The NFL's free agency frenzy is barely a week old and Yahoo Sports insider Caroline Fenton already has a team she believes is going to look really, really bad in about 24 months.
Fenton joined the Sportsknot Interview Podcast this week and he wasted no time getting involved. The Raiders, the Colts, DJ Moore in Buffalo – he had it all under his belt. Some of them may surprise you.
The Raiders Aggression, Max Crosby Trade Fiasco
Start with the Max Crosby mess. Everyone saw the Ravens back out of that trade when the market for Trey Hendrickson softened. Fenton noticed something most people didn't notice: the specific words used by Las Vegas when it announced it was parting ways.
"They didn't say Max Crosby failed a physical," he said. "They said the Ravens backed out of the trade. I thought that was telling."
His theory? Baltimore went into free agency assuming it would cost them Myles Garrett money for Hendrickson – in the neighborhood of $40 million per year. too rich. So he turned to the Crosby trade. Then Hendrickson just...sat there. And the price fell. Suddenly Eric DeCosta is doing the math in his head and realizing he can get a comparable pass rusher and retain both first-round picks.
"This is shady business," Fenton said. "But let's not act like this is the first questionable business that's been done in the National Football League."
She thinks both teams had a good finish. Specifically for the Raiders, Crosby staying puts a proven veteran next to a quarterback who has never taken an NFL snap. That matters. So is the signing of Tyler Linderbaum, which he said is exactly what a rebuilding team with a young QB should do.
"Bad franchises fail young quarterbacks far more than bad organizations do," Fenton said.
What are the Indianapolis Colts doing?
This brings us to Indianapolis, which apparently didn't get that memo.
The Colts re-signed Alec Pierce to the largest free-agent receiver contract in NFL history. They guaranteed Daniel Jones $50 million. Fenton is not affected by any moves as part of the NFL free agency frenzy.
He said, "Just because you pay a guy like he's elite, doesn't make him elite." Specifically on Jones, he reiterated that an Achilles injury after a good half-season does not rewrite four years of bad football in New York. “This is not a $50 million changed perspective.”
Chris Ballard's seat should be warm, he said. Under his watch, the AFC South has been won multiple times by the Texans, Titans and Jaguars. Still waiting for Indy.
In other NFL free agency moves, Fenton liked the signing of DJ Moore and said it would have a big impact on Buffalo and Trent McDuffie in LA, which angered him. She went to Moore without hesitation, and the reason was less about Moore himself and more about the Bills' offensive coordinator, Joe Brady.
“I like what Joe Brady does with receivers,” Fenton said. He covered his 2019 LSU offense and even talked to Justin Jefferson about it at the Super Bowl, Fenton said. The short version: Brady unlocks the passing game in ways that don't show up on the depth chart.
Moore is not elite. Fenton said this clearly. But he's an upgrade, he fits the scheme, and he's paired with Josh Allen, who he calls "Superman," the extent of that offense becomes even greater.
The second-round pick had to give up a lot. He accepted this. Then, they moved forward immediately. You are in a window. spend.
