By Sean Gannon

March 17, 2020

5. Stefon Diggs + 2020 7^th round pick to Buffalo in exchange for a 2020 1^st, 5^th, 6^th, and 2021 4^th round picks.

            Well, I never actually thought Minnesota would move on from Diggs considering all the production we have gotten from him over the last five years. However, Minnesota decided it was in the best interest of both groups to part ways, something it sounds like Diggs wanted, based on his tweets. All in all this was an expected trade, but for both teams it really helps them both out. For the Vikings they had been cap strapped, low on draft picks, and trying to get younger while also trying to win now. Unloading Diggs contract, and getting a good array of picks help out Minnesota in long run and give them an opportunity to get another wide receiver (this draft is deep in wide-out talent) and grab a corner back now that Rhodes and Wayne’s are free agents, fulfilling the get younger but win now mentality going on in the North. On the flip side, the Bills needed a wide receiver that can do it all and compliment what both John Brown and Cole Beasley bring to the table as wide receivers and that’s exactly what Diggs does. He can run all the routes in the book, and make some of the toughest catches, he is an elite wide receiver and the Bills needed one. In my mock draft I had them drafting Justin Jefferson, a wide receiver out of LSU, getting Diggs gives them the proven talent they needed at that position and after last year’s magical run into the playoffs, and not Tom Brady in the AFC East this could be the era of Bills-Mafia if the offense really comes together in 2020.

4. DeAndre Hopkins+ 2020 7^th rounder in exchange for David Johnson+ 2020 second round pick and 2021. 4^th rounder

            In all honesty when I saw this update on my phone, I thought that I had grossly misread the update and then upon clicking it I found out that I didn’t read anything incorrectly. Overall, I personally feel like neither team really “won” this trade, Hopkins was traded because he wanted an extension and Houston didn’t want to give it to him with three years left on his current deal. David Johnson was costing the Cardinals 14.2 million this year and given his recent production and the acquisition of Kenyan Drake it made sense that the Cardinals decided to move on from him. What I mean by “won” is that I don’t think that Hopkins is entering into the right system, he can catch anything/everything and is easily one of the, if not the best wide out in the game but asking him to only stretch the field limits all the different routes that we have seen for so long in Houston. Drake was a huge part of that offense last year and I imagine he will be a big part of it this year, that will also limit the looks to Hopkins, I expect his overall production to decrease in this new system. On the flip side for Houston, I don’t know what Johnson they are going to get. If he’s healthy and what we saw in the 2016/2017 campaign, then they are getting one of the best backs in the entire NFL, but if injuries continue and he isn’t even on the field half of the time they are paying 14.2 million to a player on the sideline, and they still wouldn’t have found there guy in a position that they have yet to solidify since Arian Foster. I’m shocked both of these players were moved in free agency, but just goes to show you anything can happen in the NFL.

3. Byron Jones to Miami on a 5 year 82.5 million dollars contract. 57 million guaranteed, making him the highest paid cornerback at 17 million per year.

            Well Miami broke the bank for a top tier cornerback in the league. I knew that Jones would have a good market, there are a lot of cornerback needy teams, but I wouldn’t have guessed that Miami would win the sweepstakes. Flores is a great defensive minded coach and made a few other moves in the first day (signing LB Kyle Van Noy and edge rusher Shaq Lawson) they are slowly building together the team that he wants. Jones is easily a top 10 cornerback, and everyone forgets that Miami has Xavien Howard who was shut down midseason as a precaution due to a knee injury. This gives Miami arguably one of the best 1-2 cornerback combos in the league. A lot of people said they were the worst team in football, tanking for Tua, etc. But throughout the entire 2019 campaign the Dolphins fought tooth and nail to get any win that they could, and they did finishing 5-11 after many people thought that an 0-16 season was on the horizon following an 0-7 start. Don’t sleep on these Dolphins team with Flores at the reins. I’m not saying they are winning a Superbowl in 2020 or even in 2021, but don’t be surprised if they have a winning record in 2020. Flores was brought in to do one thing above all, bring a winning culture to Miami, and we saw the groundwork laid out in 2019.

2. Amari Cooper staying in Dallas on a 5 year 100-million-dollar contract. 60 million guaranteed, 20 million per year.

            Just hours after placing the exclusive franchise tag on Prescott, Dallas wrote a fat check to get their number one wide receiver to stay in town for the next five years. Cooper’s contract is obviously a big one but just to let you know, in terms of guaranteed money for wide receivers he ranks 4^th behind Thomas, Jones, and Beckham Jr. As for the yearly annual salary (20 million per year) that ranks second only behind Julio Jones at 22 million per year. Cooper is easily a game changer, and over his six-year career he has notched 4 pro-bowls and three 1,000-yard seasons, not bad for someone who is only 25 years of age. He has made a massive impact in his season and half in Dallas, helping guide Dak Prescott to the best year of his career years as well. Dallas has secured its wide receiver, running back, and offensive line all for the foreseeable future, the next step if not within the coming months then next offseason, is to get Dak under a long-term contract as well. Keeping this young nucleus together on offense is going to be key for the Cowboys success to winning another championship.

1.The GOAT (Tom Brady) is out of New England

            The twenty-year career of Tom Brady the New England Patriot has ended. The career of free agent Tom Brady OFFICALLY begins. Tom and the Patriots front office were outspoken this morning about Brady not returning to the New England Patriots, and him starting the next chapter of his career with a new team. Who that new team is going to be? I have not even the slightest clue. But two things I do know is that the AFC East just became wide open to anyone who wants it (cough Bills cough) and that seeing number 12 in a new jersey is going to look and feel so weird to football fans nationwide. Looking around the league there are a few teams that need a quarterback (Bears, Bengals, Buccaneers, Chargers, and Colts) but at 42 years old one has to imagine that Brady is going to go to a team that is in a position to win now. Therefore, I think the Colts and the Chargers provide him with that best opportunity, mainly because of the systems that they are in. The Chargers have play makers across the board and two years ago were a 12-4 team in the playoffs, with essentially that entire team still there. Brady could go in and toss some dimes to Allen and Henry, while hitting Eckler out of the backfield, something I could see being incredibly dangerous and fun to see in the powder blue jerseys. The Colts, while the play makers on both side off the ball might not be in abundance the way it is for the Chargers, boast one of, if not the best offensive line in football. Brady behind an offensive line that can not only run the ball well but allow him time to pick apart defenses would be absolutely terrifying to opposing defenses. I have no idea where Brady is going to pick, but I do hope he picks a team that can win now so we can see him in the playoffs one more time before he retires.