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By: Matt Morrison (@dynastyjerk)
The pinnacle of football greatness has come and gone. I hope everyone enjoyed their Super Bowl Sunday last weekend. I know I sure did, but with one end comes a new beginning. The official end of a football season brings a renewed focus on what we are really here for…
“Value Dynasty Football”
Most of you have been active over the past month in between the end of the Dynasty Owner season and the NFL playoffs, but some haven’t, and this break is a great time to focus and start thinking of making a run for next year’s title. With that idea in mind, let’s talk about some important free agents you will need to have on your radar this off-season. Today we are talking about the NFC North.
NFC North
Green Bay Packers
| Player | Age | Status | Current Salary | Estimated Value |
| Davante Adams | 29 | UFA | $14,500,000 | $27,000,000 |
| Robert Tonyan Jr. | 27 | UFA | $3,384,000 | $8,000,000 |
| Allen Lazard | 26 | RFA | $675,000 | $6,000,000 |
| Marquez Valdes-Scantling | 27 | UFA | $669,388 | $6,000,000 |
The top name to talk about for the Packers is obviously Davante Adams. While he should be the highest-paid wide receiver in football, I’m not convinced he will be. I think that the final number will be close to $27,000,000 which would put him as the second-highest-paid wide receiver (behind DeAndre Hopkins at $27.25 million annually). It’s hard to imagine Adams playing for another team, but I don’t think it’s totally off the table. A lot of Adams’ decision will come down to what Aaron Rodgers decides to do. In the end, I think both Rodgers and Adams return to Green Bay.
Robert Tonyan is another name that I will be keeping an eye on this off-season. He has quickly become a big name over the past two years. An abrupt end to his 2021 season will for sure leave a salty taste in his Dynasty Owners’ mouths. Not only that but missing over half of the season has to weigh heavily on whoever will be paying for his next contract. His current contract was a RFA tender worth $3,384,000, but as we know that will be expiring soon. I expect Tonyan to remain with the Packers, and I’d say he has earned himself a contract close to $8,000,000 per year.
Finally, we have two wide receivers. Allen Lazard and Marquez Valdes-Scantling (MVS) are both up for a new contract. I think both players have been quite beneficial to the offense over the past few years, and they have both played above average. Because of that I say that they will both get new contracts around $6,000,000 per year. However, I don’t think they will both return to the Packers for the 2022 season. My best guess at this moment is that Lazard returns and MVS doesn’t. I also think that Green Bay will finally try to make a move for a true number two wide receiver. This player could be acquired via the draft or by free agency, but either way I’ll say that MVS is the player that gets squeezed out. Of course, this could all change if Rodgers or Adams don’t return.
Minnesota Vikings
| Player | Age | Status | Current Salary | Estimated Value |
| Wayne Gallman | 27 | UFA | $990,000 | $1,500,000 |
| Tyler Conklin | 26 | UFA | $685,258 | $8,500,000 |
Two notable offensive free agents for the Vikings are Wayne Gallman and Tyler Conklin. Gallman was included in this section solely because he is on a cheap contract and is rostered in over 50% of Dynasty Owner leagues. I see Gallman moving on from the Vikings and finding a new team to be the backup running back for. His salary shouldn’t exceed more than 1.5 million dollars so feel free to continue rostering him for the moment.
Tyler Conklin is a little more of an interesting free agent. He is only 26 years old and has shown periods of explosiveness in his short career so far. I admit that he had a rather disappointing 2021 season as he finished as TE16. I expected him to finish inside the Top 10. Even with a somewhat disappointing finish, he will earn middle-tier tight end money ($8,000,000). Expect Conklin’s contract to increase by more than 10x.
Chicago Bears
| Player | Age | Status | Current Salary | Estimated Value |
| Allen Robinson | 28 | UFA | $17,880,000 | $16,000,000 |
| Andy Dalton | 34 | UFA | $10,000,000 | $10,000,000 |
Both of these players are kind of sensitive subjects to approach. Allen Robinson had an abysmal season. If you remember going into the 2021 season, Robinson was touted as an ultra-safe player to draft. He was talked about as being the unsexy pick, but one that would almost certainly get you 1,000 receiving yards and 100 receptions. His upside was limited, but with that floor most people didn’t care. In the end, I don’t think I could have scripted a worse finish for Robinson. He finished as the WR90, and he never passed 11.0 Dynasty Owner fantasy points in any game last season. Changing quarterbacks, injuries and poor play are all to blame for his trainwreck of a season. Robinson is still rostered in over 87 percent of Dynasty Owner leagues which is still probably the correct move, but it has to be hard to stomach if you have him. Expect a slight pay cut for Robinson in 2022. I’m anticipating something like $32,000,000 for 2 years. I don’t see this contract being with the Bears though.
Andy Dalton is a tough case. He is, in my opinion, one of the most capable backup quarterbacks in the NFL. He is an average quarterback and that is really all you can ask for in a backup. He played in eight games in 2021, and he was largely a non-factor for Dynasty Owner scoring. I expect he will receive a very similar contract to the previous year. One year for 10 million dollars is a very fair price for him.
Detroit Lions
| Player | Age | Status | Current Salary | Estimated Value |
| Josh Reynolds | 27 | UFA | $1,750,000 | $5,000,000 |
| Kalif Raymond | 27 | UFA | $1,127,500 | $4,000,000 |
A couple of Lions make the free agent list in this early off-season. First is Josh Reynolds. Reynolds’ first year with the Lions was inefficient yet still a decent value. Anytime a wide receiver makes less than 2 million dollars, they are bound to be a value with even a moderate fantasy total. Despite his lackluster 2021, he will likely make more than 4 million dollars per year in 2022.
Kalif Raymond has been a journeyman wide receiver for his entire career. He has changed teams six total times, and it’s likely to be a seventh time after this free agency process is finished. The undrafted free agent has made a good living for himself on low-tier contracts, but I think his next one will be the biggest yet. I expect a contract north of $3,000,000 per year up to $4,000,000.
If there is any player that you want me to spend more time talking about, just message me on Twitter (@dynastyjerk) and let me know. I would appreciate it if you followed @Dynasty_Owner on Twitter as well as subscribed to Dynasty Owner on YouTube. Take care everyone and be safe.
TheJerk