The Best Fits For The NFL’s Loaded 2020 Free Agent Class
The NFL free agent class of 2020 is stacked with elite players looking for new homes. At no time in the last decade have we seen more starting-caliber QBs hit the market at one time. Combine that with a few top-end wide receivers and teams with enough salary cup space could easily go from duds to Super Bowl studs. So, where exactly will players like Tom Brady, A.J. Green, and Chris Jones end up? These are the teams we think fit them best!
Tom Brady - Tennessee Titans
Tom Brady is a free agent for what feels like the first time in the 43-year-old quarterback's career. Most players his age walk off into the sunset. Most players aren't Brady though. Still playing at an elite level, look for the Patriots signal-caller to go to the team that gives him the best chance to win now.
For us, that leaves him with the Titans and the Patriots. A lot of talk has him connected to the 49ers, but they have over $100 million invested in Jimmy Garropolo. Between the surprising Titans and the offensively talent-starved Patriots, Tommy Terrific should have an easy choice.
Philip Rivers - Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are going to the play QB free agent lottery again and convince Philip Rivers to come to town. The former Chargers' franchise star recently bought a house in Florida, so the move makes more sense than you might think.
Add in that Rivers, like Tom Brady, will want to go somewhere that gives him a chance to win now. By signing with the Jags, Rivers will have a strong running game and some of the most talented young WRs to throw to in the game. Will those factors be enough to give the rugged veteran his first championship?
Amari Cooper - Dallas Cowboys
This may not be the most exciting spot in the world for some fans, but Amari Cooper has found a home in Dallas and it's hard to see him leaving. Almost as soon as he came to town, he and Dak Prescott had elite chemistry. Did we mention the Cowboys have $73 million cap space this offseason?
Are there better fits for Cooper? Maybe. There are definitely teams that give him a better chance to win. Then again, the consistently inconsistent Dallas Cowboys are due for another 13-3 season followed by a playoff letdown.
Dak Prescott - Dallas Cowboys
With $73 million in cap room to spend, the Dallas Cowboys would be fools not to bring Dak Prescott back with Amari Cooper. Prescott will demand one of the highest QB salaries of all-time, but the team already chose him over former head coach Jason Garrett.
Letting Prescott sign with another team would send the wrong message not just to the locker room, but also the fans. Jerry Jones will pay up, and he'll find a way to do it with a smile.
Chris Jones - Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers love spending money in free agency, and they have a lot to throw around this offseason. The good news is they can spend the entirety of that on defense. Chris Jones is arguably the best defensive end hitting free agency, and he's going to get paid.
Jones won't be the only expensive piece they add, either. The Bucs' defense was one of the worst in the league, and they'll try and use free agency to fix that on offseason. Prepare to see them again on this list!
Jadeveon Clowney - Seattle Seahawks
Traded to Seattle during the season, Jadeveon Clowney made it known he loved playing for Pete Carroll. In his dream world, he returns to the Seahawks' defensive line in 2020. In the real world, we believe that is exactly what will happen.
Seattle's defense wasn't very good in 2019, but Clowney was one of the bright spots. He's still young, and considering his injury concerns, he should come at a discounted price compared to his talent. If you're Seattle's GM, how do you say no?
Byron Jones - Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Remember when we said Tampa Bay would be on this list a few times? We meant it. By signing Byron Jones, they add a much-needed piece to their secondary, further ensuring their defense won't be a liability in 2020.
With both the best defensive lineman in free agency and the best defensive back off the board, you might think Tampa Bay would be done. The team, which will still have plenty of room after these two big signings, won't settle though and will look to add a seasoned veteran linebacker next.
A.J. Green - San Francisco 49ers
The 49ers don't have a lot of money to spend in the offseason and only had one real weakness in 2019. Their wide receiving core was too young and too inexperienced. Before the trade deadline they picked up Emmanuel Sanders from the Broncos, but he was just a rental player.
If the 49ers are going to make a splash this offseason, it will be to upgrade their WRs with a big-time playmaker like Green. With a recent injury history against his favor, San Francisco just might find a price tag that fits their budget, too!
Drew Brees - Indianapolis Colts
In the first big shocker on this list, the New Orleans Saints move on from Drew Brees, who signs a big-money, short term deal with the Colts. Indianapolis has the talent to win now, and Brees wants to do exactly that.
As for New Orleans, even though they have the talent to win now, they also won five games with another, younger QB when Brees was benched with an injured thumb. They'll choose sustained success over short term glory.
Teddy Bridgewater - New Orleans Saints
The man the Saints choose over Drew Brees is Teddy Bridgewater. Cast off from the Vikings after a near career-ending knee injury, Bridgewater found a new home as Brees' backup. And when he was forced to start, he was nothing short of sensational, going 5-0.
