Joe Dolan and I covered every major offensive transaction from this off-season. We broke down all the important free agency signings and trades from a fantasy perspective in articles by position. The articles are arranged by players changing teams ("New Homes") and by players sticking with their 2019 teams ("Staying Put"), and players are ordered by their potential fantasy impact in each section.
QB FA Review RB FA Review WR FA Review TE FA Review
New Homes
Jack Conklin (Cle) — The former Titans offensive tackle Conklin and the Browns agreed to a three-year, $42 million deal with $30 million in guaranteed money.
Fantasy Points: The Browns nabbed the top free-agent tackle on the market, and he’ll provide an immediate upgrade at right tackle over Chris Hubbard. Conklin, who will turn 26 in August, graded out as the 10th-best tackle out of 81 qualifying players at the position (per PFF). He had a huge bounce-back campaign after a shaky third season in 2018. He played in just nine games and he was ineffective because of his recovery from a torn ACL in the 2017 playoffs — Titans GM Jon Robinson declined his fifth-year option after his 2018 season. Conklin excelled as a run blocker for Derrick Henry last season, who led the NFL in rushing last season. New HC Kevin Stefanski figures to give Nick Chubb plenty of outside-zone runs behind Conklin next season. Dalvin Cook dominated on outside zone runs for the Vikings last season under Stefanski. As a pass blocker, Conklin allowed a solid four sacks and 22 hurries in 16 games compared to Hubbard’s six sacks and 29 hurries in 14 games. Conklin will also get to work with one of the best offensive line coaches in Bill Callahan. The Browns could be getting Conklin at his best over the course of his three-year deal during his age 26-28 seasons.
Trai Turner (LAC) — The Chargers acquired Turner from the Panthers in exchange for LT Russell Okung. Turner, 26, is set to make about $20.4 million over the last two years of his contract.
Fantasy Points: The Chargers traded a declining 31-year-old Okung for Turner, who could be entering the prime of his career at 27 years old next season. Turner, a third-round pick in 2014, has made five straight Pro Bowls in six career seasons, and he should stabilize the interior of the Chargers’ offensive line. PFF ranked Turner 31st out of 80 qualifying guards last season, and he had his worst-graded season since entering the league. An ankle injury forced Turner to miss three games last season, which is the third consecutive season he played just 13 games. The Chargers could certainly be in the market for a quarterback with the #6 overall pick, but trading Okung makes offensive tackle a priority, as well, and this is a strong tackle class. It looks like the Chargers could finally be significantly upgrading their offensive line, which is music to the ears of Austin Ekeler, who recently signed a four-year deal, and for whoever plays QB this season. With Turner likely to play at right guard, the Chargers have a formidable right side of their line with the Chargers also signing RT Bryan Bulaga.
Bryan Bulaga (LAC) — Former Packers tackle Bulaga and the Chargers came to terms on a three-year, $30 million contract.
Fantasy Points: Bulaga has been a stalwart on the Packers offensive line since they drafted 23rd overall out of Iowa in 2010. After 10 years and 111 starts in Green Bay, Bulaga is moving on to solidify a once-shaky Chargers O-line. The 31-year-old Bulaga is still playing at a high level, grading out as the 15th-best tackle out of 81 qualifying players at the position (per PFF). Bulaga has missed 45 games during his career, including the entire 2013 with a torn ACL, which may be why the Chargers got a good deal for the veteran tackle. He has missed just two games the last two seasons, and Bulaga figures to be a major upgrade at right tackle for this Chargers’ offense. With recently acquired Trai Turner likely to play at right guard, the Chargers have a potentially dominant right side of their O-line.
Halapoulivaati Vaitai (Det) — Former Eagles swing tackle Vaitai and the Lions reached terms on a five-year, $50 million contract with $26 million in guaranteed money.
