NFLRT 3/29/2024

 

The questions and discussion…

1) At this point in time…

This off-season what was the best bargain signing of free agency? What free agent signing got the most bang for the least amount of bucks? Why?

The best bargain free agent signing was Aaron Jones signing with the Vikings for only one-year, $6million.

If he stays healthy, he is one of the best running backs in the league all-around. He had three of the past four seasons (not including last season) over 1,000 rushing yards. He contributed five straight games, including the postseason, with over 100 rushing yards for the Packers in their playoff push and run. He did miss six games last season, but he should come into 2024 fully healthy and ready to go.

He’s a fantastic contributor in not only the run game, but also the pass and blocking game. He’s been a vital night-and-day difference for the Packers’ offense when he was on the field compared to when he missed games or wasn’t on the field. If he can contribute a full-slate schedule to the Vikings, he’s going to continue their trend of very solid running backs, especially in their transition from Kirk Cousins to Sam Darnold at quarterback. 

The Pittsburgh Steelers signing QB Russell Wilson to a $1.2 million, 1-year deal has to be the best free agent deal of this off-season. The Steelers may not be getting the Wilson who was an MVP level QB when he played in Seattle but with the way the Steelers are constructed offensively they don’t need that player. Willson just needs to be competent at QB, limit his mistakes, don’t take sacks and make sure his receivers and backs get the ball into their hands so they can make plays. If he accomplishes just being that level of QB then he gives the Steelers a lot more at the position than they had with whoever they were trotting out at QB in the 2023season. 

The Steelers will pay him the league minimum to be their starting quarterback and if he just gives them stability at the position then that is a hell of a bargain.

2) And in a slightly different vein… regardless of cost…

What was the best overall free agent signing? Why?

I think the best overall free agent signing was Kirk Cousins going down to Atlanta.

While Cousins knows how to get the best deals that he can when he signs, and a lot of it guaranteed, he’s a very solid quarterback and fits an enormous hole on the Falcons’ roster. They have an explosive offense and Cousins is the man who can get their offense going. With Bijan Robinson, Drake London and Kyle Pitts on their offense, they were hampered by poor quarterback play between Taylor Heinicke and Desmond Ridder.

They did add a couple receivers to help out too with Rondale Moore in exchange for Desmond Ridder and signing Darnell Mooney in free agency to add to the crop of talent that Cousins has to work with.

If quarterback is the true missing piece for the Falcons, this signing is going to be night-and-day difference for them in the NFC South. 

The Baltimore Ravens signing RB Derrick Henry to a 2-year, $16 million contract is the overall best signing of this off-season.  

He may be 30-years old and have lot of mileage on his body, but the man is tank and durable.

Henry will pose additional problems for defenses that previously had to account for the other offensive players that are already on the team including QB Lamar Jackson who is always a threat to run himself. Plus now Jackson doesn’t have to be the primary rusher o the team and can concentrate more on getting the ball efficiently into his playmakers’ hands so they can gain yards and score TDs.  

And once the Ravens get a decent lead Henry can run the ball effectively running out time of the clock and allowing the Ravens to control the tempo of games and win games in relative comfort.

Henry makes the Ravens a top threat to return to the AFC title game in the 2024 season.

3) This off-season, which team is the most improved? Which team did the most to improve its overall roster for the upcoming NFL season? Why?  

Most improved team are the Titans and they made two major moves in trading for L’Jarius Sneed from the Chiefs, then locking him up to a massive contract and signing Calvin Ridley from free agency for a mega-deal.

They also signed Tony Pollard to replace the loss of Derrick Henry who went to the Ravens. They now have two shifty backs in Pollard and Spears that is going to ignite the offense a little bit and keep it fast-paced.

They have a second-year quarterback in Will Levis, and they went and added a huge wide receiver threat who’s insanely fast in Ridley that’s going to really help Levis continue off of his rookie season and continued success into year two.

They also signed a center in Cushenberry, and signed corner Chidobe Awuzie as well which should really help bolster the defense and coverage as well. 

The Houston Texans.

