Pre-Free Agency Day Winners and Losers
Free Agency officially begins March ninth. Day one of wooing season was a big one for several players and teams alike. Several moves were already reported throughout the league. Here are Pre-Free Agency Day winners and losers.
Giants pick up Brandon Marshall
The New York Football Giants agreed on a deal with Wide Receiver Brandon Marshall, who was released by the NY Jets earlier this month. Marshall grabbed a 2-year contract worth $12 million. This is not a huge pay cut for Marshall, whose contract with the Jets would have paid out $7.5 million this year. Brandon Marshall gets a pretty good deal out of this, being an aging receiver in a league that thrives on youth. He’s joining one of the league’s best receivers and a vet quarterback named Manning. Winner – Brandon Marshall
Ricky Wagner signed by Detroit
Detroit understands the importance of a solid offensive line and are making moves towards that end. They reportedly agreed to a contract for an undisclosed length, for upwards of $9 million per year. If the Lions are able to bring back either Larry Warford, Riley Reiff, or both, their line will start to look more and more substantial. If all works out for the best, Matthew Stafford can stay back and throw footballs all day long. Winner – Detroit Lions
Brian Hoyer moves to San Francisco
Brian Hoyer is a veteran quarterback without all of the glitz and glamour of being a veteran. He’s been waiting for a while now to get a starting job that’s his and his alone. Signing with the 49ers will probably give him that opportunity, as Colin Kaepernick will likely move on. San Francisco signed him for two years at $12 million, definitely a win for Hoyer. That will remain to be seen for the 49ers. Winner – Hoyer (without a doubt)
Pierre Garcon joins Hoyer in San Francisco
The new GM and Head Coach are busy collecting anyone they can, so far. They reported a deal with the veteran wide receiver for a whopping $16 million for 2017. Signing a deal of that size with the former Redskin makes it clear that San Francisco is investing in what they hope will be a brighter future for the club. Winner – San Francisco
Marquise Goodwin to San Francisco
Part three of San Francisco’s early attack plan included signing the former Bill’s receiver with undisclosed terms. Who wins here? Probably a little bit of both, although the Niners may have a tough time justifying spending too much money on a guy who’s had injury challenges in his short time in the league. With a new quarterback and a couple of runners behind him, he might be alright. Winner – ???
Kyle Juszczyk to San Francisco
In perhaps the most beneficial move so far, San Francisco has agreed on a deal with Kyle Juszczyk is reportedly signing a 4-year, $21 million deal. The only word for that is WOW. Juszczyk will now be the highest paid fullback in the league. He definitely got himself a deal out of that one. With the massive amount of cash the 49ers are throwing at him, they will have to keep an eye on this one to reevaluate his worth to the team.
Jacksonville signs Barry Church
It was just a matter of time before veteran strong safety Barry Church found a big payday outside of Dallas. Today was that day, sort of. Church and the Jaguars reportedly signed a 4-year deal worth upwards of $24 million. That’s some massive money for the Jaguar’s backfield. Winner – Jacksonville
Patrick DiMarco to Buffalo Bills
Buffalo has undoubtedly had challenges with their offensive scheme, and finding a fullback just coming off of an NFC championship helps in both blocking and carries. DiMarco will earn $8.5 million over four years, Buffalo will likely see an improvement with his presence on the line and it will fill a hole left by Jerome Felton‘s departure. Winner – Buffalo
Buffalo also sign Mike Tolbert
The Bills made some major moves maybe trying to match San Francisco’s preemptive strikes. Second on their list was fullback Mike Tolbert. Rumors are swirling about his role on the offense, as the Bills generally work with just one fullback. Speculation is that Tolbert will be a running back for 2017, where he’s expected to sign for just $1 million. He played the last five season with Carolina but was released on February 21st. Winner – Buffalo, again
ESPN Reports Minor Deal With Mike Tolbert
Patriots pick up Dwayne Allen in a trade from Indianapolis
Tight end Dwayne Allen was the subject of a trade from Indianapolis to New England, along with a sixth round draft pick. In exchange, the Colts will pick up a fourth-round pick from the Pats. Perhaps in anticipation of Martellus Bennett‘s departure, or anticipating no asking the tight end to return, the Patriots make another unexpected deal, which have become pretty commonplace for Bill Belichick and crew. No confirmation of the tight end’s new salary yet. Winner – New England. It’s always New England.
These are by no means all of the precursory deals that went down. Even though the free-agent pool seemed fairly shallow, big money is available, and some big players are out there for teams that can work with them. We’ll see several more major transactions in the next few days. All the drama, anger, smiles, and tears that is free agency.
