2015 Free Agency Blog

Free agency is in swing and DLF is ready, as always.

This year, we’ll be covering all the free agency moves as they occur via this blog with our real time (or as close as we can get to it ) analysis of each move and how they impact our world of dynasty leagues. This Premium exclusive blog will be updated constantly as free agency unfolds over the next few days. We’ll cover many of the mainstream offensive players in our free content, but this will be the place for complete free agency rundowns. Remember to read from the bottom as the most recent events will be listed at the top.

Here we go!

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March 14, 2015

49ERS SIGN REGGIE BUSH

Reggie Bush left New England yesterday without a contract, but landed on his feet by signing on with the 49ers today. Bush has a declining skill set and has always been best used as a complementary player – that’s just what he’ll be in San Francisco. After losing Frank Gore, Carlos Hyde is firmly entrenched as the starter and the signing of Bush really doesn’t change anything in regards to Hyde’s value. San Francisco was always going to use a passing down back and this just makes it official. Hyde should put up RB1 numbers this season and Bush will be lucky to have RB3 numbers, even in PPR leagues unless he really has a bounce back physically.

VIKINGS RELEASE GREG JENNINGS

Well, it looks like the Vikings may just keep Cordarrelle Patterson after all. A day after acquiring Mike Wallace to pair with Charles Johnson, Minnesota has released veteran wide receiver Greg Jennings. This move clears the way for Wallace and Johnson to start and for Patterson likely to be used as a situational threat. I’d look for Jennings to latch on with a contender like New England or Seattle and give them a decent secondary option.

March 13, 2015

VIKINGS TRADE FOR MIKE WALLACE

Mike Wallace finally has his freedom as he’s been traded from Miami (sunny) to Minnesota (not so much) along with a 7th round pick in exchange for a fifth round pick. The trade itself is all about shedding salary for the Dolphins and it’s a good move after they traded for Kenny Stills earlier today. As for Wallace, going into a Norv Turner vertical offense should be appealing and he will make for a nice tandem to go with the emerging Charles Johnson.  I like the move for Wallace and for Teddy Bridgewater. Wallace should be much better in Minnesota’s offense and Bridgewater now has two legitimate weapons at receiver. However, you can’t help but wonder what this means for Cordarrelle Patterson. With Greg Jennings, Wallace and Johnson all in the mix, it’s hard to see a role for him – he could very well be on the outs now.

STEELERS ADD DEANGELO WILLIAMS

If you’re in a league where someone thinks this signing has any type of effect on Le’Veon Bell’s value, I’d jump on that right away. To me, this just means Williams will be his primary handcuff and also that Ben Tate likely won’t be back. As for Williams, he’s going to clog a lot of rosters out there if people decide to keep him. I just don’t see him having much value outside of a Bell owner without a good stable of running backs on their roster.

BILLS TO POSSIBLY ADD PERCY HARVIN

I’ll give this to Rex Ryan – he’s a good salesman. Percy Harvin has agreed to terms with the Bills for one year and now joins Sammy Watkins and LeSean McCoy on an offense that has an abundance of athleticism, but no real option at quarterback. For Harvin, this doesn’t really change much in terms of his value. He was once considered a high-end dynasty asset, but his injury history and carousel of teams has sapped most of his appeal at this point. If the Bills really go into the season with Matt Cassel, EJ Manuel and Tyrod Taylor at the helm, it’s hard to see much value for Harvin – especially with the “ground and pound” mentality of Ryan. I really wouldn’t want to hang my hat on anyone in that offense not named Watkins or McCoy at this point.

UPDATE: Harvin has not signed his deal (sound familiar?) and may be considering the 49ers now. This week has been nuts!

SAINTS SIGN CJ SPILLER

Spiller has finally made it official and signed with New Orleans. The Saints look to be transitioning into more of a run-first team as they continue to ship away promising targets for Drew Brees and re-tool their running back situation. At first blush, you’d think this news would be bad for Mark Ingram, but I really don’t think it is. Ingram is a two-down back anyway and Spiller will be used with Khiry Robinson in passing situations and to give him a break here and there. Spiller’s value could be good in this offense if he can stay healthy, catch a bunch of passes and contribute on special teams. It’s just the same story with him every year and we continue to be disappointed. Still, the home field fast track in New Orleans does suit his skill set. It’s an exciting addition for the Saints after a bunch of not-so-exciting subtractions.

KENNY STILLS TRADED TO MIAMI

Reports are swirling this morning that Kenny Stills is on his way to Miami in exchange for LB Dannell Ellerbe and a 2015 third-round pick. It’s a puzzling move for the Saints as Stills was making a modest salary and Ellerbe, well, wasn’t. He’ll be restructured, but the Dolphins have to be thrilled to get Stills for a third round pick since they were likely cutting Ellerbe anyway. This makes the future of Mike Wallace very cloudy in Miami as Stills can do many of the things Wallace can (or tried to do). Stills will get a chance to start most likely, but will also miss the arm of Drew Brees. The Saints also are likely now in the market for receivers as they’re left with just Marques Colston, Brandin Cooks and Nick Toon.

