This article is part of our Dynasty Strategy series.
Tuesday was a whirlwind news days for the NFL, so here's the latest on player movement as the offseason prepares to push for top speed.
QUARTERBACK CAROUSEL
Aaron Rodgers' four-year extension with Green Bay rocked the league Tuesday, solidifying the Packers as contenders for the foreseeable future and setting into motion a blockbuster trade that sent Russell Wilson to Denver in exchange for two first-round picks (including the ninth overall 2022 selection), two second-round picks, Noah Fant, Drew Lock and Shelby Harris. The Broncos were clearly hoping to reel in Rodgers, and the Wilson trade followed shortly after news of Rodgers' re-signing in Green Bay.
Wilson, who turns 34 in November, arrives in Denver shortly after their hiring of Nathaniel Hackett, Rodgers' former offensive coordinator in Green Bay. Even if Hackett is less than great and even if Courtland Sutton-Jerry Jeudy is a lesser one-two punch than DK Metcalf-Tyler Lockett, the move should be a boost for Wilson's fantasy value since Hackett is unlikely to run a zero-tempo offense like Seattle did in 2021. The Broncos also have a breakout candidate in third-year tight end Albert Okwuegbunam, who's actually the fastest player in the starting Denver offense even at nearly 260 pounds. Tim Patrick is about as good as any WR3 in the league, and if KJ Hamler returns successfully from his ACL tear he'll give the Broncos true field-stretching speed off the bench. Needless to say, Wilson is a huge upgrade for the Broncos pass catchers, even if he isn't Rodgers. Javonte Williams should also stand to benefit from playing in a Wilson-led offense, if only for the improved touchdown probability.
Be it Lock, some rookie or a free agency pickup, the starting quarterback for Seattle will be a major downgrade in 2022. Factor in Pete Carroll's anti-tempo approach with the drastic decline at quarterback and it's easy to see Seattle's offense falling apart from this point. That's discouraging news for the fantasy value of Metcalf and Lockett, who are otherwise clearly top talents. While both players remain valuable whatever the format, the days of Metcalf and Lockett pushing for top distinction as fantasy wideouts might be on hold. It's also a dreary development for Fant, who a few days ago seemed a good bet to be tied to Rodgers after three years in Denver's purgatory. Fant could still break out the way his fantasy investors hoped, even only because he's probably even now developing his game still, but the pie will only be so big and Metcalf/Lockett will get the first stabs. Although it always appeared the case, Dee Eskridge appears like a wasted second-round pick particularly with Wilson gone. Eskridge turns 25 later this month and will likely have minimal utility behind Metcalf, Lockett and Fant. The Wilson trade is also likely bad news for whoever starts at running back for Seattle in 2022, be it Chris Carson or Rashaad Penny.
FREE AGENCY UPDATE
-Davante Adams, Chris Godwin, Mike Gesicki, Dalton Schultz and David Njoku all received franchise tag offers, likely locking each of the four into at least another year on their respective teams. Adams is very likely to sign a proper extension with Green Bay, and the Buccaneers will presumably make some effort to do the same with Godwin. None of Gesicki, Schultz or Njoku is a premium player, however, so there is less urgency in their cases to get a long-term deal done. None of the three is likely to hold out, and the Dolphins/Cowboys/Browns know it. Staying on their current teams is a prospect favorable to Adams and Schultz, but problematic for Godwin, Gesicki and Njoku.
-Mike Williams agreed to a three-year, $60 million deal with the Chargers, avoiding the franchise tag and free agency. Perhaps the Chargers were a bit overly dependent on Williams in 2021, but if they had lost him they would be building mostly from scratch at outside receiver. Now they just need to find a viable speed element to clear out space for Williams on the sideline and for Keenan Allen in the middle of the field.
-Yahoo! Sports' Charles Robinson reports that free agent quarterback Mitchell Trubisky is expected to end up with the Giants, reuniting the former Bears starter and Bills backup with head coach Brian Daboll, who worked with Trubisky in Buffalo last year. If Trubisky and Daniel Jones are on the same roster then in theory they would compete for the starting quarterback role, but more likely it would simply mean the end of Jones starting with the Giants. Trubisky might be a bust, but Jones is a bigger one. There's no serious question about who's better between Trubisky and Jones. Choosing between the two is of course not an ideal starting point if you're the Giants.
-Josh Reynolds agreed to a two-year, $12 million deal with the Lions. It's a Glue Guy signing after Reynolds hit the ground running as a late-season pickup following his release from Tennessee. Reynolds and Quintez Cephus are redundant as slow outside receivers, and Amon-Ra St. Brown owns the slot in Detroit, so the Lions really need to think about a speed element with their remaining wide receiver reps.
