In free agency, Cousins appears headed to Vikings
NFL free agency is in full swing, with players negotiating with teams in advance of their 2017 contracts expiring Wednesday, and there are a host of familiar names involved, including a trio of prominent quarterbacks — Kirk Cousins, Case Keenum and Teddy Bridgewater — each of whom is expected to change teams.
Here is a look at the free agency picture as it currently stands:
Nelson out, Graham in for Green Bay
Where he might go: It is too soon to know which teams Jordy Nelson might be interested in joining, since the Packers did not announce his release until late Tuesday, but there will surely be suitors lined up for the 32-year-old wide receiver.
What that means: After a down year in which he had just 53 catches for 482 yards, Nelson became expendable to the Packers. The fact that his release will give the team $10.2 million in cap space was certainly the deciding factor considering the respect he commands in an out of the Packers organization. In the announcement of Nelson’s release, Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst said “Jordy will always be a member of the Packers family and we look forward to his eventual induction into the Packers Hall of Fame.” Nelson is expected to put off that induction by signing with another team, and just a year removed from a season in which he had 1,257 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns, it is reasonable to think that he still has something to offer.
With some money freed up, the Packers are believed to have reached an agreement with Jimmy Graham, a five-time Pro Bowler at tight end, who had 57 catches for 520 yards and 10 touchdowns last season with the Seattle Seahawks. The 31-year-old was a favorite target for Drew Brees in New Orleans, had a good rapport with Russell Wilson in Seattle, and will now get a chance to catch passes from another top-shelf quarterback in Aaron Rodgers.
Cousins could be Vikings’ franchise QB
Where he might go: All signs are pointing toward Cousins, the 29-year-old quarterback, choosing the Minnesota Vikings as his new home. After three full seasons as a starter for the Washington Redskins, he is a unicorn of sorts as a franchise quarterback in his 20s who can choose to play wherever he’d like. As a result, his asking price is expected to be extraordinarily high. What that means: The Vikings nearly made the Super Bowl with Keenum as their starting quarterback. Cousins, who has thrown for more than 13,000 yards and 81 touchdowns over the last three seasons, would represent a fairly substantial upgrade. There are those who point toward Cousins’s 26-30-1 career record as a starter as a potential warning sign, but he has consistently played on a team with a subpar defense, and that will not be a problem in Minnesota. Cousins would also enjoy a deeper supporting cast on offense, with a pair of star receivers in Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs, a rock solid tight end in Kyle Rudolph, and a potential star in Dalvin Cook, a second-year running back who had a good start to the 2017 season before missing the final 12 games of the season with a torn anterior
cruciate ligament.
Johnson chooses Jets
Where he might go: The 28-year-old cornerback is walking away from the Los Angeles Rams after six seasons and will be part of the rebuilding process with the New York Jets.
What that means: It is slightly surprising for one of the biggest prizes of the offseason to end up with the Jets, a team that had to overachieve to go 5-11 last season. But the Jets should certainly benefit from adding a defensive back squarely in his prime who has 18 career interceptions, three of which he returned for touchdowns. The question is if they can be a contending team while he is still at the top of his game.
Keenum out to prove himself with Broncos
Where he might go: His regular season success, and a postseason touchdown throw that will be remembered for decades, were not enough to earn him the full-time job in Minnesota, so Keenum has reportedly agreed to terms with the Denver Broncos to take over as that team’s starting quarterback. The deal cannot be completed until Wednesday, but all indications are that he has found a permanent home.
What that means: The Broncos won the Super Bowl as recently as the 2015 season, but the retirement of Peyton Manning after his second Super Bowl title left the team without a reliable starting quarterback. That led to two years missing the playoffs as the once-terrific defense slowly withered away. Enter Keenum, who had been stamped with the label of journeyman backup until last season, but will now be asked to prove his 11-2 record as a starter in 2017 was not a fluke. There is plenty of statistical evidence to show that Keenum earned his success last season, but stepping away from the talent-ridden Vikings could make him suddenly appear far more pedestrian.
Brees staying in New Orleans
What that means: The 17-year veteran lasted a few hours as a free agent before the Saints did what everyone expected, bringing him back on a two-year deal that will most likely ensure that he finishes his career in New Orleans. While Mark Ingram and Alvin Kamara both had fantastic seasons, leading to much more diversity in the Saints offense, Brees was still the team’s engine, throwing for more than 4,000 passing yards for the 12th consecutive season. His 23 touchdown passes were the fewest he had thrown since 2005, but the 39-year-old can still get the job done.
The ‘other’ Minnesota quarterbacks look for homes
Where they might go: Teddy Bridgewater was once an ascending star who was expected to lead the Vikings to the promised land and, when Bridgewater’s knee exploded before the 2016 season, Sam Bradford was the quarterback Minnesota traded two draft picks to acquire. Neither were on the field for the team’s loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Championship Game, however, thanks to their injuries, and Case Keenum’s stellar play. Unsatisfied with all three options, the Vikings let all three go. Bradford appears to be on his way to the Arizona Cardinals while Bridgewater is expected to try to rebuild his career with the Jets.
What that means: Bradford, 30, has occasionally shown signs of why he was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2010 draft, but he has also dealt with fairly serious injuries. He inherits a Cardinals team that was a contender with Carson Palmer on the field over the last few years but fairly bad without him. If Bradford can stay injury-free, there is the potential for a good fit, but it will be an uphill climb in the competitive NFC West. The stakes are lower for the 25-year-old Bridgewater, who has attempted just two passes in the two seasons since his devastating knee injury (both fell incomplete). He looked great in 2015, and has youth on his side, but the Jets are also bringing back Josh McCown, and have enough question marks on the team’s roster to ease the pressure on Bridgewater’s comeback.
Norwell upgrades Jacksonville’s line
Where he might go: Several news media reports indicate that Norwell, a guard, will sign with the Jaguars on the largest contract ever for a player of his position. He is also expected to break records for average money per season and guaranteed money.
What that means: The Carolina Panthers were unwilling to pay money more typically associated with offensive tackles to a guard, but the Jaguars saw a good fit for the first-team All-Pro player. He immediately upgrades Jacksonville’s line and should make life considerably easier for Leonard Fournette, the team’s rookie running back who had 1,040 rushing yards and nine touchdowns as a rookie despite inconsistent work from the team’s interior linemen.
Butler headed to Titans
Where he might go: Butler appears committed to joining the Tennessee Titans after four years in New England. The 28-year-old cornerback will be paid like a top defensive back even after a rocky end to his career with the Patriots.
What that means: Butler was once the hero of a Super Bowl victory thanks to a last-minute interception, and had developed into one of the game’s better cornerbacks in just his third year, but a poor end to the 2017 season, and a bizarre demotion to the bench during last year’s Super Bowl, made him a bit of a wild-card heading into free agency. Butler is not old enough to have lost a step, and the Titans clearly believe he just needed a change of scenery. But the Patriots are known for getting rid of players at just the right time — if occasionally a year early — so he is far from a sure thing to succeed.