Free Agency 2021: Bears QB Saga Rolls On
The thrilling period in the NFL calendar known as legal tampering of free agency rolls on with the unexpected and the very expected. The clarify, this is the period where teams can negotiate with players and reach tentative agreements before making the deals official when free agency begins Wednesday.
Let us begin in Chicago, a team former wideout Muhsin Muhammed once called “the place where receivers go to die.” Could their cavalcade of starting quarterbacks, which in the past 15 years include Rex Grossman, Kyle Orton, Jay Cutler, Josh McCown and Mitch Trubisky have anything to do with it?
More of the Same in Chicago
The Chicago Bears continued their sorry history at QB by signing … nope, not Deshaun Watson, not Russell Wilson. They signed Andy “Red Rifle” Dalton.
Former Bears linebacker Lance Briggs summed it up best.
Dalton filled in admirably for Dak Prescott in Dallas last season but this is a team that desperately needs to get it right under center for like the first time in l40 years. Dalton is not the answer; heck, he’s hardly an upgrade over Mitchell Trubisky. Perhaps Chicago adds to the quarterback room in next month’s draft but given that five quarterbacks are projected to go before the Bears at no. 20, it’s hard to see the position solidified this season.
Just to pour salt on the wound of so many Bears fans, many that denounced their fanhood today, are multiple reports that Chicago made aggressive offers to the Seahawks for Wilson. Once they realized Seattle brass wasn’t budging, they moved on and signed Dalton.
New England Not Standing Pat
Historically stingy Bill Belichick has been a man possessed in free agency thus far. It’s like he’s operating as if his quarterback room is going to be clogged with players on rookie deals.
Where to begin. Well, newly extended Cam Newton might be the biggest winner of them all (assuming he’s the starter) because the Pats LOADED up on badly needed offensive weapons or at least who have the potential to be weapons. New England signed the top two tight ends on the market on the market: Former Titan Jonnu Smith (4 years, $50 million) and former Charger Hunter Henry (3 years, $27.5 million). They also added wideouts Nelson Agholor and Kendrick Bourne.
The Pats’ biggest defensive signing thus far is linebacker Matthew Judon who will pair nicely with D’onta Hightower who is returning after opting out of last season. Other players added include safety Jalen Mills, defensive tackle Devon Godchaux, defensive tackle Henry Anderson.
This flurry of activity goes against Belichick precedent but given that last season’s Pats were pedestrian across the board, it was clear a roster shake up was in order. Can’t wait to see what Belichick does in the draft.
Jags are Roarin’
Do Jaguars roar? I guess they do, right? Well, Lions definitely do and former Lion Marvin Jones joined Jacksonville after five seasons in Detroit. The always productive Jones put up 978 yards and nine touchdowns last season.
The rebuilding Jags added more veteran leadership when they acquired defensive lineman Malcolm Brown via trade with the New Orleans Saints.
Another Life for Fitz
Quick. Name a team Ryan Fitzpatrick hasn’t played for. It’s gets harder by the year as team after team bow at the feet of the magical one. The Washington Football Team will be Fitzpatrick’s NINTH team. They signed the 38-year-old to a one-year deal worth $10 million. Fitzpatrick found success in Miami last season before being benched for Tua Tagovailoa. This go around he’ll be in a scintillating quarterback competition trying to fend off Kyle Allen and Taylor Heinicke. Earlier this month WFT released Alex Smith. I’m still not entirely sure why.
Awkward…
A month after the Rams and Lions swapped quarterbacks, the teams are at it again, this time with the Rams sending veteran defensive lineman Michael Brockers to Detroit.
In theory, it should be a sweet reunion with former Rams quarterback Jared Goff except Brockers, presuming he would stay with the Rams, recently burned Goff with this comment to Good Morning Football about LA acquiring Matthew Stafford: “We feel like with his move, this will be the turning point to where we can just win the big game.”
