Day 1 of the legal tampering kicked off Monday with a bang. Serious money has been thrown around the NFL until the start of the new league year, and some of the biggest free agents are now starting to come off the board. Of course, all of these deals can only become official before the new year starts on Wednesday, but these handshake deals are as concrete as you can get this time of year.
Although Monday’s action is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the players’ movement during the off-season, we are going to analyze some of the most striking signatures and determine who is currently leading after day 1 with their trek. Below, you We find our winners and losers from the unofficial start of free agency.
Bill Belichick joined the free agency as his stimulus check had just been cleared. The Patriots wasted no time trying to build a roster that was 7-9 in 2020 and that quickly addressed vital positions. The first big splash was signing Jonnu Smith to a four-year, $ 50 million deal, strengthening a position the club has been trying to fill since Rob Gronkowski retired. Smith is just as well-rounded because they have the ability to block and be a deadly receiver, especially after the catch. From day 1, he should be looked at as the Patriots’ best pass option. Not only did the Patriots add a solid point, but so did receivers Nelson Agholor and Kendrick Bourne. Agholor will help Josh McDaniels’ offense stretch the field, while Bourne could be an option for the club.
Meanwhile, the most surprising splash of the day for the Patriots came on the defensive side of the ball by agreeing with Jud Judy Matt Judon on a $ 56 million four-year contract. He brings elite talent to a Patriots passion unit that will also boast Josh Uche, Chase Winovich and Dont’a Hightower. Suddenly, that grouping forms pretty deadly. Eventually, the Patriots solidified the inside of their defensive line by adding Henry Anderson and Davon Godchaux.
However, that was not all positive for the Patriots, as they lost star left-back Joe Thuney (more below).
Loser: Ravens pass rush
While the Ravens made a big addition to their O-line by adding guard Kevin Zeitler, John Harbaugh’s top seven did get a hit with the loss of Yannick Ngakoue (Raiders) and Matt Judon (Patriots). Judon led the team in sacks and hits, while Ngakoue was not too far behind, having joined the club just nine games after the Vikings’ mid-season. While the Ravens have a history of replenishing their defenses immediately – and in the second year would see even more production from midfielder Patrick Queen, the lead will be needed to provide as a free agency, and the draft will move forward.
Bruce Arians acknowledges that his statement during the Tampa Bay Super Bowl LV celebration that the Buccaneers would bring back all of their key pending free agents was true. While the club has already reached an agreement with linebacker Lavonte David and franchisee receiver Chirs Godwin, the status of Shaq Barrett still hangs in the balance. However, the club was able to maintain the star-pass roster by inking him to a $ 72 million four-year deal on Monday. Not only were the Bucs able to retain Barrett, but they also repeated Rob Gronkowski to a one-year deal. As things currently stand, Tampa Bay is well positioned to defend its title.
With the uncertain status that prevails over Russell Wilson, one would think that it would be necessary for Seattle to come in hot on the first day of free agency and give the star quarter he wants: protection. However, the Seahawks remained silent on Monday when Joe Thuney and Kevin Zeitler, along with star center Corey Linsley, came off the board. If the Seahawks were to take Wilson’s previous remarks, this off-season was to take the offensive line to heart and shoot it out of the gate, it could be an important olive branch to possibly repair fences. At the moment, Seattle does not seem to have done much of anything to lighten things up with their franchise cornerstone.
Patrick Mahomes clearly does not want to be defeated like in Super Bowl LV. The quarterback recently restructured his contract with the Chiefs to give the club more space, and it yielded immediate dividends with the signing of left-back Joe Thuney for a five-year deal. Thuney was a major part of the Patriots offense through two Super Bowl championships, and now he will try to increase his resume by blocking Mahomes for the next half decade. According to PFF, Thuney has only allowed three bags dating back to 2018. Not only does he bring elite production, but he has also been proven to be one of the more durable offensive lineouts.
Clearly, Mahomes likes what his team is doing on day 1 of free agency.
With a tighthead prop that Jonnu Smith signed with the Patriots and Corey Davis making a deal with the Jets, Titans fullback Ryan Tannehill lost two of his top three spots of a season ago. Smith and Davis combined for 1,432 meters of Tannehill’s 3,819 passing yards in 2020, which is about 37.5% of its production. Of Tannehill’s 33 finishes last season, 13 were for Smith or Davis. Of course, Tannehill could still rely on receivers AJ Brown and Derrick Henry, to push Tennessee’s offense down the field, but it probably just got a little harder with both Smith and Davis.