Tue Apr 5th 2022

More Free Agency News

Last week was less frantic with NFL trades and free-agent signings, but a few significant moves were made that affected the dynasty value of players. There was also another big trade involving one of my most rostered players.

Since there were fewer trades and signings last week, in this post, I'll not only give my dynasty take on players signed or traded last week, but I'll also give my thoughts on the best free agents who remain unsigned.

DeVante Parker

• The writing was on the wall in Miami after they acquired Tyreek Hill in a trade last week. DeVante Parker was on the trading block. The only question was which team would buy him. To my surprise, he was traded within his own division to New England, where he became the most talented receiver on their roster. Aside from Green Bay, New England is the best possible landing spot for Parker and his dynasty value. I'm thrilled to see him land on a team without an alpha WR-1 and with a young quarterback who has room to grow. Parker can help Mac Jones develop even faster than he did in his rookie season. Parker has the size and strength that the Patriots' wide receiver room lacks, and he was signed by a coach who has played against him twice a year and knows how he can help his team. Parker is one of my most rostered players, and I am more than excited to see what he can do on his new team. The Patriots inherited his contract, so they have him for two more years, and I believe Parker's dynasty value can spike again after falling the last two seasons while dealing with perpetual injuries. New England is a great landing spot for Parker, who will help Jones's dynasty value rise while keeping Kendrick Bourne, Jakobi Meyers, and Nelson Agholor's value at bay if he can stay healthy. As for N'Keal Harry, he'll remain among the worst dynasty rookie-draft busts of all time.

Ronald Jones

• Jones signed with Kansas City, where I believe he'll be part of a split backfield with Clyde Edwards-Helaire. Jones has struggled over his career as a pass catcher, but he'll be a great first and second-down back, cutting into the production of Edwards-Helaire. Plus, Jones will get the bulk of the Chiefs' goal-line carries, diminishing Edwards-Helaire's value even more. The Chiefs don't trust Edwards-Helaire on the goal line, so they signed a stronger running back to fill that role. This signing indicted Edward-Helaire and diminished his fading dynasty value even more. On the other hand, Jones will see his dynasty value increase with the Chiefs. The only question that remains is if Jones can stay focused on football. I faded Jones in rookie drafts in 2018 after hearing stories about his focus and poor work ethic. He's continued to struggle in that department since he came into the NFL, which is why Kansas City only signed him to a one-year deal. It's his last chance to prove himself. He will revive his dynasty value on a high-scoring team if he does.

Marlon Mack

• Mack signed with the Houston Texans, where he will have every chance to revive his career two years after tearing his Achilles. Cam Akers and D'Onta Foreman showed enough last season to make the Texans and dynasty managers believe Achilles tears are not a death knell for running backs. Currently, his only competition is Rex Burkhead, but that could change after the NFL draft. The Texans are one of the teams most likely to add a running back in the NFL draft, and many Mock Drafts have them doing so in the second round, where Kenneth Walker and C.J. Spiller should be available to them with pick 37 or 42. Given this possibility, Mack's dynasty value rises or falls dramatically after the NFL draft. If the Texans draft a running back in the second round, Mack's value will fall as it did when Indianapolis drafted Jonathan Taylor in the second round. However, if the Texans wait to draft a running back in rounds three or later, I like Mack's chance to outplay a rookie and maintain a starting role with the team. We have to wait and see.

Auden Tate

• Tate has been buried on depth charts his entire NFL career in Cincinnati, but he has every chance to become the WR-1 in Atlanta, who signed him last week. He only signed a one-year contract, but at least he was signed to a team with no wide receiver depth. Calvin Ridley's suspension and Russell Gage signing with Tampa Bay left Kyle Pitts as Atlanta's only reliable pass catcher. Tate is instantly the most talented wide receiver on the team. In 2018, Tate was my highest ranked rookie receiver before the NFL draft, but I dropped him way down my board after the Bengals drafted him in the 7th round. I still believe in his talent. He's just been unable to show it since he was buried by A.J. Green, Tyler Boyd, and Ja'Maar Chase. Last week, I picked him up off waivers in every league with an open waiver wire. I am very excited to see what he can do this season. Even if the Falcons draft a wide receiver early, which they're very likely to do, Tate can still be the WR-2 on the Falcons.

