The Athletic Football Show: A show about the NFL - NFL free agency day two recap: Brian Burns to the Giants, Derrick Henry to the Ravens, active days for the Vikings and Patriots, and more

Episode Date: March 12, 2024

Day two of NFL free agency in the 2024 offseason gave us a bit of a breather, but not much of one. Brian Burns is a Giant! Derrick Henry is a Raven! Aaron Jones is a Viking! Not literally, of course, but in a football sense. Plus, the Patriots and Commanders made a ton of moves, the Dolphins got on the board, and the Lions further shored up their defense. Robert Mays and Nate Tice break it all down on this episode of The Athletic Football Show.Follow Robert on Twitter: @robertmaysFollow Nate on Twitter: @Nate_TiceSubscribe to The Athletic Football Show...AppleSpotifyYouTube Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is the athletic football show. Welcome to the athletic football show. I'm Robert Mays. Join me today. It's my good friend Nate Tyson. How you doing, buddy? Doing well. Day two.

Day two. Chugging along. Day two. And like day one night. Yeah. That's always the challenge with this is when you cut it off at a certain time, you're always going to miss stuff. And we heard the rumblings about the Brian Burns trade before we stopped recording

yesterday, but then inevitably the actual trade happens like 40 minutes after we stop. So it's just kind of a never-ending scooping of the news over this week. There's just a running document that exists on our computer that we're just throwing stuff in. So they all blend together. Day one into day two, show one into show two, but still a lot of stuff today. I will say mercifully, not at the same clip that was happening yesterday. It was very hard to keep track and organize everything that was going down yesterday.

So I'm happy that the foot has been let off the gas a little bit, which naturally happens. You know, we had so many guys fly off the board. There are so many, only so many left. So the pace was always going to slow down. But I'm very happy. As I'm getting older, it's easier to operate at this kind of steady clip compared to what we were doing yesterday. This was expectations. I'm not going to lie compared to yesterday. Reality was yesterday of how this goes. Today was by how I expected the pace of this all to go. Very capture, saw him go. Oh, okay, what now? Oh, there's only a couple guys there.

Okay, you might re-sign. Oh, it's between two teams. That's easy to figure it out as opposed to, you know, now we got guys going on visits. Now there's enough time to digest the moves to happen. Rather than just clicking down to the next one and typing it in, it's like, oh, so-and-so signed here. What do I think about that?

And I actually have room to breathe and consider that for a minute. So hopefully we'll be able to provide a little bit more context and a little bit more analysis to these today than we could have yesterday. Let's start with that big kind of bombshell move that happened yesterday evening. And that is Brian Burns getting traded to the Giants. The Giants send a 24 second and a 2025 fifth to Carolina. Team also they swap 2024 fifth rounders. That doesn't really matter.

The main headline of the trade here, a second round pick going back to the Panthers. And the Giants signing Brian Burns to a five-year, $141 million deal. For some context, that's a $28.2 million AAV and $87.5 million guaranteed. That is second to Nick Bosa in both of those categories. The first three years essentially are guaranteed plus the signing bonus. So if you want to compare this to a deal that happened in the last calendar year with similar trade value going back, Montez Sweat had $63 million three-year cash flow. Burns is at $90 million.

dollars. So this is about as healthy of a deal as you can possibly get outside of resetting the market. So good for Brian Burns and a symbol that the Giants were really willing to be aggressive chasing this exact kind of presence within their defense. That's kind of what you have to do. I mean, really, that trade is perfectly fair, I think for the Giants end, but knowing that you have to pay. And I think Burns has kind of entered kind of more of the very good tier to me. Yeah. Borderline star, you know, can get pro-bullish kind of player.

He never took that step. We were kind of waiting for him to take it over the last couple years to become that truly dominant force. And he never quite got there, even though he is a very good edge and very good edges are hard to find. That's it. It's very good edges are hard to find. When the sweat trade happened, that's how I felt.

And I think the same, I think they're in very same tiers. But I actually think the sweat trade has already aged very well. And, of course, but having said that, they have to take an age, all that kind of thing. Burns, I think, has played in various defenses. So I think no matter what, he's kind of scheme-proof. He's in that very good tier. He can get after the passer. He can win one-on-ones.

He's a contributor in the run game. He's a smart player. He can be kind of boom-bussy because he's smart and he'll make some guesses, some better bees. But it's hard to find these guys unless you spend a top 15 pick. You know, this is like that's what he was. He was a top 20 pick. That's what you have to invest.

And wait when you're a team like the Giants, they have holes everywhere. All right. So now, okay, we can do this with our second round. Okay. All right, now we got an edge. All right, now our defense aligns working really good. Now we have a strength on our defense to build off of. Okay, all right, now we can figure out all these other parts. We can use our first rounder.

We can use our other picks to shore up other parts to add weapons as well. So it made sense to me as I kind of more thought about it, even if the sticker price is very, very high, which I will admit. Maybe this is just because I'm too close to it. But with the Bears trade for Montez-Swet, I can understand it with their timeline, right? you've built it up for two years. You're an ascending team. You have fewer holes because you've been able to fill a bunch of them with free agency dollars, just, et cetera. It felt like that was a natural step in their progression as a team.

What do you make of the Giants timeline as currently constructed? It's a little, they are not a team. Put it this way. If you gave me like five teams to say where I think Brian Burns would end up, the Giants would have made those five, would not have made those five teams. Just based on where they were. Just on where they're at. Just on where they're at right now. By need, it makes sense.

But in terms of where they're trending and where they're headed, it's a little bit murkier with them. Look where the bears were at. Also, the bears, I think, had a good spot of like, okay, this is what we need to. I think, too, the Giants are transitioning defensive play caller for one thing. Also, the bears, even with fields and what turned into the number one pick, they had a quarterback answer. You know what I mean? It's either fields or a draft pick. Yes.

The Giants are a question back. forward for the bears, a clear path forward. There is not one for the Giants, and that's kind of what I'm getting at. Yeah. So if you make a big move at other positions, usually the first answer I speak, what's your, what's your answer? A quarterback. That's why you make these kind of move. So I'm with you in the sense that it's, it's, man, this is hard for me.

Because in a team building sense, I understand making a, it's hard to get this type of player. It's, you're creating a true, true strength of your defense. You're true, a true game plan strength every single week. That that's what the Giants have up front now. But do you need that right now? It's not like it's the Cowboys or it's another team that can make a push right now. So I do have some hesitations to that end.

I was talking to a general manager last summer and we were talking about how you leverage a rookie quarterback contract financially. And one of the terms that he threw out that I was like, oh, that's a good way to phrase this. I haven't thought about it that way before was prespending for the rookie quarterback contract. When you know what's happening, rather than looking outside of your building to get free agents who you're often overpaying for. Can you either pay your own guys or make some trades where, okay, we're not spending it after we get the guy. We're not doing what the dolphins did with Tyree Kill or what the Eagles even did with AJ

Brown. We're going to try to do that before we even get the guy in the building. That's what the Bears did. They knew they were getting onto the rookie quarterback contract timeline. So you can pay DJ more. You can pay Tremaine Edmins. You can pay Montes Sweat. And it becomes very clear when they knew they were going to have a top two pick by the

time they traded for Montes Sweat. For the Giants, are they necessarily? going to be on that rookie quarterback timeline? Are they going to stick with Daniel Jones? So there's a lot of questions here. I will say there are moves outside of the Brian Burns contract. I think do make a lot of sense. Bring in Jermaine Aluminor on that very reasonable deal with $7 million a year. He's right in the middle. There's no other offensive tackle in the NFL that makes $7 million a year. So the guys who are real stopgap swing guys like Riley Reef last year, guys in that range were at like five. And then. And the bottom line veteran starters are like 10. So he's right on the edge with I think is very telling. Because what this does is it gives you a high-end swing guy that if you want to put him in for Evan Neal because that experiment fails, you can do that. You have John Runyon there now who is a capable starter. So they've looked for competency in some places.

Devin Singletary is another very good example replacing Sequin. But then they make this huge swing for Brian Burns. And I'm just trying to do a little Pepe Sylvia connecting the dots of like, what does this all mean for their quarter? quarterback plan, where are they heading? And I haven't quite gotten there yet. And then they signed Drew Locke. Yeah. So, yes. So it's just, I'm with you. I don't know. I don't shoot, I think they're open to everything. I think that's what they're kind of going down this. Maybe that's the case. Maybe like, yeah, we'll see how it unfolds in the top. So what's just, our guy is still there. What's build up, what's build up the rest as we kind of, we assume that we can go down any paths.

So I think maybe that's what they're going down. Because, yeah, like you say, getting a, the, the opportunity cost of missing on a high draft pick is that you are not only you're giving snaps. What I should say is not he's not working out as the star that you think he is. You're also giving snaps to sometimes a negative player that you otherwise wouldn't be. You would just say, hey, that's a below replacement level player or replacement level player. Shoot, we got to upgrade from it. But that's the, that's the cost. You're getting negative snaps, losing snaps out there.

