The 2019 NFL league year started a week ago today, which means that the bulk of the big names on the open market have been snatched up and the time to throw out takes on these dozens of transactions is officially upon us. Below you'll find the teams and individuals that I believe won and lost this always fun period of the offseason as well as my pick for the best player still out there. Make sure you bookmark this page so you can pull it up 10 months from now and laugh manically at the plethora of bad takes that were pedaled.
Biggest Winners: Browns
Coming off their best season in nearly 15 years, the Browns could've easily stayed pat and seen how their young talent developed under a largely overhauled coaching staff headed by the newly-promoted Freddie Kitchens. The always aggressive John Dorsey spat in the face of complacency by making a series of big splashes in pretty much no time at all. Dorsey brought in a star receiver (Odell Beckham Jr.), quietly great edge rusher (Oliver Vernon), versatile defensive lineman (Sheldon Richardson) and backup tight end who has flashed legit playmaking ability when called upon (Demeterius Harris) all in a matter of 72 hours. Of course there's the very real possibility that this franchise that has arguably suffered more than any other organization in the NFL since returning to the league in 1999 ends up tragically squandering all this talent, but for now this flurry of transactions only adds to the rapidly growing sense of optimism surrounding the Browns future prospects right now.
Honorable Mentions: Colts, Broncos, Titans
Biggest Losers: Giants
This actually doesn't have a lot to do with the Odell Beckham Jr trade. While I disagree with the decision to deal the 2x All-Pro 7 months after making him the highest paid wideout in the league, they netted multiple draft picks and a raw yet intriguing young talent in safety Jabril Peppers from the Browns-which is a respectable return for such a high-profile talent. My issue with the Giants offseason moves is that Dave Gettleman doesn't seems like he knows what the hell he wants this team to be. The subtraction of several cornerstone players (OBJ, Oliver Vernon, Landon Collins) that made it look like a rebuild attempt was imminent were quickly canceled out by the baffling addition of quality veteran starters including guard Kevin Zeitler, safety Antonie Bethea and wide receiver Golden Tate. This unnecessarily reckless game of gridiron limbo could get even messier if Gettleman's seemingly unwavering commitment to having the glorified mannequin formerly known as Eli Manning line up under center in 2019 proves to be something other than just a pre-draft smoke screen to put their longtime starting QB's mind at ease. By having a team that's too flawed to compete for a playoff spot yet too talented to be in contention for a very high draft pick, you're setting up your current coaching staff (as well as any quarterback you potentially bring in the draft) to fail, which in turn could result in heightening the toxic environment that has consumed East Rutherford since the infamous Boat Trip ahead of their last playoff game in 2016.
Dishonorable Mentions: Raiders, Packers, Ravens
Best Individual Acquisition: Browns acquire wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. from the Giants for a 1st and 3rd round pick in the 2019 draft and safety Jabril Peppers
Declaring a trade the best acquisition of free agency may be a little unfair, but when a move has potential ramifications this massive, I have to go against my standard operating procedure for these pieces. Adding a dynamic playmaking receiver that's on the cusp of entering his prime (he'll be 27 in November) to a young, upstart offense could prove to be the X-factor that elevates the Browns from a promising team on the rise to legit contenders in the AFC.
Honorable Mentions: Panthers sign center Matt Paradis, Packers sign safety Adrian Amos, Broncos sign cornerback Bryce Callahan
Worst Individual Acquisition: Raiders sign tackle Trent Brown to a 4 year/ $66 mil deal ($36.2 mil guaranteed)
How do you help fix an offense with a jittery quarterback that sees ghosts every time someone from the opposing team breathes on him? Well, part of the brilliant Gruden braintrust's attempted solution to this problem was grossly overpaying a notoriously erratic player to come in and play left tackle. Forking over a ton of cash for a guy that only managed to be above average under the tutelage of virtuoso offensive line coach Dante Scarnecchia in New England and has an extensive history of conditioning/weight/work ethic issues to play the most important position on the offensive line is the type of lapse in judgement that can make a bad team even worse while also planting the seeds for a lovely descent into cap hell.
Dishonorable Mentions: Packers sign outside linebacker Za'Darius Smith, Jaguars sign quarterback Nick Foles, Bears sign cornerback Buster Skrine
Best Player Still on the Market: Stephen Gostkowski, kicker
Gostkowski's availability at this juncture is an alarming reminder of how little value teams place on special teams. The 35-year old has consistently been among the best kickers in the league over the past decade and his reliability at a position (87.4 FG% for his career) where that precious intangible is becoming harder and harder to find would provide some much needed relief for any of the dozen or so kicking-challenged teams around the league.
Honorable Mentions: Ndamukong Suh, defensive tackle, Justin Houston, outside linebacker, Ezekiel Ansah, defensive end
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