NFL Free Agency 2016: Grades for Friday's Signings and Trades

After a blistering start to NFL free agency, the league reset its bearings during the second and now third day of the new league year. 

Numerous players reached massive deals during the first few hours of their availability, but those top-tier targets quickly dried up and the league rapidly descended into the second wave of free agency. 

At that point, it's clear that teams want to reset the market with more affordable contracts for lesser talent.  

Of course, there are legitimate free agents still available, but most of them are older or have some kind of concern encircling them. 

For example, Eric Weddle and Donald Penn have been high-level performers over their careers, but both are also on the wrong side of 30 years old. 

Kelvin Beachum is one of the league's better young left tackles, but he suffered a season-ending ACL injury last year. 

Those players are still waiting. Some movement still occurred, though.  

Nothing earth-shattering developed. However, teams continue to flesh out their rosters with quality personnel who can contribute as role players. 

Note: Transactions announced late Thursday after publishing deadline were added to Friday's grades slideshow. Some late Friday signings occurred after publishing deadline and were therefore not included in this installment.

Re-Signings

Bob Leverone/Associated Press

Sherrick McManis: While special teams are generally overlooked, Sherrick McManis' contributions to the Chicago Bears over the past four seasons shouldn't be. He led the team with 55 special team tackles in that time. The cornerback signed a two-year, $2.85 million contract to remain in the Windy City, according to the Chicago Tribune's Brad Biggs. McManis is a key contributor who special teams coordinator Jeff Rodgers will appreciate having back in the fold. Grade: A

Bryce Harris: Quality depth along the offensive line shouldn't be underestimated. An NFL team usually only carries seven active linemen on game days. Bryce Harris spent most of last season on the Atlanta Falcons' inactive list, but the team was still compelled to re-sign the reliable backup, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution's D. Orlando Ledbetter. The offensive tackle has played in 35 contests and started four games during his four-year career.  Grade: C

Luke McCown: Another commercial could be in Luke McCown's future. The 34-year-old backup signal-caller is set to return to the New Orleans Saints after signing two-year, $3 million contract, according to NOLA.com's Katherine Terrell. When pressed into duty last year, McCown completed 82.1 percent of his passes for 335 yards and an interception. Obviously, the Louisiana Tech product isn't guaranteed a roster spot with last year's third-round pick Garrett Grayson on the roster, but McCown proved he can be a legitimate backup behind Drew Brees. Grade: C+

Nick Perry: The Green Bay Packers do what they always do: They re-sign those players they draft. Nick Perry, a former first-round pick, signed a one-year, $5 million contract, per the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel's Tom Silverstein. Perry's career could be described as a disappointment so far, but he finally flashed his potential over the second half of the 2015 campaign. He should continue to serve in a rotational role behind Julius Peppers and Clay Matthews. Grade: C

Logan Paulsen: The Washington Redskins decided to re-sign tight end Logan Paulsen to a one-year deal after he missed all of last season with a toe injury, according to the Washington Post's Mike Jones. Jordan Reed is clearly the team's top tight end, but he's not much of a blocker. Paulsen can provide more of a physical presence at the position as a second or third tight end option. Grade: D+

Morris Claiborne: Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is willing to give former sixth overall pick Morris Claiborne one more chance. He signed a one-year, $3.75 million contract to return to Dallas, per the Dallas Morning News' David Moore. At this point the Cowboys can only hold out hope the LSU product will finally realize his vast potential. But after four seasons, it seems unlikely. Grade: D

LB Sean Weatherspoon

Rick Scuteri/Associated Press

Signed by: Atlanta Falcons

Contract terms: One-year deal, per the Associated Press' Charles Odum (via Yahoo)

There's no place like home. 

After spending the first five years of his career with the Atlanta Falcons, Sean Weatherspoon decided to test free agency a year ago. The weak-side linebacker signed a one-year deal with the Arizona Cardinals in an attempt to prove himself after coming back from a season-ending knee injury. 

Weatherspoon never returned to form. 

The former first-round pick didn't start a game last year for the Cardinals, but he did play in 14 games. The Missouri product set a new career low with only 11 total tackles. 

Why did Atlanta find it important to bring Weatherspoon back? 

"[Falcons head coach Dan] Quinn said the open-field tackling of Sean Weatherspoon is why he fits in this defense," ESPN.com's Vaughn McClure tweeted. 

The seventh-year linebacker must earn a prominent role. With O'Brien Schofield's status up in the air and Justin Durant no longer on the team, Weatherspoon could take over as a starter at his normal spot on the weak side. 

But a return home doesn't guarantee anything. 

