The Bachelor: Free Agency Edition

Hi, I’m Jeff Bell and welcome to The Bachelor: Free agency!  Love is in the air, and aspirational general managers look to alter the course of their franchise.  Oh, and NFL teams make moves too!  Endless speculation has placed every available player on every available squad. Whispers of franchise tags have emerged, coupled with a complicated salary-cap landscape and the history of tag usage (15 tags used in 2020) means disappointment at the top.

Dreams Shattered: Likely Tags

Allen Robinson – Wide Receiver – Bears

Chris Godwin – Wide Receiver- Buccaneers

Aaron Jones – Running Back – Packers

Kenny Golladay – Wide Receiver – Lions

Every single one of these players is a tag candidate.  For Robinson and Golladay, reports of desire to leave for months makes a tag the only route for their teams to maintain control.  Godwin and Aaron Jones play for contenders who would look to keep their talents in a controlled contract situation.  Dreams Shattered!

Time to hand out roses!

Will Fuller, Wide Receiver – The Suitor:  Miami Dolphins – The Reunion

The Dolphins have continually appeared as a suitor for free agent wide receivers.  Fuller makes an obvious candidate for multiple reasons.  Dolphins offensive coordinator George Godsey was the Texans offensive coordinator when the team drafted Fuller in 2016.  The real wildcard is DeShaun Watson.  Given their war chest of assets (multiple 1st rounds picks, including pick number three and a young replacement quarterback option in Tua Tagovialoa), the Dolphins are an option if the Texans pull the trigger on a deal. Will Fuller, will you accept this rose?

Juju Smith-Schuster, Wide Receiver – The Suitor: Baltimore Ravens- The College Flame

On February 6, the Ravens hired Tee Martin as wide receivers coach.  Why does that matter?  JuJu Smith-Schuster’s primary recruiter at USC was? Tee Martin.  Given the rivalry between the Ravens and the Steelers, the need for an intermediate target in the Raven’s offense and a go-to option for Lamar Jackson, the match is perfect.  Despite a history of building through the draft, the Ravens have shown a willingness to add impact players through free agency.  Especially at wide receiver where they have added players like Derrick Mason and Anquan Boldin. Juju Smith-Schuster, will you accept this rose?

Jonnu Smith, Tight End – The Suitor:  Buffalo Bills – The Dream Come True

Brandon Beane closed his year-end press conference emphasizing the need to add a tight end.  The team faces a precarious cap situation, but Smith’s age and ability to grow within the offense as a safety valve for Josh Allen will have all of Buffalo slipping into something more comfortable.  Beane has been aggressive in adding offensive skill talent around the young franchise quarterback Josh Allen.  Jonnu Smith, will you accept this rose?

Hunter Henry, Tight End – The Suitor:  New England Patriots – The Long Time Admirer

Bill Belichick has taken every step short of Lloyd Dobler’s “In Your Eyes” boombox serenade when it comes to Henry.  Belichick had long valued the position, going back to 1995 when he threw a temper tantrum at missing on Kyle Brady.  The team has never replaced Rob Gronkowski’s impact.  Henry’s blocking fills Belichick’s desired archetype at the position, and the third-most cap space in the league makes this tempting.  Hunter Henry, will you accept this rose?

Curtis Samuel, Wide Receiver – the Suitor:  New York Jets – The Hometown Love Story

The Jets have the second-most cap space in the league. Links to every free-agent wide receiver have run rampant during the off-season. For Samuel, this would be a hometown love story for the former Brooklyn resident. Schematically Samuel’s versatility fits nicely into the role that new offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur ran with Deebo Samuel. Curtis Samuel, will you accept this rose?

Hopefully, we have all been able to learn on this journey. No after-show is necessary with authentic connections.  Now the matches are made, on to the draft!

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