Dammit, I hope the Patriots didn’t low-ball him given the amount of cap space they have.
A second round pick is about what was expected all things considered, so Seattle got a fair deal IMO.
Darnold to the Seahawks for 3 years, $100.5 million. Justin Fields to the Jets for 2 years, $40 million. I don’t like either signing. Darnold wants to sign into a full rebuild? Why? And what the hell is Fields thinking, does he just want to find out if anyone could possibly be more inept than the Bears?
There’s not a huge market for Fields. That’s probably one of the few spots that gives him a chance to actually start. Also, it’s more guaranteed than he’s made his entire career so far.
It’s not a full rebuild. They replaced their QB and got rid of their #2 WR. Those are the only significant offseason player changes I can think of.
It just seems like a rebuild because a lot of things are happening all in one week. (Not a coincidence that it’s the week before free agents are up for grabs.)
The defense in particular, they’re resigning their key guys to big contracts to sustain and build on their success. A rebuilding team doesn’t do that.
Another reason why Darnold might like Seattle is that their new OC is Klint Kubiak who was the passing game coordinator in San Francisco when Darnold played there. If they had a good working relationship it might have been appealing to work with someone you know.
I didn’t address this, it’s not a lot of money, especially since only $55M is guaranteed. That’s a good deal for Seattle. I’m guessing the rest of the money is based on whether he shows that last year’s Sam Darnold is for real or if it was a fluke.
Yes, the Jets 
I don’t mind the trade compensation, seems about right. But that contract is going to be a problem. DK isn’t worth $30M a year, not even close.
This seemed like a fait accompli from the moment that Geno was traded. I’m not shocked by the money, but I’m a little surprised by the length. I figured Darnold would have earned himself at least a 5 year deal. Did Darnold want the chance to sign another deal before he’s 30? Did he trade years for AAV? Or was there no market for a longer deal? You have to wonder where this number would have landed if he played better at the end of the year.
Great for Fields. Glad he got himself paid. Glad it wasn’t the Bears doing it. I actually don’t mind the signing for the Jets. Yeah, they aren’t competing with Fields at QB, but he’ll probably keep them respectable, not to mention he’s as far to the other end of the spectrum from Rodgers in the locker room as possible. The combo of Fields, Wilson, Hall should actually be tough to defend. The Jets OL is actually decent which will make a big difference for Fields, but my biggest worry is the new coaching staff’s ability to use him. Feels like Glenn played a sizable role in this move.
The Bears OL rebuild seems to be nearing its final form. Dalman has been linked to the Bears pretty much since the last snap of the regular season. And while this definitely feels like an overpay, and the Bears have a ton of money tied up in the IOL now, it solves the problem on paper. There should be few excuses for Caleb taking sacks barring injury.
I’d still like to see us draft Membou to play LT with the 10th overall pick over Jeanty. Moving from the right to left side is a risk, and I’ll leave that projection to the coaches, but getting an elite bookend opposite Wright should still be a goal. It’s more important than a RB.
The Bears also did some work on the other side of the line to hopefully shore up the trenches. Well on their way to winning the offseason for the 3rd year running.
Some general thoughts.
- I don’t think you win Free Agency by paying top dollar for the most in demand guys on the first day of the season. We have the cap space, and it’s not my money, so I guess it’s okay. But I’m betting we could have found cheaper options with comparable upside in the next phase of the offseason.
- That said…I’m glad they came into this with a clear plan. Build the trenches. I hope this doesn’t mean they ignore them in the draft. In the words of Kylo Ren…“More!!!”.
- In spite of the signings, I still feel like we have 3 question marks on the OL. Braxton Jones is okay, but just okay, and he missed significant time last year. Dalman I think is better than okay, but not elite and also missed time. His value may be more in calling the protections than blocking. Jonah Jackson too was hurt much of last season and while his poor play was blamed on a position switch, it’s foolish to assume he’ll magically return to form.
- I’m not excited about either of the DL signings. Grady Jackson is really long in the tooth for a DT and Odeyingbo has never produced at a level that justifies that contract. We’ve seen this “he’s about to break out” story before from Poles.
- What’s next? We need RB help. We need WR help. We need TE help. We need LB help. We need Safety help. We have already burned 2 draft picks in trades.
Chase Young just signed for a deal in the same range as Odeyingbo…would we have been better off signing him…assuming he was interested?
Running through a quick back of the napkin mock draft for the Bears.
