NFL Free Agency 2019: Analyzing the biggest contracts offered so far - Part 1

Free agency, one of the biggest attractions during the offseason, is now in full swing. A plethora of teams have dipped their hands into the pool of players available to snap up the proven ones and make a strong push for the Super Bowl next season.

Many players have signed lucrative contracts which will become official by 4 PM ET on Wednesday. Here is an analysis of some deals made by franchises during the NFL's tampering window which opened on Monday:

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#1 Trent Brown to Oakland Raiders (4-year $66 million contract)

Trent Brown (77)

A lot of hard work and a little bit of luck can take you a long way in sports, just ask left tackle Trent Brown about it. About a year ago, placed on injured reserve, Brown was traded by his then team San Francisco 49ers to the New England Patriots along with the 145th pick for the 95th overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft.

Brown was expected to provide depth at the tackle position since the Patriots had drafted Georgia tackle Isiah Wynn with the 23rd overall pick the previous day. But as luck would have it, Wynn suffered a torn Achilles, 9 snaps into his preseason, providing Brown with the chance to occupy the role of starting left tackle.

Under the guidance of probably one of the best offensive line coaches in the league in Dante Scarnecchia, Brown flourished and played a key role in the Patriots' run to the Super Bowl. In the 1,089 offensive snaps he was a part of from the opening match to the end of the playoffs, Brown allowed just 3 sacks and 12 QB hits.

His new employers, the Oakland Raiders under the leadership of Jon Gruden had a very tough 2018 season as they finished with a disappointing 4-12 record. Their two starting tackles, Kolton Miller and Brandon Parker had been drafted in the recently concluded 2018 NFL Draft with the 15th and 65th overall picks. To the dismay of the front office, both delivered rather underwhelming rookie seasons with Kolton allowing 13 sacks and Parker allowing 8.5 sacks overall.

The performance by his rookie tackles forced Jon Gruden to sign Brown during free agency and it hasn't come cheap. Brown has been signed to a 4-year $66 million contract of which $36.5 million is guaranteed, making him the highest paid tackle in the league.

The signing while important does seem quite odd. Brown has played just 21 games as a left tackle and was only used by the Patriots because their first-round prospect Isiah Wynn suffered an injury. His progress under a below par offensive line coach would clearly be one to keep a tab on for next season.

#2 Kwon Alexander to San Francisco 49ers (4-year $54 million contract)

Kwon Alexander (51)

For a third year running, the San Francisco 49ers have made a big splash during the offseason. In 2017 it was full-back Kyle Juszczyk for $21 million, in 2018 it was running-back Jerrick Mckinnon for $30 million and now in 2019 its linebacker Kwon Alexander from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for a reported $54 million.

A Pro Bowler in the 2017 NFL season, Kwon is being seen as a long-term starter at the linebacker position by the 49ers front office after their rather sour experience with 2017 draft's first-round selection Reuben Foster who was cut last season due to off-field problems.

Kwon is a hard-hitting physical linebacker who has 380 tackles, 7 sacks, 6 forced fumbles, and 6 interceptions in 46 games since being drafted by the Buccaneers in 2015.

He has missed 18 games in total over the past 4 seasons, 14 due to injury and 4 due to suspension. Kwon is currently undergoing treatment for a torn ACL he suffered in October last season.

A major concern with this deal is Kwon's ACL injury, an injury that has hampered the potential of many players in the past and might be the reason that $27 million in his contract is only semi-guaranteed. Age and long-term vision seem to have been one of the primary reasons for the 49ers picking Kwon, over veterans like Zach Brown who are expected to hit the market soon.

Kwon Alexander is a talented linebacker who is at his best when upfront and getting into the backfield. His performances in recent seasons do scream about his potential but have not justified on him being the highest-paid inside linebacker in the league. 49ers will have their fingers crossed on this one.

#3 Nick Foles to Jacksonville Jaguars (4-year $88 million contract)

Nick Foles

Nick 'Saint' Foles shocked us all when he led the Philadelphia Eagles to the Super Bowl after they lost MVP-candidate Carson Wentz to a season-ending ACL injury. Foles went on to win the Super Bowl MVP in 2017.

