Daily 2021 NFL Free-Agent Signings, Trades Grades for Day 2 of Tampering Period

This was the first and only full day of the NFL's legal tampering period, in which teams could strike unofficial-but-realistically-very-much-official deals with players ahead of the start of the official signing window Wednesday afternoon.

The majority of our top 25 free agents had already come off the board prior to Tuesday, but several premium veterans remained up for grabs at the start of business.

Of course, several teams still have work to do in order to get under the salary cap, according to Spotrac, so more high-quality players became available as well. 

We were here to grade all of the significant additions on the eve of the official start to the 2021 league year.

Washington Football Team Signs CB William Jackson III

Emilee Chinn/Associated Press

Terms: Three years, $42 million 

Source: ESPN's Adam Schefter

William Jackson III is a good-but-not-great cornerback and is far from consistent, but the Washington Football Team is making him one of the dozen highest-paid players at his position. It's an overspend for a player who isn't an elite playmaker, but in this case, it isn't a bad call. 

The WFT needed to replace the departed Ronald Darby, and this is probably at least a minor upgrade. Every upgrade counts when you're trying to build a championship team, and that secondary needs to deliver in support of a tremendous front seven. 

Washington is entering the new league year with plenty of cap space. It could afford to take a chance on a strong player with room to grow, and that's Jackson. 

His coverage numbers were already strong in 2020—he allowed completions on only 51.4 percent of the passes thrown his way—and now you wonder if he might take off and start intercepting more passes with more support up front. 

This signing could backfire if Jackson doesn't take a step forward in D.C., but with the cap likely to climb next year, it's unlikely to demoralize the WFT and has high potential. 

Grade: B+

Pittsburgh Steelers Re-Sign OT Zach Banner

Adam Hunger/Associated Press

Terms: Two years, $9.5 million

Source: NFL Network's Aditi Kinkhabwala

The jury's still out on Zach Banner, but locking him up was a win Tuesday for a cap-strapped Pittsburgh Steelers team that was otherwise bleeding talent.

He comes relatively cheap considering the upside that he flashed in a limited sample in 2019, and he has a chance to become a key player for years to come in Pittsburgh. That's worth less than $5 million per year with no strings attached beyond 2022, especially with Ben Roethlisberger coming back and the line taking hits elsewhere. 

A lack of NFL success from Banner likely saved the Steelers some money here. In fact, it might be the only reason they were able to keep the massive, versatile 27-year-old. 

Had Banner excelled in 2020, he'd likely be gone. Instead, he missed most of the season because of a torn ACL. But he has the ability to become a star, he's a hard worker and he's become a great presence in the Pittsburgh locker room. 

This was a sigh-of-relief deal, and it could be a bargain in no time. 

Grade: A

Houston Texans Sign QB Tyrod Taylor

Reed Hoffmann/Associated Press

Terms: One year, up to $12.5 million 

Source: ESPN's Adam Schefter

Prior to this move, the Houston Texans were on track to start the new league year with zero satisfied quarterbacks on their roster. Instead, they've now added insurance in the event that a disgruntled Deshaun Watson isn't available for all or part of the 2021 season by bringing in veteran Tyrod Taylor. 

This would be a somewhat understandable move if everything were hunky-dory with Watson, but under the current circumstances, it's a ridiculous one. 

Why? Because the Texans are strapped for salary-cap space but continue to insist that they won't trade Watson. If that's the case, their priority shouldn't be to pay relatively big bucks for a backup and potential replacement who does nothing to support Watson. They should instead be using whatever money they have to keep Watson's top weapon, free-agent wide receiver Will Fuller V. 

But Fuller remains on the market, the Houston interior offensive line remains a weak spot and the Texans have practically no money to spend. 

How was Taylor a priority? If anything, the Texans' actions speak louder than their words, and this is an indication that a Watson trade could come to fruition. That wouldn't be smart, either, because you don't give in that easily with a superstar quarterback in his 20s. Acquiring Taylor only tips Houston's hand to potential trade partners, too.

It's all bad, especially because a 31-year-old with four starts in the last three seasons is extremely unlikely to help you in 2021, even if Watson is gone. 

