The Official ES 2021 Free Agency Thread / Tracker Fitzpatrick, Curtis Samuel, William Jackson, LB Mayo, C Larsen WR Humphries, CB D. Roberts, KR D. Carter , LT Charles Leno, S Bobby McCain signed

[Skinsinparadise]

4 minutes ago, JamesMadisonSkins said:

 

Will be interesting to see how they go forward. They have their "studs" locked up throughout most of the roster. But here is where drafting is CRITICAL.

 

They should/could/will probably spend a couple of draft picks on OTs this draft and it would be smart to do so. If they can draft well and develop a talent pipeline behind what they have, they can supplement and move forward without missing much of a beat. BUT, big but ... if they miss a couple of drafts and don't nail the early picks, they could be in trouble.

 

The Mahomes contract is backloaded.   His cap hit this year is 24 million and change.    It doesn't get crazy until 2023 and by then the new TV contract kicks in and they should be good.  Andy Reid is usually one step ahead of the curve.  He certainly knows when to time unloading his QBs on us.  I'd gather there is a reason for this (just like his trades with us appeared at the time) that seems mysterious now but won't per se look that weird later.  This is a good draft as we know to reload at tackle. 

Edited March 11, 2021 by Skinsinparadise

[JamesMadisonSkins]

4 minutes ago, mhd24 said:

If we want o-line, we need to take one at 19.  Too many teams need it to pass and try and snag one in the 2nd round.

 

So using Miller's take here, you grab Darrisaw at 19 ... or take one of the lTs in ROund 2 in Hudson, Radunz, Cosmi or Eichenberg. One of them is likely there. I don't know if we go after a RT given Moses likely getting an extension AND the fact that Charles could be a RT long term.

 

Also, Miller doesn't rank Leatherwood in there, which is interesting. I think he's a LT and he had big pedigree before this year. He could be someone there at #51 too.

Edited March 11, 2021 by JamesMadisonSkins

[Riggo#44]

Went a little defensive heavy here, but I think we would have an elite defense if this goes well:

[KDawg]

8 minutes ago, JamesMadisonSkins said:

 

Will be interesting to see how they go forward. They have their "studs" locked up throughout most of the roster. But here is where drafting is CRITICAL.

 

They should/could/will probably spend a couple of draft picks on OTs this draft and it would be smart to do so. If they can draft well and develop a talent pipeline behind what they have, they can supplement and move forward without missing much of a beat. BUT, big but ... if they miss a couple of drafts and don't nail the early picks, they could be in trouble.

We shall see. This is a common thought amongst folks that it’s easy to rebuild around a core... but more often than not it fails. 
 

Reid is smart, so they have that significant advantage. But still... that’s a big contract to have to think about in the coming years even if the hit now isn’t so bad.

[drowland]

 

 

[Tress Is The Way]

23 minutes ago, JamesMadisonSkins said:

 

I'd still prefer Corey Davis or Curtis Samuel to Golladay given price and injury risk. But yeah, that would be a legitimate haul. Is Milano a MLB or OLB though?

 

My preferred off-season path would be:

1. Sign Mariota, Winston or Trubisky to a 1-2 year deal with APY between $8-12m

2. Sign Curtis Samuel ($8m APY)

3. Sign Anthony Walker to MLB for $5-7m APY

4. Sign Tre Boston to FS for $2-3m prove it deal

5. Sign Gerald Everett to TE for $4-5m APY deal

6. Sign Mike Davis for $2-3m APY

7. Sign/Re-Sign a veteran CB for $6-8m APY (Darby or a vet)

8. Sign Veteran DE (Kerry Hyder for $2-4m APY)

 

I think that would be a really well balanced FA cycle. Cut Apke Bostic and Barber to free up an additional $5m ($3m for TOp 51)

 

Draft:

19. WR or OT

51. WR or OT or LB

76. QB or WR or LB

81. QB or WR or CB or LB

 

So something like:

19. Christian Darrisaw, OT Virginia Tech

51. Elijah Moore, WR Ole Miss

76. Kellen Mond, QB Texas A&M

81. Pete Werner, LB Ohio State

 

Or

19. Rashod Bateman, WR Minnesota

51. Dillon Radunz, OT NDSU

76. Kellen Mond, QB Texas A&M

81. Pete Werner, LB OHio State

 

