Written by Conor Orr at MMQB.com
Because few actually abide by the “legal tampering period” rules, the meatiest portion of free agency can strike at any time. For those on the east coast, that meant waking up to a flurry of major deals on Tuesday morning in addition to four inches of snow. Case Keenum, Sammy Watkins and Andrew Norwell were off the market before some West Coast general managers went to bed. While there are still some remaining tidbits, like how the Steelers will resolve their near future with Le’Veon Bell and where remaining players like A.J. McCarron land, the opening bell was an early climax.
Here are the biggest acquisitions thus far and how we think they graded out (in reverse-chronological order):
MALCOLM BUTLER TO THE TITANS
With about $60 million to spend this offseason, the Titans jump into the deep end on Day One of this NFL free agency extravaganza and sign Malcolm Butler, bringing the former Patriots Super Bowl hero (and, in later years, scapegoat) to New England South. New head coach Mike Vrabel gets a cover corner who, while not cheap, is hopefully desperate to prove that whatever nebulous offenses ended his career in New England were the act of a tyrannical head coach and not the faults of a rule-bending player.
Butler and new teammate Logan Ryan played well together in New England for three seasons and should resume a strong working relationship in the back end of Tennessee’s secondary. The Titans, as Tom Brady proved in the playoffs last year, are not just one cornerback away from taking the AFC South and marching toward a conference title game. However, the more versatile and capable cover corners a team has, the better they’ll fare against the class of the AFC.
The reported length and dollar amounts of these contracts should not sway opinion—as NFL Network reported, Butler gets about half of the $61 million in guarantees. If a team like the Titans is in contention, they should spend the money. This doesn’t have to be a long marriage if Butler declines a bit as he did toward the end of his Patriot tenure.
GRADE: B-
JOSH MCCOWN TO THE JETS
I was surprised to see the immediate backlash on Twitter after a season when McCown played at replacement level (and at times far above) for the Jets in 2017. A one-year, $10-million deal is easily absorbed by a team that has almost $90 million in cap space, and having an easy-going personality like McCown in the locker room makes it simple to still sign someone like Teddy Bridgewater and draft a rookie at No. 6.
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