Unless you have been living under a rock, you have seen the craziness going on in the NFL currently. Stars like Saquan will be looking to take their career to the next level with a championship in Philly, while veterans like Russ will hope to complete their legacy in a different setting. In this article, I’ll dive into some of the biggest signings in the NFL, and predict the outcomes.
After Jason Kelce retired, Kevin Byard was released, Fletcher Cox retired, and now losing D'andre Swift, Eagles fans were feeling the pain. But these feelings were short lived, as they signed one of the premiere backs in the league in Saquon Barkley. Barkley has suffered with one of the worst offensive lines and quarterbacks for the entirety of his career, yet somehow still excelled. He has single handedly carried the Giants to many wins and is the only reason Daniel Jones still has a job. Now, Saquon will join one of the premiere teams in the league, which will take the load off of him to keep him healthy, while also giving him the opportunity to produce at the highest level of his career. Those 2 factors do not seem like they go together normally, it's one or the other but in Saquans case they both come into play. Behind the O line who knows what numbers he can produce, the sky is truly the limit. The Eagles had poor play in their linebackers all year, and Howie was tired of that. So what did he do? He signed Devin White one of the best LBs in the league. A player like Devin White will truly make an immediate change to this lacking LB room. After a disappointing end to the 2023 season, the Eagles are hungrier than ever to return back to the Super Bowl.
Everyone was wondering how the Bears would handle their current situation. They were sitting in a great spot. The number 1 overall pick with a solid squad around them. Do you trade Fields and draft potential mahomes? Or do you build around Fields who has shown promise? Well Chicago answered that question very quickly. The bears traded Fields to the steelers. I don't like this move at all. Fields displayed how great he was, producing a horrible supporting cast. Drafting Caleb Wiliams won’t matter if he has no help. Fields was nowhere near the problem of his dormant offense. The bears could have traded that #1 overall pick for something and draft a guy and draft a guy like Marvin Harrison Jr, who can still make an immediate impact on this team. Caleb Williams is definitely a generational talent, but was this truly worth it for the Bears?
Speaking of the Steelers, they now have some decisions to make. Along with trading for Fields they also signed Russell Wilson. After leaving the Seahawks, Russ did not exactly play to the level we expected him to in Denver. Whether it was coaching, receivers, or just old age catching up, Russ did not look like his normal self. In Pittsburgh, Russ will look to recement his legacy as one of the greatest dual threat QBs ever. But there will be a fierce battle for that number 1 spot. Fields has shown he can be great, and in my opinion I think he would be a better fit to lead this Steelers team. No matter who takes the snaps, Steelers fans can be glad it’s not Kenny Pickett, as both of these guys are much better.
The last big move we are going to cover today is Kirk Cousins signed with the Atlanta Falcons. There is so much young talent on this Falcons squad. Kyle Pitts was one of the most hyped up Tight End prospects we have ever seen after dominating in Gainesville. Drake London was compared to guys like Calvin Johnson due to his large frame and unreal hands. And last year the Falcons drafted Bijan Robinson, another insane prospect, who had immense expectations. However none of these guys lived up to these expectations, but it wasn’t because of their play but rather the play around them. Kyle Pitts and Drake London have had no QB stability at all for their entire careers, and Kirk Cousins will definitely change that. Kirk is a great pocket passer, he's not the flashiest, but that's not what the Falcons need. They need a guy who can get the ball in the hands of any of the play makers they have, and what better guy than Kirk. This Falcons team will be scary, and playing in the worst division in football will only make their path to the playoffs easier.
There you have it. This has been one of the craziest few days in recent memory. So many changes have been made. And this is only the beginning, who knows what teams will do when we hit draft day.