Fantasy Points: The Lions are betting Vaitai’s career is about to take off with a chance to be the outright starter at right tackle after he primarily served as Philly’s swing tackle in his first four seasons — he also played some guard as the Eagles’ sixth lineman. Big V, who will turn 27 in June, has started just 20 of a possible 64 games that he’s appeared in, including just three starts in his fourth season in 2019. Vaitai graded out well in his limited snaps (541), ranking as the 22nd-best tackle out of 81 qualifying players (per PFF). Vaitai’s run blocking propelled his performance last season, but his most important task will be keeping Matthew Stafford clean after a back injury limited him to eight games last season.
Graham Glasgow (Den) — Former Lions interior lineman Glasgow and the Broncos came to terms on a four-year, $44 million contract with $26 million in guaranteed money.
Fantasy Points: The Broncos brought in the versatile Glasgow to solidify the interior of their offensive line. He primarily played right guard last season after primarily playing center in 2018 and left guard in 2017. Glasgow, who will turn 28 in August, has appeared in 62 of a possible 64 games to start his career, and he’s started 58 of them. Glasgow graded out as the 12th-best guard out of 80 qualifying players at the position last season (per PFF), and he made his biggest impact in the run game. He also didn’t allow a sack and he gave up just 20 hurries last season as a pass blocker. Glasgow will get to work with one of the best O-line coaches in Mike Munchak next season, and the group as a whole should be much better this season.
Connor McGovern (NYJ) — Former Broncos center McGovern and the Jets reached terms on a three-year, $27 million deal with $18 million in guaranteed money.
Fantasy Points: The Jets whiffed on some of the biggest O-line free agents, but McGovern should provide some much-needed stability in the middle of the line after Ryan Kalil and Jonotthan Harrison struggled at center last season. McGovern graded out as the 11th-best center out of 38 qualifying players at the position last season (per PFF). He excelled as a pass blocker for the Broncos, allowing just one sack and 11 hurries in 2019. It was a big improvement from his third season when the Broncos had him playing both center and guard in 2019. McGovern’s signing should help this line, but they’re still one of the weaker groups in the league.
Ereck Flowers (Mia) — Former Redskins offensive guard Flowers and the Dolphins agreed to a three-year, $30 million deal with $19.95 million in guaranteed money.
Fantasy Points: Flowers, 26, went from being a draft bust as a top-10 in 2015 to earning nearly $20 million in guaranteed money in just one season. The former Giants offensive tackle was forced to sign a one-year, prove-it deal with the Redskins last off-season for $4 million. Flowers moved inside to left guard last season and the move revitalized his career. He allowed just two sacks on 937 snaps last season and PFF graded him 30th overall out of 80 qualifying offensive guards. The Dolphins certainly need some major offensive line help, especially since they could select a quarterback early in the draft. According to Football Outsiders, Miami ranked dead last in adjusted line yards/carry (3.17) and 29th in adjusted sack rate (8.6%). The Dolphins are banking on Flowers taking another couple steps forward to stabilize the interior of this offensive line.
Russell Okung (Car) — The Panthers acquired Okung from the Chargers in exchange for OG Trai Turner. Okung, 31, is set to make $13 million in the final year of his contract.
Fantasy Points: The Panthers wanted to move on from Turner to create more cap space for their rebuild as the franchise is clearly looking toward 2021 and beyond. They traded away two years of the better player in Turner to take on the expiring contract of a declining Okung. He missed the first six games of 2019 after suffering a pulmonary embolism last summer, and he lost another four games to a groin injury in the second half of the season — he played in a 10-year low six games. The Panthers may have a decision to make with Greg Little, who they drafted 37th overall to play left tackle. Little played in just four games last season because of two concussions and an ankle injury, and he may kick inside to play guard next season with Okung in the fold.
Rick Wagner (GB) — Former Lions offensive tackle Wagner and the Packers agreed to a two-year, $11 million contract with $5.75 million in guaranteed money.
