BOTTOM’S UP!
NFL’s worst fare best in free agency
NFL free agency is not only about doling out massive contracts. There are trades, salary-cap casualties, bargains and scheme fits to consider.
The interesting thing about the first week of free agency in 2020 is the winners are an unusual crop of starved franchises. On the flip side, perennial playoff teams of the past decade are striking out or staying quiet.
The Post graded all 32 teams thus far, and the top seven as a group have one combined Super Bowl win in the past 45 years. Four have not won a playoff game in at least 17 years. Here is the report card:
BUCCANEERS
Tom Brady is the biggest signing in franchise history. Especially if others take a discount to play with him, as LT Joe Haeg did Friday. DEs Shaq Barrett and Jason Pierre-Paul stayed put.
BILLS
Traded a first-round pick for Stefon Diggs to build one of the NFL’s most vertical offenses. Mario Addison, Quinton
Jefferson and Vernon Butler improved the defensive line. Is there a renaissance in CB Josh Norman?
CARDINALS
StoleWR DeAndre Hopkins (without giving up a first-rounder) and dumped David Johnson’s contract in an all-time heist. Devon Kennard and Phillips bolstered the defense.
BROWNS
Annual offseason champions strike again! This time trading for TE Austin Hooper, stealing the best LT available, Jack Conklin, and adding DBs Karl Joseph and Andrew Sendejo.
DOLPHINS
The tanking wasn’t as bad as expected in 2019, but still left the Dolphins with $90 million in cap space. A shopping spree (some overspending) resulted in a much better man-to-man defense led by Byron Jones, Kyle Van Noy and Shaq Lawson.
CHARGERS
The next QB (not Brady) will benefit fromnewOLs Bryan Bulaga and Trai Turner, and tagged TE Hunter Henry .CB Chris Harris was a steal. End of the Philip Rivers and Melvin Gordon era.
FALCONS
Traded a secondrounder for TE Hayden Hurst in a quick response to losing Hooper. Cutting RB Devonta Feeman freed up the cap space for OLB Dante Fowler and RB Todd Gurley.
BRONCOS
StoleDL Jurrell Casey for a seventh-rounder, swapped in C Graham Glasgow for Connor McGovern and tagged All-Pro FS Justin Simmons. Then landed top freeagent RB Melvin Gordon.
RAVENS
Do the Ravens ever stop improving their defense? No. Traded a fifthrounder for Calais Campbell and signed Michael Brockers. Traded from a position of strength to get a second-rounder for Hurst.
COLTS
A one-year, $25 million flier on QB Philip Rivers is low-risk, especially when protected by re-signed LT Anthony Costanzo. Traded first-rounder for DT DeForest Buckner and signed him to a $21 million per deal.
RAIDERS
Never emerged in the Brady sweepstakes,
settling for Marcus Mariota. Cory Littleton, Nick Kwiatkowski and Maliek Collins in the defensive front seven. Still thin at cornerback. Why Jason Witten?
JETS
No big fish. Building the offensive line was the priority. These aren’t the expected names, but McGovern, George Fant and
Alex Lewis is a start without any bad contracts. Much more work to do, including keeping WR Robby Anderson.
GIANTS
Surprisingly did not spend to address biggest needs — edge rusher and offensive line — but found three new defensive starters,
ledbyCB James Bradbery and ILB Blake
Martinez. Tagging DT Leonard Williams cost $16.1 million. New philosophy of frontloading contracts is a welcome change.
EAGLES
When the top three cornerbacks signed elsewhere, a GM who likes to trade shrewdly acquired and extended Darius Slay .Therichgetricherwith DT Javon Hargrave. Is losing S Malcom Jenkins taking away the heart and soul?
49ERS
Decided to extend
Arik Armstead over keeping Buckner (traded to Colts for first-rounder) on a crowded defensive line. Re-signing injury-prone S Jimmie Ward is a risk.
SAINTS
Re-signing Drew Brees never was in doubt. Faithin Taysom Hill as Brees’ backup allowed Teddy Bridgewater to walk. Righted a wrong by bringing back S Malcolm Jenkins ,butatthecostof
Vonn Bell. Found a late-week bargain in WR Emmanuel Sanders.
TITANS
QB Ryan Tannehill’s big extension opened the franchise tag for RB Derrick Henry, who isn’t happy about it. Vic Beasley has untapped pass-rush potential. Losing Conklin hurts. CB Logan Ryan still is available.
JAGUARS
Traded Campbell, Nick Foles and A.J. Bouye to continue stockpiling draft picks. Yannick Ngakoue is next to go. Overpaid Joe Schobert to lead a bad team in 2020, but there is a clear strategy here.
LIONS
Coach and general manager on the hot seat, so they went with what they know: ex-Patriots Duron Harmon,
Jamie Collins and Danny Shelton. Big gamble taken on tackle Halapoulivaati Vaitai.
BENGALS
D.J. Reader next to Geno Atkins inthe trenches? Trouble for running backs. CB Trae Waynes’ contract (three years, $42 million) is questionable.
COWBOYS
Kept Dak Prescott and
Amari Cooper, but there wasn’t enough cap room for Jason Witten, Maliek Collins, Byron Jones, Robert Quinn and Randall Cobb. Evenwith Ha Ha Clinton-Dix and Gerald McCoy, defense took step back.
SEAHAWKS
Grade subject to change if the strategy of waiting out Jadeveon
Clowney’s market and convincing him to return pays off. Also on the defensive line: Bruce Irvin and Jarran Reed in, Jefferson out.
REDSKINS
No typical crazy overpaying yet. Well, maybe a slight one for CB Kendall Fuller. Tagging G Brandon
Scherff was smart. LB Thomas Davis should improve the culture. What to do with disgruntled LT Trent Williams?
PACKERS
Lost two linebackers
(Kyler Fackrell and Martinez) to the Giants, but upgraded pass coverage at the position with Christian Kirksey. Signing LT Rick Wagner to replace Bulaga is a downgrade.
PANTHERS
Very risky move replacing QB Cam Newton (will be traded or cut) with the wild card Bridgewater. Losing defensive starters James Bradberry, Addison, Butler and Eric Reid signals rebuild.
STEELERS
Very little cap space, so they moved slowly, losing Hargrave before a rare trade with Ravens for Chris Wormley and filling big need with TE Eric Ebron.
VIKINGS
Doubling down on mediocre QB Kirk Cousins — extension and trading away the disgruntled Diggs — is a set up for disaster. The entire secondary could be overhauled if tagged Anthony Harris gets traded. First-round pick to replace Diggs is important.
CHIEFS
Tagged DT Chris Jones when an extension couldn’t be reached. Keeping WR Sammy Watkins for now. Fuller is biggest loss. Special teams gunner
Antonio Hamilton andT Mike Remmers are only adds to Super Bowl champs.
BEARS
Filled needs by stretching for TE Jimmy Graham and DE Robert Quinn. Foles is here to light a fire under Mitch Trubisky, but the quarterback salaries throw the salary cap out of whack.
PATRIOTS
If any other team lost four defensive starters and Brady, there would be a sanity check. Bill Belichick had better do his usual damage on the third-tier market.
TEXANS Bill O’Brien got
50 cents on the dollar for trading Hopkins. Randall Cobb still has ability, but can’t fill those shoes. The Texans also lost the rising star Reader.
RAMS
Championship window is closed. Five defensive starters gone, either to retirement or other teams. Adding Leonard Floyd doesn’t atone. Gurley’s release feeds the “don’t paya running back” crowd.