by Scott Mangan (Twitter: @fantasyspatula)

NFL Free Agency is only a month away. That’s one month for teams and fans alike to put together their wish lists. For executives to clear cap space and woo prospective signings. For players to get that big payday they’ve been working towards since they were little kids playing Pop Warner.

Every year there are big money signings of all-pro players and young expensive game changers, but the best moves are the ones that kind of go under the radar.

Some of the most important free agent signings are the low cost players who end up playing at a pro-bowl level and helping turn that 4-12 team into a playoff contender.

Here are 5 great deals on the free agent market for 2021.

#5 – Slot Cornerback – Mike Hilton

Back in 2018, the Ringer’s Danny Kelly proclaimed that slot cornerback was the next premium position in the NFL.  After the past two seasons it’s hard to argue that. 

Offenses are moving their elite alpha wide receivers inside in formations and with teams throwing the ball more than ever (especially on early downs) defenses need to have those “extra” cornerbacks on the field more often.  

But slot cornerback is not just an extra guy on a field. It’s a tough position to play.  A good slot CB needs to have fluid hips, great footwork, change of direction speed, and the ability to defend the entire route tree. 

Cornerback Mike HIlton has spent his first four seasons in the NFL with the Steelers and he’s been a solid player for them in the slot.  According to PFF.com 2020 was a down year for him, but he had a career high 3 interceptions and still played a major role on a dominant defense for most of the season.

Coming off this “down” year, teams looking for an upgrade at slot CB should be looking Hilton’s way as he won’t cost much, but brings solid experience after playing in a highly successful defense in Pittsburgh since coming into the league.

$4-$5 million per is not much to pay for a talented and experienced cornerback that can help cover every offense’s ultimate chess piece.

#4 – Guard – Matt Fieler

Number 4 brings us another Pittsburgh alum about to hit free agency.

I’m not sure when, but I imagine NFL general managers will one day realize that no offense can perform effectively without solid offensive line play.  So many teams are in need of upgrades in the offensive trenches.  

Matt Fieler has spent the majority of his career protecting future HOFer Ben Roethlisberger.  Over the past two seasons he’s rated highly at both right tackle and left guard.  A reliable veteran offensive lineman who has the flexibility to change positions is incredibly valuable.  But he won’t cost as much as some other bigger named OL free agents.  

Something along the lines of a 2-3 year deal at $6 million per would be a big get for any OL needy team. Especially one that doesn’t have a lot of cap space (ehem… cough cough… New York Football Giants… cough).

#3 – Tight End – Jonnu Smith 

Jonnu Smith has been a beast after the catch.  At times he looks like he could be a serious X-factor if given the chance.  Unfortunately, he was was never heavily used in the Titans’ run first scheme.  Even so — after dealing with a few injuries early in his career — Smith had his best season yet in 2020.  

Now going into his age 26 season, Smith is hoping to land with a team that will utilize his elite after the catch skills.  While Hunter Henry seems to be the crown-jewel of the free agent tight end market, Smith could be an even better “get” and come at a few million less per year. 

In the modern NFL having a tight end you can move around the formation, throw screens to, and also have split the seams can do wonders for playcalling and scoring production.  

At around $9 million per year, Jonnu Smith could thrive in a new offense while not necessarily breaking the bank.

#2 – Edge Defender – J.J. Watt

For some reason, many perceive the 32 year old Watt to be oft-injured and washed up.  But in 2020 he was PFF’s 7th ranked edge defender while also playing in all 16 games for the second time in the past three seasons.  

Sure, his sack totals have decreased in the past couple seasons, but a change of scenery to a new organization could do a lot to bring his efficiency up on the field.  Especially if he goes to a defense with other playmakers so he doesn’t have to carry a team on his shoulders any longer.

If he ends up being on an elite defense where he gets to stay fresh and avoid double teams, he could still wreak havoc on opposing quarterbacks.  And since he’s chasing a chip it sounds like he’s willing to give a big discount to welcomed suitors.  