Using the first scenario you'd have on offense:

QB: Winston, Mond, Heinecke

RB: Gibson, McKissic, Davis, Love

WR: McLaurin, Samuel, Moore, Harmon, Sims

TE: Thomas, Everett, Moss

LT: Darrisaw, Lucas

LG: Schweizer, Charles

OC: Roullier, Ismael

RG: Scherff

RT: Moses, Christian

 

Defense:

DE: Young, Sweat, Hyder, Smith-Williams, Late Pick Rookie

DT: Allen, Payne, Ionnidis, Settle

OLB: Holcomb, Werner, , Hudson, Harvey-Clemons

MLB: Anthony Walker

CB: Darby, Fuller, Moreland, Stroman, Johnson, mid to late round Rookie

FS: Boston, Reaves

SS: Curl, Collins

WFT won't let Kerrigan walk imo being the all time team leading sack record holder, I think he will take a lower deal and retire with the team.

Edited March 11, 2021 by ZarG3

[JamesMadisonSkins]

3 minutes ago, KDawg said:

We shall see. This is a common thought amongst folks that it’s easy to rebuild around a core... but more often than not it fails. 
 

Reid is smart, so they have that significant advantage. But still... that’s a big contract to have to think about in the coming years even if the hit now isn’t so bad.

 

They also drafted Lucas Niang last year who I was high on in the draft cycle and apparently they are high on him. I don't know if that's for LT or RT, but presumably they go OT at #31 as well.

[KDawg]

2 minutes ago, JamesMadisonSkins said:

 

They also drafted Lucas Niang last year who I was high on in the draft cycle and apparently they are high on him. I don't know if that's for LT or RT, but presumably they go OT at #31 as well.

Yup. I liked Niang too. Quite a bit actually. However... he isn’t Schwartz or Fisher.

[NickyJ]

2 minutes ago, ZarG3 said:

WFT won't let Kerrigan walk imo being the all time team leading sack record holder, I think he will take a lower deal and retire with the team.

I don't know. I doubt Kerrigan is thrilled to play third fiddle to Young and Sweat. I'd love it if he stayed, but I don't expect it.

[Ball Security]

Not sure if this was posted or not, but Tyrell Williams signed with Detroit.

[Tress Is The Way]

10 minutes ago, Riggo#44 said:

Went a little defensive heavy here, but I think we would have an elite defense if this goes well:

Honestly, no thanks on Kellen Mond. He has a strong arm sure, but his foot work is terrible, very inconsistent accuracy, and throws too much of a flat ball..just reminds me of haskins with a little more speed.. Pass.

[Riggo#44]

5 minutes ago, ZarG3 said:

Honestly, no thanks on Kellen Mond. He has a strong arm sure, but his foot work is terrible, very inconsistent accuracy, and throws too much of a flat ball..just reminds me of haskins with a little more speed.. Pass.

I think his footwork is inconsistent, but fixable. He has talent and is worth it in the 3rd, not the 1st.

[Est.1974]

44 minutes ago, KDawg said:

Go after him, too. Eff it.

 

Also, this is where the Chiefs start falling apart with the Mahomes contract.

These move aren’t driven by the Mahomes contract.

[KDawg]

Just now, UK SKINS FAN 74 said:

These move aren’t driven by the Mahomes contract.

They’re driven by cap space. Therefore... 

 

They wanted the $21M. And future space without them on the books. It was strategic.

[COWBOY-KILLA-]

1 hour ago, UK SKINS FAN 74 said:

Got to love the Saints work. Got 3 or 4 contracts to re-do, Ramczyk, Lattimore, maybe Hill, and they are under the cap. Even managed to tag their own impending top FA. They’ll probably spend in FA too 

 

Hell Fire Ron, let’s get after it in FA please.

 

 

Yep. It was always overblown. So many ways around the cap. This year it’s a bigger deal cuz the cap went down but generally, the cap isn’t as huge a deal people like to make it. Imo.  

Mahomes cap % this year w/ the current cap is 13% not bad at all imo, given his talent. 

[Est.1974]

35 minutes ago, KDawg said:

They’re driven by cap space. Therefore... 

