NFL Free Agency: Tuesday's Quarterback Carousel

It'll be hard to top Monday's one-sided trade between the Cardinals and Texans for shock value, but Tuesday was no slouch in terms of big-ticket NFL news. It started early in the morning when Tom Brady announced his departure from New England, leaving the Chargers and Buccaneers to duke it out for his services. Quarterbacks would end up being the theme of the day, with Brady somehow overshadowed in the news cycle... at least temporarily.

The QB Carousel

• The Panthers released a statement saying Cam Newton has been given permission to seek a trade, hinting at a mutual parting of ways. The veteran quarterback was less than thrilled with the press release, immediately making it clear he'd been forced out of Carolina. It seems like the Panthers and Falcons are fighting a never-ending war on Twitter to see which team can put the most B.S. PR spin on unpopular decisions. It's insulting to the intelligence of fans.
• The Panthers quickly found their Newton replacement in Teddy Bridgewater, who reportedly is signing a three-year, $63 million contract. Given that the team seems to be rebuilding, I figured Bridgewater's contract would be light on guarantees, essentially giving the team an easy out after one season. Well, it looks like I was wrong:

• Elsewhere in the NFC South, the Saints re-signed Drew Brees, reportedly for two years and $50 million. He'll presumably reevaluate his football future next offseason, but a second year on the contract helps the Saints keep his 2020 cap hit low. It doesn't hurt that Brees seems to be fine with taking less than he's worth to help the team free up more space for other players.

• The Colts finally worked out a deal with Philip Rivers, who will be paid $25 million for one season. He won't have Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, Hunter Henry and Austin Ekeler, but the 38-year-old quarterback should appreciate playing behind a top-five offensive line after regularly working with bottom-10 units in San Diego and Los Angeles. I also expect the Colts to add one or two weapons in the coming weeks, as they still have plenty of cap room and obviously intend to compete for a playoff spot in 2020 after adding Rivers and DL DeForest Buckner.
• Brady reportedly decided on Tampa Bay over Los Angeles, though I'll note that the wording of Adam Scheter's report seems to leaves the door open a crack... "expected to sign". Assuming the report is accurate, this is a good spot for Brady's fantasy value but suboptimal in terms of winning another Super Bowl. I've seen a lot of chatter about Brady's supposedly dwindling arm strength and Bruce Arians' emphasis of deep throws, but it's really the intermediate passing game that's prioritized in Arians' offense more so than in other NFL schemes. Brady should hold his own, assuming last year's decline was more about the lack of supporting cast than any erosion of his physical abilities (which is what I believe). Granted, he's 42 year old, so he could look washed up any day now. Stay tuned!

• The Raiders technically signed Marcus Mariota on Monday, but it was too late for me to fit it into my Monday article. While I haven't seen contract details, it's a safe bet he got more than he's worth. Can't say I'm the biggest Derek Carr fan, but let's not waste time pretending Mariota is a real threat for the starting job... dude plays scared, period.

The Backs and Pass Catchers

• The big news from late Monday night was Stefon Diggs being shipped from Minnesota to Buffalo for a nice haul of draft picks, including a first-rounder. I understand why the Vikings traded away a player who didn't want to be there, but I also think it's their fault the relationship became fractured. We've seen varying degrees of frustration from Diggs, Adam Thielen and Kirk Cousins regarding Mike Zimmer's insistence on playing "old school" football. The Bills should do a better job using Diggs to the best of his abilities, though Josh Allen's inaccuracy has me feeling pessimistic about the actual results. There's also the matter of sharing targets with John Brown and Cole Beasley in what should be a relatively balanced offense... Buffalo's strong defense and solid running game mean Allen will land closer to 500 attempts than 600 (he had 461 last year; the team had 513).
• The Cowboys locked up Amari Cooper on a five-year, $100 million contract. That puts him at No. 2 among WRs in average annual value and No. 3 in guaranteed money, but it's actually less than I expected, considering top receivers typically get re-signed before they have the opportunity to hit free agency. It turns out Cooper rejected a larger offer from Washington, wisely avoiding the trap of tying his future to Dan Snyder and Dwayne Haskins. A future with Dak Prescott looks pretty for dynasty owners.
• The Texans signed Randall Cobb to a three-year, $27 million deal, instantly erasing any memories fans might have of DeAndre Hopkins.
• The 49ers assigned second-round tenders to Matt Breida and Kendrick Bourne, and they also got Jerick McKinnon to accept a pay cut. The team now has Breida, McKinnon, Raheem Mostert, Tevin Coleman and Jeff Wilson under contract for 2020. I don't think the Niners will expect much of anything from McKinnon, but it nonetheless would make sense to see if there's any trade interest for Breida or Coleman.
• The Dolphins are signing Jordan Howard to a two-year, $10 million contract. I don't understand the logic. Sure, you need to start competing at some point, but it's a long shot to happen in 2020, and the money going to Howard could instead be rolled over for 2021 and beyond. It feels like Miami is a year too early on the spending spree. From a fantasy standpoint, this is a nice chance for Howard to secure a lead job, though he could get competition from an early draft pick next month.
• The Jaguars gave Keelan Cole a second-round RFA tender. He was their No. 4 receiver last year, but he's a personal favorite of mine, and I'm not convinced Chris Conley is a better player. A rebuilding team might as well give Cole more run this year.
• Jason Witten is headed to Las Vegas, where he'll join Darren Waller and Foster Moreau (knee). The latter is recovering from a severe injury, and this might be taken as a hint that the Raiders aren't sure about Moreau's availability for Week 1. Naturally, we already have a Jon Gruden quote about the importance of Witten's toughness and leadership. "There's nothing he still can't do," Gruden said, apparently forgetting that running fast is an important part of football.
• The Falcons gave Brian Hill an original-round tender, which actually seems a bit generous for a replacement-level running back. The tender is worth approximately $2.1 million, so this could be taken as a sign that Hill is in the mix for some of Devonta Freeman's vacated carries. Expect the Falcons to be connected with many of the big-name running backs in the upcoming draft.

