The NFL offseason is off to a hot start. We’re seeing franchise quarterbacks find new homes and All-Pro players being released. I love the offseason and the chaos of it makes it thrilling to follow.
All-Pro Eric Kendricks Gets Released By The Vikings
I started off the morning with a gut punch. Just a pure Mike Tyson blow to the stomach. The Minnesota Vikings released All-Pro linebacker Eric Kendricks to free up cap space. By releasing the 31 year old linebacker, the Vikings free up 9.5 million dollars in cap. It’s great to get under the cap and out of the red, but losing a leader like Kendricks hurts.
One of Kendricks biggest assets with Minnesota was his ability to stay on the field. He rarely missed games over his eight seasons in purple. While his numbers were still on an elite level this past season as he made 137 tackles and six pass breakups, his play dropped off. He was prone to getting beat in coverage and missed far too many tackles. It’s upsetting that the Vikings dropped him, but I understand why Kwesi Adofo-Mensah did so.
Derek Carr Is Heading To Nola
It’s CARRDI-GRAS in Nola. After being benched this past season by Josh McDaniels, Derek Carr requested a trade and was then released by the Raiders. Personally, I don’t think he got a fair shake in Vegas, but that’s neither here nor there. This past season, he passed for 3,522 yards, 24 touchdowns, and 14 interceptions. While this is a great pickup for the Saints, who were quarterback depraved the past few seasons, I don’t know how they got this deal done seeing that they were so far over the cap. Nevertheless, I’m happy for the hick Saints fans that can now celebrate signing a quarterback the same way they celebrated their first and only Super Bowl.
The Mariota Experience Fell Flat
Last offseason, Arthur Smith and the Falcons brought in dynamic vet Marcus Mariota. Well, it didn’t work. He played in thirteen games and passed for 2,219 yards and 15 touchdowns. While his numbers are okay, he didn’t help his team win. That coupled with the rise of Desmond Ridder led to the Falcons releasing Mariota. I think at his age and this point of his career, Mariota will probably be signed on a one-year deal to serve as a team’s backup. I wouldn’t be shocked if the Giants or Chargers went out and grabbed him as insurance.
Seattle Center Austin Blythe Retires
This is obviously some smaller news, but Seattles center Austin Blythe has retired. Blythe was set to become a free agent this offseason and I was hoping that the Vikings would grab him. In his seven seasons, Blythe was a solid offensive lineman that played all three interior offensive line positions.
Tennessee Is Shopping Derek Henry
This is shocking. Very shocking. Derek Henry has been one of the league’s best players the past few years and it seems like the Titans are looking to make a move to get rid of him. I don’t really know what to say here. It’s rare to get a talent like Henry on your team and to look to get rid of him is wild. The only positive in possibly trading Henry would be the haul they’d get in return. They could land franchise changing players or a load of draft picks, but it’d be a true negative to lose Henry.
Rams Are Expected To Release Leonard Floyd
After three seasons in Los Angeles where he had over nine sacks in all of those seasons, it appears that the Rams are moving on from the pass rusher. They’ll be making an effort to trade him and could grab a few late round picks, but they’ll most likely end up dropping him. Floyd is 30 years old and and appears to still have a lot left in the tank.
