Five Dynasty Losers in Free Agency
As I previously took a look at five dynasty winners in free agency, we’re going to do the exact opposite here with a look at five losers. Keep in mind that this list doesn’t say to avoid drafting any of the five players/defenses mentioned, but just to keep in mind that they may experience some regression going into the 2020 season.
Some of these “sacrifices” make sense for certain teams as a part of keeping their core of star players intact, some make absolutely no sense whatsoever and are a bloodstain to the mind. As noted before, approach these players with a little more caution, and note that this isn’t exactly ripping on them as players.
With all of this said, let’s look at who I consider to be five dynasty losers in free agency.
Deshaun Watson without DeAndre Hopkins
Let’s get the obvious one out of the way first. Bill O’Brien should be ashamed of himself not just for trading away a generational talent at the wide receiver position, but for trading away a generational talent at wide receiver for virtually nothing. Receiving a washed-up David Johnson and a second-round pick means nothing when you trade a top-five player at his position away while also giving the team you traded him to a fourth-round pick just to have him.
Do not get me wrong here; I still think that Deshaun Watson will be a great asset to your dynasty team, and how could he not be? He’s a terrific scrambler and a great passer, and his receiving corps, while worse, still includes Kenny Stills, Will Fuller (if healthy), Keke Coutee, and new teammate Randall Cobb. The problem is that none of these receivers are the same caliber of quality as Hopkins was, and with an offensive line that still has issues and a coach/GM as incompetent as O’Brien, it will likely be tougher for Watson to put up high-end production in 2020.
This is exactly why O’Brien should’ve been fired in my opinion, right after the Texans blew a 24-0 lead to the Chiefs. Because of him, the team has been forced to settle for a combination of mediocrity to being just above average. With an actual coach, this team could be in the Conference title game if not the Super Bowl. Alas, Watson and company suffer from his presence.
49ers Defense Without DeForest Buckner
I was already expecting a slight decline from the 49ers defense in 2020. After all, it’s rare that sensational defenses stay sensational in consecutive seasons, even with the excellent one the group had last season. But by trading defensive tackle and All-Pro standout DeForest Buckner to the Colts for a first-round pick, that leaves more of a void in the team’s defensive interior.
Right now the interior depth includes DJ Jones and Solomon Thomas. There’s still a good amount of talent on the line in Nick Bosa, the newly extended Arik Armstead, and Dee Ford, but losing Buckner could trigger a loss in production even if I still expect very good results from the defense on the field and in dynasty.
Some have speculated that the 49ers used the Buckner trade to get the first-round pick because it’ll afford them the option to draft a receiver there. That in addition to the extension of Armstead makes the Buckner trade understandable. Nevertheless, it could be a little costly for San Francisco’s defense.
Kirk Cousins Without Stefon Diggs
Yeah, you could say that this one was also obvious. I do expect the Vikings to make a move during the draft to fill in the void Diggs left after getting sent out to Buffalo, but I doubt that player will have the same immediate impact Diggs did in Minnesota.
Of course, quarterback Cousins may be the one who ends up suffering. Now to be fair, he’ll have offensive mastermind Gary Kubiak calling the shots at offensive coordinator, the excellent duo of Dalvin Cook and Alexander Mattison in the backfield, a healthy Adam Thielen, and the tight end duo of Kyle Rudolph and Irv Smith Jr., but losing Diggs means losing the versatile, all-around threat who really helped expand your offensive potential in the first place.
Kirk Cousins has been one of the more useful dynasty options in recent seasons, though this also came with a few really good receiving casts as well. Who knows what he can do without Diggs and with a (potential) rookie wideout at his disposal.
Eagles Defense Without Malcolm Jenkins
With Jenkins returning to New Orleans (where he earned the first of his two Super Bowl rings), the Eagles lose a significant starter at the safety position. This is already troubling when you consider they still need to improve the corner position. Darius Slay is still out there begging to be traded from the Lions, so we wait and see for what general manager Howie Roseman will do then.
In the meantime, however, while Philly was busy improving the defensive interior, they’ll need to focus on patching up the secondary as well. Having a core of Avonte Maddox, Rodney McLeod, and Jalen Mills among others doesn’t exactly inspire confidence, so a big break at corner and safety will now be needed for the secondary to help hold the fort.
Having a pass rush consisting of Derek Barnett, Fletcher Cox, Malik Jackson, Genard Avery, Javon Hargrave, and Brandon Graham means that the defensive line is set, but that just might be a moot point if the secondary plays with the same lack of quality as it did in 2019.
Cowboys Defense Without Byron Jones
With the expensive efforts to keep both Dak Prescott and Amari Cooper, it makes sense as to why the Cowboys were willing to let Byron Jones travel to the Dolphins with his price range. They had already shelved out a ton of money just so that Cooper could stay with the receiving corps, and Prescott himself will be expensive to keep in the near future.
Still, cornerback is a move the Cowboys will need to address in the upcoming draft, especially with the duo of Chidobe Awuzie and Jourdan Lewis not looking so promising. There’s some high-end talent on this Dallas defense including edge rusher DeMarcus Lawrence and a linebacking corps consisting of Jaylon Smith and Leighton Vander Esch, but without Jones, the secondary has a hole at the corner position that needs to be checked out.
Act fast, Jerry Jones and Mike McCarthy, act fast.
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