So that's what it's a rip cord that signing. It's a just in good. This is a good patchwork. move. It's like, all right, if this does not work out, at least now we have an option on the roster. Maybe we got a roster. Maybe camp hits and our best five is not what we expect about. We should have five guys that can play. And so that's another thing. Now you have answers, more means to answers at least. So I like that those types of sightings a lot when teams, especially a line. I'll be curious to see how the Burns trade fits into the overall plan when that crystallizes

when we get past the draft. But we're not going to have answers until then. The other big trade from yesterday that came down yesterday evening after we stopped recording. the Lions went and got their corner. Not the corner that some people expected. It's not what Jerry Sneed, but still a big-name player who I think fits stylistically what they want to do. They trade Carlton Davis and two sixth round picks to the Lions for a third round pick. If you do the trade chart math on that one, essentially nets out to a fourth. So a fourth round pick for Carlton Davis, who's on a $14 million-dollar base salary this year.

I appreciate how the Lions have approached building their secondary over the last two years. they've just taken as many bites of the apple as possible. So last year they signed Cam Sutton and Emmanuel Mosley. This year, they trade for Carlton Davis and sign a Meek Robertson, formerly of the Raiders, to a two-year $9 million deal earlier today. So they're just saying, come hell or high water, we're going to find starters here. We are going to somehow do this. And that's on top of bringing in Brian Branch in the draft last year and signing C.J. Gardner Johnson

to play a safety corner however you want to trot them out there. So they have been open to problem. solving at these spots over the last year or so. And you would hope that eventually all these dice rolls put them in a decent spot back there. The Lions is, you know, the upgrades of other positions were like, oh, like you guys think that's good enough, I guess. They agree.

There's a in-house and a public agreement on the defensive backroom in Detroit. There's everybody's on the same page here. There is no, Brad Holmes coming out there and yelling at people and going, you didn't think our DBs were good enough there. He's like, no, no, I get it. I get it. I'm joining you on this one. This is not part of the victory lap tour.

No, no, this is a lockstep one. No, I've had a lot of thinking on corners and stuff and trying to gauge their value because they are valuable, but also they're volatile. And also it's,

well, we have no means, again, of adding talented one in the first round. We have other holes that we want to get to. Maybe our spot in the draft or maybe we just want to double up. I don't know. It's still that thinking where it's like relief pitchers.

It's like pitchers. Just throw bodies at it. Maybe it'll work out. Oh, wow. This guy worked out. out. Okay, cool. We found one. That's how they're going about it and finding these, I would call a stop gap. Carlton Davis is a pretty good stop gap. He hasn't played a full season. That's, again, you're adding volativeness to volatility. And beyond the being on the field, his play has

been up and down. So you would hope that you're buying a little bit low on a guy who might have a little bit of a bounce back. So you're almost riding that volatility wave by making a play like this for Carlton Davis. You're hoping it's the opposite. And he's in a, he still hasn't hit 30. So you're still in the realm. And also his play style, he's plenty of athletic, but he has size. His play style just fits the Lions perfectly because of how scrappy is. It fits the way the Lions wanted to play in the back half of last season, which I also think is very telling. We've talked a lot about this.

Yes, yeah. They bring in Cam Sutton last year. Cam Sutton played a lot of zone in Pittsburgh. That's really the Pittsburgh did such a good job of hiding their other outside corners over the last several years because they played so much zone. So when the Lions thought they were going to be this quarters heavy zone-based team, Cam Sutton fit them. But then they had this identity transition in the middle of the season, and he really started to struggle. So now I think Carlton Davis fits stylistically more what we saw from the Lions in the back half of the year and in the playoffs than a guy like Cam Sutton does.

That's it. It's we even were saying it's like that they didn't have the horses to do it, but I was appreciating what Aaron Glenn was trying to do on defense. They were almost trying to be like Todd Bulls with the boxing just going funky looks and craziness. and Carlton Davis is an aggressive corner and that fits because you're giving up the boom-bustness. Like that's part of your identity. And Davis, again, fits with all that. So again, they're trying to throw bodies at this and you can't usually get a Davis off the streets like this for a cheapy deal. This is a more talented player than you can usually acquire. Yes, it's a third rounder. Yes, I know there's six rounders involved. But it's a third rounder, but you can't really get a

quality, I would say, good starter like this, even if there is the up and down to something. the play. It's just hard to find that. And for where the lines are at, I kind of get the aggressiveness. Yeah, I totally understand it. And again, I think this is shrewd problem solving from a team that has shown an ability to do that. They're not overly aggressive. They're trying to pick their spots, even with a little bit of urgency about where they stand in the NFC hierarchy. So I appreciate this. I think this falls in line with what they've been trying to do. Last thing I want to see them do, though, just a piece up front. We've talked about this. Where are they going to get a little bit more pass rush juice. John Kaminsky, who plays inside out for them in various packages, he took a pay cut

to stay reportedly today. But where are they going to find another difference maker along the front four? That is my looming question about this team. Maybe it's the draft. Maybe there's a move still to be made. But that's the one last thing I want to see them try to do on defense. We'll see if they're aware too, aware of the back end. Hopefully they're aware of this one too. That's all we got to hope. Let's get to some of today's news, assigning that I think everyone in America, that cares about the NFL wanted to see coming into this free agent period. The Ravens get their guy. Derek Henry going to Baltimore, two years, $16 million, $9 million guaranteed in year one,

a completely reasonable contract when you look at the way that the running back market was unfolding over the last couple days. And I love it. He still has a lot of juice. When you look at the player he was last year behind, I think objectively the worst offensive line in the NFL, I feel comfortable saying that, like what the Titans had last season. Bottom four.

It's certainly in the conversation. And then you look at what I think is underrated about this is that you swap out Derek Henry for Gus Edwards. And Gus Edwards was a really efficient running back last year. He gets what is blocked. He does a very good job with that. Derek Henry, because he's so big, I think people conceive of him as this big bruising running back and that's his selling point.

He is much more explosive than I think people give him credit for. So now I think along with Keaton Mitchell, potential. coming back at some point this year, you have your big bruising back be somebody who can take it 25 yards, who can create explosive runs. So I just think that stylistically, this gives Baltimore a really high floor with their running game because of what he gives you in terms of physicality. But I also think that there's more pop than people are giving it credit for with where he is at the stage of his career. It's Gus Edwards is the little little tractor. And so they just upgraded to the little tractor. It's the easiest role to picture. They don't have to change shit.

Like, it's the exact same role. Like, it's, they have the same woes and kind of pass protection, like ironically, with their size, even pass catching their best on screens and just getting downhill. What they're used, again, even Tanna Hill got used in some QB run game, but it's going to be different, but it won't be that different. Just get downhill. It'll be easier. It's going to be so many side tackles.

If you're a defensive end that has to play, or an outside linebacker that has to play Derek Henry from the side, tackle him from the side, or then have a one-on-one at Lamar. Jackson in space. It's like, no, like you don't want that. It's an easy upgrade. It makes so much sense. The stat that I was bringing up with Gus Edwards was he was the second best running back since he's entered the league and short yardage in the entire NFL.

Derek Henry is first. He's the better one. He's the one guy that's better. And actually, he's had more to usage too. So this one makes, like you said, everyone expected this one. I'll laugh again with the Titans. You know, they wanted to make sure Derek Henry got that tip of the cap at the end of his season instead of trading him to the Ravens.

So this is now, it felt like it was inevitable. So it happened. This one's easy to picture. I really like it. You got Thunder and Lightning. It's with Thunder that can go 80 yards. And those screen stuff is really great. It's going to great.

A Thunder thing go 80 yards is exactly what I was trying to pick at before. That's the right way to frame it. The Ravens have lost a few guys. I mean, clearly they have some financial restrictions that they just haven't had in years past. Like that Lamar Jackson contract is monstrous. I mean, it's huge. They were going to have to make some.

tough decisions here. And if you look at the offensive line, that's still an area where you wonder what's going to happen. Because they lost John Simpson, they moved out from Kevin Zitler. They've got guys on the roster they could potentially plug in there. But how that starting five shakes out, I think now remains the biggest question this team has on offense, because now we know what the running back situation ends up looking like. So the Ravens get Derek Henry. They lose Patrick Queen, who's going to the Steelers, three years, $41 million, $13.8 million. is guaranteed this year, that's really it. I think he has a roster bonus early next year, according to Tom Pellisero.

So even if you look at this deal, I mean, it's only, what are we looking at? Like $13.7 million a year, which is behind some of the larger free agent deals we've seen to linebackers over the last couple years. This is behind the Aluacan deal a couple years ago, way behind what a guy like Tramade Edmunds got. And when you look at the guarantees and how short term of an investment this is, it's a little bit more of a lukewarm market for Patrick Queen than I think some people had anticipated. What do you make of that?

This is, I think, a reflection of actually what he is and what he's viewed, how he's viewed in the league. Queen, much like Devin White, they are great athletes at the lineback position, but they are limited in what they can do and what you can ask him to do. They're not the green dot guy, you know, and sorting guys out. So they're an old school will linebacker. but they also are just, they have to be pointed in the right direction. They have to go, hey, you cover this guy, you have to do this.

