2022 Complete Offseason Game

[Out of the Rafters at the Q]

This one's super late this year, but the point of the game is to go through free agency and the draft, and put down what you would've done. It's fun to look back at these things and see just how dumb we all were. Typically the game is played with a max of two major free agent signings, but go wild as long as you make the cap money work down the road. I'll try to stay realistic and not use hindsight (like the Martin or Jakeem Grant injuries).

Trades:

1. Deshaun Watson
2. Amari Cooper
3. Chase Winovich for Mack Wilson
4. Baker Mayfield
5. Troy Hill
6. Case Keenum

We gave up a ton for Watson, but that's the price you pay for a franchise QB.

Amari Cooper was an absolute steal. If the trade happened just two days later, after the Kirk signing, the price would've likely been a day two pick--if not a first round pick. Getting Cooper for a fifth is still the steal of the entire NFL offseason.

I think Chase Winovich provides more value on this team as a depth DE than Mack Wilson would've provided (likely a cut).

The Baker trade hurts--but there weren't better options out there.

Troy Hill is the first trade I would not have done. I believe we moved Hill to clear cap space because of Watson coming in, but with the way we structured Deshaun it ended up being a nonfactor.

There wasn't a spot for Keenum anymore--nice job getting a seventh for him.

Losses:

1. Jarvis Landry (Was due $16M. Cut, saving $14.5M. Signed for 1yr, 3M to New Orleans)
2. JC Tretter (Was due $9.86M. Cut, saving $8.2M. Free Agent)
3. Austin Hooper (Was due $13.25M. Cut, saving $9.5M Signed for 1yr, 6M to Tennessee)
4. Takk McKinley
5. Malik Jackson
6. Rashard Higgins
7. Andy Janovich
8. MJ Stewart
9. Malcolm Smith
10. Dustin Colquitt
11. Elijah Lee
12. Ifeadi Odenigbo
13. Ryan Switzer
14. Nick Mullens
15. Dexter Williams
16. Montrel Meander
17. Porter Gustin
18. Stephen Carlson
19. Tre Harbison
20. Chase McLaughlin
21. Malik McDowell
22. Duke Dawson

I'm actually fine with all of these. The closest big name to being reconsidered is Tretter. The closest depth piece I would've considered keeping is Porter Gustin, but the Winovich trade pushes Gustin out.

It would've been nice to be able to renegotiate with Juice instead of outright cutting him, but it seems like he was excited to go back to Louisiana.

Additions:

1. Jacoby Brissett, 1yr, 4.65M
2. Ethan Pocic, 1yr, 1.18M
3. Taven Bryan, 1yr, 4M
4. Jakeem Grant, 3yr, 10M
5. Isaac Rochell, 1yr, 1.18M
6. Stephen Weatherly, 1yr, 1.2M
7. Josh Dobbs, 1yr, 1.18M
8. Corey Bojorquez, 2yr, 3.38M
9. Reggie Robinson (Non-guaranteed)
10. Jordan Kunaszyk (Non-guaranteed)
11. Dakota Allen (Non-guaranteed)
12. Josh Rosen (Non-guaranteed)

I really like the first four. Brissett is a really good value at that price to be a backup. Pocic is a really nice young backup C who you know is strong enough to hold up to NFL DT's. Taven Bryan is a much needed DT piece, and Jakeem Grant fixes the return game and gives you an explosive weapon on offense out of the slot.

I wouldn't have signed Rochell. I like Weatherly and Dobbs at that price. I wouldn't have signed Bojorquez. I don't care about the non-guaranteed camp bodies.

Some of the big name NFL Free Agents that I would've kicked the tires on are DaQuan Jones, DJ Jones, Lael Collins, Tyrann Mathieu, Fletcher Cox and Akiem Hicks. I don't think many of them are realistic--it seems that DaQuan wanted to go to Buffalo, Mathieu wanted to go back to Louisiana, Cox wanted to stay with Philly and Hicks wanted to go to Tampa and play with Brady.

I assume Juju specifically wanted to go to KC for a one-year deal to rehab his value and was not an option. I assume Juice didn't want to come back for a lower dollar figure. Both would've been nice slot options.

However, let's outbid Cincinnati for Collins to replace Conklin. Instead of the 3/21 he signed, let's put him on our roster at 3/24.

Let's also grab Jamison Crowder to replace Jarvis Landry's production in this offense. 1yr/2M is a steal.

Randy Gregory is really tempting, especially since his contract is basically 2years, 21.7M if you cut him after 2023, and you only have 6M in dead cap spread out over the next 3 seasons. However, he has off-field issues and Clowney has chemistry here--so we're going with the stout run defender (Clowney) over the dynamic pass rusher (Gregory).

Retentions:

1. Jack Conklin (1yr/8M salary on top of the 3M he's owed each of the next 3 years)
2. Jadeveon Clowney (1yr/10M)
3. Chris Hubbard (1yr/2.6M)
4. Anthony Walker (1yr/4.2M because he gets 600K every year for the next four years)
5. Sheldon Day (1yr/1M)
6. Ronnie Harrison (1yr/1.23M)
7. Ja'Marcus Bradley (non-guaranteed)
8. Blake Hance (non-guaranteed)
9. Michael Dunn (non-guaranteed)
10. D'Ernest Johnson (1yr/1.2M)
11. Jovante Moffat (2yr/1.9M)
12. John Kelly (non-guaranteed)
13. Miller Forristall (non-guaranteed)

So, I'm not bringing back Conklin due to signing La'el Collins. Everything else I'm fine with--but I'm not even bothering to bring Ja'Marcus Bradley back into camp on a non-guaranteed deal. Cut him now. Jadeveon Clowney makes me think. I don't think he's worth 10M, but we pay it since we're desperate.

Draft:

(This post is super long and it's getting late. Posting what I have so far--I'll come back and add the draft, and my final depth chart at a later date)