Recapping Day 5 of NFL Free Agency
NFL Offseason - The NFL has entered its fifth day of free agency. Check back in all day for the latest on signings, trades, cuts, and other headlines.
1:50 p.m. EDT: Seattle Seahawks Sign Giants S Julian Love
The Seahawks signed Love to a two-year, $12-million deal. This one is interesting because it effectively gives the Seahawks three starting safeties: Love, Quandre Diggs, and Jamal Adams. Will they run three-safety sets with Adams as more of a linebacker? Will they move Love to cornerback? Love allowed 7.7 yards per target in coverage last year, which was a little bit worse than average for safeties, but he's a useful and versatile player.
12:00 p.m. EDT: Some cuts!
We've got some cuts! Some are expected, and some unexpected.
The New England Patriots have cut cornerback Jalen Mills. Mills played 10 games last year and there was some talk that he might move to safety to replace Devin McCourty but the Patriots decided to take $4.9 million in cap relief instead.
The Buffalo Bills have cut wide receiver Isaiah McKenzie. McKenzie had his first season over 50 targets in 2022 and finished the year 40th with 93 DYAR and 30th with 5.2% DVOA. He also had positive receiving DVOA in 2020 and 2021. He added 91 total rushing DYAR in 2021 and 2022.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have cut tight end Cameron Brate and running back Leonard Fournette. (Those last two were expected.) Brate had his worst season in 2022 (-69 DYAR) and his second-worst season in 2021 (-53 DYAR), so you have to figure he's about done. Fournette was close to replacement level in rushing DYAR in 2022 (based on 189 carries for 668 yards with 3 touchdowns) but ranked third among all running backs with 152 receiving DYAR. He might have something left, but he's not going to get a lot of money for it given the current running back market.
10:00 a.m. EDT: New England Patriots Sign Dolphins TE Mike Gesicki
We cover this signing in longer form here.
7:11 a.m. EDT: Seattle Seahawks Sign Steelers LB Devin Bush
The Seattle Seahawks have signed former Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker to a one-year deal, according to a report from ESPN's Adam Schefter.
Bush was drafted by Pittsburgh 10th overall in the 2019 NFL Draft, starting 48 of his 52 appearances over four seasons. In 2022, Bush recorded 78 tackles, two tackles for loss, and five pressures, allowing a career-high 73.1% completion percentage on 26 targets.
1:05 a.m. EDT: Philadelphia Eagles Sign Falcons QB Marcus Mariota
Former Atlanta Falcons quarterback Marcus Mariota has signed a one-year, $5 million deal with the Philadelphia Eagles, according to a report from ESPN's Adam Schefter.
Mariota was a run-heavy quarterback with the Falcons; his 85 rush attempts were both a career-high and sixth-most among quarterbacks in 2022. He picked up 438 rushing yards and four touchdowns with his feet. Mariota finished ninth in rushing DYAR among quarterbacks and 15th in DVOA.
Through the air, Mariota finished 184-for-300 for 2,219 yards, 15 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He finished 15th among quarterbacks in passing DVOA and 20th in DYAR.
Philadelphia’s 2022 backup quarterback, Gardner Minshew, signed with the Indianapolis Colts on Thursday.
Comments
16 comments, Last at 20 Mar 2023, 4:01pm
#7 by BigRichie // Mar 17, 2023 - 1:55pm
Yup, which actually is my point. I agree with the signing, but backing up your QB is expensive enough that you're now weaker/shallower at a number of other places. Likely some that will see some playing time regardless of injuries (4th CB, rotational DT, what have you)
#8 by Oncorhynchus // Mar 17, 2023 - 2:14pm
Are they that much weaker though? Hargrave is the only consequential loss so far. CJGJ the only other one remaining. And they just signed Greedy Williams - so they've got another backup DB that wasn't on the roster last year. Given their moves at CB, they're probably going to draft either EDGE or DT at 10 - whichever option has the better player available (if they don't trade back from 10).
