NFL Free Agency March Madness: Which Team’s Move Was Best?
By Dan Salem
NFL teams made trades, cut former stars, and even bought draft picks straight up. Which team’s move was best? Who wins the bracket? Its NFL Free Agency March Madness.
In honor of March Madness and the NCAA Tournament, we are going to break out some mini brackets this week to find the best (blank) of NFL Free Agency. Yesterday, we went March Madness on the top 16 free agent signings of the NFL offseason thus far. We came to very different conclusions on who the best signing has been. Let’s see if we can come to some sort of agreement on today’s bracket: locating the best “offseason move.”
Related Story: Top 16 Free Agent Signings - NFL Free Agency March Madness
Two brothers from New York,Dan Salem and Todd Salem, discuss NFL Free Agency March Madness in today’s NFL Sports Debate.
Today’s bracket is all about the Best Team Move of NFL Free Agency. This term is very fluid, but we tried to include a wide cross section of transactions while not doubling up too often on the same things. Let’s get to it!
Elite Eight
1. Brandin Cooks – acquired by New England via trade >>
8. Joel Bitonio – signed extension with Cleveland
Todd Salem picks Cooks: I like Cleveland locking in the interior of its offensive line, but this wasn’t a fair match from the jump. Cooks was a steal for the Patriots. It’s amazing another team didn’t trump their offer. He advances.
Dan Salem picks Cooks: Trades involving the Patriots usually mean someone is leaving New England, so for the champs to add Cooks to their offense was a surprise and a great move. Plus, nothing the Browns do seems to work out as well in real life. Sorry not sorry.
4. Brock Osweiler – moved to Cleveland for draft-pick compensation >>
5. Jay Cutler – released by Chicago
Todd picks Osweiler: I’m a huge fan of the Bears releasing Cutler. It had to be done. But, taking the Osweiler deal from the point of view of the Browns, this was pure brilliance. Cutler got a bad matchup in this Elite Eight. He may have advanced against another competitor.
Dan picks Osweiler: We are completely in sync with this one, because releasing Jay Cutler was a very smart move for the Bears. They will not be very good this season, but at least its not because of Cutler. The Osweiler move is interesting, because both sides won the transaction. That rarely happens, but it actually did for Houston and Cleveland.
3. Eric Berry – signed extension and avoided the franchise tag
6. Tyrod Taylor – contract restructed by Buffalo >>
Todd picks Taylor: Eric Berry is arguably the best safety in the NFL. Kansas City being able to sign him long-term is huge for that organization. Bringing Taylor back was more important for Buffalo though. Without him, the Bills would be starting from square one with no where to turn at QB.
Dan picks Taylor: I really want to pick Berry, but anytime a team retains its quarterback for less money, that deal wins. Buffalo saw a paper thin quarterback market and seized its own guy for $10 million less. I’m a big Taylor fan and wanted him to become a free agent. Well played by the Bills.
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2. Kawann Short – franchised by Carolina >>
7. Washingon Redskins – fired GM Scot McCloughan
Todd picks Short: Everything going on in Washington baffled me until McCloughan was fired. Now it feels like the franchise is properly resetting. But erasing a negative cannot be more valuable than gaining a positive. Short was arguably the best player in free agency this year. Keeping him off the market was vital.
Dan picks Short: I don’t like that we are considering the firing of a general manager in this bracket, but the Redskins do appear better for it. That being said, I thought McCloughan did a fine job, so the move to franchise Short was definitely better.
Final Four
1. Cooks vs. 4. Osweiler >>
Todd picks Osweiler: The best two trades of the offseason square off. Cooks makes a great team better in the short term. The Osweiler trade makes a bad team better in the long term. Cleveland and Osweiler move on for pure ingenuity. As has been stated previously, this was the first NBA-ish trade ever made in the NFL, and it was great.
Dan picks Osweiler: Herman Edwards nearly convinced me that the Browns wasted their money in the Osweiler deal, because they have been so inept with their draft picks over the last decade. However, I don’t believe Osweiler is actually a lost cause and Cleveland did gain multiple picks for money they had sitting around. I loved the move for Houston as well, because they couldn’t afford their underperforming quarterback.
6. Taylor >> vs. 2. Short
Todd picks Taylor: Perhaps if it looked like Carolina was going to be able to lock up Short, he would win this matchup. Instead, a franchise tag, though important, is a one-year fix for a growing issue.
Dan picks Taylor: Did I mention how much I like Tyrod Taylor? I don’t think he has reached his ceiling as a player, plus he rarely turns the football over. He makes Buffalo better. Need I say more?
Finals
4. Osweiler vs. 6. Taylor
Todd picks Osweiler: This was my favorite move of the offseason. There is zero downside for Cleveland acquiring extra draft selections to take on this money. It’s not like that $16 million cap hold could have went elsewhere. The Browns had too much room as it was. They intelligently used something that would have otherwise been wasted to acquire value. Bringing back Tyrod Taylor was vitally important for Buffalo, but it doesn’t mend the relationship between the two sides. If anything, Taylor may be more angry after having to restructure his deal and take less money. Both moves were emotionless and great on paper. One leaves a team with a possibly angry starting quarterback, though, and the other doesn’t.
NFL Free Agency: Early Grades for All 32 Teams
Dan picks Taylor: While I loved the Osweiler move, I don’t think it actually makes either team better on its own. Cleveland has more assets, as do the Texans, but in terms of on the field production, the deal itself does not equate to anything. Buffalo has a franchise quarterback, on the other hand. They saved a ton of money, nearly two thirds of what Houston saved on Osweiler, and got their quarterback. Stability under center was critical for the Bills, with a new coach coming to town and so much change elsewhere in the organization.