Part 2!
Team: Detroit Lions
Number of FA: 4
Total money spent: 69.04 M
Total 1st year salaries : 11.05 M
Total bonus spent 22.41 M
Player: Anthony Hitchens
Position: MLB
Age: 25
Years: 5
Total contract: 20.2 M
Total bonus 4.5 M
Salary year 1: 2.64 M
Comment: Anthony Hitchens have been a stud and a key player for the Lions defense since arrived via trade from Dallas at the Kueckly trade, 55 TFL is a very high number, might be the leader in the category over that spam of time, he do have very solid attributes and only 25 yo, i was expecting to see a bid war, maybe an offer with a contract close to max 2nd round compensation, but no one placed an offer on him, maybe is the position, but retain him for the minimun salary posible was a huge win for a Detroit team that building a championship team.
Player: Zack Martin
Position: LG
Age: 27
Years: 5
Total contract: 23.7 M
Total bonus 9.3 M
Salary year 1: 3.45 M
Comment: Drafted by Chargers, he was an starter during his rookie and sophomore years but then lost his job and became a depth player with 0 snap players during last 2 seasons, he's decent athletically speaking, with decent awr and block skills, but i just can't find a single attribute that makes him elite, and being 27 yo the learning curve isn't there anymore, he'll be a productive player, yeah, the salary is a bit high for my own taste.
Player: Knoshown Moreno
Position: FB
Age: 31
Years: 3
Total contract: 10.14 M
Total bonus 2.61 M
Salary year 1: 2.76 M
Comment: A converted runningback to fb when that was still a thing, he's undersized at 5"11 – 205, with low awr but high rbk, all his progression points were apply there, starting his career at 44 and now he's at 71. He was draft by Bengals, but played most of his career at Jaguars, last season played for Steelers and recorded a 42 pancakes – 0 sacks allowed, i guess that's the stat line Lions saw and decided to grab him, i'm a bit surprised he received a 3 years contract, this season he is still in starter range but once he's being hit with another regression, he could become a liability for a team with rushing identity as Lions-
Player: Weston Richburg
Position: C
Age: 26
Years: 5
Total contract: 15 M
Total bonus 6 M
Salary year 1: 2.2 M
Comment: Drafted by Rams at 6th round, he was a promising prospect that never received the chances to develop, he played at his 3rd season as profesional, having 39 pancakes and 3 sacks allowed, not an spectacular season but a solid one. 65 spd – 76 acc and 90 rbk are attributes that worth to take a shot at him, he could've been a top C with more game time, definetily, but at 26 yo he still can progress and it's better than many of the other options available, he signed for a good contract of 15 M during 5 seasons, good sign for Lions here, finding a reliable player for free.
Team: Carolina Panthers
Number of FA: 2
Total money spent: 24.03 M
Total 1st year salaries : 8.78 M
Total bonus spent 4.8 M
Player: Eric Pinkins
Position: FS
Age: 26
Years: 5
Total contract: 17.5 M
Total bonus 3.5 M
Salary year 1: 2.25 M
Comment: Panthers declared him as ME, and decided to match the offer from Arizona Cardinals, that offer elevated the salary, and added some million to Pinkins bank account but Carolina made the right decision keeping him, acquired via trade with 49ers 3 season ago, he have become in a key element of a very physical and agressive defense, he do have a great body frame of 6"3 and elite agility – acceleration, with a solid speed of 88, he still needs to develop his awr but at 26 yo, he will only improve. Keeping him was a win for Panthers
Player: Sen'Derrick Marks
Position: DT
Age: 31
Years: 1
Total contract: 6.53 M
Total bonus 1.3 M
Salary year 1: 6.53 M
Comment: A player i had very good memories with, i'm thankful with him for the seasons had with Titans, he have won the last 2 SB, first withTitans and then defeating us playing with Cowboys, i'm not sure how many players have archieved that before but i'm sure very few. He own the record of most sacks by a DT with 16 at 2016 season, and even with 2 regressions, his attributes still very solid, the Panthers acquired an stud and a key veteran that will boost their defense inmediately, one of the best signs of this window. Congrats Phill. The salary is even cheaper for the position and the quality of player.
