It’s another week of the Be(T) Like Mike Show! Mike North and Jon Jansen discuss why finding a lost wallet is the best feeling ever, why the NHL playoffs are so good and their picks for the day on the 5.17 Be(T) Like Mike show.
Mike North – @North2North
Jon Jansen – @jjansen34
Make sure to check out more DFS and betting content at WinDailySports.com
Need to take the edge of like Ryne Sandberg? Than listen to the latest episode of the 5.14 Be(T) Like Mike Show with Mike North and Jon Jansen as they discuss Sandberg, watching MLB games on YouTube and give out their picks for the day!
Mike North – @North2North
Jon Jansen – @jjansen34
Make sure to check out more DFS and betting content at WinDailySports.com
On the second episode of The Fantasy Isle, Nabaté Isles talks with Pro Football Hall of Famer Warren Moon. Moon talks about the NFL Draft, quarterbacks for this season including Colts new quarterback Carson Wentz and where Aaron Rodgers end up playing this season!
Make sure to check out more DFS and betting content at WinDailySports.com
So Jon apparently has some really bad takes. Mike North and Jon Jansen agree that Jerry West is a top 5 Laker, Jon thinks Kurt Warner is overrated, gets crushed for saying that and then the two give out their picks for today on the 5.13 Be(T) Like Mike Show!
Mike North – @North2North
Jon Jansen – @jjansen34
Make sure to check out more DFS and betting content at WinDailySports.com
It’s NFL Schedule Release day! Mike North and Jon Jansen try to figure out why the schedule release is primetime TV, LeBron James and their picks for today’s games on the 5.12 Be(T) Like Mike Show!
Mike North – @North2North
Jon Jansen – @jjansen34
Make sure to check out more DFS and betting content at WinDailySports.com
On the first ever episode of The Fantasy Isle, Nabaté Isles talks with Pro Football Hall of Famer Marshall Faulk. Faulk talks about financial education, strategies he uses for fantasy football drafts, Urban Meyer in Jacksonville, Tom Brady and much more!
Make sure to check out more DFS and betting content at WinDailySports.com
Free agency in the past has always been extremely hard to predict (as noted by my free agency predictions write-up) but nobody saw what the Patriots were going to do. Swinging for home runs right out of the gate, New England instantly upgraded their offensive weapons in 24 hours. While there are still big names that have yet to sign (Kenny Golladay, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Chris Carson, Kenyan Drake, Will Fuller V, Leonard Fournette), there have been quite a few NFL Fantasy Impact Free Agent Signings as detailed below.
Kenny Golladay – WR – Giants – 4 years / $72,000,000 – If Dave Gettleman and Daniel Jones are going to save their jobs, the Giants needed to sign a big time wide receiver. With Allen Robinson and Chris Godwin getting the franchise tag and Curtis Samuel signing with the rival Washington Football Team, New York needed to overpay to get the last remaining top guy. From a fantasy perspective, this signing is a big help for the offense. For starters, Daniel Jones has a true number one type wide receiver. Looking past his injury-filled 2020 season, Golladay was a beast in 2019 with 65 catches for 1190 yards and 11 touchdowns. Opposing defenses now have to key in on Golladay and this takes one more player out of the box for Saquon Barkley. I do expect Saquon to have a bounce back season after another injury plagued year and one of the factors for this is Kenny Golladay.
Kenyan Drake – RB – Raiders – 2 years / $11,000,000 – Now this is a perplexing move. The Raiders have a pretty good running back in Josh Jacobs, although he is very dependent on volume. Last year Jacobs was among the league’s least efficient running backs and now you add another volume-dependent running back in Kenyan Drake. Prior to free agency, I may have been a bit more excited about this move, since the Raiders offensive line was a good unit, but with the release of Gabe Jackson and Rodney Hudson, the once-strength of this team isn’t what it used to be.
Drake was severely misused in Arizona as noted by 25 receptions (lowest since his rookie season). When he was on the field it was a running play and it was a passing play when Chase Edmonds on the field. Drake could be a good change of pace back if he is used in that role but I feel as though this move only takes away value from both players. The only way this works out is if Jacobs sustains an injury otherwise I have a hard time ranking either of these running backs in my top 20 for 2021.
Will Fuller V – WR – Dolphins – 1 year / $10,625,011 – Fantastic signing by the Dolphins. Tua Tagovailoa excelled when he had a plethora of receiving weapons, especially ones that have incredible speed. Will Fuller is a talented receiver with great speed and is quite the touchdown producer. He will help take the top off the defense and will take some pressure off of DeVante Parker. The signing of Fuller allows the Dolphins to enter the draft and take the best player available. That can still be an offensive weapon or a left tackle. Either way, it was a smart signing by both sides as Fuller can prove he can stay healthy (minus his one-game suspension for PEDs) and the Dolphins get a great receiver trying to prove himself on a one-year deal.
