The NFL draft is scheduled to proceed as a scheduled and the Eagles have a little less than a month to add more talent via free agency.
With a ton of talent still on the open market, here are 10 players that the Eagles could look to add via free agency.
*** Jan 13, 2018; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Atlanta Falcons running back Devonta Freeman (24) is tackled by Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Fletcher Cox (91) during the first quarter in the NFC Divisional playoff game at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: James Lang-USA TODAY Sports
1. Devonta Freeman, RB,
The Falcons released Freeman to free up cap space and after a season in which he had 1,066 yards from scrimmage but averaged just 3.6 yards per carry, Freeman could be the perfect complimentary piece to Miles Sanders in a backup role.
The history of players selected with the No. 97 pick in the NFL draft is not successful and Browns GM Andrew Berry should look to trade it
The good news: The Cleveland Browns picked up an extra third-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. That’s the bounty in return from the Houston Texans for running back Duke Johnson.
The bad news: The history of the acquired draft slot, No. 97 overall, is littered with bad decisions and players who couldn’t play in the NFL.
It’s not all players taken at No. 97, to be fair. A select few of them have turned out to be good NFL players.
Lamar Miller (2012 – Miami) topped 1,000 yards rushing twice in four seasons with the Dolphins and three with the Texans. He was also one of the best pass-catching RBs of the last decade. Miller earned a Pro Bowl nod in 2018 but missed 2019 with a torn ACL.
Ray McDonald (2007 – San Francisco) played eight seasons and was a full-time starter at defensive tackle for the 49ers in their impressive run from 2010-2013.
Domonique Foxworth (2005 – Denver) was a good starting defensive back on several playoff teams in his career.
Anthony Henry (2001 – Cleveland) led the NFL in INTs as a rookie and was a starter at CB for most of his nine seasons, four of those with the Browns.
John Welbourn (1999 – Philadelphia) started at guard for the Eagles for four solid years, then moved to Kansas City and was an adequate starter when healthy for another four seasons.
In the last 20 years, those are the cream of the No. 97 crop. Notice none of those are recent picks, either.
The last 10 players taken at 97:
2019: Bobby Evans, OT to the Rams. Too soon.
2018: Mason Cole, OC to the Cardinals. Overmatched as a rookie starter, now demoted to backup.
2017: Cordrea Tankersley, CB to the Dolphins. Performed okay as a rookie but played in just six games the last two seasons after a devastating knee injury.
2016: Rees Odhiambo, OT to the Seahawks. Out of the NFL after both the Seahawks and Cardinals gave up on him quickly.
2015: Geneo Grissom, LB to the Patriots. Logged 14 career tackles in three seasons and is now out of the NFL.
2014: Dri Archer, RB to the Steelers. The tiny Kent State speedster was out of the league after two seasons of sparsely playing in Pittsburgh.
2013: Zaviar Gooden, LB to the Titans. Started two games in three seasons before three NFL teams cut him in less than a year.
2012: Lamar Miller, see above
2011: Sione Fua, DT to the Panthers. Started 11 games as a rookie but barely played over three more seasons, the final of which was with the 2014 Browns. Bet you didn’t remember him…
2010: Rennie Curran, LB to the Titans. The flyweight LB had seven tackles in nine games as a rookie and never made another NFL roster.
If Browns GM Andrew Berry can salvage a player who lasts beyond 2021 in Cleveland with the pick, he’s done well for the recent value at No. 97 overall. It behooves him to package the allure of a third-round pick, a coveted (by some) compensatory pick no less, to move up and select from a higher spot.
NFL free agency will drastically help reshape the fantasy football landscape as the new league year begins.
(Robert Deutsch, USA TODAY Sports)
Now that NFL free agency is upon us, here is where we’ll run through the fantasy football outlooks for trades, re-signings, midrange players and tag recipients.
This analysis will be updated as players sign/re-sign in free agency, so be sure to check back regularly.
QB Ryan Tannehill, Tennessee Titans: A four-year, $118 million extension was signed on the eve of the tampering window, securing Tannehill’s role as the starting quarterback for the near future. He developed a rapport with 2019 rookie wideout A.J. Brown and has one of the best running games to keep defenses honest, provided Derrick Henry indeed signs his franchise tender and doesn’t pull a Le’Veon Bell. Tannehill is among the more intriguing back fantasy picks and will be chosen as a rotational starter by gamers willing to wait on the position.
