Free Agency Frenzy is almost upon us! Which means we are entering the peak of the offseason as teams begin to look to fill the holes on their roster, whether that is a team beginning a rebuild, or a team looking to reload for a potential Super Bowl run, every team has needs and questions heading into next week. Throughout this week I will be doing an offseason preview for every division, the previews will look at the impending free agents of the team, the biggest questions heading into this offseason, some potential names to target next week, and what they need to accomplish before the season begins. All of the contract estimations are used from Pro Football Focus via Over The Cap.
Arizona Cardinals
Impending Free Agents
WR – Greg Dortch
WR – Zay Jones
G – Will Hernandez
T – Jonah Williams ( 1yrs, $9m total)
T – Kelvin Beachum
DT – Calais Campbell (1 yrs, $6m total)
S – Jalen Thompson (2 yrs, $19m total)
Biggest Questions
Arizona has recently announced it will be parting ways with former number one overall pick, Kyler Murray, opting to release him at the start of the new league year. So the question becomes, what is Arizona’s plan at quarterback? Kyler Murray is an interesting option for any QB needy team who is rebuilding as a high-end bridge quarterback, who, due to his contract, will be able to be signed for basically free. From the Cardinals’ perspective, they are most likely going to be looking at a cheaper bridge quarterback as they enter a small rebuild. I expect them to make a big push for Malik Willis. They also have a need at Right Tackle, because both Jonah Williams and Kelvin Beachum are free agents. The defensive roster is also stronger than last year’s performance, so it will be interesting to see how they play under a new regime.
Free Agents to Watch
Malik Willis is going to be an option for any team that needs a quarterback. Arizona’s new head coach, Mike LaFleur, is the brother of Green Bay head coach Matt LaFleur, so there could be a potential connection there. Braden Smith is a strong option at Right Tackle to help solidify the offensive line; otherwise, I expect them to address this position high in the draft.
Top Goals
Your two biggest needs entering the offseason are Quarterback and Right Tackle, so finding quality starters at those positions is crucial. Malik Willis feels like the most likely option for them at Quarterback, but a bridge quarterback would be the alternative. They will also need one or two more defensive playmakers, especially pass rushers, but they have some young building blocks on that side of the ball.
Los Angeles Rams
Impending Free Agents
QB – Jimmy Garoppolo (1 yrs, $3m total)
WR – TuTu Atwell (1 yrs, $3m total)
TE – Tyler Higbee (1 yrs, $3m total)
T – Rob Havenstein (Retired)
T – D.J. Humphries
CB – Cobie Durant (3 yrs, $32m total)
CB – Ahkello Witherspoon (1 yrs, $1.5m total)
S – Kamren Curl (2 yrs, $17.5m total)
Biggest Questions
Previously, the biggest question was how are they going to address the secondary and add more talent on the back-end? Well, they answered that question yesterday by trading for Trent McDuffie, sending a first-round pick and numerous others to the Chiefs in exchange for him. The Rams are going all in on this winning window with Stafford returning for another year, so this move makes a lot of sense for them. Plus, they will still have the Falcons’ first-round pick this year, so they still have the opportunity to take some talent high in the draft. They will need to begin to add some players along the offensive line, as a lot of their contracts are expiring next year, along with potentially needing another wide receiver, as Davante Adams is not getting any younger.
Free Agents to Watch
Kaden Elliss would be an amazing option to plug in at Linebacker, but especially after the trade, they will most likely not be too big of spenders in free agency, so going cheap at linebacker for a younger player would be smart. Jack Jones, Montaric Brown, and Jaylen Watson could all be good options at cornerback.
Top Goals
Although they have already added Trent McDuffie, they will potentially need another starting cornerback due to players leaving in free agency. They should also add some depth to the offensive line and future-proof the roster, as a lot of guys are going to need to be paid soon, and it will be difficult to retain every single one.
San Francisco 49ers
Impending Free Agents
HB – Brian Robinson (1 yrs, $2.75m total)
WR – Jauan Jennings (3 yrs, $50m total)
WR – Kendrick Bourne (1 yrs, $2.5m total)
G – Spencer Burford
DT – Jordan Elliott
ED – Yetur Gross-Matos
S – Jason Pinnock (1 yrs, $1.25m total)
Biggest Questions
The biggest question for the 49ers is how they will address the wide receiver room. No one knows what is going on with Brandon Aiyuk, and it doesn’t look like he will be playing football anytime soon. Barring a massive leap from Ricky Pearsall, they will need to add to the room, especially with Jauan Jennings most likely leaving in free agency. It also sounds like Trent Williams might be on his way out, and they are having a hard time negotiating an extension, which they should try as hard as they can to work it out, cause the alternative to Left Tackle is rather bleak. The Defensive Line was also a weakness last year, and they had a very hard time getting pressure on the quarterback after the Nick Bosa injury, so adding to that unit is necessary.
Free Agents to Watch
They should try to re-sign Jauan Jennings; however, he will most likely want a bigger contract, and the 49ers might not be willing to pay it. They could then pivot to looking at Romeo Doubs, Rashid Shaheed, or maybe Tyquan Thornton. You could also do a small contract on Calvin Austin or Marquise Brown. They should also look to add a Designated Pass Rusher to rotate in with Mykel Williams, who could be a guy like Malcolm Koonce or Arden Key.
Top Goals
Add to the wide receiver room, either in the draft or through free agency, or ideally both. The defense (particularly the pass rush) needs some help on the other side of Nick Bosa, so adding an edge rusher and maybe a defensive tackle will help solidify the unit. Most of the weaknesses of the roster came from key players getting injured, so the 49ers will continue to be in good shape if they keep building around those players.
Seattle Seahawks
Impending Free Agents
HB – Kenneth Walker lll (3 yrs, $27m total)
ED – Boye Mafe (3 yrs, $49m total)
CB – Tariq Woolen (3 yrs, $45m total)
CB – Shaquil Griffin (1 yrs, $1.3m total)
CB – Josh Jobe
S – Coby Bryant (3 yrs, $30m total)
Biggest Questions
The Seahawks are losing a good chunk of players in the secondary, so adding to that room is probably the biggest need, as well as finding someone to play right guard instead of Anthony Bradford. The Seahawks are coming off a Super Bowl win, and their roster is in probably in the best spot in the entire league, due to the cheap deal with Sam Darnold, and the roster is extremely young. The conversation about extending Jaxon Smith-Njigba will start to come up this season, and it would probably be better to get it done sooner rather than later, as he is most likely only going to get more expensive over time. Kenneth Walker is most likely entering free agency, so they could be in the market for a solid RB2 to pair with Zach Charbonnet next season.
Free Agents to Watch
Kevin Zeitler to play Right Guard would be an amazing addition for them on a cheap short-term deal, which would give them the flexibility to develop a younger player if need be. They should also try to bring back Josh Jobe; he won’t cost too much, and it will provide some depth in the secondary. Jaylen Watson, Montaric Brown, and Nahshon Wright could all be good options to add through free agency to the secondary.
Top Goals
The Seahawks simply need to reload in the areas where they have players departing. Adding some players in the secondary would be wise, as well as adding a receiver and a right guard, and potentially an RB2, will help to continue to allow the Super Bowl window to be wide open.
Cover Image Courtesy of NFL.com
