The 2021 NFL Free Agency frenzy is about to get underway with the “legal tampering” period opening things up on Monday before the new league year officially kicks off on March 17.
This year’s free agent signing period in the NFL is going to be very fun to watch because of the league’s salary cap dropping all the way to $182.5 million, a substantial decrease from the 2020 salary cap.
The decrease in the cap for all teams has been causing a ripple effect of many veteran players (more than usual) being cut for cap purposes, but that could make the signing period all the more intriguing.
JJ Watt has already changed teams in free agency, going from the Houston Texans to the Arizona Cardinals.
Before anything happens in the 2021 NFL Draft, the NFL free agency frenzy will help us determine what might unfold in April.
Let’s take a look at one prediction for every team, including some bonus options for teams with the most cap space.
2021 NFL Free Agency Predictions: Jacksonville Jaguars
Bonus: Jaguars sign RB Aaron Jones
Extra bonus: Jaguars sign EDGE Jadeveon Clowney
The Jacksonville Jaguars figure to be quite active in free agency in the 2021 offseason, the first of the Urban Meyer/Trent Baalke era.
With Meyer coming out of retirement from the college ranks and Trevor Lawrence expected to be the number one overall pick, the Jaguars have a rare opportunity to build backward from their top pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, likely knowing they are taking Lawrence at this point.
With that in mind, the Jags have to be active in adding some more weaponry on offense. Specifically, the tight end position needs to be addressed and it just so happens that this class of free agent tight ends is quite good.
Hunter Henry goes all the way from the West Coast to Duval county in this scenario, joining the likes of DJ Chark and Laviska Shenault in the Jags’ passing attack. He would be a great weapon for Urban Meyer to add with a rookie quarterback coming in.
In addition to Henry, the Jags bring in Aaron Jones even with the emergence of undrafted rookie James Robinson in 2020.
Jones has been one of the best three-down backs in the NFL over the past few seasons and on a second contract, he could be a huge player for the Jaguars to bring in and take pressure off of Lawrence.
As an extra bonus, I think the Jaguars are an intriguing fit for free agent Jadeveon Clowney. The Jaguars need pass-rush help, and Clowney is really in need of a career revival. He could find it playing on the opposite side of Josh Allen in Jacksonville.
Bonus: Jets sign EDGE Yannick Ngakoue
Extra bonus: Jets sign CB Jason Verrett
The New York Jets have work to do.
New head coach Robert Saleh is almost certainly going to be a great recruiter on the free agent trail along with general manager Joe Douglas, and what this team does in free agency should set the stage for how they approach the second overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.
Will the Jets keep Sam Darnold? Will they draft Zach Wilson or Justin Fields or Trey Lance?
There is no telling what could go down but they need to build the rest of the team for whoever is going to be playing quarterback regardless.
Paying up for JuJu Smith-Schuster seems like something the Jets should do given the fact they have arguably the worst skill position talent in the entire NFL right now.
2020 rookie Denzel Mims should be a good piece moving forward, but outside of him, it’s slim pickings for the Jets. Smith-Schuster is a proven WR1b type of player in the NFL and he would make any QB’s life easier.
Defensively, I like the idea of picking up pass-rusher Yannick Ngakoue to go in Saleh’s defense as well as bringing over veteran Jason Verrett to play corner. Verrett really found himself playing well in Saleh’s defense last year and he would have a great chance to keep the trajectory in the right direction by moving out to New York with him.
Bonus: Patriots sign WR Corey Davis & Adam Humphries
Although the Patriots decided to foil my initial plans for this post by re-signing quarterback Cam Newton to a deal worth up to $14 million, they have created a new path for themselves and for me.
Newton returning to the Patriots means they do not have to be foolish about going after a quarterback for this coming season and he is undoubtedly not signing on to be someone’s backup.
The Patriots have to do better at surrounding him with talent at the skill positions, so I have them going after a trio of former Tennessee Titans.
Bill Belichick, with these projected moves, would be saying to his former pupil Mike Vrabel that if Vrabel couldn’t get the best out of these players, watch how he can.
Jonnu Smith, Corey Davis, and Adam Humphries would all fill major needs for the Patriots at this point. New England has some young tight ends to work with, but Smith is a proven commodity with 16 career touchdown catches (four seasons) including eight this past year for Tennessee.
