NFL Free Agency Primer: 7 Stories To Follow
By Zack Trapp
6.) The Alshon Jeffrey Sweepstakes
By all indications, the Bears won’t be tagging Jeffrey for a second time or inking him for the long haul. The 27-year-old wideout is a tough evaluation. He has a rather limited skillset and doesn’t separate particularly well. He has had trouble staying on the field. Still, he has rare deep ball skills, boxing out and overpowering corners like a power forward. Even low-end number one receivers rarely make it to free agency.
Expect a bidding war. The former South Carolina star should be positioned well to eclipse AJ Green as the game’s top paid receiver. It will be a tricky contract to figure out. How much can you really pay a guy who has missed 11 games the past two years? The length of his contract and guaranteed money will be particularly telling.
Related Story: Should the Bears replace Alshon Jeffery with Mike Williams?
The 49ers and Eagles have been rumored as potential destinations. Philadelphia’s need for playmakers goes without saying. In San Fransisco, newly minted Kyle Shannahan has always based his attack on a diminutive number one receiver. With Houston, it was Andre Johnson. While in Washington, Pierre Garcon was wildly productive. Julio Jones did Julio Jones things. I may be going out on a limb, but Torrey Smith, Quinton Patton, and Deandre Smelter probably aren’t that guy.
7.) Too Much Money
With all of the television deals and the like, the NFL has a salary cap problem. Since the new CBA, the cap has steadily increased from $120 million in 2011 all the way to a projected $168 million this offseason. Teams have more money to spend than ever, leading to an ever resetting market and little incentive for players to re-sign before free agency.
Chances are your favorite team has more money than it knows what to do with. Just take a look at how much money teams have available. Before teams have even finished cuts, there are six teams with over $60 million to spend. Half the league has more than $40 million at their disposal, with only the Chiefs, Eagles, and Cowboys with less than $10 million to work with. There is little incentive for teams to be patient with their spending when they have so much of a margin for error.