The NFL -free agents firm period officially opened on Wednesday, although the teams have been able to negotiate with imminent free agents since Monday.
With the new year of the league now in progress, we have already seen a burst of movements, including some turns in the Mariscal de Campo Carousel (Sam Darnold, Justin Fields), the renowned players making movements (Davante Adams, DK Metcalf) and other stars such as Myles Garrett staying.
What signings will have the greatest impact and which will not move the needle? NBC News broken everything.
The best firm of free agency
Nadkarni: I don’t think it’s the player who was five seasons ago, but I love adding Davante Adams from Los Angeles Rams in a two -year contract. The Rams are cooking a little in general this low season, bringing back to the Matthew Stafford Marshal to a team that almost altered the eventual super butl champion, Filadelfia Eagles, the last postseason.
Adams, three times there with the Packers and the Raiders, is a good addition to a receiver room that also has Puka Nacua and Tutu Atwell. What I like about this group for angels is the variety of styles that these players play, and I bet that Adams has a year of recovery with a competent organization and an offensive genius in the coach Sean McVay. Stafford is also the best field marshal that Adams has played since Green Bay left.
GREIF: The Minnesota Vikings signing center, Ryan Kelly, and Guard Will Fries. They had a magical last season until their last two games, when the pressure of the lions of passes and the Rams destroyed one of the best NFL offenses.
The struggles of the Sam Darnold field marshal to counteract the pressure may have sealed the decision of the team to move forward and change the offensive to the second -year field marshal JJ McCarthy, but the team still needed to address its protection. He did it signing Kelly and Fries, who played side by side in Indianapolis.
The Vikings already had a strong depth table that returned from last season, and joined in free agency with the Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave and other signings, but McCarthy thrown in their first season as a starter, since the Vikings hope they do it, their decision to connect their line could be an important reason.
The biggest head of the head was …
GREIF: The Signing Field Marshal of Indianapolis, Daniel Jones. Taking into account that the colts began, banks, then returned to Anthony Richardson as a starter during a roller coaster last season, it was obvious that the leadership of the team housed at least some doubts that the former selection of the first round of 22 years in 2023 that has fought with consistency as a pin could become a Cornerstone franchise. In free agency, then, Indianapolis sought a human insurance policy that could maintain a competition baseline, just in case.
However, Jones, the former selection of the first round of the 27 -year -old New York giants who was launched this season only shortly after signing a lucrative extension, has not inspired exactly much confidence or has produced much consistency, during his short race while launching 47 interceptions against 70 TouchDowns. Jones’ Campo Carrera Marshal qualifies the ties for 33 between 37 active quarters in the league, according to the professional football reference.
Nadkarni: Do Cincinnati Bengals know that have one of the best NFL quarters? It is annoying to see them alienate all their best talent around Joe Burrow.
The Tee Higgins open receiver has been chosen for the second consecutive year, so it is probably not delighted. Now Higgins is the issue of commercial speculation, since it tries to ensure a long -term agreement. Meanwhile, the defensive wing Trey Hendrickson is the only team of passes in the team in an already affected defense, and in reality he has been given permission to find a commercial partner, since he will not keep it long term. And all this is happening when the receptor J’Mar Chase tries to sign a new agreement of his own.
The most improved free agency team
Nadkarni: New England patriots, although this is not necessarily a great support. First, the Patriots were very bad last season. They basically had where to go but. Second, New England really shed money this week. The distinctive seal of the success of this franchise during the first 20 years of this century was to build through the draft, not the free agency, so it is a bit worrying to see the 180 degree turn.
But the PATS have brought better players than last year, particularly on the defensive side of the ball. The former Defensive Tackle of the Eagles, Milton Williams, is his greatest signature, and will anchor the first four for the new coach Mike Vratabel. With the Drake Maye Field Marshal with a promising aspect, at least New England is trying to take advantage of Maye’s affordable rookie contract.