Corey Davis is a former first-round pick and big-bodied receiver who could certainly have a career resurrection in New England, and Adam Humphries is a player the Pats have shown interest in before.
With Newton re-signed, the Patriots need to be aggressive about adding weapons in the passing game, because the combination of guys they had last year was an absolute joke, financial restrictions or not.
Set Cam Newton up to succeed. Get him weapons.
Bonus: Colts sign EDGE Bud Dupree
The Indianapolis Colts are one of the most aggressive teams in the NFL under general manager Chris Ballard.
Ballard swung a trade last offseason for DeForest Buckner, an absolute star on the defensive line. This offseason, he’s already made a deal that will become official at the start of the new league year for quarterback Carson Wentz.
The combination of Wentz and Colts’ head coach Frank Reich has proven prosperous in the past, so the Colts are banking on those two re-kindling their 2017 fire.
Now the focus shifts to the left tackle position where the Colts have a vacancy after the retirement of Anthony Castonzo. There is no better player they could bring in than Trent Williams, who was awesome for the 49ers last season after his brief hiatus from the league.
Playing next to Quenton Nelson? Well, that would be an NFL offensive line fan’s dream come true.
The 49ers are likely going to make it hard for Williams to get to the market, but if he does, the Colts have plenty of cap space to try and lure him.
In addition to going hard after Williams, I think the Colts will heavily pursue edge players in this class, and a guy like Bud Dupree would be a huge haul for them.
Although he’s coming off of an injury, Dupree has been a consistent rusher off the edge and would give the Colts another proven veteran to go along with Buckner and make their already ascending defense better.
Bonus: Extension for Carl Lawson
The Cincinnati Bengals made the curious decision to not franchise tag pass rusher Carl Lawson, who has now become one of the best and frankly most underrated players in the 2021 NFL Free Agency class.
I think the Bengals will ultimately get something long-term done with Lawson, but his name is one to monitor moving forward.
The Bengals’ primary focus outside of their own star pass rusher Lawson is protecting Joe Burrow from other pass rushers like him.
The Patriots did not franchise tag Joe Thuney, making the steady left guard a likely coveted piece for a variety of teams in free agency.
Thuney would not necessarily be the sexiest addition for the Bengals, but his addition would be music to the ears of Burrow, who is recovering from a severe knee injury and hoping to be back on the field by opening day in the 2021 season.
One way or another, the Bengals’ biggest investments should be on the offensive line after they look out for Lawson.
Bonus: WFT also signs QB Ryan Fitzpatrick
Fitzmagic coming to the Nation’s Capital?
Let’s see it happen.
The Washington Football Team, like a variety of others in this particular free agent circuit, is not in the best spot when it comes to their need for a quarterback. They aren’t going to be able to draft one they love without trading a bounty of picks to do it.
Short of trading for Deshaun Watson or Russell Wilson — pipe dreams at this point — Washington is going to have to set its sights on someone who can help them win now because their defense is ready.
Fitzpatrick can do it.
In addition to Fitzpatrick, I love the idea of Washington going after a former Carolina Panthers receiver in Curtis Samuel to pair with his former Ohio State teammate Terry McLaurin.
The Panthers connection with Ron Rivera is obvious, so Samuel would obviously have no trouble fitting in here. His dynamic playmaking ability would be a welcomed addition with McLaurin shouldering the majority of the load in the passing game for this team in 2020.
Adding Fitzpatrick and Samuel would help push the Washington offense to a place where they could repeat as NFC East champs, only this time with a winning record.
Bonus: Broncos sign Justin Simmons to a long-term deal
Extra bonus: Broncos sign QB Mitchell Trubisky
The Denver Broncos do not necessarily need to go after the biggest names at cornerback with Vic Fangio’s defense always elevating players at that position, but think of what a playmaker like William Jackson could do in Fangio’s scheme.
In addition to coming to an agreement with safety Justin Simmons on a long-term contract, I think the Denver Broncos are going to prioritize cornerback in free agency and they could throw a good chunk of money out there to get an upgrade on the outside.
With Michael Ojemudia expected to take a step forward in 2021 and Bryce Callahan ideally suited for the nickel, adding William Jackson to the secondary would give the Broncos a formidable group.