Jonnu Smith / Hunter Henry – TE – Patriots – Smith 4 years / $50,000,000 and Henry 3 years / $37,500,000 – Going to sleep Monday night I was running through a list of the top 10 fantasy tight ends for the 2021 season. It went something like this:
You could throw Mike Gesicki and Rob Gronkowski in there and I would be fine with that. Trying to slot in Jonnu Smith was interesting. He’s an extremely versatile tight end that can line up in the backfield, inline or split out wide. He can take a screen pass twenty yards down the field with ease and is a mismatch nightmare. So I was going to slot Jonnu Smith in the tenth slot and knock Noah Fant down (because of the amount of legit receiving options already in Denver and Drew Lock being a subpar quarterback).
Then Tuesday morning rolls around the Patriots make another massive deal involving Hunter Henry. New England now has two top 15 tight ends but they are both ranked outside of my top ten. With the signing of multiple receivers, Nelson Agholor and Kendrick Bourne, and two tight ends there are now a plethora of weapons for Cam Newton to distribute too.
I expect Julian Edelman to get cut to save some cap space but Cam Newton still isn’t going to push the ball down the field enough to make all of these players fantasy relevant. Hunter Henry does have injury concerns and if he goes down Jonnu Smith jumps back up into the top ten of my rankings, and vice versa, but together they create a massive headache because each player will have their good weeks but also complete duds. Such is the way with Patriots players and fantasy football.
Marvin Jones – WR – Jaguars – 2 years / $12,500,000 – Trevor Lawrence is starting to get excited about coming to Jacksonville. The Jaguars currently have some very talented young receivers in DJ Chark, Laviska Shenault, and Collin Johnson but they still needed a bit more. Insert Marvin Jones, a veteran receiver that has been coached by Jags’ new offensive coordinator, Darrell Bevell, for the past few years. His experience under Bevell, and overall NFL experience, will pay huge dividends with that young wide receiver corps.
AJ Green – WR – Cardinals – 1 year / $6,000,000 – This move is contingent on what 37-year-old Larry Fitzgerald decides to do. If Fitz retires, then AJ Green could have a very nice role in an offense that pushes the ball down the field. Having a healthy AJ Green helps take more players out of the box and “maybe” takes away some double coverages from DeAndre Hopkins. The keyword is healthy though. He played in all 16 games last year for the first time since 2017 and is only 32 years old with the potential for a bounceback season. If Hopkins, Fitzgerald and AJ Green all line up in trips on opening day, the combined age of those receivers is 100 years old. High upside one year move here.
Andy Dalton – QB – Bears – 1 year / $10,000,000 – Unfortunately for Bears fans, this was the best that Chicago could do. After being told “no” repeatedly by Seattle, the Bears settled on Andy Dalton. At one time a highly paid, average quarterback, Dalton settled on a backup role with the Cowboys and didn’t exactly take advantage of the situation once Dak Prescott went down. The elephant in the room for Dalton is: will Allen Robinson be part of the team?
If Robinson is part of the team, Dalton could have some decent DFS value in weeks where the Bears play the Bengals, Lions, and possibly the Vikings. If Robinson isn’t part of this wide receiver corps then I have a hard time banking on Dalton finishing the season as a top 20 quarterback. Maybe David Montgomery continues his improvement, and teams load the box more to stop him, giving Dalton more one on one coverage to pick apart defenses but I can’t see Dalton thriving in this offense.
Jamaal Williams – RB – Lions – 2 years / $6,000,000 – I’m adding in Jamaal Williams onto this list not because he will become a fantasy star next year but because he’s going to take away from D’Andre Swift. The question is how much usage will he get in 2021. Swift started to come into his own last year then the concussion he sustained against Washington in week 10 slowed down his progress. He did finish the year off nicely for a rookie running back but let’s dive into his stats. Swift had 521 rushing yards, 46 receptions for 357 yards and 10 total touchdowns in 13 games.
The first four weeks of the season he saw a combined total of 23 rushing attempts and targets. Not a bad rookie year but in comes Jamaal Williams who has a similar skill set. Effective in the run and pass game, it seems like Williams will spell Swift on passing downs (especially since Williams is better in pass protection). As somebody who has shares of Swift, I am slightly concerned about this signing but Williams never took over the role from Aaron Jones. I am not saying Swift is a better running back than Aaron Jones but Williams didn’t sign a big enough deal to warrant him taking away anything from Swift.
Ryan Fitzpatrick – QB – Washington – 1 year / $10,000,000 – I love love love this move by Washington. Not because I think it improves their quarterback play but because Fitzpatrick is a fantasy godsend. He is constantly pushing the ball down the field and can adapt to what his team needs. Terry McLaurin and Curtis Samuel are going to love this move as Fitz is the best quarterback they have ever had. Here are the total targets for number one wide receivers with Fitzpatrick: 137, 148, 141, 134, 146, 173, 128, 128.
Now throw in Terry McLaurin and let’s see what he can do with that consistent target share (McLaurin did have 134 targets last year but his catchable passes were among the league’s worst). I’m very excited about this move but I’m extremely excited to see what Scary Terry McLaurin can do (along with his 4.04 average draft position).
