The Game Plan For Free Agency

Fine readers of the Going For 2 fanbase my name is @TheBLeagueSays and I am 100% back! Yes, I’m back in black (and white text)! Yeah, I’m back in black (and white text)! It’s 2020 and ‘The Gameplan of the Week’ or ‘Free Agency’ or ‘Rookie Draft’ is here and somewhat upon us and, and I’m ready to go into the NFL new year and cover all of these bases for you. Each article, I will give to you some views to look at in regard to your Fantasy team’s dynasty roster construction and evaluation this offseason.

Before I get started, thank you and enjoy! 

DISCLAIMER: Please for the love of god bear in mind that this is being written the day after the CBA has been pushed through and before/during the legal tampering period has begun. A lot can and will change at this time – so I have added in player additions to the article as Free Agency goes on. Let’s have fun with this, we could use some good old fashioned, light-hearted fun right about now!

Slant Route

Who is trending up:

Miami has money. They have the highest salary cap to work with so far. And they have so many Rookie Draft picks up their sleeve over the next two years. And the best thing about it to me is that they were diligent moving players during the 2019 season to free themselves up from decisions they probably didn’t want to make this offseason, to put themselves in position to not pay players they weren’t holding onto. They gained capital, and are in a good position to take advantage of the good decisions they’ve made. And to be fair, Brian Flores has been running a tight ship all season and the players on the outside (looking in from the viewer’s perspective at least) play hard for him.

It could have been easy for them to play out a 0-16 season and cash in but no, those guys gave it their all and, ok, they weren’t world beaters but they showed a tonne of heart and grabbed a couple of wins even got the best out of the mercurial DeVante Parker – it took five years but we got there! And now, I believe it is time for Miami to reap the rewards of an honest 2019 season. I’ve seen the Dolphins linked to draft a Rookie Running Back – which, sure, in the first two rounds I don’t think is a good idea because the class at this position is still deep despite some staying in college another year – but instead why not go out and grab the best free-agent running back on the market in Melvin Gordon? They could grab Gordon, keep Patrick Laird and draft a change of pace guy on day three, for instance, a Darrynton Evans type of guy and upgrade that backfield that once had an inconsistent Kenyan Drake, Mark Walton, and Kalen Ballage.

Seems ok!

With three 1st Round picks and two 2nd Round picks to start the draft along with $94 million in cap space they can literally afford to go after the best at each position they feel like they need to on either side of the ball and that still can include going after Tua Tagovailoa, their potential Quarterback of the future.

Good times to be had for this AFC East Franchise at least!

MIAMI RECRUITED 3/16/20: Byron Jones – CB, Ereck Flowers – G, Clayton Fejedelem – S, Shaq Lawson – DL, Kyle Van Noy – LB, Emmanuel Ogbah – DE, Jordan Howard – RB, Kamu Grugier-Hill – LB,

Flat Route

The bubble burst on:

The Jacksonville Jaguars are clearing their shelves quicker and cheaper than toilet paper at Costco during the COVID-19 pandemic. Yep, I got the reference in. It was going to happen and I’m glad it happened early. Enough of that…

The ‘Jags’ just moved team leader Calais Campbell to Baltimore for a 5th round pick. The Ravens will inherit his contract and will likely work out a new deal. But still, a 5th?! Really?! Kind of feels like robbery no?

But it gets better for those in Duval…

Last season they moved Jalen Ramsey. They moved him to the Rams midway through 2019 and attained a 1st Round Pick which isn’t so bad, considering he was likely in line for a pay raise too. Yannick Ngakoue has now been tagged and then could yet be traded out. And Nick Foles could be moved also considering they’ll get the same production out of Gardner Minshew too. Part of me believes that with all these moves they are making, it could be so that they can cut (or ideally trade Foles) to try to free up cap space from the potential $22 million he could cost them this year.