He has just three career interceptions in 59 career games, but Jackson gets his hands on the ball plenty and has the speed and physical tools to take the next step on his second NFL contract.
In addition to re-signing Justin Simmons and bringing in Jackson, I think the Broncos will be the team that signs QB Mitch Trubisky.
Trubisky would be well-known by the Broncos’ brass considering Vic Fangio spent Trubisky’s first two years in the NFL on the Chicago staff, and new Broncos GM George Paton was an executive with the rival Minnesota Vikings, a team Trubisky always played pretty well against.
Veteran QBs on the free agent market should be looking at Denver’s QB situation and salivating. The Broncos are in transition in the front office, so Drew Lock’s biggest supporter (John Elway) is no longer calling the shots. The team would love to see Lock succeed but they’ve been exploring avenues of improvement.
A player like Trubisky could see that Lock’s job is up for grabs and that he also has been hurt the past two seasons as an ideal situation anyway, but factor in the Broncos having the best set of offensive weaponry Trubisky could reasonably ask for?
This situation would be a no-brainer for him if Denver reciprocated interest.
Bonus: Chargers trade for OT Orlando Brown Jr., sign SS John Johnson
We’re predicting some big moves for the Los Angeles Chargers here.
First off, let’s look at the Corey Linsley move.
The Chargers’ offensive line from the 2020 season has been all but completely dismantled. They cut Trai Turner, Mike Pouncey retired, and both Dan Feeney and Forrest Lamp are free agents. Heck, even Sam Tevi is a free agent.
One stone at a time, the Chargers must rebuild the offensive line for young quarterback Justin Herbert, who was incredible as a rookie in 2020.
Now that Herbert will be changing offenses and will have nearly a completely new offensive line, the Chargers have to bring in as many “sure things” as they possibly can.
Linsley will be a coveted veteran center coming over from the Green Bay Packers where he was just snapping to Aaron Rodgers.
Orlando Brown Jr. has requested a trade from the Baltimore Ravens because of a desire to play left tackle permanently, and the Chargers could undoubtedly afford the price the Ravens would ask for in exchange for Brown’s services there.
Defensively, I think strong safety John Johnson following Brandon Staley to Los Angeles and adding another dynamic piece along with a hopefully healthy Derwin James would be a great fit.
The Chargers have space to work with and a young quarterback to build around. They can afford to be aggressive and in certain areas (specifically the offensive line), they need to be.
The Cleveland Browns are one of the NFL’s top young teams led by AP Coach of the Year Kevin Stefanski.
With Stefanski getting some nice reinforcements offensively in the form of Odell Beckham Jr. coming back off of injury, the Browns need to allocate their biggest free agent dollar budget to the defensive front.
A player like Trey Hendrickson would be a huge coup for Cleveland, although their list doesn’t have to be limited in a very deep free agent class.
Any pass rusher the Browns add is going to have a great situation to step into because of the attention commanded by Myles Garrett.
Trey Hendrickson, having played with Cameron Jordan, is no stranger to playing in a favorable situation, but he’s developed into a heck of a threat on his own.
He racked up 13.5 sacks and 25 quarterback hits last season for a very good Saints defense. At 26 years of age, the best days are likely yet ahead for Hendrickson who could provide the Browns the best pass rush duo in the entire league if he signs on.
Bonus: Dolphins sign EDGE Romeo Okwara
The Miami Dolphins cutting Kyle Van Noy gives me a little bit of pause when looking at the possibility of giving them a couple of big free agent names, but I’m going to press onward anyway.
The Dolphins have to find a way to support Tua Tagovailoa with Ryan Fitzpatrick likely leaving in 2021 free agency.
Tua needs weapons to throw the ball to and a player like Will Fuller would be a really interesting fit for him in Miami.
Despite an inability to consistently stay healthy, Fuller has been consistently one of the best deep threats in the NFL since he was drafted, and one of the best touchdown scorers per touch in the game.
Although he has just 209 career receptions, he has 24 touchdown grabs. A touchdown on every nine touches, roughly?
That is production.
The Dolphins would obviously have to protect themselves with Fuller’s injury history but he would be a fun addition.
