-Aaron Rodgers returned to the Packers for a giant new deal
-Dalton Schultz tagged
-Mike Gesicki tagged
-Cam Robinson tagged
-Davante Adams tagged
-Chris Godwin tagged
-Russell Wilson traded to the Broncos
-Mike Williams re-signed
-Harold Landry III re-signed
The start of free agency is still a week away.
It’s probably best to start with the franchise tags and re-signings. Yesterday was the deadline for teams to apply the franchise tag to one of their soon-to-be free agents. This year, eight players were franchise-tagged. Three of those players were tagged on Monday. The remaining were tagged yesterday.
Orlando Brown Jr., OT, Kansas City Chiefs
Jessie Bates, S, Cincinnati Bengals
David Njoku, TE, Cleveland Browns
Dalton Schultz, TE, Miami Dolphins
Mike Gesicki, TE, Miami Dolphins
Cam Robinson, OT, Jacksonville Jaguars
Davante Adams, WR, Green Bay Packers
Chris Godwin, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Perhaps the most interesting thing about the eight players that were tagged is that three are tight ends. Part of the reason for that is the position’s franchise tag price tag compared to some of the other positions.
Wide Receiver: $18.419 million
Offensive Lineman: $16.662 million
Safety: $12.911 million
Tight End: $10.931 million
Only the fading running back and kickers can be tagged for less than tight ends.
Two teams did the required work to avoid tagging one of their soon-to-be free agents.
Los Angeles Chargers re-signed receiver Mike Williams:
-3 years, $60 million
-$40 million guaranteed
-$28 million in Year 1
Tennessee Titans re-signed outside linebacker Harold Landry III
-5 years, $87.5 million
-$52.5 million guaranteed
If the above was the only action that occurred yesterday, it would’ve been enough. It was barely an appetizer as the main course was the quarterbacks.
Aaron Rodgers is staying in Green Bay.
I’m really not sure why this was such big news. It never seemed like more than a slight chance that he was taking his clown-show anywhere else. Rodgers has become so damn tiresome.
Russell Wilson traded to Denver.
The Broncos sent a load to Seattle for Wilson.
-two first round picks
-two second round picks
-QB Drew Lock
-TE Noah Fant
-DT Shelby Harris
The Broncos were committed to finding their “franchise” quarterback. For their sake, I hope that new head coach Nathaniel Hackett can bring the best out of Wilson. We haven’t seen that quarterback in a while.
The Seahawks firmly shut the door on their past later in the day when they released linebacker Bobby Wagner. Only Pete Carroll remains from those long ago Super Bowl days.
With Rodgers staying put in Green Bay and Wilson moving to Denver, many Minnesota Vikings fans hoped that Kirk Cousins would be the next quarterback in the news. Anything can happen. I never thought that the Vikings would trade Randy Moss or Percy Harvin. The fans that hope Cousins is traded are obviously convinced that he isn’t the quarterback to get their team over the top. They believe that he’s had his shot. He inherited a team that had just been to the NFC championship game and failed to get that team one step further. He had four years to do it. Why would another team trade for and pay a ton for such a quarterback? If the Vikings decision-makers can conjure up such a team, fine. Trade Cousins. Right now, the Vikings are a better team with him on the roster. I believe that Kevin O’Connell can bring out the best we’ve seen from Cousins. I’d really like to see that quarterback. I know that the contract is a problem. All big contracts are a problem. I dream of the day that the Vikings have a true franchise quarterback on a rookie deal. These aren’t those days.
One week until the start of free agency.
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