Defensive Players and O-Linemen

• The Raiders added LB Cory Littleton, DE Carl Nassib and DT Maliek Collins, after signing LB Nick Kwiatkoski on Monday. Littleton is the big get, coming off back-to-back seasons as a 16-game starter in a three-down role for the Rams. He had 159 tackles, 22 pass defenses, 7.5 sacks and five INTs in that stretch, and he earned PFF's No. 7 grade among off-ball linebackers in 2019. I'm surprised the Raiders got him for three years and $36 million, considering the Jets paid way more for a comparable player, C.J. Mosley, last offseason.
• The Bears signed Robert Quinn and cut Leonard Floyd, getting older but also better (and more expensive) at the edge spot opposite Khalil Mack.
• The Bills lost DT Jordan Phillips to the Cardinals but then signed DT Vernon Butler and DE Quinton Jefferson. The Bills swapped out DE Shaq Lawson for DE Mario Addison on Monday, when they also brought in LB A.J. Klein. Overall, it looks like a slight upgrade for the front seven, or at least a wash. The Bills are off to a really nice start this offseason.
• The Jaguars are signing LB Joe Schobert, who seems like a weird addition for a rebuilding team at five years and $53.75 million. The 26-year-old linebacker should be a stud IDP this year, presumably handling a three-down role for a defense that will struggle to get off the field.
• Speaking of IDP value, the Giants are signing LB Blake Martinez away from the Packers on a three-year, $30 million contract. The 26-year-old averaged 147.7 tackles as a 16-game starter each of the past three seasons, but the Packers are arguably better off spending less money on replacement Christian Kirksey, who offers more playmaking upside if he can stay healthy for the first time since 2017. In any case, Martinez is a clear upgrade for Big Blue.
• Versatile DB Kendall Fuller is returning to Washington, where he started his career before he was traded for Alex Smith two offseasons ago. I'm guessing Fuller will be used as a slot corner, but he's also shown the ability to play safety or even outside corner.
• The Bengals have made a rare splash, spending big for DT D.J. Reader and CB Trae Waynes. I'm not a huge fan of the former, but the latter is a top run stuffer who played a big role in Houston's success stopping running backs the past few seasons.
• The Lions signed LB Jamie Collins, who will be reunited with Matt Patricia. The linebacker is known for a versatile skill set that allows him to capably rush the passer or drop into coverage, arguably making him similar to new teammate Devon Kennard. It turns out the Lions will cut Kennard, allowing Collins to step right into that role. A smarter team would've kept both players and found a way to take advantage of having that versatility at multiple linebacker spots.
• The Seahawks have re-signed DT Jarran Reed, who had two sacks in 10 games last season but 10.5 sacks (and 24 QB hits) the year before.
• The Titans are signing DE/OLB Vic Beasley, who fits an obvious need as an edge rusher but isn't actually all that good. The No. 8 overall pick from 2015 had 15.5 sacks in his second pro season, but he's otherwise been held to eight sacks of fewer each year, and he's never done much in terms of generating non-sack pressures or defending the run. Beasley is working on three straight seasons with brutal PFF grades.
• The Chargers are signing RT Bryan Bulaga, arguably the biggest O-Line prize in free agency. They previously traded away oft-injured LT Russell Okung for solid G Trai Turner, so it looks like the Chargers could have decent blocking for the first time in years. Now they just need a QB!
• The Jets are adding OT George Fant and C Connor McGovern, along with re-signing G Alex Lewis. They've missed out on the big-name linemen, but McGovern at least figures to be a significant upgrade. Jets fans will rightfully be disappointed if this is the extent of the O-line overhaul this offseason.