2020 free agency thread

[Gotarace]

Meh, I feel like a rookie free agent would do just fine and hit 80% of the kicks. If you save 4-5M doing that, that feels like a win to me.

Sometimes you have to save a buck where you can...with Aaron eating up so much of the cap you have to get creative and frugal at other positions.

[pbmax]

Going cheap on the kicker is not the way to do this. Not if the window is now.

Rodgers and Crosby have really spoiled Packer fans. Which is remarkable at this late stage, because each has been terrible for a year in recent memory.

My fantasy GM really recommends Lutz or Gould, but they don't look like options in the Reality Football League.

[texaspackerbacker]

I disagree with that. Bringing in 3 or 4 decent strong-legged college kickers as UDFAs, and keeping the best and maybe another on the practice squad should get us at least as good a kicker as Crosby has been over the last 2 or 3 seasons, and with a fair amount of extra cap space to use elsewhere.

There's well over a hundred college teams, each with a kicker. Probably about 1/4 of those graduate each year. It shouldn't be that hard to find a few good ones.

[run pMc]

There's well over a hundred college teams, each with a kicker. Probably about 1/4 of those graduate each year. It shouldn't be that hard to find a few good ones.

And yet teams hang onto Goulds, Gostkowskis, and Crosbys of the world for a reason... when you need to hit a 47 yard FG with :03 on the clock in December winds on Lambeau field, you don't want some UDFA rookie kicker from Central Florida Tech kicking it. Most don't have the leg combined with the accuracy, to say nothing of the mental fortitude. Say, what's Blair Walsh doing these days? The Colts are probably finally done with Vinatieri, who at age 47 missed some key kicks and went 17-25 on FGs.

You can get away with paying less for your backups and even on a punter, but once you find a NFL quality kicker you keep them. 7/10 in pb's list above are over 30...GMs would happily replace them with a cheaper player if they thought they had one (and will bring in camp bodies to find out).
If Gute can sign Mason for 2 more years at 4.5M/yr that would be good value IMO.

[pbmax]

I disagree with that. Bringing in 3 or 4 decent strong-legged college kickers as UDFAs, and keeping the best and maybe another on the practice squad should get us at least as good a kicker as Crosby has been over the last 2 or 3 seasons, and with a fair amount of extra cap space to use elsewhere.

There's well over a hundred college teams, each with a kicker. Probably about 1/4 of those graduate each year. It shouldn't be that hard to find a few good ones.

Rookie kickers are terrible normally.

[Freak Out]

Crosby can stay. He's pretty damn good. Plus the Bears would grab him in a heartbeat.

[RashanGary]

Sign DJ Reader NT
Draft fast ILB with 1st pick
Resign Martinez to average deal as second ILB


Clark and Reader would be a great one two inside. A little more speed behind them and Lowry/Lancaster/Adams as just rotation players instead of starters

[RashanGary]

What about letting Martinez go and bringing in the Vikings Anthony Harris to play safety and making Amos an every down ILB. 6'1 220. Just

[Joemailman]

Some pretty good DT's who are set to become UFA's. Of course, some will likely be signed by current teams before free agency begins.

https://walterfootball.com/freeagents2020DT.php

Chris Jones, DT, Chiefs. Age: 26.
Aside from Aaron Donald, Chris Jones is the best defensive tackle in the NFL. Jones can single-handedly dominate the trenches. He stuffs the run and puts heavy pressure on opposing quarterbacks. He's also just 26 as of July, so his best years are probably still ahead of him.

D.J. Reader, NT, Texans. Age: 26.
D.J. Reader is one of the top nose tackles in the NFL. He's a monster when it comes to stuffing the run, and he's also pretty decent at applying pressure on the quarterback. He won't be 27 until the 2021 offseason, so the sky is the limit for him.




Leonard Williams, DE/DT, Giants. Age: 26.
Leonard Williams failed to log a single sack in 2019, but that's not indicative of how well he played. Williams was a force in the trenches, as both a pass rusher and a run stuffer.

Javon Hargrave, NT, Steelers. Age: 27.
Javon Hargrave is a monster nose tackle. He stuffs the run and gets decent pressure on the quarterback. He's still young, so he could improve his game even more.

Arik Armstead, DE/DT, 49ers. Age: 26.
Arik Armstead didn't live up to his first-round billing for four years, but he was excellent this past season. He's a late bloomer, but there's also a chance that Armstead was simply playing for a new contract.




Michael Pierce, NT, Ravens. Age: 27.
Michael Pierce is a massive run plugger. He's coming off a bit of a down year because he was dealing with an ankle injury. He should bounce back with a strong 2020 campaign.

Michael Brockers, DT, Rams. Age: 29.
Michael Brockers is a monstrous force against the run, and he can get to the quarterback on occasion. He'll turn 30 in December.

Quinton Jefferson, DT, Seahawks. Age: 27.
Quinton Jefferson was one of the biggest surprises for the Seahawks this past season. He emerged as a potent force in the interior of the trenches, stuffing the run well and generating some pressure on opposing quarterbacks.




Ndamukong Suh, DT, Buccaneers. Age: 33.
Ndamukong Suh is no longer a dominant interior pass-rushing presence, but he's terrific at stopping the run. He was one of the reasons why Tampa was elite against ground attacks in 2019.

Timmy Jernigan, DT, Eagles. Age: 27.
Timmy Jernigan is an impactful defensive interior presence when he's on the field, but he has a very checkered injury history.

Andrew Billings, DT, Bengals. Age: 25.
Andrew Billings has been a stout nose tackle for the Bengals over the past couple of years. He's only 25, so he still has plenty of room for growth.





