Early read on free agency
Here we are, a week into free agency, and WIP nation is all frothy that Howie hasn’t done better to make our Birds better. At least I assume that’s the tone on WIP, I didn’t listen to that garbage when I had a long commute to work, so I’m definitely not tuning in when I’m commute-less (and work-less). I’ll leave that foolishness to TA. I get that it can be hard to sit and watch other teams make big splashy moves, but a steady head is the right way to set our Birds up for success. Especially in the NFC, since it appears all the talent is jumping for the AFC this offseason.
I mean, come on, the NFC East is an embarrassment. I have no idea how the Giants are this bad and still in cap trouble. Their free agency can accurately be described as a solid rearranging of the deck chairs on the Titanic. The Cowboys got a bit worse, subtracting WR, DE and OL — plus they still have a terrible coach. Then there’s Washington. What could be dumber than their new team nickname, Commanders? That’s gotta be their big dummy move for the offseason, right. Nope. Looks who’s back, back again. Our old pal Carson as their new QB. It’s nothing short of delusional for the Skins Commanders to think they’ll be the ones with the magic formula to get Carson back to his 2017 form.
Looking more broadly across the NFC, what do we see? I see a bunch of teams getting older and losing talent. Sure, the Bucs got Brady back, but as the saying goes, Father Time is undefeated. Hard to imagine a 45 year old QB hoisting the Lombardi, even if it is Brady. Both their guards retired, which is a huge concern knowing that they cannot expose said 45-year-old to getting hit. Up in Green Bay, they got a year older and lost their #1 non-QB playmaker. Out west, the defending champ Rams lost a whole bunch of players on both sides of the ball with Allen Robinson as the only notable addition. Do you get it yet? Nobody in the NFC is scary.
Now, let’s dissect the moves our Birds did and did not make.
Moves we made
Welcome home, Haason Reddick. Excellent move. We will always need pass rushers, and Haason is just now hitting his stride with plenty of upside given his age. The $$ going to sack artists is insane, meaning this contract actually looks efficient. Anthony Harris was good last year, so year 2 in the system could be very good, and another smart contract @ $2.5 mil. No reason to even address the addition of Zach Pascal. Think of him as JJAW who can actually play pro football.
Moves we didn’t make
I know, it seems like our beloved Birds missed out on everything this off season. Now, take a deep breath and use your brain for a sec. Where did we whiff, when the player is a star, under the age of 30, and not a sexual predator? Personally, I’m thrilled we were never in the Deshaun Watson talks — it would’ve been difficult for me to root for him. And the money. Oh my, so much guaranteed money for a player who is way too likely to be in serious trouble in the future. Russ? Sure I think he’s a great player and seems to be a real mensch. But his style of play requires him to be mobile, dodging and juking to give himself time to find a receiver or to take off and run. Generally being nimble. He’s 33, so how many more seasons does he have before his elusiveness evaporates? And when that happens, you know what you’ve got? You’ve got Baker Mayfield. Also, Russ is gonna demand a guaranteed 5-year, $250 mil deal after next season. No thanks. Who else did you want? Yea, I wanted Christian Kirk, but not @ $18 mil/yearly. Does Allen Robinson and his 4.6 sec 40 make you drool? He’s an adequate option as a #2 WR. Nothing to lose sleep over. Davante Adams is definitely worth a 1 and 2, but then that huuuge contract. Irrelevant anyway, he wanted the Raiders and his college pal (hard to argue with that). Also, I don’t want my WRs to be Devonta and Davante, that wouldn’t be fair to Meryl Reese. The big splash today was Tyreek Hill going to the Dolphins. Reek is hysterical to watch — he’s like a video game playing in real life. But guys with that speed, at that size, do not tend to hold up once they hit 30, meaning it’s likely he’ll get paid big bucks for at least a couple of years when his availability will be limited. Also, he’s got a history of domestic abuse that brings a whole different risk, not to mention conflict about who we cheer for. Really, was there anybody out there who’s a rising talent, at the right age, for the right contract that I’m super bummed about. Nope. Good job, Howie.
We’ll get better in the draft. Much better. And with the NFC looking like it does, the NFC championship game is a legit aspiration. This year.
#FlyEaglesFly