Curtis Samuel – WR – Football Team – 3 years / $34,500,000 – This is a slam dunk signing for the Washington Football Team. They now have multiple talented receivers that Ryan Fitzpatrick can just get the ball into their hands and take it the distance. The tandem of Curtis Samuel and Terry McLaurin creates one of the best one/two punches in the league. Throw in Antonio Gibson as a weapon out of the backfield and this offense puts them in contention as a real threat to make some fantasy noise.
One of the biggest factors that nobody is talking about is this Washington defense is a force to be reckoned with. They will be getting the ball back to Fitzpatrick often and those extra possessions create a lot more touchdown opportunities for the former Ohio State Buckeyes receivers.
Thanks for the read-through of my NFL Fantasy Impact Free Agent Signings! Still plenty of more signings to come but make sure to check this as it will update as and when the remaining fantasy-relevant players sign. Then we can discuss how it will affect their teams and how you should view them as it pertains to their fantasy relevance.
Follow me on Twitter @jrazzle81 for more NFL News and Notes.
I’ve spent a lot of time talking about free agency and the NFL Draft but with the number of teams that need to create cap space, there is plenty of fantasy relevant players that are available for trade. Let’s take a look at which ones would make the biggest difference in our Impact Fantasy Trades 2021.
Deshaun Watson – Dolphins – Watson is definitely going to get traded at some point this offseason but where would he make the most fantasy-relevant impact? Miami seems to be the clear-cut winner as they have the draft capital and the Super Bowl ready team. He’s clearly not happy in Houston and if Miami offers Tua Tagovailoa and three first-round picks, I think the Texans would think long and hard about it. New Texans general manager was apparently enthralled by Tua in the draft process last year and the Dolphins can offer the young, talented quarterback that Houston would want in return for one of the best talents in the league. Miami’s offense with Devante Parker, Jakeem Grant, and Preston Williams doesn’t scare anybody but if Chris Carson does sign with the Dolphins, this team would see a fantastic boost.
Russell Wilson – Bears – There is a 50/50 shot of this happening. Russell is clearly unhappy with his involvement in the Seattle organization but the Seahawks would incur a massive dead cap hit if they trade their franchise quarterback. I think the pairing of Russell Wilson with Allen Robinson would bring tears to Robinson’s eyes. After years of catching passes from Christian Hackenburg, Blake Bortles, and Mitch Trubisky, Robinson deserves to show what he can do with a great quarterback. I honestly don’t know what the Bears can offer in return for Wilson but it would have to involve years of first-round picks and multiple veterans.
Sam Darnold – Seahawks – One of the biggest storylines this offseason has been following the drama of Russell Wilson and the Seahawks. This situation could be more smoke than fire and has a very realistic chance of being resolved but if Russell is traded, I could see the Seahawks taking some of that draft capital they would have received and flipping it to the Jets. Sam Darnold is no Russell Wilson but in the run-heavy offense that Pete Carroll wants to run, Darnold could run it well. Darnold can hand off to whoever their new workhouse running back is and play-action passes to wide-open DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett might be something that Seattle is considering.
Allen Robinson – Ravens – If Russell doesn’t get traded to the Bears and they don’t upgrade their quarterback room with a player that Robinson approves of, I think he forces a trade to get out. A phenomenal landing spot for Allen Robinson would be in Baltimore with Lamar Jackson. Allen Robinson has played with such poor quarterbacks over the years that even though Lamar is a bit of an erratic passer at times, he is still the best quarterback he will have ever played with. The 27-year-old Robinson would be the number one and Hollywood Brown would shift to a number two receiver with Mark Andrews covering the middle of the field. The whole offense would get a great boost from this trade.
Odell Beckham Jr. – 49ers – I think if Odell gets traded, it would be after a few days of free agency once some teams miss out on players that they coveted. Getting Kyle Shanahan a true number one receiver is the one missing piece from his offense and obtaining the guy that Shanahan has been in love with will bring a smile to both of their faces. Odell would love to be a number one guy again. The 28-year-old would save the Browns a few million dollars this year and give them an opportunity to improve their defense. From a fantasy perspective, Odell’s talent would be on full display and a creative coach would get so much from him.
Adam Thielen – Patriots – There are a few reasons for this trade. Adam Thielen is 30 years old and this move would save Minnesota a little over $8,000,000. Then they would be able to revamp that poor defense via free agency and add some draft capital as well. I’m certain that Bill Belichick would give up about a second-round pick for Thielen. Also, the emergence of young superstar Justin Jefferson helps make this trade easier to swallow. The Vikings have already released Kyle Rudolph this offseason to create more cap and with the depth of wide receivers in this year’s draft class, Minnesota can get younger without getting worse. Adam Thielen would instantly be the best receiver on the Patriots and would be featured early and often. A 100+ reception season is in his cards again and he showed he’s very capable of getting close to 15 touchdowns. Cam Newton doesn’t have the biggest arm anymore but Thielen is a great guy over the middle and would complement Newton’s skillset.
