NFL starts 2020 free agency as scheduled

By DANIEL WATERS

In spite of the rapid spread of Coronavirus, the NFL has elected to start its 2020 free agency as scheduled. The free agency period gives players the opportunity to land lucrative contracts or find better team fits while also enabling teams to improve their rosters through negotiation, trading and deal brokering with new or returning free agents. The following is a summary of notable NFL free-agent signings and trades of the offseason as of March 18.

Signings

After twenty years with the New England Patriots, the most decorated quarterback of all time is leaving. Tom Brady has signed a contract for $30 million per year with his new team, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Longtime Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers will move on to Indianapolis with a one year, $25 million contract.

Quarterback (QB) Teddy Bridgewater is expected to be the new starter of the Carolina Panthers with a three year, $63 million contract.

QB Kirk Cousins will continue his career with the Minnesota Vikings on a two year, $66 million contract.

Future Hall of Fame QB Drew Brees signed an extension with the New Orleans Saints for two years and $50 million.

To protect Brees in his older years, the Saints have extended OT Andrus Peat for five years and $57.5 million.

The Tennessee Titans have committed themselves to QB Ryan Tannehill with a deal for four years and $118 million.

Wide receiver (WR) Amari Cooper has taken a large step in fulfilling his goal of staying in Dallas for a long time by agreeing to a five year, $100 million deal with the Cowboys.

The San Francisco 49ers are retaining defensive lineman (DL) Arik Armstead for five years and $85 million after a breakout season. Another emerging player in San Francisco, safety (S) Jimmie Ward, has also signed for three years and $28.5 million.

Austin Hooper is now the highest-paid tight end (TE) in the NFL with a four year, $44 million contract from the Cleveland Browns.

Cornerback (CB) James Bradberry is moving from Carolina to the New York Giants for a three year, $45 million contract.

RB Melvin Gordon is leaving the Chargers, but remaining in the AFC West with a two year, $16 million contract with the Denver Broncos. Gordon and Bronco RB Phillip Lindsay will form a dynamic duo at the running back position for Denver. 

After nine years with the Broncos, Chris Harris Jr. is leaving for a two year, $17 million contract with the Chargers.

Defensive end (DE) Robert Quinn landed a massive contract with the Chicago Bears (five years, $70 million) after a great season with the Cowboys last year. 

The Cincinnati Bengals made two splash signings with defensive lineman (DL) DJ Reader (four years, $53 million) and CB Trae Waynes (three years, $42 million).

The Denver Broncos are investing in protection for young QB Drew Lock with their signing of offensive lineman (OL) Graham Glasgow (four years, $44 million). With a similar motive, the New York Jets signed offensive tackle (OT) George Fant (three years, $27.3 million), guard Alex Lewis (three years, $18.6 million), and center, or C, Connor McGovern (three years, $18 million).

The Philadelphia Eagles added to their stellar defensive line by signing former Pittsburgh Steelers nose tackle (NT) Javon Hargrave (three years, $49 million).

OT Bryan Bulaga will bolster the offensive line of the Chargers for whoever plays their quarterback; he signed a three year, $30 million deal with the Los Angeles team.

S Jordan Poyer signed an extension with the Buffalo Bills for two years and $20.5 million.

On his third team in as many years, defensive tackle (DT) Gerald McCoy has signed with the Cowboys for three years and $20.25 million. Carolina has also lost DT Vernon Butler to Buffalo (two years, $16 million).

The Colts re-signed star left tackle Anthony Castonzo for two years and $33 million.

TE Eric Ebron signed a two year, $12 million contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Cleveland addressed their weakness in its offensive line group by signing OT Jack Conklin for three years and $42 million.

General manager Mike Mayock is bringing veteran leadership to his young Las Vegas Raiders by signing TE Jason Witten (one year, $4.75 million) and S Jeff Heath (two years, $8 million) from Dallas and linebacker (LB) Carl Nassib (three years, $25 million) from Tampa Bay.

LB Cory Littleton will move from Los Angeles to Las Vegas for a three year, $36 million deal with the Raiders.

The Seattle Seahawks extended DT Jarran Reed’s contract for two years and $23 million.

TE Jimmy Graham is attempting a career revival in Chicago with a two year, $16 million deal.

The league’s second-highest tackler last season, LB Blake Martinez, is moving to the New York Giants for three years and $30 million.

The Jacksonville Jaguars have signed LB Joe Schobert for five years and $53.75 million after a great season under the radar in Cleveland.

Minnesota has signed NT Michael Pierce away from Baltimore for three years and $27 million. This move could be in response to Minnesota’s former NT Linval Joseph moving to the Chargers on a two year, seventeen million dollar deal.

CB Kendall Fuller is staying with the Washington Redskins for four years and $40 million.

Veteran DE Mario Addison has signed with the Bills for three years and $30.45 million.