DARREN MCFADDEN JOINS THE COWBOYS

Before you get too excited, consider McFadden’s contract only paid him $200,00 guaranteed and the Cowboys do not see him as the sole option to replace the recently departed DeMarco Murray. McFadden can earn up to around $6 million in this deal, but he’s going to need to prove he has some juice left to make the team, no less take a bunch of carries. The Cowboys are rumored to be interested in Stevan Ridley as well and they could make for a decent pair. Jerry does love his Arkansas players, that’s for sure.

March 12, 2015

JORDAN CAMERON SIGNS WITH MIAMI

The Dolphins are still in the mix for Charles Clay, but they’ve protected themselves with the signing of Cameron. There’s no doubt the Dolphins could use someone to catch some intermediate passes (ask Mike Wallace), so Cameron fits a need. However, I look at Cameron and can’t help but think he’s one concussion away from having his career ended. His value can’t be determined until we see where Clay ends up. If he walks and if (big if) Cameron could stay healthy, he could put up TE1 numbers in Miami, just as he did in Cleveland.

COLTS CUT TRENT RICHARDSON

The Colts have finally admitted defeat and cut ties with Trent Richardson. T-Rich was simply awful for Indianapolis and is one of the biggest busts in recent draft memory. The fact of the matter is Richardson has been ineffective and overweight for most of his career. He could latch on somewhere else, but he’s running out of chances.

RAVENS RE-SIGN JUSTIN FORSETT

I’m always leery of placing too much stock in running backs who have breakouts towards the end of their careers, but Forsett was fantastic last season and has found his way back to the Ravens on a three-year, $9 million deal. The money isn’t outlandish, indicating Baltimore isn’t exactly going “all in” on Forsett repeating his 1,200+ yard season, but there were few places he could have landed that would have been better. My guess is he’ll rush for fewer yards in Marc Trestman’s offense and share the load with another back, but he should be able to catch a ton of passes. If you’re a contender, he’s a hold, but I’d be selling quickly if he’s on my rebuilding team. I’d expect Baltimore to add another back in the draft.

CHIEFS CUT DWAYNE BOWE

After signing Jeremy Maclin to a huge deal to be their receiver who doesn’t catch touchdowns, there was simply no reason for the Chiefs to carry Bowe at his current deal. He’ll clear waivers and already has some rumored suitors, including the Browns. Regardless, he has a long way to go to reclaim any type of tangible dynasty value.

EAGLES SIGN DEMARCO MURRAY

PATRIOTS RE-SIGN DANNY AMENDOLA

Hmm. It seems like the Patriots still have faith in Amendola, despite his injury history after signing him to a three-year, $12.75 million contract. He played better down the stretch, but I’d be pretty wary of counting on him too much moving forward.

BILLS SIGN TYROD TAYLOR

Looking for a late round flyer in a rookie or free agent draft?  I’ve always wanted to see Taylor get a shot and when the players ahead of you on a depth chart are Matt Cassel and EJ Manuel, you just might get it.  Deep sleeper alert!

March 11, 2015

BEARS SIGN EDDIE ROYAL

Royal should man the slot for the Bears and could actually carve out a decent season. If the Bears don’t sign anyone else of note, it’s also a good indication they like Marquess Wilson enough to make him the new starter opposite Alshon Jeffery.

COLTS SIGN ANDRE JOHNSON

The Colts may not be able to stop some teams from scoring, but they’re more than ready for any type of shootout by now adding Andre Johnson after signing Frank Gore earlier this week. Johnson should give Andrew Luck a very reliable receiver opposite TY Hilton.  Johnson isn’t in his prime any longer, but he’s also no Hakeem Nicks. While he’s going to need to share a ton of targets, Luck is one a select few quarterbacks who can help sustain value for a high number of threats. I’d expect Johnson to put up WR2/3 numbers next season, with a chance for a bit of a bounce back. Meanwhile, Donte Moncrief owners are likely frustrated as he’ll slide into the WR3 role for the Colts.

EAGLES AGREE WITH RYAN MATHEWS

The running back circus in Philadelphia hasn’t stopped as they’ve agreed to terms with Ryan Mathews. However, with DeMarco Murray still considering joining the Eagles (with the sole intent of punishing Dallas), this story is far from over. For more Mathews, click here.

