The primary day of free company hasn’t even formally opened and we have already got two large winners within the NFC. Atlanta and the Giants, two dropping groups from a 12 months in the past, might need discovered a solution to flip their fortunes with two mammoth offers.
Kirk Cousins is now a member of the Falcons, and as long as he’s wholesome, it’s a ridiculous coup. It’s not typically you discover a solution to get a top-tier quarterback with out having to surrender the moon in return — however the Falcons managed to just do that. They hold their draft capital intact, whereas including an elite quarterback.
Positive, it value some huge cash, however the wage cap is basically a made up assemble — particularly when the three core weapons of your offense in Bijan Robinson, Drake London, and Kyle Pitts are all on rookie offers. This primarily signifies that when it’s time to essentially really feel the chunk of those rookies, Cousins’ time in Atlanta is probably going carried out. Should you add in that our personal J.P Acosta has the Falcons taking LSU receiver Malik Nabors with the No, eight decide within the 2024 NFL Draft, you’ve a state of affairs the place this workforce might legitimately have essentially the most fearsome offense in all the convention. Not simply the NFC South, all the NFC — and that is coupled with a protection that was already center of the league in 2023, however might be a lot higher organized beneath Raheem Morris and Jimmy Lake.
I’m shopping for into this Falcons workforce large time. They need to cruise via the NFC South and make the playoffs, and from there something is feasible. Primarily this workforce misplaced Matt Ryan, went a few years with out him — then signed a brand new Matt Ryan. Should you watched Atlanta final 12 months you understand how scary this workforce might have been with a midway respectable quarterback. Now they’ve rather more than that.
In the meantime the Giants pulled off the stunner of the day, finalizing a commerce with the Carolina Panthers for disgruntled edge rusher Brian Burns. The Professional Bowler had been unable to succeed in a long-term settlement with the Panthers for the final two years, regardless of the group beforehand asserting he was part of their future plans. Now with new head coach Dave Canales it was determined Burns was expendable, with the Panthers getting a 2nd spherical decide (No. 39 total) and a fifth spherical decide in return.
New York wasted no time to pay their new man, as Burns agreed to a five-year, $150M contract with $87.5M assured.
To be sincere, it is a win-win transfer, regardless of quite a lot of angst across the deal. Burns struggled in 2023 to regulate to Elijah Evero’s new 3-Four protection, which put an emphasis on Derrick Brown because the anchor. Burns confirmed flashes of brilliance, but it surely wasn’t practically as pronounced because the Panthers hoped — which doubtless soured them on a long-term deal. In the meantime the Giants know precisely methods to use a man with Burns’ skillset, as a result of they have already got one in Kayvon Thibodeaux. The Burns/Thibs pairing goes to be FUN.
That is so good for the Giants as a result of now they’ve ludicrous flexibility with the No. 6 decide. They may keep and take a quarterback, add a receiver, or commerce all the way down to a QB-hungry workforce and amass a bigger struggle chest. With the strain of discovering extra cross rush off their shoulders this workforce can play, and that makes this very enjoyable.
In fact, that is earlier than we even point out the opposite good signings the workforce made. A trio of less-explosive, however actually strong items in RB Devin Singletary, OT Jermaine Eluemunor and OG Jon Runyan Jr. revamps the G-Males’s offensive line, and provides them a short-yardage again with sturdiness, one thing they sorely lacked from Saquon Barkley.
Sure, there are some ache factors for the Giants as effectively. Seeing Barkley in an Eagles jersey twice a 12 months received’t be enjoyable, and Xavier McKinney is damn-near irreplaceable he’s such an excellent security, however Brian Daboll groups are constructed within the trenches — and the strikes on Monday actually assist reshape this workforce in a constructive approach. I like what the Giants did as effectively.
Loser: Minnesota Vikings
I actually just like the three large signings the Vikings made on Monday. Jonathan Greenard is a promising cross rusher, albeit just a little inconsistent, Blake Cashman coming residence to Minnesota and bolstering the workforce’s run stopping potential is nice, and Andrew Van Ginkel is a pleasant rotational piece.
Right here’s the rub: It’s unimaginable to miss what the Vikings misplaced on Monday. This was a workforce that was doubtless trying ahead to a playoff berth in 2024, making another large push with the offense as constructed. Now that’s all gone. No person within the NFL has a worse quarterback scenario than Minnesota does at this exact second. Their “aggressive rebuild” went stomach up, as a result of the workforce was neither capable of be aggressive, nor rebuild.
The scenario beneath middle is dire. This workforce can’t afford to punt on the season and look to 2025, as a result of the danger is that Justin Jefferson will need out. It doubtless ties the franchise’s arms to commerce up within the draft, as a result of there’s actually no one left at this level they might signal and compete with at remotely the identical stage as Kirk Cousins.
The trio of defensive signings immediately additionally appear to point that Danielle Hunter is on his approach out too. Hunter will command extra in free company than the Vikings needed to spend, which is ok in isolation — however when it means you’ve misplaced your beginning quarterback AND your greatest cross rusher on the identical afternoon it’s a really darkish day.
That rebuild has to occur now, and it received’t be aggressive.
Winner: Inexperienced Bay Packers
The Packers made two monumental strikes on Monday that catapults them again into the dialog within the NFC North.
Offensively the workforce acquired strictly higher by signing Josh Jacobs. The previous Raiders working again is a authentic 1,000 yard rusher who has receiving chops which had been under-utilized in Las Vegas. This opens issues up for Jordan Love much more, and after the groups shocking playoff run in 2023 they’re poised to take a step ahead offensively.
The larger signing is the aforementioned Xavier McKinney. The most effective safeties within the NFL, he now slots in subsequent to Jaire Alexander, and helps take strain of Jonathan Owens — who actually struggled final season.
To cap all this off it’s important to think about that the Packers acquired higher by advantage of the Vikings taking the hit they did immediately. All in all it was an excellent day for the Packers.
Winner: Brian Burns
After ready for 2 years to get an extension one of many prime cross rushers in the marketplace lastly acquired it. Because it stood he was set to play beneath the tag, which might have been grossly unfair for what he’s carried out on his rookie contract for the Panthers.
A rookie contract will set you up for all times. A second NFL contract will set generations up. Congratulations to him for it — and on a private observe, thanks on your time in Carolina.