Fantasy Points: The Lions severed ties with Wagner in the middle of March to save $6.1 million against the cap. It took just three days for the division-rival Packers to step in and ink the 30-year-old Wagner to replace right tackle Bryan Bulaga, who left for the Chargers. Wagner, who was a fifth-round pick in 2013 out of Wisconsin, is coming off a career-worst season in his seventh year (per PFF). He ended up starting 40-of-48 games with the Lions after inking a five-year, $47.5 million contract with Detroit in 2017. The Packers are banking on Wagner finding his pre-2019 form.
George Fant (NYJ) — Former Seahawks swing tackle Fant and the Jets reached terms on a three-year, $30 million contract with $13.7 million in guaranteed money.
Fantasy Points: The Jets, desperate for O-line help, whiffed on a couple of top targets and settled for Seahawks swing tackle Fant, who has started just 24 games since entering the league in 2016. The Jets have a lot of work to do to cobble together their offensive line and Fant will start at one of their tackle positions, likely at left tackle where he’s had his most success. Fant, who will turn 28 in July, graded out as the 57th-best tackle out of 81 qualifying players at the position last season (per PFF). There’s a chance Fant still has some room for development since he just started playing football as a senior at Western Kentucky in 2015 where he played tight end.
Greg Van Roten (NYJ) — Former Panthers guard Van Roten and the Panthers came to terms on a three-year contract.
Fantasy Points: The Jets failed to land any of the big-ticket free agents along the O-line, but they nabbed a steady option in Van Roten for the interior of their line. Van Roten, who grew up as a big Jets fan, graded out as the 23rd-best guard last season out of 80 qualifying players at the position (per PFF). He earned his best marks as a pass blocker with one sack and 13 hurries allowed. Van Roten, 30, had started 27 straight games for the Panthers before he landed on the injured reserve for the final four games last season with a toe injury.
Ted Karras (Mia) — Former Patriots center Karras and the Dolphins came to terms on a one-year, $4 million contract.
Fantasy Points: Dolphins HC Brian Flores raided another Patriots free agent by signing the 27-year-old Karras to bring more stability to the interior of this Dolphins O-line. Karras had started just five games in his first three seasons before starting 15 games for David Andrews last season, who missed the year because of a pulmonary embolism. Karras graded out as the 20th-best center out of 38 qualifying players at the position (per PFF), and he performed slightly better as a run blocker. The Dolphins certainly need some major offensive line help, especially since they could select a quarterback early in the draft. According to Football Outsiders, Miami ranked dead last in adjusted line yards/carry (3.17) and 29th in adjusted sack rate (8.6%). Karras should be a solid upgrade over last year’s center Daniel Kilgore.
Brandon Shell (Sea) — Former Jets tackle Shell and the Seahawks agreed to terms on a two-year, $11 million contract.
Fantasy Points: The Seahawks and Jets traded tackles in free agency with Shell going to Seattle and George Fant heading to New York. Shell, 28, graded out as the 51st-best tackles out of 81 qualifying players at the position last season (per PFF), allowing seven sacks and 29 hurries as a pass blocker. Shell started 11-of-15 games last season with the Jets benching him for a stretch in the middle of the season for Chuma Edoga. The Seahawks needed some tackle help with Fant leaving, and Shell could replace Germain Ifedi as the starting right tackles for Russell Wilson next season.
Joel Haeg (TB) — Former Colts depth lineman Haeg and the Buccaneers agreed to terms on a one-year, $2.3 million deal.
Fantasy Points: The Bucs nabbed one of the more versatile linemen on the market by inking Haeg to a one-year deal. He played all five offensive line spots during his four seasons with the Colts. He primarily played along the interior and at right tackle in his first three years in the league before serving in a depth role this last season for a great Colts O-line. Haeg, 27, wanted a chance to start and he should get a chance to win a spot for a Buccaneers team looking to rebuild their O-line in front of new QB Tom Brady.
Daryl Williams (Buf) — Former Panthers tackle Williams and the Bills reached terms on a one-year deal.
