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NFL free agency 2018: Jordy Nelson cut by packers

NFL free agency is in full swing, with players negotiating with teams in advance of their 2017 contracts expiring Wednesday, and there are a host of familiar names involved...

— Jordy Nelson Out, Jimmy Graham In for Green Bay

Where he might go: It is too soon to know which teams Nelson might be interested in joining, since the Packers did not announce his release until 5 p.m. Eastern Tuesday, but there will surely be suitors lined up for the 32-year-old wide receiver.

What that means: After a down year in which he had just 53 catches for 482 yards, Nelson became expendable to the Packers. The fact that his release will give the team $10.2 million in cap space was certainly the deciding factor considering the respect he commands in an out of the Packers organization. In the announcement of Nelson’s release, Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst said “Jordy will always be a member of the Packers family and we look forward to his eventual induction into the Packers Hall of Fame.” Nelson is expected to put off that induction by signing with another team, and just a year removed from a season in which he had 1,257 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns, it is reasonable to think that he still has something to offer.

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With some money freed up, the Packers are believed to have reached an agreement with Jimmy Graham, a five-time Pro Bowler at tight end, who had 57 catches for 520 yards and 10 touchdowns last season with the Seattle Seahawks. The 31-year-old was a favorite target for Drew Brees in New Orleans, had a good rapport with Russell Wilson in Seattle, and will now get a chance to catch passes from another top-shelf quarterback in Aaron Rodgers.

— Kirk Cousins Could Be Vikings’ Franchise QB

Where he might go: All signs are pointing toward Cousins, the 29-year-old quarterback, choosing the Minnesota Vikings as his new home. After three full seasons as a starter for the Washington Redskins he is a unicorn of sorts as a franchise quarterback in his 20s who can choose to play wherever he’d like. As a result, his asking price is expected to be extraordinarily high.

What that means: The Vikings nearly made the Super Bowl with Keenum as their starting quarterback. Cousins, who has thrown for more than 13,000 yards and 81 touchdowns over the last three seasons, would represent a fairly substantial upgrade. There are those who point toward Cousins’s 26-30-1 career record as a starter as a potential warning sign, but he has consistently played on a team with a subpar defense, and that will not be a problem in Minnesota. Cousins would also enjoy a deeper supporting cast on offense, with a pair of star receivers in Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs, a rock solid tight end in Kyle Rudolph, and a potential star in Dalvin Cook, a second-year running back who had a good start to the 2017 season before missing the final 12 games of the season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament.

— Case Keenum Out to Prove Himself With Broncos

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Where he might go: His regular season success, and a postseason touchdown throw that will be remembered for decades, were not enough to earn him the full-time job in Minnesota, so Keenum has reportedly agreed to terms with the Denver Broncos to take over as that team’s starting quarterback. The deal cannot be completed until Wednesday, but all indications are that he has found a permanent home.

What that means: The Broncos won the Super Bowl as recently as the 2015 season, but the retirement of Peyton Manning after his second Super Bowl title left the team without a reliable starting quarterback. That led to two years missing the playoffs as the once-terrific defense slowly withered away. Enter Keenum, who had been stamped with the label of journeyman backup until last season, but will now be asked to prove his 11-2 record as a starter in 2017 was not a fluke. There is plenty of statistical evidence to show that Keenum earned his success last season, but stepping away from the talent-ridden Vikings could make him suddenly appear far more pedestrian.

— Drew Brees Staying in New Orleans Saints

What that means: The 17-year veteran lasted a few hours as a free agent before the Saints did what everyone expected and brought him back on a two-year deal that will likely ensure that he finishes his career in New Orleans. While Mark Ingram and Alvin Kamara both had fantastic seasons, leading to a great deal more diversity in the Saints offense, Brees was still the team’s engine and he produced his 12th consecutive season with more than 4,000 passing yards. His 23 touchdown passes were the fewest he had thrown since 2005, but the 39-year-old can still get the job done.

— The ‘Other’ Minnesota Quarterbacks Look for Homes

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Where they might go: Teddy Bridgewater was once an ascending star who was expected to lead the Vikings to the promised land, and Sam Bradford was the quarterback Minnesota traded two draft picks to acquire when Bridgewater’s knee exploded before the 2016 season. Neither were on the field for the team’s loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Championship Game thanks to their injuries, and Case Keenum’s stellar play. Unsatisfied with all three options, the Vikings let all three go. Bradford appears to be on his way to the Arizona Cardinals while Bridgewater is expected to try to rebuild his career with the New York Jets.