Grade: F

Seattle Seahawks Re-Sign DT Poona Ford

Scott Eklund/Associated Press

Terms: Two years, up to $14 million in incentives

Source: NFL Network's Tom Pelissero

Poona Ford was almost certainly returning to the Seattle Seahawks in 2021 anyway, but they have now wrapped up a potential long-term difference-maker for an extra year beyond what would have been a season under a restricted free-agent tender. 

The undrafted 25-year-old is a force in run defense and should be viewed as a key cog moving forward in Seattle. 

It's not an overly expensive move and could be a smart investment in the long run, but it is costing the Seahawks a little bit extra immediately. That's concerning since frustrated quarterback Russell Wilson has been publicly pushing for more support. This doesn't do anything for Wilson and the Seahawks right now, and it could be problematic if the extra money for Ford costs them an unrestricted free agent in their crosshairs. 

So the jury remains out on this one, but the timing is a bit odd. 

Grade: C

Buffalo Bills Sign WR Emmanuel Sanders

Tyler Kaufman/Associated Press

Terms: One year, $6 million

Source: ESPN's Adam Schefter

On the same day Emmanuel Sanders turns 34, he'll officially become a member of the Buffalo Bills. The Bills will also be Sanders' fourth team in an 18-month span, which is all you need to know about his value entering the 2021 season. The decline was inevitable, and now it's glaring. 

That doesn't make Sanders a bad signing for a Buffalo team that was only seeking fresh support for Stefon Diggs and Cole Beasley after releasing John Brown last week, especially because he's coming to town on an affordable one-year deal. 

The two-time Pro Bowler also put up more than 700 yards and scored five touchdowns in 14 games with the New Orleans Saints last year, so it isn't as though he's toast. 

Because you know I've been building to it, here's my issue: Tyrell Williams is likely a more suitable replacement for Brown outside, he's five years younger than Sanders, and he just signed with the Detroit Lions for $4 million. John Ross was also out there with a Brown-like profile and way more upside, but he landed with the New York Giants on Tuesday. 

Still on the market beyond big names Kenny Golladay, Will Fuller V and JuJu Smith-Schuster: T.Y. Hilton, A.J. Green, Sammy Watskins, Rashard Higgins and Breshad Perriman.

The Bills likely could have waited and either saved money or landed a player with more gas in the tank. 

Grade: C-

Tennessee Titans Release CB Adoree' Jackson, Sign CB Janoris Jenkins

Tyler Kaufman/Associated Press

Terms for Jenkins: Unknown

Source: ESPN's Adam Schefter

By essentially replacing Adoree' Jackson with Janoris Jenkins at cornerback, the Tennessee Titans gave up a bunch of upside and got a lot older at the position. But they saved $10.2 million by moving on from Jackson, who had yet to live up to expectations after the Titans selected him with a first-round pick in 2017, and the presumably cheaper 32-year-old Jenkins might still be a better player.

While Jackson was routinely burned in a small sample during an injury-derailed 2020 season, Jenkins is coming off a three-interception campaign in which he allowed a passer rating of only 81.8 into his coverage with the New Orleans Saints. He's missed only four games over the last three years, while Jackson has missed 18 in the last two seasons. 

With Jackson and Malcolm Butler gone and Desmond King II about to hit free agency, the Titans at least needed an experienced body at the cornerback position. They're getting just that in Jenkins. The value is still unknown, but the move will look smart so long as it's a short-term deal at a reasonable rate. 

Considering the terms weren't immediately shouted from the rooftops, that's likely the case.

Grade: A-

Arizona Cardinals Re-Sign OT Kelvin Beachum

Bill Kostroun/Associated Press

Terms: Two years

Source: ESPN's Adam Schefter

Re-signing veteran left tackle Kelvin Beachum might not be a high-profile move for the Arizona Cardinals, but it's important. It indicates that they aren't going to make significant sacrifices in other spots after bringing in J.J. Watt. Plus, it means the team is doing its best to maintain continuity along the offensive line, which is critical when you're developing a young quarterback like Kyler Murray. 

It would have been nice for the Cards to land Mitchell Schwartz, but Beachum started all 16 games for Arizona in 2020 and surrendered only three sacks while taking a reasonable five penalties, according to Pro Football Focus. 