Matt Ryan – Broncos – This trade would be very improbable. Trading Matt Ryan would leave the Falcons with a decent amount of dead cap plus the Falcons roster isn’t that bad. The offense is still good, they just need to improve their defense. But IF John Elway and new general manager George Paton decide to go the veteran QB route, Matt Ryan would be a great pickup. Denver’s offense has an insane amount of talent. Jerry Jeudy, Noah Fant, KJ Hamler, and the return of Courtland Sutton with a veteran quarterback would create a dream fantasy offense. Sprinkle in some Melvin Gordon and an above-average offensive line and Matt Ryan to Denver would create a fun offense to watch.
Julio Jones – Colts – The Falcons are in cap hell right now. They have a bunch of aging, expensive players that are getting towards the end of their careers so if Atlanta does decide to do a rebuild and trade away Julio Jones and Matt Ryan, sooner is better than later. Trading Julio after June 1st would create dead cap for 2022 but would actually help save them some money this year and with the cap expected to go up again next year the dead cap for next season wouldn’t be that bad. This move would give the Colts a number one, go-to wide receiver and would help Carson Wentz tremendously. Julio would have great complementary receivers in Michael Pittman and Paris Campbell as well as a terrific running back in Jonathan Taylor.
Michael Thomas – Jaguars – I have a hard time seeing this trade going down, especially with the dead cap hit that would be accrued by the Saints but it’s fun to dream for our Impact Fantasy Trades 2021! Michael Thomas played under Urban Meyer while he was at Ohio State and Urban is trying to build a juggernaut in Jacksonville, especially with all that salary cap money. The best way to do that is to give Trevor Lawrence as many weapons as possible. Michael Thomas would cover the entire middle of the field and catch all of the slant routes while DJ Chark can go deep and take the top off the defense. Laviska Shenault can be used as that all-purpose gadget player and James Robinson would never see a loaded box again. Trevor Lawrence would become a top 5 fantasy quarterback as a rookie with Thomas and Chark as top 20 options.
Jimmy Garoppolo – Patriots – Yes, the Patriots just signed Cam Newton but the incentive-heavy contract can easily be maneuvered. Belichick has always been in love with Jimmy G and with the 49ers potentially looking at upgrading the position through the draft, the former Eastern Illinois quarterback could be on the way out. Jimmy G would be an instant upgrade over Cam as he has the passing ability that Cam doesn’t. This would help the entire Patriots receiving core and the running backs accrue more fantasy value, especially the running backs like Damien Harris that are a bit more touchdown-dependent. No more Cam Newton vulturing those goal-line carries.
Teddy Bridgewater – Washington Football Team – Washington desperately needs a quarterback and Teddy will be looking for a new home soon. Teddy’s current team, the Carolina Panthers, will be drafting a quarterback early in the 2021 NFL Draft in April so chances are that Teddy is a draft-day trade if Carolina can get one of the guys that they covet. This trade gives Washington a veteran presence and an upgrade over their quarterback room. Teddy won’t completely wow you but he is still better than Taylor Heinicke and would improve the draft stock of Terry McLaurin and breakout star Logan Thomas.
Thanks for checking out this article on Impact Fantasy Trades 2021! Obviously, some of these trades are very farfetch’d and completely over the top but it’s fun to float some of these ideas out there. One of the trades not talked about enough is Odell Beckham Jr. to the 49ers. I would put some money on that one. Make sure to follow me on Twitter at @jrazzle81!
This article is about impactful free agent signings that aren’t fantasy players. Non-Fantasy, Fantasy Impact Signings, if you will. It’s about an offensive lineman that can help protect the quarterback and open up holes in the running game. As well as Defensive players that can get the ball back for the offense. Then how will this impact certain betting odds. These are marquee, big named players so the teams with the most cap space will sign these star players. Check out my Free Agent tracker to see where these guys end up signing! I also have a Mock Draft and Fantasy Impact Signings up on the site!
The Jaguars just used their franchise tag on left tackle Cam Robinson, so why would they spend $20,000,000 on another left tackle? Trent Williams is better, plain and simple, and signing him would improve the entire offense as a whole. Arguably the best left tackle in the game, Trent Williams would protect Trevor Lawrence’s blindside. AJ Cann and Jawaan Taylor haven’t lived up to expectations so shuffling around the right side of the line with Cam Robinson playing right tackle and Jawaan playing right guard might give this team the best chance to win. The impact of signing Trent Williams would greatly help Trevor Lawrence’s development as he knows he can drop back safely on every play and not worry about what is behind him. This will give him more time to throw deep passes to DJ Chark and Laviska Shenault. James Robinson will have even more holes to run through. I’m not going to tell you to bet on the Jaguars to win the Super Bowl (DraftKings has the odds at +7500) but the potential of them winning the division (+1200) is very intriguing. The Texans are a complete dumpster fire. The Colts are betting their future on Carson Wentz. Derrick Henry is going to have to slow down eventually and that Tennessee team still can’t rush the passer. So why not take a chance on the Jaguars?
