NFL free agency instant grades for every major signing of 2024 offseason

The NFL’s 2024-2025 season officially begins on Wednesday, March 13 at 4:00 p.m. Eastern. This is when teams are able to finally ink players after the legal tampering period, get pen to paper, and feel better there wasn’t some last-minute trickery or curveballs.

Of course, things semi-officially began on Monday, with the start of the two-day “legal tampering period.” Arguments about semantics aside, there has been a flurry of activity so far, which can become official on Wednesday.

You can find the complete list of every signing from free agency here. We won’t be covering every single deal here, but rather the biggest names moving teams that could have a significant impact on the season ahead. In some cases teams did really well to upgrade their rosters in substantial ways, while others ... well, at least they tried.

Kenny Moore is such a fun player to watch. In a young Colts secondary that needs all the help it can get, Moore is a stabilizing force at nickel who is a high level player. This deal is also a lot friendlier because of the rookie QB contract. These are the types of moves the Colts can make while QB Anthony Richardson develops. Home run all around.

It fits a need for Pittsburgh, and Queen stays relatively below the top tier of linebackers on the market in terms of APY. Queen is still growing at the second inside linebacker spot, and with Elandon Roberts there to wear the green dot Queen can run and chase like he did in Baltimore.

This is a much more palatable deal than the projected $18+ million. Good for Pittsburgh.

Perhaps the best way to grade this? Jacolby Hart, one of the many brilliant minds here at SB Nation and a noted Cleveland Browns fan, had this to say following the announcement:

“I’m living in a nightmare.”

This is perhaps a perfect signing for the Ravens. Just imagine what the Baltimore offense can dial up with Henry aligned next to Lamar Jackson in the offensive backfield. You thought the Ravens’ running game was good before?

Just wait.

I really like this fit for Mooney and Atlanta. Mooney and Gabe Davis got the same APY, but Mooney’s deal is a bit more team effective. In terms of on the field, he’s a great fit next to Drake London in Atlanta’s offense. He can line up in the slot or outside, and his style of play is a good complement to what the Falcons already have. Atlanta also frees up their potential for moves in the NFL Draft. Great signing.

Minnesota did the best it could with a really bad situation. Darnold is better than he’s given credit for, and at times has shown flashes of being a competent NFL starter. He will step in an win the starting job easily, unless this team pulls off a draft-day shocker and takes a rookie quarterback. The only risk is that the Darnold deal is so short term that if he surprises in this offense the team might be pressured to overpay him in a year. Otherwise there’s a lot to like about this.

The Panthers really weren’t kidding about their commitment to running the ball. Lewis is a really solid player who will make Bryce Young’s life a lot easier — especially if Carolina lean on an RPO offense. The question here is resource allocation for Carolina. This team spent a total of $153M on guards in the legal tampering period, which is a very bold move without a bell cow running back. This team needs help in every area, and they doubled-down on guard.

This is fine. Brissett is back to the Patriots on a bargain deal in the QB market. It’s highly likely he will either bridge to a rookie QB this year, or serve in a mentor role. Either is totally fine for this money.

Marcus Davenport reunites with Dan Campbell after spending time with him in New Orleans. This is a major “prove it” deal that’s all upside for the Lions. The pass rusher took a big step back in Minnesota in his lone season, which was exacerbated by an ankle injury — but if he can return to the form in New Orleans this will be a steal. If he can’t, well, the Lions didn’t risk much to get him.

Jordyn Brooks has been one of the more underrated linebackers in the NFL. As the Seahawks defense changed around him, he was the consistent anchor in the middle of that defense. I thought Brooks would sign for a lot more than he got, but $10M APY is right at Bobby Okereke level. Miami has found nice value at the LB spot recently, and they continue to do it here.

Luvu is a rangy, multi-purpose linebacker who is an absolute stud at the position. He’s not one of these guys who’s a household name, but he really deserves to be. Luvu was a standout on a really solid Panthers defense a year ago, and he’ll bring not only an incredible feel for the game, but leadership. Getting all this on a fairly low-money deal is a boon.

This is a bit of an overpay by the Cardinals, but they more or less had to. Jones is a solid defensive tackle who will solidify the middle, albeit a little unremarkable. They definitely needed help in the middle, and this will give Jonathan Gannon’s defense a little more teeth.

It helps when you’re a great team. The 49ers get a bit of a steal in free agency by inking Leonard Floyd to add to their embarrassment of defensive riches. It’s a team-friendly deal indicative of a guy who is trying to win a ring, Floyd adds another dimension to the defense, and this was a solid deal — there are just some questions about resource and cap allocation, and whether Floyd was the best use of San Francisco’s money.

At this point we know exactly who Gardner Minshew is. He’s a football mercenary at quarterback who will come in and help you out, just don’t expect him to be a long-term answer. Time will tell whether this is a simply to bridge until Jimmy Garoppolo returns, or if there’s a bigger plan at quarterback.

This is a perfect fit for what the Packers want to do, and for McKinney to be in a new franchise. McKinney can wear a lot of hats for the Packers’ defense that needs good safety play, and has quietly been one of the more versatile safeties in football. His $17M APY puts him in between Antione Winfield Jr (franchise tag) and Jessie Bates, which feels right for him being on the free market. A good deal for both sides.