At 31, he's no longer the standout player he once was. But this isn't expected to be a big-money deal, and the Cards might have benefited from the fact that the tackle market is deeper than usual this year. 

At the very least, it's promising that they aren't neglecting the rest of their roster while focusing on the hotshots. 

Grade: B+

Jacksonville Jaguars Sign WR Marvin Jones Jr.

Duane Burleson/Associated Press

Terms: Two years, $14.5 million ($9.2 million guaranteed) 

Source: ESPN's Adam Schefter

Several starting-caliber wide receivers continue to linger on the free-agent market, including Kenny Golladay, who is expected to lead the pack when he eventually signs somewhere. But for now, we can at least report on Golladay's now-former Detroit Lions teammate as Marvin Jones Jr. has jumped to the Jacksonville Jaguars. 

And while the 31-year-old isn't as young, as physically dominant or as accomplished as Golladay, he's also come pretty cheap as a result of the backlog at that position combined with a decreased salary cap. 

I mean, $7.25 million per season with just a two-year commitment for a guy who has gone over 700 yards in six of his last seven healthy seasons? That's golden. 

Jones isn't a superstar, but he doesn't have to be that in Jacksonville. He has to support top weapon DJ Chark Jr. and sophomore second-round pick Laviska Shenault Jr. He's perfect for that after being a model of consistency with between 8.0 and 9.0 yards per target in each of the last three seasons and exactly nine touchdowns in three of his last four campaigns. 

Jacksonville is getting that for a lot less dough than the New England Patriots committed to the significantly less reliable Nelson Agholor. Nicely done. 

Grade: A

Chicago Bears Sign QB Andy Dalton, Re-Sign OL Germain Ifedi

Adam Hunger/Associated Press

Terms: One year, $10 million (up to $13 million with incentives) for Dalton; one year, $5 million for Ifedi

Source: ESPN's Adam Schefter and his identical twin

The Chicago Bears entered this offseason in a weird spot. With limited salary-cap space and draft capital, it was always going to be hard for them to find a franchise quarterback—even with a deeper-than-usual pool at that position. 

Sure enough, they indicated Tuesday that they might not be able to make a splash under center by agreeing to terms with Andy Dalton. For now, it's shaping up to be a battle between Dalton and Nick Foles, who disappointed in 2020 but would cost more to cut than to keep. 

And that is quite unfortunate because it's clear neither is the answer. 

At this point, Dalton should be viewed as a high-quality backup at best. Since making the Pro Bowl in 2016, he's the league's sixth-lowest-rated qualified passer with a 6.7 yards-per-attempt average and an 18-31 win-loss record. He had a few decent moments in relief of an injured Dak Prescott last season, but he was also comically inconsistent, and $10-13 million is no joke in this NFL economy. 

Even if Deshaun Watson or Russell Wilson were pipe dreams, I would have preferred to see the Bears chase someone with more upside like Marcus Mariota, Jameis Winston or Sam Darnold. Instead, they're likely to remain in quarterback purgatory with more than $20 million tied up in Dalton and Foles for 2021. 

Frankly, they'd be better off with another stab at Mitchell Trubisky. 

Meanwhile, the Ifedi move wasn't any more inspiring. The 2016 first-round bust is versatile and durable but brings almost nothing more to the table as a replacement-level player. The Bears would have been better off saving their $15 million and running Foles out there with a new standout offensive lineman like Joe Thuney or Corey Linsley. 

Grade for Dalton: D

Grade for Ifedi: D

New York Giants Re-Sign DL Leonard Williams and Sign WR John Ross

Adam Hunger/Associated Press

Terms: Three years, $63 million ($45 million guaranteed) for Williams; one year, $2.5 million ($1 million guaranteed) for Ross

Source: ESPN's Adam Schefter for Williams and NFL Network's Mike Garafolo for Ross

New York Giants general manager Dave Gettleman got busy Tuesday as the G-Men undoubtedly created immediate salary-cap space by locking up franchise-tag recipient Leonard Williams to a long-ish-term deal before agreeing to terms with speed-demon wide receiver John Ross. 

Both moves were superb. 

There's simply no way a rebuilding team could afford to risk losing a 26-year-old first-round talent coming off an 11.5-sack season as an interior rusher and dominant run-stuffer, but paying him $19.4 million for what would likely be a walk year would also be objectionable considering that the salary cap is down this offseason. 