Fantasy Points: HC Sean McDermott nabbed another former Panther in Williams, who could compete for a starting job as an interior O-lineman. Williams, who will turn 28 in August, was one of the best right tackles in the league in 2017 before missing all but one game in 2018 with a knee injury. He played mostly at guard for the first time in his career last season, but he also played some at left tackle. Williams graded out as the 57th-best guard last season out of 81 qualifying players at the position (per PFF), struggling as a run blocker. If Williams can’t win a starting job next season, he’ll be the top option off the bench for this Bills O-line.
B.J. Finney (Sea) — Former Steelers guard Finney and the Seahawks agreed to a two-year, $8 million contract with $4.5 million in guaranteed money
Fantasy Points: The Seahawks added a versatile interior lineman in Finney, who will likely compete for a starting job. Both Justin Britt and Ethan Pocic ended last season on the injured reserve and the Seahawks didn’t retain LG Mike Iupati from 2019. Finney, 28, graded out as the 32nd-best center last season out of 37 qualifying players at the position (per PFF), excelling as a pass protection and struggling as a run blocker. Finney has never made more than four starts in any of his four seasons, but he should get a chance at extended playing time this season.
Stefen Wisniewski (Pit) — Former Chiefs guard Wisniewski and the Steelers came to terms on a two-year, $2.85 million deal.
Fantasy Points: The 31-year-old Wisniewski is joining his hometown team for his 10th season, and the Steelers are hoping he brings his winning ways with him. He’s been on two of the last three Super Bowl-winning teams, capturing titles with the Chiefs last season and with the Eagles in 2017. Wisniewski barely saw the field until Andrew Wylie injured his ankle late in the season for the Chiefs. The Wiz stepped into the lineup and he never relinquished his spot during the playoffs, even when Wylie was healthy enough to play. The Steelers have some holes along the interior of their line with Ramon Foster retiring and B.J. Finney leaving for Seattle. Wisniewski could have a shot to start depending on how things shake out at right tackle between Matt Feiler and Zach Banner — Feiler would likely play at LG if Banner is ready to play RT.
Germain Ifedi (Sea) — Former Seahawks tackle Ifedi and the Bears agreed to terms on a one-year contract.
Fantasy Points: The Seahawks drafted Ifedi 31st overall in 2016, but the organization decided to move on from him after last season, despite starting 60-of-64 games the last four years. They declined his fifth-year option last spring and his shaky play at right tackle in 2019 sealed his fate in Seattle. Ifedi graded out as the 64th-best tackles last season out of 81 qualifying players at the position (per PFF), allowing a whopping six sacks and 38 pressures from his right tackle spot. Ifedi, who will turn 26 in June, could kick inside to right guard to replace recently retired Kyle Long, or he’ll serve as a depth chart since he played all over the line in Seattle.
Xavier Su’a-Filo (Cin) — Former Cowboys guard Su’a-Filo and the Bengals agreed to terms on a three-year, $10 million contract.
Fantasy Points: The Bengals certainly need all the offensive line help they can get, and Su’a-Filo brings plenty of experience to Cincinnati. He’s started 53 games and appeared in 75 contests over the course of his six-year career since the Texans drafted 33rd overall back in 2014. He started four games for the Cowboys last season before he broke his leg in Week 16, but PFF gave his run blocking low marks in his limited action last season. Su’a-Filo, 29, will likely get a chance to win one of the guard spots or he’ll be a top reserve on the interior of this O-line.
Wes Schweitzer (Was) — Former Falcons guard Schweitzer and the Redskins agreed to terms on a three-year, $13.5 million contract.
Fantasy Points: The Redskins kept one guard in the fold by franchise tagging Brandon Scherff, but they couldn’t hold on to Ereck Flowers after the Dolphins threw some big money at the former first-round pick. The Redskins didn’t waste any time finding his potential replacement by signing the 26-year-old Schweitzer. The Falcons initially sent Schweitzer to the bench after drafting Chris Lindstrom in the first round last spring, but Schweitzer ended up starting seven games last season after Lindstrom broke his foot. Schweitzer graded out as the 56th-best guard out of 80 qualifying players at the position last season (per PFF).
