How has your team done in FA?

[jetjuice]

44 minutes ago, THE DUKE said:

Bengals finally did something, so that was nice

DJ Reader: Love this signing.  The Bengals run defense was atrocious last year and Reader was one of the best run stuffing DT's in football last year.  He'll take away double teams from Geno Atkins, who is still an animal, if not quite what he once was.

Trae Waynes: We overpaid, but he brings some postiives too.  He's 2+ years younger than Dre, tackles better than Dre (going back to that run defense issue last year), and is penalized less than Dre.  Pass coverage grades are similar, and both Dre and Waynes lack some ball skills so that tradeoff is pretty even.  We're paying more for Trae than Dre, but cap space isn't that much of an issue for the Bengals, although it looks like we will end this season at or very near the cap for the first time in a while.

Makensie Alexander: Good signing. Not quite as good a slot corner at Darqueze Dennard, but still a good slot corner and on a 1 year $4 million deal, a great value.  Dennard is hell bent on getting a shot as a boundary CB, so much so that his deal with Jacksonville fell apart.  He needs to embrace that he is a slot CB, because he is one of the best in the NFL in that role.  Alexander is a suitable replacement, if a slight downgrade.  Also a good run defender, if you are noticing a theme yet.

Vonn Bell: One of the better run defending safeties in the NFL (there it is again), he is a box SS that is a solid pairing with Jesse Bates, who is best playing deep.  A great value at 3 years $18 million, these next 3 years are Bell's prime years at ages 25-27 on a very reasonable deal.

Josh Bynes: Another one year deal, and yet another good run defender (the Bengals have seriously upgraded their run defense this offseason), he'll be primarily a run down LB as most expect the Bengals to bring in a coverage LB through the draft sometime in rounds 2-4 to pair with him, with 2019 3rd rd pick Germaine Pratt being the primary LB as he really started coming on the last 4-5 weeks of the season last year.  Bynes is a bridge player on a 1 year deal that filled a very specific and needed hole on the roster.

Xavier Su'a-Filo: Brought in for depth and competition at RG (conventional wisdom is that Michael Jordan has a leg up for the LG spot, he was supposed to be groomed last year before Clint Boling's sudden retirement), but is also being paid like a backup, so I see nothing wrong with this signing, even if it doesn't move the needle much.  The Bengals are likely to address the oline in the draft, perhaps multiple times, but I think they are at least in a position to where they won't need to reach if the value isn't there with what they have.

AJ Green: Franchised, although he REALLY did not want to be franchised.  I can't blame the Bengals though, AJ has missed 24 of the last 32 games and wasn't injury free before that either.  I can still see an extension being worked out, but I won't be shocked if they don't either.  AJ will be 32 this season, has had extension lower body injuries over the last 4 years, and still wants to be paid like one of the game's top WR.  This could possibly be his last year as a Bengal.  I don't think he'll be traded, mostly because I don't think Mike Brown would let him go for anything less than a 1st round pick, which teams understandably would be hesitant to do give the injury issues outlined above.

Writing this out, I can't give the Bengals anything less than an A for this free agency.  They still have money to extend Joe Mixon (hopefully not an unreasonable deal or he could be the one being franchised next year) and William Jackson.  They focused on a major issue with run defense bringing in 5 new starters who were all graded as above average or better run defenders last year, brought in depth for the oline, and still have a bevy of offensive weapons for Joe Burrow's rookie year.

Gotta love what they did here.

[jetjuice]

JETS

SIGNINGS

OT George Fant - our first signing of FA. Signed to a 3yr/$30mil deal with $13.7mil guaranteed so that would suggest he's coming in to start. Joe Douglas told him he would be given a chance to compete for a starting job and you'll notice we signed a lot of low cost, versatile offensive lineman this offseason.

C Connor McGovern - a Jet fan growing up, we bring him in to presumably start at center for a similar deal to what Fant signed. 3yr/$27mil with $18mil guaranteed. Essentially a two year deal. Also has experience at guard.