Christian Covington, DE/DT, Cowboys. Age: 26.
Christian Covington is one of the top run-stuffing defensive linemen in the NFL. His pass-rushing skills need work, but he's still 26, so he has plenty of time to develop moves to get to the quarterback.

Shelby Harris, DT, Broncos. Age: 29.
Shelby Harris has always played the run well, but he improved his pass-rushing ability this past season. He logged six sacks in 2019.

Mike Daniels, DE/DT, Lions. Age: 31.
Mike Daniels was once one of the top 3-4 defensive ends in the NFL, but he had an injury-ravaged 2019 campaign after the Packers released him last offseason. He turns 31 this offseason and should continue to decline.





rris (RFA), DE/DT, Bears. Age: 27.
Roy Robertson-Harris was a strong presence on Chicago's defensive line this past season. He doesn't have much experience, so he should continue to improve.

Xavier Williams, DT, Chiefs. Age: 28.
Xavier Williams is normally a stud run-stuffer, but he struggled in 2019 because he labored through an ankle injury.




Johnathan Hankins, NT, Raiders. Age: 28.
Johnathan Hankins' pass-rushing ability has declined in recent years, but he's still a monstrous run stuffer.

Tyeler Davison, DT, Falcons. Age: 27.
Tyeler Davison is a solid run-plugger, but doesn't offer much as far as pass-rushing ability is concerned.

[Joemailman]

A few interesting ILB's.

Cory Littleton, LB, Rams. Age: 26.
Cory Littleton has transformed from a special-teams standout to a stellar linebacker. Littleton is spectacular in coverage and holds up well against the run.

Joe Schobert, LB, Browns. Age: 26.
Joe Schobert played very well at times last year, even winning AFC Defensive Player of the Week at one point. He's a do-it-all linebacker who won't turn 27 until November.




Blake Martinez, LB, Packers. Age: 26.
Blake Martinez is an excellent coverage linebacker. He struggled in run support last year, but he's still very young and can improve in that regard.

Nick Kwiatkoski, LB, Bears. Age: 27.
Danny Trevathan got hurt during the season, but it didn't matter very much because Nick Kwiatkoski stepped in and played on a high level. He'll be entering just his fifth year in the league, so there's definitely reason to believe he could continue to improve.

Danny Trevathan, LB, Bears. Age: 30.
Danny Trevathan never looked quite healthy last year, but could that have been a symptom of age? The 30-year-old will need to rebound from a disappointing 2019 campaign.




Kevin Pierre-Louis, LB, Bears. Age: 28.
Kevin Pierre-Louis performed very well when given a chance to start late in the year. Perhaps this will convince someone to give him a chance to start next year.

Kamalei Correa, LB, Titans. Age: 26.
Kamalei Correa is a well-rounded linebacker who can play both outside and inside in 3-4 formations.

Haason Reddick, LB, Cardinals. Age: 25.
Haason Reddick has largely struggled since being chosen in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft. He was terrible this past season. However, he's still just 25, so there is a glimmer of hope for him.




Nick Vigil, ILB, Bengals. Age: 27.
Nick Vigil is a solid cover linebacker, but he gets bulldozed in run support. He should just be playing in sub packages, but he's pretty good at what he does best.

Vontaze Burfict, LB, Raiders. Age: 29.
Vontaze Burfict is shockingly not even 30 yet, but he has regressed in recent seasons. He was also suspended for a whole year, so that's a problem.

Josh Bynes, LB, Ravens. Age: 31.
Josh Bynes is a solid, two-down linebacker who specializes in run support.





Sean Lee, LB, Cowboys. Age: 34.
Sean Lee's effectiveness has plummeted over the past couple of seasons, thanks to the high number of injuries he has suffered. He can still be a great backup, however.

Wesley Woodyard, LB, Titans. Age: 34.
Wesley Woodyard used to be a terrific linebacker in all facets. He's still stout versus the run, but he's been getting abused in coverage. This is not a surprise, given his age (34 in July).

[RashanGary]

DJ Reader would be perfect next to Clark

[RashanGary]

Burafict is a really good player. Better than Martinez.

[Joemailman]

Burflict is a suspension waiting to happen. No thanks. I'd rather have Kwiatkowski.

[call_me_ishmael]

Suh would be a huge upgrade over Lancaster. He's perfect for that end spot. Leonard Williams will be cheap and I'd say he's worth a looksie.

ILB I prefer they'd look to the draft. Then again, I think it's a very hard position to predict success at. I have no opinion of who they should take there.

[GB-Brandon]

Players to be targeted =

FA Seahawks, DE Quinton Jefferson 3 year 18 million, 6 per or FA Rams DE Michael Brockers 2 year 16 mill, 8 mill per

FA Rams, ILB Cory Littleton , 4 year 50 million, 12.5 mill per

FA Bengals, WR AJ Green, 2 year 18 mill, 9 mill per

Key Resigns- Bulaga, Crosby, M. Lewis

Key cuts -Graham, Lane Taylor

Extend-Kenny Clark

Round 1 -WR Jalen Reagor TCU

https://youtu.be/gubmQmwqjIA

Round 2-ILB Jordan Brooks Texas Tech

https://youtu.be/7_vcSX6fxx4

Round 3-best OL on board

Round 4-WR Quintez Cephus, Wisconsin

https://youtu.be/kjl_Q1kR0qM

Round 5-7, Fill in depth.

That’s what is needed. Not sure if I posted it in right place.

Plenty of SPEED!!!