Team: New England Patriots
Number of FA: 4
Total money spent: 46.78 M
Total 1st year salaries : 12.6 M
Total bonus spent 10.65 M
Player: Marquise Lee
Position: WR
Age: 25
Years: 3
Total contract: 10.75 M
Total bonus 2.16 M
Salary year 1: 2.87 M
Comment: Drafted by eagles, he had to live the Mannion experiment and then traded to Chargers, a team with 2 of the best WR he was WR #4 or WR #5, so he haven't really had the chance to prove his value, yet with the very few volume he had 1607 yards and 11 TD are promising, he isn't the tallest or the fastest WR but is good enough and has solid hands, awr. Only 25 and i think he could become a solid WR #3. WR is a position where is convenient to have depth so i guess that's the main reason of signing him.
Player: David Fales
Position: QB
Age: 28
Years: 3
Total contract: 7.59 M
Total bonus 1.68 M
Salary year 1: 2.04 M
Comment: Drafted by Lions to be Bradford backup then became Bridgewater backup, he do have solid THA of 93, a bit impressive gives his almost 0 game time, and his awr of 66 is low, he's a backup, not one reliable but one that fills roster and at least offers throw accuracy, he won't win games by himself, but no one expect that from him, if Carr goes down for some drives, he could do the job
Player: Billy Turner
Position: LG
Age: 26
Years: 3
Total contract: 15.06 M
Total bonus 3.42 M
Salary year 1: 4.06 M
Comment: Match elegible for the Patriots, Turner returns home to play with the team drafted him at 3rd round, and have been a starter for the last 3 seasons, max strenght and almost 90 at both block skills made him a very solid player, he plays at guard spot, he doesn't need to be an stud to play well and perform as expected, NE signed him to 3 years for not have a 5 seasons compromise in case that find an upgrade via draft or trade, it's an smart move by Briston, guarantee the position now, but don't take a longer compromise.
Player: Calais Campbell
Position: LE
Age: 31
Years: 3
Total contract: 13.38 M
Total bonus 3.39 M
Salary year 1: 3.63 M
Comment: Runner up at the DPOY race, Campbell comes from an insane season with Browns, team that drafted him at 2008 and where played during 10 seasons, what a journey, he acumulates 405 tackles – 96 tfl and 78 sacks. He have regressed and that means he's not as athletic as used to be but the 86 awr is making him to perform well, as a GM have defended awr at the position, i do love to see him having success, and wish he can repeat that kind of performance with Pats, i was expecting him to sign a 1 year contract but Pats are convinced the size and brain will keep him at the top even if he lose some speed, and that's not wild to think, he'll probably will. The money given for him is very low specially considering he comes from a 10 tfl – 15 sacks season.
Team: Oakland Raiders
Number of FA: 2
Total money spent: 23.06 M
Total 1st year salaries : 3.78 M
Total bonus spent 4.09 M
Player: Taylor Hart
Position: LE
Age: 26
Years: 3
Total contract: 5.07 M
Total bonus 0.69 M
Salary year 1: 1.43 M
Comment: Raiders have added elite veterans at both sides of DL, so this move looks as a depth kind, Hart has the body of a DT, and will be a decent backup and player of heavy formations, many teams fill the #2 DE's with rookie cheap contracts with players that are really bad, so paying a few more K and bring a solid player looks as a smart move. Hart was draft by Raiders and will comeback to team, so they know him very well.
Player: Bryan Stork
Position: C
Age: 25
Years: 5
Total contract: 17.99 M
Total bonus3.4 M
Salary year 1: 2.35 M
Comment: "I believe Bryan Stork is just about to come into his own as a top notch C in the SFL, some may see C as a position that you can just throw a body there and your set but as a person watching each and every position closely I can tell you that is not true. It may not need an elite talent in that spot but it's definitely beneficial to have a great one. I definitely think he's on the verge of becoming elite so this was an easy re-sign at a pretty decent price" those were the words of a proud GM bringing back his player. I'm surprised that there wasn't a bid war for Stork i really like him, one of the best news for Raiders this offseason.25 yo – 72 awr – 90 pbk – 90 rbk is very good.