Greif: New England patriots are not traditionally large speakers in free agency, and the last time they opened their wallets so much, in 2021, the return on investment was minimal. On paper, spend $ 277 million on free agents this week, the largest amount of the League, according to Spotrac, which collects contractual information in the main sports, has the opportunity to result in a different result.
There is familiarity: the additions of supporter Robert Spillane and Harold Landry played for the new chief coach Mike Vrabel in previous stops. There is talent proven in playoffs (the Milton Williams Defensive Tackle of Philadelphia) and helps in the offensive line (Morgan Moses) to protect the promising field marshal Drake Maye when he enters his second season. Given the strong decision and Maye game as rookie and the low season movements they have made, the Patriots clearly believe that their window for the dispute is open at this time if the pieces fit. But there is a question: when will the Patriots get a strong option on the receiver?
What team has a job to do?
GREIF: The Bengals. Cincinnati hit Tee Higgins open receptor with the franchise label, a one -year Stopap resonance measure that is delayed, for now, committing to a long -term extension that Higgins is looking for, and then has been laid to its hands since then.
Cincinnati seems doubtful to add new players until you have answers about the stars that are already on your list. Ja’Mar Chase, the superstar expectation that, together with Higgins, includes the most talented reception tandem, will become the best paid QB in the league? Will you change or keep Trey Hendrickson, last year’s leader in catches? Campo Mariscal Joe Burrow has publicly pressed the team’s management to maintain the united band, but even in a league in which the salary limit increases $ 23 million next season, the will of the Bengals to spend will be tested.
Nadkarni: Obviously, it is the Dallas Cowboys, who restructured the contracts to clarify a lot of space in the limit just not to do anything that occurs to him. However, I will also throw the Seattle Seahawks here.
It is not that the Seahawks have not made great movements, such as the exchange of DK Metcalf to the Pittsburgh Steelers and signing to the Marshal Sam Darnold to replace Geno Smith. But I want to see what Seattle does with this flexibility he has won by exchanging his two best offensive players. Although Smith may not be the elite, he was supporting the Seahawks offensive for the last two years, especially playing behind a porous line. And Metcalf has long been a problem for opposite defenses.
Clearly, Seattle has some type of reconstruction/fright in mind. And I want to see exactly what the plan is.
The biggest question that remains in free agency
Greif: Can San Francisco gather enough talent around a more paid Purdy Brock in 2025 to create a rebound season? During the last three seasons, the 49ers had the best luxury of the NFL: a good quartback in a contract with land. (In a league with $ 60 million quartbacks, Purdy was making six figures). But with a remaining year in his deal, Purdy is expected to win a lucrative extension this low season, and it seems that one is in the process given how many players the team has passed to clear his books. From the Swiss army knife games trade, Debeo Samuel, to Washington, to lose Charvarius Ward, Talanoa Hufanga and Dre Greenlaw, among others, which was one of the most talented lists of the league only two seasons during his Super Bowl race has been thinned. It seems that San Francisco will have its quarterback in the future; Will it have enough around Purdy?
Nadkarni: There is a former field marshal champion of the Super Bowl available, and I don’t mean Aaron Rodgers! Where will Russell Wilson sign?
Wilson was solid for the Steelers last year, even if his work was reduced towards the end of the season when the team’s schedule became much more difficult. Even so, he played in a conservative offensive with some players of inconsistent skills, and I thought he raised that group as best. Wilson is going to sign somewhere and make that team a contender of the Super Bowl? That is a section. At the same time, with the money drying in the league, it is possible that Wilson can be a bargain player for another year and be a constant veteran presence in a hopeful playoffs.
Would the Vikings really be better with Rodgers or JJ McCarthy? Is there a world in which the 49ers and Brock Purdy are too separated with a contract? I am not sure that there is an obvious place for Wilson if you want to win. Maybe even ends in Pittsburgh. However, it is not impossible that it can be someone who makes a difference next season.