A quarterback’s best friend (outside of protection and a number one wide receiver) is a great defense that can get the ball back to the offense. Not many players over the past few years have been better at that than Shaq Barrett. 2019, Barrett broke out in a major way racking up 19.5 sacks. Last year he totaled 12 sacks (8 regular season and 4 in the postseason) and two forced fumbles and was a disruptive force in the Super Bowl. If Shaq is on the team, the leads can continue to pile up and this means more opportunities for whichever running back is leading the way. Whether Leonard Fournette resigns or if Bruce Arians gives the full workload to Ronald Jones II or Ke’Shawn Vaughn, one of these guys could be a beast in season-long and DFS. Barrett is a monster off the edge and is somebody that Tampa Bay needs to resign. If Shaq does leave the Bucs, I have a hard time believing that Jason Pierre-Paul can get it done by himself. Ndamukong Suh is also a free agent. If Tampa Bay loses two of their top four leaders in sacks, I see them having a difficult time making it back to the Super Bowl (+850). Tom Brady and Mike Evans will rearrange some money to help as many players come back from that championship team but none are more important than Shaq Barrett.
I mentioned Shaq Barrett above and how much of a sack guru he has been, but let’s take a look at the forced fumble master. Since Yannick Ngakoue came into the league in 2016 he has 19 forced fumbles. The impact of forced fumbles cannot be underestimated as having an extra drive every couple of games can do wonders for building or maintaining a lead. Turnovers play such a key part in helping the offense and those drives have a higher chance of ending as a scoring opportunity. Tua Tagovailoa struggled last season. He had a difficult time reading defenses and the coverages they were running but Tua will improve in year two. Miami also has two first-round picks again and one of them will be used on an offensive playmaker. I believe Miami will look long and hard at bringing in Aaron Jones and Chris Carson, so this offense will be much improved in 2021. I think that Ngakoue would be a key piece to helping Tua get better. The Dolphins’ current odds to win the Super Bowl are +2500, which is a bit steep considering we need to see more improvement from Tua, but their +300 odds to win the AFC East is pretty tasty.
Joseph Lee Burrow needs better protection next season as exemplified by that gruesome injury he sustained. I have talked ad nauseam about how bad he was at throwing the deep ball, something he was so good at in college, and he needs that back in his repertoire. Burrow has the weapons to go deep and the Bengals have money to add another piece but they badly need offensive line help. It has long been presumed that the Bengals will draft a left tackle with the fifth overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. Players like Penei Sewell and Rashawn Slater will instantly upgrade that line. Plug in Joe Thuney at left guard and this allows Jonah Williams to move to right guard or right tackle or whatever the best shuffle of the offensive line is. Then we can see Burrow drop back without hesitation and step up into the pocket. Another player beneficiary from Thuney joining the team is Joe Mixon. A polarizing fantasy football player with incredible talent but his lackluster stats and inability to stay healthy have caused some to stay away from him. His offensive line has been subpar since he’s been in Cincinnati and with the improvement of Joe Burrow, Mixon will see some open holes to run through. The Bengals are at least a few years away from competing for a Super Bowl but in the NFL anything can happen and their +2500 odds to win the division sure is intriguing.
Anthony Harris resigning with the Vikings is an absolute must. The Vikings defense was one of the worst in the league last year, even as it did begin to show signs of life towards the end of the season. Adding Danielle Hunter back to the defensive line will help improve the secondary and another year of experience will help their second-year corners (Jeff Gladney and Mike Hughes) improve but Anthony Harris is the glue that holds it all together. His seven interceptions in 2019 led the entire NFL and even without a pick last year, he’s still an incredible free safety. Harris’s ability to play elite centerfield creates more opportunities for the Vikings offense. Either ending a drive with an interception or making a pass deflection to end a drive, gives the offense more opportunities to score. This allows Dalvin Cook to grind out more yards when the Vikings are leading and Kirk Cousins more passing touchdown opportunities to Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen. The Vikings don’t have any in-house upgrade to take over the spot if Harris does leave but with Minnesota having -$5,500,000 in salary cap space, good players won’t be kept. Dalvin Cook currently has +6600 odds and Kirk Cousins at +5000 to win MVP next year. It might be worth throwing a few dollars on those guys if Anthony Harris resigns with the team.
Since the day that Anthony Castonzo retired there has been a massive hole at the Colts’ left tackle position. A very underrated player, Castonzo held down the Colts quarterback’s blindside for ten seasons and now they have to address the position. Alejandro Villanueva has done the same thing for Big Ben for the past seven seasons and now it’s time to give Carson Wentz protection. The Colts mortgaged quite a bit to get the former Eagles quarterback so he needs to show improvement from last season. Standing at 6’9 and 320 pounds, Wentz will take one look at the former Army Ranger and know that he’s got his back. Wentz has some good weapons in Michael Pittman and Parris Campbell and a total stud in Jonathan Taylor. Taylor will be fed the rock a lot next season. I know the MVP award is a quarterback award but Jonathan Taylor at +12500 odds is a nice bet since he has a real opportunity to hit 2,000 rushing yards next season with Villanueva paving the way. Jonathan Taylor’s success will take a lot of pressure off of Wentz and allow him to set up play-action passes that he has been so successful at running throughout the years. If Carson can return to his MVP-ish form, it will be because the offensive line was able to keep him upright and healthy. Currently at +3300 odds to win MVP, Wentz is giving us good odds on a longshot quarterback.