 

They wanted the $21M. And future space without them on the books. It was strategic.

Strategic is slightly different to ‘falling apart due to’...both players injured, one may retire, so fairly logical move. No need to directly correlate those moves to the Mahomes deal.

[FootballZombie]

While the cap isn't some unbeatable beast, lets not pretend the Saints are just skating around it.

 

they have already dropped significant players in Emmanuel Sanders, J Jenkins, Kwon Alexander, Nick Easton, Josh Hill and their Punter... plus however you want to look at Brees

 

They are still 25M over the cap and further restructures and cuts are looming.

 

On top of that, there are several positions that will require them to bring in talent. Unless they plan on playing WInston w/ monopoly money, they are going to have to shave several more Million off the roster. Gotta pay the incoming draft class too, that's another 7-9M.

 

The world of hurt the Saints are in has only just begun. As we stand Saints still need to throw off another $35M minimum, and that is using a micro first year hit cap hit for Winston.

Edited March 11, 2021 by FootballZombie

[KDawg]

1 minute ago, UK SKINS FAN 74 said:

Strategic is slightly different to ‘falling apart due to’...both players injured, one may retire, so fairly logical move. No need to directly correlate those moves to the Mahomes deal.

No need not to.

[Est.1974]

1 minute ago, FootballZombie said:

lets not pretend the Saints are just skating around it.

 

Yeah, agree there is some associated pain. But it still demonstrates what can be done even in what was an extreme salary cap position for them.

[COWBOY-KILLA-]

For sure. But this year is definitely out of the ordinary given the economic state of the country and NFL. It’s a good time to be in a good position financially. However, this all changes once we get back to “normal.”

[Est.1974]

1 hour ago, Skinsinparadise said:

 

The Mahomes contract is backloaded.   His cap hit this year is 24 million and change.    It doesn't get crazy until 2023 and by then the new TV contract kicks in and they should be good.  Andy Reid is usually one step ahead of the curve.

Yep, contract well structured to facilitate continuous roster building/replenishing.

[FootballZombie]

1 minute ago, UK SKINS FAN 74 said:

Yeah, agree there is some associated pain. But it still demonstrates what can be done even in what was an extreme salary cap position for them.

 

If they get through this with a playoff looking roster I'll be impressed.

 

Outside of Brees (Who did them a tremendous solid), all I'm seeing is the "hack off limbs to lose weight" approach. Sure you weigh less, but at significant QoL. Very little in the way of cap wizardry, just taking an knife and trimming away. They have already created 19M in dead cap.

 

 

Just getting Winston to agree to come back would be amazing.

 

eyeballin' Ramczyk, Lattimore and Williams real hard. Everybody can see what is happening. How many players will agree to take less money other than the guy who is probably retiring...

Might have to let those guys straight walk.

 

Still looks like a mess to me. I think a few more quality guys get the axe.

 

I'd put my money on marcus williams, who'd I'd have a fair amount of interest in.

[Est.1974]

5 minutes ago, FootballZombie said:

 

eyeballin' Ramczyk, Lattimore and Williams real hard.

they are apparently looking to extend the first two of those, lock them into LTDs. 
 

I like the ‘hack off limbs to lose weight’ line... as an aside, we have a good 13-14mil buried in dead cap, even without that approach.

Edited March 11, 2021 by UK SKINS FAN 74

[mistertim]

1 hour ago, ZarG3 said:

Honestly, no thanks on Kellen Mond. He has a strong arm sure, but his foot work is terrible, very inconsistent accuracy, and throws too much of a flat ball..just reminds me of haskins with a little more speed.. Pass.

 

Mond's footwork consistency could use some improvement but IMO he's way ahead of where Haskins was. Haskins was just downright sloppy and his footwork was horrid. Mond is much more refined there. In fact, the main dig that Chris Simms (who said he thinks Mond is a top 20 talent in this draft) had on Mond was that he was almost too robotic and mechanical at times and wanted to see him looses up a little and play a bit more backyard style football.

[JamesMadisonSkins]

I am surprised we haven't been rumored or signed Tre Boston yet, but has he actually officially been released?

 

I know Van Noy was announced as a cut last week but he didn't actually get cut until today, officially. So maybe not all of these are official yet (other than the ones announced today that seem official)