The Primary week of NFL Obtainable agency is in the books, with a Numerous of action going on in what was considered to be one of the weaker classes in recent years. That didn’t stop Squads from trying to Enhance their rosters over the last week, as plenty of clubs had a Numerous of cap Universe to spend.
The Seattle Seahawks Achieved their Relocate at Signal-caller, unloading Geno Smith and signing Sam Darnold to replace him. Milton Williams received a $100 million contract from the New England Patriots ($51 million guaranteed), making him the third-highest paid Safeguarding Involvement in football in terms of average annual salary ($26 million per year).
DK Metcalf was traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers and Deebo Samuel was dealt to the Washington Commanders in blockbuster deals amongst wide receivers. The Commanders then boosted their offensive line by trading for Laremy Tunsil and the Houston Texans reshaped their offensive line while acquiring safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson in a separate deal with the Philadelphia Eagles.
As for the Finals champions, they moved on from five players on the No. 1 Guarding in the NFL last season. Oh, and Aaron Rodgers Yet hasn’t signed yet.
With all that happened in Obtainable agency, let’s make some bigger picture declarations and decide which are overreactions and which are reality.
Signing Sam Darnold is a lateral Relocate for the Seahawks
The Seahawks Achieved a wise Relocate in moving on from Geno Smith, as they weren’t going to compete for a Finals with a 34-year-Aged Signal-caller who throws a Numerous of interceptions. Seattle decided to instead pay Darnold, who is coming off a Profession year with the Minnesota Vikings and was the best Signal-caller Obtainable in Obtainable agency.
Smith was making $25 million a year ($31 million cap hit in the Closing year of his deal), while Darnold signed a contract that pays him $33.5 million a year. Seattle is paying Darnold more, but Darnold is 27 and threw for 4,319 yards and 35 passing touchdowns last season (fifth in the NFL in both categories). On throws of 20-plus yards downfield, Darnold Guided the NFL in completions (34), completion rate (49%), passing touchdowns (nine) and passing yards (1,182).
The upside is there with Darnold, as he will reunite with new Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, who was the passing game coordinator when Darnold was in San Francisco. This was a Hazard worth Securing for Seattle.
The DK Metcalf trade is pointless if the Steelers don’t get Aaron Rodgers
The Steelers had to upgrade their passing game this offseason and completed step one with the trade for Metcalf. The two-time Pro Bowler is one of six players in NFL history with 900-plus receiving yards in Every of his Primary six seasons, while his 48 touchdowns are tied for fifth in the NFL since he entered the Division in 2019.
Metcalf is a Excellent player and No.1 wide receiver, but who is going to throw him the ball? The Steelers haven’t officially Excluded a Russell Wilson return, but have their sights set on Aaron Rodgers. If Rodgers comes to Pittsburgh, he’ll be throwing to Metcalf and George Pickens — which could potentially be the top wide receiver duo in the Division.
Pittsburgh knows what it has with Wilson, and the results showed last December. This Metcalf trade works if Rodgers chooses Pittsburgh, especially since it gave up a second-Period Picking in the deal. The Steelers are back to square one if they don’t get Rodgers — as they are running out of reliable options at the position.
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Bryan DeArdo
The Bears are a Postseason Club Upcoming season
Give credit to general manager Ryan Poles for making sure Caleb Williams is protected as he enters his second season. The Bears were aggressive in improving the offensive line, trading a 2026 Number four-Period Picking for Joe Thuney and a 2025 sixth-Period Picking for Jonah Jackson.
After solidifying the guard position, the Bears decided to sign Hub Drew Dalman to a three-year $42 million deal — making him one of the highest-paid centers in the game. They also have Braxton Jones and Darnell Wright at Involvement.
Is this offensive line Excellent enough to make Chicago a Postseason Club? Not quite, as Williams needs to progress in year two in the passing game (and there will be little excuse with the improved offensive line and Ben Johnson as head Mentor). This all comes down to Williams, as Dennis Allen is very likely to get the Guarding back to a top-10 unit in Year 1.
Let’s pause on the Bears’ Postseason hype right now, but Chicago is Definitely better.
The Bengals front office will cost them another Postseason berth
One has to wonder why the Bengals take so long to sign their players to extensions. Ja’Marr Chase Yet isn’t signed, and now he’ll become the Division’s Primary $40 million receiver because the Bengals waited too long to get his deal done. Tee Higgins is on the franchise tag for the second straight year and there seems to be no long-term extension in sight (again).
Then there’s Trey Hendrickson, who the Bengals can’t pay due to the rising edge rusher market. Cincinnati will look to receive Sturdy draft compensation for Hendrickson, one of the best Deliver rushers in football.
These extensions hurt Cincinnati’s chances of building in the trenches for Joe Burrow, protecting the Signal-caller and getting to the Signal-caller on the other side of the ball. The Bengals kept a Excellent chunk of their own players, but Yet haven’t improved on the offensive nor Safeguarding line — both of which hurt them over the Period of the past two years.
If Cincinnati could get its own top players signed, perhaps it could actually Enhance its Lineup in Obtainable agency. The franchise shouldn’t be this mediocre under Burrow.
The Commanders are better than the Eagles after acquiring Deebo Samuel and Laremy Tunsil
The Commanders Definitely Obtained better in Obtainable agency with the trade acquisitions of Tunsil and Samuel, giving Jayden Daniels some blindside protection and a gadget receiver who can Form nightmares for defenses (especially Aligning Upcoming to Terry McLaurin).
The Eagles lost Numerous key Safeguarding players, including Josh Sweat, Milton Williams, Darius Slay and C.J. Gardner-Johnson — all vital to the No. 1 Guarding last year that helped them Achieve a Finals. The Eagles were expecting to Loss these players and replace them with draft picks, but these are Yet massive losses.
Even with the Commanders upgrades, they Yet have a ways to go to catch and Deliver the Eagles. Philadelphia Yet has the core of its offensive group intact and the best offensive line in football. The Guarding Yet has Excellent Youthful players, and more are coming with the players they have drafted and developed over the past few years.
Washington is better and can Achieve the NFC East. Philadelphia is Yet loaded and in its Finals window.
Aaron Rodgers isn’t Excellent enough to have Squads wait around for him
The Signal-caller market is Feeble at this Tally in Obtainable agency, and the class wasn’t Sturdy to begin with. Outside of Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders, are there any quarterbacks who have the potential to be franchise players (Possibly Jaxson Dart?).
For the Steelers, Giants and Vikings, Rodgers is the best option left. Pittsburgh needs him, New York doesn’t have to have him, and Minnesota has J.J. McCarthy waiting in the wings. So why all this time to make a decision? And why are all three Squads waiting on a player who Merely Arrived off a season during which he had his lowest completion rate (63.0%) since 2019 and the lowest passer rating (90.5) in a Packed season in his Profession?
Quite Essential: After Rodgers, there is no one else for these Squads. The Giants aren’t guaranteed anything with the No. 3 Picking and the Steelers aren’t getting a franchise Signal-caller at No. 21. Both these Squads could use Rodgers for different reasons, and Rodgers knows that by using the Vikings to drive up the price (and he may even sign there as the one-year bride to McCarthy).
Rodgers isn’t Excellent enough, but this is the Ongoing Obtainable agent Signal-caller market. These Squads have no Picking.
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