This is a little bit of a curveball that I’ve been considering. Not so much of Peterson leaving the Cardinals and going to the Raiders but him switching positions to free safety. A potential Hall of Famer, Peterson has had a storied NFL career but there could be a resurgence to the second half of his career if he accepts this switch. It appears as though he has lost a step so a move to the back part of the secondary will still allow him to use great instincts and incredible ball skills. The Raiders are in desperate need of a veteran presence on that team and just so happen to have a hole at free safety. Las Vegas also has a good amount of cap space now that they have cut some bad contracts from the team. Derek Carr appears locked in at quarterback for 2021 but he needs some help to get it done. This is where Peterson’s playmaking abilities can help out. 28 career interceptions and a tremendous leader can help shape the defense into a much-improved unit. The Raiders had one of the worst defenses in the league last year, allowing close to 400 yards per game, but I think that if the Raiders can be successful it’ll start with a better defense. This will allow Josh Jacobs to be utilized in better situations and will give Darren Waller and Derek Carr more opportunities for touchdowns. I can’t with a straight face say that the Raiders can win the division, it’s way too hard to bet against Patrick Mahomes, but anything is possible. +8000 for Derek Carr to win MVP could be an interesting bet as they NEED him to succeed to win.
The Buffalo Bills have a real shot to win the Super Bowl next year and after years of criticism, Josh Allen looks like a perennial MVP candidate. He took a major step forward and will be critical to the success of this team. One area that the team can improve upon is fixing the defense. They were middle of the pack in sacks with 38 last year, 27th in rushing touchdowns allowed, and 23rd in yards per carry allowed. The Bills defense has to step up if it wants to compete with the Chiefs for a chance to go to the Super Bowl. Carlos Dunlap, a two-time pro bowler, hits the open market after a short stint with the Seahawks. Dunlap was dominant in 2019 and still had a very good season in 2020 despite the midseason trade from the Bengals. He graded positively against the run and the pass and is exactly what the Bills could be looking for. Stopping the run and adding a few more sacks will help give Josh Allen the ball with more opportunities to score and will take more pressure off of him to do everything. No running game and a subpar defense held this team back from being great. Josh Allen is already one of the favorites to win MVP at +1300 and the Bills are considered one of the early favorites to win the Super Bowl at +1200 and those odds could get better if Dunlap signs.
The New England Patriots of 2020 did not look like a Patriots team we were used to seeing. The offense was horrific and the defense had a lot of turnover and opt-outs. Whoever the quarterback is for 2021 will have to be better for this team to compete again. The offensive line has already had some shake-ups with the Trent Brown trade and the potential loss of Joe Thuney to free agency but I can’t lose faith in Bill Belichick. He’s a defensive genius and knows what he needs his players to do. Finally, with some cap space, he can go and grab the players that he covets. One of those players I believe is Haason Reddick. The Patriots had a pitiful amount of 24 sacks last season and a +3 turnover differential. JC Jackson accounted for 9 of the team’s interceptions and adding Reddick would improve every facet of the team but especially the pass rush. Belichick would have him in the best position to make plays and get the ball back to the offense. A player I liked last year was Damien Harris but with this team constantly behind, they couldn’t get him involved in the offense as much as they would have liked. I believe that with a more improved defense and better quarterback play, Bill will have this team in a position to succeed next season. I am not sure of the odds for Harris to win a rushing title or to score the most touchdowns in 2021 but they will be worth a look once those get released.
The Arizona Cardinals will be a team with very high expectations next season. Kyler Murray will be an MVP candidate but if Kliff Kingsbury and Steve Keim can’t fix the offensive line woes, then it will be another lackluster season. Being a smaller quarterback, Kyler needs to protect himself or he risks injury. We saw this happen last season and once he got hurt the threat of his rushing ability gets taken away, he’s a sitting duck behind that porous line. Arizona has two holes at right guard and right tackle after JR Sweezy and Kelvin Beachum are going to leave via free agency. Russell Okung will allow another shuffle of the offensive line. Okung can start at left tackle and DJ Humphries can move back to right tackle. They have the 17th pick in the draft and filling their two tackle positions beforehand will allow them the flexibility to take the best guard/ center option or supplement their defense. With the offensive line fixed, the Cardinals can get their running backs hitting open holes and allow Kyler more opportunities to step up into the pocket and throw the ball with conviction. The Cardinals currently have the worst odds to win the NFC West at +550. Easily the toughest division in the NFL, there is a very good chance the Cardinals are in it at the end of the season.
Thanks for the read-through of my Non-Fantasy Fantasy Impact Signings! Looking at non-fantasy players that can affect major fantasy players and gambling is a bit different. There are a lot of quality free-agent offensive linemen that can drastically improve their teams. As well as a bunch of edge rushers and safeties that can cause turnovers to get the ball back to the offense. Hopefully, you see some odds in this article and make a couple of bucks off it.
