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2020 NFL Free Agency Recap: Day One

Ryan McDowell Posted On March 17, 2020
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What. A. Day. NFL fans and fantasy football players were anxiously awaiting this day for months and it did not disappoint. The NFL legal tampering period was set to begin at noon on Monday, but the news was rolling in all day long. Like many NFL fans, I was glued to Adam Schefter’s Twitter timeline, just waiting for the next scoop. Let’s look back at all of the news and how it will impact dynasty values across the league.

The first piece of news was a bit of a surprise as the Vikings extended their commitment to starting quarterback Kirk Cousins. This would not be the end of the surprises from Minnesota, but more on that, and how it might impact Cousins, later.

 

The Tennessee Titans worked out a long-term deal with quarterback Ryan Tannehill on Sunday, leaving the Franchise Tag available for their workhorse back Derrick Henry. While Henry lost the freedom to choose his team, dynasty players should be happy about this move. Expect more of the same from Henry and the Titans in 2020. The Titans have already dumped veteran Dion Lewis, so they will be adding another back either through free agency or the NFL Draft.

This news was expected as the Bengals ensure they keep their veteran wideout, placing the Franchise Tag on AJ Green. Even after missing the entire 2019 season, the outlook for Green is positive as the Bengals are widely expected to use their top overall pick on LSU quarterback Joe Burrow.

The Dallas Cowboys were in a tough spot entering the week as they wanted to find a way to keep both Dak Prescott and Amari Cooper, both of whom were set to be unrestricted free agents. The easiest path to do that was to work out a long-term deal with Prescott and use their Franchise Tag on Cooper, but that wasn’t meant to be. Instead, to ensure they didn’t lose their signal-caller, Prescott got the tag, allowing Cooper to hit the open market.

Browns general manager Andrew Berry had already announced the team’s plans for restricted free agent Kareem Hunt, and they made it official at the deadline, placing a second-round tender on the back. The market for Hunt is unclear but this makes it all but certain he will remain with the Browns in 2020. Nick Chubb’s production took a hit once Hunt joined the team following his suspension. A full year of Hunt stealing targets and the occasional carry could push Chubb to the low-end RB1 range in dynasty leagues.

Another surprise move, and a precursor to the day’s top story, came as the Cardinals assigned Kenyan Drake the Transition Tag. This leaves Drake open to negotiate with other teams but makes it much more likely that he remains with Arizona in the end. This also brought about questions surrounding the team’s plans for David Johnson, who lost his starting job to Drake but still carried a massive contract and would surely be hard to move. Weellllllll…..

 

Once the noon hour began, teams were officially able to contact representatives of free agent players and the Browns and tight end Austin Hooper wasted little time in agreeing to a deal that would pay $42 million over four years, making him the highest-paid tight end in league history. The signing is a bit of a shocker for dynasty players still holding out hope for David Njoku to become a consistent fantasy producer. Perhaps this means Njoku is on the trade block, but if not, both players’ dynasty value takes a hit, with Njoku’s being much more severe.

“Wow, the Cardinals actually found a taker for David Johnson. They must be paying a big chunk of that contract.”…

“Oh, that’s surprising! This must be a Brock Osweiler type deal and the Cardinals had to give up a draft pick just to dump Johnson.”

Jaw drops.

There is little left to be said about this deal, which was easily the top story of the day. I wrote a full breakdown here. I’m sorry, Texans fans.

The Falcons wasted little time in replacing Hooper by making a trade for Hayden Hurst, surrendering second and fifth-round picks for Hurst and a fourth-rounder. This is a huge boost for Hurst, who walks right into a starting job on one of the league’s top offenses.

It was a big day for Baker Mayfield and the Browns. In addition to Hooper, Cleveland also signed lineman Jack Conklin and likely retained Hunt. Mayfield also has a new backup in veteran Case Keenum, a very reliable option should anything go wrong with Mayfield.

The Texans and Bill O’Brien took a lot of heat on Monday for poor decisions, but they weren’t alone. The Bears gave veteran tight end Jimmy Graham, who looked totally washed up for division-rival Green Bay last season a $16 million deal. He joins Trey Burton and six other tight ends Chicago currently has rostered. Despite the $9 million guaranteed, I’m not convinced Graham even makes this roster.

Hopkins was not the only superstar receiver to be traded on Monday as the Bills finally found their star wideout, acquiring Minnesota malcontent Stefon Diggs for a collection of draft picks. Buffalo tried to trade for Antonio Brown last year, before the deal fell apart. Diggs joins John Brown in Buffalo and should immediately become the favorite target for quarterback Josh Allen. When it comes to his dynasty value, I view this as a lateral move. It does likely help Adam Thielen, who is left behind in Minnesota, though it certainly hurts the previously discussed Cousins.

The Cowboys couldn’t finalize a long-term deal with either of the superstar free agents prior to the deadline, but they did eventually come to terms with Cooper. Dallas locked up their top pass-catcher for five years and $100 million and he retains his status as a top-ten dynasty wideout. With Prescott, Cooper, Ezekiel Elliott, Michael Gallup and the newly-signed Blake Jarwin set for 2020, this offense looks like a contender.

Other News

Schefter can’t catch them all, but here are other noteworthy bits of news from the day.

Marcus Mariota to Vegas

The Las Vegas Raiders signed quarterback Mariota. The Raiders had been long rumored as a possible landing spot for quarterbacks and had even been pegged as an option for Tom Brady. Who knows if Mariota can follow the same path as his Titans replacement, Ryan Tannehill, but with Derek Carr as his competition, it should not be ruled out.

Falcons Cut Devonta Freeman

As expected, the Atlanta Falcons parted ways with veteran back Freeman. He is likely to find a new team assuming he is willing to be part of a committee, or even take a backup job. The move leaves the Falcons backfield open and makes them among the most desirable landing spots for remaining free agents or incoming rookies.

Randall Cobb to Houston

The blockbuster trade that sent Hopkins out of Houston also left the Texans thin at the receiver position, with Will Fuller and Kenny Stills as the top options. Late Monday, Houston agreed on a three-year deal with former Cowboys wideout Cobb on a three-year, $27 million deal. Cobb was a solid third option in Dallas a year ago, but this is a serious overpay by the Texans.

Jacob Hollister is Tendered

The Seahawks placed a second-round tender on tight end Hollister, all but locking him into another season in Seattle. The move was expected after Hollister’s play down the stretch but with the previous signing of Greg Olsen and the expected return of Will Dissly, the depth chart is suddenly very crowded.

Blake Jarwin Stays in Dallas

As previously mentioned, the Cowboys were able to retain tight end Jarwin, signing a three-year deal paying him over $24 million. Jarwin and veteran Jason Witten were both free agents, with the latter likely done in Dallas with this move.

Best Available Free Agents

Quarterback – Drew Brees, Tom Brady, Philip Rivers, Jameis Winston, Teddy Bridgewater

Running Back – Melvin Gordon, Freeman, Carlos Hyde, Lamar Miller, Jordan Howard

Wide Receiver – Robby Anderson, Emmanuel Sanders, Breshad Perriman, Devin Funchess, Nelson Agholor, Demarcus Robinson

Tight End – Eric Ebron, Tyler Eifert, Witten, Jordan Reed

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