Tag: 2024 free agency

Grading every Patriots’ positional group heading into 2024 offseason

Handing out positional grades for the Patriots ahead of the 2024 offseason

The New England Patriots had a bad season that ultimately led to Bill Belichick losing his job and the team picking 3rd overall in the 2024 NFL draft.

Now that the Super Bowl is over, we can officially turn the page to the offseason. It’s time to look at the Patriots’ roster with a closer eye as an important offseason begins.

We’re going to take a look at each position group and the players currently under contract as of Monday after the Super Bowl. Things will without a doubt change in the coming weeks, but this is a nice way to reset and also recognize the work needing to be done.

6 Cowboys free agents who played the most snaps in 2023

From @ToddBrock24f7: Don’t be so quick to wish these Cowboys out of Dallas; these free agents each played over two-thirds of their respective units’ snaps.

With 16 players set to enter the free agency market in one month’s time, several Cowboys could find themselves wearing new colors soon. As is the case every year, some are fan favorites, some are role players, some may be moving on because of age, some may looking for a bigger paycheck.

But all have made meaningful contributions to the season that just ended. And some may have played a bigger role during the 2023 season than was readily obvious during the heat of battle.

The fanbase is often eager to automatically go out with the old and in with the new, discarding the players who are up for new deals in favor of fresh bodies who will almost assuredly be the key to things being different next year… right???

Be careful. This year’s impending free-agent crop represents a lot of football talent whose production may not necessarily be as easy to replace as simply plugging a new man into the lineup.

Six Cowboys free agents played over two-thirds of the snaps for their respective units in 2023. And while Cowboys Nation may be conflicted as to how they feel about some of them, a departure by any of them would leave a definite hole for the team to fill.

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Ranking the top-10 free agent WRs for the Cowboys in 2024

The Cowboys may want to move on from Michael Gallup and bring in a veteran to fill the void, so here are the top-10 WR fits in free agency. | From @ReidDHanson

At face value the Cowboys may not appear to be a team in the market for WR talent. CeeDee Lamb led the NFL in receptions in 2023 and has become the workhorse WR through which this offense runs. Behind him is veteran speedster, Brandin Cooks, long-time Cowboy Michael Gallup, and ascending third-round pick, Jalen Tolbert. Factor in the presence of Jake Ferguson at TE, and there are a lot of mouths to feed in this Dallas passing offense.

But things will likely change in 2024. After posting just 34 receptions for 418 yards, the Cowboys may decide Gallup isn’t worth the price of admission. They could save $11,500,000 by designating him as a post-June 1 cut, freeing up money and providing new opportunities to new targets.

The Cowboys could employ a “next man up” approach to the situation. Pushing everyone up one peg in the hierarchy and avoiding outside change as much as possible. Or they could look to free agency to fill the predicted hole, adding a new skillset to the offense and aiming for a positive disruption in a tertiary role.

Chances are a WR brought in from free agency will serve a supportive role on offense. Things run best when Lamb is being fed at a high volume and the rest of the targets are divided out amongst the many playmakers across the ranks. Looking at the list of upcoming free agents it’s important to keep the desired role in mind.

The best options for Dallas won’t be the best options for everyone else because the Cowboys are specifically looking for a low-cost option to work behind Lamb and most likely Cooks. With that said, a big swing at WR isn’t preposterous in this “all in” season. Lamb isn’t making elite money quite yet and Cooks is a relative steal at $4,000,000.

Everything will be considered in this exercise.

10 free agent targets for the Bears in Super Bowl LVIII

Here are some pending free agents the Bears could target from Super Bowl LVIII.

The time has come.

We’ve reached Super Bowl LVIII, where the San Francisco 49ers will battle the Kansas City Chiefs for a chance to be world champions.

Which means the NFL offseason is upon us, with free agency just about a month away. There are no shortage of free agents on both Super Bowl squads, including a few that could interest the Chicago Bears this offseason.

Here are some pending free agents for Bears fans to keep an eye on during Super Bowl LVIII:

Saints must make a big move to improve their pass rush

The Saints need help in the tenches, and improving the pass rush is a must. It can be in the draft, free agency or both:

There’s only two teams whose eyes are still on the 2023 season, and the New Orleans Saints aren’t one. With eyes on 2024,NFL.com’s Kevin Patra has a piece of advice for each NFC team that isn’t in the Super Bowl. Patra tells the Saints to add edge rush aid. This was a clear need:

If New Orleans is to finally turn the corner under Allen, though, they must get better defensive production off the edge. Cam Jordan is an all-timer and will be in the Ring of Honor when he hangs ’em up. But the 34-year-old can’t be counted on as a primary every-down source of pressure going into Year 14.

The offensive and defensive trenches are the clearest need for the Saints going into this offseason. The Saints will have to invest in free agency, draft or both. With recent draft picks at defensive end, going for a proven veteran might be the best choice. As Patra pointed out, Jordan is reaching an age where he should not be asked to carry the same workload he did earlier in his career. Specifically, getting faster at the position must be a priority. Whether it’s getting creative in free agency or active on draft day, they must make a move.

Insider believes Bears will target these positions in free agency

With free agency just around the corner, what positions will the Bears target?

The Chicago Bears are in the middle of an important offseason that will define general manager Ryan Poles’ tenure.