Now, they've gained flexibility, and adding Ross at such a low rate is a worthwhile risk under those circumstances. The guy can fly, and while it didn't work out for him as a top-10 pick with the Cincinnati Bengals, it's entirely possible a new setting could allow him to finally live up to his potential. 

Regardless, it's a low-risk wager for the Giants, who certainly have a potential role for the 25-year-old as an outside presence opposite Darius Slayton with Sterling Shepard in the slot. 

Grade for Williams: A+

Grade for Ross: A-

Cleveland Browns Sign Edge Takkarist McKinley

John Amis/Associated Press

Terms: One year, $4.25 million (can make up to $6 million)

Source: ESPN's Adam Schefter

Bleacher Report Cleveland Browns expert Brent Sobleski called this a lottery ticket for the Browns, and he's bang-on. On the same day that the Giants took a flier on a so-far-failed 2017 first-round pick, the Browns did the same with edge defender Takkarist McKinley. 

It's a shame Cleveland wasn't in on any of the other premier pass-rushers on the market, but Myles Garrett runs the show on the edge there and they really just need talented options to complement the first-team All-Pro. 

McKinley, who had at least six sacks in his first two pro seasons with the Atlanta Falcons but was overall disappointing, is a candidate with a lot more upside than injured 30-year-old Olivier Vernon (who officially hits free agency this week) or declining 32-year-old Adrian Clayborn (who was released last week). No other current Browns edge defender registered a single sack in 2020. 

I think Haason Reddick would have been a more worthwhile swing of the bat coming off a breakout season with the Arizona Cardinals, but he'll likely be a lot more expensive. This is still a positive move for Cleveland. 

Grade: B

Jacksonville Jaguars Sign DL Tyson Alualu

Tom Puskar/Associated Press

Terms: Two years, $6 million 

Source: ESPN's Jeremy Fowler

A $3 million average annual salary for a top-of-the-line interior run defender like Tyson Alualu represents an absolute steal for the same Jacksonville Jaguars team that took heat from drafting the former "bust" 10th overall in 2010. 

The soon-to-be 34-year-old might not have a lot of gas left in his tank, but he didn't show any signs of decline during a stellar 2020 season with the Pittsburgh Steelers, and it helps that he hasn't been more than a part-time, situational contributor since he joined the Steelers in 2017. 

Last year, he quietly posted the seventh-highest Pro Football Focus grade in the league at that position. He and fellow newbie Roy Robertson-Harris could form a strong platoon alongside 2018 first-round pick Taven Bryan, who now will at least face less pressure in a potential make-or-break fourth pro season. 

This signing won't turn the Jags into Super Bowl contenders, but it should make them better at a low cost and could pay off in 2022 as well. 

Grade: B

Jacksonville Jaguars Sign CB Shaquill Griffin

Jennifer Stewart/Associated Press

Terms: Three years, $44.5 million ($29 million guaranteed)

Source: The Athletic's Michael-Shawn Dugar

The Jacksonville Jaguars are loaded with salary-cap space and have been smart with their money so far this offseason, so you can't crush them for addressing somewhat of a soft spot with a lucrative contract for veteran cornerback Shaquill Griffin.

That said, with 2020 No. 9 overall pick CJ Henderson on the roster and Sidney Jones also returning, handing $29 million in guaranteed cash to a player who surrendered six touchdowns in coverage in 2020 isn't going to get you an A grade.

Only four corners gave up more scores last year than Griffin, who intercepted three passes but wasn't as reliable in coverage as he was during his Pro Bowl 2019 season. Even that year, he was beaten for four touchdowns, and he's missed six games due to injury over the course of the last two campaigns.

He's a starting-caliber player, not a star, but the Jags just made him the seventh-highest-paid corner in the sport. With the cap down this year and Jacksonville riddled with holes elsewhere, that's not a savvy move.

Grade: C

Cincinnati Bengals Sign CBs Chidobe Awuzie and Mike Hilton

Brandon Wade/Associated Press

Terms: Three years, $21.8 million Awuzie; four years and $24 million for Hilton

Source: NFL Network's Mike Garafolo for Awuzie and NFL Network's Ian Rapoport for Hilton

The Cincinnati Bengals don't like spending big in free agency, but they seem to be willing to break that rule for cornerbacks. 

