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With 28 teams already in the offseason, free agency is never too far from a team’s mind, especially with the slew of free agents this offseason. With such a high-profile group of free agents this offseason, it’s hard to not imagine where some of them will end up. Here are some high-profile free agents and some possible scenarios for where they could land.
QB Kirk Cousins: Cousins was named the starting quarterback for the Washington Redskins back in August. Since then, Cousins brought a division title to Washington DC, the first since 2012 and seamlessly replaced RG3 as the franchise star. Cousins doesn’t seem like he’ll end up being a free agent for very long and for all he did for Washington, I predict that Cousins will end up staying in Washington.
QB Sam Bradford: With the Chip Kelly era finally over, it’s unclear what the Philadelphia Eagles are going to do with Bradford. He is a major injury risk and wasn’t able to lead the Eagles to the playoffs. In addition to that, Bradford is now supposedly asking for $25 million a year to remain with the Eagles. With all of the money that the Eagles wasted during the last offseason, letting Bradford go and trying to either pick up a cheaper quarterback or draft one would make more sense. I predict that the Eagles will drop Bradford and he could end up either with the Browns or be reunited with Kelly in San Franciso.
Jason Pierre-Paul: After the horrific fireworks accident that left defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul’s hand mangled, it was unclear if he would even be physically able to play football again. However, JPP finally made his long-awaited return to the field with an oven-mit as a glove that held the former Pro Bowler back for much of his time on the field. With only 26 combined tackles and one sack, Pierre-Paul is a shadow of his former self. Trying to predict JPP’s future is uncertain especially not knowing what is going on with his hand as he recently underwent an additional surgery. With all of the drama surrounding that incident, the Giants could let him go, but my prediction is that the Giants will re-sign him.
Antonio Gates: Gates has had better years as a tight-end, but the Chargers, overall, had an awful season this year. Gates’ suspension at the beginning of the season was not an ideal starting point and being out multiple games for injuries didn’t show much promise either. Gates only caught five touchdowns and 56 out of 84 times he was targeted, which is a major disappointment after a stellar season last year. However, I believe that the Chargers will sign him to a 1 or 2-year contract before Gates announces his retirement.
Travis Benjamin: Travis Benjamin has been one of the few bright stars for the Cleveland Browns. He played in every game unlike any of their quarterbacks, and racked up 966 receiving yards and scored five touchdowns. Along with Gary Barnidge, Benjamin was the heart and soul of the team. With a career year just behind him, it seems like Benjamin could move on to somewhere bigger and better. Instead of Manziel moving to Dallas, Benjamin could or to his division rivals, the Baltimore Ravens. Regardless of what happens, the Browns should let Benjamin walk so that his talents could be used more productively; Baltimore seems like a more realistic landing spot for him.
Robert Griffin III: Last but certainly not least is none other than quarterback Robert Griffin III, RG3. As a rookie, everyone in the Redskins’ organization put their faith in Griffin before realizing he was a major injury risk. Being injury prone is the biggest drawback that would keep teams at bay, but it is obvious that Griffin does not belong in Washington any longer. Trying to pick where Griffin will end up, however, is difficult because there are so many landing spots for him. The most talked about has to be the Dallas Cowboys which could be a great landing spot for him with Jerry Jones’ need for endless drama. If Griffin could learn from Romo, he could return to his former glory. I predict that it will take some time and probably a few draft picks, but the Cowboys will end up with Griffin.
As an Eagles fan, I’d rather have Tom Bradford (the dad from Eight is Enough) as my quarterback than Sam Bradford. I’m not about to give up big money again for a QB whose knees are made of Spaghettio’s.