The first wave of NFL free agency has been over for a while. There are still a decent number of solid players waiting for that pen or a call. This is the supposed bargain-hunting time. Here are some thoughts on the fairly frantic early days and the slower days since.
1. Some teams that improved themselves the most:
New England Patriots
The Patriots earn mention simply for the sheer volume of signings. No team changed their team more in the first week. The team has more talent now than it did two weeks ago.
Washington Football Team
Ryan Fitzpatrick, William Jackson. Adding Curtis Samuel to an offense that includes Terry McLaurin and Antonio Gibson was one of my favorite signings in all free agency. That’s a fun trio of playmakers.
New York Giants
The New York teams topped the league in splashy signings. The Giants added Kevin Zeitler, Kenny Golladay, Adoree’ Jackson, Kyle Rudolph and kept one of their own, Leonard Williams.
New York Jets
The Jets added Carl Lawson, Corey Davis, Sheldon Rankins, Jarrad Davis, Keelan Cole, LaMarcus Joyner, Vinny Curry, and Tevin Coleman. And for some reason Pat Elflein.
Cleveland Browns
The Browns just made strong signings. John Johnson, Troy Hill, and Anthony Walker. If they can bring out the talent that made Takkarist McKinley a first round pick, the Browns defense got a lot better this offseason.
Denver Broncos
Ronald Darby and Kyle Fuller are terrific additions to the secondary. Mike Boone went from the third back in Minnesota to perhaps the top back in Denver. He’s a versatile and talented running back and deserved an opportunity to do more.
2. Considering their salary cap situation, the Minnesota Vikings have done much more than was expected. They added Dalvin Tomlinson, Patrick Peterson, Stephen Weatherly, Nick Vigil, Mackensie Alexander, and Xavier Woods to a defense that wasn’t very good last year. With those additions and the return of the players that missed most or all of last season, the 2021 Vikings defense should play more like the 2017 defense than the 2020 defense.
3. While the Vikings offense was mostly good last season. The offensive line continued to be a problem. It’s been a problem for too long. While they didn’t have the salary cap space to make a significant offensive line upgrade with a signing of a player the caliber of Joe Thuney or Kevin Zeitler, they did well to add Mason Cole in a trade with the Arizona Cardinals. He played center for the Cardinals. He’ll probably play guard for the Vikings. Simply removing Dakota Dozier from the starting lineup improves the offensive line. Replacing him with Cole improves the line even more.
4. Soon after the Vikings signed defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson, I saw several mentions that he and Dalvin Cook are the only Dalvins to ever play in the NFL. The connections between the two Dalvins don’t begin and end with them now being teammates. They were also selected in the same round (2nd) of the same draft (2017).
5. Friday brought a flurry of trades that changed the top of the 2021 NFL Draft. The San Francisco 49ers traded three 1s and a 3 to the Miami Dolphins for the 3rd pick in the draft. Despite having a quarterback in Jimmy Garoppolo that helped guide them to a Super Bowl, the 49ers are surely picking one of the top quarterbacks in a very top heavy quarterback draft. In trading for the 3rd pick the 49ers clearly don’t mind which of the top quarterbacks “falls” to them. Before that trade even completed making the rounds, it was announced that the Dolphins traded two 1s and a 4 to the Philadelphia Eagles for the 6th pick in the draft. What was 3) Dolphins 6) Eagles 12) 49ers is now 3) 49ers 6) Dolphins 12) Eagles.
6. Before Friday, some talking heads pegged the Dolphins, Eagles, and 49ers as teams with a probable starting quarterback that might still be looking to draft one of the top quarterbacks in this draft. After Friday, it’s safe to say that the Dolphins and Eagles are moving ahead with Tua Tagavailoa and Jalen Hurts and the 49ers are putting their franchise future in the hands of a rookie quarterback.
7. The Laremy Tunsil trade of 2019 is the trade that just keeps on giving for the Dolphins. At present, the trade has netted the team:
26th pick in the 2020 NFL Draft
12th, 36th, 102nd in 2021
First-round pick in 2022
First-round pick in 2023
That’s a haul.
8. More Dolphins draft. Miami Dolphins draft picks for the nest three years:
2021
1st round, No. 6 (via Eagles)
1st round, No. 18
2nd round, No. 36 (via Texans)
2nd round, No. 50 pick
3rd round, No. 81
2022
1st round pick (from 49ers)
2nd round pick
3rd round pick
3rd round pick (49ers comp pick)
2023
1st round pick
1st round pick (from 49ers)
2nd round pick
3rd round pick
The Dolphins are in a good place. They already have an emerging defense. If Tua Tagavailoa develops into the quarterback that he was drafted to be they are in a great place.
9. With what the Vikings have done in free agency, my expectations for the 14th pick in the draft have narrowed to offensive line and edge rusher. That’s really no great narrowing as those were two of the top needs before free agency. The way that the top of the draft appears to be shaping up, the Vikings might have their choice of the 3rd or 4th best offensive lineman or the best edge rusher. While that choice might seem obvious it’s still possible that the 3rd or 4th best offensive lineman is a higher graded prospect than the best edge rusher.
10. Vikings general manager Rick Spielman has a reputation for draft-day dealing. He’s traded into the bottom of the first round a few times. He’s never traded up in the first round. With that in mind, I’d be surprised if he traded up from #14 but I wouldn’t be disappointed if he traded up for Rashawn Slater or Penei Sewell.
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