Imagine having a hungry and healthy J.J. Watt for $10-$11 million per season.  That sounds like a steal to me.

#1 – Quarterback – Ryan Fitzpatrick

There aren’t many quarterbacks that are more fun to root for than journeyman Ryan Fitzpatrick.  We’ve all seen him do his thing for the eight (soon to be nine) total teams he’s suited up for.  And the past couple years with Tampa and Miami have been a couple of his best seasons yet.

While he’s a better fantasy QB than reality signal caller, he’s definitely a legitimate starting option for a quarterback needy team. Not to mention he’s an enjoyable player to watch play.

Quarterback is the most important position in the game, so if a team can grab a solid player like Fitzpatrick to lead their team — and get him on the cheap — that’s a big win in free agency.

In a league where washed up veterans who have no business starting are getting north of $25 million per season, whichever team signs him at around $10-$11 million to play in 2021 is going to give their team a chance at winning games and fanbase someone fun to cheer on.

That’s a more than fair price to pay for a little Fitzmagic.

The post 5 Top Value Free Agents 2021 appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

by Scott Mangan (Twitter: @fantasyspatula)

1974

Fade into a bar in Blacksburg, Virginia, 1974. The bartender — a recent Virginia Tech graduate — is a straight shooting, football loving, blue collar boy from York, PA.  Son of a machinist father and a candy factory working mother.  

Cogs and sugarcane.  Just the kind of mindset a bartender needs.  Grind those gears, keep the machine running, but also know when to charm some drunkard out of descending into darkness.  Any bartender worth his or her weight in whiskey can connect and de-escalate with the best of them.

On this particular evening in Blacksburg, VA a rough and tumble, unstable man who lived in a cabin amongst the Blue Ridge Mountains stumbled down into the bar and declared, “Tonight, I’m going to drink and I’m going to fight!”  The bartender promptly greeted him with a, “Well, then, let’s make the beer free for you, but go fight somewhere else.”  

After a couple of hours of imbibing booze the drunken time bomb from the Blue Ridge Mountains began harassing women at the bar. The young bartender — who weeks earlier had been the starting QB for the Virginia Tech Hokies — now found himself having to ask the man to leave. The inebriated ignoble yokel responded by standing up, pulling out a .22, sticking it into the bartender’s gut and saying, “Throw me out now.”

“At that moment, with the gun pointed at me, I realized that perhaps coaching would be a better career path,” Bruce Arians would later recount.

He never stepped foot behind a bar again.  It’s pretty safe to say he made the correct career choice.  

1985 

11 years later and 2,692 miles away in the middle of the San Francisco State University campus.  28 year old offensive line coach Andy Reid is selling hot dogs in the university commons.  He’s dealing frankfurters just to raise enough money for the school’s football program to afford pads and helmets.  

Since offensive line coaches barely got paid, Reid would umpire baseball games just to get by. Three games per night (after family dinner) for $10 bucks a pop just to make ends meet for his wife and two kids.  

They were poor, but it didn’t stop the Reids from having the entire SFSU offensive line over every week to watch film and study. Tammy Reid’s Mississippi Mud Pie was always on the menu.  It didn’t matter that they couldn’t afford to entertain like this.  He just wanted to include them in his family.  He wanted to create that family energy with them.  He had to.

1982

Three years earlier in Alabama, 30 year old Bruce Arians was sitting across a large wooden desk from the legendary college football coach Bear Byrant.  After working for one season as his running backs and passing game coordinator Arians was hired by Temple University to be their new head coach.  While saying goodbye, Bryant had a piece of parting advice for Arians. 

“Coach them hard,” Bryant said, “and hug them harder later.”  Bear Bryant passed away just three weeks later.  It was the last time the two ever spoke, but Bruce would later say, “Before he left us, he gave me my guiding philosophy.”

“From that day forward I would try to find out what makes a player tick and continually build on the player’s strengths and not prey on their weaknesses””just like Bryant did.”