One year after handing contracts worth a combined average of $18 million per year to former Minnesota Vikings corners Trae Waynes and Mackensie Alexander, Cincinnati might be replacing top cover man William Jackson III with new addition Chidobe Awuzie. It has also added veteran Mike Hilton to the fray in the slot. 

Awuzie is a talented 2017 second-round draft pick with some room to grow. He surrendered a 103.5 passer rating in coverage when healthy last season with the Dallas Cowboys and missed the majority of that campaign due to injury. He's also never intercepted more than one pass in a single season.

With that said, Jackson is two-and-a-half years older than Awuzie and has only three picks in four healthy seasons. Opposing quarterbacks had a passer rating of only 88.2 when throwing into his coverage in 2020, and he's a better all-around player coming off a 14-start season, but the financial difference is hard to ignore. Jackson is earning about double Awuzie's salary on his new deal with the Washington Football Team. The latter represents tremendous value to a team that loves saving green.

The Hilton signing is even better because Alexander is a free agent and Hilton is an upgrade regardless at a plenty reasonable price. The 27-year-old was stolen from the division rival Pittsburgh Steelers, where he surrendered the fifth-lowest passer rating into his coverage among qualified NFL cornerbacks in 2020. 

The Bengals did well here.

Grade for Awuzie: B

Grade for Hilton: A

Baltimore Ravens Re-Sign Edge Tyus Bowser and DL Derek Wolfe

Nick Wass/Associated Press

Terms: Four years, $22 million ($12 million guaranteed) for Bowser; three years and $12 million for Wolfe 

Source: SiriusXM's Adam Caplan for Bowser and NFL Network's Mike Garafolo for Wolfe

One potential reason the Baltimore Ravens let both Matt Judon and Yannick Ngakoue escape in the early hours of free agency? They may believe in edge defender Tyus Bowser, who recorded five sacks in a supporting role in 2019 and picked up a solid 22 pressures and 14 quarterback hits as a part-time player in 2020. 

The 2017 second-round pick also intercepted three passes and registered five passes defensed despite starting just two games. So there's reason to believe he could bloom into a solid presence on the edge, which is why you can't fault Baltimore for bringing him back at a rate of just $5.5 million per year. 

Bowser will likely move into a starting role and save Baltimore a ton of cash. For now, he merely becomes the 56th-highest-paid edge defender in the NFL. He also immediately becomes a hot breakout candidate for 2021, and he does so at a very reasonable cost for a player with plenty of room to grow. 

Meanwhile, Baltimore also brought back veteran defensive lineman Derek Wolfe on an affordable three-year deal that's inexpensive enough to escape a failing grade but remains curious. The 31-year-old's impact is limited at this point in his career, and Baltimore looks like it has something in 2020 third-round pick Justin Madubuike. 

Grade for Bowser: A

Grade for Wolfe: C

Kansas City Chiefs Re-Sign Edge Taco Charlton

Jeff Roberson/Associated Press

Terms: One year

Source: NFL Network's Tom Pelissero

On Taco Tuesday, the Kansas City Chiefs re-signed Taco Charlton. The dad joke alone makes this a great move, but it's also likely a smart one because the talented 2017 Dallas Cowboys first-round pick flashed during his brief 2020 stint with Kansas City. 

I say "likely" because there's no early word on the financial terms of Charlton's new contract, but it's a one-year deal for a player who wasn't claimed on waivers between a short run with the Miami Dolphins and his arrival in K.C. He's not breaking the bank, but he showed a nice amount of promise during the five games in which he played at least 20 percent of Kansas City's defensive snaps last season. 

The Chiefs don't have one constantly obvious complement to Frank Clark on the edge, but Charlton has the ability to emerge as that guy. 

So long as the money isn't surprisingly substantial, this is a smart move. Had the Chiefs not done it, it's quite possible they'd watch Charlton make an impact elsewhere in 2021. 

Grade: A

New England Patriots Sign TE Hunter Henry

David Becker/Associated Press

Terms: Three years, $37.5 million ($25 million guaranteed)

Source: ESPN's Adam Schefter

This is...odd. 

