Category: 2020 NFL Free Agency

DeAngelo Hall: Texans’ Bradley Roby is No. 2 on best free agent cornerbacks list

NFL Network analyst DeAngelo Hall says that Houston Texans CB Bradley Roby will be the second-best corner on the open market in free agency.

Love him or hate him, but former three-time Pro Bowl cornerback DeAngelo Hall knows the position he played in the NFL for three teams over his 14 seasons.

Hall, who is now an analyst for NFL Network, released his 10 best free agent cornerbacks, and a Houston Texans corner set to hit free agency is second-best on his list.

Roby impressed Hall so much he almost landed the top spot over the Denver Broncos’ Chris Harris.

I was this close to putting Roby at No. 1, but he isn’t as consistent as his former Broncos teammate. Roby bet on himself last season by signing a one-year contract with the Houston Texans, and it paid off for both parties. The 27-year-old cornerback, who I expect will get a long-term deal this offseason, is an asset on the perimeter or in the slot. He’s a versatile corner who can make an immediate impact for the team that signs him.

Roby produced 38 tackles, two tackles for loss, 1.0 sack, two interceptions, one returned for a touchdown, eight pass breakups, and a forced fumble. The problem was Roby, who had missed just one game since the Denver Broncos drafted him in the first round in 2014, missed six with the Texans due to a hamstring injury. This injury, along with a slew of others, led the Texans to trade for former Oakland Raiders 2017 first-round pick Gareon Conley and claim ex-Tampa Bay Buccaneers first-rounder Vernon Hargreaves off waivers.

Houston will have to make big decisions at cornerback in the offseason. Roby was a starter alongside two-time Pro Bowler Johnathan Joseph, who will also hit free agency on March 18. If the Texans let Joseph and Roby go, they will lose their starters from Week 1.

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SI: Giants make sense as a destination for Yannick Ngakoue

Sports Illustrated lists the New York Giants as one of four teams that make sense as a destination for edge rusher Yannick Ngakoue.

Jacksonville Jaguars edge rusher and impending free agent, Yannick Ngakoue, has flirted with the New York Giants a bit this offseason, but it hasn’t exactly been exclusive to the boys in blue.

Still, there’s no denying that the two may be an ideal match.

Ngakoue wants a substantial long-term contract with a team he can impact, while the Giants are in desperate need of a game-changing pass rusher. That’s why we here at Giants Wire have pondered whether or not the team should splurge once free agency officially begins in March.

But we’re not the only ones.

John Shipley of Sports Illustrated recently broke down a list of four teams that make sense as a destination for Ngakoue, and sitting right there at the top were the Giants.

New York Giants

The Giants are in prime position to spend big money on its defensive in free agency. After the Giants’ defense had an abysmal 2019 that led to the team finishing ranked 25th in yards allowed and 30th in points allowed, the Giants need to make investments to all three levels of the unit. New York’s pass-rush was maybe the worst area of an overall poor defense, finishing with only 36 sacks (22nd in NFL). The Giants have the money to pay Ngakoue ($61,887,217 million in projected cap space per OverTheCap), and a 3-4 defensive scheme that would help Ngakoue flourish as a stand-up pass-rusher. From nearly every angle, the Giants fit for Ngakoue if he hits the open market.

The other three teams on Shipley’s list were the Buffalo Bills, Indianapolis Colts and Seattle Seahawks.

What do you think, Giants fans? Would you like to see the team sign Ngakoue or do you have concerns with his ability versus the run?

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4 players the Texans need to re-sign before free agency begins

The Houston Texans have four players with expiring contracts they need to re-sign before free agency begins on March 18.

NFL free agency kicks off on March 18 when the new league year begins at 3:00 p.m. Central Time. However, the legal tampering period for free agency starts on March 16.

Like all 32 NFL teams, the Houston Texans have players set to become unrestricted free agents. Here are four players the Texans need to come to terms with immediately and not allow to hit free agency.

1. cb bradley roby

Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

The former 2014 Denver Broncos first-round pick provided the Texans with 38 tackles, two tackles for loss, 1.0 sack, two interceptions, one returned for a touchdown, eight pass breakups, and a forced fumble. The only downside with Roby’s one year with the Texans was he missed six games due hamstring injuries. The 10 games played were the least of his career, and Roby only missed one game with the Broncos in his entire five seasons with the club. The hamstring injuries were a fluke, and Houston needs to bring him back.

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PFF: None of Giants’ impending free agents are key pieces

Pro Football Focus says none of the New York Giants’ impending free agents, edge rusher Markus Golden included, are considered key pieces.

New York Giants fans should not be too concerned about losing players in free agency as none of the impending free agents on their roster were “key pieces to the team in 2019,” according to Pro Football Focus.

The list of Giants scheduled to hit the market on March 18 (DI Leonard Williams, LB David Mayo, WR Cody Latimer, T Mike Remmers, S Michael Thomas and EDGE Markus Golden) aren’t worth the fan base sweating over losing.

