2024 NFL Free Agents: Ryan Tannehill, Baker Mayfield, Kirk Cousins (Fantasy Football)

NFL Free Agency is almost here! Let’s dive into this year’s class of NFL Free Agents as well as their fantasy football outlook.

Erickson’s Free Agency Primers: QB | RB | WR | TE
NFL Free Agent & Draft Needs for Every Team
2024 NFL Draft Guide
2024 Dynasty Fantasy Football Draft Kit

2024 NFL Free Agents

Kirk Cousins

Kirk Cousins will be 36 years old in 2024, coming off a major injury. The Vikings QB suffered a torn Achilles against the Green Bay Packers in Week 8. He led the NFL in TD passes (18) before his injury. Cousins was QB6 overall, averaging just under 20 points per game. Considering mobility was never part of Cousins’ game, he’s another strong late-round QB option that will inevitably sneak into the top-12 if healthy in 2024. I wouldn’t be overly concerned about his injuries, especially if he lands back in Minnesota. But as easy as that seems to pencil in…it’s no guarantee. New Falcons OC Zac Robinson will likely draw up a similar offense to the one that Kevin O’Connell uses with the Vikings, given that the two stem from the Sean McVay coaching tree.

Baker Mayfield

Regression. It’s scary. The Buccaneers lost OC Dave Canales to the Panthers as their new head coach. Canales has rejuvenated QBs in back-to-back seasons, which drastically increases the chances that Baker Mayfield becomes this year’s Geno Smith after the latter lost Canales from 2022 to 2023. That’s the real concern with being overly aggressive on Mayfield, who has been anything but reliable in fantasy football throughout his NFL career. Note that during Mayfield’s career year in 2023 as the QB10 overall, he was averaging just 16.8 points per game as QB19.

If Mayfield returns to Tampa Bay – the most likely outcome – stay up to date with the status of their OL. They performed WELL ABOVE expectations, considering no team spent less salary cap space at OL than the Buccaneers in 2023. They finished 8th in PFF pass-blocking grade. They did, however, boast the 4th-worst run-blocking grade, so it’s not as if the OL showed zero signs of weakness.

Ryan Tannehill

Have to imagine that Ryan Tannehill looks hard at signing a deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers, reuniting with former OC, Arthur Smith. It would be a great spot for the 35-year-old ex-Titans passer to land after he lost his starting job to Will Levis. Tannehill was a disaster in 2023 for the Titans, behind an OL that could not block anybody.

But backing up a former fringe first-round pick in Kenny Pickett would not be an adverse circumstance for Tannehill, considering he did the same thing in Tennessee after he flamed out in Miami.

We know that offensively, Smith is going to dial up more play action than the Steelers’ previous offensive regime. Pickett had the 4th-lowest PA rate last season. Despite his completion rate increasing by nearly 20% on play-action throws…

Desmond Ridder‘s play-action usage? Third highest in the NFL at 32%. Both Titans QBs last season averaged nearly 3.0 yards more per attempt off play-action throws under Smith in 2023.