2017 NFL Free Agency and Draft Thread

[Flyn]

Bears are officially reported as looking to trade Jay Cutler.

As we expected, Cutler won't be a Bear next season. If the Bears luck into a trading partner, expect a 4th-5th round pick or worse. They may end up releasing Cutler after nobody comes calling.

The Chicago Bears are hoping to rebuild this offseason—and that starts with the quarterback position.

According to ESPN's Jeff Darlington, the team has "begun actively shopping" Jay Cutler.

Bears Reportedly 'Actively' Seeking Trade Partner for Jay Cutler | Bleacher Report

 

[Flyn]

LeVeon Bell unsurprisingly gets the franchise tag from Pitt.

The Pittsburgh Steelers have placed the franchise tag on star running back Le'Veon Bell, a source told Adam Schefter of ESPN.

Bell received the "exclusive" tender, according to a source. With that designation, Bell can only negotiate with the Steelers and isn't able to sign an offer sheet with another team. The sides have until July 15 at 4 p.m. ET to agree to a long-term contract. If no deal is reached, Bell would have to play the 2017 season under the franchise tender.

 

[Flyn]

Giants give JPP the franchise tag.

Giants assigned the franchise tag to DE Jason Pierre-Paul.
Particularly with their quarterback aging and in steep decline, letting one of the NFL's premier defensive linemen get away should never have been a consideration for the Giants. They'll likely need to lean on their defense to continue to stay competitive moving forward.

 

[Flyn]

Antonio Brown now the highest paid NFL WR.

4 years $68 Mil.

 

[Flyn]

Bears not expected to franchise Jeffrey. Giving him a 2nd franchise tag would put him over $17 Mil which is Antonio Brown territory.

 

[bmoore04]

AP set to be a free agent march 9th.

 

[Primalzer]

Bears not expected to franchise Jeffrey. Giving him a 2nd franchise tag would put him over $17 Mil which is Antonio Brown territory.

Apparently contract negotiations are pretty far apart too. I'd be prepared for a Bears future without Alshon

 

[Chet Donnelly]

What did we pay Alshon last year...$14M? We didn't get close to that value out of him, it wasn't all his fault but $17M seems nuts to me.

 

[bmoore04]

I don't think anyone actually thinks he will get 17 million a year. That is just his franchise number.

 

[Primalzer]

You could make an argument he's a top 5 receiver, when healthy, problem is, he hasn't really been healthy.

Deeper question, our receivers are CONSTANTLY injured. Is this a fundamental issue with the coaching and training staff? I mean our top 3 receivers for the past 3 years, have almost never shared the field at the same time.

 

[bmoore04]

1. Antonio Brown 17,000,000
2. AJ Green 15,000,000
3. Julio Jones 14,251,209
4. Dez Bryant 14,000,000
4. Demaryius Thomas 14,000,000
6. TY Hilton 13,000,000
7. Doug Baldwin 11,500,000
8. Keenan Allen 11,250,000
9. Jeremy Maclin 11,000,000

Based on what the top guys are being paid I don't think he is worth more then 11 million.

 

[bmoore04]

Top 5 is a stretch. Top10 Maybe.

 

[Primalzer]

When he's healthy, and if he had a halfway decent QB throwing to him like those top 5 guys do, he'd easily be in that top 5, me thinks. I'd say he's better than Hilton, Baldwin, Allen, and Maclin. I think he's in the conversation with Demaryius, but I'd agree, Green, Bryant, Brown, and Jones are superior.

 

[Chet Donnelly]

I agree with being on the bubble of the top 5 when healthy...but thats the issue. Dude is always injured.

I honestly hope he goes somewhere with a better team and staff and tears it up.

 

[Primalzer]

And most of those top 5 guys have had some injuries throughout the past couple of seasons, but nowhere near the extent of Alshon

 

[Chet Donnelly]

Yep...and I have the same suspicions as you, as to how many of those injuries are partially because of the Bears staff.

 

[Shawn1112]

I'm thinking someone gives him 12 million a year.
Will the PED suspension hurt him???

 

[FESTER665]

He also wasn't helped by White never being on the field opposite him to roll some coverage that direction....

I'd say he's in the 6-8 range as far as WR's go... Cant rank them just off their salaries, theres a few guys not in that list yet that are WR's I may take ahead of him.

