Bleacher Report Expert Consensus Free-Agency Awards

There are still some NFL players out there waiting to find new homes (including big names like edge-rusher Jadeveon Clowney), but for the most part, 2020 free agency is a done deal.

As is the case every year, it was a period filled with massive contracts and excitement for fanbases from coast to coast. Folks in Tampa are over the moon after the Buccaneers signed quarterback Tom Brady. Fans in Houston? Not so much after wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins was sent packing to Arizona.

Now that the dust has (mostly) settled, it's time to decide who made the best use of their free-agency war chest in 2020? Who landed the biggest bargain? Who swung the slickest trade? And who made the best signing in all of free agency?

To answer those questions and more, Bleacher Report NFL Analyst Gary Davenport, NFL Features Lead Writer Tyler Dunne, NFL National Lead Writer Mike Freeman, NFL Analyst Brad Gagnon, NFL Draft Lead Writer Matt Miller, NFL Analyst Brent Sobleski and NFL National Lead Writer Mike Tanier have gathered to present the Bleacher Report Free-Agency Awards.

Best Signing

Mark Black/Associated Press

Teddy Bridgewater, QB, Carolina Panthers (2 votes)

In a year when a number of veteran quarterbacks changed teams (including the most successful signal-caller in NFL history in Tom Brady), it's no surprise that a signal-caller dominated the voting here.

In news that should surprise exactly no one, Brady's trip to Tampa Bay earned him a vote. For NFL Features Lead Writer Tyler Dunne, the best signing of 2020 was a quarterback who stayed put in Tennessee's Ryan Tannehill.

"So many teams find themselves in the position Tennessee was in mid-October," Dunne said: "Lost at quarterback. It was painfully clear that Marcus Mariota's time was up, that the 2015 No. 2 pick just was not the present or the future. Rather than hang on for dear life and trick himself into thinking Mariota was, Mike Vrabel made the move to Ryan Tannehill, and all Tannehill did was lead the NFL passer rating. Considering the stakes—that the Titans would've taken a nosedive back into QB purgatory without Tannehill on the roster—he is absolutely worth every penny of that contract. He's only 31. The Titans are Super Bowl contenders and could be for a while."

NFL Analyst Gary Davenport, on the other hand, went with another veteran who moved on in Philip Rivers.

"Brady to Tampa has hogged most of the headlines," he said. "But an argument can be made that if Rivers can recapture past form, he's in an ever better position where his prospects for short-term success are concerned. The Colts don't have the weaknesses on the offensive line and in the backfield that the Buccaneers do, and Indy's risks with this one-year contract are minimal."

However, it was a younger quarterback living out a Hollywood movie who won the day.

Teddy Bridgewater has gone from collegiate star at Louisville to first-round pick of the Minnesota Vikings to playoff starter to suffering an awful knee injury to rehabbing his career with the New Orleans Saints to the replacement for Cam Newton with the Carolina Panthers—all by the age of 27.

Bridgewater won all five of his starts for the Saints in 2019, and if he plays at that level for the Panthers, his $21 million annual salary will be a steal.

Others receiving votes: Tom Brady, QB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1 vote); Philip Rivers, QB, Indianapolis Colts (1 vote); Ryan Tannehill, QB, Tennessee Titans (1 vote); Jack Conklin, OT, Cleveland Browns (1 vote); Bryan Bulaga, OT, Los Angeles Chargers (1 vote)

Best Trade

Jeff Roberson/Associated Press

DeAndre Hopkins to Arizona Cardinals (All the Votes Ever)

Every so often, there's a trade in the NFL so ridiculously lopsided that it leaves jaws on the floor.

From 2020 forward, such a trade shall forever be known as a "Nuk."

On some level, it's still hard to believe that the Houston Texans traded Pro Bowl wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins and a fourth-round pick to the Arizona Cardinals for tailback David Johnson, a second-round pick and a fourth-round pick.

It just doesn't make any sense.

Hopkins is arguably the best player at his position in the NFL. He's topped 100 catches in each of the past two years and has gone over 1,000 receiving yards five times in the last six seasons.

Johnson had over 2,000 yards from scrimmage in 2016. But the 28-year-old hasn't gained 1,000 yards on the ground or averaged four yards a carry since. He's missed 18 games over the last three seasons. And Johnson carries a cap hit of over $14 million in 2020.

"It is amazing in the NFL that some trades are so lopsided still," an NFL exec told Mike Sando of The Athletic. "The Hopkins thing was a joke. How the David Johnson contract was included in the deal just astounds me."