And it’s obvious that Arians took the advice Bear Bryant gave him to heart.  If you read about him and listen to Bruce Arians talk, one thing constantly rings through: the guy loves people and he’s willing to be real with anyone from any background. 

“Bruce can talk street with anyone, and if he needs to, he can be the most intellectual guy in the room,” says current Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive coordinator Todd Bowles, who played for Arians at Temple in the mid-1980s and was his defensive coordinator at Arizona in 2013 and ’14. “Because of his unique background, he can reach absolutely everyone on a football roster, and that’s the key to building chemistry and building a winning team.”

The stories of how he unlocked potential with mind games are countless.  He’s been called a quarterback whisperer for most of his career.  Think about it: he nurtured the early careers of Peyton Manning, Ben Roethlisberger, and Andrew Luck.  He helped revive late career Carson Palmer.  He’s helped 43 year old Tom Brady back to the Super Bowl.  

The secret? He’s always been able to understand that there’s a human behind the helmet. 

“My quarterbacks have to be a member of my family, and that has nothing to do with football,” Arians says. “Trust is everything. We have to connect on a deep level in order to really be able to build something together. Trust brings a higher level of communication and a higher level of commitment and accountability. We have to care for one another. It’s all about family, family, family.”

The same guy who had that .22 pressed up against his belly back in Blacksburg, Virginia.  The guy who met his wife in 9th grade.  The guy who was the first white player to ever room with a black player in Virginia Tech history.  The guys who’s staffs have been littered with old friends and ex-players. The guy that listens and cares for the people he meets.  He’s been creating a family everywhere he goes. 

1974

Years before he was selling hot dogs to undergrads in the commons of San Francisco State, Andy Reid was just a sports obsessed Mormon child who grew up only a mile from Hollywood Boulevard.  His father was an artist.  His mother: a radiologist.  He followed around his older brother Reggie like a puppy dog.  He regularly united all the neighborhood kids for games of football.  

Later on he lettered in basketball, baseball, and football at Marshall High School in Los Angeles.  The same High School where the movie Grease was filmed and would later be home to Leo deCaprio and Will.i.am.  But way before their time Andy Reid was wreaking havoc on the courts and fields of Marshall High.

Marshall’s football and basketball coach, Dick Kiwan, recalls coaching Reid on the basketball court, “I put him in at forward and he had four fouls in less than 2 minutes,” Kiwan said laughing. “I remember pulling him out because he was just dribbling down the floor and running over people. I remember taking a timeout and saying, ‘Andy, what are you doing?’ and he looked at me like, ‘What?’

“The competitive juices were flowing so much from leaving football and getting into basketball, he couldn’t help himself.”

That ferociousness was left on the field though.  He was a kind friend to many.  Including his coaches.  To this day he’s still close friends with Coach Kiwan and many from his high school and college years.

“I still talk to my basketball coach, my football coaches””I talk to all these guys from high school. Half of them raised me; half of them were in my brother’s class. They saw me as a baby.”

“One of the things we’ve always said about Andy that is so hard to find, is that Andy never forgot where he came from,” Kiwan said. “He maintains his relationships with the guys he played with in high school and even his old coaches.

“It’s something that you just don’t find with someone in his position. You just don’t find that.”

2007

Bruce Arians had just been promoted front the wide receivers coach to the the offensive coordinator for the Super Bowl Champion Pittsburgh Steelers.  He and starting quarterback Ben Roethlisberger did not really get along at the time.  “He thought I yelled at the wide receivers too much,” Arians said. Bruce knew that the key to success would be connecting with Roethlisberger.  

“Ben lost his mother when he was young, and that was hard on him,” Arians said. “I never want to be a father figure to my quarterbacks. I’ve got my own kids. I want to be the cool uncle you’d like have a drink with.”

Bruce invited Ben to his lake house down in Reynolds Plantation, Georgia. The two spent the day golfing, drinking beers, and talking life. “We built our communication on the golf course,” said Roethlisberger. “I even bought a house down there to be close to Bruce.”