Leonard Fournette is also in the last year of his deal, and if his demands are up there, like Ezekiel Elliott‘s, could he be another name to be moved or sit out? I could see that happening too if things don’t move quickly. The new C.B.A. omits teams from using two ‘tags’ and it seems like that’s what Running Backs get hit with lately because, you know, Running Backs don’t matter right?

This team already looks to have hit the reset button (and fair play to them if that is indeed the case), as the #tankfortrevor tag probably gets put in motion post-2020 draft.

JAGUARS RECRUITED 3/16/20: Joe Schobert – LB,

Comeback Route

Who will recover from 2019 with some astute pickups:

No, I’m not mentioning the New York Football Giants because I have my own New York Football Giants podcast (it’s called The Back Row Giants Show just in case you were wondering). But it also doesn’t hurt to mention it does it?

Anyways…

The New York Giants have a lot of cash up their sleeve. And on my podcast (yep, again a humble brag and shameless plug, @BackRowGiants, as The Back Row Giants Podcast, sorry Geoff had to do it one last time I swear), they could feasibly be a team to franchise tag Leonard Williams – who cost them a 2020 3rd Round Pick and a 2021 5th Round Pick, make a move for Yannick Ngakoue (if he indeed gets tagged to be traded or flat out walk as a free agent), and also make a run at Byron Jones, Cory Littleton and retain Markus Golden after re-signing David Mayo who was the Giants ‘Mr. Consistent’ after 5th Round Rookie Ryan Connelly tore his ACL, who will be welcomed back to full health sooner than later. 

Again, the Giants who have about $82 million up their sleeve could tag Williams, sign Ngakoue, Jones, and Littleton and re-sign Golden. And if Washington does move their pick back for someone who is after Tua Tagovailoa, Chase Young could be there at Pick 4 as well.

That Defense could well be a team to look out for. And if they can help get Daniel Jones more chances to get out there then that can only be a good thing for the #GMen if they can figure out a way to protect him also.

GIANTS RECRUITED 3/16/20: James Bradberry – CB, Leonard Williams – DT (Franchise Tag), Blake Martinez – LB, Levine Toilolo – TE,

Screen Route

The contrarian pickup could come from:

Tennessee. 

Ryan Tannehill received a new 4 year, $118 million contract extension (with more than $90 million guaranteed) which is great for two guys who flourished when Tannehill was given the start midseason – A.J. Brown and Derrick Henry (who looks like he will be tagged). This is great for Brown because Henry (although capable), isn’t known for his receiving chops and Dion Lewis was recently released. And Delanie Walker has been released too, also leaving the 2nd year player more room to work inside, with Jonnu Smith likely seeing a larger role coming his way too.

So. How do we free up Brown even more?

We get him some help. 

The contrarian move would be to sign, probably the best Wide Receiver out there out on the market in A.J. Green (and then we can call them the ‘A.J. Brothers’, make t-shirts out it ala ‘the Blues Brothers’ but in that nasty powdered blue color, it’s a marketing dream!). Now Tajae Sharpe showed some signs of life and Corey Davis was ok, I guess, but both aren’t going to help this team make more progress than what it already has. But a presence like Green on the outside will free Brown up dramatically on the inside and take some more of that attention away. It can only help Tannehill too. An established veteran like Green will only help him live up to that price tag now right?

A.J. Green could likely be bought low in your Dynasty leagues now, and a mid 2021st 2nd Round Pick might get that over the line if you’re willing to take that chance on a potential one-year rental.

It’s just a thought… And I don’t hate it.

TITANS RECRUITED 3/26/20: Derrick Henry – RB (Franchise Tag), Vic Beasley – DE,

Out Route

Who am I completely off so far:

Minnesota.

They’ve lost their O.C. Kevin Stefanski to Cleveland to take over as their Head Coach. Stefon Diggs looks like he’s (again) angling for a move away which would leave them stuck with a 30-year-old Adam Thielen with dodgy hamstrings, a Kirk Cousins in the final year of his ‘all in’ contract, and a team that has already released Xavier Rhodes, Everson Griffen and Linval Joseph – three guys who have been the cornerstone of that devasting defense of years past. But why did all those guys get let go?