Mock drafts are something that I truly love. I have been working on them since I was 15 years old. I’m 30 now, so I have a little experience doing them. I love putting together mock drafts after the conclusion of free agency because you have a better idea of the team’s needs but they are still fun to work on! NFL Free Agency starts Monday, March 15th at 4 PM EST. The NFL Draft starts April 29th and concludes on May 1st. If you haven’t already, check out my Top 10 Free Agents on the market and where they will land. Here is my Pre-Free Agency Mock Draft on March 9th!
This pick is a lock. Urban Meyer didn’t come out of retirement to coach Gardner Minshew. He wanted the generational quarterback AND the unlimited amount of cap space to build the team in his image.
IF the Jets do keep Sam Darnold, they would most likely trade out of the second pick as the haul that would be dangled in front of them would be too good to turn down. It’s no secret that Matt Rhule is desperate for a quarterback and Zach Wilson is the next best one with enormous upside.
Don’t let the tight end designation fool you, Kyle Pitts is an offensive weapon. He’s a superhuman that was created in a lab somewhere that completely dominated the SEC. Instead of opting for the best wide receivers in the draft, take the safer pick and keep adding weapons for Tua.
San Fran is another team eager for a quarterback. Jimmy G hasn’t gotten it done for them and it’s time to find one that Kyle Shanahan can have faith in. Fields is a fantastic fit for this offense. A dual-threat, big-armed quarterback that sometimes needs assistance reading defenses and processing the game faster. Shanahan can help with that.
Penei Sewell has seemed destined for Cincinnati since the Bengals failed to properly address their offensive line situation in last year’s draft. Jonah Williams can’t stay healthy and it’s clear that Joe Burrow needs some time and room to step up in the pocket. He was the worst quarterback on deep passes last year and adding a 330-pound nimble monster left tackle can help that.
If the Eagles truly intend on giving Jalen Hurts a chance, they need to draft a playmaker early. Hurts isn’t the most accurate quarterback but Smith can make plays all over the field. His catch radius is incredible and he doesn’t drop any passes.
Does Denver love Drew Lock? I don’t believe so. He has talent but he couldn’t put it together last year with loads of offensive weapons (minus Courtland Sutton). Trey Lance is another tall, big-armed quarterback that has incredible running ability. If he continues to develop, this offense could be a fun one to watch.
I truly believe the smartest thing the Jets could do is keep Darnold another year. Not because I believe in Sam Darnold (which I don’t) but because Adam Gase was such a horrific offensive coach that literally every player that left him went on to be successful somewhere else. If you read my Free Agency Fantasy Breakdown, you would see that I have the Jets spending big on signing JuJu Smith-Schuster and Chris Carson. Drafting Ja’Marr Chase would help create an offensive juggernaut that Sam Darnold would succeed in. As well as adding a 2022 first round pick and 2021 second round pick from Carolina.
The Lions are in rebuild mode. So adding picks is necessary to the development of this team and that is why I believe they go with Slater here. A plug-and-play left tackle that gives the Lions the ability to shuffle around their offensive line. There is a chance Detroit goes and selects a quarterback this year but their roster is devoid of talent so chances are they will be picking early next season. Build up the roster for 2022.
Dallas has holes all over this defense so they could go in many different directions but with Chidobe Awuzie and Jourdan Lewis set to hit the market as free agents, both corner spots could be up for grabs. Caleb Farley is an incredible athlete that moved to the position a few years ago and is just scratching at the surface of his potential.
If the draft sets up the Giants this way, I think the pick will come down to the best player available. Jaylen Waddle is a game breaker in the mold of Tyreek Hill and could give Daniel Jones some much-needed help on offense. If Gettleman doesn’t go the receiver route, I could see him selecting Micah Parsons to help build up that defense.
This trade would have massive ramifications. The Falcons would get another first next year and a second this year. Rebuilding the team without actually rebuilding allows the team to fix the defense on the fly and give the Falcons the best chance to win this year. Parsons would help all three levels of Atlanta’s defense. He’s a great and athletic inside linebacker (although he does need to work on his vision reading run-pass options) with the ability to rush the passer.
Justin Herbert looks like the real deal. He has some weapons on offense but needs some help along the line. The Chargers are set to lose multiple players along the interior of the offensive line so with Vera-Tucker you have the versatility to play him at center, guard or tackle. A very useful player that can help advance the development of their franchise quarterback.
Minnesota is such a weird team. There is an ample amount of talent all over the place but there seem to be road bumps every year. The secondary was criticized greatly last season but that’s what happens when you have two rookie corners starting. Kwity Paye can come in and give a boost to a team that had 23 sacks in 2020 and take some pressure off of the secondary.
Bill Belichick calls up Nick Saban and asks him his thoughts on Mac Jones. Saban sells Mac Jones to Belichick. Patriots draft Mac Jones. I can only assume this is how it will go down. I have a hard time selling Mac Jones as a top 10 pick. Even top 20. He’s such a hard evaluation as he was surrounded by talent but doesn’t have the athletic qualities that the NFL game is transitioning to. I’m sure his intelligence and work ethic will be coveted by the Patriots though.
