So, we have gone over the teams struggling with cap issues. We have discussed the players most likely to receive their walking papers due to these same cap issues. Now is an opportune time to pivot, ever so slightly, to free agents (FA) who may have their agent look for a new zip code or consider staying with their 2022 squad. We will touch on the offensive side of the ball to include some offensive line names. Remember the old football adage, “It all starts up front”? Well, that is the main reason we need to address players on the offensive line, as their signings directly correlate to offensive production for our skill players. Do not believe me? Go look at the Rams and Buccaneers’ offensive line woes and tell me their health did not negatively affect the stats of the skill players.Â
@BobbyLaMarco will be chatting about these teams/names and their potential landing spots Thursday night Razzball YouTube channel. Tune in and be a part of the discussion with your questions and comments. As always, if you want to discuss anything in this article, feel free to drop notes at the bottom of this thread.
Arizona Cardinals – Currently $13.5M under the cap, and with a new coaching staff being built, the Cardinals come in with some players they need to find a way to hold or replace. Before we get too deep, let’s be honest about the A.J. Green experiment. It failed. That is it. That is the end of the analysis. Throw in the Robbie Anderson experiment (added in 2023 via trade) that did not appear to be successful enough to warrant holding him, knowing they can save $12M of cap space by dropping him, and you have the making of an offense that appears to need help at WR. I disagree, considering DeAndre Hopkins, Hollywood Brown and Rondale Moore should all be back in 2023, along with standout TE Zach Ertz and solid NFL RB James Conner, and you have the makings of a solid offense if Kyler Murray can make it back from his injury. The key player for the Cardinals, in my humble opinion, is RT Kelvin Beachum. Logging 98% of snaps in 2022, Beachum was damn good at protecting all the Arizona QBs, all 14 of them. In his age-33 season, Beachum did not have a single holding penalty in 2022, which has me leaning toward the Cardinals bringing him back to help solidify the offensive line. I think the Cardinals also bring back LT Justin Pugh if he is fully back from his injury, thus locking up both tackles for the season. Outside of those two players, Arizona will have decisions to make along that same offensive line with FAs Will Hernandez, Billy Price, Max Garcia, and Cody Ford.Â
Los Angeles Rams – Where do we start with the Rams’ financial issues? Well, we did just that last week, noting the team being $16M+ over the cap. Not a good place to be for a team lacking draft picks. With very few draft picks (none in the first round) and less than no wiggle room on the cap, the Rams will need to find a way to resign RG Coleman Shelton, who protected Matthew Stafford and Baker Mayfield on over 70% of the Rams’ offensive snaps. That number probably seems low on paper but recall the Rams line had issues and injuries all season, leading to Coleman being thrust into action early and often. Shelton started 13 games in 2022 and, for a guy with only two previous NFL starts, proved valuable at a position lacking for the Rams. Over those 15 career starts, Shelton has only been called for holding one time. Not a bad ratio if you ask me. There are four other offensive line names the Rams will entertain (Matt Skura, Ty Nsekhe, Oday Aboushi, and David Edwards) as we move into free agency. As previously mentioned, much of what the Rams can/will do comes down to how they manage the current negative cap number. Now, the fun name…Baker Mayfield. Wasn’t his coming out party with the Rams awesome? I thought it was a cool story and fun to watch, but can we all admit Baker is not coming back to usurp Matthew Stafford? There are a few reasons I think a Baker reboot in Los Angeles will not occur: (1) Over the cap; (2) Stafford is much, much better; (3) Baker is not good and wants to start; (4) Still over the cap. I would love to see the rumors about the Bears trading Justin Fields come to fruition, followed by the big news Chicago is bringing Baker in as their starter. That would make this Packers season before Week 1, though it is simply a pipe dream at this point. Never underestimate a team willing to draft Mitchell Trubisky in the top five…just sayin’.
San Francisco 49ers – Another NFC West team with some cap space. The 49ers do not have as much cap remaining as do the Cardinals, but they do have a positive number, so let’s help them spend it. First is the easy call of allowing Jimmy Garoppolo to walk. With Trey Lance entering 2022 as the starter and Brock Purdy showcasing his ability to carry this team, there is simply no room at the inn for Jimmy G. Now, this is about the 45th season in a row that Garoppolo has been rumored to be on the move via free agency, and I think this is the year it happens. I can see him in sunny Tampa, but the Buccaneers have serious cap issues to deal with prior to landing a QB. New Orleans is an option, too, until we rinse and repeat with cap issues. What the 49ers need to do and probably will do is resign both C Jake Brendel and RT Mike McGlinchey while considering holding onto RG Daniel Brunskill. Those three under-the-radar moves (not huge names) will shore up the middle and right side of the offensive line. The skill positions are loaded in San Francisco (or Santa Clara if you want to be particular about the location of Sunday games) with McCaffrey, Deebo, Aiyuk, and Kittle, so there is really no need to break the bank looking for a player for those positions. Instead, the 49ers should focus on the offensive line and look to run away with the NFC West in 2023.
Seattle Seahawks – Do you want cap space and financial freedom to spend at will? Enter the Seahawks and their $31.1M checking account. For the Seahawks, the biggest question heading into 2023 is should they sign Geno Smith to a new contract. After the career year, I assume Smith wants big money, and though Seattle can afford to pay him, are they willing to do so? Smith is now 33 years old and has only 2022 as a solid (great) season on his resume. Is it possible Derek Carr wants to be reunited with his previous QB coach, Greg Olson, in Seattle? Is it possible Geno Smith is going to follow former Seahawks QB Dave Canales to Tampa Bay? I think both scenarios are possible, but not probable for Smith to move to Tampa Bay with the Buccaneers’ cap issues. I think it is plausible for Carr to go to Seattle, and time will tell. Either way, the Seahawks are dropping $30M per season into a QB this offseason. Mark it down! Additionally, Seattle will probably resign C Austin Blythe, who played 95%+ of the snaps in 2022 for an offense that looked solid, both rushing and passing. From there, I see only Rashaad Penny as a must-resign FA from the Seahawks’ 2022 roster. Penny may provide a hometown discount to backup Kenneth Walker III, and I think that role is best suited to reduce injury chances for Penny, who has proven not to be able to survive a full NFL load as RB1.
Thank you for coming back to read our stuff and be a part of the podcast by listening and commenting. We are here for you! We will come in the next few weeks to discuss other FAs.
-Mitch-