They are good in those certain types of roles. But there's a reason that when Levante David wasn't on the field in Tampa Bay or until Roquan Smith got there in Baltimore, that queen was kind of aimless until then. And I think this is a reflection of that is that he's good in certain things. Man coverage as a blitz guy, as a simulated pressure guy, picking off centers and doing all those things, really good at those certain specific roles. but as a true three down reading the run game getting guys lined up, that's not really his game or his skill set.

So in certain ways he's limited, and I think that's the reflection of that even if he got the accolades this year and everything, it's just that he has to be pointing in the right direction to go right. It's very telling that he finally got unlocked with Roquan Smith got there. And that's why I have questions about this pairing because Alandon Roberts is a fun linebacker, but Atlanta Roberts is a thumper. I mean, that is what he does in the same way that Queen is a little bit. So it almost seems like there's a little bit of overlap in, even though Queen's more athletic, obviously.

I mean, what he can give you in terms of just movement skills. He's a dynamic player. But I don't think it's quite the same sort of pairing that would unlock him like a Levante David did with Devin White, like Roquant Smith did with him in Baltimore. So I think that there are some questions about what he's going to look like here compared to what he looked like for the Ravens over the last couple years. And I think that consideration is most likely what drove his market to this place. is that teams understood that. Yeah, coaches are going to go, okay, what did you line guys up? And he goes, no.

All right. Like, all right. That's all I need to really know. Like, I mean, but in this defense, you know, if Mika's on the field, that's another bonus of having Mika Fitzpatrick. Yeah. He's like an old school Mike linebacker and getting guys set. So maybe that's a, that's an avenue.

I'm just trying to grasp a straw. I can understand that. And again, they, they were really scrambling at linebacker down the stretch last year. And they were so bent up. They had nobody on the field. But just getting functional linebacker play, I think is a step up for them. And again, if he was going to get $18 million a year, if he was going to get the Tramade Edmonds contract from last year, I'd be like, I don't know, man. I mean, that's a huge amount to invest.

But he got less than a lot of downside. And there's not a lot of downside. Like, if he's not as good as you want him to be, you're not paying him much beyond this year if you want to pull the rip court after one year. So I think that the upside is there just based on athleticism and impact. And there's not a lot of downside baked into this contract. So I don't necessarily dislike it, even if the fit may not make as much sense as it would have in Baltimore, etc. He's still young. He's literally never missed a game in the NFL.

He's an Iron Man so far and discouraged. So that, that again is what you want to pay at least. Hey, this is a body. We have a starting linebacker here. Even if he's a specific of what he can do, he at least can do some things well. And he's only 24. And with linebackers specifically, we've seen. seen the development curve on that position where guys continue to get better in year three,

year four, year five. They get asked to do certain things. It is. And where the Steelers are at, this makes total sense. And where Queens at, this makes sense for his career, too, going, hey, I can do this in a different setting than what I've been in. So this pairing makes a lot more sense. And I think maybe some people understand what Queen is now.

Let's stick with some AFC defenders. Kenny Moore sticking in Indianapolis as their nickel corner three years, $30 million, dollars makes him the highest paid nickel in NFL history. We'll see what the guarantees are there, but that nickel market, Brad Spielberger from PFF, pointed this out earlier today. Justin Coleman had like a $9 million a year deal a couple of years ago, and it had not moved since that. So for the most part, it had stuck in that $8, $9 million range.

So Kenny Moore lifts the ceiling on that entire market and I think gives us some insight into how the Colts are approaching this free agent period. They're just bringing back their own guys. So bring back Michael Pittman. they bring back Kenny Moore. They bring back Go Restore. Is that your Franklin on an extension? Taekwon Lewis.

So that's mostly what the Colts have done. I totally get it. Kenny Moore is a good player, had a very good season last year, a bounce back season. So my main question now is where do the Colts find the upgrades? Like where does the infusion of talent come from if you're in Indianapolis? Is it just the draft?

And what do those positions look like? Because all they've done so far is bring back the 2023 Colts, which is fine, right? They were a boreline playoff team. They were better than all of us expected. But it wasn't like we're like the Colts defense is carrying them to a game after game. Exactly. It wasn't the defense is not a set it and forget it unit.

If they rolled into the season with the same group, I think I would have some questions. So where are some of those reinforcements and upgrades potentially coming from? I think is still a worthwhile question about this team. Yep. I'm curious if they go down the safety path with how many interesting safeties are still out there. So like that, that would be one. And again, it's specific. You know, they're going to be shot.

dropping down different aisles on defense and other teams are. That's another thing with how they're just building with the defense philosophy that they have under Gus Bradley too. So yeah, they're, they have an interesting front seven. It's just that they need one more juicy pass rusher and they need one more DB. That's like where it just that's where I feel like they say like a true needle mover, at least of those spots. Of course,

everybody would like that. But I think that they, I think that's right. And I think that's probably what they're chasing somewhere. But is that at 15? Yeah. Right. When they're at 15, do they think we need another potential high-end pass rusher at one of the Jaredverse type guys or the people in that range?

Or is this like the Brian Thomas team if he ends up falling that far? Whether they think they have starters at every defensive line position and every pass catching position. Where they think they need the upgrade the most, that's my biggest question about this team. And actually, where they're at in the draft, they could get all those paths. Like you just mentioned the Brian Thomas path too. I mean, there's a few other guys too, A.D. Mitchell. That, that, yeah, actually, too. And pass rusher wise, because Dallas Turner will probably be gone,

but then there's a couple other guys that this is, that's the range when these pass rushers are going to go. So no, that's great. Maybe go a line if they really want to do it. I wouldn't be surprised based on their history. But yeah, they're a team that I think has done a good job of using free agency the way you're supposed to, and that's filling holes. They did it with their own guys, but they've made it,

They've made it such that there aren't a lot of super pressing needs here. There are just areas where they need a step up. And I think that's where you want to be as you move into the draft, right? That's exactly the position you want to be in. That's it. The draft is for the needle movers. That's what you want to build around these guys. They're building blocks.

No, I'm just really, it's kind of nice with a reset cap and everything and also what these guys are getting paid. You can kind of see what the tiers are. Okay. So a nickel only DB, a good one, is 10 mil. Okay, now that's the top of the nickel only. You can't play outside. Can't do that.

Say you're a safety that can play in the slot. I wonder what that market would be for that. That's why I'm curious. All right, but if you're a starting level guard, just starting level, eight million. Okay. All right. All right. If you are a number twoish, number threeish receiver, it's what, 12, 13 mil?

Okay. Yeah. So now we're kind of seeing these tear breaks. We'll talk about this when we talk about Darno Mooney, but that market to me is really interesting. There's a lot happening there because I think some of those numbers are getting pushed down. The Gabe Davis details came out. So we'll hit on that. But the other spot is corner, right? So even if you were a step down and outside corner, the Darius Williams contract for the Rams is probably pretty similar to where Kenny Moore landed. He's a guy that just got

cut and he got $10 million a year. So those, where those lines get drawn in terms of usage and where the value exists between them, we have gotten a lot of clarity on that. The swing tackle water was hilarious because it was literally the middle ground between the love. I swear to God, Germain and has an average annual value at tackle that no player in the NFL has. It's not on a rookie contract. Good for him. It is very telling, like, what the Giants think of him and how he fits into their plans when you look at that move.

All right, let's keep on rolling here. The biggest move of the day, the biggest move of free agency for some of us, is the quarterback news that came down in Minnesota last night. Late last night, under the cover of night, the Minnesota Vikings decide that Sam Darnold is their Kirk Cousins contingency plan. The reported numbers are one year, 10 million. I'll be curious if that's an up to figure or where that actually settles. But that 10 million or so is essentially where the market for bridge guys has landed over the last couple years.

If you look at what Jacoby Percette got last year, this is a similar sort of area that we're shopping in. His was up to, I think, like, eight, but the base was four. So his was even though. I'm sure. Yeah. This is like the markup on that. So this is the Baker Jacoby percent. that we know that you're not our long-term starter,

but you're the dice roll we're going to take sort of market. And that's exactly where I think Sam Donald was going to fall this year when you look at the other available options in that sort of situation. This is a little more than Marioada. Yeah. It's a 3-a-m bar market. That's where we're at. This is the best of a bad bunch.

That's how we can figure it out right here. But it works for everybody. Everybody's happy in the end. This is Taco Bell 3-A. Donald gets the one-year deal. He's going to be their starter. we'll talk about that in a second. And then the other move that they made,

Aaron Jones, one year, $6 million base, $1 million in incentives. The Packers offered a $4 million base with $2 million of incentives, according to Matt Schneidman. So Aaron Jones gets a little bit more than Green Bay was asking him to take

to go to a division rival. I love the Aaron Jones side of this. Aaron Jones dropped into that offense with all the pieces they already have. I am very excited about the supporting cast in Minnesota. I'm not sure, quite what to think about Sam Darnold as part of that equation.

