022 salary cap will be far higher than this year's number. Free agents this year could opt for more one-year contracts in hopes of signing more lucrative long-term deals after the salary cap climbs in 2022. 

SOURCE: Tom Pelissero on Twitter 

Mar 10, 2021, 9:30 AM ET
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Former No 1-Eric Fisher has been released by the Chiefs. 

30 yrs old, Right Tackle, missed the Super Bowl with injury IIRC. 

$12M in cap space freed up

 
Also hearing Cam Newton will be brought back on a 1 year deal, in other news the Patriots trade their '21 and '22 1st round picks plus No 47 or whatever they are picking in the 2nd and move up to No 3 with Miami so they can select Trey Lance. 

Only the Cam stuff is true at the moment.  

 
3rd Rd pick in 2018, behemoth of a man, Orlando Brown is apparently seeking a trade and talking to 6 different teams right now. Entering year 4 of his rookie deal and wants a new contract. He would command at least a 2nd I would think. Maybe a lot more. 

25th/79 ranked on PFF, that's pretty good. 

 
Ministry of Pain said:
Former No 1-Eric Fisher has been released by the Chiefs. 

30 yrs old, Right Tackle, missed the Super Bowl with injury IIRC. 

$12M in cap space freed up
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Torn Achilles in the AFC championship game. Likely won’t even be able to get back on the field in 2021.

I thought you couldn’t cut injured players and had to come to an injury settlement? Maybe if he never went on IR?

 
Buckna said:
Torn Achilles in the AFC championship game. Likely won’t even be able to get back on the field in 2021.

I thought you couldn’t cut injured players and had to come to an injury settlement? Maybe if he never went on IR?
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Some contracts are guaranteed for injury. Some are not.

 
Dr. Octopus said:
Some contracts are guaranteed for injury. Some are not.
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I apparently have the terms confused, placing a player on IR guarantee’s the full salary for the year and you can’t cut him until he passes a physical. Injury settlements are usually negotiated in lieu of putting a player on IR and paying the full salary but also releases them from the team to let them seek new employment.

 
Buckna said:
I apparently have the terms confused, placing a player on IR guarantee’s the full salary for the year and you can’t cut him until he passes a physical. Injury settlements are usually negotiated in lieu of putting a player on IR and paying the full salary but also releases them from the team to let them seek new employment.
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Yes. Also I was trying to say some contracts have outs in theM where a player can be cut before the start of the season for any reason except for injury.

 
Packers re-signed RB Aaron Jones to a four-year, $48 million contract.

After the Packers chose not to place the franchise tag on Jones, it looked like the electric back would be forced into testing the waters of free agency. Following some extra time at the negotiating table, Jones will be staying in Green Bay for the next four seasons if he's able to play out the length of the contract. Despite missing two games in 2020, Jones set a career-high in rushing yards at 1,104 to go along with his 355 yards through the air. He has scored 30 times over the past two seasons and routinely sits atop the league's best backs in yards per carry. If he can maintain his current career pace of 5.2 yards per carry, he'll likely go down as one of the most efficient runners the league has ever seen. Green Bay took AJ Dillon in the second round of the draft last year but it looks like he'll continue to serve as nothing more than a premium backup. Jamaal Williams has been used to spell Jones at times but he is set to hit free agency. If Green Bay lets him walk, it would likely mean more work for both Jones and Dillon.

 
JohnnyU said:
What if this turns into a 50/50 split?  That wouldn’t be good for Jones.
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I doubt it would be 50/50 after that contract.

It could be 60/40 though which the Packers seem fine with doing. I do think Dillon is a good RB and both RB bring a different style of play that I think the Packers will use situationally.

 
So the details here make this a flexible deal for the Saints, but the topline numbers are :lmao:  

Adam Schefter @AdamSchefter

Saints are restructuring QB Taysom Hill’s contract to create cap room. Details are great: it’s a 4-year, $140 million contract extension - but all years are voidable and it’s a mechanism to free up cap space this year, per source. It saves Saints over $7.5M against cap this year.

4:25 PM · Mar 14, 2021

 
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