For most sports fans, what their team does in free agency and in the draft is just as intriguing as how they perform on game days during the season.
Fans of the NFL should be bracing themselves for what should be, and has already been, one of the wildest offseasons in recent memory.
The “official” start of free agency is next Wednesday at 4 p.m., but as the Bills have already shown with the signings of cornerback Vontae Davis and running back Chris Ivory, teams around the league don’t have much of an appetite for being patient.
In addition to Buffalo’s two additions, big-name players such as Alex Smith, Marcus Peters and Michael Bennett have each been traded. If you’ve followed the NFL over the past dozen years, then you know that trades — especially those involving franchise players — don’t happen at this rate. So, why all the movement? It appears that the unpredictability of this year’s NFL draft is the main culprit.
The draft, scheduled to take place this year in late-April at the home of the Dallas Cowboys in Arlington, Texas, features a talented crop of quarterbacks that will shape plenty of franchises for years to come.
Signal-callers Sam Darnold, Josh Allen, Josh Rosen, Baker Mayfield and Lamar Jackson are each expected to be taken in the first round, with a decent amount of second-tier quarterbacks available to teams in the mid rounds of the draft.
While plenty of quarterback activity is not uncommon for any draft, there are some wrinkles to the top of this year’s draft order. Five teams in the top 10 (Giants, Colts, Bucs, Bears, 49ers, Raiders) already have quarterbacks on their roster, with teams such as Indy and Oakland having two of the league’s best quarterbacks when healthy at their disposal.
That means all five of those teams will be fielding calls from quarterback-needy franchises that pick later in the draft. It is highly likely that the draft order today will look drastically different by the time the first couple of names are called in the first round. To make things even more interesting, there are generational talents at other positions this year, including Penn State’s Saquon Barkley at running back and NC State’s Bradley Chubb on the defensive line. Any of the 32 teams would love to get their hands on either of those two players, and it will be worth watching to see just how much a team will be willing to give up to move into the top five of the draft’s pecking order.
The uniqueness of this year’s draft also sets in motion what will be an interesting six weeks from the start of free agency to when NFL commissioner Roger Goodell calls the first name at the draft in Texas. The crop of free agent talent, particularly on the offensive side of the ball, will see teams throwing millions at veteran quarterbacks and receivers. Teams like the Bills, who could use a significant upgrade in both of those areas, should at the very least kick the tires on some of the more proven names. Veteran wideouts such as Allen Robinson, Eric Decker and Mike Wallace are all available. Even Sammy Watkins, who had a rocky tenure in Buffalo before being traded to the L.A. Rams, could be destined for a reunion back to Western New York. Watkins, who was finally healthy for the first time in several years in 2017, hauled in just 39 passes for 593 yards and eight touchdowns. And although Watkins had his share of issues in Buffalo, with the way Brandon Beane and Sean McDermott have run the Bills over the last nine months, not much can entirely be ruled out.
To further illustrate the wackiness of this offseason so far, some of the league’s most successful teams have been the most active. Philadelphia, who won the Super Bowl just over a month ago, acquired star defensive end Michael Bennett from the Seahawks on Wednesday to improve what was already one of the league’s best pass rushers. Bennett brings his 54 sacks and game-changing abilities to Philly for just a fifth-round pick and a backup wide receiver.
The Rams, meanwhile, fresh off their first playoff berth since 2004, have so far acquired Peters from Kansas City and have shipped away starting linebacker Alec Ogletree and star defensive lineman Robert Quinn in separate deals.
The Rams are a perfect example of a team not content with just standing pat with their current roster, and instead making moves to not just make the playoffs, but make a serious run in them.
Last offseason, the Eagles signed quarterback Nick Foles in free agency and traded for starting receiver Alshon Jeffery. Philadelphia would not have won February’s Super Bowl without either of those guys, and it is a proper illustration of just how important making the right moves in March and April are for your team in January and February.
The best part about this NFL offseason is that just about everyone around the league, from fans to players to even the general managers and coaches, has no real idea on what trade or signing is going to pass through the wire in the coming weeks.
So, just sit back and let the chaos unfold.