Team: St.Louis Rams
Number of FA: 8
Total money spent: 74.63 M
Total 1st year salaries : 28.29 M
Total bonus spent 27.1 M
Player: Brandin Cooks
Position: WR
Age: 26
Years: 4
Total contract: 13.6 M
Total bonus 5.4 M
Salary year 1: 2.68 M
Comment: Drafted at 3rd round by Chiefs Brandin Cooks didn't have many opportunities in a team that prioritize the speed, and had multiple fast receivers. Cooks will join a core that includes best WR of the league at Mike Evans,and OBJ a GM favorite, so Cooks had no chances of joining the starter duo, but he likely will play as a WR #3 or #4, 97 speed is always nice, so Felipe grabbed excellent depth here, for a reasonable ammount of money.
Player: Kaeloha Pilares
Position: WR
Age: 30
Years: 1
Total contract: 2.02 M
Total bonus 0.8 M
Salary year 1: 2.02 M
Comment: Another 97 WR signing, Pilares is 4 years older than Cooks so he's projected to be a veteran support for an offense that if want to could be very vertical, Former Vikings players, couldn't find his pathway to starting role, before moving to Broncos and finally hitting FA after regression, at 5"11 he couldn't compete with other players at same position despite being max speed, Rams will have a loaded WR group, i think Pilares could be KR if needed. 1 year contract so he won't be here after another regression.
Player: Travis Kelce
Position: TE
Age: 27
Years: 3
Total contract: 4.5 M
Total bonus 1.5 M
Salary year 1: 1.25 M
Comment: This movement clearly was a way to attract swifties to STL, playing the money game, former 7th round by Browns, he has awful attributes, except the catch, and by awful i mean it, i would never consider having a TE with those attributes on my team, the crazy thing is that he have performed, is one of those things imposible to explain, the only reason i could think of is the theory of speed diferential, that i have tested and can confirm that exist but here's not the spot for discuss it. Kelce joins for an small ammount f money so is a depth with safe hands and production proven.
Player: Eric Ebron
Position: TE
Age: 25
Years: 5
Total contract: 25 M
Total bonus 9 M
Salary year 1: 3.57 M
Comment: Felipe and the Rams had a war with divisional rivals 49ers on this FA stage, both with high budgets and after top player, Gary Hickman joining the division and inmediately got a rival, it'll be a fun story to track at the future, how is relevant for Ebron?, he was the ME player for Rams and 49ers submit a contract offering a 3rd, St.Louis decided to keep the services of their 2nd rounder player, and pay the money, salary isn't a problem for the current situation of the team, but could at future, and that first battle, was the first rock thrown on the rivalry, i'm sure Felipe want Ebron to have the best games posible vs SF.
Player: Jeff Otah
Position: RT
Age: 33
Years: 1
Total contract: 2.5 M
Total bonus 0.9 M
Salary year 1: 2.5 M
Comment: Drafted by Dolphins Otah best season was in 2010 having 84 pancakes and just 1 sack allowed, he also played at Panthers and Chargers at this stage of his career he have regressed so much that is not able to compete phisically but he keeps the brains for gain duels, i see him as a movement from a team that had too much salary and better to use it bring in a veteran, i just don't think he will start for Rams.
Player: Joe Thomas
Position: RT
Age: 33
Years: 1
Total contract: 9 M
Total bonus 3 M
Salary year 1: 9 M
Comment: Former 1.1 player, he have been a key member of the Rams team since 2 seasons ago decided to offer Max offer contract on him, 2 regression periods have happened since that but he remains as one of the best offensive linemen of the league, 97 awr – 97 pbk – 97 rbk, are numbers extremely hard to get and i would say almst unique, he still has some legs on him at 60 spd – 88 str is not a liability, he comes from a season with 88 pancakes and just 3 sacks allowed playing from the RT spot, Rams priority was to bring him back and they did, for the price of 9 M that sounds high but for a team that had 60 M for spend in a winner move.