I understand that 12 personnel is popular, and that the New England Patriots have used two tight ends with great success in the past. You also never want to question Bill Belichick's extra-large football brain, but can the Patriots really afford to roster two of the four highest-paid tight ends in the NFL? 

It seems a little drastic to hand $12.5 million per year to both Jonnu Smith and Hunter Henry, but the suddenly free-spending Pats are apparently doing exactly that. 

Why not just sign one or the other and complement him with, say, Gerald Everett or Kyle Rudolph? Those guys would almost certainly come cheaper and would allow New England to address other holes. The roster became a shell of its former self in the last year or so and could still use plenty of help at wide receiver, along the interior offensive line and in the defensive front seven (plus, quarterback!).

Henry could very well become a star in New England, but so could Smith, and it's highly unlikely both do. The former Los Angeles Charger is only 26, but he's missed six games the last two seasons and 25 in his five-year career. He's never had a 700-yard season, and he hasn't scored more than a handful of touchdowns since his 2016 rookie campaign. 

This simply looks like bad value.

Grade: D

Denver Broncos Exercise Von Miller's 2021 Option

David Zalubowski/Associated Press

Terms: One year, $18 million 

Source: Mike Klis of 9News

The Denver Broncos had about a day to gauge the market before deciding that the pass-rushing grass may not be greener on the other side. By guaranteeing veteran edge defender Von Miller $7 million of his $18 million 2021 salary, Denver will keep the three-time first-team All-Pro around for his 10th season in orange. 

Miller's best days are behind him now that he'll be 32 soon and coming off a season that was entirely lost to a serious ankle injury, but he put up 14.5 sacks as recently as 2018 and was a Pro Bowler with eight sacks and 20 quarterback hits the following year. 

Shaquil Barrett is earning similar money but with a higher guarantee over a longer term after an eight-sack season in 2020 with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, while far less established pass-rushers like Trey Hendrickson and Carl Lawson are set to make $15 million per year. Bud Dupree's never been a Pro Bowler, but he just signed a deal with the Tennessee Titans worth $16.5 million per season over five years. 

In this case, a Broncos team that already has Bradley Chubb and Malik Reed takes a one-year risk at a relatively fair price on a franchise legend. There's less pressure than ever on Miller within that defense, and if it doesn't pan out, the Broncos can look elsewhere for pass-rushing support in 2022. 

Considering that Chubb's presence in particular likely removed them from the Barrett/Dupree/Lawson sweepstakes, this isn't a bad move. It's hard to trust Jadeveon Clowney, and nobody knows if Haason Reddick is the real deal after a potentially aberrational 2020 campaign with the Arizona Cardinals. 

I'd take Reddick for about $12 million over Miller for $18 million, but we're yet to see what he'll be able to fetch on this market. My guess is he'll cost somebody more overall than Miller will cost the Broncos. 

Grade: B

Washington Football Team Signs QB Ryan Fitzpatrick

Jeff Haynes/Associated Press

Terms: One year, $10 million (could grow to $12 million with incentives)

Source: ESPN's Adam Schefter

Of course, many of these grades will change when players take the field in the fall, but this move in particular could look a lot better or a lot worse than it is before the Washington Football Team plays another game. 

If in May, Ryan Fitzpatrick and Taylor Heinicke are the only legit starting quarterback options on Washington's roster, we'll wonder why a team loaded with salary-cap space didn't do more on a market that potentially or absolutely contains Sam Darnold, Jimmy Garoppolo, Derek Carr, Marcus Mariota, Alex Smith and Andy Dalton. 

Fitzpatrick is a great dude to have around in a supportive role, but a 38-year-old with an 82.3 career passer rating and a 59-86-1 career record is unlikely to suddenly carry the WFT on a Super Bowl run. 

If Washington lands one of the quarterbacks listed above or winds up with one of this draft class' top five or six quarterbacks next month, the Fitzpatrick signing becomes an overspend on a backup who might be worth it considering his strong presence and leadership. That could make this a B-level move.

If Washington doesn't do anything else, it will have avoided spending starter money on the position but will be destined to waste another year with a world-class defensive front. That could make this an F-level move.

For now, it's somewhere in between.

Grade: C