On the defensive side, a player like Romeo Okwara would be a really fun addition if the Dolphins could get him at the right price. Okwara is one of the most underrated edge players in football and he could make a very underrated defensive front even better in Miami.
Bonus: Team signs OT Eric Fisher
The San Francisco 49ers would obviously like to get back to their 2019 form as quickly as possible.
A key factor in doing just that will be getting players back healthy. The 49ers had worse injury luck in 2020 than probably any other NFL franchise, and they have every reason to believe that if they can bring their primary core back in 2021, they have a pretty good shot at being NFC Champions.
With that being said, the 49ers have to do some work defensively. Losing defensive coordinator Robert Saleh to the Jets hurts, but the 49ers’ defensive backfield could also be depleted in free agency as well.
They have poached from their division rival Seahawks before, signing Richard Sherman a few years ago. This time, they bring in Shaquill Griffin from the Seahawks and tab him as their CB1 going forward.
In addition to going after free agent corners, I think the 49ers will be an interesting fit for newly released tackle Eric Fisher should they end up losing Trent Williams as they do in this particular scenario.
Fisher would be a capable replacement, no doubt, and would help keep the 49ers’ offensive line steady at the very least.
The 2021 NFL Free Agency class is deepest off the edge, and there are a wide variety of players who are pretty underrated league-wide that could be changing teams and making an instant impact elsewhere.
One of those players is Baltimore Ravens edge defender Matthew Judon, one of the most consistently good all-around edge players in the NFL over the past few seasons.
In the last four seasons, Judon has racked up 93 quarterback hits and 30.5 sacks. Although Judon has not been a 12-sack-per-year type of pass rusher, he consistently gets pressure on the quarterback and that is something the Seahawks desperately need.
Jamal Adams led the Seahawks’ defense with 9.5 sacks last season.
While he’s an obvious weapon for that defense, Seattle would be wise to invest in some players who can both get after the quarterback and protect Russell Wilson as well.
You know, assuming Wilson is actually still there to be protected.
We’ll see what happens with Seattle and Wilson this offseason, but if no. 3 sticks around, it makes sense for the Seahawks to pour some cash into the pass rush and a player like Judon would fit nicely.
Bonus: Ravens sign WR Kenny Golladay
Free agency is not typically the way the Baltimore Ravens make the biggest headlines, but you never know when general manager Eric DeCosta might change that strategy up if the timing and situation is right.
In this scenario, I think the Ravens end up bringing in arguably the biggest free agent fish in the entire crop.
Shaquil Barrett is a Baltimore native who has won two Super Bowls in the NFL (Broncos, Buccaneers). He has been through the one-year prove-it deal, he has been franchise tagged, and now he’s set to secure the bag.
Barrett will rightfully get his massive payday, and the Ravens are in need of pass rushers in a big way.
Bringing the Baltimore native home makes a ton of sense from the perspective of both the Ravens and Barrett. Although there is obviously a decent chance Barrett re-signs with the Bucs as Tom Brady has re-done his contract to make more cap room, the Ravens have available cap space now, a great situation, and a legitimate shot at competing for a championship again in 2021.
In addition to Barrett, I think the Ravens will be aggressive in pursuit of an “X” wide receiver after things didn’t really work out with former third-round pick Miles Boykin.
The Ravens have Hollywood Brown and Devin Duvernay as smaller receivers who can contribute but they need a big-bodied receiver on the outside and Kenny Golladay would be great as a vertical threat for Lamar Jackson.
This Baltimore offense is so efficient passing the ball and a player like Golladay who can be dominant in one-on-one situations would make them even more dangerous.
So, what’s the deal with Deshaun Watson?
For now, he’s the Texans’ starting quarterback.
New head coach David Culley is not inheriting the most enviable situation in his first year on the job as Texans head coach, but it’s the hand he’s been dealt. The Texans have a solid offensive coaching staff all-around with a real asset in Pep Hamilton as the passing game coordinator and QBs coach.
Culley has worked with Tyrod Taylor before (2017 with Buffalo) as his starting quarterback so perhaps he could do it again.
Taylor would be an upgrade to Houston’s backup situation regardless but if Deshaun Watson is sent packing, he could also be a very good bridge or hedge option for a rookie coming in.