Player: Clay Matthews
Position: LOLB
Age: 32
Years: 1
Total contract: 3.01 M
Total bonus 0.5 M
Salary year 1: 3.01 M
Comment: Clay Matthews was draft by Bears and played his whole career there till now, Rams will be their second team, i do see a reason to like him, is tall, 80 spd, 84 awr and 88 tak, at worst case scenario he becomes a rotational-depth player, i just think the Rams might go for a more athletic prospect on the draft, they have the resources and the class is solid., Rams acquired one of my favorites players at the position with McKinney, so they could complete the job and add another stud at the other side, i think they'll go OLB at draft.
Player: Adrian Phillips
Position: FS
Age: 27
Years: 3
Total contract: 15 M
Total bonus 6 M
Salary year 1: 4.26 M
Comment: Adrian Phillips a former 3rd round by eagles had a quiet rookie-sophomore seasons, and then became FS starter for the past 2 season, his stat line is solid, he offers 91 spd with high agi-acc and a decent awr of 67, at worst he's a fantastic depth player, with potential to take the starter role for Rams, S was one of the position i thought Rams could draft, but now i'm not that sure, the contract is high specially for a Safety, but luckily for St.Louis they had the money for allow themselves an overpay for acquire talent they like.
Team: Ravens
Number of FA: 4
Total money spent: 36.59 M
Total 1st year salaries : 10.16 M
Total bonus spent 11.94 M
Player: Jared Abbrederis
Position: WR
Age: 26
Years: 3
Total contract: 9.01 M
Total bonus 3.6 M
Salary year 1: 2.56 M
Comment: Declared as ME by Colts he received an offer by Ravens, GM Norb have expressed he didn't know about it and felt bad about paying a 3rd round compensation, but i do think he's getting a solid player, of course he isn't a 1st round quality player, but is weird to find someone better at 3rd round, he's 6"3 with 93 spd and 85 catch, he just never got the opportunities with Colts, he could become a very solid slot WR,. So i don't think Norb and Ravens should regret the moving, that 3rd round pick will be pay if Abbrederis can score some TD and i think he will.
Player: Brent Bowden
Position: P
Age: 31
Years: 3
Total contract: 3.84 M
Total bonus 1.53 M
Salary year 1: 1.09 M
Comment: Brent Bowden sign seems a move thinking on saving money, they have a 3 M at roster, i just don't think any P worth that kind of money, so Ravens getting a player ready as Bowden and likely cutting or trading Berry, very smart financial movement there. Saving around 2 M in the process
Player: Cody Parkey
Position: K
Age: 26
Years: 3
Total contract: 13.44 M
Total bonus 2.7 M
Salary year 1: 3.59 M
Comment: Cody Parkey is an elite Kicker, excellent KPW of 95, with high awr of 93 and high KAC of 92, have only missed 5 fg at his 4 years as pro, and 3 of them were as rookie, he also add to touchback ratio of almost 20%. Chargers did try to get him and offered a pick compensation to Ravens but offer was match, that was the only move William Cook made on this window. The only thing Ravens probably didn't like about that offer is the lenght of contract, im sure they would've loved to get him in a 5 years contract and not at 3.
Player: Chris Harris Jr.
Position: CB
Age: 30
Years: 3
Total contract: 10.3 M
Total bonus 4.11 M
Salary year 1: 2.92 M
Comment: I remember drafting Harris back in 2011 and i thought he had chances to become a very solid starter but couldn't make that happens, he has 244 tackles on his career most of them with Packers, so he have been involved in many snaps at least, he have lost 2 speed on this regression but he stays as a solid nickel-dime option, the salary offered isn't that big, but im a bit surprised he received a 3 years contract, i would've expected 1 year contract, with 92 spd he will play well, so i guess Ravens were looking for a cheaper money now, and then if needed take the cap hit in some seasons.