Roethlisberger went on to have the highest rated season of his career that year.  And the two went on to win a Super Bowl together just a few seasons later.

But Arians isn’t just a softy with a penchant for connecting over brews with his players. He can be quite demanding and downright nasty.  

“Like (Bear) Bryant, I would be hard on my players when we’re on the field. But that’s just coaching. The players need to know that I’m probably going to talk to them real ugly out on the field, but that has nothing to do with them personally or with their personality. Their football can suck and they can still be good people. Don’t take it personally. It’s coaching, not a criticism. Don’t worry if I’m hard on you on the field. It’s business, not personal,” Arians said.

“And I vowed that day after leaving Bryant’s office that when I walked off the field with my players, I would hug the ones I had MF’d only moments earlier””just like Bryant did. I’d tell them we’re going to get our football perfect, we’re not going to beat ourselves, and now that we’re done with football for the day we can talk all night long about our personal lives. And I would care about all my players, from the starting quarterback down to the third-string tight end.”

“More than anything, I hope this is what I’m remembered for.”

2019

Kansas City Chiefs backup quarterback Matt Moore had just joined the team after training camp.  In the quarterback meeting room he was getting his first glimpse of the relationship between Head Coach Andy Reid and 3rd year quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

“We were sitting in a meeting room and coach Reid was talking about a “read” and where the [receivers] were, and they were in a triangle formation, and literally at the same time as coach said, ‘there’s a nice little triangle here,’ there was a pause, and then at the same exact time [Mahomes and coach Reid] both said, “isosceles,” Moore laughed. “And I was like, ‘What the hell, I mean, it blew me away. There was no story behind it. There was nothing for them to both think of that word at the same time. It was so strange.

“At that moment, I knew these guys were tight.”

Former Head Coach Bob Stull — who hired Andy Reid back in the 80’s to coach his offensive line at UTEP — recognized Reid’s connection with his players early in Reid’s career.

“He had a way that you always knew he was on your side,” Stull explained. “He’d get on you, but you knew you probably deserved it. He was never a yeller, a screamer or harsh like that, but he’d get on you pretty good if you weren’t doing the right effort and learning what you’re supposed to be learning. The offensive line guys really liked him a lot because, again, he was a great teacher. He wouldn’t let you get away with anything.

“He worked them hard, but he could also laugh. He could see something funny, they could make fun of him about something and he was all right with that. He had a really good sense about him like that.”

2021

We’re on the eve of Super Bowl LV.  Two head coaches with 85 years of coaching experience between them square off for the ultimate prize in professional football.  These are two men with storied histories and countless friendships. And they’re on the verge of creating a new chapter in their lives and careers.  

I can’t remember the last time I watched a Super Bowl where I was rooting for both coaches.  Sure, it’ll be nice to see Andy Reid get a second Super Bowl win in a row (maybe the beginning of the next great dynasty), but if come late Sunday night Bruce Arians is raising his first Lombardi Trophy as a head coach, it’ll not just be a victory for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

It will be a victory for every person that has grinded through the years of their life encouraging, evolving, accepting, and enjoying the people they’ve loved along the way.  It’ll be a victory for every one of us that has been that bartender in the dive pub at 2 in the morning, with a .22 caliber pistol stuck in our guts being asked who we want to be and what we want to do with our lives. What we want to live for.  

Yes, NFL football is a gigantic monster of a machine, but for any machine to work even the cogs need to be cared for.  Both of these head coaches know that.  They’ve lived it and they’ve built their own personal machines through hard work and love.  That recipe is tried and true.  And the resulting concoction will be on display on the field come Super Bowl Sunday night.

The post Bruce Arians vs Andy Reid: Head Coaching Timelines and Life Journeys appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

by Scott Mangan (Twitter: @fantasyspatula)

One of the top free agents for 2021, ESPN.com has defensive end Leonard Williams ranked as the 3rd best available free agent in this year’s class. In an increasingly pass happy/quarterback-centric league having an elite edge defender is becoming more important than ever — that is if you want to have any shot of defeating the Tom Bradys and Pat Mahomeses of the world.  