S Devin McCourty will stay with the New England Patriots for two years and $23 million.

The Miami Dolphins have been particularly active during this free agency period. They signed CB Byron Jones (five years, $82.5 million), LB Kyle Van Noy (five years, $51 million), OL Ereck Flowers (3 years, $30 million), DE Shaq Lawson (three years, $30 million), DE Emmanuel Ogbah (two years, $15 million), running back (RB) Jordan Howard (two years, $10 million), S Clayton Fejedelem (three years, $8.55 million), LB Elandon Roberts (needed), and C Ted Karras (one year, $4 million).

Dallas has established Blake Jarwin as their tight end of the future with a four year, $24.5 million deal.

DE Jason Pierre-Paul is staying in Tampa Bay for two years and $27 million dollars.

Right tackle Ricky Wagner is moving from the Detroit Lions to the rival Green Bay Packers on a two year, $11 million contract. 

The Packers have signed LB Christian Kirksey away from the Browns for two years and $16 million.

After a big year in San Francisco, WR Emmanuel Sanders is moving to New Orleans for two years and sixteen million dollars.

OT Andrew Whitworth is staying with the Los Angeles Rams for three years and thirty million dollars. The Rams have also signed LB Leonard Floyd away from the Bears on a one year deal for ten million dollars.

Detroit is attempting to bolster a defense that ranked 26th in the NFL in points per game allowed last season. They’ve acquired LB Jamie Collins (three years, $30 million), CB Desmond Trufant (two years, $21 million), DE Nicholas Williams (two years, $10 million), and DT Danny Shelton (two years, $8 million).

WR Randall Cobb has signed with his third team, the Houston Texans, for three years and $27 million.

After establishing himself as the top CB in Houston, Bradley Roby has signed a deal with the Texans for three years and $36 million. 

OT Dennis Kelly and the Titans have agreed to terms on a three year, $21 million contract.

To replace DT Ndamukong Suh, the Los Angeles Rams have signed DT A’Shawn Robinson from Detroit for two years and $17 million.

LB De’Vondre Campbell has left the Falcons for the Rams on a one year, $8.5 million deal.

Trades

Superstar WR Deandre Hopkins has been traded from the Texans to the Arizona Cardinals for David Johnson and a second-round pick in the upcoming draft.

San Francisco has traded DT DeForest Buckner to Indianapolis for a first-round pick this year. He has signed an extension with the Colts worth $21 million per year.

Minnesota has traded WR Stefon Diggs and a 2020 seventh-round pick to Buffalo in return for first, fifth and sixth-round selections in 2020 and a fourth-round pick in 2021.

CB Darius Slay has finally been traded from Detroit; he has been sent to Philadelphia. The Lions will receive 2020 third and fifth round picks in return. Slay has signed a three year, fifty million dollar contract with his new team.

Chicago is bringing in competition for struggling quarterback Mitchell Trubisky; they’ve gained QB Nick Foles from Jacksonville in exchange for a fourth-round choice.

The Denver Broncos have acquired CB AJ Bouye from the Jaguars for a fourth-round selection in the 2020 draft.

Baltimore has traded TE Hayden Hurst and a 2020 fourth-round choice for 2020 second and fifth-round picks from Atlanta.

Detroit head coach Matt Patricia will reunite with one of his former players in New England. The Patriots are trading S Duron Harmon and a 2020 seventh-round pick for a 2020 fifth-round choice from the Lions.

The Baltimore Ravens have given a 2020 fifth-round selection to Jacksonville in exchange for DE Calais Campbell. With the addition of Campbell, Baltimore is trading DL Chris Wormley and a 2020 seventh-round choice for a 2020 fifth-round pick from Pittsburgh.

Cleveland has acquired fullback Andy Janovich from Denver with a seventh-round pick in 2020. Denver has also given up a seventh-round selection to acquire DL Jurrell Casey from Tennessee.

Franchise Tags

RB Derrick Henry, Tennessee Titans

QB Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys

DL Chris Jones, Kansas City Chiefs

LB Shaquille Barrett, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

LG Joe Thuney, New England Patriots

S Anthony Harris, Minnesota Vikings

RB Kenyan Drake, Arizona Cardinals

DE Yannick Ngakoue, Jacksonville Jaguars

DL Leonard Williams, New York Giants

LB Bud Dupree, Pittsburgh Steelers

WR AJ Green, Cincinnati Bengals

Glossary

CB: Cornerback

DB: Defensive back

DE: Defensive end

DL: Defensive lineman

DT: Defensive tackle

G: Guard

LB: Linebacker

LG: Left guard

LT: Left tackle

NT: Nose tackle

OL: Offensive lineman

QB: Quarterback

RB: Running back

RT: Right tackle

S: Safety

TE: Tight end

WR: Wide receiver

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