I'm so fired up for the Donald stuff. But let's go to Jones. Start with the Jones. I was always interested to see a Ty Chandler in more of an extended role. How about get the not the, the, the tight Chandler is like a Diet Coke Aaron Jones. Let's get the just straight Coke version, even if it's a little, you know,

it's been out in the open. It's been opened for a little bit, you know. So the bubbles may have gone a little bit from Aaron Jones. Still an explosive runner. This is a very fair deal for him. You, of course, want one of the guy to kind of supplement him and help him out. You know, kind of just take the innings off because he's just not going to, you can't expect him to play a full season. But holy crap, with that offense aligned, what that offensive run game looked like last year and potentially what it can continue what the past game can look like.

He fits in that too. Like imagine the screen game with him. Yeah. The term translations for him is going to be super easy going from the floor to KOC. Like so I also always kind of like the FU signing. Vikings and Packers have had some good ones over the years. They really have. They really have.

So, yeah, kind of digging that for you signing a little bit right there. And I don't know if you want me to get rant and rowing about St. Arnold, but I'm very excited about what he would look like in this offense. I mean, they have a very good supporting cast. I mean, that's the argument for why if you drop the right quarterback in here in the draft, if that, if you can hit it, right? If you can somehow thread the needle, there's a lot to be excited about with the way that they've built the supporting cast on offense. And I think Aaron Jones only adds to that.

So now I got Sam Darnold in Minnesota and I have Tyler Van Dyke with Wisconsin. And like so just now I got people that all these quarterbacks that I've hyped up that all these people are just like, yeah, I've heard of them before. Yeah, whatever. And now it's their team and the people and I'm in a lot of group techs with right now. Yeah. Could be an interesting fall if Sam Darnold is the Vikings quarterback going into this year and what it's going to do for my reputation at home. What are some realistic expectations for what Sam Darnold can potentially look like within this offense? Be reasonable.

No, no, I being reasonable. I haven't started. But that what we talked about yesterday, we were talking about with Baker, you know, kind of that's 16 to 22 range. Like that is what, that's the upside here is a fine starter.

You think that is still realistic. Six years in. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. When this, this office ecosystem,

yes, because the training wheels will be so high up there. That, that is why. It's not because of anything darnold. Like, bits aside, like,

I understand what darnold is, guys. I'm just, there's just like one more wrong. If you were trying to articulate what you think he is in 2024, what would that be for? I think he is very comparable to how I see Baker as far as stockwise, a guy that this is a perfect opportunity. I thought he is deserving of that one year, the one last chance in a non-shit-show offensive system and a non-shit-show franchise. I think that's fair enough, especially given his age and the flashes he's shown because he can attain, he can work throws that not a lot of guys can do still. And he can create and he can run.

Yes, he's not going to be a top 12 quarterback. He's not going to be any of that. But it's fine. It's like a workable quarterback and seeing what has worked into the NFL, especially the last couple of years, in good ecosystems. Yeah. Like I think he easily can be in that late teens range when it's all sent down. We look at the end of the season.

It's like, oh, he finished 18th and success rate and 20th in EPA per dropback, something like that. That is something that I think he can achieve, especially in this Viking system. I mean, he's better than Dobbs. Like, I mean, better than what their trot out last year. So he played six games in 2022 at the end of 2022. And he actually played some pretty decent football in those six games at the end of 2022. And last year, obviously, he goes to San Francisco.

This feels like an adjacent situation to what we're talking about with the Niners. It's not the Niners infrastructure ecosystem. No, but it's still a very good one. Same argument. Same presence. It's a matter of degree, right? It's probably a step down compared to what the niner's. Niners Coop in for him.

But I still think that this is by far not even close the best situation he will ever be in in the NFL to this point. After playing in that disaster situation with the Jets and then what Carolina was during the 2021 season when he was there full-time starter. So if you the best argument. They go run like two plays like because the offense just couldn't handle it was choice routes to the CMC like that that and scrambles or zone reads with Donald. Like it's like it's all they could handle. Who are the who are the? the pass catchers on the 2021 Carolina Panthers. I'm already like forgetting who they were.

So DJ Moore was there. Robbie Anderson had 110 targets. That's right. No other non-running back had more than 35 targets within that offense. Tommy Shrembal was third. I always talk about how some quarterbacks and some receivers just have weird chemistry together. Mine was when I was in college, it was Jeff Duckworth and Brian Wozniak, my two Cincinnati guys,

for whatever reason we had good chemistry because I was the backup quarterback. That's probably why. But Sam Darnold and Robbie Anderson chemistry. They have synergy for whatever. It's just one of those random ones that always works back all the way to the Jets. That's right. To the Jets. There is this only guy he had the Jets.

He was the best receiver he had in New York. Robbie Anderson was his best receiver in New York. I'm framing this as a negative that Robbie Anderson was his number two receiver, but maybe for Sam Darnold specifically, that was actually a positive in Carolina. Hey, Mac, can you bring them over? The group to point out, though, is the offensive line. Let's go left to right for what the 2021. one Carolina Panthers offensive line was.

Cam Irving was their starting left tackle for nine games. Michael Jordan. Remember Michael Jordan? Who's like, the end of the roster guy was their left guard for most of the season. That paradise near the end for him. And then John Miller was their right guard. So you compare that situation with what they will potentially be getting in Minnesota with like the pass protection he's going to get.

The two tackles, it's night and day from what he has mostly played within his NFL career. So if you're trying to build the case, I think that the supporting cast, the help, the offensive ecosystem, and the Baker path, I think is the best way that you can lay this out. And I get that. I have my doubts about that because I think that the volatility is, even when Baker was struggling, the decision making in the ups and downs and the turnover problems were not nearly as defined as they have been with Donald over his career. The higher, the highs have been almost higher with Donald. If you look at his stats and like four game stretches, he's really done some stuff because he is very talented. So now you're just betting on the pieces around him to try to keep him on the rails a little bit more than he's ever been before. And I'd feel better about it if he was there last year and then he's staying with KOC and it's like another year.

And then it's like, hey, okay, we've developed a relationship and all that. I can always go, hey, it translates easy, but you don't know with these personalities. I'm just hoping that they're that from how I've just seen, I have so much respect for a whole. O'Connell and just how he talks with quarterback. Shoot, just the Dobbs stuff was so fascinating to watch and seeing them in real time, putting in plays and just going like and seeing him on a silent going like, and like, but you got to see him coach. And it's, he has so much respect for me.

He is a very, very good NFL head coach. He is. And he's a true. He's not, I don't say whisperer or guru, but as much as you can be, he's really good with quarterbacks. And that's why, again, an offense that is built to have guardrails and has an offensive line and has a play caller and is a true number one. that he can just say, ep it.

I'm just, I don't know what the read is. I'm going to throw out the Justin Jefferson. That actually is nice because then, again, it's just, it's fail saves for him. So I don't know, but if you get that kind of Baker production from this year, that is, I think, an actual decent expectation. You know, I would say reasonable, but a step down from that. For what you're paying, you're going to be getting a lot of surplus if you end up getting something close to that.

And again, this is going to be a question of, are they going to be aggressive in the draft? Where and when do they feel like they need to add a rookie quarterback? but I am curious to watch the Sam Darnold experience in Minnesota. We were robbed of getting it for any length of time in San Francisco last year. So I feel like I'm owed this. I am due. Sam Darnold in a decent situation purely as a football experiment. And they're going to move up and take a quarterback.

And it's just like, oh, yeah, Donald's are high in backup. That's all we're doing anyways. We're going to get the first four games in the year and then that's all we're going to get. That's it. That's all I ever have. I'm talking about another team here that is probably going to be in the rookie quarterback market this year, and that is the New England Patriots who have made a slew of moves over the last couple days here. Notably, they signed Jacoby Percette to the same sort of one-year bridge deal

that Sam Darnold just got from Minnesota. Love this. That's what I wanted to do. Flying colors. It's the perfect move for them. Big thumbs up. For Minnesota, there's a question of whether or not they're going to be drafting a quarterback. With New England, I think, most signs are pointing to them trying to get a quarterback with a third overall pick, which I totally get. If you like all three of these guys Who knows when you're going to be back in this situation? Take one.

And the moves outside of Jacoby percent, I'm curious what you think about this. They remind me a little bit in the aisle they're shopping and what they're trying to accomplish, what Houston tried to do last off season, where we know we're going to take a guy on the top five. Let's give him enough where we're not feeding him to the sharks if we end up playing him during his rookie year. And if you look at some of these moves, Kendrick Bourne back on a reasonable contract, Hunter Henry back on a reasonable contract, even going to get Chuck Sikorfor, who started a bunch of games for the Steelers over the last couple years on a one-year $4 million deal just to potentially play tackle for you if you don't have a better option. And then the big swing that they made, they bring back Mike Unwenu on a three-year, $57 million deal, $38 million guaranteed. This was one of those where they had all the cap space in the world.

He's a good player and they had five needs on the offensive line. It's like, why wouldn't you do this? So this being the place that they landed is actually very encouraging to me as we're looking at the first few steps from this Elliott Wolf fled front office in New England. Don't overthink it. Just we had these are the decent players they have. He's good. We have an ocean of cap space. We might use that cap space to get someone worse than him. Like that's, yeah, don't get it.