No matter what Houston plans on doing with Deshaun Watson — forcing him to stay or trading him — a player like Taylor makes sense to bring in. It might be tough for Houston to convince a lot of prominent free agents to come in, but they have convinced David Johnson to stay for less money, they brought in Mark Ingram, and they signed center Justin Britt.
It’s merely a start, but it’s something.
Bringing in Taylor would be valuable insurance for Houston.
In case it hasn’t been mentioned enough, in free agency, always look for connections.
In the case of Haason Reddick and the Panthers, the connection is an obvious one — Matt Rhule.
Rhule was the head coach at Temple from 2013-16, the same exact four years Reddick was with the program before he was a first-round pick by the Arizona Cardinals in 2017.
Reddick’s career in the NFL has gotten off to a somewhat slow start, but he exploded in 2020 with 12.5 sacks. Even though five of those sacks came in one game (Giants, seriously?), Reddick still spread out 9 QB hits and 7.5 sacks over 15 other games.
If there is anyone who could extract consistency from the talented former first-round pick, wouldn’t it be Reddick?
He’s a big-time athlete who would be joining a talented young defense that Rhule began assembling last offseason when he spent every single draft pick on that side of the ball.
With cornerstone pieces like Jeremy Chinn and Derrick Brown in place, someone like Reddick who knows the type of culture Rhule wants to build could be a great asset on a second contract.
Have I mentioned you should look for connections in free agency?
Gus Bradley is making the move from Los Angeles to Las Vegas in 2021 with Brandon Staley coming in as the Chargers’ head coach, and pass rusher Melvin Ingram could follow him.
In addition to being a relatively short move, Ingram would get to go from paying a pretty high state income tax to paying no state income tax with the Raiders.
The Raiders have failed in their primary offseason acquisitions since Mike Mayock came aboard as general manager. Their free agent acquisitions have not proven to be beneficial since trading Khalil Mack. They need as close to “sure things” as you can get and Ingram has been that in his career.
At least, when he’s been healthy, that’s the case.
In just seven games in 2020, Ingram had zero sacks and just 12 pressures total. The Raiders would potentially be able to get Ingram on a bit of a team-friendly deal given his regression in production last season, and that could turn out to be a huge bargain for them.
Ingram averaged nine sacks per year from 2015-19 and has been a tremendous all-around edge player over that timeframe as well.
Bonus: Cardinals sign LB Jayon Brown
The Arizona Cardinals made a big splash already in the 2021 offseason by signing veteran defensive end JJ Watt.
Watt chose the Cardinals over a variety of suitors despite the fact that Arizona doesn’t have many pieces in place on that defensive side of the ball (though they have important ones, no doubt).
At any rate, the Cardinals are going to have to continue to be aggressive and the idea of signing one if not two cornerbacks in free agency makes a lot of sense for this team.
Mike Hilton is a tremendous slot corner and an underrated player in general who would go from playing behind TJ Watt in Pittsburgh to playing behind brother JJ in the desert.
The Cardinals could feature Byron Murphy more exclusively on the outside in this case, bringing in someone good enough to take the nickel spot on a full-time basis. Hilton is also effective as a blitzer and run defender.
In addition to Hilton, I like the idea of the Cardinals adding a free agent linebacker like Jayon Brown who can really cover. Even though he’s not the biggest, Brown would be in a great situation playing behind a stout Cardinals defensive front and he can focus on doing what he does best with his coverage ability and range.
With Ben Roethlisberger coming back, the Pittsburgh Steelers are going to have to be frugal and wise with their remaining free agent dollars.
Pittsburgh could potentially be losing all of the following:
- RB James Conner
- WR JuJu Smith-Schuster
- OT Alejandro Villanueva
- EDGE Bud Dupree
- DB Mike Hilton
Possibly even more than that.
Even with all of those players departing, the Steelers have just over $5 million in projected cap space. They still have needs to address, though, and if they can find a way to free up the space, nickel defensive back Desmond King makes some sense for them as a Mike Hilton replacement.
King also has added value on special teams as a tremendous returner, but with the pressure the Steelers are able to consistently apply up front, King could excel as a ballhawk in an already talented secondary.
The Dallas Cowboys may have already made their biggest (and most important) free agency move by giving Dak Prescott the bag.
Prescott will average $40 million per season on his new deal with Dallas and obviously, the major leg injury from last season stings a little bit less now.
