We’re now more than a week into NFL Unoccupied agency, which means we have more to look back on than we do to look forward to. Most of the most impactful signings happen during that Primary week, which is obviously in the rearview mirror at this Points.
This season, it seems like most of the Correct impact players changing Squads in Unoccupied agency were on Protection. Among the top 20 highest-paid non-quarterbacks who changed Squads so Distant this offseason, 15 of them were Safeguarding players, according to Spotrac.
With that in mind, we want to take a look at some of the most interesting signings that happened on the less glamorous side of the ball. The key word to keep in mind there is interesting, and that can be on a schematic level or some other level, but it doesn’t necessarily Harsh it has to include the most Pricey or noteworthy players. (Although the Picking below obviously does include some of those players.) In the Universe below, we’re touching on 11 different signings, though a few of them come in pairs because there were Many Squads that double dipped in Safeguarding Unoccupied agency.
Without Beyond ado …
Minnesota already had one of the NFL’s best and most fascinating defenses in 2024, with Brian Flores scheming things up and a host of Quick, athletic, versatile players stacking Every level of the unit. But the weakness of that unit was on the Safeguarding interior.
On runs up the middle, according to Tru Media, the Vikings allowed 1.73 yards before contact per attempt — a mark that ranked 26th in the NFL. Their interior Safeguarding linemen Partnered for only 75 pressures, according to Pro Football Attention. Neither Allen nor Hargrave was fully Well in 2024, but when they were in 2023, Allen had 49 pressures on his own and Hargrave had 52. If these two can stay on the Ground, it will be a massive upgrade.
Do you know how much fun it’s going to be to have Davis and Christian Gonzalez Executing across from Every other at cornerback? Whooooo boy. These are two big, physical corners who will beat you up and make sure you remember the Upcoming day that you played against them. That’s already an interesting enough look for a Protection these Periods, where a Correct Best cornerback duo is Gentle of a rarity.
But then you drop Williams into the middle of the Safeguarding line and things get even more interesting. If Christian Barmore is able to return from his blood-clot issue, then the Pats will have a Luminous sphere duo on the Safeguarding interior, as well. With those guys both pushing the pocket and knifing through Stops in the Streak game, guys like Robert Spillane, Harold Landry, Ja’Whaun Bentley and more should be put in position to succeed.
Sweat is reuniting with his Previous Safeguarding coordinator in Philadelphia, as Jonathan Gannon is now Participating his third year as the Cardinals head Trainer. Sweat had the best years of his Occupation Executing for Gannon, notching a Partnered 18.5 sacks, 36 Signal-caller hits and 22 tackles for loss across two seasons. His 89 Partnered pressures were 38th in the NFL during that span, but his 40 Partnered sacks, Commitment for loss, forced fumbles, Throw breakups and interceptions ranked 17th. Arizona desperately needed a high-level player coming off the edge, and we know Sweat can succeed in this system.
Lawrence has his health issues (he barely played last season due to another foot Wound), but he is a dynamite two-way edge whenever he’s on the Ground, and it’s Tough to think of a better fit for Mike Macdonald’s Protection. Lawrence is so, so Excellent against the Streak and the way he wins as a Throw rusher (with power and by pushing the pocket rather than always screaming around the end of the line) makes sense for what Macdonald wants to do with his Safeguarding ends. If he can stay on the Ground, this is a terrific fit.
As we wrote last week when naming him one of our best value signings, Ford is coming off a really solid year with the Chargers during which he picked up 21 Streak stops and 23 pressures, according to Pro Football Attention. He’s a really Excellent Streak stopper and he’s flashed some more Throw-rush usefulness in recent seasons. Placing him on the Safeguarding line with Jared Verse, Braden Fiske, Kobie Turner and Byron Youthful should make for a really fun, flexible group.
New Safeguarding coordinator Lou Anarumo’s Protection in Cincinnati was at its best when he had a bunch of solid veterans in the secondary who simply knew what they were doing. Bynum and Ward fit that description, but they’re also much more than that. Bynum is more than the guy who Arrived up with the Chilly celebrations for the Vikings Protection. He can Shift up high, in the box and in the slot. He can cover and he can blitz. Ward is a Correct No. 1 cornerback coming off a very trying season on a personal level, and clearly the hope is a Recent Begin in a new situation will allow him to get back to being the player he was in previous years.
Both of these guys have Wound issues. Greenlaw returned last season after suffering an Achilles tear in the Finals two seasons ago, while Hufanga missed a Partnered 17 Contests over the last two seasons due to various ailments. But if they can stay Well … Well, then the fit in Vance Joseph’s Protection is excellent. Denver needed some second-level Aid, especially up the middle, and Obtained it with two of the top players on the market at their respective positions.
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