We are currently in the calm before the storm, with free agency in the NFL set to begin on Wednesday, March 17 at 4 PM EST. I imagine that we are going to see a ton of moves happen at that time and in the days following, so a lot of what is out there right now is very much rumors and speculation. That, though, is part of the fun of this time of year, as it’s always exciting to see where all the big-name free agents will land. We will get into some of those rumors in this piece, while also catching up on all the other NFL news. Let’s jump right into action so you can continue planning your bets against their NFL odds for the new upcoming season.
NFL Rumors & Betting News March 16th Edition
In the least surprising headline we will see this offseason, New Orleans Saints QB announced that he is retiring from the game to take a spot in the broadcast booth. It was 15 years to the day of the announcement that Brees left the Chargers and signed with New Orleans, where he made a huge impact both on and off the field. Brees retires with some gaudy stats and a Super Bowl ring in what was a truly fantastic career. It is going to be interesting to see how the QB situation shapes up in The Big East, especially with Jameis Winston in the fold on a 1-year deal.
This offseason, we are seeing a few veteran QBs sign new contracts that will help their team free up much needed cap space. Tom Brady and Ben Roethlisberger have both done that already this offseason. While not quite a veteran yet, Patrick Mahomes is following this same path and restructuring his contract in an effort to help the Kansas City Chiefs. Changing a $21.7 million roster bonus into a signing bonus will help the Chiefs free up $17 million in cap space, which they are going to need if they want to maintain their current high level.
In what can very much be viewed as a piece of surprising news, reports are suggesting that Cam Newton will be back in New England on another 1-year deal. Newton started the season well last year but went on to underwhelm, leading most to believe that the Patriots would dip into free agency or look to the draft to find their QB for the upcoming season. It seems, though, as if Newton has done enough to warrant another shot, although the smallish contract that he will be given probably helped the Patriots come to the decision.
There are several players who have turned social media into an art form, with JuJu Smith-Schuster at the top of the list. The wide receiver has made it clear that he would love to stay with the Pittsburgh Steelers, but given the cap situation in the Steel City, the chances of him doing so always seemed unlikely. Earlier this week, it seemed to become clear that he will in fact be on the way out, as JuJu himself voted in an SI poll, selecting “that’s a negative” from the options suggesting what he might do this offseason. The Jets and Raiders are said to be the frontrunners to sign the receiver.
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