OG Greg Van Roten - another Jet fan growing up, another low cost signing on a versatile o-lineman. Signed to a 3yr/$10.5mil deal so no guarantee to start but he may make Brian Winters expendable. Apparently played well as a starter in Carolina this year before getting hurt.

WR Breshad Perriman - signed to a 1yr deal worth up to $8mil. Signed immediately after hearing Robby Anderson was going to the Panthers, so evidently this was our backup plan. I know he had a mostly disappointing career, but he finished the year blazing hot last year in Tampa so hopefully he can carry some of that over in 2020. He currently sits atop the depth chart alongside Jamison Crowder, but we will definitely be adding a WR in the first two rounds.

CB Pierre Desir - signed to a 1yr/$5.5mil deal promptly after the Colts cut him. Expected to come in as a starting outside CB. Had his best years in Cleveland under our DC Gregg Williams so he'll know exactly how to use him. Massive upgrade over Arthur Maulet to join Brian Poole.

LB Patrick Onwuasor - not sure of the $$, but we are reuniting him with CJ Mosley who he had his best years with in Baltimore. We were decimated by injury at LB last year so this is a nice upside signing.

 

RE-SIGNINGS

OG Alex Lewis - was a starter for us in 2019, will compete for a starting job in 2020. He and JD have been linked since Baltimore. Lewis and GVR will determine what we do with Brian Winters, but JD has mentioned more than once that Winters is a guy he wanted to keep around for stability on the line. He'd be our longest tenured lineman and only returning full-time starter (Kelvin Beachum, Kelechi Osemele, Ryan Kalil, Brandon Shell all gone).

CB Brian Poole - our starting CB and nickel, he's coming back on another 1yr/$5 mil. Was surprisingly effective for us in his first year as a Jet in 2019 after the Falcons let him walk. He and Desir should give us some stability in Gregg Williams blitz heavy scheme.

LB Jordan Jenkins - initially let him test the market but he's returning on a 1yr/$5mil deal. Had 7 sacks in 2018 and 8 sacks in 2019, so hopefully he can continue that trend and lock down a starting edge position. We still need another edge, and we are apparently looking at Jadeveon Clowney and Yannick Ngakoue. We have plenty of cap space for either but it would be quite the splash move and pretty much the opposite of what we have done all offseason.

 

LOSSES

WR Robby Anderson - UFA, signed by Carolina

CB Darryl Roberts - cut, signed by Detroit, saved us $6mil with no penalty

LB Brandon Copeland - UFA, signed by New England

CB Trumaine Johnson - cut, currently unsigned

WR Demaryius Thomas - UFA, currently unsigned

RB Ty Montgomery - UFA, currently unsigned

RB Bilal Powell - UFA, currently unsigned

 

All in all, lots of low cost, short term deals. Didn't lose anything significant outside of Robby and acquired up to six new starters. It's clear JD wanted guys with position versatility, starting experience, and low cost. It's a much different change of pace compared to what we're used to with MacCagnan and has the essence of a long term sustainable success by not overspending in FA but rather make shrewd signings and ultimately building through the draft. JD has a good amount of draft capital to work with this offseason, I can't wait to see what he does with his first draft. Personally I'm hoping for one of the top WR's in round 1, OT in round 2, and then some combination of EDGE/WR/RB/CB the next few picks. We have two 3rds and two 5ths. All in all, I'll give JD a B+ for this offseason. Plugged a lot of holes, managed the cap fantastically, and put us in a good position heading into the draft, but the upside of these signings remains to be seen.

[Pool]

For the Bears, I love the Quinn signing as he is a huge upgrade over Leonard Floyd. Jimmy Graham though significantly overpaid is now the best TE on the Bears roster. Foles/Trubisky is a far better QB duo than Trubisky/Daniels. Overall I'd give it a B based on the Quinn signing alone.

[berlin calling]

all things considered AFCN could be the most competitive division next season.