Top 10 Most Significant Moves in the 2020 NFL Off-Season
Well, it's odd not having sports right now, thanks to COVID-19. We've hit a dead spot, and as a result, sports lists are few and far between.Despite all of this, at least the NFL off-season action has kept me from watching paint dry. As we approach the draft, let's go ahead and talk about some big moves that could really change the league drastically. And this isn't even getting into the CBA proposal.
Anyway, it's nice to have some semblance of a pulse in the sports world. I'll take any sports list I can.
For months, people were speculating about this, and it's finally happening. The Patriots dynasty is over! Brady has left his legacy in New England to join the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of all teams. The Bucs have some nice weapons, including Chris Godwin and Mike Evans. He'll have Bruce Arians as his head coach.
This is a very interesting move that could mean the end of the Jameis Winston era in Tampa. This makes the Bucs an intriguing team, and they could actually make the playoffs again.
I think Tom Brady made a mistake leaving the Patriots. It seems like he left because they didn't have good enough receivers. Had Brady stayed, the Patriots could have drafted a QB and had Brady teach the new QB so he is ready when Brady retires.
This is easily one of the most laughable trades. Houston gives up one of the top receivers in football for a veteran running back past his prime in David Johnson. Even by Bill O'Brien's standards, this trade was an absolute win for Arizona and a steal at that.
That's another weapon for Arizona now, with Kyler Murray, Larry Fitzgerald, Kenyan Drake, and now Hopkins. The fact the Cardinals got him for almost nothing is almost an insult.
In my honest opinion, this is among the top ten worst trades in NFL history, and this is coming from a fan of a team that traded multiple first and second-round picks for a 34-year-old John Hadl.
He was a Viking for years and was responsible for the Minnesota Miracle. Now he's in Buffalo, and if I'm Bills Mafia, I'm celebrating as this is the big name the Bills needed on offense to rejuvenate it and make them legit. Also, Minnesota got a solid return as well.
That is big for Buffalo. Could this mean Buffalo is a contender next year?
He filled in for Drew Brees and was actually not bad. A little rusty, but he got the job done, winning every game and proving he can start in the NFL. With Drew Brees back in the Big Easy, Bridgewater gets a starting gig of his own in Carolina.
Now he'll get to play Brees, Brady, and Ryan twice a year. On top of that, this may very well be a sign Carolina is giving Cam the boot, or they're just doing a quarterback carousel. Either way, it's a big move for Teddy, who can hopefully start fresh.
Tennessee gives their main man Tannehill a giant extension after what he did last year. Important for them to stick to their guns and pay their quarterback. This also shows how they are going to move forward with Tannehill at quarterback over Mariota, who is now gone.
Very risky move. I have a feeling this past season was a fluke, and Tannehill will go back to being mediocre.
They screwed Henry in the process.
To me, this trade indicates two things. First and foremost, the Ravens are looking legit. This will bolster their defense and may be the missing piece to bring them over the top in the AFC. Second, this tells me that the Jaguars are no longer in win-now mode. Almost all of the Sacksonville defense is now gone. They're in rebuilding mode again and have work to do. That's not even getting to the quarterback situation either.
This trade could have major side effects for both teams.
One of the most electrifying running backs in the AFC playoffs last year is staying put for the time being. This comes after the Tannehill extension, which raised questions concerning Henry.
Safe to say that the Titans will be back. Henry is electric, and keeping him provides Tannehill with one of his major go-to weapons.
The Chiefs are coming off a Super Bowl win and need to try to keep as much of their core together as possible. This is especially true on the defensive side. This gives them options as to what they can do. The Chiefs look to at least keep him for the short term while also preparing a mega deal for Mahomes.
They could very well send him off for a couple of first-round picks if they so choose. But this gives them flexibility.
The Cowboys had a big decision to make regarding Dak and Amari Cooper. The new CBA only allows one tag, and they had two guys they wanted to keep. They tagged Dak, which allows them to get another year with him to see where he's at and a chance at a long-term deal.
Meanwhile, they also managed to re-sign Amari Cooper. Seems like the pressure is on for making the playoffs.
Indy gave up the 13th overall pick for Buckner and agreed to pay him $21 million, making him the second highest-paid DT. He joins a defense with the likes of Justin Houston and Darius Leonard. He was very reliable and productive for San Francisco and should be a nice upgrade for the Colts.
The Newcomers
The Bears needed a quarterback and may have found their guy, who ironically was the same quarterback who beat them in the double doink game. Funny how things come around full circle, huh?
That Bears offense needs some rejuvenation, and what better way to do it than with Big Nick. Mitchell Trubisky has looked more like backup quarterback material at best this past year.
Bad move for Chicago. Is he really any better than Trubisky? Nick Foles is overrated in my opinion. I know he won a Super Bowl, but he is really only successful for the Eagles.
Good to see Indy finding a veteran quarterback who still has some talent left in the tank. He'll have some good protection and some familiarity with Frank Reich, so this Colts team might sneak into the playoffs this season.
A big win for Dallas as they bring back both their quarterback and his top receiver. Now don't underachieve this time, okay?
He could really make a difference in that Eagles defense as they desperately needed it. Also, anyone else find it hilarious that they traded him the day after he put on social media that he wanted to be traded?
It makes sense. I mean, Atlanta could use another weapon on offense, assuming Gurley returns to his form from two years ago. He hasn't been the same these past few seasons.