Guess like Shawn said, 11-12 million a year. Any more than that and you're overpaying. I know I would take some money off the table because the PED thing, and also have a clause in the contract about it as well.

 

[Flyn]

Franchise tag at $17 Mil is a definite NO. Jeffery isn't Antonio Brown.

4-5 teams including the 49ers and Eagles are interested in him so the market will probably push his number to at leat $12 mil, maybe a little bit more.

Let's see who else we could get for $12 mil. You could get 1 or 2 of these guys for the same money. From nfl.com's top 101 free agents.

Maybe the Bears grab a WR or TE in the first three rounds of the draft and use the money on other positions. There are a lot of ways they could go with an extra $12 mil.

Imagine grabbing QB Trubisky with round 1 pick then the best TE/WR in round 2 AND round 3. Use the Jeffery money on the O Line or D Backfield. New QB, new WR, new TE and White. That could be the beginning of the real rebuild.

NFL top free agent WRs:

Terrelle Pryor

DeSean Jackson

Pierre Garcon

Kenny Britt

Michael Floyd

Kenny Stills

Kendall Wright

Cordarelle Patterson

Robert Woods

Brandon LaFell

Ted Ginn Jr.

 

[bmoore04]

Eric Berry signs six-year deal with Chiefs


I would take Brown, Jones, Dez, AJ, and Odell over alshon talent wise.
I also think Cooper, Mike Evans, Jordy Nelson, and Hilton are as good or better.

 

[Primalzer]

Bears trading 2017 and 2018 second-round picks to the Patriots for QB Jimmy Garoppolo.

Eehh, not the WORST possible move, if you truly believe in Garoppolo, plus the Homer, "HOME TOWN BOY!" vote

Bears trading QB Jay Cutler to either the Jets or 49ers for a 2017 sixth-round pick.

I mean getting anything from him is whatever, since if they don't he's just going to be cut

 

[Flyn]

I would have liked to get Berry with the Jeffery money. Chiefs are smart to re-sign him.

 

[Flyn]

Eehh, not the WORST possible move, if you truly believe in Garoppolo, plus the Homer, "HOME TOWN BOY!" vote





I mean getting anything from him is whatever, since if they don't he's just going to be cut

Garoppolo started two games, got hurt and is a 25 year old rookie. Barkley has more experience for goodness sake.

I would much rather draft a QB. That way, if he fails at least he's cheap for 4-5 years. If Garoppolo fails, it's Cutler all over again. Remember the time we lost two first round picks?

 

[Shawn1112]

Garoppolo started two games, got hurt and is a 25 year old rookie. Barkley has more experience for goodness sake.

I would much rather draft a QB. That way, if he fails at least he's cheap for 4-5 years. If Garoppolo fails, it's Cutler all over again. Remember the time we lost two first round picks?

Has any back up QB in the last 7-8 years that left NE gone on to do anything?
I agree with you 100% on drafting a QB.

 

[Primalzer]

Garoppolo would basically be a rental. I believe he's only got a year left on his rookie contract. You're going to make him ride it out. Basically he's on a one-year prove-it deal. Might be a little more than you'd otherwise be willing to give up for one person, but you have to remember that QB is so valuable, that sometimes you have to take that risk.

IF they think Garoppolo is the real deal, go for it. PLENTY of QB's have sat behind people to have long and storied careers; Rodgers comes to mind. Sitting behind Brady and Belichek couldn't have hurt (although sometimes Belichek is able to get something out of players, they wouldn't be able to, for basically any other team.)

This years draft class is not good at QB. There is not a prospect, IMO that is as good as Garoppolo is. He has all the tools and intangibles that you need in a QB, and you hope the years he sat behind Brady were to his benefit (because when he entered the league, he was viewed as a potential boom pick, that needed development.) I don't see that in this draft class. I just see middling prospects, that are going to be reached for. I'm not sure there is a true first round prospect in this years draft, and the ones that are in, need a couple years to develop (a la Garoppolo). You're either going to spend a 2nd rounder on a QB (I would NOT use our top 3 pick on a QB) and you're giving up next years for Garoppolo's development. I don't think it's too bad a price. And if he busts next year, you have no financial obligation. We're not ready to win now, taking a gamble, IMO is the right move.