2068 Free Agency Review

[kmkuiken]

2068 Free Agency Review

The 2068-2069 league year has officially begun and with that comes players with expiring contracts looking for new homes. With multiple teams acquiring new GMs this offseason, this period will be interesting in learning how they will choose to build their new teams. Even besides the newcomers, there are many questions to be answered this offseason. Will teams like Jacksonville or the Rams look to make a push in their weak divisions? Will the Jets cap pressure prevent another Front Office Bowl push? Will Eddie Dennis finally earn a payday after leading Kansas City to the championship? All these questions and more will be answered as the incoming free agent pool sign with their teams. This year should be an exciting one!

Below will be a few writeups on some of the top free agents and how they fit on their new teams. If anyone wants to add their sleeper pickups feel free!

[kmkuiken]

Aiden Bradley, WR, Cleveland
Previous Team - Cleveland
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Contract details - 3 years, $127.5 million

Bradley was a priority for Cleveland this offseason after giving up a plethron of picks to get him from KC. Immediately after arriving in Cleveland last year, he became the team's leading receiver with 97 catches and over 1000 yards. While he wasn't as dominant as he was in 2066, another year to gel with Mitch Kennedy should do wonders for Bradley. His skills in the return game are severely overlooked as well. Bradley was easily the best punt returner in the league this year, managing to lead the league in return yards with 17 fewer attempts than his competition. Look for him to get another 1000 yards this year as Cleveland looks to make the playoffs in the competitive AFC North.

For Cleveland, this signing was a no-brainer. You don't give up that many high picks just to lose him the next season. Bradley demanded the contract and Cleveland had the money to give. There were multiple teams interested in the services of the young wide receiver, but the combination of money and established chemistry with Kennedy made coming back to the Browns the right choice for both parties. Bradley slots right back into the WR1 role for Cleveland, who will now need to look for a man to line up across from him. With not a lot of cap remaining, that will most likely be accomplished through the draft, but we will need to wait and see what plans GM Steel has for the team.

[kmkuiken]

Bryan Burkhart, EDGE, Houston
Previous Team - Cleveland 1200x0.jpg
Contract details - 4 years, $204.6 million

Burkhart, at least according to the league's annual Grey Sheet, was the top-ranked free agent this year, and it's not hard to see why. Matching his career-high in sacks with 18.5 while only starting 10 games is no easy feat. He was in contention for DPOY this year, ultimately losing the award to Malachi MaKenzie. Even at 30 years old, Burkhart is one of the league's best pass rushers in the league when he's on his game.

Despite the numbers this year, many teams had issues with both Burkhart's age and motivations. At 30 years old, it is a bit of a risk allocating that much money for 4 years. There is no way of knowing his production will decrease with age, but the statistics are not on his side. There is also some concern with his ability to keep himself motivated after a large payday. He is seen around the league as someone who will chase the money no matter what, and, after receiving what is likely the last contract he will ever get, has nothing left to chase. The fact that Burkhart lost his starting job in Cleveland the last three weeks of the season even though he was producing doesn't help his cause. It's not totally known why he didn't start those games, but the fact that his heart is even in question means it's hard for an organization to put that much capital investment into him. Because of these red flags, many GMs weren't even looking into the former DPOY. Some are even saying Houston was one of the only buyers in the league, but that's beside the point. Nevertheless, Houston made the investment into Burkhart and they hope he will continue to produce next to D.J. Meyers and Alejandro Bernhardt.

[Steel]

Fantastic!

[kmkuiken]

Elias Lynn, G, Cincinnati
Previous Team - Atlanta ECgLs5MUwAA86O6.jpg

Contract details - 4 years, $117.5 million

Lynn has been very dependable for the Falcons the last 4 years, only allowing 10 sacks total over that timespan. He has always been the first guy in the building and the last one out. Working his way from third-round pick to quality starter takes a lot of dedication to the craft, which Lynn definitely has. He worked his way back from a brutal concussion that knocked him out of the last 10 games of the 2066 season and had his best statistical season last year. Elias Lynn is definitely a high-quality starter in this league and should be able to produce at a high level with the Bengals for years to come.

Not only does did Cincinnati just get their starting guard, they also got a much-needed leader for their offensive line. He's already been talking to tackle Monty Cooper and the rest of his teammates, assuring them he will put in everything he has for his new team. Overall, this was a solid signing for the Bengals, as they managed to grab a quality starting guard and team leader all in one swoop. Lynn's ability to play any position on the line will also help Cincinnati this year, as they are currently lacking in interior line depth.

[kmkuiken]

Brent Chapman, ILB, Green Bay
Previous Team - New York (A) Getty-Images-VIIII-1111758851-1533677695633-0x0_c.jpg

Contract details - 3 years, $32.9 million

Chapman was one of the most sought after free agents this offseason, receiving substantial offers from multiple teams this year. Ultimately, he decided to move to Wisconsin and play with head coach Nicholas O'Reilley, a popular players coach. While only receiving substantial playing time during the '66 season, he had a very solid season then. His 15.2 tackle percentage with over 100 tackles that year shows he can produce when given a starting role. His coverage skills and speed are lacking, but that doesn't take away from his run-stuffing and pass-rushing abilities which can be elite when given the chance.

While Chapman was a great signing for the money and probably could have made more money if he had starting time in New York, it is curious as to why the Packers decided to sign a high-profile MLB after Matt Conley's season last year. Conley had decent play last year and is seen as comparable to Chapman in playstyle. If GM rush_27 is hoping for Chapman to move to 43 SLB then the move makes much more sense. His relatively cheap contract and proven run-stopping ability would go great in that position, especially if he bulked up this offseason. It seems most likely that Chapman will switch back to the position he played his rookie season, and he should thrive in that role with Green Bay.

[rush_27]

Nice write up.

We see Chapman as more of an SLB fit for our scheme and will start straight off the bat. In regards to salary, we have a lot of cap money to spend this year and don't mind over paying a little to get one f the best Linebackers on the market. We would have loved WR Aiden Bradley but he ultimately decided to stay in Cleveland.

[SteelStone]

Sweet write up

[GM_Pete]

Kmkuiken

Thanks for doing this.

[Chrustifus]

Great stuff!

[FortressDoor]

great write up.