John Miller (Car) — Former Bengals guard Miller and the Panthers agreed to a one-year, $4 million pact.
Fantasy Points: Miller is set to play for his third team in as many years after the Bengals released him to save about $2.6 million in cap space. Miller, who will turn 27 in August, has made 60 starts across five seasons with the Bills and the Bengals. He graded out as the 52nd-best guard out of 80 qualifying players at the position last season (per PFF), allowing two sacks and 14 hurries as a pass blocker. Miller will be in contention to take over the right guard spot left behind by Trai Turner, who the Panthers traded away for LT Russell Okung earlier in the off-season. The Panthers are starting their rebuild this season, and they’re taking a low-risk chance on Miller hoping he might come into his own.
Staying Put
Anthony Castonzo (Ind) — Castonzo and the Colts reached terms on a two-year, $33 million with $17 million in guaranteed money.
Fantasy Points: Castonzo, who will turn 32 in August, briefly flirted with retiring after his ninth season, but the Colts were able to convince their veteran left tackle to hang around for at least another season. Castonzo has manned the left tackle spot for the Colts since they drafted him 22nd overall out of Boston College in 2011, and he’s started all 16 games in six of the last eight seasons. Castonzo has routinely graded out as one of the top tackles in the league by PFF, and he finished seventh out of 81 qualifying tackles last season. Philip Rivers will be glad to have Castonzo back to protect his blindside, and the veteran QB will have the best O-line in front of him in years.
Brandon Scherff (Was) — The Redskins placed their franchise tag on Scherff, which is expected to be around $16 million. Scherff and the Redskins have until July 15 to agree to a long-term deal.
Fantasy Points: Scherff, 28, will anchor the Redskins’ offensive line for at least one more season after they placed the franchise tag on their former #5 overall from 2015. He initially entered the league as a tackle out of Iowa, but he’s developed into one of the league’s best guards since transitioning to the interior. Scherff has ended his last two seasons on the injured reserve, playing just 19 of a possible 32 games. He tore his pectoral muscle and missed the final eight games of 2018 and elbow and shoulder issues cut short his 2019 campaign. He still graded out as the 9th-best guard out of 80 qualifying players at the position (per PFF) last season, and he’s allowed just two sacks over his last 19 games the last two seasons.
Joe Thuney (NE) — The Patriots placed their franchise tag on Thuney, which is expected to be around $16 million. Thuney and the Patriots have until July 15 to agree to a long-term deal.
Fantasy Points: Thuney has been an anchor in the middle of this Patriots offensive line since they selected him 78th overall in 2016 out of North Carolina State. He’s started in every game during his career — 74 games with the playoffs included — and he hasn’t allowed a sack in each of the last two seasons. Thuney, 27, graded out as PFF’s fourth-best guard out of 80 qualifying players at the position last season. He’s also the first player in league history to start in the Super Bowl in the first three years of his career.
Andrew Whitworth (Cin) — Whitworth and the Rams agreed to terms on a three-year, $30 million contract with $12.5 million guaranteed.
Fantasy Points: Whitworth turned 38 in December and he’s entering his 15th season this fall so it’s highly unlikely that he’ll play out all three seasons of his new contract. Even with the Rams O-line disintegrating last season, Whitworth remained the pillar of excellence for the unit. He’s missed just one start in the last six seasons, and he’s played in all 16 games in 11 of his 14 seasons. Whitworth graded out as the 28th-best tackles out of 81 qualifying players at the position (per PFF). He dominated in pass protection, allowing just one sack and 25 hurries in 16 games, but he struggled mightily as a run blocker last season. Whitworth’s play has yet to fall off a cliff, but the Rams would be wise to look for a potential successor in the draft this April.
