The primary week of free company is within the rearview mirror and there are a selection of big-time adjustments which have occurred throughout the league.
We’re nonetheless ready on a handful of issues to shake out earlier than the waters will absolutely calm, however they largely need to do with some older quarterbacks who’re extra about headlines than outcomes lately. Extra on that in a bit.
As free company warped a number of NFL rosters that signifies that our ideas and opinions on them have modified. We right here at The Skinny Submit, Michael Peterson and RJ Ochoa, are right here to let you realize what we predict.
Let’s focus on.
Aaron Rodgers to the Vikings can be the worst reboot ever
RJ:
Final week we mentioned how the Aaron Rodgers of all the pieces feels so boring proper now. Within the time since then it looks like, judging by the web, the concept of him becoming a member of the Minnesota Vikings has picked up steam.
Personally talking, I hate reboots. Don’t destroy one thing that when was. I’m not saying that I liked the time when Brett Favre was the quarterback for Minnesota, however this could be such a boring approach for Rodgers’ profession to finish. Clearly Rodgers has modified the way in which that folks really feel about him over the previous few years, however we are able to all admit that he’s nonetheless one of many biggest to ever play the sport. For him to exit within the actual similar style as his predecessor can be so flat and uninteresting.
Michael:
I actually, actually thought we might go at the least one week with out speaking about Aaron Rodgers, however right here we’re. He positive does have a approach of staying on the forefront of the soccer information cycle, irrespective of the place we’re on the calendar.
So right here’ the factor: I feel the Vikings are the perfect case situation for Rodgers if he desires to chase the final little bit of success in his profession. Nevertheless, I truly suppose signing him can be near the worst-case situation for Minnesota. Kevin O’Connell has constructed the most effective locker rooms within the NFL and the very last thing I may see him do is herald a man who has lengthy been a man to be at odds with teammates who aren’t enjoying as much as “his normal.”
I simply suppose signing Rodgers can be akin to tossing a brick right into a drying machine. It’s going to be loud and it’s going to get busted up from the within till it now not runs easily.
Cincinnati broke the financial institution for his or her vast receivers
Michael:
I knew the Bengals had been going to get offers performed for each Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, however I didn’t count on the latter to additionally signal for over $100 million, as properly.
Chase’s $161.1 million over 4 years is insane however runs proper together with what he’s performed for that offense. Higgins $115 million over the identical span is essentially the most for a crew’s WR2 in NFL historical past. That’s what I can’t wrap my head round. He’s an excellent receiver! He’s additionally missed 10 video games over the previous two seasons! That’s some huge cash for a participant that has by no means stayed wholesome for a whole season outdoors of his rookie 12 months in 2020.
The Bengals handing out this cash is them pushing all of the chips in on the offense being the very same because it was in 2024. Bringing them each again is an efficient begin, however historical past kind of says it was an outlier they usually’re greater than probably going to revert again in direction of the imply than proceed on this upwards trajectory.
I might be so extremely flawed! I get that! However think about if both will get damage or they merely don’t play all that properly comparatively. Is the protection going to be any extra aggressive in 2025? It was form of the one huge factor that saved them out of the playoffs!
However hey, huck it, chuck it soccer. Amirite?
RJ:
Forgive me for making this about one thing apart from Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins right here, however I have no idea that we’ve seen a single participant change a franchise the way in which that Joe Burrow has with the Bengals.
Clearly the largest signal of that is how aggressive the Bengals have been, however take into account that we’re speaking about one of many extra frugal franchises within the league and the way they’re meting out money left and proper (seemingly). A giant purpose for that is/was clearly that Burrow requested them to maintain his weapons in tow in Chase and Higgins.
I’m not saying that the Bengals are immediately utterly totally different, however there isn’t any query that their eyes have been opened and that they’re prepared to do what they should on this window. That may be very cool.
What a house run of a choose Burrow continues to be, particularly for Bengals followers.
