Michael Griffin was the 19^th overall pick in the 2007 NFL Draft, but he didn’t always play like it. For example, in 2008 and 2011, he graded out above average on ProFootballFocus, ranking 13^th among all safeties last year. However, in 2009 he was absolutely awful, getting torched in coverage, allowing 34 completions on 49 attempts (69.4%) for 741 yards (15.1 YPA!!!), 5 touchdowns, 1 interception, 5 deflections and one penalty, as he ranked 87^th at the position out of 88 eligible. He was also pretty middle of the pack in 2010.

The Titans gave him a 35 million dollar deal over 5 years with 15 million dollars guaranteed so they obviously think those days are behind him and that he’ll continue to be an above average player. If that’s the case, this looks like a pretty solid deal. He’s getting less money per year and guaranteed than did Eric Weddle and Michael Huff last offseason and his contract will likely be matched by fellow franchise players Dashon Goldson and Tyvon Branch this offseason. If you rank Griffin’s play last season in a group of 5 that includes those 4 players just mentioned, he’d grade out 2^nd behind only Weddle. He’ll just need to be consistent.

Grade: B

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This is just a one year signing for minimal money, but I don’t like it. The Dolphins aren’t going to compete this year either way so all Ochocinco is going to do is take reps away from all of their young receivers, who need experience and a chance to prove what they can do for 2013 and beyond. I know the Dolphins have a rookie quarterback in Ryan Tannehill and they need to do everything to make sure he can succeed right away, but I don’t think Ochocinco has anything left. Wide receivers tend to fall off a cliff around age 33-34 and Ochocinco is currently 34 and had an awful year last year with the Patriots.

Besides, this move will hurt him long term because their young receivers won’t get a chance to prove themselves and that’s what’s more important. Tannehill might not even start this season as the starter. They drafted him with 2013 and beyond in mind, yet they made this move with 2012 and nothing else in mind. I don’t get it. Did they make this move to steal secrets about New England’s playbook from Ochocinco? Because he doesn’t even know it.

Besides, I don’t think the Dolphins did this to give their young quarterback every chance to succeed. If they wanted to do that they would have kept Brandon Marshall or used something higher than a 6th round pick on a receiver. They did it because they’re desperate for attention because no one goes to their games. That’s why they agreed to go on Hard Knocks, which no one wanted to do, and now it’s also why they signed Chad Ochocinco, who no one else wanted.

They would be terrible this year either way because they’re in rebuilding mode, but the last thing they need is distractions, a front office who makes moves for non-football reasons, and to be the laughing stock of the league, which is what they’ve become. On top of all this, Ochocinco might not even make the final roster, in which case they just flushed some money down the drain. Sadly that might be the ideal scenario for the Dolphins now.

Grade: D

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As unprecedented as it is for a player to get a new contract after 2 years in the league with 2 years left on his rookie deal, I can’t think of anyone more deserving than Rob Gronkowski. Gronkowski has caught 132 passes for 1873 yards and 27 touchdowns in his first 2 years in the league, including 90 for 1327 yards and 17 touchdowns last year, and is also the league’s best blocking tight end.

He’s truly on every down tight end who never comes out of the game in any circumstance. He led all tight ends with 1120 snaps played last year, 39 more than any other tight end. For reference, only 5 tight ends played 1000+ snaps and only 11 even played 900+ snaps. He’s still only 23 and he’s well deserving of this 54 million dollar deal over 6 years, the most for a tight end all time.

In fact, the way tight ends are changing the game now, this deal could look like a bargain in 2-3 years time when it no longer becomes “taboo” for tight ends to demand to be paid like wide receivers. That’s why it makes so much sense that the Patriots locked him up now, rather than in a year or two. If Gronkowski were a receiver, someone with his production last year at his age probably would have commanded at least 10-12+ million dollars per year. Hell, Vincent Jackson is 6 years older and has never come close to what Gronkowski did last year and he still got 55.5 million over 5 years. And that’s just factoring in what Gronkowski does as a receiver, before even factoring in his blocking ability.

Grade: A

After trading Kellen Winslow for a 7^th round pick to the Seahawks, the Buccaneers signed Dallas Clark to play the role they thought Kellen Winslow was too expensive to play. They will be using Clark as solely a pass catcher behind new starter Luke Stocker, a 2011 4^th round pick. However, they will be paying Clark 2.7 million this season. Winslow would have only made 3.3 million. Is Kellen Winslow only .6 million dollars better than Dallas Clark? Apparently the Buccaneers think so.

Winslow is one of the toughest players in the league, hasn’t missed a game in 3 years, and has been one of the league’s most productive tight ends over that time period. Clark looked done last season and couldn’t find a taker until mid-May. I don’t get this sequence of moves at all by the Buccaneers’ new regime.

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Trade for Tampa Bay: Winslow was still a productive player for the Buccaneers as a pass catcher last year, catching 75 passes for 763 yards and 2 touchdowns, despite poor quarterback play. He led the team in catches and was 2^nd in receptions. He has bad knees, but he’s still only 28, 29 in July, and he is so tough that he hasn’t missed a game in the last 3 years. He has played through the pain and done it well, with 77, 66, and 75 catches in his last 3 years.

He’s not much of a blocker, however, and the new regime wants to run the ball more. They like 2011 4^th round pick Luke Stocker a lot and see him as an every down tight end who is a much better blocker. They really only wanted to use Winslow in limited snaps as a pure pass catcher only and his salary cost them too much to do that so they signed Dallas Clark to play in that very specialized role. Given that, this move makes some sense, but they still sold him way too cheap after announces to the whole league he was available. He was worth way more than a 7^th rounder.

Grade: C

Trade for Seattle: Seattle is buying low on Winslow and filling a need at the same time. Zach Miller was a major disappointment in the first year of his deal last year. Winslow is insurance in case that continues and will allow the Seahawks to use more 2-tight end sets, a smart idea given all of the questions they have at receiver. Winslow should still be a productive player for them at 3.3 million and will prove to be well worth a mere 7^th round pick.

Grade: A

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Yeremiah Bell isn’t very good, especially at 34 years of age, but Eric Smith isn’t very good either. The Jets desperately needed safety help with Eric Smith’s struggles and LaRon Landry’s history of injuries, as well as their confusing failure to use an early pick on a safety in the 2012 NFL Draft. Yeremiah Bell might not be good, but he probably was the best safety left on the open market and the Jets needed to do something at the position.

This doesn’t really fix anything, but at 1.4 million over 1 year, it’s not a bad signing or anything, even though it is fully guaranteed (huh?). Expect the Jets to once again have very poor safety play unless one of their two late round rookies, Antonio Allen or Josh Bush, can develop into a capable player as a rookie. Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez should once again be looking forward to facing the Jets twice this season.

Grade: B