Even with Prescott back on that kind of deal, Dallas is never going to be averse to being aggressive if at all possible. The salary cap can be manipulated, so adding a player like Keanu Neal might not be outside of the realm of possibility.
With Prescott back, the Cowboys can add Neal to their secondary and then look to the 2021 NFL Draft for even more help at the cornerback position to fortify that unit.
Neal has a connection in Dallas with new defensive coordinator Dan Quinn coming over from the Falcons, who drafted Neal in the first round a few years ago.
Have I mentioned that connections are important this time of year?
Neal would be a great pickup for a Dallas defense that desperately needs reinforcements.
After being a surprise cut by the Miami Dolphins, Kyle Van Noy should have no issues finding a new home elsewhere in the NFL.
In this case, he goes to the Tennessee Titans to play for Mike Vrabel, a guy Van Noy has even been compared to in the past because of his versatility.
The Titans undoubtedly need help in the pass rush department, and Van Noy can help there obviously. They also might have a need at off-ball linebacker if Jayon Brown departs in free agency.
Van Noy could come in and play in Vrabel’s defense, which will be familiar to him having just played for Brian Flores in Miami and Bill Belichick in New England before that.
What might be additionally attractive to the Titans? Because Van Noy just got a bunch of guaranteed cash from the Dolphins last year, so he might not be looking to break the bank as much as he might be looking for the best long-term situation.
Van Noy is a good player and could help the Titans in a variety of ways. The Titans also have the Dolphins on the schedule in 2021…
The Buffalo Bills are close.
Very close.
The Bills have one of the best all-around rosters in the NFL and with Josh Allen taking such a substantial leap forward in 2020, they might even be a “destination” type of team.
They’ve come a long way from Antonio Brown turning down a trade to Buffalo, haven’t they?
Richard Sherman is going to be a fun player to watch in the 2021 NFL Free Agency period. The Bills have shown a willingness to go after some older veterans, specifically looking in the defensive backfield at Josh Norman.
With Norman headed for free agency, the Bills could view Richard Sherman as a piece that could push them over the top defensively.
Although Sherman is not the player he was back in the Legion of Boom days, he’s undoubtedly a savvy veteran who can be productive and help a team like Buffalo win a lot of games.
He proved he’s still got it in 2019 when he picked off three passes and helped the 49ers to the Super Bowl.
The Minnesota Vikings have some re-shuffling to do on the offensive line for 2021.
After the predicted release of left tackle Riley Reiff, the Vikings could look to move Ezra Cleveland — a second-round pick in 2020 — back to the left tackle spot after he played (well) in 2020 at right guard.
Regardless of what the Vikings do with Cleveland, they’re likely to need at least a couple of starters on the interior offensive line, and a player like Kevin Zeitler could fill one of those spots at least for the time being.
Zeitler was a big-money free agent pickup for the Cleveland Browns in 2017 but he was traded to the New York Giants in the Odell Beckham Jr. deal in 2019.
Now, the Giants have moved on, and Zeitler is once again an unrestricted free agent.
Although this wouldn’t be the type of move you brag about to your friends at the water cooler, a player like Zeitler could make the Vikings’ offense better.
It’s always good to look for free agents with connections, especially for teams that are hurting for cap space.
The Detroit Lions started off the 2021 offseason with a bang, bringing in general manager Brad Holmes over from the Los Angeles Rams.
Holmes and new head coach Dan Campbell wasted no time re-shaping the roster, trading former first overall pick Matthew Stafford to Holmes’ former team — the Los Angeles Rams — for fellow former first-overall pick Jared Goff and a variety of draft picks, including first-rounders in 2022 and 2023.
With both Dan Campbell and Aaron Glenn coming from the New Orleans Saints to the Detroit Lions, a veteran pickup like Janoris Jenkins would make plenty of sense.
Jenkins was with the Saints the past two seasons, and last year he picked off three passes in 13 games with 12 pass breakups.
He would have familiarity with Glenn, obviously, and would give the Lions a necessary veteran presence after the (impending) release of both Desmond Trufant and Justin Coleman.
The New York Giants under general manager Dave Gettleman and head coach Joe Judge are obviously going to value and prioritize versatility, and that is something Kerry Hyder brings to the table.
