The first day of the new NFL league year has come to a close, and it’s time to take stock of some of the biggest signings that took place. As teams rushed to secure talent during the opening legal tampering period, there were both winners and losers in this high-stakes game.
🏈 Let’s begin with one of the undeniable winners – The New England Patriots. After a lackluster season without Tom Brady at helm, Bill Belichick and his team made an aggressive move into free agency. They signed tight ends Jonnu Smith from Tennessee Titans and Hunter Henry from Los Angeles Chargers, instantly upgrading their offensive capabilities.
On defense too, they made significant strides by signing Matthew Judon from Baltimore Ravens as well as Jalen Mills from Philadelphia Eagles. These bold moves signal a clear intent for resurgence next season.
Another big winner is Jacksonville Jaguars who have been busy on Day 1 under new head coach Urban Meyer. They bolstered their secondary by signing cornerback Shaquill Griffin away from Seattle Seahawks while also adding safety Rayshawn Jenkins for depth in defense line-up.
Moving onto teams that didn’t fare quite so well – Chicago Bears’ decision to sign veteran quarterback Andy Dalton seems questionable at best considering they already had Nick Foles on roster and missed out securing Russell Wilson or Deshaun Watson instead.
Similarly perplexing was Houston Texans’ choice to add running back Mark Ingram when they already have David Johnson filling that role adequately enough. This could be seen as misuse of valuable cap space which might limit them down the road.
Finally we cannot forget about Las Vegas Raiders who lost three starting offensive linemen all in one day! Rodney Hudson was traded away whereas Gabe Jackson & Trent Brown were released outright leaving gaping holes upfront which will need immediate attention before start of next season.
In conclusion, Day 1 saw its fair share of excitement with many unexpected turns taken by various franchises across NFL landscape. Some teams made strategic moves to strengthen their rosters while others left fans and pundits scratching their heads in confusion.
As we move forward into rest of legal tampering period, it will be interesting to see how these early signings pan out for each team over the course of next season. Will they prove to be key pieces in a successful campaign or end up as costly mistakes? Only time will tell.
That’s all from our round-up of Day 1 action from new NFL league year. Stay tuned for more updates as free agency continues!
