NFL Free Agency Game Thread: Rumors! News! Uneducated Guesses!

Cellar-Door

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Does he grade out well in run blocking? I know he didn't test well strength-wise pre draft. My scouting report was probably a bit flippant.
I think I remember he does. I also know Lombardi was talking up how much he improved blocking the past 2 offseasons, they put a big focus on technique and adding lower body strength. Usage would seem to back it up some as well, they used him in their run sets a lot when he was healthy.
 

Rudy's Curve

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Yeesh. I guess that's the TE market, but it's really tough to justify for Hurst. He signed a cheap one-year deal with the Bengals to establish his value, went 52-414-2 and wasn't anything special as a blocker and got paid - hey, good for him. Considering Burrow has gotten CJ Uzomah and Hurst a combined $46 million the last two cycles, any TE looking for a one-year deal to get back on track (hello Mike Gesicki?) should be lining up there.
 

j44thor

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Weird signing:

Kamara is both worn down and has serious legal issues to deal with, likely he gets suspended at some point in 23.
NO clearly thinks they can compete in the worst division in football by signing Carr. Pretty reasonable deal for an RB that is clearly on the downside but should be better than Mark Ingram.
 

koufax32

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They’d still need a blocking TE, unless they went FB instead. Maybe? Possibly?
 

SMU_Sox

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Gesicki is a big slot. Could replace Hunter Henry next year as a receiving TE. Might make Henry expendable.
 

E5 Yaz

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Gesicki is a big slot. Could replace Hunter Henry next year as a receiving TE. Might make Henry expendable.
Someday, there'll be a 30-for-30 on the search for the post-Gronk tight end
 

Rudy's Curve

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Imagine that offense if they’re able to cobble together a top 3 o-line.
I can’t imagine he’ll be playing RT for this money so they’ll have to move Jonah Williams from LT. It certainly takes the pressure off a RT at 28 at least.

This kind of signing is completely unprecedented. They just don’t do this.
 

JM3

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I mean, structure will matter, but this seems like a pretty reasonable number all-in for a starting LT unless I am completely missing something. It's lower AAV than Taylor got.
Really high guarantees to keep the AAV down.

I'm mostly just annoyed by some of the hyperbole in these tweets. He's much more in the news drop business than the opinion business, so the opinions are fed.
 

Shelterdog

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The Brown deal does seem to be one where they are actively using the space the rookie qb deal gives them to pay for talent now- a lot of the big deals Mae by teams with rookie contracts (hill, brown) are deals where the big cap hits will happen when the Qb is moving to a more expensive contract
 

Average Game James

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Really high guarantees to keep the AAV down.

I'm mostly just annoyed by some of the hyperbole in these tweets. He's much more in the news drop business than the opinion business, so the opinions are fed.
Are they really that high? McGlinchey got $52mnn guaranteed in the first three years, Taylor got $60mn guaranteed in the first 3 years.
 

JM3

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Are they really that high? McGlinchey got $52mnn guaranteed in the first three years, Taylor got $60mn guaranteed in the first 3 years.
$20m of Taylor's deal doesn't guarantee until '24. But yeah, it's the signing bonus which is high, not the overall guarantees. Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to say it's a bad contract or anything.
 

Deathofthebambino

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The Brown deal does seem to be one where they are actively using the space the rookie qb deal gives them to pay for talent now- a lot of the big deals Mae by teams with rookie contracts (hill, brown) are deals where the big cap hits will happen when the Qb is moving to a more expensive contract
The Bengals are going to be an interesting study on how to handle stud QB's and the weapons around them when that rookie deal ends. Burrow is probably signing his extension this year, at least I thought he was. It won't be front loaded in year 1, but he's gotta be looking at well over 50mil/per, and every year they wait, that number goes up. They also need to resign Higgins or tag him this year. CHase also becomes a free agent after 2024, so you'd think they want to lock him up before that. Got to imagine Tyler Boyd is gone after this season when he goes into free agency. They lost Perine this offseason, and Mixon is a free agent after this season, unless they exercise a club option for over 13mil in 2024, which is unlikely.

They lost Vonn Bell and Jessie Bates and Eli Apple this offseason already. Hendrickson is a free agent after 2024, but he'll be 30 at that point. DJ Reader is a free agent after this season.

I mean, they can win a lot of games with Burrow/Chase Higgins and a good O line, or they could lose a lot of game 40-35. Be fun to watch though.
 

Rudy's Curve

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The Bengals are going to be an interesting study on how to handle stud QB's and the weapons around them when that rookie deal ends. Burrow is probably signing his extension this year, at least I thought he was. It won't be front loaded in year 1, but he's gotta be looking at well over 50mil/per, and every year they wait, that number goes up. They also need to resign Higgins or tag him this year. CHase also becomes a free agent after 2024, so you'd think they want to lock him up before that. Got to imagine Tyler Boyd is gone after this season when he goes into free agency. They lost Perine this offseason, and Mixon is a free agent after this season, unless they exercise a club option for over 13mil in 2024, which is unlikely.