Well… The Vikings have about $20 mil cap space to work with and there’s no chance they can afford any of them really, and on top of that, they will have to sort a deal out for Dalvin Cook soon enough too IF they can get to Kirk Cousins first.

Crazy right!

The Vikings do have a pair of Third Round picks to work with, and with the depth at Wide Receiver in this Rookie class, I can imagine that’s something they may want to look at if they do move Diggs on. So the team that nearly made the Super Bowl is releasing high caliber starting players, with minimal cap room and holes to fill while potentially trading a stud?

I think this could be the start of the Vikings decline, their window was 2019 and they were so, so close. But they could be in for a bit of a shock in 2020 as it stands.

VIKINGS RECRUITED 3/16/20: Kirk Cousins (extension, 2 more years – $60+ million), Draft Picks from Buffalo via trade; 2020 1st, 5th, 6th and 2021 4th for Stefon Diggs – WR,

The 9 Route

The confidence meter is going up on:

The L.A. Chargers, surprisingly…

Now replacing a guy like Philip Rivers should not be easy. He’s a locker room leader. A veteran. And a face that franchise has hung to for many years. I wish him the best of luck wherever he lands.

But, if you are the L.A Chargers, with the 6th pick overall this year and if Justin Herbert (who is likely everyone’s QB3 coming out of the draft behind Joe Burrow and Tua Tagovailoa) is there are you happy, or extremely happy? Because the kid can play. And it seems like a solid fit should it eventuate. And the Chargers have started to somewhat patch a few things up, and save some cash in doing so.

They’ve locked up Hunter Henry with the Franchise Tag, and they paid Austin Ekeler, without hamstringing themselves to the likely high contract demands that Melvin Gordon would wan,t and still have Keenan Allen and Mike Williams under contract while trading Russell Okung to Carolina for Trai Turner. They’ve also released Brandon Mebane and Thomas Davis and restructured Denzel Perryman‘s contract. 

The Chargers also have about $54 million in cap space to work with too. So this could be a way for them to add some pieces – quality over quantity in this case – and build up their future now while still being uber-competitive. That division isn’t getting easier any time soon with the stranglehold Patrick Mahomes has on it, but still. A fresh face like Herbert and a rejuvenated team could be what the ‘Bolts need.

Hail Mary For Free Agency

I wish everyone would stop lining up every Wide Receiver and every Tight End to the Packers because of Aaron Rodgers. Stop. First, it’s Robby Anderson, then Austin Hooper and so on and so on. Then I heard Brashad Perriman’s name get linked there and to be honest I hated it.

Breshad Perriman showed a lot when he got his chance in Tampa this year once mike Evans and Chris Godwin. He has earnt the right at a shot to land on a team. But I don’t know what he would demand as a Free Agent or what he might command on the market but let me tell you I could think of a handful better spots.

Starting with Philadelphia. It seems as though Alshon Jeffery is on the way out. Nelson Agholor is set to test free agency. DeSean Jackson played, what, one game last year? JJ Arcega-Whiteside didn’t pan out either did he? And yet they still won the East.

Go Figure.

The Eagles will be a haven for Wide Receivers looking to pair themselves up with a Quarterback looking to air it out but has no one to play catch with him. Perriman paired up with Carson Wentz, could be a player on rosters for you to target before the Draft takes place. if he’s deemed disposable by Tampa, then he is probably at his lowest now. Should he sign somewhere of significance his buy-low window would be deemed shut.

Take advantage!

I want to thank you for getting this far and taking in everything I have presented. You can as always follow and find me at @TheBLeagueSays (and now @BackRowGiants for all your New York Giants needs!) and offer any view or conversation about this. Don’t forget to check out the #GF2 Rookie rankings which you can find: https://goingfor2.com/2020-rookie-dynasty-rankings-ppr/ and to subscribe, rate, review, and share and listen to The Armchair Fantasy Show podcast.

Let’s all get better together!

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