While they shocked the league and most fans last season by making the playoffs, mostly due to the play of QB C.J. Stroud they had some holes in their offense. One of which was their run game. With the addition of veteran Joe Mixon they have gone a long way to fixing that situation while also providing excellent hands as a receiver out of the backfield.

In addition they improved their defense immensely by adding edge rusher Danielle Hunter situation who will now be paired Defensive Rookie of the Year to provide top of line combination of pass-rush defense on both sides of the field.  And as if that was enough they add defensive end Denico Autry to help fortify their attack on opposing QBs and to help stop the  run game from braking off big gainers.

They will be a much improved team on both sides of the ball for the upcoming season and a big threat to outright win the AFC South.  

4) And which team is the least improved? Maybe took a step backward depending on players lost through free agency and/or players cut for salary cap purposes? Why? 

The team that is least improved is, by far, the Dallas Cowboys.

They lost their running back in Tony Pollard. They lost two offensive line players in their center, Tyler Biadasz as well as Tyron Smith. They didn’t re-sign Dak Prescott so they’re going to play him on a large contract this season and risk losing him in free agency next season. They didn’t lock up Cee-Dee Lamb on a long-term deal. They really haven’t done much except lose players and sign Eric Kendricks away from the San Francisco 49ers.

For a team that had such a great season last year and fell flat in the playoffs against Green Bay, it seemed like they were going to be big players in re-signing their guys, getting a Dak and Lamb extension worked out and be very competitive next season, or even improved, on a push to the Super Bowl. What happened was the exact opposite. 

The Dallas Cowboys.

They lost RB Tony Pollard and OT Tyron Smith on offense and did nothing to replace them.

They had multiple other needs to address to help QB Prescott’s ability to lead them beyond the first round of the playoffs that is if they even make the playoffs in the 2024/2025 season, and they essentially stood still.

Plus they failed to sign Prescott to a contract extension and now risk losing him in next year’s off-season as free agent. 

Nor did they address a contract extension for their top receiver Cee-Dee Lamb.

In short they now need to ace the draft to fill their holes which frankly no team ever does completely.

The Cowboys will struggle to be a playoff team in the new season.

5) Which non-QB prospect will be the first player to go off the board in this year’s draft? Why?

I don’t think that Arizona is going to trade their fourth overall pick, and unless a team wants to move up to draft a quarterback at number four, I think they’ll stand pat.

And the class, outside of the top wide receiver, is very good and deep, Marvin Harrison Jr is by far the top athlete in the entire draft. He’s going to be the first non-quarterback off the board. It’s going to really bolster up the receiving corps for Kyler Murray in Arizona, especially after trading away Rondale Moore. Harrison Jr. didn’t work out at the combine or his pro day, so he’s very confident in what he has on tape for teams and scouts. And he’s ranked as the top player in the entire draft by multiple draft “experts.” I have no doubt in my mind that if Arizona doesn’t draft him at four, and trades the pick, that he’s going number five. But no other player, not an offensive lineman, tight end, etc., will go before Marvin Harrison Jr. that isn’t the main play caller on offense (quarterback). 

The Cardinals have the No. 4 overall pick and have publicly committed to current quarterback Kyler Murray and therefore need to add players to surround him to make more efficient at his job.

Wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., son of Pro Football Hall of Famer and Colts legend Marvin Harrison Sr. is the No. 3 overall prospect and rated by most as the top non-quarterback in this year’s draft. Harrison Jr. won the 2023 Biletnikoff Award as the best wide receiver in college football, is a two-time unanimous All-American and was considered the best player on a top of the line Ohio State team in the past season. He will be the Cardinals’ pick to add to the team to help Murray make big time winning plays of the football field.  

If the Cardinals trade the pick… and a prevailing rumor is the Vikings will be furious in trying to convince the Cardinals to trade their pick and if they do they are supposedly also taking a QB… the next two teams up the Los Angels Chargers and the New York Giants both of whom have huge needs at wide receiver will presumably also select Harrison Jr. as their pick.

Harrison is pretty much a no-brainer as the top non-QB player to off the board in the upcoming draft.