One of the more underrated free agent defensive players in this particular crop, Hyder had 8.5 sacks this past season for the 49ers very quietly.
Not only that, but in the 2016 season in Detroit, he posted eight sacks.
Where his production went between that time (missed 2017 season, low snap counts in 2018 and 2019 with Detroit and Dallas), is somewhat of a mystery, but he’s the type of underrated player the Giants (or any team) should be prioritizing.
There are a number of really underrated free agents along the defensive line in this class, but virtually nobody is talking about Hyder and that is rare for a guy who had 8.5 sacks and 18 QB hits in a season.
His productivity would be welcomed on the Giants’ defensive front off the edge, to be certain.
Ever since Emmanuel Sanders went on the trade block during the 2019 season with the Denver Broncos, it seemed like the Green Bay Packers and head coach Matt LaFleur would be a natural fit.
Of course, Sanders went to the root of the Kyle Shanahan coaching tree to play for the 49ers that year, and it predictably went very well for San Francisco.
Sanders, even at the age of 33 going on 34, is still a very capable and effective player who brings speed, toughness and route savvy to the table. That kind of complementary playmaker would be huge for Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams in Green Bay.
I have been screaming for the Packers to make a move at receiver and Sanders being cut by the Saints could pave the way for them to make it.
Although this would not be the flashiest move or the move with the best long-term implications, it would be a move that could push the Packers even closer to title contention.
Sanders would be a great veteran to add who could play inside as a slot or out wide and be effective to all levels of the field.
This move feels like a no-brainer for both parties.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are going to have to do everything they can just to “run it back” and get as many of the guys they had in their championship run under contract again for 2021.
The Bucs are a veteran-laden team and with so many key in-house free agents, it’s hard to know what out-of-house guys they would bring in in the early goings of free agency.
Thus, I am going with the ultimate cop-out of picking Rob Gronkowski as a top free agent for the Bucs to retain, though they have already placed the franchise tag on wide receiver Chris Godwin, re-signed Lavonte David, and extended Tom Brady.
It’s not like the Bucs are sitting idly by.
The biggest free agent they have to deal with now is outside linebacker Shaquil Barrett, one of the stars of this entire roster defensively. In this scenario, I have the Bucs losing him to another team (the Ravens) obviously, but that doesn’t mean he will for sure not be back.
Still, given their cap situation, the Bucs are going to have to do everything they can to convince players like Gronkowski, Ndamukong Suh, and others to come back with low year one cap hits.
Barrett has won two Super Bowls at this point, and he deserves a massive pay day.
Just like many other teams in 2021, the Kansas City Chiefs are having to pay bills that had previously been kicked down the road.
With that being said, Kansas City has made enough moves at this point — including cutting starting offensive tackles Eric Fisher and Mitchell Schwartz (check out the latest Chiefs mock draft for how to replace them) — that they could reasonably make a few additions in free agency for the right price.
A player like veteran cornerback Patrick Peterson might find the idea of coming to play for Kansas City very appealing.
Specifically, Peterson might like the idea of joining his old pal Tyrann Mathieu — the Honey Badger — for a shot at an NFL title.
Peterson and Mathieu were teammates in Baton Rouge when they starred on the LSU defense together for the 2010 season before Peterson became a top NFL Draft pick.
It’s not going to be hard for the Kansas City Chiefs to convince veteran players to come play for them as long as they have Patrick Mahomes, but having the added bonus of the Honey Badger in this case could seal the deal for a player like Peterson.
The Atlanta Falcons have a brand-new brain trust in place after the in-season firings of head coach Dan Quinn and general manager Thomas Dimitroff.
Quinn and Dimitroff won an NFC title together with the Falcons, but the team has fallen off the map since that time and they were replaced by new head coach Arthur Smith (Titans) and general manager Terry Fontenot (Saints).
With Smith as the team’s head coach and Fontenot as GM, the Falcons could be making major changes to the offensive side of the ball through the 2021 NFL Draft, specifically at quarterback. Where this team needs an influx of new players immediately, however, is on defense.
Smith didn’t exactly coach Malcolm Butler while they were in Tennessee together, but new Falcons defensive coordinator Dean Pees did work with Butler while they were in Tennessee for a couple of seasons.