Team: Washington Redskins
Number of FA: 1
Total money spent: 17.07 M
Total 1st year salaries : 4.66 M
Total bonus spent 4.62 M
Player: Rashard Mendenhall
Position: HB
Age: 30
Years: 3
Total contract: 17.07 M
Total bonus 4.62 M
Salary year 1: 4.66 M
Comment: Redskins have built a rushing team identity having a stud as James conner as RB #1, Mendenhall offers a change of pace as # RB 2, giving Washington one of the best duos of the league, with 99 btk and 91 carry he assures a reliable rushing style and could attack defenses tired of tackle Conner, Redskins didn't make more moves, so they likely waiting for the 2nd window of FA, retaining their ME was a win.
Team: Saints
Number of FA: 1
Total money spent: 24.26 M
Total 1st year salaries : 3.12 M
Total bonus spent 4.9 M
Player: Charles Leno
Position: LG
Age: 27
Years: 5
Total contract: 24.26 M
Total bonus 4.9 M
Salary year 1: 3.12 M
Comment: Saints do have their mind and energy focus at the big prize, they own 1.1 and currently on the clock, so they were not aggresive at FA,, they managed to resign their former 2nd round Charles Leno, a player with elite acc of 80 and both block skills at 90, he could use a bit more of awr, specially being 27 yo, but he seems to be a reliable starter, and they've been watching him playing 4 seasons, so they know who they're getting. Best of luck tomorrow Nate, kill the draft!
Team: Pittsburgh Steelers
Number of FA: 3
Total money spent: 108.2 M
Total 1st year salaries : 17.85 M
Total bonus spent 40.6 M
Player: Demaryius Thomas
Position: WR
Age: 30
Years: 2
Total contract: 7.41 M
Total bonus 2.96 M
Salary year 1: 3.41 M
Comment: The team traded away Carlton and Hopkins, brought in veteran Dez Bryant, and wanted to add another veteran to their rotation, Thomas seemed to be one of the best players available at the position with 94 speed and 6"3, 90 catch – 84 awr, his agility and acceleration were never top so of course after regression took a hit, but at only 30 yo, he was in my opinion an excellent player for Free, i was after him, Gary and me were the only 2 teams interested, but he opted for Steelers. Signed for 2 seasons should give plenty targets to Quinn on his new team.
Player: Jordan Tripp
Position: LOLB
Age: 27
Years: 5
Total contract: 17.35 M
Total bonus 3.8 M
Salary year 1: 2.26 M
Comment: Declared as Match eligible, he played the last 4 seasons with Steelers, he isn't the kind of player that is tagged as stud, but is borderline, 6"3, 85 spd and 80 str, i feel he has some very interesting attributes, also he has 73 awr with 83 tackle, unless spend a high pick at draft will be hard to find a better player. Requiring compensation kept away other teams and helped Steelers to retain him on a cheap 5 years contract.
Player: Dontae Johnson
Position: CB
Age: 26
Years: 5
Total contract: 83.26 M
Total bonus 33.3 M
Salary year 1: 12.18 M
Comment: Another big move here, during ME and even previous it, when league found out Raiders were placing Johnson as ME, the inmediate response was: Max contract incoming, Gary took that very seriously and went hard for his guy, the move makes a lot of sense considering Steelers traded CB Trae Waynes + 2 2nds for 1.2 pick earlier at off-season so they needed to cover that open spot, Dontae is only 26 yo, has elite size of 6"2, speed of 94 with acceleration of 99. Elite player and still with many seasons on the tank, the max contract could become a problem in future seasons, specially if the salary cap decrease as expected, but in the meanwhile Gary has to think on the now as his job is on the line and he wouldn't find a better player for a 1st round pick.
