The NFL is a frenzy right now. Free agency is just getting underway, officially, where teams can now have the prospective player(s) sign on the dotted line and either stay on their old team with a nice extension or turn the page with a new team. Ndamukong Suh, Frank Gore, Jeremy Maclin are just a few examples of players that contributed to their respective team last season, but are now changing venues. Suh, now will get quarterback money, signing a 6 year deal worth $114 million dollars. Suh will certainly be worth the money, short term, but we’ll see what happens comes year three or four. I see some restructuring in the future, but you never know. Plus, the all-important guaranteed money is what matters anyway, right!? Suh will get $60 million in guarantees. With the guaranteed money alone, Suh would average $20 million per season, $15 million if he lasted four seasons, not to mention the base salary, during those seasons. Essentially, making off like a bandit. It’s really hard not to blame Suh for taking that kind of cash flow. Now the real question, does Miami become a contender in the AFC East for once!?
The trade that seemed to shake everyone was Sam Bradford and Nick Foles being swapped, with the Rams receiving a pick as well. Foles has a small sample, but a successful resume, compiling a 14-4 record as the starter for Philly. Bradford on the other hand, has had consecutive knee surgeries and not a lot is known of what Bradford could do physically at this point. Certainly a dicey situation, if Bradford isn’t in the mix for trade bait, as part of a piece to a bigger plan. Doesn’t sound like it’ll be for Marcus Mariota either, as Eagles HC Chip Kelly stated on Wednesday that Philly doesn’t plan on drafting the Heisman Trophy winner. But, it also wasn’t that long ago that Nick Foles was an unknown commodity and look what happened there. So, maybe Sam Bradford seems like a bad idea in Philly, but let’s see this process play out and see if there is some method to Chip Kelly’s “madness”.
Jimmy Graham to the Seahawks is a huge move for Seattle. Adding the 2nd best tight end in the game to a team that doesn’t have a wide receiver threat near the caliber of Graham, has to have gotten the attention of every team in the NFC West, let alone the NFC and NFL. Sure, the Seahawks lost some talent, like Byron Maxwell and Max Unger as an example, but replenishing the talent and re-signing Marshawn Lynch has certainly kept Seattle in the mix for favorites going into the 2015 season.
Underrated signings: If the Colts can get Frank Gore and Andre Johnson, they may have quietly added two more wins to an already stellar 2014 season. Gore and Johnson are both veterans with a lot of mileage, but getting Gore for 3 years/$Million seems pretty reasonable for a guy that just continues to prove the pundits wrong or at least showing he is an aberration when it comes to 30 year old backs. Johnson’s production has gone down in Houston, but so had the QB play the last couple of seasons as well, so we’ll see if Johnson can be a valuable piece to an already pretty good offensive attack that includes T.Y. Hilton and that quarterback people should know, Andrew Luck.
Featured Image by: Eric Kilby