The Cardinals need to protect Kyler Murray. The offensive line is bad and JR Sweezy and Kelvin Beachum are free agents. Plug Darrisaw at left tackle or right tackle and give Kyler a better chance to succeed.
Gruden and Mayock love taking players from blue blood schools and JOK fits that mold. Owusu-Koramoah can be that hybrid player that Gruden has been lacking on his team. His combination of speed, athletic ability and versatility will appeal to the Raiders.
Chris Grier and Brian Flores have very quietly built up a quality roster in their short time in Miami. Now they just need to add playmakers to the team. Rousseau was once thought of as a top 10 pick but after opting out last year there have been some questions about him. I think the team that has the best knowledge of Rousseau is the one that is based in his backyard.
Washington is another team that needs to figure out their quarterback position but with having a late selection in the first round, a trade up seems inconceivable. They decide to stay put and take another uber athletic wide receiver. Bateman is 6’1 210 pounds and runs a 4.37 forty yard dash. He would complement Terry McLaurin very well.
Even with the franchise tagging of Allen Robinson, wide receiver is still a position of need for the Bears. There is still a possibility that Robinson forces his way out of Chicago, as has been speculated, so wide receiver is the pick here. Toney is a home run hitter every time he gets his hands on the ball so whoever the quarterback is in Chicago can feel safe throwing him slants and bubble routes.
Colts have a massive need at left tackle following the retirement of Anthony Castonzo so why not grab a left tackle that went to the same school as their new quarterback Carson Wentz? Although Radunz and Wentz never played together, I’m certain this would be a welcomed addition as protecting Wentz is key to his success. North Dakota State has quietly put out quality NFL talent and Radunz can more than hold his own.
Cornerback may not be the Titans’ biggest need right now but there has been speculation of cutting one or both of Malcolm Butler/ Adoree Jackson. Surtain takes a bit of a tumble down the first round as he is a fit for zone coverage defenses but the talent is too good to let fall any further. Drafting the best player available is something good teams do. Edge is also a possibility with this pick.
Going along with what I’ve been preaching, I believe that the Jets could improve their team dramatically by standing pat on Sam Darnold. They have their left tackle of the future and I gave them Ja’Marr Chase with the eight pick. Adding another piece to the offensive line will help Mike LaFleur’s offense flourish.
With Alejandro Villanueva most likely leaving via free agency, the Steelers now have two massive holes along their offensive line. They could go Cosmi or a guard/center (to replace the now-retired Maurkice Pouncey) but I think they will opt for the player that can play left tackle and address center later in the draft.
With the new regime in place the Jaguars are going to be switching to a 3-4 defense. Myles Jack will stay outside and Schobert will man one of the two middle positions. Quincy Avery, a third round pick from 2019, has been bit by the injury bug too many times to count on so signing Collins gives the Jaguars flexibility to use the Tulsa product all over the field.
I could only imagine the relief on Myles Garrett’s face if this is the pick. I’m not the biggest fan of this defensive end/edge class but Ojulari’s burst is incredible. He can get to the quarterback with ease and playing opposite Garrett will split the attention for both players giving them the best chance to thrive.
Can we please get Lamar Jackson a big-bodied wide receiver? Lamar isn’t the most accurate passer but he can get the ball there. Insert Marshall Jr, a 6’3 200 pound wide receiver that can finally be a go to guy for Lamar. This allows Hollywood Brown to be a number two receiver and take the top off the defense. The whole offense will be better with this pick.
Moore may not be as well known at this time but he is rising draft boards. His 2020 tape was incredible: 86 catches, 1193 yards and 8 touchdowns in just eight games! He may be 5’8 and 185 pounds but his run after the catch ability is always on full display. Moore constantly gets behind the defense and would be a welcomed addition to Sean Payton’s offense.
The Packers have to add another offensive weapon and there may not be a better weapon than Moore. In addition to his breakaway speed (estimated 4.33 forty), he can also lift a truck as noted by his 600 pound squats. Aaron Rodgers will finally be a happy man on April 29th.
The Buffalo Bills have a very good roster with few holes. One player it looks like they are losing is right tackle Daryl Williams. Williams is a good player but with the Bills gearing up to give Josh Allen the bag, they need to be smart with their money. Jalen Mayfield solves the right tackle situation.
It was abundantly clear that the Chiefs needed offensive line help in the Super Bowl. Tevin Jenkins is a mauler with a mean streak that has played guard and both tackle positions at Oklahoma State. His positional versatility would fit well into what Kansas City needs.
Pending what the Bucs do in free agency, there are no glaring needs on this team. You can never have enough edge rushers though! Shaq Barrett potentially leaving is a cause for concern but with or without him, Jaelan Phillips can step right in (as long as his medicals check out).
Thanks for checking this out! Appreciate the read-through. Let us know what you think of these picks! I have also put together a comprehensive free agency prediction of the top 140 players and an up-to-date salary cap breakdown with predicated. I will be creating mock drafts like this often. – bit.ly/3arhKzR
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