“None of the Giants’ impending free agents were key pieces to the team in 2019. They kind of put themselves in a bad spot with Leonard Williams, as they traded a third-round and fifth-round pick for him midseason and now have to pay a projected price of five years, $75 million with $43 million guaranteed. That’s the ninth largest contract for a non-quarterback this free agency, and he’s not even among the 20 best non-quarterback free agents, as he has failed to crack the top 25 in grade in each of his last three seasons. With a handful of cuts, New York can grow its cap situation and significantly improve its pass-rush and secondary, which ranked 26th and 30th in team grade, respectively. Shaq Barrett had the fourth most pressures last season, but again, they have to be careful not to overpay him.”

The final words of that analysis are key: “be careful not to overpay.” The Giants are expected to have in the excess of $60 million in cap space to pay free agents and many are viewing East Rutherford as a secondary destination.

The losing has tarnished the brand and the general consensus is that the franchise is headed in the wrong direction under general manager Dave Gettleman. But money talks, and players and their agents will remind the Giants of that. Those four Super Bowl trophies in the lobby no longer carry the weight they once did when it comes to swaying players to don the blue.

Unfortunately, they will have to overpay to land some of these big names, just like they had to do with Nate Solder a few years back. Look at how that has worked out.

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Joe Schobert: ‘I’d love’ to stay with Browns but his future is uncertain

Schobert has spoken with Andrew Berry but remains poised to be a free agent

Joe Schobert remains a pending free agent, and the question of whether the Browns linebacker remains a Browns linebacker is difficult to avoid. Schobert himself still doesn’t have a good idea where his future lies, in Cleveland or elsewhere.

Schobert recently discussed his fate and how the new Browns management regime impacts his decision and the team’s view of him. In an interview with Sirius XM NFL Radio, Schobert talked about new GM Andrew Berry and the line of communication between them.

“We’ve communicated since he’s been hired, which kinda had broken down with the previous regime,” Schobert said. “But I guess we still just have to see where it goes, see where it leads and if both sides can reach an agreement then that’d be great.”

Schobert is definitely keen on staying in the brown and orange.

“I’d love that,” he said of staying in Cleveland. “But you never know and, as of now, I haven’t really heard of anything. But like I said, I think there’s another month to go and they’re probably pretty busy over there figuring stuff out for themselves with a whole new staff.”

Schobert is coming off his most impactful statistical season, recording four interceptions and nine total passes defended. He’s consistently performed as one of the best coverage LBs in the league. But Schobert was not deemed a priority by the John Dorsey regime and his contract expires at the end of the league year.

What is the Texans’ plan regarding DT D.J. Reader?

The Houston Texans are on pace to let defensive tackle D.J. Reader hit the open market in free agency. Does the club have any plant to keep him?

Defensive tackle D.J. Reader had a decent contract season for the Houston Texans, producing 52 tackles, six tackles for loss, and 2.5 sacks in 15 games.

The former 2016 fifth-round pick from Clemson did not reach a contract extension during the season with the organization, and he is set to become an unrestricted free agent when the new league year kicks off at 3:00 p.m. Central Time on March 18.

Reader’s impact on the team is not lost. In fact, coach Bill O’Brien, now the full-time general manager, emphasized what the 6-3, 347-pound interior defensive lineman brought to the team.

“D.J. is definitely in that category of smart, tough, and dependable,” O’Brien told reporters on Jan. 13. “He’s been a really good player for us ever since the day he walked in here.”

O’Brien said that what the organization will do with Reader and his representation is try to come to an equitable deal for both parties.

“So, we’re going to sit down with D.J., we’re going to talk and we’re going to try to do what’s best for both sides,” said O’Brien. “We’ll see where that goes.”

Reader made $2 million in his final year of his rookie contract with the Texans. According to Over The Cap, if Reader were to get a contract upwards of $2 million a year, it would land him in the top-10 category for annual money for a 3-4 defensive tackle.

“He’s an awesome guy, a guy that has played a lot of great football for us and that’s it,” O’Brien said.

If the Texans can’t come to an agreement with Reader in time, and they still want him around for the future, they could use the franchise tag. However, GM O’Brien didn’t want to get into specifics on the use of the franchise tag.

“I would just say that anything that’s available to us relative to what we believe would be best for our team, then we’ll talk about it and see if that’s the right thing to do,” said O’Brien.

Reader proved to be best for the defense, nearly making a Pro Bowl in 2019. If the Texans don’t believe he is in their future plans, then they will have another hole to fill in the offseason.

What are the chances the Texans sign Tom Brady?

Tom Brady hitting the open market will be one of the biggest stories of 2020 free agency. What are the chances the Houston Texans sign the QB?

New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady will be an unrestricted free agent when the new league year begins March 18. At the very least, the six-time Super Bowl champion will test the market before making a deal with the Patriots. If not, Brady could be on the move.

Kyle Madson, the managing editor for the Niners Wire, ranked all 32 NFL teams’ chances of signing Brady in a recent piece for the Touchdown Wire.

The only way to expose their offensive line more would be to put a 43-year-old pocket passer behind them. As long as nobody lets Bill O’Brien know Brady is a free agent, Deshaun Watson and the Texans should be fine.