Williams — the No. 6 pick in the 2015 draft — is just 26 years old and has missed only one game in his six-year career.  In 2020, he finally had the breakout campaign we’d all been waiting for.  Under first year Giants’ defensive coordinator Patrick Graham, Williams accumulated a career high 11.5 sacks along with 30 QB hits and only 2 missed tackles.  He, along with fellow defensive linemen Dexter Lawrence and Dalvin Tomlinson, were a formidable force for a young and ascending Giants’ defense in 2020.

Graham had this to say about Williams, “The thing that stands out for me with Leo is his personality is infectious. The energy, the way he attacks it. He’s taking the coaching to heart that Spence (Sean Spencer) gives him, that Joe (Judge) gives him. He’s just really being a sponge in terms of trying to learn football. Trying to perfect his craft, trying to become the best NFL defensive linemen he can be. Part of that is if you want to be the best, you have to realize that you’re not there yet. No matter what year you’re in in your career. He’s attacking it like that I believe.”

But going into 2020 the jury was still out on Williams.  Being such a high draft pick comes with lofty expectations.  And in 2019, when Giants’ GM Dave Gettleman traded a 2020 third-round pick along with a 2021 fifth round pick to the Jets for the previously underperforming Williams, it upped the pressure on him to finally put it all together. 

Now that he’s finally elevated his game, Williams is looking at a very nice payday this offseason.  But if you think the man is just one of those players whose only motivation is money, you’re dead wrong.  

“I’m not going to lie, going into this season, throughout the season, at the end of the season, it’s never been about money for me,’’ Williams said. “I was kind of drafted high, made a lot of money already in my career. I feel like I was smart enough and I could retire now and still have enough money for the rest of my life, but it’s never been about the money. I think I just more wanted the respect and to show guys the reason why I’m in this league.’’

An elite level pass rusher right at the beginning of his prime, Williams has never played in a playoff game.  I imagine playing for a playoff contender will be a motivating force in deciding what team he wants to sign a long term deal with.

But before we get into what teams may be willing to spend big to bring Williams aboard I believe we need to understand the current cap climate in the NFL. 

According to longtime NFL executive and current nfl.com analyst Scott Pioli, the salary cap situation in the NFL for 2021 is going to be a precarious one. 

“Introduced for the 1994 NFL season, the salary cap traditionally increases on a year-to-year basis and has only decreased one time: 2011, the year of the NFL lockout. In fact, over the past seven seasons, the league has seen its salary cap per club increase by no less than $10 million per year; since 2012, the cap for each club has risen from $120.6 million to $198.2 million in 2020. Over the Cap estimates the 2021 salary cap will be $176 million, a decrease of $22.2 million or 11.2 percent from 2020.”

This will play a big role in not only which teams are in play for big money free agents, but also how much money some of these free agents will get.  

Fletcher Cox of the Eagles set a standard not long ago with a six-year deal worth $102 million ($17.1 million average). Cox, 30, had 39 tackles and 6.5 sacks last season, both far below Leonard Williams’ output.  Meanwhile, Williams played in 2020 on the franchise tag of $16.1 million. I’d imagine he’ll command anywhere between $17 and $20 million in the open market this offseason.  

To predict where he may go I looked for teams that are potentially playoff-bound over the next few years, who also have a decent amount of cap space, and are in need of an edge rusher.  While there are a number of teams that fit the bill, I settled on three of the most likely landing spots that make the most sense for everyone involved.  

3. Indianapolis Colts

According to OvertheCap.com, the Colts have $64.8 million in available cap space.  Of course they have more pressing needs — like finding a starting quarterback — but they also could use someone to pressure opposing quarterbacks.  Putting Leonard Williams alongside DeForest Buckner on a defense with a solid secondary and one of the best young linebackers in Darius Leonard would immediately make the Colts an elite level squad.  They were already a top 10 defense in 2020.  Williams would make them the kind of defense that can carry a team to a Super Bowl.  

