There are many football enthusiasts who simply walk away from football for a month or so following the Super Bowl. After a six-month roller coaster ride, I can’t say I blame them. But the truth is that there is no offseason in football, and many will be returning to see what is going on in free agency. That’s the point of this article: to let those of you know who is hitting free agency, what teams may be interested, and what it could mean for their dynasty stock.
Practice fast mock drafts with our free Mock Draft Simulator
On March 16th, teams will be able to contact pending free agents despite their contracts not expiring with their current teams until March 18th at 4:00pm EST. This is known as the ‘legal tampering period,’ because they’re technically still under contract. We will hear a lot of rumors in between March 16-18, but nothing will become official until the new league year, which starts at 4:00pm EST on March 18th. Most of the rumors you’ll hear are correct, but players can change their mind before the new league year, as Frank Gore did a few years back. He was rumored to be signing with the Eagles, then ultimately changed his mind and went to the Colts.
Quarterbacks
Tom Brady
He’s hitting free agency for the first time in his career. There have been rumors all over the place suggesting he’ll actually leave the Patriots. Call me skeptical. At 43 years old, it’d be awfully tough for him to walk into a brand-new system with brand-new pass-catchers. While his pass-catchers let him down last year, Brady himself took another step in the wrong direction. C’mon, guys. He’s proven enough.
Potential Suitors: Patriots, Titans, Chargers
My Prediction: Patriots
Ryan Tannehill
After posting the fourth-best QB Rating of all-time, Tannehill hits the open market. He completed 70.3 percent of his passes while averaging 9.6 yards per attempt with the Titans last year and led them to the AFC Championship game. Many are suggesting it’s too small of a sample size after he was mediocre with the Dolphins, but he’s going to get paid handsomely by someone.
Potential Suitors: Titans, Colts, Buccaneers, Patriots
My Prediction: Titans
Philip Rivers
After a borderline Hall of Fame career, many are wondering if Rivers is at the end of the rope at 38 years old. I mean, not everyone can be Tom Brady and play well into their 40s. Still, Rivers threw just 23 touchdowns in 2019, which was his lowest total since back in 2007, while his 20 interceptions were the second-highest total of his career. Wherever he goes, they need to have a sturdy offensive line in place. From Rivers’ standpoint, this is his last shot to win a title.
Potential Suitors: Colts, Buccaneers, Titans, Patriots
My Prediction: Colts
Jameis Winston
It appears the Bucs are going to let Winston explore free agency, though I can’t say it’d be pretty. The Chargers just moved on from Rivers for turning the ball over too much. The Titans want to go with a run-heavy approach. Bill Belichick might kick Winston off the field mid-game. The Colts are a possibility, though I’ve tied them to Philip Rivers. Sure, Winston may have been just the eighth quarterback in NFL history to throw for 5,000 yards in a season, but he was also just the fifth quarterback to throw 30 interceptions.
Potential Suitors: Buccaneers, Colts, Titans, Panthers
My Prediction: Buccaneers
Drew Brees
He’s going back to the Saints. There’s no point in dissecting this at all.
Dak Prescott
He’s going to receive the franchise tag or a long-term deal from the Cowboys. As of now, he’s slated to be a free agent, but he won’t get there.
The Other Notable Names
Teddy Bridgewater
Marcus Mariota
Case Keenum
Running Backs
Melvin Gordon
The Chargers showed no interest in paying Gordon last offseason, which even led to a holdout, and they still didn’t budge. Him re-signing with the Chargers is highly unlikely, though it might be the best thing for his value. There aren’t very many vacancies around the league and there are multiple running backs in the draft who are able to take over as workhorses right away. Gordon is going to be 27 years old in April, so this is likely his last big contract. While the Chargers offensive line didn’t help, Gordon has averaged more than 3.9 yards per carry just once in his five-year career. His dynasty stock is going to take a hit, as he’s likely going to be involved in a heavy timeshare with his new team.
Potential Suitors: Bills, Buccaneers, Texans, Titans
My Prediction: Bills
Kenyan Drake
Many took notice of Drake when in Arizona, but truth be told, he was doing pretty well in Miami. He played just eight games with the Cardinals, but his career average is 4.77 yards per carry, which ranks 15th all-time among running backs with 450-plus career carries. The Cardinals are well aware of how good he is and want to retain him even though they have David Johnson under a hefty contract. There should be plenty of interest in the 26-year-old with just 456 career carries on his frame.
Potential Suitors: Cardinals, Chiefs, Bills, Texans, Falcons
My Prediction: Cardinals
Derrick Henry
Will the Titans use their franchise tag on Henry? That’s the question right now, as it appears the two are extremely far apart in contract talks. Henry reportedly wants $90 million with at least $50 million in guarantees. That… isn’t going to happen. He made his case to be paid quite handsomely in free agency after leading the NFL with 1,540 rushing yards in the regular season, and then destroying the competition in the playoffs, but knowing he doesn’t offer much in the passing game will eliminate him from contention on some teams.
Potential Suitors: Titans, Texans, Colts, Dolphins
My Prediction: Texans
Lamar Miller
Coming off an ACL injury at the age of 29 as a free agent seems less-than-ideal. Because of that, Miller is going to have to take a short-term deal with a team that already has a running back in place. Miller’s best days were when he was involved in a timeshare, as he averaged 4.59 yards per carry with the Dolphins from 2012-2015. The Bucs make a ton of sense, as they don’t seem entirely convinced that Ronald Jones is the guy. Miller would make for a solid (and likely cheap) insurance plan.
