Early Free Agency Report

Free agency began on March 9^th and there have been a number of impressive moves.

Let's go shopping - The Raiders took steps to protect their star quarterback Derek Carr and have now assembled what could be the best offensive line in football. They signed tackle Kelechi Osemele to a five-year contract and T Donald Penn on a two-year contract. Those two will help to keep the Raider’s Carr to Cooper connection alive and well.

With a large amount of cap space available the Raiders were also able to make some key signings on defence, adding cornerback Sean Smith and priced rush linebacker Bruce Irvin. A former Seahawk, Irvin brings a proven ability to get to the quarterback (with 22.5 sacks in his first 4 years). Meanwhile Sean Smith was one of the reasons why the Chiefs made the playoffs

Taking the next step - The Jaguars took some steps towards the playoffs in 2015 and look to continue to improve. To that end they T Kelvin Beachum, G Mackenzy Bernadeau, injury prone first round pick,  CB Prince Amukamara, DL Malik Jackson, RB Chris Ivory and S Tashaun Gipson. Ivory will provide a solid ground game to compliment last year’s rookie TJ Yeldon whilst former first round pick Amukamara, if he can stay healthy, could be a steal. Add the impending return of last year’s first round pick Dante Fowler and Jacksonville are a team on the rise.

Addition by subtraction – The Philadelphia Eagles fired Chip Kelly after a disastrous 2015 season. New head coach Doug Pederson and executive vice president of football operations Howie Roseman began free agency not by making big splash signings, but by undoing some of last year’s mistakes. Under Chip the Eagles signed DeMarco Murray and Byron Maxwell to huge deals and traded away star running back LeSean McCoy for linebacker Kiko Alonso. All three players were disappointing to say the least. Now, all three are gone. Maxwell and Alonso were traded to the Dolphins along with the Eagles first round pick, in return for the Dolphins first round pick, the eighth overall. Murray was traded to the Titans in exchange for a swap of fourth round picks. The Eagles will now pick second in the fourth round.

Whilst these moves bring nothing to the team they did release the Eagles from significant cap numbers an allowed the Eagles to resign Brent Celek, Zach Ertz, Lane Johnson, Pro Bowl safety Malcom Jenkins and Vinnie Curry and sign exciting safety Rodney McCleod, guard Brandon Brooks, veteran cornerback Leodis McKelvin backup quarterback Chase Daniel and linebacker Nigel Bradham. The team also added CB Ron Brooks, T Donald Stephenson and wide receivers Chris Givens and Reuben Randall.

Whilst there have been some great moves and some solid resigning there have also been some teams that have had off seasons that are questionable at best, and disastrous at worst.

Same old Browns - The Cleveland Browns were a team in disarray last year. With free agency coming they had the ideal opportunity to spend big and sign several free agents right? Wrong. Like rats leaving a drowning ship centre Alex Mack, tackle Mitchell Schwartz, receiver Travis Benjamin, linebacker Karlos Dansby and safety Tashaun Gipson have all moved to pastures new. The Browns one addition of note to date has been quarterback Robert Griffin III. Griffin was the poster child for success a few years ago with Washington but has seen his stock fall as a result of injury, poor play and an inability to slide! Still, the move makes sense for both parties. The Browns get a quarterback that has the ability to play at a Pro Bowl level whilst Griffin gets a shot to repair his legacy as quarterback of the Browns.

 Dynasties are hard to come by - The Broncos may have won the Super Bowl but since that day they have seen the sheriff, Peyton Manning, ride off into the sunset of retirement and then several of their key players leave in free agency, including Peyton’s presumed successor Brock Osweiler. Linebacker Danny Trevathan, rising defence lineman Malik Jackson, S David Brutonand Pro Bowl guard Evan Mathis have all left. All were key players in the Super Bowl run.

Personally the loss of Osweiler may turn out to be a long term blessing. He was the starting quarterback for only 7 games last year, playing in eight. During that time he passed for only 10 touchdowns and threw 6 interceptions. He was also sacked 23 times, or an average of 2.875 times a game. Not exactly star player material, and certainly not worth the $18 million the Texans gave him. However the signings of Mark Sanchez and former Seahawks tackle Russell Okung are not going to see the Broncos return to the Super Bowl.

Send help! - The San Francisco 49ers haven't lost a huge haul of players to free agency like the Broncos, but then again they didn't have the players to lose in the first place. Now under the control of Chip Kelly they are in a state where the cupboard is bare and appear to be rebuilding as they look to get whatever they can for Colin Kaepernick, a player who has endured a fall from grace similar to RG III’s in Washington.