So, NFL free agency is off to some sort of start, huh?
Actually, we should probably clarify: The NFL’s “legal tampering period” is off to some sort of start, though that admittedly doesn’t quite have the same juice as free agency, which began Monday for all intents and purposes.
In a wild change of character, the New England Patriots spent the day splashing the spot. Bill Belichick used a whole bunch of Robert Kraft’s cash to sign seven free agents. The hope, of course, is those players — headlined by tight end Jonnu Smith and pass rusher Matt Judon — plug the numerous holes the 7-9 Patriots had in 2020. Again, out of character.
With plenty of good free agents available, what will Tuesday hold? We’ll be following all the latest in Day 2 of the legal tampering period below.
12:14 a.m. — Another late night (or shall we say early morning?) Lions update for you.
The Rams reportedly are finalizing a trade to send defensive lineman Michael Brockers to Detroit, per NFL Media’s Tom Pelissero.
11:55 p.m. — The Detroit Lions apparently just locked up former Green Bay Packers running back Jamaal Williams. His two-year deal is worth up to $7.5 million, per NFL Media’s Tom Pelissero.
10:32 p.m. — Patriots center David Andrews will hit the free-agent market Wednesday, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
8:50 p.m. — Emmanuel Sanders is joining the Buffalo Bills on a one-year, $6 million contract, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
5:30 p.m. — Jacoby Brissett reportedly has inked a one-year deal with the Miami Dolphins.
5:10 p.m. — Did the Texans just pick up some back-up for Deshaun Watson? Houston reportedly is adding Tyrod Taylor to the mix via a one-year deal.
4:40 p.m.: John Ross never made the impact the Cincinnati Bengals expected of him when they drafted him ninth overall in 2017. He now is set to join the New York Giants, according to NFL Media’s Mike Garafolo.
4:30 p.m.: The Las Vegas Raiders are parting ways with Rodney Hudson, one of the NFL’s premier offensive lineman, according to NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport.
1 p.m.: The Jaguars have landed former Seahawks cornerback Shaquill Griffin, who was a Pro Bowler in 2019.
12:55 p.m.: Chidobe Awuzie is leaving the Dallas Cowboys to help bolster the Cincinnati Bengals’ defense.
12:50 p.m.: Rob Gronkowski turned down a chance to join the Buffalo Bills before accepting an offer to return to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
11:16 a.m.: A relatively big name is about to hit the market, although we could debate just how good the player is at this point in his career. It’s likely Kwon Alexander will be suiting up for his fourth team since 2018 after the Saints reportedly released him.
New Orleans parted with Kiko Alonso and a pick to acquire Alexander in November, where he had 27 tackles in seven games.
11:07 a.m.: An AFC East battle could be brewing between New England’s Bill Belichick and his protege, Miami’s Brian Flores. The prize? Free agent center David Andrews, who could be looking to cash in after beginning his career in Foxboro.
As Wolfe notes, losing Andrews could lead the Patriots to a reunion with Ted Karras.
11:05 a.m.: While the Patriots seemingly have signed everyone available, they might end up parting ways with one of their most impactful offensive players. Running back James White is a free agent, and he’s reportedly getting interest on the market from multiple teams, including — as Adam Schefter reports — Tom Brady and the Bucs.
Obviously, White’s best work came while sharing a backfield with Brady, who made the pass-catching back a focal point of the offense. As New England retools its offense on the fly, maybe White becomes a little less important moving forward, and a reunion with Brady — in White’s home state of Florida — certainly makes a lot of sense.
10:05 a.m.: The Patriots have done it again. New England has reportedly agreed to terms on a deal with top free agent tight end Hunter Henry, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
9:05 a.m.: Here’s a very interesting tidbit from SI’s Albert Breer, who says the Patriots are poking around in the running back market, with their eyes on an intriguing free agent.
Fournette’s sizable market isn’t a huge surprise. The fourth overall pick in the 2017 draft only ran for 367 yards in Tampa Bay last year, but he was a major factor in the playoffs. Fournette carried the ball 64 times for 300 yards while also catching 18 (!) passes for 148 yards with four total touchdowns in the Bucs’ run to the Super Bowl.
8:20 a.m. ET: Before we really dive into Tuesday, here’s one from overnight you might have missed: Ryan Fitzpatrick has a new home. The journeyman quarterback is off to Washington, where he’ll presumably fight for the starting job.
As ESPN’s Adam Schefter notes, Fitzpatrick is the expected starter, but that will be among the more interesting QB battles when training camp begins. Taylor Heinecke has attempted just 77 regular-season passes in his career, but he turned plenty of heads in the playoffs last year. Heinecke went blow for blow with Tom Brady, completing 26 of 44 passes for 306 yards and a touchdown while also running one in for Washington. Obviously, WFT ultimately fell short in that game, but it was a strong showing nonetheless.
