2017 Free Agency Thread

[Everlong]

Thought I'd open this up, with players now starting to get deals.

The first big one: Brandon Marshall and the Giants have agreed to a two-year deal.

Can't wait for the inevitable OBJ/Marshall meltdown!!

[DBSoT]

The Lions have signed (in principle) Ricky Wagner. Top RT in free agency in a down free agent class. He is still a big upgrade over Riley Reiff.

[The Legend]

The Bills have restructured Tyrod Taylor's contract. Thank God. I was terrified that the Browns were going to sign him.

[DBSoT]

Brian Hoyer to the 49ers. I assume he is going there to be the starter while Watson or Trubisky are developing.

[Everlong]

The Bills have restructured Tyrod Taylor's contract. Thank God. I was terrified that the Browns were going to sign him.

I mean, Tyrod would be an upgrade over anything the Browns have.

Never understood why the Bills were so eager to force him out the door. He's not worth top QB money, but he's not getting it, and Buffalo sure as hell wasn't going to get anyone better this year.

[Everlong]

Mike Glennon signing with the Bears, will probably be their starter this year. Glennon showed a bit of promise with Tampa but he's definitely not a long-term solution. Plus, he's getting 14.5 million per year on average... holy fuck, the QB market is ridiculous.

Meanwhile, other tidbits:

-Desean Jackson expected to sign with Tampa. Could be a nice signing for them if he's got any juice left.

-Cowboys expected to release Tony Romo today, and it seems a dead cert he's going to the Broncos.

-Browns signed Kenny Britt to a 4 year, 32.5 mil deal. Seems a bit steep.

-Patriots are trading for Colts TE Dwayne Allen

[The Legend]

The Bills have restructured Tyrod Taylor's contract. Thank God. I was terrified that the Browns were going to sign him.

I mean, Tyrod would be an upgrade over anything the Browns have.

That's a distinction without a difference. Is a QB that can lead you to 4-12 really that much of an upgrade over one that leads you to 2-14. Tyrod Taylor has a history of not being able to get it done at a high enough level to attain real winning. No thanks.

[The Legend]

After sitting on the sidelines and just let all of their free agents leave last year, Cleveland had a significantly better first day of the year by extending young and upcoming guard Joel Bitonio, and signing C JC Tretter, G Kevin Zeitler to help fix a poor offensive line a year ago. Also have signed Kenny Britt and are rumored to have the best offer out to Terrelle Pryor to help the receiving corp. If they find a QB they might actually be able to score some points this season.

[The Legend]

Browns are trading to acquire Brock Osweiler (for a season to take off the Texans hands) and a second round pick. Aren't sending more than a seventh rounder or money back to Houston. Basically buying the second rounder by taking Osweiler off the Texans hands.

[Everlong]

This actually isn't an awful move for the Browns.

They have a TON of cap space to use up, and they can get rid of Osweiler after this year for basically no penalty. If he turns out to be good, great. If not, they buy themselves another year to find someone.

[The Legend]

This actually isn't an awful move for the Browns.

They have a TON of cap space to use up, and they can get rid of Osweiler after this year for basically no penalty. If he turns out to be good, great. If not, they buy themselves another year to find someone.

He probably won't even play this year. The Browns are just stashing him for the Texans and now Cleveland has THREE second round picks in 2018. After having two first and two second round picks this season. Plus most importantly they didn't give up anything to get him. It's actually one of the shadier deals the NFL has seen.

[Everlong]

Yeah, essentially they're paying one year in a year they NEED to spend money to get a great pick next year. Pretty solid deal for each side here.