They lost Vonn Bell and Jessie Bates and Eli Apple this offseason already. Hendrickson is a free agent after 2024, but he'll be 30 at that point. DJ Reader is a free agent after this season.

I mean, they can win a lot of games with Burrow/Chase Higgins and a good O line, or they could lose a lot of game 40-35. Be fun to watch though.
Burrow will sign an extension before the year. I can see it being as soon as April 1st when they won’t have to put the guarantees into escrow for another year.

I have to imagine they’ve been planning since his first game to extend Chase when the time comes. We’ll find out more next year.

Higgins is an interesting case. He’s repped by Mulugheta, whom they failed for two years to reach a deal on Bates. I really don’t know at this point - my best guess is a franchise and trade next year but who knows.

Boyd is gone after this year - they’ll probably draft his replacement this year. Mixon could easily be cut if they draft a replacement and sign a vet (Damien Harris?) as he’s just not worth it anymore.

I think the defense will be fine. I could see a Reader extension to lower the cap hit as although he’s missed a lot of time over his deal, he should age well as an immovable nose tackle. Apple hasn’t signed anywhere and I imagine he’ll be back - other teams seem to not want to deal with him based on his market last year and the Bengals need insurance as Awuzie comes off an ACL. They drafted Dax Hill last year to plan for the inevitable Bates departure. Bell was a bit of a surprise, but they got Pratt (a younger, better player) back for less money and could only have one. I’d imagine they sign one of CJ Gardner-Johnson/John Johnson/Taylor Rapp/Julian Love, all younger than Bell. They also have a DC in his fifth year so there’s a ton of familiarity.

We’ll see what happens when Burrow is making the big bucks, but they’re going to be a force the next couple years at least.
 
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RoDaddy

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Real disappointed we missed out on O Brown, especially at that AAV. I wonder if we were in on him but he chose Cincy as a better team? Anyhow, with all the cap money we had, I was hoping for a few studs, not all this nickel and diming the Pats seem to be doing. Brown would've transformed that OL from a negative to positive and the smashmouth envy of the NFL. So are we still "in BB we trust"-ing?
 

Justthetippett

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Real disappointed we missed out on O Brown, especially at that AAV. I wonder if we were in on him but he chose Cincy as a better team? Anyhow, with all the cap money we had, I was hoping for a few studs, not all this nickel and diming the Pats seem to be doing. Brown would've transformed that OL from a negative to positive and the smashmouth envy of the NFL. So are we still "in BB we trust"-ing?
The "In Bill We Trust" train is wobbling but still on the tracks. That Brown contract is reasonable. But I can't blame him for choosing CIN. In fact, aside from the Lazard contract is there anything that really jumps out as an overpay this far? Even that one isn't that bad on an AAV basis. There's been lots of movement but not tremendous expenditures league-wide so far.
 

Kenny F'ing Powers

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Real disappointed we missed out on O Brown, especially at that AAV. I wonder if we were in on him but he chose Cincy as a better team? Anyhow, with all the cap money we had, I was hoping for a few studs, not all this nickel and diming the Pats seem to be doing. Brown would've transformed that OL from a negative to positive and the smashmouth envy of the NFL. So are we still "in BB we trust"-ing?
Give that $16M a season to Scarnecchia instead and we're fine.
 

Garshaparra

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I would have loved OBJ (LT, not WR) on this Pats team, but even at a significant bump in guarantees or contract cash from NE, I doubt Brown would have chosen us over CIN. They can now use their 1st rounder on an RB (perhaps the first one taken in 2023 - not a great RB class) to backfill the impending loss of Joe Mixon. This all but guarantees the Pats take a tackle with their first pick, though I guess WR could still happen. Please Bill, no safety though.
 

DJnVa

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From prior to draft, on Johnson:

"He's super smart and really, really dependable. He played with Michael Gallup, Preston Williams and Rashard Higgins over the last three years and his tape has always been solid during that time. I think he's a Day 3 player but coaches are going to love him." -- Scouting director for AFC team
Core special teamer with ability to compete at gunner and punt returner
 

Cellar-Door

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View: https://twitter.com/TomPelissero/status/1636318422546956288?cxt=HHwWgIC2tfG7r7UtAAAA


I'm not sure why trades would be written out in this manner, like if this is something official or what?

But I think it's weird it includes where the player went to college on it, & they mispelled Gilmore's 1st name.
I assume Gilmore is a typo in the NFL database, and that the college is in the database of players from the time of the draft to keep from confusing players with the same name.