That executive wasn't the only one left scratching his head. NFL Draft Lead Writer Matt Miller is still trying to figure out what happened as well, although it left him plenty impressed by the end result.

"The Arizona Cardinals already had an explosive offense with quarterback Kyler Murray, running back Kenyan Drake and future Hall of Famer Larry Fitzgerald leading a solid corps of receivers," Miller said. "And then they pulled off a trade to send an injured running back (David Johnson) and a second-round pick for a top-five NFL receiver in DeAndre Hopkins. The Cardinals defense might need some work, but Kliff Kingsbury's offense is set up to outscore anyone it faces."

As if that wasn't enough to give you a headache, per Sando, an exec indicated that Hopkins had been on the market for a while.

"They have been shopping the guy (Hopkins) for a year-and-a-half, so let’s not pretend they do not know what the market is," an exec said of Houston. "They clearly knew the market. Other teams were scared of the market, and I think with players like Hopkins who have actually held out, there is fear of what the contract looks like. Do I think they should have taken on David Johnson? No, they did not do a great deal, but they were at a point where they just wanted to move on, and that is the danger of having the head coach being the GM."

Pass the Advil.

Best Bargain

Nick Wass/Associated Press

Emmanuel Sanders, WR, New Orleans Saints (2 votes)

It's the blockbuster deals that get all the publicity in free agency, but as often as not it's the second-tier signings that provide the best value. The bargain free agents that provide the most bang for an NFL team's buck.

At least one of our writers had an interesting interpretation of "bargain" here. NFL Draft Lead Writer Matt Miller singled out the relatively modest cost of acquiring DeAndre Hopkins from the Houston Texans as the biggest bargain of free agency in 2020.

The man ain't wrong.

However, where free-agent signings "proper" are concerned, the votes were scattered, with just one player garnering more than one.

After playing part of the 2019 season (including Super Bowl LIV) with the San Francisco 49ers, veteran wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders hit the open market again. As he told The Rich Eisen Show (via Brian Witt of NBC Sports Bay Area), after mulling playing for a couple of NFC heavyweights in 2020, Sanders' mind was made up as soon as the Saints came calling.

"I was talking to Green Bay, I was talking to the Niners and just trying to figure out what type of deal, what type of money are we talking about," Sanders explained. "And then the Saints called, and I was ecstatic about them calling. The opportunity to play with Drew Brees and everything. The numbers made sense—Drew has two more years left on his deal, and I signed a two-year deal."

Sanders has already played in the Super Bowl for three different teams and amassed three career 1,000-yard seasons. Bringing him in at $8 million a season to complement Michael Thomas was a steal in the opinion of NFL National Writer Mike Freeman.

"Part of this depends on how you view Sanders," he wrote. "To me, he is a dramatically underrated football player. Not just receiver. But football player. He is essentially a massive steal for his $8 million a year salary, and he will make an already dangerous Saints offense even more explosive."

Others receiving votes: HaHa Clinton-Dix, S, Dallas Cowboys (1 vote); DeAndre Hopkins, WR, Arizona Cardinals (1 vote); Carl Nassib, EDGE, Las Vegas Raiders (1 vote); Chris Harris Jr., CB, Los Angeles Chargers (1 vote); Derek Wolfe, DE, Baltimore Ravens (1 vote)

Best Extension or Re-Signing

Marcio Jose Sanchez/Associated Press

TIE: Drew Brees, QB, New Orleans Saints (2 votes), Kirk Cousins, QB, Minnesota Vikings (2 votes)

Free agency isn't just about bringing in new faces. It's equally important that teams attempt to keep their own key contributors in the fold. There's no worse feeling than hitting on a draft pick, developing that player into a star and then watching that player walk out the door at the end of his rookie deal.

Quarterback is unquestionably the most important position in the NFL. Given that, it's no surprise that signal-callers garnered five of the seven votes here. It's even less surprising that Drew Brees of the New Orleans Saints nabbed a pair of votes.

He's, um, rather important to that team.

The other quarterback who tied for the lead here hasn't had the sort of career that Brees has. But as NFL Analyst Brad Gagnon wrote, the sobering financial realities the Minnesota Vikings faced entering free agency made it just as important that the team got something done with Kirk Cousins.

"The Vikings were in huge financial trouble in March," he said, "and a lot of it had to do with Cousins' $31 million cap hit. Without reducing that by $10 million, they wouldn't have been able to at least keep standout safety Anthony Harris or bring in stout run defender Michael Pierce. That greatly increases their chances of remaining competitive despite several big losses on the open market."

