Three of the earliest free agent defections Tuesday afternoon were left tackles and they all could have ramifications on the fantasy prospects of several new teammates.

The big signing was in Arizona, where the Cardinals signed Jared Veldheer. Veldheer isn’t well known, having played for some of the more inept Oakland Raiders teams in recent years. But he was ranked among the top players at his position – this SB Nation list had him second, but personally I like him better than Branden Albert, the guy they ranked first.

Anyway, after years of struggling along the offensive line, Arizona is expected to pair Veldheer with Jonathan Cooper, the first-round rookie in 2013 who missed the season with a broken leg. If Cooper recovers, Arizona could suddenly have the makings of an average to above average line.

It’s hard to see the Cardinals turning the entirety of its run game over to Andre Ellington in 2014. But the rookie did surprise in 2013 with 1,023 total yards rushing and receiving and four TDs last year. His prospects go up with two-fifths of an offensive line coming together, even if he does share time with someone like Stepfan Taylor or a draft pick.

The improved protection also enhances the chances that Carson Palmer can at least maintain or improve on a season in which he threw for 4,274 yards and 24 touchdowns. If he does get more time to throw, that only helps Larry Fitzgerald, Michael Floyd and Andre Roberts, as well. The Veldheer signing was a good one for Arizona.

I can’t be quite as excited for Oakland. The Raiders signed Rodger Saffold as Veldheer’s replacement and by most accounts, that’s a fairly significant downgrade. Then again, you’re talking about an Oakland team that has spent most of the last decade at 4-12 and most of the last couple years in salary cap purgatory. So perhaps the brass there felt like a massive investment in Veldheer wasn’t worth the cost.

But it is a bit confusing that they’d be willing to downgrade at left tackle when it sounds highly likely they’ll be breaking in another new quarterback starting in September. Everyone remembers what happened to David Carr when he started as a rookie in Houston behind a bad offensive line. Carr still has PTSD.

The move also bodes badly for Darren McFadden and whoever the Raiders bring in or promote to play the eight to 10 games McFadden misses with injury in 2014. The fragile back will be back for at least one more season.

Finally, Miami’s Brandon Albert signing makes sense, though I don’t think he’s worth the $9 million average per season. With the Jonathan Martin/Richie Incognito fiasco nearly behind them, the Dolphins needed an investment on the front line and Albert was considered among the best on the market.

I think he’s a bit overrated. But he can’t make things any worse for Lamar Miller or Ryan Tannehill. The former disappointed as a second-year player/first-year starter who had just 709 yards and two scores in 15 starts in 2013. Tannehill was the second-year QB who did improve in 2013, but who also was sacked 58 times during the season.

I’m not betting the farm on either of these guys in 2014 fantasy drafts, but both should have better opportunities as the Dolphins focus on rebuilding the line around them.