QB Kirk Cousins, Minnesota Vikings: There’s not a lot to say here since he wasn’t facing free agency, and Cousins’ 2020 situation doesn’t change by getting this extension (two years, $66 million). Keep tabs on Stefon Diggs possibly getting dealt, though. Cousins, for now, remains a top-tier backup with matchup utility, especially when it appears the Vikes may struggle to run the ball.
Franchise/TRANSITION tagged
QB Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys: Prescott will not be able to negotiate with any team but the Cowboys, and the goal is to work out a long-term deal. The offensive system will remain the same as in 2019 with Kellen Moore coming back as the playcaller under new head coach Mike McCarthy. Dak is a top-five fantasy quarterback if Amari Cooper returns.
RB Derrick Henry: Tennessee Titans: Unless Henry refuses to sign his tender and holds out most or all of the year, he will be the bell cow once again in Tennessee. There remains a chance he signs a long-term contract before things could get ugly. All things equal, short of losing his right tackle, life appears to be business as usual. RB1 all day long.
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WR A.J. Green, Cincinnati Bengals: A rookie quarterback as Cincy’s 2020 starter is all but etched into stone, which is a likely detriment for Green. However, he remains the most gifted wideout in an offense that won’t be scared to throw it when needed, so he has that working for him. Expect WR2 stats as a ceiling, and the combo of age and injuries are conspiring against Green.
TE Hunter Henry, Los Angeles Chargers: This one isn’t as cut and dried as some of the above inclusions, because we don’t know LA’s quarterback for Week 1 yet. Some signs say Tom Brady, others suggest a rookie or even Tyrod Taylor as a stopgap. On talent alone, Henry is a midrange No. 1 in fantasy, but other factors, like an undeniable injury risk and this being the first full year of playcalling responsibility for Shane Steichen, should give owners pause.
RB Kenyan Drake, Arizona Cardinals: No more David Johnson, or his punitive salary, could lead to this transition tag be little more than formality before a long-term deal is reached. Drake exploded in this system late last year, and now the addition of WR DeAndre Hopkins has to get the juices flowing. Drake is risky, and now the Air Raid system may be fully deployed, which could force the former Miami Dolphin to be overly reliant on efficiency. Those concerns aside, don’t go overboard on draft day for a player whose career has largely been a disappointment, even if not entirely his fault. Give him the old RB2 treatment in all single-year formats.
Arizona has a lot of interesting decisions to make in free agency – one of which is what happens if they can’t re-sign Kenyan Drake?
With free agency less than two months away now, Arizona Cardinals fan are eagerly anticipating what the team will do to shore up the team for the second year of Kyler Murray.
One of the positions that is most in flux at the moment is the running back (as discussed here). With the unknown of what will happen with David Johnson and Kenyan Drake, here are five options for Arizona in 2020, starting with the most obvious:
Kenyan Drake
Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports
The obvious choice, should they find a way to deal away David Johnson and should he not cost an excessive amount of money, would be Drake. 643 yards rushing and 171 receiving in eight games would be tricky to replace, but not impossible should someone outbid the Cardinals. If that is the case, they could look to four other names.
Running back Carlos Hyde will be a free agent in the offseason, but he would rather stay with the Houston Texans.
Running back Carlos Hyde, who is slated to be a free agent in the offseason, says that he wants to remain with the Houston Texans.
The former 2014 San Francisco 49ers second-round pick came to the Texans as part of a trade with the Kansas City Chiefs on Aug. 31. In his 16 games with the Texans, Hyde produced 1,070 yards and six touchdowns on 245 carries, his first season of his career going past the 1,000-yard mark.
“I definitely want to be back here,” Hyde said after the Texans’ 51-31 loss to the Chiefs in the AFC divisional on Sunday. “I don’t want to go to another team and start all over again. I felt like Houston was home. I think I handled my part. I’ve just to let things play out in the offseason and see what happens.”
Hyde will turn 30 years old on Sept. 20. The Texans will keep Hyde in their evaluations for the running back stable for the 2020 season. Hyde replaced Lamar Miller as the feature back, who tore his ACL in the third preseason game. Miller is also on an expiring deal and will turn 29 on April 25.