Team: Houston Texans
Number of FA: 3
Total money spent: 34.63 M
Total 1st year salaries : 9.34 M
Total bonus spent 7.8 M
Player: Bill Claus
Position: P
Age: 30
Years: 3
Total contract: 4 M
Total bonus 1.05 M
Salary year 1: 1.09 M
Comment: One of the players i love the name, Claus, that was one of the big reasons i traded for him with Chargers many seasons ago, he played with Titans and Panthers, he's reaching the 30 yo, so losing KPW but keeps his very accurate leg. Punter is not a position that change game in my opinion, unless a very bad one, so the sign is a cheap movement with solid talent for fill depth requirements.
Player: Stepfan Taylor
Position: FB
Age: 29
Years: 3
Total contract: 10.53 M
Total bonus 2.76 M
Salary year 1: 2.87 M
Comment: Originally an undrafted FA, Bryan noticed he had all the attributes for play FB and position moved him 1 season before that was forbidden. One of the fastest FB of the league for that reason, have performance very consistently, despite being a bit undersized, he's a bullet and gain the block with his speed, he's 29 yo, so regressing soon, yet he should perform well during the next 3 seasons, GM Brandon Lindgren didn't notice he was ME by Bucs so he paid a 3rd for his services, even with that compensation i think he got a solid player.
Player: Ego Ferguson
Position: DT
Age: 26
Years: 3
Total contract: 20.1 M
Total bonus 3.99 M
Salary year 1: 5.38 M
Comment: Ferguson was draft by Falcons and then traded to Texans, he's coming back home. He's a unique player at the position, he has insane agility and acceleration for a man of his size, but would love to have a bit more strenght. He also comes with a high tacke of 90 and decent awr of 63 (Specially considering how low it is around the league), he have perform well, nothing spectacular, but DT's barely prodcue, so 14 TFL and 18 sacks are numbers that make you land a 2nd contract. Not happy to see a divisional rival doing a solid sign as this one, but expecting 2 fun games each season. Very good sign
Team: Tennessee Titans
Number of FA: 2
Total money spent: 34.84 M
Total 1st year salaries : 8.26 M
Total bonus spent 7.84 M
Player: Jordy Nelson
Position: WR
Age: 32
Years: 1
Total contract: 4.34 M
Total bonus 1.74 M
Salary year 1: 4.34 M
Comment: When Titans made this sign we had 1 WR on the roster, that being our legend, and playoffs clutch player Devante Parker, we lost our 2 veterans via FA and traded away Dez Bryant to the Steelers so was a high priority to get a player on the position, i liked that Nelson still have some athleticism not as he had before, but at 92 speed still has gas for 1 season, also comes with high catch and awr, attributes i consider important for move the chains. He's costing us 4.34 M which is the minimun salary posible at the position for the high ovr. He's expected to play WR #1 or WR #3 depending if we draft a WR that is a real posibility.
Player: Jonathan Dowling
Position: SS
Age: 26
Years: 5
Total contract: 30.5 M
Total bonus 6.1 M
Salary year 1: 3.92 M
Comment: Funny story, placed an offer for him seconds before deadline expired, literally like 30 seconds, Dowling is a player that i have always liked, he's tall and fast, 2 elements that i want in the secondary, i tend to invest a lot on the position so didn't have a problem sending a 1st to Browns, i did ask before placing a contract as didn't want to just increase salary for Browns, knowing they were going to match, so i did express my interest on acquiring him and was able to land him, having Barron at the team wasn't a need to get a Safety, but seemed as a good oportunity to keep our team competitive for more time, not as ready as Barron, but 3 seasons younger. Finally we traded Barron to Steelers. The contract of Dowling is way higher that the money i like paying a safety but i think he worth it and will sacrifice other positions for afford him.
Team: Minnesota Vikings
Number of FA: 6
Total money spent: 69.9 M
Total 1st year salaries : 20.77 M
Total bonus spent 17.5 M
Player: Matthew Stafford
Position: QB
Age: 30
Years: 3
Total contract: 8.7 M
Total bonus 2.1 M
Salary year 1: 2.35 M
Comment: Neal has implemented a shotgun strategy when comes to FA and draft, he targets a position, and proceed to sign or draft multiple players on it, keeping the most convenient for his team and then trading the rest, taking a penalty cap but grabbing a pick on the process, but most importantly he guarantee to have at least 1 good player from it, that was the case of Stafford, a player that at the moment of write this was already traded for a 4th, Vikings did win his services but he wasn't the chosen one, so was trade to Bills for a 4th, after taking a 2.1 penalty cap. His salary was already good and will be better for Buffalo, i think Stafford is a capable QB of winning a game if starter gets injury.
