Raiders Release Jimmy Garoppolo, NFL’s Sexiest Quarterback

Oh, Jimmy. Jimmy boy. We had such hope for you. Look at you! You look like you were made in a lab where they make beautiful football players! You're more handsome than Tom Brady ever was. Your chiseled face, those piercing eyes, your winning smile. Unfortunately the smile was the only thing winning. The Las Vegas Raiders release of quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo is no surprise.

In an unexpected announcement, the National Football League franchise dropped their stunning physical specimen for being less than average on the field. His year with the Raiders was fraught with issues. After being sidelined with a bad left foot (which he came to the team with) he was injured last season with a concussion and bad back. His interceptions led the league when he was replace with rookie quarterback Aidan O'Connell. It was the worst year of his career, which has been pretty stunted. Since 2014, Garoppolo has only played in the majority of games in a season three times.

With his departure, the team will be saving $11.25 million in guaranteed money. Money that he would have received if it wasn't for a violation for using performance enhancing drugs. When the salary cap is everything, every dime counts. This move saves more than a few of them and slams shut the last echoes of former head coach Josh McDaniels, who worked with Garoppolo while coaching in New England.

Former Colts quarterback Gardner Minshew was recently signed by the team and will be picking up the slack.

Also on the chopping block for the Raiders is slot receiver Hunter Renfrow. He was a Pro Bowler in 2021, setting records with the team. But in the past couple years his production dropped off significantly.

The two roster moves saves the team nearly $20 million in cap space entering the new season.

This year's NFL free agency is in full swing. There are always surprises and big bucks moving around during the free agency period, but this year is off the charts. Now, announcements are being made and players are being swapped, but nothing becomes official until 4 p.m. Wednesday. That's when the new league year officially starts. So, this is a pretty exciting week, if you're a sports fan. We get both the official start of the NFL season and March Madness kicking off.

This year's NFL free agency started late Sunday night. That's when longtime quarterback Russell Wilson took to social media to announce that he was signing with the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Denver Broncos benched him earlier this year, so him leaving that franchise isn't a surprise. Also, he was allowed to negotiate early with teams, because the Denver Broncos told him the week prior they they would be releasing him from his huge contract. That said, it's a bit surprising that the Steelers picked him up so quickly. League sources say it's only a one-year deal, so maybe they're looking at him to get them over the hump until they can sign a long-term quarterback.

Wilson was just one of the big moves during the 2024 NFL Free Agency. I've been tracking the action and looking at the massive list of top 150 free agents this year to see where they land. As a Detroit Lions fan, I'm getting a little nervous looking at the big moves our rivals in the NFC North are making. We haven't made any of those huge moves. But, I have to trust the process and trust in Brad Holmes. Read on for some of the latest and biggest surprises from the 2024 NFL free agency period, aside from Wilson, which I already discussed. Are you happy with this year's big moves? Reach out to us and let us know.

Kirk Cousins was the No. 1 free agent this year, and for good reason. He was hitting the prime of his career until he was out last season with an Achilles injury. He is inking a four-year, $180 million contract with a $50 million signing bonus and $100 million guaranteed. That's with Atlanta. I'm surprised that they signed him for four years, because of his age, but I'm a huge Cousins fan and can't wait to see him perform over the next four years.

Former Giants star Saquon Barkley is going to Philadelphia. Barkley signed a three-year deal that could pay him up to a whopping $46.75 million. It also includes $26 million guaranteed. The Eagles wanted to upgrade from newcomer D'Andre Swift last season.

This move makes sense. The Cleveland Browns wanted to keep Smith, who has a good thing going with pass rusher Myles Garrett. Cleveland and Smith agreed to a two-year deal worth an impressive $23.5 million.

The Vikings are making some moves to craft a team without Kirk Cousins. They will probably lose pass rusher Danielle Hunter to free agency, so they're adding Greenard. At 27 years old, he recorded 12 1/2 sacks and 48 pressures for the Houston Texans last season. He gets $42 million in guaranteed money.

The Green Bay Packers were already looking strong going into the new season, and now they're going to be stronger. They added RB Josh Jacobs. He was considered one of the best running backs up for grabs, alongside Saquon Barkley, Derrick Henry and Austin Ekeler. They also added safety Xavier McKinney. Upgrade!

The Philadelphia Eagles have added edge rusher Bryce Huff, and it's a great pick. They need some good edge rushers, and Huff is one. They're paying him $51.1 million over three seasons.

The Hawks brought on Williams, a star defensive lineman, last season, and they're sticking with him. They've inked a three-year, $64.5 million deal with Williams. In his 10 games with the Hawks last season, he recorded four sacks, 41 tackles and 11 quarterback hits. This is a good move, but that's a lot of dough.

The Detroit Lions are putting their faith in edge rusher Marcus Davenport, even though an ankle injury cut his season with the Vikings short. I'm not super hot on this pick. The Lions haven't made many moves yet, and this is one of them? But, I trust that Brad Holmes knows what he's doing. It's only a one-year contract, too.

The New York Giants are now without star running back Saquon Barkley. They're also having obvious quarterback issues. But, they're trying to add help where they can, and they've added Jon Runyan to their roster. Runyan was last in Green Bay, where he was an impressive interior lineman.

So much money is already being flown around with these free agents. I'm excited to see how these guys shake up the NFL in the coming season. Of course, the draft will have a lot to do with the chemistry and viability of teams, too. But, the excitement always starts with free agency, and I'm here for it. Reach out to me with your thoughts here.