Ultimately, Madson gave the Texans a zero percent chance of signing Brady, which once again speaks to how fortunate Houston is to have Watson. With a franchise quarterback such as the two-time Pro Bowler under center, it helps the personnel and scouting departments allocate more time and resources to addressing other positions rather than looking for the next upgrade at quarterback.

If the Texans didn’t have Watson and were back on the quarterback carousel they were from 2014-16, then there would probably be a good chance O’Brien, Brady’s former offensive coordinator, tries to talk yet another Patriot into relocating to Houston.

Texans 2020 NFL free agency target: Jets WR Robby Anderson

If the Houston Texans want to move on from Will Fuller, they ought to consider New York Jets receiver Robby Anderson as a replacement.

The Houston Texans picked up receiver Will Fuller’s fifth-year option in the 2019 offseason, but they have until March 18 to make a key decision.

March 18 at 3:00 p.m. Central Time is the start of the new league year and free agency. If the Texans keep Fuller on the roster after that point, he is due $10.2 million from his fifth-year option. However, the Texans can cut their former 2016 first-round pick prior to that and not have that figure on their books, not even as dead money.

If the Texans decide to move on from an injury prone Fuller, who has played in 42 games over the possible 64 over his career, they will have to find another speedy receiver who can play that role.

Enter wideout Robby Anderson. The New York Jet is set to become a free agent, and if he does, he has the speed that would compensate for the loss of Fuller. And Anderson’s greatest asset would be put to use in Houston with quarterback Deshaun Watson heaving him deep balls. However, as Ben Linsey from Pro Football Focus points out, Anderson needs to go to a club that has playmakers who can draw attention away from him.

In New York, Anderson has not had the playmakers around him to draw away attention, nor has he had the benefit of the consistent quarterback play that would have made his first four seasons in the NFL a whole lot easier. At the forefront of those roadblocks has been the Jets’ inability to take advantage of Anderson’s greatest asset — his ability to get open down the field.

There is no other place that would fit that description more than Houston. Watson would provide consistency at quarterback, and three-time All-Pro receiver DeAndre Hopkins would certainly draw attention away so Anderson could make plays.

Anderson would also surpass Fuller in another key area: availability. The former undrafted Temple product from 2016 has played in 62 games over the same time frame as Fuller. Anderson is also a big target at 6-3, 190 pounds compared to Fuller’s 6-0, 184 pounds.

One complication could be salary. Anderson reportedly wants $10 million a year. However, he may be in for a rude awakening when he gets on the open market and discovers no team wants to shell out that kind of money for a player who has not produced a 1,000-yard receiving season, regardless of the lack of playmakers or inconsistent quarterback play.

Texans cut former Buccaneers cornerback Vernon Hargreaves

The Houston Texans have released former Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Vernon Hargreaves, saving $10 million on the salary cap.

Cornerback may be a need for the Houston Texans as they begin their offseason.

The AFC South champions released cornerback Vernon Hargreaves on Friday. The former Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2016 first-round pick was waived by his draft club in 2019, and the Texans picked up Hargreaves off waivers for six games with the cornerback starting in two of them.

The move helps the Texans clear an additional $10 million in salary cap space, which should help the club with its impending negotiations to keep defensive tackle D.J. Reader, running back Carlos Hyde, and a bevy of other free agents set to hit the open market when the new league year begins on March 18.

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Texans 2020 NFL free agency target: CB Josh Norman

All-Pro cornerback Josh Norman will hit the free agent market. Should the Houston Texans be interested in his services?

An All-Pro cornerback will be hitting the free agent market when the new league year kicks off on March 18.

According to Fox Sports’ Mike Garafolo, Washington is releasing cornerback Josh Norman effective immediately. In letting the 32-year-old go it gives the former Carolina Panthers 2012 fifth-round pick ample opportunity to find his third NFL team.

Could the Houston Texans be one of his landing spots?

The problem with Norman could be a combination of age and also playing for a dysfunctional NFC East franchise. In 2015, Norman was a disruptive part of a Panthers defense that helped Carolina earn a 15-1 record and represent the NFC in Super Bowl 50. Norman produced 56 tackles, 18 pass breakups, three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, and four interceptions with two of them going back for touchdowns.

In 2016, Norman signed with Washington, and while he didn’t earn a Pro Bowl or an All-Pro, he posted similar numbers with 67 tackles, two forced fumbles, 19 pass breakups, and three interceptions. Playing on a team that finished 8-7-1 doesn’t provide the same visibility as a club that went to the Super Bowl.

However, the former Coastal Carolina product has not produced quality returns for his five-year, $75 million contract. Norman has produced a total of four interceptions and batted away 24 passes over the course of three seasons. Aside from the pass breakup number, those were totals Norman was producing in one season, not over the course of three.

At 32 years old, Norman would be counter to the youth movement that seems to be in play with the Texans’ cornerback group with Gareon Conley, Vernon Hargreaves, and Lonnie Johnson. At that age, the Texans almost might as well re-sign Johnathan Joseph, who will be 36 years old come Opening Day and who has more respect with the locker room than a newcomer like Norman would have.

The Texans should let Norman pass by and let him find his third NFL city somewhere else.