Round 1, 10th overall:
Best Available OL. Likely either Membou or Campbell. Both guys are being projected to kick inside, but we want them at LT.
Round 2, 39th overall:
Round 2, 41st overall:
Tackling these together. Best Available RB and Best Available Edge.
While Jeanty will be gone, this is a really great RB class. Guys like Hampton, Judkins and Henderson may be available here. Not sure we can bank on Kaleb Johnson or any of the premier guys making it to the 3rd round.
And in spite of us having just signed Odeyingbo, adding an edge should still be a priority. Mike Green, Shermar Stewart, Nic Scourton are all guys that could be on the board here at the top of the second. Stewart seems a particularly good fit for Allen’s scheme but he’s a project.
All that said, if Matthew Golden is available, you freaking take him.
Round 3, 72 overall:
We can get a little squirely here if everything else falls into place. While every pick should really be BPA, I think it’s impossible for actual humans with jobs they want to keep to really do it. I think there’s 2 ways to go with this pick. Add depth on defense, at any level really, or swing for the fences with another weapon.
I think Isaiah Bond could be really interesting opposite DJ and Rome, some deep speed to loosen the coverage would be great for Caleb. Or you could grab Harold Fannin Jr and run some 12 personnel sets. Fannin’s 40 time is a bit of a red flag, but the production is there. Bond certainly fits Poles preferences better.
I really hope these rumors about the Steelers signing Aaron Rodgers don’t come to be true. I was born and raised in Western PA, and am a lifelong fan, but I think i would actively root against them if Rodgers is the starting QB. My dislike of Rodgers aside, he’s completely washed up anyway and 2025 would become a wasted season the day they sign him.
A story from Steelers Depot about the situation.
There is nothing absolute in that story, just an opinion that Rodgers would “probably” go to Pittsburgh. It does seem confirmed that the Steelers and Rodgers were working on a deal though. And apparently the Giants are kind of interested in Rodgers too?
Meanwhile, Daniel Jones is finalizing a deal to go to the Colts for one year at $14 million.
Options are getting slimmer for teams that need quarterbacks, in a year that seems to have no really promising guys in the draft for that position.
Patriots have invested heavily in defense so far, signing Eagles DT Milton Williams to a 4-year, $100+M deal; Lions CB Carlton Davis for 3 years, $60M; former Titans LB Harold Landry for 3 years, $43.5M; and Raiders LB Robert Spillane for 3 years $37.5M.
Investments in the OL and WR - which are badly needed - have been modest at best, with deals for veteran RT Morgan Moses and WR Mack Hollins.
Vrabel is clearly focused on defense first, and certainly that side sucked last year, but the deficiencies in the offense are so glaring that this amount of cash spent on the defense so far seems badly lopsided. I can’t imagine they will be able to get both a top LT and #1WR in the draft. Drake Maye is going to be set up for a hell of a sophomore slump without more help.
The Colts also did something against their nature, and dipped into the Free Agent pool sooner than they usually do (if they do it at all).
They signed CB Chevarius Ward to a 3 year, $60 million deal, and Camryn Bynum to a 4 year, $60 million deal
This draft is particularly light on WR prospects to go #1. It’s very deep if you’re looking to fill a roster with receivers behind an established #1 but there isn’t much in terms of star value. Fortunately there are some great TE options so maybe they can pick up a real weapon there.
OTs are always hard to find, a good one is like gold. But there is some depth there this year so they have a good chance to find a guy.
Bills sign Joey Bosa to a one year deal. Pretty good move I think. The chances of him staying healthy all year are slim but if he can string some games together he may have an impact.
Bills need to do whatever they need to get over the top while their window is open. It ain’t going to be open forever.
The Jets formally announced that they are releasing Aaron Rodgers today.
It would be amusing if Packers GM Brian Gutekunst sent Rodgers a text:
“Interested in coming back? We need a solid backup for Jordan Love. One-year deal, veteran minimum. LOL, just kidding!”
I’m hoping that Justin Fields ends up with a better contract than Aaron Rodgers. That would be some hilarious shit.
And as a “post” June 1 release so they can spread the cap hit over the next two seasons ($21M for 2025 and $35 for 2026). NFL math is funky.
Some pundits are thinking that Aaron Rodgers might take his time to make a decision on where to play, basically being a malignant narcissist right up until the end. If he does his Ayahuasca Darkness Retreat and Homeopathic Measels Wishcast for a couple months, the Steelers and Giants will be stuck holding their peckers.