Day 2 of the legal tampering period was an extremely busy one. You can argue Washington set the tone late Monday evening, but Tuesday saw plenty of league-shaking signings with major future fantasy implications.
Fitzmagic Lives On
On Monday night, Washington surprised many by signing Ryan Fitzpatrick to a one-year, $10 million deal. This will be his ninth team in 17 NFL seasons, and he’s expected to enter training camp as the starter, competing with Taylor Heinicke; who signed a two-year deal of his own last month. The Football Team, coming off a division title, is built to defend the East again. Having Fitzpatrick behind center – the infamous journeyman and bridge quarterback who just won’t go away – could very well lead them to repeat success.
From a fantasy standpoint, wide receiver Terry McLaurin‘s stock is going to rise as if Elon Musk started tweeting about him. The targets will come plentiful for McLaurin in a Fitzpatrick-led, pass-heavy offense, as Graham Barfield of Fantasy Points best put it. Breakout tight end Logan Thomas should benefit as well, but it’s worth noting that Dolphins tight end Mike Gesicki faired better with Tua Tagovailoa than he did Fitzpatrick.
Jonnu Who?
New England went on a rare spending spree on Monday, starting off by signing tight end Jonnu Smith to a four-year deal. Well, that didn’t stop them from also bringing aboard Hunter Henry, inking the former Charger to a three-year deal. This one felt like it was bound to happen from all the past praise for Henry by Bill Belichick. Running two tight end sets is not new for the Patriots and the more weapons the better for Cam Newton. That said, for fantasy purposes, signing Henry makes the situation rather unappealing at first glance. Just yesterday everyone was ready to grab their shares of Smith. However, think about how messy the NE backfield has been for years now on a weekly basis. Time will tell if a Newton-led offense can support both studs, but I would be hard-pressed to grab either too early in redrafts.
Bears, Dolphins & Texans Find New QBs
Chicago has a new QB, but it’s not who you think, nor who Bears fans actually wanted. Andy Dalton signed a one-year, $10 million deal, and Twitter rightfully had a field day. It’s odd to see Chicago go the Dalton route considering this is certainly a make-or-break year for GM Ryan Pace and HC Matt Nagy. It doesn’t make the sting lessen, but at least we know the Bears did all they could to trade for Russell Wilson.
We already know that tight end Allen Robinson has no immediate plans to sign & play on the franchise tag, but surely the entire Bears offense is going to take a fantasy hit, assuming Dalton is the Week 1 starter and beyond.
Miami, as of right now, is set to stick with Tua Tagovailoa, but still added some insurance after the departure of Fitzpatrick. The Dolphins signed former Colt Jacoby Brissett, and there could be a chance he sees the field at some point this season.
This next signing might excite Jets fans more than Texan fans. Houston signed Tyrod Taylor to a one-year deal worth up to $12.5 million. Could it be that they’re starting to get weary of what’s to come in the Deshaun Watson saga? Right now he’s a fine backup, but time will tell if he ends up having to start, because a certain quarterback is traded away. Disclaimer: I may or may not be a Jets fan wishing for this scenario to occur.
Hypothetically speaking, if Taylor ends up as the starter, the Texans’ offense – as it currently stands – will be one to avoid in fantasy.
Jacksonville Jones Jr.
The Jaguars are continuing to gear up for the incoming Trevor Lawrence. Monday it was running back Carlos Hyde, and on Tuesday they added to the wide receiver room. Marvin Jones Jr. signed a two-year deal at $14.5 million; $9.2 million guaranteed. It’s a nice get for Jacksonville, as PFF noted he’s the only receiver with 9+ receiving touchdowns in the last two seasons. Personally, I would have thought he’d end up in LA with his former QB Matthew Stafford, but Jones. Jr has a chance to be the lead receiver out the gate, competing with D.J. Chark for targets.
(Photo by Stephen Lew/Icon Sportswire)