You can view Part 1 of my free agency thoughts here.
NFL Free agency is going to be wild this year. There’s quite a few stars and some players who could become key players wherever they land. Let’s dive deeper into this FA class.
1. Will Fuller
Will Fuller finally looked to be coming into his own before going down for PEDs in Week 13. Fuller has yet to play a full season in his 5 years, but has shown major upside when on the field. Let’s break it down deeper!
Will Fuller has played over 10 games 4 times, but has only played more than 11 once. Fuller has struggled in the past to stay on the field, but this year he looked to finally be healthy. He finished with 53 catches, 879 yards and 8 TDs in 11 games.
Will Fuller will have major upside, anywhere he lands. He’s got great speed and good hands, but has been riddled with injuries. He’s yet to crack the 1000 yard mark (or 55 catches), but he’s when on the field he’s shown that he can be lightning in a bottle.
Green Bay has been the talk of the town as to where Fuller may land in NFL free agency, for the most part. It seemed Green Bay was a WR away from being a legit Super Bowl contender this past year. But times have changed, and questions arise as to how much cap space GB is going to spend on a WR when there are other positions who need to get paid.
I expect Will Fuller will get a ‘prove it’ type of deal. He’ll get a 1-year deal; whether that be a franchise tag or a deal to play somewhere else. He could also get a 2-year deal to prove it somewhere else. Anything longer than that and I would be shocked.
2. JuJu Smith-Schuster
JuJu Smith-Schuster comes into this free agency as one of the best #2 WRs in football. Coming off 97 catches for 831 yards, JuJu showed he can create openings in the short part of the field.
The start of JuJu’s career has been interesting. He shined playing opposite of Antonio Brown, but has yet to make that leap into a legit WR1. JuJu has proven he can handle a large role as a number 2, and can provide a great red zone presence for a team lacking WRs. He seems to love Mike Tomlin, and Pittsburgh. But with their cap issues and two other stud WRs in Diontae Johnson and Chase Claypool, it doesn’t make much sense for Pittsburgh to retain JuJu.
He could get franchised tagged, especially since Ben Roethlisberger returned. JuJu seems to be the guy Big Ben trusts the most. Unfortunately I don’t see where they find the money unless he’s tagged. I see JuJu walking in free agency.
Some potential landing spots that really catch my eye for JuJu are the Miami Dolphins and New York Jets.
South Beach seems nice for JuJu as he could potentially pair up with DeVonta Smith or Ja’Marr Chase in Miami and give this offense a much needed push.
Adding JuJu in Miami could get Tua Tagovailoa a safety valve; a guy he can trust wherever he’s at on the field. Development will be shown in year 2, so why not pair him with two playmaking WRs in JuJu and Smith/Chase.
The Jets also intrigue me, especially with the hire of Robert Saleh. This team is going to be a defensive minded and might try to rely on the chemistry of Sam Darnold and JuJu (given their history in college). JuJu could add a huge boost to a WR corps that really only has Denzel Mims for the future.
3. Corey Davis
Corey Davis enters this offseason after a huge contract year; finally coming into his own and breaking through to be a true WR2 in the NFL.
Corey Davis struggled early in his career. Whether it was being in a lackluster offense before A.J. Brown arrived or not getting as much opportunity due to the heavy run game, he had some issues. Davis finally came into his own this year being a true #2 for Tennessee.
Unfortunately we head into an offseason where most teams don’t have a lot of money; and that doesn’t bode well for Davis. This market doesn’t look great for every WR, but for Davis it wouldn’t make much sense for a team to overpay for a guy who’s only produced one full season.
I don’t see a team overpaying for Davis. Tennessee will probably try to make an offer and retain him as their WR2 behind Brown. It seems the discount to stay will happen for Davis in a crowded FA class with not a lot of money. I expect Davis to have another stellar year in 2021.
Now, whether Tennessee franchise tags him or gives him a multi-year deal is a good question. It could easily go either way, especially if there are other buyers for Davis. He could accept the tag and try to bank on another stellar contract year, or lock up a long term deal. I think Tennessee ultimately will assign the tag to Davis this offseason.
4. Curtis Samuel
If you’ve been following me over on Twitter, you know that my biggest push in free agency is for Curtis Samuel to end up in Arizona. Curtis Samuel is one of my favorite FA WRs. He offers a different skill set and can play multiple positions. He can create magic and where he ends up can offer a huge upside.
Curtis Samuel had a big year last season, tallying 850+ yards on 77 catches. But he offers more than receiving, he tallied a 4.88 YPC on 200 yards, and 2 TDs. He finds way to create yards while being utilized in a multitude of different ways.
I wouldn’t doubt that Samuel ends up somewhere on a two year deal, either. He’s a great player given his skill set, and brings an extra layer of preparation from defenses. I don’t think Carolina retains Samuel however, as the team already has D.J. Moore and Robby Anderson who can perform in a similar fashion.
Arizona would be a great fit for Samuel (as noted above). It would be my favorite landing spot of free agency if the Cardinals landed Samuel. It would be a match made in heaven, pairing Samuel and DeAndre Hopkins alongside Kyler Murray.
Kyler needs another WR, especially one who plays with such uniqueness as Samuel. The offense could be very creative by adding Samuel and possibly bringing in a youthful gadget RB. Murray won’t be the only player on offense to benefit from Samuel’s presence, as Hopkins will gain a boost from this as well.
Samuel won’t demand big money but will be a size-able short term deal; especially for someone who can play just about anywhere. He could see a big jump in his dynasty value landing in a WR2 role, instead of the WR3 role he had in Carolina.
NFL free agency this year is loaded with WRs. With so many big names possibly changing teams, it’s going to shift the outlook of fantasy football dynasty leagues. Keep your eye out on March 17th when the door opens and offers start flooding in.
As always, leave your thoughts and comments below!