Grade: C-

OT Jermon Bushrod

Joe Robbins/Getty Images

Signed by: Miami Dolphins

Contract terms: One-year deal, per the Miami Herald's Armando Salguero

Guard continues to be a glaring problem for the Miami Dolphins since Richie Incognito bullied his way out of the NFL for a short period of time. Incognito is now with the Buffalo Bills, and the Miami Dolphins hope they can teach an old dog new tricks with Jermon Bushrod. 

After starting 96 games at offensive tackle during his nine-year career, Bushrod is expected to move inside and play guard for the Dolphins, according to the PalmBeachPost.com's Andrew Abramson. 

At 31 years of age, it's a somewhat perplexing move, but new head coach Adam Gase saw exactly what Bushrod brought to the table last year as members of the Chicago Bears. 

The Bears' left tackle for three seasons, Bushrod dealt with multiple injury issues last year and eventually lost his starting spot. The Towson product only played in eight games and started four in 2015. 

"I think it will be good for me to get out of the left tackle comfort zone," Bushrod told the Dolphins' in-house radio program, per the Miami Herald's Adam H. Beasley. 

The Virginia native is an experienced blocker who knows Gase's system. While he might not be well-versed at playing guard, he'll come in with those two advantages over Billy Turner and Dallas Thomas. The two young linemen have been inconsistent during the early portions of their career. 

Bushrod, at the very least, provides a veteran presence up front who can compete for a starting guard spot or serve as the backup offensive lineman at four positions. 

Grade: C-

LB Keenan Robinson

Al Pereira/Getty Images

Signed by: New York Giants

Contract terms: One-year, $3.5 million deal, per the New York Daily News' Ralph Vacchiano

The New York Giants weren't quite done spending after their massive cannonball into the free-agency pool. 

Cornerback Janoris Jenkins, defensive end Olivier Vernon and defensive tackle Damon Harrison will dominate the headlines, but the lesser addition of linebacker Keenan Robinson could have a major effect on the Giants defense. 

During Jerry Reese's time as general manager, linebacker hasn't been a highly valued position. Last season, Jonathan Casillas was the only linebacker on the roster to play more than 500 snaps, according to Pro Football Focus. 

With the Jon Beason experiment finally over and Jasper Brinkley being a free agent, Robinson should immediately move into the starting middle linebacker role. However, the Giants shouldn't hand it to him. 

Last season, the Texas product opened the season as one of the Washington Redskins' starting inside linebackers, but Robinson never returned to the starting lineup during the second half of the season. He initially dealt with midseason shoulder and neck issues and didn't regain his spot once he proved to be healthy.

Will Compton took over and never looked back. 

Robinson still finished fourth on the team with 63 total tackles, and his inclusion to the Giants' roster shows a willingness by Reese to upgrade the position in some manner. 

Grade: D

DE Kendall Reyes

Jim Mone/Associated Press

Signed by: Washington Redskins

Contract terms: One-year deal, per the Washington Post's Master Tesfatsion and Mike Jones

Since taking over as the Washington Redskins' general manager, Scot McCloughan has loaded up on defensive line talent. Last offseason, Washington signed Stephen Paea, Ricky Jean-Francois and Terrance Knighton. 

This offseason, Knighton became a free agent, and the team released Jason Hatcher, so the Redskins countered by signing Kendall Reyes. The former member of the San Diego Chargers can step in right away and fill the void left by the veteran Hatcher. 

The 26-year-old defensive end started all but two games during the past three seasons. He showed a quick first step off the line of scrimmage, which allowed him to amass 10.5 total sacks during his first two seasons. But his production has dipped since. 

The New Hampshire native has a previous history with Redskins defensive coordinator Joe Barry, who served as linebackers coach for the Chargers when the team spent a first-round pick on Reyes in the 2012 NFL draft. 

"I struggled a little bit these last couple years, but I still have the raw natural talent and ability," Reyes said, per ESPN.com's John Keim. "I believe working with Coach Barry, he's going to allow me to unlock that and allow me to go back to what I was doing my first couple years."

At this point, it's a solid trade-off for the Redskins. Hatcher is 33 years old, and his play dipped last season. Reyes, meanwhile, is entering his fifth season and has yet to miss a game. He's young and reliable and shows enough potential to be a key player in Washington's defensive line rotation. 

Grade: C+

CB Brent Grimes

Joe Robbins/Getty Images

Signed by: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Contract terms: Two years, $16.5 million, per ESPN.com 

All of the distractions aside, four-time Pro Bowl cornerbacks are rarely available via free agency. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers landed such a player when they signed Brent Grimes. 

The 32-year-old cornerback hasn't given in to Father Time and continues to play at a high level since he made the last three Pro Bowls. One has to wonder how much the 5'10" defender has left in the tank, but this was a move the Buccaneers simply had to make. 