Who’s your greatest winner/loser from the primary week of free company?
Michael:
My greatest winner is break up between a pair of NFC North groups within the Chicago Bears and Minnesota Vikings.
New Bears head coach Ben Johnson had an excellent plan in his first offseason and he caught to it by signing a model new trio of gamers to reshape the inside of the offensive line. Drew Dalman was the perfect heart out there. They then commerce for Rams proper guard Jonah Jackson and Chiefs All-Professional left guard Joe Thuney So yeah, life is nice for Caleb Williams! He wanted safety and Johnson delivered.
For the Vikings, my reasoning is easy. They wanted to get higher alongside the inside on either side of the ball. They did simply that by signing defensive tackles Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave for Brian Flores whereas including heart Ryan Kelly and guard Will Fries for Kevin O’Connell.
Bam. These are far more beefy and intimidating trenches for the Vikes.
As for a loser, I feel the Raiders are a fringe crew in that regard for me. The transfer to commerce for quarterback Geno Smith clearly raises their ground an excellent quantity, however they made no signings to assist construct the unit round him. The Seahawks had an excellent group of weapons for him to depend on. The Raiders primarily have simply Brock Bowers at tight finish. They want a brand new WR1 (as a result of Jakobi Meyers shouldn’t be that) and that may maintain them from having a WR3 named Ramel Keyton (is that even an actual individual?). Defensively, it’s additionally simply Maxx Crosby with no different actual standout title.
This crew simply wants…extra. In all places.
RJ:
For me the largest winner is the Los Angeles Rams. This time just a few weeks in the past we thought that Matthew Stafford was gone and no longer solely is he not… however Davante Adams is reverse of Puka Nacua. They seem primed to run unchallenged via the NFC West.
From a shedding standpoint, I feel I’ve to remain within the division and go together with the San Francisco 49ers. They’ve gotten picked aside and performed nothing to actually assist their roster from an general perspective. I don’t know why anybody can consider they are going to be nice by simply operating this all again subsequent season.
What crew have you ever modified your thoughts on essentially the most up to now?
RJ:
My reply is a bit unusual right here, however I’m going with the Seattle Seahawks.
The rationale that is unusual is as a result of I haven’t modified my thoughts in any respect. I got here into this offseason feeling like they had been in a extremely attention-grabbing spot to both decide to Geno Smith or to a full rebuild. By shifting on from Geno they appeared headed in a single route, however then in signing Sam Darnold they appeared to be content material with simply treading water.
I don’t know what the Seahawks are doing. It’s bizarre. I don’t prefer it. Repair it. Somebody. Anybody.
Michael:
I’m going to stay within the NFC West and go together with the Rams right here for primarily the identical causes you touched on within the earlier immediate.
I assumed their late-season success was somewhat fluky as a consequence of how pedestrian Matthew Stafford’s passing numbers had been for a lot of the 12 months and previous to their strikes made in free company I’d have anticipated them to truly fall in need of the postseason in 2025.
That’s now modified because of some actually savvy signings that don’t truly fill their roster holes, however additional emphasize their strengths. The primary was the transfer to signal Davante Adams to exchange Cooper Kupp. Packers coach Matt LaFleur is from the Sean McVay teaching tree so if there’s another coach who is aware of the way to use him the perfect, it’s the latter. I’m truly anticipating a fairly large 12 months from Adams.
Secondly, the Rams stole defensive sort out Poona Ford from my Chargers and I’m upset about it. The Rams have already got an ideal basis to their defensive entrance with 2024 rookies edge rusher Jared Verse and defensive sort out Braden Fiske. They did NOT have so as to add Ford following his breakout season, however they did, and now they’re going to be much more of a ache within the rear to dam.
In a bizarre approach, the Rams appear to have gotten higher by leaning even additional into the place they already excelled as a substitute of attempting to spherical out the lackluster components of their roster.
Do you agree or disagree with RJ and Michael? Share your ideas within the feedback beneath!