Tre'Quan Smith

• Smith did what was best for his dynasty value by re-signing with the Saints. Like Tate, Smith was another wide receiver I liked a lot in his rookie class, but he's not been able to break through into a starting role to make him fantasy relevant. Michael Thomas will be back this season, and Marquez Callaway surpassed Smith in snaps (833 to 520) and targets (84-50) last year while Thomas was injured. Those facts make me believe Smith will be third in the pecking order among wide receivers, but that's about all he could hope for if he signed with another team. I think the Saints, who signed him to a two-year deal, are the best team for him, though he's still a fringe-of-the-roster player in shallow leagues.

The Best Of The Rest

Melvin Gordon

• Gordon is by far the best running back on the market. The Broncos' management and coaching staff have voiced that they'd like to keep him on the team. At this rate, that's looking more and more like a possibility. I'd like him to sign with a team that could give him a leading role like Atlanta or Seattle, but I suspect he'll sign back with Denver. Atlanta already tried the free-agent running back route last season, and Mike Davis didn't help their team while Cordarrelle Patterson, who they just re-signed, did. I'm still hoping Seattle will sign him after determining that Chris Carson's neck injury is more severe than they expected. They did re-sign Rashaad Penny, though. I still believe in Gordon and think he has 3-4 more years of NFL and fantasy production left, but as each day goes by, it's looking like he will not have an opportunity to hold on to his dynasty value. One thing is for sure - Javonte Williams managers want Gordon to sign with another team.

Jarvis Landry

• I'm very excited to see where Landry lands because I think he still has the athleticism to do what he's done his entire NFL career. He's maintained his dynasty value by being a steady-floor player based on his number of catches and yards. Reportedly, he's considering re-signing with the Browns since DeShaun Watson got traded to the team, but I'd prefer to see him land with Aaron Rodgers in Green Bay or Matt Ryan in Indianapolis. Landry is a professional with an extremely high work ethic and drive. He's the perfect piece for a team ready to make a playoff run. He'll make a team better from a leadership and playing standpoint. Hopefully, he's holding out to play for a contender. I do not believe his days of contributing to NFL and dynasty teams are near over. I'm excited to see where he signs.

Julio Jones

• Unlike Landry, Jones's dynasty value is beyond recovery. He reminds me of Dez Bryant. Both were superstars who carried dynasty teams for years, but they came crashing to a tragic end. Rumors have Jones signing with Indianapolis to re-join Matt Ryan. That's about the best place he could go to maintain some hope of fantasy production, and that's where I hope he signs, but I would not be surprised to see him remain unsigned until after the NFL draft or even into training camps. I was a year or two late selling Jones in my leagues. I saw many other savvy dynasty managers sell him to contending teams in a playoff run two years ago. I, stubbornly, did not, and I needed this lesson to help me become a better dynasty manager.

Odell Beckham

• It's terrible that Beckham's injury in the Super Bowl is what prevented him from signing a new deal with the Rams because I believe he's far better than Allen Robinson, who they signed two weeks ago. Beckham showed enough spark in the Super Bowl run after being traded to the Rams to see his dynasty value on the rise again, but his injury and resulting length of time on the open market make me think his dynasty value dropped quite a bit no matter which team signs him. I would love to see him sign with the Chiefs and be reunited with Juju, but I think the Chiefs plan to rebuild through the draft. The Jets, however, already made a run at Tyreek Hill, so they seem like the perfect team that could wait to sign Beckham and bring him back to New York. NFL teams have him over a barrel right now because he's unable to play right now, so he's not going to get the deal he wants or the money he's worth. I think his deal and the team he signs with will be one of the big surprises. If he does not sign with the Jets, I have no idea which team will take a chance on his injury and character concerns.

Rob Gronkowski

• Gronk is not going to play anywhere but Tampa Bay. He may wait until the season starts, but he will be a Buccaneer. As unbelievable as it is, he will matter yet again in dynasty leagues, and he and Tom Brady defy all the odds and lead dynasty teams to championships.

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