Still not 30 years old, Bridgewater gives New Orleans the youth and talent they need to stay a contending power in the NFL for another decade. As for those clamoring for Taysom Hill, we remind you he is a 30-year-old gadget player who has never started a game at QB in his career.
Arik Armstead - San Francisco 49ers
After a breakout season in 2019, we expect the 49ers to use the franchise tag on Arik Armstead if he and the team can't work out a multi-year deal. Both sides have publicly said they would like a reunion in 2020, and Armstead has said he would be okay playing under the tag.
As for Armstead's actual long-term options, the 49ers don't have a ton of cap room, so if he is franchise-tagged, he will likely move on to another team in 2021 if he continues to play at an all-pro level.
Dante Fowler Jr. - Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Buccaneers finally round out their defense with 26-year-old linebacker Dante Fowler Jr. The young star, who starred for the Rams in 2019, will move back to Florida for the 2020 season.
Of course, signing Fowler Jr. also means that Tampa Bay will officially be moving on from Shaq Barrett, a player with arguably more upside. This is the price Barrett will pay for being a star player on a bad unit. Someone will pay for his services, but who will it be?
Shaq Barrett - New York Giants
Like the Bucs, the New York Giants' defense was horrendous in 2019. With $61 million in cap space, look for the Giants to use it all almost exclusively on that side of the ball, starting with the signing of Shaq Barrett.
A new home will be a welcome change for the star outside linebacker, and he'll instantly upgrade the defense in New York. Barrett might believe that staying Tampa is his best option, but he'll be forced to move on. We think he'll be just fine.
Jameis Winston - Las Vegas Raiders
Tom Brady might not be going to Las Vegas, but Jameis Winston might be. This one is a bit of a stretch, but hear us out. If the Raiders don't draft a QB and still want to move on from Derek Carr, Winston would give them a big-bodied gunslinger with a huge arm.
What says "Las Vegas flash" more than a QB who threw for over 5,000 yards in 2019 while throwing 30 plus touchdowns to go along with 30 interceptions?
Brandon Scherff - Houston Texans
The Houston Texans need to find a way to keep franchise QB Deshaun Watson standing upright. Trading for Laremy Tunsil at the start of 2019 wasn't enough, but maybe adding guard Brandon Scherff to the line in 2020 will be.
If Watson can sit in the pocket without getting touched or having to scramble right away, he could put up numbers comparable to Russell Wilson or Patrick Mahomes. He's already proven he can win without a good offensive line, so just imagine what he could do with one!
Hunter Henry - Indianapolis Colts
Knowing that a tight end is a quarterback's best friend, the Indianapolis Colts upgrade the position in free agency by adding Hunter Henry. Unquestionably one of the most talented tight ends in the NFL, Henry has shown an inability to stay healthy so far in his career, making him a great low-risk signing.
If we're right, and the Colts sign Drew Brees, Henry would instantly give the future Hall-of-Famer a security blanket. Look for Henry to be a TD machine in Indianapolis if this happens.
Derrick Henry - Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans might be willing to move on from Ryan Tannehill in the offseason (if Tom Brady comes to town), but there is no scenario where they let Derrick Henry go to another team. Henry was the NFL's best and most explosive running back in 2019, and at 26 years old, he should be able to repeat that feat in 2020.
Moreover, keeping Henry will ensure that whatever QB is under center for the Titans in 2020 doesn't have to worry about carrying the load. They can play "game manager" and sit back and enjoy the show.
Ryan Tannehill - Los Angeles Chargers
Ryan Tannehill revived his career in 2019 after taking over the Titans' starting QB job from Marcus Mariota. The Chargers will be looking for a new QB in 2020, and signing Tannehill to start and groom a rookie QB makes a ton of sense.
Based on his career trajectory, Tannehill will be a journeyman QB until he retires, and there is no better spot than Los Angeles to play for a season or two before moving on. The Chargers will draft a QB, and Tannehill has the knowledge to pass on to help them become a franchise star, even if he never was.
Matthew Judon - Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals take a chance on one of the most promising free agent linebackers by signing Matthew Judon to a big-money deal. Judon showed off his skill set while playing for the dominant Ravens defense in 2019.
Moving to Arizona will allow Judon to prove he was not the product of a system in Baltimore. It will also give him the chance to be the franchise defender for a young team looking to push its way back to relevance after a promising 2019 campaign with a rookie QB.
Jack Conklin - Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals have a mobile quarterback entering his second year in the NFL. That means protecting him becomes one of the team's offseason priorities, leading them to sign Jack Conklin in free agency. Coming off a year blocking for Derrick Henry, there is no question he can get the job done.
Will the move be enough to help the Cardinals compete in the loaded NFC West? We could see them leap-frogging the Los Angeles Rams, who seem to have peaked in their Super Bowl year, but they'll still have work to do to catch up with the Seahawks and 49ers.