So when they brought born back born and then Henry, excuse me. I was like, oh, okay. Yeah, just running back where I get what you guys are doing exactly. because those are the competent players on this offense. And so let's bring back the guys that could be competent for whoever the quarterback is. If it is per set, then, all right, are we dropping in? I'm just going to hypotheticals here. Maybe it is per set.

And we don't like the quarterbacks. Okay, now we can go, hey, Marvin Harrison Jr., come on down. Or another offense alignment now because now we have a decent guard or potentially tackle next to him. And whatever best offense alignment we could fit in and get that best five. I'm just saying all the paths they can go down if they like Jane Daniels. if Washington likes Jane Diels and they get Drake May, if something like that happens, if they like Jason McCarthy even. Okay, now again, we have competent offense line.

We have two at least B minus to B answers as past catchers. I wrote on Yahoo and we talked about it. I was like some bargain bin items that like teams might shop down. And it was Kendrick Bourne and Hunter Henry and the Patriots shop down them. So I was like, okay, all right, this is what they want to go down. I'm fine with it. Like you said, I actually liked what you said with the Texans comparison because it was like, we're just getting these solid starter types.

know what they are. Yes, they're not the stars, but they're at least competent and they're good solid starters. All right. So let me turn my naturally optimistic viewpoint and turn down the optimism a little bit and throw out the other potential path that this could look like. What if it's the Panthers and not the Texans? Because there's no Nico Collins here. So maybe we get to the start of the regular season and they strike out on Calvin Ridley and they use the third overall pick on a quarterback so they can't take Marvin Harrison, Jr. And now we're looking at a receiving core that all right, it's Pop Douglas and Kendrick Bourne and Hunter Henry. It's the 2023 Patriots again.

And you still have holes along the offensive line. So if that's how this turns out, where if they can't get Ridley and they don't have pads to a real game-changing receiver in the first couple rounds, and they might, right? Tank Dell was a third round pick. They're receivers in the banana stand all the time these days. We're overusing that joke. But you know where I'm going with this. So now if you get to a point, if you get to a point where you're, you get to a point where

it's August. You haven't found that receiver that you like. You still feel like you have holes on the offensive line. This is a situation where why don't you let Brissette take the bullets for a year, right? What is the real downside there? Yeah. To me, that's why I think they should do. Or you try to move back just a little bit so you, you know, keep on.

Like, hey, really pump up Daniels for somebody. They move up for Daniels and you can get a receiver and stay in that top 10. But I don't know. That's what I think they should. I think they have more of an overhaul than they're not a stuff. step away. Like you said, they're not a step away, but I still feel like if you like the quarterbacks or you're in a position to draft one, just do it. But don't feed that guy to this season when you don't need to. Yeah, but you got to like the guy. That's the thing too. That's always

going to be the prerequisite here. But if they do, then I think this would be a team we're like, what do you really gain by playing him for, by playing him all season? Like, what do you really gain from that? I think the other guy that we were thinking about that with last year was, potentially Anthony Richardson, but the Colts offensive line had five workable starters, right? Like they had past catchers. They went out and got Josh down. So I don't know. We're obviously a long way away from making that decision.

You're saying both. See, and that's the thing too. I thought you're saying either or like Berset is your guy this season. You're saying draft a guy and have Bresset. Obviously they already have the roster. Yes. Yeah. I think to me, just how I view the quarterbacks anyways, I think that Berset should be their

answer anyways. That should be their guy for this season because I think just the blue chip guys that you can get at other positions, I value higher than Daniels or McCarthy, whoever has three and four. So that's just me again personally how I assess it, all that too. You also go with Elliot Wolf who doesn't, who his dad is, you know, it's all about size too. And you're talking about two quarterbacks potentially that do not meet those thresholds. But let's go the other way. You talk about Elliott Wolf. What does Elliot Wolf family history say? And what? What does he have a lot of history with? Sitting quarterbacks for a couple of years.

Yeah, what I'm sit. Yeah, right. For some move was the best move they made. I'll tell them that because now they're not committed to anything. They can choose their best option, which I just, it's like, begged to. Maybe I need to let go of this a little bit, but I think my just natural inclination when it comes to this decision is I'm just driven. I'm motivated by fear. Like, if I'm in a position to draft one of these guys and I like him enough, I want to do it and not take the chance of never being in that spot.

again. Just because I think so many teams get shoved into the quarterback wilderness because they pass on a guy when they have the opportunity to take one and then you're trying to maneuver back into a position where you can draft a quarterback again. And I think the Patriots are a really good example here. It's a good test case because I understand both arguments, but I think if the guy clears the bar enough, it's like, all right, we like him enough. I would just take him, sit him for the year, build up my infrastructure over the next two off seasons and then drop him in when I feel better about. But again, this is all a theoretical discussion. Well, really doesn't matter right now.

I go back and forth too and sit in a guy or playing them right away. I've always been a bigger believer in that let them play, when work out their mistakes. But again, you need the infrastructure as far as the personnel doesn't have to be the best, but the coaches do as far as keeping the confidence high and keeping it and making sure that they don't have the lulls and having all that. Because then you get into, again, the Carolina situation. So I've always got back. That would be my argument, right? Do you think the Panthers would be in a better situation right now if Bryce Young didn't play it down last year? I think arguably yes.

Yeah. Oh, you're not going to sit that. Because his whole argument was that you're supposed to be ready made. Well, yeah, when you trade up the way that they did, you're probably not going to sit him. You're committed. Yeah. It's expectations. Maybe again, the Jordan Love thing is a little bit too prominent in my mind.

We've seen so many examples of it working out recently. It's just so hard to copy. They can just do whatever they want. We just figured out what happened. We figured out what happened with David Bactiari about four years after the last time we got any news. So that was great. Way to go, Green Bay Press Corps. We'll figure this out over the next month or so.

We'll have a lot of time to talk about what they're ultimately going to do. A couple other smaller moves the Patriots made. Antonio Gibson landed with this team like that. I mean, we were both curious about where he was going to wind up. I think he's a nice little counterpunch with what they have with the Rondier Stevenson. And then Josh Uche back, according to Jeremy Fowler, on a very reasonable deal. So I think them bringing back Uchie. Dugger and Mike Unwenu, three guys who are good players.

And with all that cap space, I kept asking why wouldn't they want those guys on the roster? Answer is that they do. This new regime thought that they were better with those guys, which I think is a totally reasonable place to land. Yes. Keep your good players. I like that too. It's not like, hey, different is not always better.

Just because, oh, yeah, just because he was with old ones. I know, good players are still good players. The biggest remaining question for New England is where Calvin Ridley is going to land. Reportedly, according to RGF Howe at the Athletic, this is down to the the Patriots and the Jaguars, the belief per Adam Schaefter is that he wants to stay in Jacksonville. So far to the hold up here is that if Ridley signs before the league year begins, the Jags have to send a second round pick to the Falcons. If he signs after the league year begins because he will technically be a free agent and it won't be an extension, then the Jags only have to send a third round pick back to Atlanta. I love this. I love this.

Of course. This is the type of nonsense that we put on trades in my fantasy football league, not typically stuff that you see with an NFL team when it comes to these sorts of provisions. But I think we talked about this when we discussed the Gabe Davis contract. If the Jags can manage to bring back Calvin Ridley as part of this overall equation, I feel much better about how Gabe Davis fits within their offense. And if you look at the Gabe Davis contract, the details which have come out, he will count as much against the cap. excuse me, Zay Jones, who they will likely move on from, if this all works out,

would have counted as much against the 2024 cap as Gabe Davis will over the next two years. It'll be $4 million this year and $6 million next year because they tacked a couple of eight years on to it. So that combined with what they could pay Calvin Ridley, so then your offense is Calvin Ridley, Christian Kirk, Gabe Davis, Evan Ingram, and the offensive line that they've retooled with Trevor Lawrence. you can talk me into that. That is a group that I can get potentially excited about only to have my heart ripped out by week eight as we move toward the season.

I'm writing about it right now as kind of just reactions and it went from things I don't like to things that make me go, hmm, with the Jaguars. And the Gabe Davis won. I've softened this. So I'm sorry, Trent Balke. Yes, I've slept on this. Is that, yeah, he, Gabe Davis is upgrade over Zay Jones.

He's better in the exact same role that they're going to be. That is the zone beater, the intermediate guy, the dirty work guy in the run game. He's a better version of that. Okay, that's already an upgrade right there. Is it expensive? Is it how I would do it? No. But it gives you better answers in a two-man game as far as if you want to be in 12 personnel

with two receivers out there. Okay, Christian Kirk doesn't have to be out there all the time now. Okay, now we have Gabe Davis, who's done this before because Bill's went in a lot of 12 personnel last year, and we have potentially Calvin Ridley. the roles make a lot more sense. I'm like way more, it's solid. It's solid.

The roles make sense. There's a little bit more safeness to this, a little bit more of just like stability is the term I was coming back to, not as fragile as the other term that we've always used. But it's like, if one team needs stableness and stability,

it's the freaking Jaguars. And it's like, of all people, Gabe Davis might be the one that gives a little bit of stability to this offense just because his role unlocks other people's role. So I don't like, or I don't hate it as much as I did I first went in.

