NFL free agency is always exciting, but this year was more especially eventful. There were two many moves to write about in one article, but I will examine the four biggest signings/trades.
Ndamukong Suh (MIA: six years, $114 million, $60 million guaranteed)
Ndamukong Suh had been an elite defensive lineman for Detroit, but his recent contract was shocking to say the least. The contract Suh signed with the Dolphins is hard to fathom, especially considering he is not a quarterback. In is unprecedented for a defensive tackle to get $60 million guaranteed, but this shows that teams need to overspend to get the players they want. Suh is the closest thing to a modern day Reggie White. This signing illustrates the new defensive trend in the NFL. The success of the Seahawks, and New England’s refocus on defense, has changed the way teams are building now. The slew of defensive head coaches hired this offseason suggests that as well. A team like Miami probably feels like they have a better chance to slow opposing offenses rather than match them. This move will completely ruin the team’s cap in the next couple years, however. Some of the effects have already been seen, evident by losing DT Jared Odrick to Jacksonville and trading WR Mike Wallace to Minnesota. GM Mike Tannenbaum is very aggressive, something he showed when he was with the New York Jets. Overthecap.com’s Jason Fitzgerald says that Suh’s contract will only count for $6 million against the cap this season, but it will count for $21.9 from 2016 to 2018. Fitzgerald also stated that the team used the same contract structure the to sign Mike Wallace. He had a cap hit of $3.25 million in the first year and a $17.25 million hit in his second. It is inconceivable they will keep Suh for the life of the deal. In two years they will either restructure his deal, or trade him like the Saints did with Jimmy Graham. They almost have to. They must think they can win now and will be able to convince Suh to play for less in the future.
Darrelle Revis (NYJ: five years, $70 million, $40 million guaranteed)
New York Jets ex-GM John Idzik was widely criticized for failing to spend money last year, despite having plenty of cap room. Now with a new GM and a new attitude from owner Woody Johnson, the Jets have returned to their aggressive ways. They acquired WR Bradon Marshall from Chicago for a fifth round pick and QB Ryan Fitzpatrick for a seventh. They also added DBs Buster Skrine, Antonio Cromartie, and Marcus Gilchrist in free agency. Nothing they did, however, was nearly as significant as reuniting with Darrelle Revis. Revis is undeniably a top three corner in the NFL. His presence automatically makes a team better. Revis famously left New York for Tampa Bay on bad terms two years ago, stemming from his numerous contract holdouts. It appears that his recent Super Bowl victory with the Pats, as well as the Jets being desperate, help mend the wounds. Games are not won on paper, but the Jets appear to be much better. As I said before, the Revis signing was one of many aimed at helping the secondary. The last two Super Bowl champs had stellar defensive backs, so I expect to see more teams follow that trend. The Jets also re-signed MLB David Harris, so the defense will be even better than last year. If the offense can come along, this team will be a playoff contender this year.
Jimmy Graham (traded from NO to SEA)
As I mentioned before, the salary cap can be a killer evidently. The Saints spent like drunken sailors over the last few years, and had minimal results to show for it. Their reckless ways have forced them to make some tough decisions, and getting rid of TE Jimmy Graham was the toughest so far. In five years, Graham has 4752 yards and 51 touchdowns, as well as three Pro Bowl appearances. For those who dislike the Seahawks for their eternal trash talking, seeing them lose the Super Bowl in heartbreaking fashion was somewhat entertaining. With that said, the team realized the needed to get better to stay at the top of the league. The obvious place to start was the mediocre passing game, which was ranked 27th in the league last year. Graham will not come anywhere near replicating the type of stats he was accustomed to in New Orleans, but his impact will be immense. Seattle has a great defense, so any offense they can add will help. I never expected them to make a move this big, so it should help counteract some of the players they lost in free agency over the last two years. The big question is how Seattle will keep everyone when they have to pay QB Russell Wilson soon. I would not be surprised is Graham gets moved in a couple years. The team may only see him as a short-term aid to winning another title.
The Eagles
Outside of the San Francisco 49ers, the Philadelphia Eagles have had the busiest offseason in the league. They traded RB LeSean McCoy to Buffalo for third year LB Kiko Alonso, and they acquired QB Sam Bradford for their own quarterback Nick Foles. They signed DeMarco Murray, the reigning rushing champ, from Dallas to replace McCoy. They also signed ex-Seattle cornerbacks Byron Maxwell and Walter Thurmond III. The Eagles have been the most exciting team in the league since Chip Kelly took over, but they have done very little in the playoffs. They looked like they might end up like the Eagles of the mid-2000s, a consistently successful team who cannot go all the way. These moves, while drastic, could be beneficial in the long run. Kelly realized he needed to improve his defense to be a real contender. Philly had a good d-line, but their linebackers and secondary were suspect. Alonso missed all of last year with a knee injury, but his rookie season was amazing. The 24-year-old Alonso tallied 159 tackles, two sacks, four interceptions, four pass deflections, four interceptions, and a forced fumble as a rookie in 2013. McCoy was a fan favorite, but this may have been the best move the team made. Maxwell will make $63 over six years, with $25.5 guaranteed. The Thurmond deal is for one year, $3.25. Although the Maxwell deal is a lot, it will cost very little against the cap after two seasons. The Murray signing is the only questionable one. His contract is for $40 million over five years, with $21 guaranteed. He is 27 and injury prone. This will hurt them down the road, but is a good pickup for the short term.
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