#11 by Pat // Mar 17, 2023 - 3:38pm
Are they that much weaker though? Hargrave is the only consequential loss so far.
They're still not a complete defense at this point, they're only like, what, 64% there? Even if you're willing to give Blankenship a full-time starting role, you don't have someone backing him up (and that equivalent person was used last year, in a year where they had an incredibly low injury rate).
Just depends on how you think they're gonna replace the two linebackers and the safeties. Can't really say anything yet.
#14 by Oncorhynchus // Mar 17, 2023 - 8:21pm
I mean I'm not too worried about linebacker. First, there's Nakobe Dean. And second, we're talking about the team who twice now pulled random dudes off the street to play LB and who are now earning $6M+ APY from their new teams.
A fun aside: Canadian Football League legend Alex Singleton was once benched for Davion Taylor (Davion Taylor is not good.). The Broncos just made him the 20th highest LB in the league.
As for safety, sure looks like that market is crashing a bit. Maybe CJGJ comes back costing less than he originally thought he was worth.
#16 by Pat // Mar 20, 2023 - 4:01pm
we're talking about the team who twice now pulled random dudes off the street to play LB and who are now earning $6M+ APY from their new teams.
They did not pull TJ Edwards off the street to start at linebacker, and if you think he was anywhere near as good in '20 or even '21, we'll just have to disagree. Same issue at safety.
#6 by Pat // Mar 17, 2023 - 1:41pm
The cap space they have this year is so limited I'm pretty sure they're waiting until all moves are done before talking to Hurts. It's going to be an oddball deal. Mahomes and Allen kindof set the stage for it, but those were during the pandemic so I'm sure the agents understood the issues. It's... going to be a bit tougher to sell Hurts on "well, we can't pay you now just... because..."
Slay specifically is the big chunk, his deal saves somewhere between 12.8-16M (with the upper end being increasingly unlikely).
#5 by MilkmanDanimal // Mar 17, 2023 - 12:42pm
Sad to see Brate go, he's been on the Bucs for nine years, and, while never great, was a solid enough receiving TE for quite a while, and, of course, will always be a legend for catching the Lombardi trophy Brady threw across the Hillsborough River. Hope he takes the opportunity to hang it up and retire before he gets beat up any more, and the Bucs find him a coaching gig so he sticks around. Everybody likes Cameron Brate.
#9 by IlluminatusUIUC // Mar 17, 2023 - 2:24pm
The Buffalo Bills have cut wide receiver Isaiah McKenzie. McKenzie had his first season over 50 targets in 2022 and finished the year 40th with 93 DYAR and 30th with 5.2% DVOA. He also had positive receiving DVOA in 2020 and 2021. He added 91 total rushing DYAR in 2021 and 2022.
McKenzie was openly cheerleading the Bills signing Harty despite knowing it would likely cost him his job (and ultimately did). Good news for him, McDermott loves nothing more than bringing back dudes he's already coached, so if he doesn't catch on a roster and stays fit - he'll probably he the first call if someone goes down this year.
#13 by IlluminatusUIUC // Mar 17, 2023 - 6:15pm
I can't fathom why you would think McKenzie won't catch on to a roster.
He's been on a series of extremely small contracts for the last three seasons, with last year (his 6th in the NFL) being the first time he cracked $2M in compensation. Buffalo was able to retain him twice on 1 year deals for <1.5M total. If he has a market, it hasn't yet materialized.
Buffalo has been attempting to replace him every year, last year it was Crowder, Shakir, and Cole freakin Beasley off his couch to take his slot snaps, and Marquez Stevenson and Nyheim Hines to take his return role.
#15 by big10freak // Mar 18, 2023 - 4:54am
MN signed Dean Lowry. Lowry had a good season rushing the passer in 2021 but was all around terrible last season before getting hurt.
Lowry gets shoved around against the run. So unless MN plans to use him in pass rush only expect to be exasperated.