Now that the shock of a Super Bowl 55 has worn off and Tom Brady has claimed his 7th ring, it’s time to look ahead at who can hoist the Lombardi Trophy in 2022 with the right moves.
Free agency, the trade block, and the draft have been huge for contending teams over the last few years. The Bucs got Tom Brady and a wide array of talented free agents that they complemented with rookie talent in 2020, and the Chiefs’ 2019 championship roster was bolstered by adding star rookies like L’Jarius Sneed and Clyde Edwards-Helaire. To reach a Super Bowl, teams must use every single day of the offseason like it’s their last. Whether that be by scouting rookie talent, negotiating a big-time trade, or luring a star free agent to your squad is up to the GMs.
Let’s examine some moves that could push the teams who watched Super Bowl 55 from the couch to the biggest stage next February.
San Francisco 49ers: Get a consistent QB
It doesn’t take a genius to run Kyle Shanahan’s run-centric offense at QB.
But the difference between the San Francisco 49ers winning Super Bowl 54 and losing stunningly as they did was wearing number 10 that night.
Jimmy Garoppolo’s time in the Bay Area has been hard to summarize, but with one word I’d say he’s been inconsistent. From starting his career with the Niners undefeated at 6–0 to missing Emmanuel Sanders on a potential game-winning touchdown in the Super Bowl, the only piece of Kyle Shanahan’s Niners (when healthy) that hasn’t worked is Jimmy Garoppolo.
Ideally, the Niners would have pursued a guy like Matthew Stafford. He’s arguably a top 10 quarterback, doesn’t have the outrageous contract of some top 10 QBs, and is as clutch as they come. Unfortunately, the Rams saw those attributes in Stafford and swooped him up, leaving the Niners with prospects that are either ridiculously expensive or arguably worse than Garoppolo.
So what prospects are they looking at?
Of course, the first that comes to mind is Deshaun Watson. He’s the best QB available but is also carrying around the 2nd highest price tag of any player in the league and would cost a king’s ransom to trade for. With their team already fragile from the barrage of injuries that derailed their 2020 campaign, it might not be smart to trade away essential pieces like Nick Bosa right now. Unless they are willing to take a major risk and trade away multiple firsts and a star player, they won’t be in the running for Watson.
Instead, they should go after more reasonable options. One that stands out comes from the state over, Las Vegas Raiders’ QB Derek Carr.
Coming off one of his best seasons, Carr has been in trade rumors for a few weeks now. Setting career-highs in passing yards, passer rating, and being a model of consistency starting 110/112 regular-season contests in his career, Carr is the closest thing the Niners can afford to Stafford.
He is a model of consistency and is used to running play action, as the Raiders’ offensive attack in 2020 was predicated on star RB Josh Jacobs. In a run-heavy 49ers offense that just needs its QB to make a few big-time throws a game, I’d much rather rely on Carr than Garoppolo. It also cannot be stated enough that in 3 seasons as starter, Jimmy G has missed 23 games. When the Niners go to their backup QBs, the wheels often fall off the train, so having a QB that stays healthy like Carr is also a huge factor.
With all these in mind, also consider that Carr is cheaper than Garoppolo over the next 2 years. His cap hit in 2021 and 2022 combined is $12 million less than Jimmy G’s, so he’d be a financial win as well.
Now, the Niners will still need to fork over assets in this deal. Considering that Las Vegas is only thinking about dealing Carr because they want an upgrade over him, trading Garoppolo and a second rounder will not do the trick. Instead, the Niners will need to be sure they want Carr because they will need to trade a couple of picks to offload Garoppolo for him.
The most likely scenario is that the Niners don’t have the assets to make this deal work and even more likely would be the Raiders just aren’t interested in guys not named Deshaun Watson. Still, the upside of Carr over Garoppolo as a contender is too big to ignore.
Seattle Seahawks: Acquire a solid right offensive tackle to complement Duane Brown
Needless to say, star QB Russell Wilson is tired of being hit.
Wilson, a top 5 QB in most circles, has been sacked more in his time in the NFL than any other QB. And wouldn’t you know it? After the Seahawks won the NFC in back-to-back seasons in 2013 and 2014, the NFC West started building their teams with pieces to dismantle Seattle’s offense. The Rams got Aaron Donald in 2014, who has had pushed Wilson around since joining the league. The Cardinals acquired star pass rusher Chandler Jones, and the Niners got multiple solid pass rushers over the last few years, like 2019 Defensive Rookie of the Year Nick Bosa. These pass-rushing pieces have exposed the Seahawks’ lack of quality offensive linemen, but the most frustrating part about it is they haven’t upgraded their line since trading for Duane Brown.