Last year, Tampa Bay was among the league's eight worst teams in passing touchdowns given up with 31. Opposing signal-callers averaged a 102.5 quarterback rating—which was second-best in the league. And the team's starting cornerbacks—Alterraun Verner and Johnthan Banks—were each benched during the season.

Some might look at this as an expensive deal, but Grimes is only the 18th highest-paid cornerback on a yearly average, according to Spotrac.com. So long as the veteran continues to perform at a relatively high level, he should be the stabilizing presence that Tampa Bay lacked in the secondary last year. 

Grade: B

DE Robert Ayers

Rob Leiter/Getty Images

Signed by: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Contract terms: Three years, $21 million with $10.5 million guaranteed, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport 

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were busy on the third day of free agency. Having already addressed the cornerback issue by signing Grimes, the organization set its sights on its other glaring issue: a subpar pass rush. 

Robert Ayers became the team's answer to that problem. Last season, the former first-round pick set career highs with 41 total tackles and 9.5 sacks. But two concerns immediately come to the forefront. 

First, Ayers didn't produce at a high level last season until Jason Pierre-Paul returned to the lineup. Of his 9.5 sacks, 7.5 came in the last five weeks of the season. 

Of course, Gerald McCoy will draw some attention from the interior, but Tampa Bay lacks the same type of bookend at defensive end as the Giants. In fact, New York decided to pursue Olivier Vernon instead of re-signing Ayers, which leads to the other concern. 

The Buccaneers handed out a big contract to another one-year wonder, Michael Johnson, two years ago. Johnson didn't pan out. The Buccaneers and their fanbase hope the same won't eventually be said of the team's new defensive end. 

Even with those concerns, Ayers will still be a welcome addition to a team in need of an every-down presence at defensive end. 

Grade: C+

WR Chris Hogan

Maddie Meyer/Getty Images

Signed by: New England Patriots

Contract terms: Three years, $12 million with $7.5 million guaranteed, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport

At first, Chris Hogan's contract with the New England Patriots fell into the wait-and-see bin, because he entered the offseason as a restricted free agent. As such, the Buffalo Bills had five days to match the offer. 

Instead, the Bills decided to pass, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. 

Does this make Hogan the next Wes Welker, Danny Amendola or Julian Edelman? No necessarily, but he performed at his best against the right team. 

Hogan's two most productive games both came against the Patriots. Last year, he set a new career high with 95 yards when the Bills traveled to Foxborough in November. 

The Monmouth product is a different type of receiver than both Edelman and Amendola. He's a bigger target at 6'1" and 220 pounds but also excels when asked to make plays after the catch. 

While his new contract comes in a little lower than both of the Patriots' top two targets, Bill Belichick clearly targeted the receiver for a reason. Hogan should be a big part of the Patriots' passing offense next season. And quarterback Tom Brady could always use another reliable option. 

Grade: B+

Best of the Rest

Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

Cedric Thornton: Although Cedric Thornton played defense end in a three-man front for the Philadelphia Eagles, he's expected to move inside to defensive tackle for the Dallas Cowboys. The defensive lineman signed a four-year, $18 million contract with Dallas, according to the Associated Press, which indicates he'll replace Nick Hayden as a starter. The Southern Arkansas product is a solid run defender who won't add much as a pass-rusher. Grade: C+

Prince Amukamara: The Jacksonville Jaguars aren't done in free agency. After the team's early splurge, general manager David Caldwell doubled back and signed cornerback Prince Amukamara to a one-year deal, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. The Jaguars have now fortified multiple areas of last year's 24th-ranked defense. Amukamara adds to the earlier acquisitions of Robert Ayers and Tashaun Gipson, as Jacksonville trends in the right direction. Grade: C

Alvin Bailey: The Cleveland Browns finally got on the board after watching their top four free agents walk during the first two days of the new league year. Adding a veteran offensive lineman became absolutely crucial due to the losses of Alex Mack and Mitchell Schwartz. The team's official site announced the signing of Bailey, who could push to start or serve as a primary backup to both guard and tackle positions. Grade: C

Justin Tuggle: Along with Bailey, the Browns added linebacker Justin Tuggle, per the team website. While Bailey could push to start, Tuggle will likely serve as depth at inside linebacker and play on special teams. What certainly made him more attractive to Cleveland are his age (26) and the fact he's only entering the fourth year of his career. Grade: C-

Jarvis Jenkins: With the New York Jets' earlier loss of Damon Harrison in the middle of their defense, the team needed to add some beef to nose tackle. Jarvin Jenkins primarily played defensive end in a three-man front during his career, but he has the size at 310 pounds to give the team some quality reps as a 0-technique. At $2 million per year, via NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, the Jets certainly didn't give him starting money. He can also serve as depth behind defensive ends Leonard Williams, Sheldon Richardson and Muhammad Wilkerson. Grade: C