Seton Hall
Free agency's biggest moves
Date: March 28, 2020By: Jorie Mickens
Some big names found new homes during the 2020 NFL free agency period. Whether it be via trade or signing, let’s look at those league-altering moves and how they could affect the upcoming season.
Arizona Cardinals trade for DeAndre Hopkins
I wrote about this move in an article regarding the Houston Texans and how they were one of the biggest losers during the free agency period, but I hardly touched on how this affects the Cardinals.
As mentioned before, DeAndre Hopkins has been one of the most productive wide receivers since entering the league in 2013, regardless of who his quarterback is. His rookie season, Hopkins amassed 802 yards and two touchdowns from Matt Schaub and Case Keenum, and that was with future Hall of Fame wide receiver Andre Johnson on the roster.
In 2014, Hopkins played with four different quarterbacks and still totaled 1,210 yards and six touchdowns. In Hopkins’ third season, playing with four different quarterbacks once again, he caught 1,521 yards and 11 touchdowns and was selected to his first Pro Bowl. We know the success he and DeShaun Watson had and now, Hopkins will be catching passes from last year’s Offensive Rookie of the Year Kyler Murray.
The Cardinals best receiver from last season was a 36-year-old Larry Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald led Arizona’s receivers in targets, receptions, yards and touchdowns and was the only receiver to start all 16 games. There was speculation that Fitzgerald might retire following the 2019 season, but he announced in January that he would return to the team and sign a one-year deal with the Cardinals.
Returning their top receiver would not have been enough though. You have to expect regression from Fitzgerald at some point, and while guys like Christian Kirk and Andy Isabella flashed potential in 2019, the Cardinals lacked a true number one wide receiver. Hopkins will come in and provide that immediately.
Arizona was, to put it lightly, bad in a lot of places last year. They were last in the league in yards allowed and gave up more first downs than anyone in the league. Arizona went from giving up 52 sacks in 2018 to 50 sacks in 2019, so that’s an improvement, but that probably has more to do with Murray’s mobility than the offensive line itself. Although their defense and offensive line need a lot of work, getting one of the best receivers in the league for a small price was a no-brainer and should benefit this team in 2020 and beyond.
Indianapolis Colts sign Philip Rivers to a one-year deal
Credit: Matthew J. Lee/ The Boston Globe via Getty Images
The Colts got quality play from fourth-year quarterback Jacoby Brissett last season, he threw for 2,942 yards, 18 touchdowns and just six interceptions while going 7-8 in 15 starts. But it looks like the Colts are going all-in for the more than attainable AFC South division title this season.
Although Brissett was protective of the ball, the Colts finished 30th in passing yards per game and finished in the bottom-10 in completion percentage, attempts per game and first downs. Indianapolis is refusing to let one of the best pass-blocking offensive lines go to waste, so they’re bringing in “El Capitan.”
Philip Rivers is an 8-time Pro Bowl quarterback with 59,271 yards and 397 touchdowns in his career. Last season, Rivers threw 20 interceptions, which was the second-most in a single season throughout his entire career. But in 2018, Rivers and a stacked Chargers’ defense went 12-4 and finished second in the AFC West only because Patrick Mahomes had one of the greatest seasons by a quarterback ever.
Surely the Colts’ coaching staff pushed to bring Rivers to Indianapolis, as both head coach Frank Reich and offensive coordinator Nick Sirianni spent time coaching Rivers when he was with the Chargers. Reich was the quarterbacks coach for the Chargers in 2013 when Rivers threw for 4,478 yards and 32 touchdowns, the third most of his career. Sirianni took that same position for the 2014 and 2015 seasons when Rivers threw for 4,286 yards and 31 touchdowns in 2014 and 4,792 yards and 29 touchdowns in 2015.
Rivers is not afraid to sling the ball; he was seventh in the league last season in attempts and completed the fourth-most 40-plus yard throws. The Colts have it all, a great offensive line, a running game and a young defense that has a lot of potential. The biggest question mark for this team now is their pass-catchers.
Pro Bowl wide receiver T.Y. Hilton has dealt with injuries the past two seasons, and he’s on the wrong side of 30, but he has shown many times in the past that he can be the number one receiver for the Colts.
The Colts also have tight end Jack Doyle, who made the Pro Bowl last season, third-year receiver Zach Pascal and a nice pass-catching running back in Nyheim Hines who caught 44 receptions during his rookie season last year. The Colts could have grabbed another impact wide receiver in this year’s draft, but they traded their first-round pick to the 49ers for Pro Bowl defensive tackle DeForest Buckner.
Andrew Luck’s retirement may have costed this team a trip to the Super Bowl, but bringing in Rivers should revitalize this team and make them contenders once again.
Baltimore Ravens trade for Calais Campbell
Bleacher Report’s Mike Tanier had a great article essentially answering the question: with the league MVP in Lamar Jackson, why did the Ravens go all-in on defense during free agency? Reading it will make you believe Jackson can make the same jump Mahomes did and win a Super Bowl in just his second year as a starter.
The Ravens investing in what is already one of the league’s best defenses is going to help Jackson and the Ravens’ continue what they do best; run the ball. The three games the Ravens lost last season were the games they produced their second, third and fourth lowest rushing attempts totals. The only game they had fewer rushing attempts was in their blowout victory of the Bengals when Jackson scored four touchdowns and threw for a perfect passer rating.
Campbell will be 34 years old next season, but age has not stopped him from producing some of his best seasons. In 2017, Campbell finished second in the league in sacks with 14.5, which was the most of his career, and just last season, he had the second-most QB hits in any season of his career.
Pairing Campbell with players like Matthew Judon, Marlon Humphrey, Earl Thomas, Marcus Peters and the Ravens’ run game will be reminiscent of Campbell’s 2017 season in Jacksonville when they had Jalen Ramsey, A.J. Bouye, Malik Jackson, Yannick Ngakoue and the league’s best rushing attack with Leonard Fournette.
It was reported on Friday that the Ravens’ deal with defensive tackle Michael Brockers fell through and Brockers will head back to the Rams. That certainly hurts the Ravens, but it’s not the end of the world. Finding a replacement for offensive lineman Marshal Yanda or a wide receiver to play opposite of Marquise “Hollywood” Brown seems more pressing right now.
The Ravens are going to have one of the best defenses in the league next year, now it’s up to Jackson to continue to build on his MVP season to bring home a championship to Baltimore.
Jorie Mickens can be reached at jorie.mickens@student.shu.edu.