Now I have I see this. If they bring back Calvin Ridley, that's all contingent on that. Okay, this makes a lot more sense as far as all the Donbles fill out. And it's like it's above baseline. It's a pretty good pass catching group. Yeah, I think that the Ridley part of this is everything is what unlocks the rest. If that doesn't fall into place, then the plan makes way less sense. We're not going to talk about the state of the Jaguars defense, especially the defensive

backfield because that doesn't appear to matter to them anymore. But what they have done on offense, I can get behind if Ridley ends up coming back. Yes. get a couple of the other bigger signings that have happened over the last day or so. The Panthers are just going ham on guards. Along with the Robert Hunt contract, they bring in Damien Lewis, formerly of the Seahawks, four years, $53 million, $26 million guaranteed. They have got a lot of physicality at those two guard spots now.

And the plan for them, kind of similar to what the Rams did, even though it's not as aesthetically pleasing to me, because he doesn't weigh 330 pounds. But they're going to move Austin Corbett to center reportedly. So it's going to be Damien Lewis, Austin Corbett, and Robert Hunt left to right. You combine that with Taylor Moten still at right tackle and hopefully a bounce back season from Iki Aquano. And you can understand what the Panthers are trying to build up front, even if they're having to pay a pretty big tax to do it. They, uh, Leroy Jenkins sit. They just, they just ran right in there and blew it all up.

That's, that's what they went with with this. They went about two beefy guards. Uh, it as I could tell that they probably went in personnel of me. He's like, we need tone setters. Yeah. Like we, we, that's exactly what these two guys are.

That's what they are. That's what these guys are bringing. They're same kind of style. I actually thought Demi Lewis was fine last year. I think he was above average starter. He can get over, like have some limitations against more talented defensive tackles and everything. But he's a good solid starter.

But again, he's an ass kicker. He's going to set the tone. He's going to for beef up the middle for a shorter undersized quarterback. So it makes sense that they did it because I just think it's a big tone setting message that of why they went after these. guys are what I splurged on him. Speaking of that type of player and that sort of presence,

physicality, walk off the bus type guys, they also signed Ashaun Robinson, formerly of the Giants to a three-year, $23 million deal with $10 million guaranteed. He's familiar with the Gero Evereux from their time together in Los Angeles. Again, there are going to be a lot of bad-looking dudes walking out of the field for Carolina. A lot of big guys.

We got Aishon Robinson, Derek Brown, and both of those two guards, like walking in the middle of these two offenses and defenses I think there's a certain type of feel to what this Carolina Panthers team looks like. Still need a lot of speed and explosiveness at every level of this team, but the size is going to be there. Aishaun Robinson is like the diesel of the NFL, Steve Nash, where he's just like, you know, it's just presence.

He's going to stand there and look cool. He's going to add size and you're not going to mess with them. You mean Kevin Nash. What I say, Steve Nash? She said Steve Nash. I just saw a video of Steve Nash last night. I think that's why he's going to make. Kevin Nash.

I was wondering why that sounded it came out wrong. I think of Diesel, Big Daddy Cool Diesel. He was also Oz in early WCW. They dressed him up as the Wizard of Oz. That was always a good gimmick. He dressed up a seven-footer as the Wizard of Oz. I want to tell you something. Speaking of digressions, where I'm going to go on one right now,

when that picture, I don't know if this was an internet joke or not, but that picture of Adam that looked exactly like Brett Hart that was making the rounds over the last couple days. Well, I thought that was a, yeah. I went on a deep YouTube rabbit hole about the Montreal screw job and all things, Brett Hart. I was on YouTube for like 90 minutes looking at this stuff. I feel like you would have been very proud of me.

I'm proud of you. I'm really proud of you. Thank you for digressing with me. This is great. Very rarely can I get involved in those conversations in a real way, but I wanted to give you that one. Let's stick in the NFC South here after the Carolina discussion. Talk about the Falcons bringing in Darno Mooney, three years, $39 million with $26 million guaranteed for Darnel Mooney.

So Mooney getting a markup on that secondary receiver market that we see. saw emerge last year, right? Like, this is just the natural evolution from Jacobi Myers, Alan Lazard type deals for secondary pass catchers that we saw last season. This to me is the Falcons front office looking at what the bears were over the last couple years being like, that shit's not real. Like, I'm not the least bit concerned about what he was doing within that offense. And I understand that, right?

Yeah. But his production was not existing, especially this year within that offense. So this, I think this comes with risk, even though we've seen Darnal Mooney be a productive player at points during his career. And the other side of this is we were trying to figure out heading into free agency. Where are the Falcons going to find speed? Where are the Falcons going to add some explosiveness to this past catching core? And this is the answer.

So even if this is an aggressive contract for somebody who had 900 yards combined over the last couple years, if you think about the situation, why that might have happened. and you think about what this team needed in terms of skill set, I can understand wanting to go get a player like this if you're Atlanta. Yeah, the speed thing is the number one thing. They always just felt tight. You're trying to do it with Scotty Miller. Mooney is a better play than Scotty Miller.

But it's, hey, hey, hey, easy. It's a lot of Chicago here. I'm not the biggest Mooney guy in the world. I think his route running has always just been eh. But I do like some, he does have some juice. I don't think he's the biggest target. either. He has some frustrating drops and everything. But if he is in this offense is ideally the number four target, I think realistically he can be that that's perfect. He's an auxiliary pass catcher.

He's not a primary pass catcher. And even though he would be the number two receiver, I think his role makes a lot more sense in Atlanta than ever would have in Chicago because he was always going to have to be almost the two truly and just how that all made out. So it's a little rich, but I like the role. I actually like this fit, even if it is a little rich to me. So here is, if Playing devil's advocate a little bit, why the price might be tolerable. They, Atlanta, coming into this into today was dead last and wide receiver spending in the NFL. Like, by a lot.

They were accounting about $8 million of their salary cap to receivers before making this sign. So even if you're overpay, it's all London. It's like 80% of it probably. So he's the only receiver. on the roster that they were paying. And now that you're paying Kirk, it's a little bit harder to justify splurging in other areas just to do it. But I still think if you look at what they're paying the room as a whole,

because of how cheap some areas the roster are, that is one more potential justification for this. It's not, I'm not like, again, I'm not saying this is, oh, this is backbreaking.

It's the stupidest move I've ever seen or anything like that. I'm just saying, I actually like the role here, the fit here. If he had to go somewhere else, I'm just making it up. Kansas City. I wouldn't like it as much there.

But I think of just in the weirdest way, even if that is a good way, by all accounts, probably a better offense. I actually like his fit better in Alano, what I think that offense is going to be. I think they can maybe even potentially draft another guy. This should include them from stopping to add to their past catchers. But yeah, this is one fit. I actually makes sense, even if it, again, like I said, just a tad rich. Selfishly, I hope this means that they're not in the market for a receiver at eight anymore. And there is one more team in the top eight that doesn't need a receiver because that's all I care about it anymore.

is which receiver is going to potentially available at nine. Speaking of the Chicago Bears, Gerald Everett goes. I watched a Dunez again, by the way. I was watching. I don't know what to talk about it. I was watching Polk again,

his teammate, who's also really good. But Dunezai is so. I don't even want to talk about it because I, we're going to have discussion a lot over the next month. I'm going to distance myself from how much I know I already like him because I don't want to have that heartbreak come drafting. He's amazing.

He's back to my receiver too. I have him over neighbors. I'm back there. I don't even, I don't even want to talk. about it. It's so good. The bear signed Gerald Everett, two years, $12,

$6 million, $6 million, whatever. But, yeah. That's, it's whatever. It's a workable tight end. We talk about linebackers and he bodies at linebackers and he bodies at tight end. I think this makes sense when you pair him with Cole Komet. They just needed a guy with a little bit more athleticism. I think that he was always miscast and what the charges were asking him to do.

He's not your one. This makes more sense. Yeah. And Shane Waldron loves his tight ends. He likes that. And he played for Waldron when they were, you know, he knew. in Los Angeles and Seattle. A lot of history between them, so I think that makes sense.

Let's get to the Miami Dolphins, who we have not really talked about. They obviously were an interesting spot heading into free agency with all the financial restrictions based on all the contracts they'd handed out, the guys they were having to move on from. They go out and sign Jordan Brooks, three years, $26 million. No real information on the guarantees. So it seems like a pretty reasonable price for a young linebacker who's shown some flashes. What this reminds me of, a little bit what the dolphins are having to do is kind of what the saints had to do last year,

where you're letting guys walk at certain positions and having to spend a little bit less. You're going down one tier. And with the, this guy's the saint's sign, there was a clear cap on the upside for those guys. I don't think Jordan Brooks is that necessarily. I had a very cynical thing that I was going to say it's the capitalist team building strategy. I was just find something just a little bit cheaper. That's what you have to do when you're moving all that money around. So Brooks coming in there to kind of replace Jerome Baker within that offense.