Player: Aaron Murray
Position: QB
Age: 27
Years: 3
Total contract: 3.4 M
Total bonus0.9 M
Salary year 1: 0.93 M
Comment: Same case scenario as the described above, part of the 3 QB were sign by Vikings, he haven't been traded and still remain on the team as QB #3, drafted at 7th round by Bucs, he haven't play a single snap at the league and yet has 65 awr and 92 tha, no idea how he did it, but that's impressive, he's sign on a cheap contract so might be traded for fill a roster or stay at Vikings as QB #3, im sure Vikings won't have a problem paying 930 k for him
Player: Ricky Stanzi
Position: QB
Age: 29
Years: 3
Total contract: 18.6 M
Total bonus 4.5 M
Salary year 1: 5.03 M
Comment: The final of the 3 QB and the player seems to be the chosen one to be #2 on depth behind talented Tyler Wilson, Stanzi already managed to send Vikings to playoffs, even when Wilson was injured more than half season, he proved his value as backup QB and that guaranteed him the re-sign, in a movement of win-win, Stanzi is happy to keep his job as backup getting 18 M for the next 3 seasons, while Neal and the Vikings feels confident about their backup if is need again, hopefully wont, lose a QB is an awful experience. Great sign, Neal
Player: Shaquill Barrett
Position: MLB
Age: 27
Years: 4
Total contract: 22 M
Total bonus 5.6 M
Salary year 1: 4.05 M
Comment: Former 2nd rounder, arrett have been the starter MLB for the last seasons, he was tag as ME, and with those attributes a bit surprise he didn't grab more bids. 99 tackle with 88 spd makes him a unique player and the heart of the purple defense. He doesn't have elite strenght but at 77 is still very solid, he can only get better when his awr gets closer to that tackle, he was sign to 4 seasons and not to 5 probably predicting a change and a new player in the next seasons when Barrett starts regressing, for now the Vikings are set at the position, but wouldn't surprise me if they draft another one if an interested prospect fall, the philosophy of the team is to pick BPA, and that's one of the reasons that have made them being competitive every season.
Player: Malcolm Butler
Position: CB
Age: 28
Years: 3
Total contract: 12 M
Total bonus 2.4 M
Salary year 1: 3.21 M
Comment: To be completely honest i don't understand this sign at all, a former 2nd round pick by the same Vikings, that had very limited game time which prevented him to develop, also starting at 24 yo didn't help, he comes from a 2 interception seasons, that's a solid statline, i just think the Vikings have enough good CB so he will become #4 and maybe #5 if draft a prospect, which is a real posibility for the team, 12 M is a bit high imo, Neal knows better what he's doing and if want to move him eventually, the penalty cap wont be high.
Player: Aaron Ross
Position: CB
Age: 32
Years: 1
Total contract: 5.2 M
Total bonus 2 M
Salary year 1: 5.2 M
Comment: Former Packers player, he's coming back to the division, he have been one of the most progressed rookies, and that helped him to be very productive during all his career, played for Colts and Eagles too, before reaching FA last off-season, Steelers signed him for 1 season and now is going to play for Vikings. He have lose his athleticism but at 87 spd – 6"1 – 97 awr still can shutdown most receivers and be a player that change a game, that awr is lovely, even more if lined up with legend Sean Smith, and with the safeties Vikings have the secondary will be very jard to beat, this move also could mean the grabbing of a mentor in case is needed, i predict Vikings will draft CB at 1st or 2nd round, depending who fall.
Thanks for read, hope you enjoyed the article, all the comments and analysis are for fun so please don't take anything too serious.
Best of luck during draft, i wish you all a fun 3 days journey