[Everlong]

From Adam Schefter's facebook:

NFL stunner: Texans trade QB Brock Osweiler AND a 2018 second-round pick to Cleveland for the Browns to take Osweiler’s $16M salary of Houston’s books, per league sources. The move clears out millions in salary-cap space for Houston to intensify efforts to sign former Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo, per sources. To be exact, Houston saves $16 million in cash and $10 million against their cap this season. The Texans also will get the Browns’ fourth-round pick this year in exchange for their own 6th-round pick. So Cleveland gets Osweiler’s contract, a 2018 second-round pick and a 2017 sixth-round pick, and Houston gets Cleveland’s 2017 fourth-round pick, saves $10 million in salary-cap space and $16 million in cash. Cleveland is not committed to keeping Osweiler and is likely to try to trade him, per sources. If so, it would turn into a basketball-like trade in which NBA teams routinely trade contracts to get them off their books; only it rarely, if ever, happens in the NFL. It’s hard to remember in the salary-cap era another team when a team traded a contract to get it off its books. But Houston was so anxious to rid itself of Osweiler and move on to its next quarterbacking chapter that it is giving Cleveland extra picks to take him and his contract. The Browns headed into this free-agent signing period with over $100 million worth of salary-cap space and would struggle to spend it all. Now they can devote some of it to Osweiler’s contract and acquiring extra draft picks from Houston. But this is one of the most, if not the most, creative trade in NFL history.

[Everlong]

Alshon Jeffery to the Eagles on a 1 year, 14 mil deal.

[Messiah]

Yea, one of those trades where both teams got what they wanted. Browns got a good draft pick, Texans clear cap space, and now the Browns can trade Osweiler again for more picks (or a player).

[The Legend]

Rumor has it they'd like to offer to pay most of Osweiler's salary in bonuses in exchange for a third round pick. They'd then use the third and the second they got from Houston as assets that they'd use to trade for Jimmy G. Not sure I'm as high on him as other people are, but he's certainly a better option than a lot of the other QB's they could get (My #1 choice would be get Trubisky some how).

[EmperorWu]

Seahawks make big move to improve their O-Line by signing Luke Joeckel to a one-year, $8 million deal.

[Everlong]

Seahawks make big move to improve their O-Line by signing Luke Joeckel to a one-year, $8 million deal.

Man, remember when he was supposed to be a huge star?

[ShaneOfan]

Never understood why the Bills were so eager to force him out the door. He's not worth top QB money, but he's not getting it, and Buffalo sure as hell wasn't going to get anyone better this year.

The team NEVER said they were cutting him. It was all internet speculation. There was not once any indication from the front office that they did not want him for another year. The closest we ever got was the FO saying the would not comment. And that was when we did not have a Head Coach or Offensive Coordinator, because they didn't know if a HC/OC would ONLY sign a deal if they could cut Tyrod.

The only reason people even thought he may be cut, was because he was benched in week 17 in favor of EJ Manual who was on an expiring rookie contract. A guy we wanted to see if was worth resigning and keeping on. A guy we put in to show he can be a backup. In the last game of the season. In a season where we were already eliminated from the playoffs. It was a move that made sense. But Sportscasters who are paid to speculate and the #BillsMafia decided it was a sign.

[The Legend]

Never understood why the Bills were so eager to force him out the door. He's not worth top QB money, but he's not getting it, and Buffalo sure as hell wasn't going to get anyone better this year.

The team NEVER said they were cutting him. It was all internet speculation. There was not once any indication from the front office that they did not want him for another year. The closest we ever got was the FO saying the would not comment. And that was when we did not have a Head Coach or Offensive Coordinator, because they didn't know if a HC/OC would ONLY sign a deal if they could cut Tyrod.

The only reason people even thought he may be cut, was because he was benched in week 17 in favor of EJ Manual who was on an expiring rookie contract. A guy we wanted to see if was worth resigning and keeping on. A guy we put in to show he can be a backup. In the last game of the season. In a season where we were already eliminated from the playoffs. It was a move that made sense. But Sportscasters who are paid to speculate and the #BillsMafia decided it was a sign.

The Bills probably would have cut Tyrod if he didn't agree to restructure his contract which was the news going into free agency that he was going to make the Bills stick to the contract. The fact that changed is what altered the reality.

Also, no team announces they are going to cut a player before they are ready to do it, it just isn't logical. I stand corrected, the Cowboys did it with Romo, but Jerry Jones isn't logical.