Well, it certainly looks like the Carolina Panthers are going to lean into the running game.

Robert Hunt is a mauler up front, and should give the Panthers the ability to generate some explosive plays in the running game. But the price tag immediately rockets Hunt to the top of the NFL’s highest-paid guards, which is some necessary context.

Everyone expected this deal would kick off the start of NFL free agency.

It seems we were just waiting on the content:

A four-year deal, at that money, for an aging quarterback coming off a season-ending Achilles’ heel injury provides a bit of sticker shock. However, all the Falcons needed last year was semi-competent quarterback play, and they might have won the division.

Now they get Cousins, and if this pans out — and Cousins should be a near-perfect fit in the offense under Zac Robinson — no one will care what it cost.

I get the idea and trend of not paying RBs who have a lot of wear and tear, but this is a good fit for both Barkley and the Eagles. Saquon is a much better runner than anyone the Eagles have had in that spot, and with Kellen Moore coming over from Los Angeles, getting a back with good vision and explosiveness will unlock everything else in the offense. Yes, the deal seems like a lot of money, but the average per year puts him in the echelon of RBs he deserves.

With all of the smoke surrounding the Eagles trading EDGEs Josh Sweat and Haason Reddick, this move makes sense for Philly. Huff is a speed threat as a pass rusher, and while he doesn’t have much experience playing on early downs, he can bend around the corner and get to the QB. It’s a good payday for Huff, and the Eagles get younger on the EDGE.

The Las Vegas Raiders broke the bank, adding Christian Wilkins on a four-year deal worth up to a maximum of $110 million, with $84.75 million guaranteed.

While it is a lot of money, the Raiders are betting on two things here: One, that Wilkins will be able to duplicate what he did last season with the Miami Dolphins, as he is coming off perhaps his best year as a pro, where he amassed 9 sacks and 23 quarterback hits.

The other bet? That his presence on the interior will help make life easier for Maxx Crosby on the edge. That is something one of Wilkins’ former teammates noted on social media immediately after the news:

This is a really sweet signing by the Rams, who are going to major lengths to keep pressure out of QB Matthew Stafford’s face. Jackson is an athletic guard who can play out in space and be effective in the pass blocking department. There’s kind of a logjam at the guard spots with Steve Avila going into his second year and Kevin Dotson getting an extension, but Jackson can play left and Avila goes to center. The Rams run game overhaul seems complete.

Dorance Armstrong to the Washington Commanders on a three-year, $45M deal: B-

This is a solid, albeit unremarkable move. The Commanders desperately needed pass rush help after trading away Montez Sweat and

This could end up being a better deal in a few days. If the Jaguars find a way to bring Calvin Ridley back, who is a free agent himself, pairing Davis with Ridley could be a solid combination for the Jaguars.

But if Ridley ends up leaving town, and Davis is their Plan B, this deal looks a lot different.

If you’re resigned to the fact that Derrick Henry is gone (and it appears he is) then you could do a lot worse than Tony Pollard. That’s kind of the best thing to say about this deal.

The upside is that running backs don’t break the bank, and Pollard has proven success to his name. The bad part is that his explosiveness fell off a cliff in 2023 and he only ran for 4.0 yards-per-carry.

The hope is that Pollard will be able to lift his efficiency more, and he’s only 26-years-old — but it’s going to be very difficult to move on from Henry with anyone.

Which D’Andre Swift are you getting? Is he the 1,000 yard feature rusher he was in Philly last year, or the middling, easy-replaced guy in Detroit?

We’re not talking a lot of money here, but Swift is very much a buyer beware. The Carolina Panthers learned in free agency a year ago that it’s risky to put too much stock in a good offense’s player and hope he’ll transpose, because Miles Sanders was a horrific signing for them.

The Bears need weapons, but considering their massive war chest it would have been nice to see Chicago get someone a little more proven.

Every deal has to be looked at in totality, and what it means for the team as a whole. Greenard is a young, versatile defensive end who will likely thrive under Brian Flores — but he’s also been extremely inconsistent over his career.

Know who has been consistent? Danielle Hunter.

Signing Greenard means Hunter is gone, and that makes this a very risky replacement strategy. If Greenard can hold up and perform to his 2023 level, it will more than be worth it, but if not? Well, the Vikings just lost their best pass rusher in free agency and had to pony up a lot of money they don’t really have to get a worse guy.

On the one hand, this is not your father’s Russell Wilson. The days of Wilson being named among the NFL’s best quarterbacks are well in the rear-view mirror. After a down first season in Denver with the Broncos in 2022, new head coach Sean Payton eventually sat Wilson down last season, opening the doors to this move to Pittsburgh. Expecting Wilson to come into town and recapture the magic from his Seattle days may be a tough ask. Plus, the fit in an Arthur Smith offense could be a question.

On the other hand? The Steelers are signing a Super Bowl winning quarterback on a one-year deal and paying a fraction of the $39 million he was guaranteed by the Broncos for this season. As far as dice rolls go, this is a very inexpensive one that could prove to still be an upgrade at the sport’s most important position.