Andrus Peat (NO) — Peat and the Saints came to terms on a five-year, $57.5 million contract with $33 million in guaranteed money.
Fantasy Points: Peat received the most guaranteed money ever given out to a guard. The Saints drafted Peat 13th overall in 2015 as a tackle, and he’s played all along their O-line during his first five seasons. He’s settled into left guard in recent seasons, where he made 10 starts last season. He broke his forearm last season and missed six games before returning for the regular-season finale and their Wild Card Round loss — he’s now started 60 games in five seasons. Peat graded out poorly as both a pass and run blocker last season, ranking 69th out of 80 qualifying guards last season (per PFF) — PFF also graded him poorly in 2018 after a strong first three seasons in the league. With Peat back in the fold, the Saints have most of their key offensive pieces back to make potentially one last run with 41-year-old QB Drew Brees.
D.J. Humphries (Ari) — Humphries and the Cardinals agreed to a three-year, $45 million contract with $29 million in guaranteed money.
Fantasy Points: Humphries, 26, played his first full season after missing at least three games in each of his first four seasons. He missed 18 games combined in 2017-18 and he never suited up during his rookie season in 2015. The Cardinals clearly weren’t concerned about his long-term durability, and his contract suggests they think Humphries is an ascending player after a shaky start to his career. Humphries graded out as the 47th-best tackles out of 81 qualifying players at the position (per PFF), and he allowed just two sacks last season. The Cardinals are counting on him staying healthy to protect their young franchise QB Kyler Murray.
Dennis Kelly (Ten) — Kelly and the Titans reached terms on a three-year, $21 million contract with $8.75 million in guaranteed money.
Fantasy Points: The Titans were unable to keep former RT Jack Conklin around after they allocated most of their available money to QB Ryan Tannehill and RB Derrick Henry. The Titans turned to Plan B in Kelly, who has served as the team’s swing tackle the last four seasons behind Conklin and Taylor Lewan. Kelly, 30, graded out as the 30th-best tackle out of 81 qualifying players at the position last season (per PFF). He played well on just 353 snaps and in four starts, allowing two sacks and five hurries during his limited action in 15 games. The Titans will likely roll with Kelly as their starting right tackle to start the season, but he’ll likely have some competition behind him if he falters at all.
Marcus Gilbert (Ari) — Gilbert and the Cardinals agreed to a one-year, $3.75 million contract.
Fantasy Points: Gilbert missed the entire 2019 season after Gilbert tore his ACL just before the season opener last year. He spent the first eight years of his career with the Steelers before being sent to the Cardinals for a sixth-round pick last March. Gilbert, 32, played in just five games in 2018 because of injuries, and he served a four-game suspension in 2017 for violating the league’s substance-abuse policy. He’ll be in the mix to start at right tackle in training camp or he could serve as the team’s swing tackle.
Alex Lewis (NYJ) — Lewis and the Jets agreed to terms on a three-year, $18.6 million pact with $6 million in guaranteed money.
Fantasy Points: The Jets acquired Lewis from the Ravens for a seventh-round pick in early August last year, and he started 12 of the final 13 games last season. Lewis graded out as the 57th-best guard out of 80 qualifying players at the position last season (per PFF), and his shaky run blocking didn’t help big free-agent signee Le’Veon Bell last season. The Jets could have one of the worst offensive lines once again next season, especially if they can’t upgrade Lewis’ left guard spot.
Quinton Spain (Buf) — Spain and the Bills reached terms on a three-year, $15 million contract with $4.5 million in guaranteed money.
Fantasy Points: The Bills took a one-year flier on Spain last off-season after he started 42-of-48 games to begin his career with the Titans, and his performance last season warranted a slight contract upgrade. The former UDFA out of West Virginia started all 16 games last season for the first time in his career. Spain, who will turn 29 in August, didn’t allow a sack in his first season with the Bills but he did give up 24 hurries. He still graded out as the 59th-best guard out of 80 qualifying players at the position because of his poor season run blocking.
