Monday kicked off with a flurry of “signings.” The quotations are vital, as a result of we’re in the course of a authorized tampering interval the place offers may be agreed to, however not finalized till Wednesday at midday.
It’s simply the stupidest a part of the NFL calendar. No person can adequately clarify why we have now this 48 hour interval, particularly when everybody and their brother is aware of groups are discussing offers with brokers on the mix — however **nudge, nudge, wink, wink** that’s positively not taking place, proper?
That apart, we’ve seen some enormous offers inked, and it’s right here I really feel it vital to speak in regards to the Jacksonville Jaguars. Actually, I’ve been struggling to articulate how I really feel about their day. On the one hand, the Jags had probably the most cash in free company, and it was past time to loosen the purse strings and get some gamers, however on the opposite they bumped into Monday like a sailor on shore go away and spent nearly $50M in cap area to signal, or re-sign six gamers.
Let’s check out who they bought with this cash.
- WR Christian Kirk — 4 years, as much as $84M
- G Brandon Scherff — 3 years, $49.5M
- LB Foyesade Olukun — 3 years, $45M
- DT Folorunso Fatukasi — 3 years, $30M
- WR Zay Jones — 3 years, $24M
- TE Evan Engram — 1 yr, $9M
I actually don’t understand how I really feel about this. It’s been rolling round in my head for many of the afternoon. On the one hand I actually like this group of gamers, and I do know they’ll make the Jaguars higher, however on the opposite I actually want Jacksonville unfold the love a bit additional to improve extra positions.
The large critique goes to be Christian Kirk, I get it. The contract is partially an enormous leap of religion that he can change into a featured No. 1 receiver, and partly {that a} group as unhealthy as Jacksonville has to overpay to draw big-name free brokers. The development of the deal is definitely particularly reasonable, and never one thing that may handicap the group long run if the gamble doesn’t repay.
I believe my concern, because it’s been with Jaguars’ free companies of the previous, is that they went for a top quality over amount strategy when this franchise actually wants amount. It’s not Kirk, it’s Kirk AND Scherff AND Olukun AND Fatukasi, which now leaves the Jaguars with roughly $10M in area (give or take). I actually would have most popular to see the group purpose for 2 of those prospects, and attempt to decide up a handful of gamers for a similar price because the others.
In some ways this seems like free company 2017, and that’s not a superb factor. The Jaguars spent large there too, signing Calais Campbell, A.J. Bouye, Barry Church and traded for Branden Albert. On the time they had been appear because the “large winners,” and whereas it took them from 3-13 to 10-6 instantly, they then crashed again all the way down to earth as a result of they didn’t have the depth.
My hope is that this doesn’t occur once more, I simply want when the Jaguars labored to get this sort of cap area they didn’t go so hog wild, as in the event that they’re solely a few items away from contending, relatively than a cellar dweller needing to construct success slowly. I’m not prepared to say Jacksonville is a winner, or a loser but — extra that I’m simply frightened.
I completely love, love, love what the Bengals did on the primary day. My worry was that this group was going to blow most of its cap on an enormous signing like Terron Armstead or J.C. Jackson. As a substitute, the Bengals made smaller, actually good offers that make them instantly higher now, and the flexibleness to spend extra transferring ahead.
- G Alex Cappa, 4 years, $35M
- C Ted Karras, 3 years, $18M
- Re-signed DT B.J. Hill, 3 years, $30M
Cappa and Karras are speedy starters on a woeful offensive line. Hill was a brilliant spot on protection that deserved to be re-signed. Most significantly: The Bengals nonetheless have $21M to play with.
There are strikes to be made within the secondary to shore-up the unit, however Cincinnati took enormous strides in direction of fixing their greatest points on day one with out being tempted into overspending.
By no fault of their very own, the Packers are losers after Day 1. That is completely, 100% due to the Jaguars.
Inexperienced Bay has an elite, top-tier receiver in Davante Adams who received’t play on the franchise tag. The Packers have to try to negotiate a brand new contract. Now they need to do it with the specter of Christian Kirk’s colossal deal.
That is unhealthy for them, that is so monumentally unhealthy. There’s already enormous cap stress on the group, and if Kirk is getting upwards of $70M, then it’s completely honest to imagine Adams will really feel he’s price a $100M deal. That’s untenable for the Packers, and truthfully, it’s type of on them for not getting this extension labored out some time in the past, as a result of it is a drawback.
Winner: Christian Kirk
DUDE GOT PAAAAAAID.
It feels a bit surreal to gush over the Bengals and the Chargers in the identical story, however right here we’re.
After years of watching Philip Rivers and Co. wither and die on the vine with out getting ample assist, it’s very nice to see this group respect the window they’ve. With Justin Herbert on a rookie deal, and the Chargers already on the verge of being a playoff staple, they didn’t draw back from stepping as much as the Chiefs and big-dealing Broncos to say themselves within the AFC West.
- CB J.C. Jackson, 5 years, $82.5M
- DT Sebastian Joseph, 3 years, $24M
- DT Austin Johnson, 2 years, $14M
This group went and bought the very best cornerback in free company, two large, run-stopping defensive tackles — and lest we overlook that they traded for Khalil Mack a couple of days in the past, whereas re-signing their most vital offensive free agent in Mike Williams.
This can be a group that knew it wanted to get higher defensively and took large strides. Outdoors of some small strikes their free company is near carried out, however this was a triumph.
This was a sneakily good day for the Dolphins that firmly established this group as one beneath building. That’s completely not a foul factor. Mike McDaniel is within the technique of evaluating his roster, evaluating his roster, and it could seem that GM Chris Grier isn’t being too treasured about his prior gamers, which bodes nicely for the longer term.
- Re-signed DE Emmanuel Ogbah for 4 years, $65.4M
- WR Cedrick Wilson, 3 years, $22.05M
- RB Chase Edmonds, 2 years, $12.1M
- CB Keion Crossen, 3 years, $10.5M
- QB Teddy Bridgewater, 1 yr, $6.5M
Bridgewater on this deal is an absolute steal. There isn’t any higher bridge QB on this free company than Teddy, and I believe he may be sneaky productive if known as upon. By all accounts he’s being introduced in as a backup, however I believe we are able to type of air quote that one, as a result of I’m unsure the Dolphins must be 100% offered on Tua Tagovailoa at this level.
Re-signing Ogbah was enormous for the protection, and he deserved to receives a commission. Cedrick Wilson is an absolute steal in a market that noticed former teammate Michael Gallup get large cash, and Christian Kirk get a mammoth deal. Chase Edmonds is a little bit of a leap of religion, however he has a skillset that may actually work in a Mike McDaniel offense.
Prime to backside this was an excellent day, and Miami has loads more room.
