It's hard to believe that a new NFL calendar year has gotten underway (technically, this is the case despite there being no start to the season yet). There are some big names that came off the board, while others remained... stagnant. Here's a breakdown of the good, bad, and the ugly.
The Good
Javon Hargrave: San Francisco 49ers: The good thing about this move is Nick Bosa doesn't have to deal with double teams as much. Now, there's another formidable defensive tackle on the front seven, making life tough for opposing quarterbacks. The former Eagle had 11 sacks and a forced fumble last season, with his highlight reel showing the beast that Hargrave is.
Jessie Bates: Atlanta Falcons: Getting a premier safety is what a rebuilding team needs. That's especially true if you're a team like Atlanta that's stuck in a middling division. Tampa Bay is making significant cutbacks as seen by their offensive line trimming. Carolina has done the same thing in the past year. New Orleans has the pieces, but Derek Carr has been inconsistent. This is a step in the right direction for a rebuilding Falcons team hoping to compete for the next decade.
The Bad
The Bears Not Getting Any Offensive Line Help: No Jawaan Taylor or Mike McGlinchey in the Windy City. Don't get me wrong: Justin Fields fits his role as a running quarterback perfectly. But when you're only acquiring skill position players (i.e. Chase Claypool and D.J. Moore), you expect to upgrade the offensive line, too. Granted, there's still time with the NFL Draft and there's nothing wrong with building up your linebacker group. But Fields isn't going to be running around forever from quarterback pressure.
The Jets Not Getting Aaron Rodgers... Yet: There's still work to be done and New York's doing their due diligence. Bringing Nathaniel Hackett on board along with Allen Lazard helps. But it's surprising that Aaron Rodgers isn't a part of Gang Green, at least not yet.
The Ugly
Jimmy Garappolo to the Raiders: Who knows? Maybe this turns out to be a good deal, especially with Las Vegas's offense. But Garappolo has penchants for getting injured and having terrible pocket awareness. Raider fans better brace for Jimmy G crouching from opposing defensive linemen when the pocket collapses.
