With free agent frenzy setting the NFL offseason ablaze, I focus on free agents who have made a new home and how their movement will affect their draft status.
Let’s begin:
Eric Decker, Wide Receiver for New York Jets
- Decker followed the money, simple as that. With a change from Hall of Famer Peyton Manning to sophomore Geno Smith, look for Decker’s numbers to drop drastically.
Emmanuel Sanders, Wide Receiver for Denver Broncos
- Now we’ll swap. Sanders, who was released by the Pittsburgh Steelers earlier in the week, will join Manning and the high octane offense of the Broncos. Look for his numbers to move up, even though he’s still only a WR2 or Flex.
Denver Broncos Defense
- Continuing with the Broncos, the addition to Aqib Talib and DeMarcus Ware will improve Denver’s weak defense from last season. I still wouldn’t advise picking them up over Seattle or Carolina’s, but look for the Broncos to become stronger.
Julian Edleman, Wide Reciever for New England Patriots
- Edleman’s return to the Patriots mean he’ll still have Hall of Fame quarterback Tom Brady throwing him the ball. See this as an upside, as Edleman would have struggled in another offense.
Green Bay Packers Defense
- With the addition of Julius Pepper, watch for the Packer’s defense to be a solid fantasy gem next season. Pepper’s will add another dimension that has been missing in the Packer’s 3-4 defense since it’s teams Superbowl win.
Ben Tate, Running back for the Cleveland Browns
- A solid choice by the Browns, as Cleveland picks up the best free agent running back for a pretty cheap price tag. Tate will hopefully bring a nice balance for All-Pro Flash Gordon and Jordan Cameron.
Golden Tate, Wide Receiver for Detroit Lions
- Even though Tate’s statistics haven’t been pretty, his toughness will actually help improve quarterback Matthew Stafford’s numbers. Look for Tate to be a solid second string receiver for Megatron.
Steve Smith, Wide Receiver Baltimore Ravens
- Tough choice by Panthers to let the veteran receiver walk, as without Smith, quarterback Cam Newton will not rely anymore on him and Brandon LaFell. Look for a domino-effect to cause Newton’s numbers to drop. In terms of Smith, look for his production to decline. Even with Flacco, Smith will most likely be a two receiver behind Torrey Smith.
Good pick-ups
: Sanders, Denver Broncos and Green Bay Packer’s defense, Edleman, Golden Tate and Ben Tate
Bad pick-ups
: Eric Decker and Steve Smith
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