Before the 2024 NFL draft kicks into full gear, free agency is on the horizon, where Poles will look to add some veterans to shore up key positions of need to help mold this team into a playoff contender.

Bears insider Brad Biggs singled out three positions that he expects to be on Chicago’s radar during free agency next month: center, defensive end and tight end.

It’s not a great draft class for edge rushers, and the Bears might explore some options on the open market. There are some talented centers in the draft, but the Bears currently don’t own a second-round pick, which might be the sweet spot to get a good one. Maybe Poles could get a second-rounder back if he trades quarterback Justin Fields. Some I’ve spoken to believe the return for Fields might be a third-rounder. Who knows right now?

The Bears have no depth behind Cole Kmet at tight end right now, so they’ll look at options there. I’d also look at safeties if they decide to move on from Jackson. Some really talented wide receivers will be available in free agency, but why not draft one in a strong year at that position?

After acquiring Montez Sweat in a trade with the Washington Commanders last season, Chicago is still seeking a reliable option opposite him. As Biggs noted, this isn’t a strong draft class for edge rushers — unless the Bears use their No. 9 pick — but there are some viable options in free agency, including Brian Burns, Josh Allen, Bryce Huff, Danielle Hunter and Chase Young.

Chicago’s offensive line made strides last season, where young tackles Darnell Wright and Braxton Jones rose to the challenge. Guard Teven Jenkins was the team’s highest-graded offensive lineman, but center remains the weak link. Lucas Patrick, Cody Whitehair and Dan Feeney didn’t cut it, but there should be some veteran options in free agency, including Connor Williams, Nick Allegretti and Andre James.

There’s no doubt Chicago has found its tight end in Cole Kmet, but there are depth concerns behind him. Robert Tonyan didn’t have an impact last season, although Marcedes Lewis thrived as a blocker. There are some intriguing veteran options in free agency, including Noah Fant, Dalton Schultz, Colby Parkinson and Mike Gesicki.

9 Cowboys who could follow Dan Quinn to Washington in next 2 years

It’s common practice for players to follow a coach to a new venue. Which defenders could trail Quinn to the east coast? | From @KDDrummondNFL

One would imagine that a ton of Cowboys defenders enjoyed their time under Dan Quinn’s leadership. His ability to motivate and lead is often cited as his best quality, and that’s for a defensive coordinator who has had three straight top-five defenses in Dallas on top of back-to-back No. 1 defenses in Seattle. In between was a stint as head coach of Atlanta that included a trip to the Super Bowl without having a top defense.

So it stands to reason, with a new franchise QB incoming and a ton of cap space, Washington is going to be an intriguing destination for Quinn’s disciples. Some will be able to join him this year, others will have to wait a year until their contracts expire. Here’s a look at two years worth of Cowboys free agents who could end up following Quinn to the nation’s capital.

 

Cowboys News: Free agent options, fallout from Quinn continues

The defensive coordinator search is on while free agency could involve Dallas this time around. | From @ArmyChiefW3

Finding a replacement for departed defensive coordinator Dan Quinn is well underway. Options vary in terms of scheme and experience levels. The feeling of a free agency spending spree has been cautiously thrown around after a few choice words by Cowboys owner Jerry Jones opens up possibilities not seen around Dallas in quite some time.

The Super Bowl frenzy has descended on Las Vegas and reminiscing about previous winners places a former Cowboys team in elite company. Along with the big game, Pro Bowl festivities have kicked off and a few Cowboys players are participating in a variety of events. Lastly, unfinished business from a top Cowboys official has kept him in Dallas but that may not be the case moving forward. All that and more in this edition of Cowboys news and notes.

 

Estimated value of Jets pending free agents

A look at the estimated values of pending Jets free agents from Over the Cap.

The Jets will soon be entering a very key free-agency period with plenty of their in-house free agents they’ll need to take care of, with edge-rusher Bryce Huff at the top of the list.

The Jets will have to make some moves to add cap space to keep some of these free agents, including restructuring contracts, which they will undoubtedly do in a season in which they are pushing all their chips to the middle of the table.

Here, we’ll take a look at the estimated values of some of the pending free agents for the Jets, including edge Bryce Huff. These aren’t necessarily contract values, just how Over the Cap values the players using their metrics mixed with Pro Football Focus.

30 free agents Cowboys should try to sign in offseason

After over a decade of passivity, will Jerry and Stephen Jones actually be players on the free agent market? If so, here’s a collection of top talent that fits the Cowboys’ roster holes. | From @KDDrummondNFL

The Dallas Cowboys are going all in, allegedly. That’s what owner Jerry Jones said from Mobile Alabama as the team’s brass is attending the week of Senior Bowl workouts. Now, there’s a lot of wiggle room to what that could mean. With the team staring at three cornerstone pieces ripe for new contracts, Jones’ statement doesn’t have to necessarily refer to bringing in outside talent.

Based on his inglorious track record of double talk, Jones could easily clarify his statement after the first wave of free agency by referring to new deals for Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb and Micah Parsons as going all in. But let’s pretend that for the first time in over a decade, Dallas decides to be actual players in that first wave and compete for some of the bigger names to hit the open market.

Who has a chance to hit the open market? Who are some of the fits? Here’s a list of the top free agents of 2024 at the positions where Dallas could use an influx of more talent. This is a Cowboys-curated version of Pro Football Focus’ list of top free agents.