JETS TRADE FOR RYAN FITZPATRICK

The Jets made a deal with the Texans to acquire Ryan Fitzpatrick and his man-beard in exchange for a late round pick. With Brian Hoyer and Ryan Mallett both agreeing to terms with Houston, it was obvious Fitzpatrick needed to go. The Jets needed to find someone to give them another option outside of Geno Smith and Fitzpatrick fits the mold. While he’s incredibly streaky and prone to major hot and cold streaks, he should give the Jets a chance to compete in games if Smith falls flat again in the preseason. In fact, I’d expect Fitz to be the opening day starter, barring anything else unforeseen happening in free agency.

March 10, 2015

HELU OAKLAND!

Roy Help agreed to a deal with Oakland to form a committee with Latavius Murray, though the Raiders are also still thought to be in the mix for DeMarco Murray.  We’ll just have to see what transpires in the next few days, but Helu should get a shot to contribute some decent numbers considering the Raiders will likely trail in a lot of games, using him to secure dump offs.

BRADFORD TRADED FOR FOLES

The St. Louis Rams acquired Nick Foles, a 2015 fourth-round pick, and a 2016 second-round pick from the Eagles in exchange for Sam Bradford and a 2015 fifth-round pick.

Wow.

I’m not the biggest Nick Foles fan in the world, but that seems like quite the aggressive play by the Eagles. Bradford oozes potential, but he also has, well, knees that seem to ooze on occasion, too. Foles should be given the reigns to a decent offense and could put up decent QB2 numbers next season, though I still believe he’s not a great player. As for Bradford, it’s the same theme as it is every year – if he can stay healthy, he could put up monster numbers.  Meanwhile, the Chip Kelly regime has now rid themselves of DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin, LeSean McCoy AND Nick Foles in short order. If this doesn’t work, the Eagles are going to have years of rebuilding to do.

GIANTS SIGN SHANE VEREEN

Many Vereen owners were hoping he’d end up in a spot with few players around him on the depth chart. Unfortunately, he is going to New York and will have to share touches with Andre Williams and Rashad Jennings. Vereen has the looks of a part-time passing back player (sounds familiar), but this time with Eli Manning instead of Tom Brady. Buzzkill.

FRANK GORE REVERSES COURSE AND SIGNS WITH INDY

It was never meant to be with the Eagles, so Frank Gore decided to join up with Andrew Luck and the Colts. The short-term fit is fantastic as Gore will become the lead horse on a team that wants to run the football, at least enough to keep a defense honest. His arrival should finally spell the end of the road for Trent Richardson and obviously isn’t good for Dan Herron. Gore should be a good RB2 next season with potential for more if he can continue to stay healthy and fresh despite his advancing age.

TE OWEN DANIELS INKS IN DENVER

In a less shocking announcment, ex-Kubiak TE Owen Daniels has signed a three year deal to be the go-to tight end for Peyton Manning.  Fresh of a somewhat pedestrian 2014 campaign as a Raven, Daniels will likely be a hot commodity as Manning’s new toy.  Tight end Virgil Green, who saw a value spike after the departure of Julius Thomas to the Jaguars now returns back to his previous pre-trade value and, as a free agent, still may sign elsewhere.

QB JAKE LOCKER TO RETIRE

In what has been one of the most noteworthy free-agent periods in recent memory, Tennessee Titan quarterback Jack Locker has announced that he is retiring.  Still only 26 years of age, he’s hanging up the cleats.  Locker was never able to show the same dynamic in the NFL as he did for the Huskies nor could he improve upon his poor completion percentage.  With Zach Mettenberger currently tabbed as the starter in 2016 and Locker continuing to pile up injuries, the news isn’t terribly shocking.

SEAHAWKS LAND TE JIMMY GRAHAM FROM SAINTS

Super stud Jimmy Graham has been traded to the Seattle Seahawks.  The Hawks will send center Max Unger and a first round selection in 2015 to the Saints in return for Graham and a fourth round selection in 2015.  The deal comes as a complete surprise but addresses Seattle’s need for a durable and reliable tight end.  Drew Brees can’t be happy with the deal but he can expect new weapons from the upcoming NFL draft.

JAGS TO SIGN JULIUS THOMAS
Orange Julius looks to now be Teal Julius as he reportedly has a monster deal in place to be the new starting tight end for the Jaguars. This would be great news for Blake Bortles, who needs all the help he can get, but the numbers for Thomas are inevitably going to slip. Just think about this – he had 12 receiving touchdowns last year for the Broncos, meanwhile the Jaguars threw a total of 15 passing touchdowns. Thomas was closing in on being and elite TE1, but he’s going to move down into the logjam of second tier players at the position if the deal goes through.

March 8, 2015

CHIEFS TO SIGN JEREMY MACLIN
The Eagles were hoping to re-sign Maclin, but it sounds as if he’s on his way to possibly reunite with his former Head Coach Andy Reid, though nothing can be official until Tuesday. It’s a neat story in reality, but a horrible one in fantasy. The Chiefs threw as many touchdowns to wide receivers as we did last year and Maclin’s numbers are surely going to suffer playing with pop-gun armed Alex Smith. He’ll remain a top option, but Travis Kelce is likely going to get the red zone looks and the offense will still run through Jamaal Charles. Meanwhile, it may just be Jordan Matthews’ time to shine in Philly!