Including 2020, Indy has made the playoffs twice in the three seasons that Frank Reich has been head coach.  They also have a great core of young players on both sides of the ball and play in a division with both the Texans and Jaguars.  So getting to the playoffs again in 2021 is well within reach.

If Williams wants to play for a contender with deep pockets and a promising future, the Colts could be on the edge rusher’s wishlist.

2. Cleveland Browns

Cleveland GM Andrew Berry has shown in the past that he’s not afraid to spend in free agency.  In the 2020 offseason, the Browns added some free agents, but focused mostly on their offense.  The plan worked well as the Browns made their first playoff berth since 2002.  But the defense definitely regressed as a whole.  

Focusing offseason resources on the defensive side of the ball would go a long way at keeping the Browns in playoff contention in 2021.  They already have some nice pieces with all-world edge rusher Myles Garrett and safety Ronnie Henderson, but those guys could use some help.

Can you imagine a pass rush with both Myles Garrett and Leonard Williams attacking opposing quarterbacks?  That would be fun to watch… unless you’re a fan of the opposing team.  

This young Browns team seems to be buying into head coach Kevin Stefanski. And the fan base is thirsty for more January games after getting a taste of it in 2020.  Williams taking his talents to Cleveland could be a good way for him to finally get to play in a postseason game.  And the Browns have $17.9 million in cap space. 

It’d be quite the investment in their defensive line, but adding Williams would make the Browns pass rush one of the most feared in the league.  One that can help get them past the divisional round of the playoffs in 2021.

1. New York Giants

Ultimately, there’s no better suitor or more likely destination for Leonard Williams than the team he’s spent the past season and a half with.  We’re talking about the team that paid a hefty price — giving away valuable draft capital — to acquire him mid-season 2019 when they had no reason to make that move.  

GM Dave Gettleman cannot let Williams get away.  There’s no way Gettleman will come away looking at all competent if Williams isn’t in a Giants’ uniform next season.  The New York media — and sports world in general — would be even more viciously critical if he screws this up.  Thing is: I’m sure Williams and his agent know that.  And after accepting the franchise tag at $16.1 million last season I’m going to go out on a limb and guess that Williams would expect the Giants to pay something north of that number to retain his services.

Giants Defensive Coordinator Patrick Graham has built his defense around Williams’ strengths.  And he’s played to them as well moving Williams around the defense.  Graham has him playing three technique, five technique, and also playing outside. He’s really endeared himself to his Giants teammates with his work ethic and infectiously positive attitude.

While the Giants aren’t a lock for the playoffs in 2021, they play in a weak division and are definitely trending in the right direction after handing over head coaching duties to Joe Judge prior to the 2020 season.  

Current estimates (before the NFL 2021 Cap is announced) have the Giants at about $23 million under the cap, possessing the 13th-most cap money in the league.  While the Giants have some financial decisions to make, they should be able to afford the $20+ million per year that Williamson may be asking for.  In a strange 2021 offseason market it will be interesting to see how big free agents like Williams fair financially.  Who knows? Maybe the Giants can get him for less than expected.

There is still so much to factor in before free agency begins on March 17th, but I’d imagine the Giants have Williams at the top of their off-season priorities.  If they don’t, I can’t imagine the Giants’ fan base would ever let GM Dave Gettleman forget this massive failure.  And I’d think it would possibly cost him his job.  

With a number of free agents and possible trades on tap for the NFL’s 2021 offseason, there is going to be plenty to talk about over the coming months.  There will be a number of big names on the backs of new jerseys.  Which 2021 jersey will have Leonard Williams’ nameplate on the back will be a hot topic of discussion as we inch closer to the official start of free agency.

The post 3 Potential Landing Spots for Leonard Williams appeared first on Pro Football Mania.