What that means: Bradford, 30, has occasionally shown signs of why he was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2010 draft, but he has also dealt with fairly serious injuries. He inherits a Cardinals team that was a contender with Carson Palmer on the field over the last few years but fairly bad without him. If Bradford can stay injury-free there is the potential for a good fit, but in the competitive NFC West it will be an uphill climb. The stakes are lower for the 25-year-old Bridgewater who has attempted just two passes in the two seasons since his devastating knee injury (both fell incomplete.) He looked great in 2015, and has youth on his side, but the Jets are bringing back Josh McCown, and have enough question marks on the team’s roster to take a great deal of pressure off Bridgewater’s comeback.

— Andrew Norwell Upgrades Jacksonville’s Line

Where he might go: Several media outlets have reported that Norwell, a guard, will sign with the Jaguars on the largest contract ever for a player of his position. He is also expected to break records for average per season and guaranteed money.

What that means: The Carolina Panthers were unwilling to pay money more typically associated with offensive tackles to a guard, but the Jaguars saw a good fit for the first-team All-Pro player. He immediately upgrades Jacksonville’s line and should make life considerably easier for Leonard Fournette, the team’s rookie running back who had 1,040 rushing yards and nine touchdowns as a rookie despite inconsistent work from the team’s interior linemen.

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— Malcolm Butler Headed to Titans

Where he might go: Butler appears committed to joining the Tennessee Titans after four years in New England. The 28-year-old cornerback will be paid like a top defensive back even after a rocky end to his career with the Patriots.

What that means: Butler was once the hero of a Super Bowl victory thanks to a last-minute interception, and had developed into one of the game’s better cornerbacks in just his third year, but a poor end to the 2017 season, and a bizarre demotion to the bench during last year’s Super Bowl, made him a bit of a wild-card heading into free agency. Butler is not old enough to have lost a step, and the Titans clearly believe he just needed a change of scenery, but the Patriots are known for getting rid of players at just the right time — if occasionally a year early — so he is far from a sure thing to succeed.

— Allen Robinson, on the Comeback Trail, Leaves Jaguars

Where he might go: It is expected that Robinson, a 24-year-old wide receiver, will sign a three-year deal with the Bears where he will try to aid in the development of the team’s young quarterback, Mitchell Trubisky.

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What that means: Robinson was well on his way to being considered a top-flight receiver after he finished the 2015 season with 80 catches for 1,400 yards and 14 touchdowns. He slowed down some in 2016, and missed all but one game in 2017 because of a torn ACL, but he is still young and at 6 feet 3 inches and 220 pounds he provides a big target for Trubisky.

— Sammy Watkins Makes the Speedy Chiefs Even Faster

Where he might go: All signs are pointing toward Watkins, the 24-year-old wide receiver, signing with the Kansas City Chiefs after just one season with the Los Angeles Rams.

What that means: He has not quite lived up to the hype generated by his sophomore season in 2015, but Watkins had bursts of production for the Rams last season and he gives the Chiefs another burner on offense alongside Tyreek Hill and Kareem Hunt. Kansas City’s offense may be fairly inconsistent as Patrick Mahomes gets used to the starting job, but the strong-armed quarterback should not have to worry about overthrowing many players this year.

— Danny Amendola Leaving Patriots

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Where he might go: The undersized 32-year-old wide receiver is on the verge of signing with the Miami Dolphins, where he is expected to be one of two additions to a new-look offense along with Albert Wilson, formerly of the Chiefs.

What that means: Amendola was a fan favorite, and a frequent target for Tom Brady in the passing game, but the oft-injured receiver has never had production that matched his level of fame. Last season was just the third time in his nine seasons that Amendola played in as many as 15 games, but he did well with that opportunity, catching 61 passes for 659 yards. The highlight of his season was putting up 152 receiving yards in New England’s loss to Philadelphia in Super Bowl LII. The thought of a breakout season at this point for a former Texas Tech star is a little unrealistic, but he can make a big play on occasion which could prove useful for Miami. Wilson, at 25, has more potential for career growth, but he is also much less of a sure thing.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

BENJAMIN HOFFMAN © 2018 The New York Times

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