And then Aaron Brewer, formerly of the Titans, coming in to replace Connor Williams. So player. So I have my issues with him, but it's mostly just scars from watching him play guard at times over the last couple of years. Unlocked as a center. He is way too small to hold up at guard over the course of the season. And the Titans asked him to do that at times. But if you're going to play him in this system specifically where all you're asking him to do is be on the move as a center, I actually think that this is a very good landing spot for him.

I'd make an argument that might be the best landing spot in the NFL for his skill set specifically. Any offense, true, true, true. And that's what this is. That's going to help out the center. But like you said, being on the move, he's much better in that role. So I actually, yeah, didn't mind this because it's going to hide his limitations. And he, again, he could be a workable starter if you're in the right system for it. So I actually like this.

The Brooks one to me was. that that that that's it for the market for jordan brooks like what am i missing here again that's a injury maybe i mean there's like he's yeah but he played right right the whole year i guess i don't know that that one's surprising me last year is what i meant he was yeah yeah was it was hampered last year and maybe people are it's hard to see past that but i i think he's shown some real flashes yeah in his age and everything he's not near that kind of scary point yeah i don't know for teams that need it i just kind of thought he would have the dolphins was not a landing spot like not like good on the dolphins for finding, shoot, they're the team that signed David Long

last year. Yeah. And I'm looking around going, really? That's it? That's the only team going for them. And sure enough, you played well. So maybe they got a really good linebacker pro scout. Like that's what they got going on.

That's their, that's what the dolphins have going on in their building right now. I'll be curious to have a more extended dolphins conversation about how this is going to shake out and what type of team we can expect them to be because they've had to reset a little bit because of how much they had paid a lot of their big money guys. They're a team in a really interesting spot. especially as we look forward to what that world might look like and what life might look like after the Tua extension. Stick among AFC playoff teams here.

The Cleveland Browns have done a bunch of stuff over the last week or so that we could not hit yesterday. Resigns Adairius Smith, two years, 23.5 million. Also, re-signed Mo Hearst. So I think one of the priorities for Cleveland this offseason was just bring back the defensive line as much as you could, which understandable, based on how that group played last. year.

So then bringing back Mo Hurston, Zerius Smith, I think is a win. Jordan Hicks comes in as kind of their linebacker de jure. They lost Siontaki-Tackey to New England. I believe Anthony Walker signed somewhere else. So they just needed somebody to play next to J.O.K., which that's exactly what you could ask of Jordan Hicks. He's familiar with Jim Schwartz from their time in Philadelphia together. The big move, though, that we did not hit yesterday, even though it happened over the

weekend, is the Brown's trading, fifth and sixth round picks to the Broncos. goes for Jerry Judy, who is playing on his $13 million fifth year option. Another by-low move in the receiver market after they did it with Elijah Moore last year. I understand that Jerry Judy is a big name. This doesn't overly excite me. I get it as a bet. It's the same way that they did it with Elijah Moore last year. It's like, okay, the new regime in Denver was not a favorite of that group, clearly.

He's available for a reason. Elijah Moore was in a terrible. situation with the Jets. So you're continuing to buy low on these guys. But at the same time, there's a reason that these guys are available. So when you look at the resources that the Browns have spent overall on their past catching group over the last few years, we got picks for Elijah Moore, we got picks for Jerry Judy.

And they've used three third round picks on receivers since 2021. And the fact that they didn't get what they wanted to out of Anthony Schwartz, David Bell, and to an extent, Cedric Tillman, is the reason you need to make these moves. So I get it and I like them being proactive, but I still don't think that overall it's like a high-end group. I think it's solid when you combine Judy Moore, Cooper, Njoku, and what they have at running back. That's how I would qualify it. And maybe, yeah, maybe you're hoping something would tell him. No, Judy's name recognition has done a lot of wonders for him, especially in football Twitter the last few years,

opposed to what his actual play is. He, you know, he's a slot only guy. He's shown he's not consistent on the outside. So again, that limits your scope of what the impact you can have. If anyone that's listened to show is talking about, almost used as a slur. He's slot only. But he's best as a vertical guy. I know his reputation is as this, you know, awesome route runner and all that stuff,

footwork king and all that. He's not a good route runner. He has quick feet. Big difference. I've had this discussion with a lot of people over the years. Big difference between quick feet and good route running. And he is not. He's an average route runner.

Not a big target. He's always had frustrating drops. He, to me, is a number three in a good offense at best, really. But I actually think it's a- Which might be within this offense. In this offense. If you consider in Joku, they're number two. And 13 million, again, is a lot to pay for a number three.

Number three. The Brown's salary cap situation, it's kind of fake right now. Because they seem like they're willing every single year to just restructure Watson's deal. Every single year. They haven't done it yet. for a pound. So he has a $46 million base salary again this year. And there is, I think, a decent chance that they just restructure it all again.

If they restructure it each of the next three years and they just keep kicking the can, when you get to 2027, he's going to have like a 50-ish, 60-ish million dollar dead cap charge. But if the cap is 315 million by then and Miles Garrett's going to be 32, Joe Bertone is going to be off the roster, your guards are going to be off the roster, you're moving toward a reset anyway. So it feels like that's what the Browns are doing. And you can contrast that to a team like The Saints, who is doing that with every single 30-something-year-old veteran.

The Browns are really just doing it with Watson over the next few years. And it seems like that is the best way to kind of alleviate what you're having to pay him against the cap. If you're willing to spend the cash, just keep doing it. They've been at the top of the leading cash spending each of the last couple years. and it feels like that's going to be their MO as long as he's on the roster with that structure of a contract. It's because they're committed to them, even if this play hasn't been to that level, even near it, it's like it's their plan. That's their bank that they're going to steal from.

It's either the rookie quarterback contract, like, which is, that's how you steal from the money. You know, literally, we're suppressing your wages to pay other people. Or we are paying a guy. And if we're committed to him, a Josh Allen, a Patrick Mahomes, a Barham's, a Barclays. row down the road. You know, it's like these guys, okay, or Justin Herbert, Lamar, all right, we already know what we're paying you. Okay, if we need to dip into this, all right, well, you're stuck with you anyways for

seven years. Like your face is on every stadium and every billboard anyways. Okay, so that's what we want to do. The Browns are just particular because they're committed to them. I mean, but just play hasn't been to it usually with the bank of quarterback X is what we usually always say for that term. But there still is quarterback certainty in terms of him being on the roster and in terms of the length of the deal, right?

That's what there are allowed to leverage in this moment. That's what they're doing. Certainty is the right word. We talk about uncertain with all. At least they know what they're not moving off of them. But at least it's certainty. There's a reason they're signing James. No, but it's like there's, yeah, there's a part of that as well.

But no, but again, I think going back to the Judy stuff is like some of that's the name recognition stuff, but it gives them that flexibility to create that defense the line that they did last year and now bump up Zudaris Smith. Hey, this worked. Hey, you're part our two pass rush or kind of our three with Okaronquil too. And we can pay. these guys because we can go to the bank. So, yeah, this is their team building strategy. And this is they're going to keep going down it.

You mentioned this. They bring in James Winston one year deal up to $8.7 million. This to me feels like an overcorrection for how they handled the backup quarterback spot last year. Yeah. They ship off Josh Dobbs before the season starts. They're comfortable rolling with DTR and they lost a game because of it. This is a we are giving ourselves every opportunity to remain competitive, even if our starting quarterback gets healthy and I understand wanting that. And I think that's exactly what James

Winston gives you. It's great. And with the offense that they can run, it's perfect for James. So, no, I'm totally on board. Pro James. Nate Tyson's pro James. Also bringing to Heim Heinz one year up to three and a half million, just trying to piece together that running back room. Just trying to appease us. That's not Heim Hines. That's appeasing us. Best route runner. A couple other sets of moves here. The Seahawks let Jordan Brooks go, but they resell. Noah Fant and Leonard Williams. Noah Fant on a two-year $21 million deal. It's kind of the going rate for like usable tight ends in that role.

If you look at the Hunter Henry contract, etc. Leonard Williams gets three years, $64.5 million with almost $50 million guaranteed per Jeremy Fowler. Someone named their favorite Larry Williams play. Can anyone? Is this going to continue to continue to just be always talking about the same way? Oh, yeah, he's good. So I was sitting here today, and I was, one of the questions I wanted to post to you is like, is this crazy?

Is it crazy that we just mindlessly pay Leonard Williams $20 million a year when it doesn't feel like he's somebody that's really changing games? But then you look at it and it's like, all right, he's like, he's like 29. He's, if you look at production in terms of like past rush numbers and pressures and everything else among interior defensive linemen, he falls in that range where it's like, all right. He can't wind up in a few spots, do it well. I know. I understand why he ended up getting paid every time. But to me, I mean, this is obviously more reasonable. He got this contract a couple of years ago without the cap inflation. We was making $21 million a year.

So the fact that we've come back to Earth a little bit, I think, is reasonable, but he's also a little bit older. And I think he's probably the most forgettable player in the NFL who gets paid like this. Yep. I'm with here on that. That's it. Every time I watch Leonard Williams, I say, oh, yeah, that's a nice play. That's a good play.

