Early off-season NFL free agency deals

Brock Osweiler (QB) – Houston to Cleveland

The new season got under way with an extraordinary piece of business that leaves one of the most expensive deals of all time in tatters.

Osweiler had moved in the spring of 2016 from the Broncos to the Texans  in a deal worth in the region of $72m and all looked set fair for him to emerge from the shadow of a newly-retired Peyton Manning and establish himself as a bona fide starter.

But on the back of a pretty rotten season despite his team reaching the play-offs, he is now at the centre of an infamous trade which allows Houston to ditch Osweiler’s $16m salary this season while sending him and a second round pick in the 2018 NFL draft (as sweetener) to the Browns.

Conclusion: Both teams win here – Cleveland have basically bought themselves a high draft selection next year – technically illegal if you play by strict NFL rules – while Houston have opened the way to move for Tony Romo. 

Only Osweiler is left in limbo as he is highly unlikely to get the starting job in Cleveland so could be traded – or even cut as Browns owner Jimmy Haslam takes that $16m hit in the back pocket.  

Brandin Cooks (WR) – New Orleans to New England   

Quicksilver wide receiver Cooks has been a pretty big hit since being drafted by the Saints but the development of Willie Snead and rookie Michael Thomas saw him first put on the trading block and then spirited away to the Super Bowl champs for a first-round draft pick this year.

The Saints must certainly have some faith in Snead and Thomas as Cooks now enters the prime years of his NFL career and brings a whole new dimension to Tom Brady’s passing attack.

Cooks is 5-10 and a shade under 190lb and his game is all about taking the top off an opposing defense with blistering speed and will provide Brady – clearly still at the peak of his powers – with a first really legitimate deep threat since the days of Randy Moss.

Conclusion: A great deal for Cooks as he moves seamlessly from working with one future Hall of Fame quarterback to another. 

Eddie Lacy (RB) – Green Bay to Seattle

Burly running back Lacy is a load to bring down at his best and productive in the red zone but the Packers have cut him loose after a couple of below-par seasons.

Lacy has spent time on the sidelines with concussion and various niggling injuries while issues with his weight have not helped the situation and it seems quite some time since he has gone on to the field 100 percent in shape.

So perhaps it was time for the organisation to move on and the Seahawks were prepared to take a chance as Lacy provides a power running game similar to the halcyon days of Marshawn Lynch – if healthy.

Thomas Rawls and CJ Prosise are expected to battle for the starting job but Lacy adds depth at the very least but if he can get fit – and stay fit – he could be a better option than both.

A one-year “prove it” deal makes a great deal of sense. 

Conclusion: A fresh start for Lacy could be a good thing and the system Seattle runs suits his game perfectly although he does need to prove he can handle a full workload.  

Alshon Jeffrey (WR) – Chicago to Philadelphia

Jeffrey has all the talent in the world but the Bears decided to cut their losses and he will now attempt to establish himself as one of the premier players at his position in the NFC East.

The former second-round pick can take over a game and has two career 200-yard plus performances to date but the last couple of years in the Windy City have been plagued by niggling injuries and a questionable attitude. 

2015 was a bit of a write off and while he was on the field plenty last season, he managed just a solitary 100-yard effort while a total of 821 yards in receptions and a measly two touchdown catches is utterly disproportionate to his ability.

He has signed a one-year $14m contract in Philadelphia in a bid to prove himself rather than tie himself down to a longer deal that would more than likely under-value his services at this stage.

He joins a team that boasted one of the worst receiving corps in the NFL so will be expected to set an example in terms of leadership as he heads into his sixth year as a pro.

Conclusion: Jeffrey is only 27 so this is hardly a last chance but he has not come cheap and will be expected by a notoriously fickle fanbase to significantly upgrade a pass attack run by second-year quarterback Carson Wentz with some big plays. 

Jason Pierre-Paul (DE) – New York Giants

The career of Pierre-Paul looked in tatters on Independence Day 2015 following a terrible accident with a firework that destroyed a good deal of his right hand.

He somehow managed to get back in action and played half of that season with a specially made cast to protect the affected area but his production understandably dropped off from 12.5 sacks the previous season to just one.

The Giants kept the faith though and gave him a one-year $10m contract ahead of the 2016 campaign and Pierre-Paul fully repaid them as he bounced back with seven sacks from 12 games – 5.5 coming on back-to-back weekends against Chicago and Cleveland.

A groin injury forced him to miss the final four weeks but there is little doubt JPP is back to best when it comes to harassing quarterbacks and there is a fair chance we have still not seen his very best effort.

Conclusion: Pierre-Paul has inked a $62m deal with $40m of that guaranteed money. Every moment on the football field is a blessing for him and he should have an extremely productive few years ahead at 28.