Butler’s versatility to play inside-out would be extremely valuable to an Atlanta secondary that desperately needs help.
With AJ Terrell looking like a key piece moving forward, Butler’s ability to move around to different positions and provide that veteran presence could be coveted by Atlanta.
The 2021 offseason has been a projected reckoning for the New Orleans Saints for quite some time.
The Saints are the NFL’s version of a Nicolas Cage character trying to fight their way out of salary cap hell. How are they going to do it?
The Saints will have to be creative about finding ways to restructure contracts and kick the can of certain salary cap hits down the road as much as possible, and they are on their way with a number of veteran cuts already made and somehow only $19 million in dead cap (so far) to show for it.
One way or another, it will be interesting to see if the Saints put their money (whatever is left of it) where their mouths are and re-sign Jameis Winston, the former number one overall pick who didn’t throw even a dozen passes for them last season despite Drew Brees’ injury.
Winston might be willing to give the Saints another discount to stick around, but he better get his playing time for 2021 in writing or something.
If Winston comes back, you would have to assume that Brees is officially officially done and that the Saints are planning on Famous Jameis as their starting QB for 2021.
Another team that won’t be able to be overly aggressive on the 2021 NFL free agent market is the Philadelphia Eagles.
The Eagles have spent the majority of the past six years re-signing their own guys, making some aggressive moves for outside players via free agency and trades, and now the bills are coming due.
After firing head coach Doug Pederson and trading quarterback Carson Wentz, the Eagles find themselves more than $18 million in the hole and in need of some financial flexibility.
They have no chocie but to find it, but how can they also upgrade their roster in the process of trying to find their way under the lower 2021 salary cap?
One possibility is reuniting new head coach Nick Sirianni with veteran wide receiver TY Hilton, a player he spent the last three seasons with in Indianapolis.
This is not the TY Hilton of the mid-2010s but he is certainly still a capable veteran who would add a much-needed presence for the Eagles, who are likely to not only move on from veteran DeSean Jackson (already done) but possibly Alshon Jeffery as well.
If the Eagles are also forced to trade Zach Ertz for salary cap relief, they could be looking for reinforcements in the passing game, and they already have a ton of youth there.
A veteran like Hilton would be a welcomed addition if they can get him at the right price.
The Chicago Bears don’t exactly have the greatest situation on their hands.
Although this is a team that is clearly a playoff contender if everything goes according to plan, they don’t have much of a solution right now at the quarterback position.
They brought in Nick Foles via trade last offseason and he’s still under contract, but former top draft choice Mitchell Trubisky is not.
Although it was completely unexpected, Alex Smith came back for the Washington Football Team in 2020 and knocked off the rust after a gruesome leg injury, winning NFL Comeback Player of the Year honors.
Although wins are not always directly tied to the quarterback, Washington went 5-1 in Smith’s six starts last season.
Could the Chicago Bears view Smith as a possible one-year option to get back to the postseason? General manager Ryan Pace and Matt Nagy may not be able to afford to be picky with limited draft options in their particular spot and only the pipe dreams of Russell Wilson and Deshaun Watson at this point.
if the Bears are forced to turn to free agency at quarterback, they could very well turn to Smith, who has a ton of history with Matt Nagy (2013-17) in Kansas City.
The Los Angeles Rams have made their “biggest” move of the 2021 offseason already, acquiring quarterback Matthew Stafford in a trade from the Detroit Lions.
At this point, the Rams — who are over $33 million in the salary cap hole according to Overthecap.com — have very little flexibility to be able to re-sign some key defensive free agents like Leonard Floyd, Troy Hill, and John Johnson.
What happens if the Rams can’t bring those guys back? How will they re-shuffle the deck defensively?
That might have to be prioritized in the 2021 NFL Draft while the Rams look to teh 2021 NFL Free Agency period to fill the hole at center left by 2020 starter Austin Blythe, another unrestricted free agent.
If the Rams decide to go the free agent route at the center position, they could go after a guy who wouldn’t even have to change cities or stadiums.
Dan Feeney, a former third-round draft choice out of Indiana, is still just 26 years old and would give the Rams someone they could keep around for a long time at the position.
Feeney has versatility on the interior as well, so if the Rams find another center in the draft, he could kick over and play some guard.