He shocked again when he was able to land himself a bumper deal in free agency, even when there was only one team vying for his services. Foles got himself a 4-year $88 million contract from the Jacksonville Jaguars of which $50.1 million is guaranteed.

Foles is a pure pocket passer, something that the Jaguars were in real need of after finishing 26th in passing yards, 27th in total yards and 31st in points per game last year. He will be reunited with John Defilippo, the offensive coordinator of the Philadelphia Eagles when they won the Super Bowl with Foles.

So far so good, right? Well, this is where the fun ends. The Jaguars' offense is a dud. Their receiving corp is probably one of the worst in the league. Donte Moncrief, Keelan Cole, DJ Chark and Dede Westbrook aren't really the guys you dream of throwing the ball to on a regular basis. They have a virtual nobody on the tight end position. Their only real stud on offense is running back Leonard Fournette, who will be entering just his 3rd year in the league in 2019.

The Jaguars' offense has heavily relied on running the ball for some time, the very reason Fournette was drafted with the 4th overall pick in 2017. But Foles is the complete opposite to their philosophy; in the 12 games he has played since 2017, he has only 20 rushing yards to his name.

While he may have earned himself some mega bucks, his fit with the run-heavy Jacksonville Jaguars will be one to watch out for in 2019. With Ngakoue and Ramsey close to contract extensions, the cap space will take a huge hit and new additions on offense will be tough to come by.

#4 Landon Collins to Washington Redskins (6-year $84 million contract)

Landon Collins

Alabama has the best defense every season in college football and it seems like the Washington Redskins front office is a fan of the Crimson Tide secondary's graduates. With the signing of Landon Collins, the Redskins will now have at least 5 players who have played for the 17-time national champions.

Landon Collins has been one of the best safeties in the game since his introduction in the 2015 season. In 4 seasons, he has been to the Pro-Bowl thrice while making it to the All-Pro First Team once.

At just 25 years, he can be a building block for a multitude of teams. As per his new 6-year $84 million deal with the Redskins, he is set to earn $14 million on a yearly basis. Which is the highest in regards to safeties at the pro-level eclipsing Eric Berry's $13 million per season.

With HaHa Clinton-Dix testing the free agency and the release of the D.J. Swearinger in December, safety was a position of need for the Redskins and with the addition of a Pro-Bowl caliber player, Washington has converted it into a position of strength.

Collins does have his limitations but finding talent as accomplished and as young as him is very rare. He is a wrecker in the middle, with his huge 200+ pound frame and is tone-setter with the ability to make plays on a regular basis. Collins is also a proven leader inside the locker room, something the Redskins secondary are in dire need of.

He has had injury problems in the past, a broken forearm in 2017 and a torn rotor cuff in 2018, Washington would look to minimize these physical breakdowns under their supervision.

#5 Trey Flowers Detroit Lions for (5-year $80+ million contract)

Trey Flowers

Trey Flowers was the top defensive end available in free agency, with a proven pedigree, having played a major role in New England Patriots' 2 Super Bowl wins over the past 3 seasons.

Detroit Lions led by former Patriots defensive coordinator Matt Patricia, forked out a premium to sign the 2-time Super Bowl champion. Flowers has agreed to a 5-year contract worth $80 million.

His average salary of $18 million, is the 5th highest in the league in his position, only behind Khalil Mack, Aaron Donald, Demarcus Lawrence, and Von Miller. While his sack production may not match the names above him on the list, but his versatility and experience under Patricia prompted the Lions to pursue him as their number 1 target this offseason.

Flowers' stats may not jump out of the page, but he has proven his value during his time with the Patriots from the seven-technique all the way to the nose tackle. Over the past 3 seasons, he has played in 66.6% of Patriots defensive snaps. He accumulated a total of 21 sacks and 167 tackles during that time period.

At just 26 years, Flowers can become the cornerstone of Detroit's defensive line and help them build on a successful defensive performance from last year when they had 43 sacks (8th in the league) and allowed opposition QBs to throw for just 225 yards per game (8th in league).