All right. Yeah, you're a good starter. And then again, it's like, oh, top five pick, I think he was originally. Several trades. I think, yeah, I think it was top five. Okay. No, I think it was six because the reason I know that is the Bears were picking seventh in that draft. Okay, because that would have been 15, I think.

Yeah, he was the sixth overall pick in the 15th. Okay. Okay. And then, okay, and then multiple trades, multiple trades for him. Yes. And then multiple big paydays for him. But no one could ever point out a Leonard Williams highlight. It's just the damnedest thing.

It's just, he's just a funny player. He's just one of these guys that's going to make a lot of money and not make a lot of noise in the league somehow, some way. Good for him, man. All right. Yeah, yeah. Smaller moves here. The Houston Texans, I don't think we hit this yesterday when we were talking about them. As E. Al Shaire goes to Houston, this one made all the sense in the world.

They had a need at linebacker, obviously familiarity with Temeco Ryan's and that staff. I thought they should have done it last year. It didn't make sense last year. Well, you know, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, were still in their B plus market last year. They're slowly ticking up the aggressiveness. Apparently they're in the D1. B plus, sweepstakes. So, yeah, that's probably fair.

So one of the bigger splash the Texans have made. And then also they trade for Joe Mixon, which I think makes total sense. You know, he's on a $6 million deal. He's still only 28. And what have we talked about Joe Mixen giving you as an offense, especially in your running game? Just consistency. He's going to get what's there. If you want an efficient running game, he is a running back that can provide.

that for you if everything else is in line. And that's what they need it. Like this team just needs a guy who's going to get them four and a half yard to carry consistently. It's just a little juice can catch the ball. It has got better as a pass protector last year. And also is good in zone stuff. And they're going to run zone. Like, yeah, I, I like this for a buy cheap vet.

I've always liked Joe Mixing. I've always been kind of like a Joe Mixing kind of like, like, you know, apologist. Not for off field stuff. Just saying on field. But his on field play and everything is just like, I think that he's a pretty good back, and that's an upgrade. Even if Devin Singletary found some juice last year, he's better than Devin Singletary.

And he can fill that same role. And again, Devin Singletary got paid a lot more than Joe Mixon's going to get paid this year. Much rather I'm mixing with his size, his past, catching everything. And having said that, it doesn't preclude you from adding another guy in round four or something of that. Sorry, I'm not sure with their picture right now. But they have plenty of draft capital. So again, you can add to that room and turn into a strength, really. Looking at it right now, they have an extra third round.

pick from the Eagles. And an extra fourth round pick from the Browns. So they do have some mid-round picks just in their pockets right now if they want to add somebody in that range. Yep. The reason that Joe Mixon was available to be traded for nothing to the Texans is that the Bengals bring in Zach Moss two years, eight million makes total sense. Right?

So Joe Mixon is going to make $6 million this year. Zach Moss is going to make like $3 million this year. I assume the production you're going to get from those guys is pretty similar. So the Bengals saved a few million dollars to have a guy who's two years younger dropped into this. And Zach Moss is not going to be like a game-changing explosive back. They got Chase Brown. Like that combination of a bruiser plus Chase Brown, I think, is exactly what the Bengals are probably looking for in their backfield. And then the big question we had, we're not a big question, but one question we had about Cincinnati.

Who is the cheap? Who is the cheap tight end going to be every single year for the Bengals? The answer is Mike Gisicki this year. Mike Gisickey. Come on down. That's your role this year. Oh, did you see Irv Smith too? I did see Irv Smith going to the Chiefs.

But the Zach Moss like role in this offense. The Bengals offense is going to be Burrow, dialing it up and really good talented pass catchers in theory. You know, if T. Higgins still there. That's what they're built around. The other guys are more auxiliary roles. So the runoffback can be more interchangeable and not a big money guy or someone that you want to pay like Joe Mixed itself.

The Zach Moss is of the world. Hey, get those four or five yards. You can run out of the gun. Boom, done. Straight downhill. You do everything well. If you look at last year, they had a gun-centric offense in Indianapolis, and we saw him succeed there.

That's what the running game was in Buffalo when he was there for the most part. So it makes sense in a lot of different levels, him landing in Cincinnati. And they brought back Drew Sample, right? I like Drew Sample. Mike Kisicki, Zach Moss, all the roles make sense within this offense. So I totally understand what they're trying to do. Right tackle still remains the biggest need for this team. on offense, but I would have to assume that the draft might be a spot where they look to fill

that. Washington continues their modest moves in free agency that started yesterday. I totally understand what they're trying to do here. They're not breaking the bank at all. They're bringing in guys that that coaching staff is familiar with, trying to get workable starters. So they go get Austin Eckler, two years, $8 million, only $4 million dollars guaranteed, hoping for a bounceback year there if he's a little bit healthier.

They signed Nick Allegretti. to just a starting caliber guard deal after his time in Kansas City, which is almost like this year's version of the Andrew Wiley contract. They handed out last off season. And then to add on defense, they go get Cleland Farrell, Dante Fowler, who I assume was fairly cheap.

They're just trying to be smart with adding texture to this roster at the right price. And I think for where Washington is right now, that's probably a smart way to approach this. They need players. That's it. And they had a ton of caps. and they're going to go down the rookie quarterback path, rookie quarterback contract path.

They need players. So even if some of these overpays and the ha, ha, ha, Cowboys East and all that stuff, it's like they're fine starters that they're signing. Like all these guys are tangible players. So I totally get what they're doing. Even though the Ackler signing, that's going to be interesting too is that,

God, I just hope he still has some more juice left. Not only just for Diasty reason. That's going to be the biggest question, right? Yes. Was last year an aberration? Or is that a harbinger of what is to come with Austin Eckler's career? I think that is the biggest question. But, but again, if not, who cares for where they're at?

It's just like, okay, whatever. Again, I keep using the word, but preclude you from doing anything else. Where they're at, they can do these types of things. It reminds me the bears the last couple of years. Okay, yeah, it's a little rich overpay, but who else you're going to pay? All right. Well, that's what you got to do to feel a roster. Yeah, them going out and getting Dorrance Armstrong is like what the bears did last year

with the, um, the Bears get to Marcus Walker and Yonick and Glockway. Those types of signings that we're talking about. Yes. the Jets another team with just a couple kind of smaller signings they bring in Tyra Taylor to be their backup quarterback another team that is not doing that again never again never again case the other killies pops what they make a flag yeah a couple teams learned their lesson with backup quarterbacks heading into this season they bring in john simpson two years up to 18 million no word on the guarantees there he had a really nice season in baltimore last

year on a one year deal and then they bring in jvonne kinlaw as well so just some low risk i think fairly high reward signings, just trying to add depth in the right spaces. So totally understand this is a mindset if you're the Jets and how you're approaching for agency. The Jets are just, they're in their own world right now as far as team building, as far as how they're operating. So these moves all make sense. They're all about hitting singles. I actually like the John Simpson, John Simpson signing.

He played all the game last year. He's twice played 1100 more snaps. He's a tone setter type of player. Yeah, he has some blemishes and everything, but he is way better than what they had. he's a functional starter. Yes, they need these types of players to just kind of build, because they want to contend. I mean, let's be honest. That's what they want to do.

Even though how the season went to hell last year, they viewed themselves as contenders. So these types of views are contenders type moves. Last one, we were wondering yesterday after they spent a shitload of money on guards where the Rams are going to get some defensive players. They signed Darius Williams, who they're obviously very familiar with. He was a ram for several years before he ended up going to Jacksonville on a big deal. three years, $30 million, $22.5 million guaranteed. We talked about this. This is like the going rate for starting caliber cornerback play.

He is a starting caliber outside corner. I think this makes sense on a lot of different levels. There's risk always involved when you're bringing in guys you don't know into your building and free agency. Not a concern here. Very familiar with him. And he automatically upgrades the play they were getting from their outside cornerback spots last year.

Yep. And those guys can step down a roll. So yeah, this one. And it's a nice solid player. they can do a lot of stuff too, even if you want to do some identity shift stuff on defense. All right. That's all we got.

Those are all the moves that we had to hit today that have unfolded since the last time we recorded. We'll be back doing this again tomorrow, I believe, with Chase Daniel tomorrow. Bellar can correct me if I'm wrong about that. But Chase will be joining us to do our free agency recap. Same time, same place tomorrow. Excited to do that with Chase. Obviously, we will have a podcast coming out shortly after that wraps up. If you guys are watching this on YouTube and you've just discovered this

on YouTube. I should probably be better about saying this. We have a podcast. It's called The Athletic Football Show. It's available wherever you get your podcasts. So if you'd like to listen in audio form or there's ever a time when you're on the move or you're just learning that this show exists, please go download and subscribe to the podcast. That would be great. We would really appreciate that. We'll be back on Thursday with Nate and then hopefully Diana is going to be joining us on Friday for our last YouTube or our last free agency recap of this week. For now, that is all we've got.

Sincerely appreciate you guys listening. We'll talk to you soon. This was the Athletic Football Show.