49ers TO SIGN TORREY SMITH
We figured the 49ers would be looking to upgrade their wide receiver corps and this move (this is also not official) would make it unlikely they bring back Michael Crabtree. Meanwhile, they’d be collecting former Ravens as Smith would line up across former teammate Anquan Boldin. This looks to be the first move of many at the position for both teams, so we’ll just have to wait and see. The Ravens are in need of rebuilding their corps of receivers sooner rather than later.

EAGLES RE-SIGN MARK SANCHEZ
To me, it looks like the Eagles are going to gobble up as many free agents as they can (Sanchez, Gore, Byron Maxwell, etc.) and position themselves to make a run at Marcus Mariota with a trade of draft picks and possibly Nick Foles. I could be wrong, but they surely seem to have a plan and a checkbook ready.

EAGLES TO SIGN FRANK GORE
It’s not quite official, but it looks as if the Eagles are going to give Frank Gore a three-year deal with $7.5 million guaranteed. This is great short-term landing spot for Gore and he could be considered a really prime low-cost target for competing dynasty leagues looking to round out their roster. Meanwhile, the value of Chris Polk is unsurprisingly back where it was before Shady McCoy was traded. The biggest winner of this deal?  Yep. It’s Carlos Hyde, who looks to be the new full-time back in San Francisco – he should put up RB1 numbers this season if he stays healthy.

March 7, 2015

PACKERS RE-SIGN RANDALL COBB
One of the biggest players on the market never really made it into the market as Cobb decided to take Green Bay’s four-year, $40 million offer and remain a Packer. While he likely could have received a little more in Oakland, the allure of playing with Aaron Rodgers was likely too much to give up. Meanwhile, this is going to put a serious cap on the potential of Davante Adams, who is locked into the WR3 spot in Green Bay behind Cobb and Jordy Nelson for the foreseeable future. Meanwhile, Cobb should continue his breakout and put up great numbers for the next few years.

SAINTS RE-SIGN MARK INGRAM
Owners of Ingram were likely hoping he’d land in Philadelphia, Dallas or Indianapolis, but this isn’t bad, either. Ingram may never be the elite running back many thought he would be when he came out of Alabama (boy, that sounds familiar), but he had himself a nice breakout season last year. Let’s see if he can build on it as he’ll likely be the leader in a committee with Travaris Cadet and Khiry Robinson.

March 6, 2015

SEAHAWKS BRING BACK BEAST MODE
If you couldn’t find Skittles in your local grocery store, you may have missed the news that Seattle is bringing back Marshawn Lynch. While he signed a three-year deal, it’s obvious he’s taking this year-to-year. This puts another pin in the balloons of Christine Michael and Robert Turbin, who will go back to complementary roles as the Hawks ride Lynch into the sunset or the ground, whichever comes first.

BOLTS SIGN JACOBY JONES
Unless in a return league with very odd scoring, this signing isn’t very relevant in dynasty leagues. Jones will help on special teams, but he shouldn’t carve out much of an offensive role unless injuries strike.

JETS ACQUIRE BRANDON MARSHALL FROM THE BEARS
For full analysis on this big trade, click here.

March 5, 2015

49ers SIGN JEROME SIMPSON
Before you start going crazy and grabbing Simpson off your waiver wire, please consider it’s likely he doesn’t even make the team.

MJD CALLS IT A CAREER
One of fantasy football’s all-time greats, Maurice Jones-Drew announced his retirement. MJD had a spectacular career in Jacksonville, but simply ran out of gas and looked like a shell of his former self in Oakland last season. Regardless of how it ended, MJD will go down as a FFHOFer.

March 4, 2015

VIKINGS TRADE MATT CASSEL TO THE BILLS
After missing out on Josh McCown (is that really missing out), the Bills instead acquired Matt Cassel to back up EJ Manuel. It’s actually good news for you if you’ve been holding out hope Manuel can pull it together. Cassel has shown next to nothing consistently after that great year in New England.

SAINTS CUT VETERAN PIERRE THOMAS
Thomas is getting to the end of the road in his career, but this was good news for owners of Travaris Cadet, who should now see the bulk of the passing game work out of the backfield.

March 3, 2015

EAGLES TRADE LESEAN MCCOY TO THE BILLS
For complete analysis on the big trade sending McCoy to Buffalo, click here.

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Ken Kelly

Co-Founder at DynastyLeagueFootball

Ken is a corporate trainer by day an a tireless editor of dynasty content by night. His passion for the World Champion Seattle Seahawks is second only to his love of fantasy football and the dynasty format.

Ken is on Twitter at DLF_KenK

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