Allen Robinson to The Chicago Bears
Grade: A+
At first glance Chicago would seem like an underwhelming location for Robinson to sign, but breaking it down further there couldn’t have been a better landing spot. The former second-round receiver will be the focal point of the passing game and since he is now on a low scoring offense, Robinson offers a serious draft day discount in the fantasy draft. We have seen both Jared Goff and Carson Wentz make dramatic improvements in year two and with a new offensive minded head coach in Chicago, this could be one of the best fantasy free agent signings this offseason.
Kirk Cousins to The Minnesota Vikings
Grade: B-
From a statistical point of view, this signing would appear to be a dramatic improvement from Case Keenum. We
should see each offensive player get a slight bump in production due to Cousins’ ability to march the ball downfield. It is difficult to tell which receiver will have the most to gain with the new quarterback but those questions should be answered in the preseason. The ultimate goal for Minnesota is to win The Super Bowl and Cousins may not have been the best option for obtaining that result. Blown opportunities and turnovers in the worst moments have plagued the former Redskin since being named the starter. Let’s hope that’s a product of his surroundings and not a reflection of his true ability. The last thing Minnesota needs is “The New Tony Romo”.
Jarvis Landry to The Cleveland Browns
Grade: C+
Jarvis Landry has been sensational and is the NFL leader in slot receptions since entering the league in 2014. The fit with the Browns raises some questions. Prior to the Tyrod signing it appeared Landry would be used as check down option for a young rookie QB. Since Tyrod is presumably the starter this makes it seems like the Landry signing is a waste of talent. Tyrod has struggles connecting in the middle of the field and often has chosen to use his legs when given the choice of a check down. A third 100-reception season is still possible but highly improbable. The reception count will likely be closer to 50 and considering Landry is on a one year deal this is only going to be a short term rental for Cleveland.
Jerick McKinnon to The San Francisco 49ers
Grade: A-
The former Viking has always had the physical abilities to be a feared rusher in the league but had struggled to find a defined role throughout his career. The opportunities were there, due to injuries to Adrian Peterson and Dalvin Cook but he never received a full workload. We still don’t expect McKinnon to be a featured back in San Francisco but he should finish inside the top 10 for receptions at the running back position. We saw Carlos Hyde’s target count grow from a high of 33 to a new high of 87. Kyle Shanahan seemingly found the role player he needed in Jerrick McKinnon. Even if the 49ers draft an early down back, McKinnon could still hold backend RB2 value with upside.
Jimmy Graham to the Green Bay Packers
Grade: B
The most efficient QB in the league gets one of the most feared red zone weapons. Sounds almost too good to be true, doesn’t it? Graham will undoubtedly be a very high fantasy draft pick and while this does seem like a match made in heaven, it could be a bumpy road while the tight end gets acclimated to this offense. We saw a similar situation last year when Eric Decker joined the Titans and we all know how that ended. Another factor to consider is that Aaron Rodgers has never been fond of targeting the tight end. Graham is far and above more talented than any other TE that Green Bay has seen in recent years but we still can’t automatically lock in Graham as a top 2 TE next to Gronk. In his first year in Seattle there were some growing pains. Graham posted a disappointing 48 receptions for 605 yards and 2 touchdowns through 11 games. There were many points during the season Graham’s role felt forced. Don’t be the player who jumps the gun on Graham only to overpay for his upside. A 70-800-8 stat line is a more realistic goal for the 32-year old veteran.
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