NFL Free Agency: Good Players Still Available in May
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00:00As the 2020 virtual offseason progresses, there are still several talented players available
00:12to be signed in free agency.
00:14Joining me now is MMQB senior writer Albert Breer.
00:17And Albert, in your opinion, who are the best available free agents in your eyes?
00:20Well, I'd look at the two obvious ones, two former number one overall picks, Cam Newton
00:25and Jadeveon Clowney.
00:27Both have health issues.
00:28And I think that's something that can't be lost here.
00:30And I think for teams looking at these players, the fact that you can't, if you're another
00:35team, get your hands on Cam Newton's right shoulder or his left foot is a problem.
00:40The fact that you can't get a look at Jadeveon Clowney's knee is a problem as well.
00:45So those are things that are issues for both those guys.
00:48I also think another reason is sort of what the expectation was for each of them.
00:53Jadeveon Clowney thought he was going to get a deal in the neighborhood of what a Frank
00:56Clark got or a Demarcus Lawrence got.
00:59And that just wasn't out there for him this year.
01:01With Cam, it's a little more complicated in that I think his expectation was that somebody
01:06was going to give him a starting quarterback job.
01:09And going into it with that idea, it was just, this was not the year to be looking for a
01:15starting job somewhere.
01:17You look at what happened to Andy Dalton, you look at what happened to Jameis Winston,
01:20Joe Flacco is still out there.
01:22You know, really the guys who signed quickly were the guys that knew they were backups
01:25going into the process, guys like Chase Daniel and Case Keenum.
01:29And so as Cam was looking for a starting quarterback job, that wasn't out there.
01:33And then teams had to start to process the idea of him being a backup.
01:37And a lot of teams look at the backup quarterback as almost a different job description than
01:40a starter.
01:41And Cam hasn't been a backup quarterback since he was a teenager.
01:45So you'd be projecting him into that role.
01:47And so both guys, both Clowney and Newton, their situations were complicated by injuries,
01:52but there are also other reasons why they're still out there.
01:54Well, and you mentioned their expectations for the contracts or the roles.
01:58But at this point, can you see either of these guys landing a sizable deal?
02:02I think for both guys, the best case scenario right now is going to a place that's a good
02:06fit for them, where they can play well in 2020, go and sign a one-year deal and hope
02:11to hit it big in 2021.
02:13In the case of Cam, I think it's, it may mean waiting until training camp.
02:18And I know it sounds crazy because that seems like it's still a ways off, but it may mean
02:21waiting until training camp and either there's an injury somewhere or somebody's quarterback
02:26situation just isn't what they thought it was going in.
02:28And then you can come in and pounce and play right now, sign maybe a one-year deal.
02:33And then you come back in 2021 with an opportunity to hit it big if you play well.
02:37Giuseppe and Clowney, same thing.
02:38You know, the ship sailed on him getting the big contract.
02:41Too many needs have been filled across the league.
02:43Too much cap space has been used up.
02:45So if you're Giuseppe and Clowney, I think you go to a place where you know you're going
02:48to be able to play well.
02:50Going back to Seattle would be one option.
02:51The scheme fits you.
02:53They know you.
02:54Maybe a place like Tennessee where you've got a connection on the coaching staff.
02:56Mike Grable was his position coach for four years in Houston.
03:00You go to a place where you can set yourself up for success.
03:03Hope that you have a big year in 2020.
03:04And again, just like Cam, come back in 2021, hoping that you can hit it big financially
03:09then.
03:10And as you mentioned too, these guys may have to wait until regulations settle down and
03:14they can be looked at one-on-one with the team's actual health doctors.
03:18Albert Brewer, thanks so much for the time.
03:20All right.
03:21Thanks, Madeline.