To his credit, Cousins offered up some on-field reasoning for extending him last year. The 31-year-old's passer rating of 107.4 was easily a career high, and he led the Vikes to an upset win over the Saints in New Orleans in the Wild Card Round.

Others receiving votes: Ryan Tannehill, QB, Tennessee Titans (1 vote); Andrus Peat, OL, New Orleans Saints (1 vote); Austin Ekeler, RB, Los Angeles Chargers (1 vote)

Best Offseason so Far

Tony Dejak/Associated Press

Cleveland Browns (2 votes)

In some respects, this can be a dangerous "award" to win.

Just ask the Cleveland Browns.

After adding big names like edge-rusher Olivier Vernon and wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. last year, the Browns were crowned the kings of the offseason. The team was labeled a playoff contenders in many circles. A Super Bowl contender in sone others.

The end result? The Browns won one fewer game than in 2018. In other words, hype doesn't always equal reality.

However, after a free-agency period that included the Browns signing former All-Pro right tackle Jack Conklin and tight end Austin Hooper, a pair of writers (including NFL Analyst Brent Sobleski) think the Browns have had the best offseason so far of any team in the NFL.

"Time to start the 'Browns are going to the Super Bowl' discussion again! OK, let's not go crazy. Winning the offseason doesn't necessarily equate to fielding a successful team," Sobleski said. "The Browns sure proved this last year. With that in mind, everything new general manager Andrew Berry is doing makes logical sense. He's clearly building with a plan in place instead of just acquiring talent. In doing so, the Browns signed the best available free-agent offensive tackle (Jack Conklin) and tight end (Austin Hooper), while plugging holes at safety, middle linebacker, defensive tackle and nickel corner with smart, inexpensive deals. Maybe those Ivy League nerds actually know what they're doing."

Don't be surprised if the hype surrounding the Browns is quite a bit more subdued this summer, though.

A lot of people wound up with egg on their faces in 2019.

Others receiving votes: Arizona Cardinals (1 vote); Baltimore Ravens (1 vote); Buffalo Bills (1 vote); Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1 vote); Tennessee Titans (1 vote)

Biggest Winner (Player, Team, Coach, Etc.)

Ross D. Franklin/Associated Press

Arizona Cardinals (2 votes)

This category is wide-ranging one. It can include a player who now has enough money to buy a new boat (when we can go outside again). A coach who landed a shiny new (old) quarterback. Or a team that has undergone a major transformation.

For instance, NFL National Lead Writer Mike Tanier went the macro route, selecting the entire NFL as the biggest winner of free agency in 2020.

"First, a very divided NFLPA voted to ratify a league-friendly CBA just as everything in the real world was going haywire," Tanier wrote. "Then, NFL free agency brought two weeks of virtual thrills to fans hungry for any sports news. Now, the NFL can shop 10 years of expanded seasons and labor peace to television networks scratching and clawing for every sports advertising dollar. Yes, there's an Evil Empire vibe to the NFL going into business-as-usual mode in these times. But the NFL has given sports fans something to talk about, hope for, and in many cases (the charitable efforts of players like Drew Brees and teams like the Patriots, inspirational messages from folks like Eli Manning and, er, Jim Irsay), to be proud of. Those are the very roles that sports are supposed to play in society."

That's an interesting (and poignant) perspective. But there was only one entity that received multiple votes in this category.

It's a good time to be wearing Cardinals red.

We've already gone over the Ocean's Eleven-level robbery that was the DeAndre Hopkins trade. We could write another 10,000 words on the deal, and it still wouldn't make any sense from Houston's perspective.

But as NFL Analyst Gary Davenport pointed out, that's hardly the only thing Arizona did in free agency.

"Yes, Nuk Hopkins is the centerpiece of Steve Keim's acquisitions," he said. "But there's a lot more to like than just that. De'Vondre Campbell is coming off a breakout year in Atlanta and will look really good playing opposite Jordan Hicks at inside linebacker. Defensive tackle Jordan Phillips will fortify the run defense and add pop to the pass rush—as will the addition of edge-rusher Devon Kennard. The Redbirds also re-upped tailback Kenyan Drake and Larry Fitzgerald and extended tackle D.J. Humphries. That OT spot remains a potential area of need, but it's one that can be addressed with the eighth overall pick of the 2020 draft."

"The Cardinals might not have the best roster in the NFC West," he went on. "But after the past few weeks, they don't have the worst, either."

Others receiving votes: Byron Jones, CB, Miami Dolphins (1 vote); Bruce Arians, HC, Tampa Bay Buccaneers; The entire NFL (1 vote); Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1 vote); Miami Dolphins (1 vote)