Potential Suitors: Texans, Buccaneers, Chargers, Lions
My Prediction: Buccaneers
Carlos Hyde
There was a reason that Hyde didn’t work out so well with the Chiefs, as he’s not a particularly talented pass-catcher. That will limit the number of teams interested in him, though there are plenty who have timeshares where he can handle some early-down work. His 1,070 yards and six touchdowns with the Texans last year proved he still has gas left in the tank.
Potential Suitors: Texans, Bills, Eagles, Bears, Lions
My Prediction: Eagles
Jordan Howard
Is he healthy? That’s the question many will be asking, as Howard was forced to miss the final seven games of the regular season with a shoulder/neck issue. The Eagles would know about his health better than anyone, so if he doesn’t re-sign with them, it’s a bit worrisome. If the Titans can’t get Derrick Henry back under contract, Howard would make sense as his replacement.
Potential Suitors: Eagles, Titans, Texans, Lions
My Prediction: Titans
The Other Notable Names
Chris Thompson
LeSean McCoy
Peyton Barber
Frank Gore
Isaiah Crowell
Ty Montgomery
DeAndre Washington
Wide Receivers
Amari Cooper
It sure seems like the Cowboys are going to wind-up in a bidding war for Cooper’s services unless they’re able to work out a long-term deal with Prescott before the deadline. Cooper now has four 1,000-yard seasons through his first five years in the league and we watched Prescott’s game elevate with him there. Knowing that Cooper has seen just 107 and 119 targets over the last two seasons, a move wouldn’t hurt his dynasty stock. In fact, it may help. There would be plenty of teams inquiring about Cooper’s services as a true No. 1 wide receiver who’s just 25 years old, so landing spot will be tough to predict.
Potential Suitors: Cowboys, Eagles, Colts, Bills, Jets
My Prediction: Colts
Robby Anderson
The Jets reportedly want to retain Anderson, but it seems unlikely he’ll give them a hometown discount. There are plenty of teams in need of a field-stretcher like Anderson, though his inconsistent effort will turn some teams off. His dynasty stock can only go up from here, as he’s had just five games over the last two seasons where he’s amassed more than four receptions. If a team signs him in free agency, they’re likely to have bigger plans for him.
Potential Suitors: Jets, Packers, Chargers, Browns, Bears
My Prediction: Packers
A.J. Green
The Bengals plan on franchise tagging Green and knowing that Joe Burrow will be the starting quarterback in 2020 should appeal to him. That should make it easier for the Bengals to get a long-term deal done with him.
Potential Suitors: Bengals, Packers, 49ers, Colts
My Prediction: Bengals
Emmanuel Sanders
He slowed down in production as the year on. Was it his age catching up to him? He’ll be 33 years old this week, so it’s only natural. Still, he has posted back-to-back 850-plus-yard seasons, and that’ll appeal to teams that are in-it-to-win-it right now. The 49ers should show interest, though they have some youngsters they need to get on the field, too. His versatility to be able to play both in the slot and on the perimeter should appeal to teams who move their receivers around regularly.
Potential Suitors: 49ers, Patriots, Packers, Colts, Eagles
My Prediction: Patriots
Breshad Perriman
He definitely boosted his stock heading into free agency when he posted five straight 70-plus-yard games (with five touchdowns) at the end of the 2019 season, including three 100-yard games to close it out. Perriman reportedly wants to return to the Bucs and that makes sense given his production and familiarity with the offense. Unfortunately, a return to the Bucs wouldn’t help his dynasty value, as he’s still the third option behind Mike Evans and Chris Godwin.
Potential Suitors: Buccaneers, Jets, Chargers, Panthers
My Prediction: Jets
The Other Notable Names
Devin Funchess
Josh Gordon
Paul Richardson
Taylor Gabriel
Randall Cobb
Travis Benjamin
Geronimo Allison
Nelson Agholor
Phillip Dorsett
Tight Ends
Hunter Henry
It appears the Chargers are going to place the franchise tag on Henry, preventing him from hitting the open market, though they do want to get a long-term deal done. He’s had some issues staying healthy in the NFL, which would likely lower his cost on the open market, though he’d still get plenty with his skill-set, especially from a team like the Patriots. Not knowing who the quarterback will be in Los Angeles doesn’t help Henry’s dynasty value, though the Chargers obviously want him heavily involved.
Potential Suitors: Chargers, Patriots, Packers, Redskins
My Prediction: Chargers
Austin Hooper
It was somewhat shocking to hear the Falcons are going to allow Hooper go into the free agent pool. Not that he’s worthy of a franchise tag, but they were the team that drafted him, and it’s fair to say he lived up to the expectations they would’ve had. Leaving the Falcons will be a detriment to his fantasy value, as Julio Jones and Calvin Ridley do a whole lot to open the middle of the field. A return to the Falcons would be the best-case scenario for his fantasy value.
Potential Suitors: Falcons, Patriots, Colts, Redskins, Packers
My Prediction: Patriots
Eric Ebron
The Colts GM Chris Ballard said, “We’ll probably move on” when asked about Ebron’s status with the team, though a return would be the best-case for both ends. Doug Pederson uses tons of 2TE sets and Ebron is the move tight end in that scenario. Knowing that Ebron isn’t much of a blocker, his potential landing spots will be much narrower than someone like Hunter Henry. If he were to leave the Colts, his value would take a hit.
Potential Suitors: Colts, Patriots, Steelers, Bears
My Prediction: Steelers
The Other Notable Names
Tyler Eifert
Jordan Reed
Jason Witten
Darren Fells
Subscribe: iTunes | Google Play | Spotify | Stitcher | SoundCloud | TuneIn | RSS
Mike Tagliere is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Mike, check out his archive and follow him @MikeTagliereNFL.