The signature tagline of the Seahawks fans everywhere has been to Let Russ Cook, but they haven’t given him the time to do so. The latter half of Wilson's brilliant 2020 campaign saw him struggle against teams with solid pass rushers, and with plays that got predictable after a while, the Seahawks doomed Russell Wilson to failure this season.
Although the Seahawks are not happy with Wilson’s decision to air his grievances with the protection to the media, they frankly have no right to be. He’s been one of the best leaders in the league for the last 9 seasons and rarely ever bites at a chance to throw his teammates under the bus.
But he’s doing this out of necessity for the team. Without proper protection, Wilson simply cannot evolve into the elite pocket presence he’s shown glimpse of and that would stunt the entire offense’s growth. If he is still scrambling well into his 30s, I can almost guarantee the situation will get grimmer in Seattle.
So, what can the Seahawks do to reinforce Wilson, and maybe more importantly show him they care about his requests?
Well, it starts with getting a serviceable right tackle. With a promising run game mauler at right guard in 2nd-year player Damien Lewis and a borderline Pro-Bowler in Duane Brown at left tackle, the Seahawks could use a pass protector at right tackle to complement those two foundational pieces. Guys like Matt Feiler from the Steelers and Daryl Williams from the Bills are solid options in free agency, with the former flying under most people’s radars (smaller contracts preferred).
Fixing the left guard and center positions are extremely important as well because of interior pressure being a particular weakness of Wilson’s, but every solid pass protecting team must start with edge protection to establish a clean pocket. Regardless, look for the Seahawks to show interest in interior linemen like Corey Linsley and Joe Thuney to beef up those spots as well.
The Seahawks have serious issues with their creativity and philosophy on offense but getting offensive linemen that can be relied on goes a long way towards easing into the necessary changes.
Indianapolis Colts: Try your luck on Wentz (no pun intended)
I know.
Trust me I know.
He had one of the most jarring drop-offs by an MVP-caliber quarterback in a single season I’ve ever seen, but Carson Wentz is still a viable option at starter for many teams. Preferably a team that has a familiar face at head coach and a well-rounded roster to pick Wentz up if he stumbles… Oh, wait.
Since the news broke that a Carson Wentz deal is on the horizon, the clear favorite to land the Eagles QB had been Indianapolis. With his former offensive coordinator at HC and a well-rounded roster that includes a top-tier offensive line, promising running backs, and a stout defense, Wentz would likely be thrilled to go to the Colts.
Wentz’s lack of confidence in Philly became apparent once the hate from the brutal Philadelphia media started coming in. What better place to regain that confidence than with a head coach who knows your strengths better than anyone and a supportive fanbase like Indianapolis?
For the Colts, it really wouldn’t cost much in the way of assets to get Wentz either. After his meager 2020 campaign that saw him play with uncharacteristic inaccuracy and low morale, there aren’t many teams thrilled to trade for his $32 million dollar/year deal. This low demand should make it easy for Indianapolis to throw some mid-round picks at the Eagles to get Wentz. For a QB with so much upside, there really isn’t a better option for Indy in free agency.
But the downside is bad. After leading the league in interceptions in just 12 games started, Wentz’s fall from grace was sudden in 2020. If the Colts want to go after him, they need to be sure that was simply an aberration from his usual top-10 play. And honestly, there is a solid chance it was. The sheer number of injuries the Eagles sustained over the season on their O-line left Wentz exposed, as he was sacked a league-worst 50 times in 12 games. Considering this total was worse than any year he’s started all 16 games, there is reason to believe Wentz could get back on track with a better protection situation.
It all boils down to this: If Wentz plays at his 2017 level or something near it, the Colts are a top 5 team in football. If he doesn’t, they’ll have been robbed of a few picks, have a ridiculous contract on their hands, and will get plenty of flak from their fanbase for it.
But hey, there’s a reason NFL general managers make as much as they do. People called the Bucs crazy for signing a 43-year-old QB who just had one of his worst seasons and GM Jason Licht is celebrating the benefits of his risk with new hardware.
