The start of a new NFL league year is upon us, and free-agency deals will surely come quickly.
[2024 NFL free-agency tracker: Signings, best players available]
Players are cashing in as teams reinforce their ranks, and a reshaped league will soon turn its attention to the April 25 NFL Draft. The FOX Sports NFL crew evaluates the biggest signings of this year’s free agency class and grades each move. Players are listed according to their rank in FOX Sports’ top 50 free agent list.
DT Chris Jones (Chiefs)
2023 stats: 16 games played, 10.5 sacks, 29 QB hits, 30 total tackles
Reported terms: Five years, $158.75 million ($101 million guaranteed)
Henry McKenna: Chris Jones is the type of player every team is currently seeking. He doesn’t play a flashy position, but when he’s at his best, he’s just as essential to the Chiefs as Travis Kelce, if not more so. Jones is a disruptive interior rusher who also plays well against the run. That makes him a three-down threat perfectly designed to help defenses win in the modern era. He makes life difficult for Josh Allen, Tua Tagovailoa and Brock Purdy. Yes, Kansas City paid top-dollar for Jones. But when you have one of the NFL’s best players in a system in which he thrives, why would you create a massive problem by letting him walk? The Chiefs chose a simple, expensive solution. In this case, it’s the right one.
Grade: A
DT Christian Wilkins (Raiders)
2023 stats: 65 total tackles, nine sacks, one forced fumble, two fumble recoveries
Reported terms: Four years, $110 million ($84.75 million guaranteed)
Previous team: Dolphins
McKenna: The Raiders must be a little confused about how close they are to contention. They’ve thrown a bag at a defensive tackle when they are anything but settled at quarterback. Don’t get me wrong, it’s always good to have good players. But they were slightly surprising suitors for Wilkins with this four-year, $110 million deal. He will make Las Vegas’ defense better; it’s a step in the right direction. It’s just that there are so many priorities on the other side of the ball that the Raiders need to address. It makes me think Vegas has big plans for the offseason.
Grade: B-
QB Baker Mayfield (Buccaneers)
2023 stats: 64.3 completion percentage, 4,044 passing yards, 28 passing TDs, 10 interceptions, one rushing TD, 94.6 passer rating
Reported terms: Three years, $100 million ($50 million guaranteed)
Greg Auman: The Bucs’ priority this offseason was to keep their core intact, which meant bringing back three of the league’s top 15 free agents. They’ve done that, putting the franchise tag on Antoine Winfield and getting Mike Evans and Baker Mayfield locked up on multi-year extensions. This is a well-deserved raise for Mayfield after a career year — think of it as a two-year, $60 million deal that gives Mayfield two seasons to show he’s worth keeping on a $40 million salary in 2026. To get all three players back before free agency begins — without overspending — is commendable for the Bucs.
Grade: A
WR Michael Pittman Jr. (Colts)
2023 stats: 109 receptions for 1,152 yards and 4 TDs
Reported terms: Three years, $70 million ($46 million guaranteed)
Ben Arthur: This was a no-brainer for the Colts, who had franchise-tagged Pittman. The veteran wideout is Indianapolis’ only proven pass-catcher (he has been the Colts’ leading receiver for the past three seasons), and the team needs as many of those as possible for quarterback Anthony Richardson, who missed most of his rookie season with a shoulder injury. At $23.3 million in average annual value, Pittman’s contract slots at eighth-highest among wide receivers, according to SpoTrac, representing good value for the Colts. A strong deal for both sides.
Grade: A
RB Josh Jacobs (Packers)
2023 stats: 805 rushing yards, 3.5 yards per carry, six rushing touchdowns
Reported terms: TBD
Previous team: Raiders
Vitali: The Green Bay Packers are still a young team and they know it. It’s why they signed a veteran back, the best on the free agent market, in Josh Jacobs on Monday. It isn’t like the Packers to be overly aggressive in free agency, and several league insiders have indicated Green Bay is going to retain Aaron Jones. Jordan Love will be able to lean on one of the league’s best backfields.
That was supposed to be the case in Love’s first year as starter, but injuries got in the way. The team tried to trade for Jonathan Taylor but that didn’t materialize and Taylor stayed in Indianapolis. Now, Love can lean on two veteran runners while he deals to his young receivers and tight ends in Matt LaFleur’s versatile offense.
The move also allows Green Bay to keep pace with what is becoming one of the league’s toughest divisions.
Grade: A
G Jonah Jackson (Rams)
2023 stats: 12 games started
Reported terms: Three years, $51 million ($34 million guaranteed)
Previous team: Lions
Eric D. Williams: Jackson is coming back from a season-ending knee injury, so health could be an issue. But keeping Matthew Stafford upright remains a top priority for the Rams. And with Jackson in the fold, they could move second-year pro Steven Avila from left guard to center.
Grade: B+
Edge rusher Bryce Huff (Eagles)
2023 stats: 10 sacks, 33 pressures, 29 total tackles
Reported terms: Three years, $51.1 million
Previous team: Jets
Vacchiano: The Eagles pass rush took a big step back last season, so an upgrade at edge rusher was inevitable. And in Huff, a 25-year-old former undrafted free agent, they got a strong one who had 10 sacks last year despite playing less than half of the Jets’ defensive snaps. He’s more of a pass-rush specialist than a three-down player, but he still led the NFL in pressure rate each of the last two seasons, per Next Gen Stats. That could be great for Philly, though it depends on what they do next. They are open to trading Haason Reddick, Josh Sweat or both. A Huff-Reddick edge tandem looks dangerous — but only if the Eagles don’t break it up.
Grade: B+
Tony Pollard, RB, Titans
2023 stats: 252 carries for 1,005 yards and 6 TDs
Reported terms: Three years, $24 million
Previous team: Cowboys
Ben Arthur: Pollard’s expected signing shuts out the possibility of a Derrick Henry return to the Titans. The former Cowboy will pair with second-year running back Tyjae Spears to form new coach Brian Callahan’s 1-2 punch out of the backfield. The cash flow in Pollard’s deal is unknown. That will be critical for giving a succinct evaluation of the contract from the Titans’ perspective. But on paper, assuming reasonable outs, I believe this is a solid deal for Tennessee. An $8 million AAV appears to be the going rate for the second class of running backs (D’Andre Swift agreed to a similar deal with the Bears). And with Spears showing last season that he can take on a bigger role, the Titans didn’t need to give Henry a top-market deal. Pollard also brings pass-catching value at running back, a premium asset for Callahan.
Grade: B-
Edge rusher Jonathan Greenard (Vikings)
2023 stats: 12.5 sacks, 22 QB hits, 52 total tackles
Reported terms: Four years, $76 million, $42 million guaranteed
Previous team: Texans
Vitali: Minnesota is making contingency plans for the likely departure of Danielle Hunter and maybe even DJ Wonnum. Greenard tallied 12.5 sacks last season in Houston and was top-five in the league in pressure rate from Weeks 8-16, according to Next Gen Stats. It was a major jump from the prior year, in which he had just 1.5 sacks. He’ll play under yet another defensive mastermind in Minnesota, though. Brian Flores should be able to help Greenard maintain his 2023 level of production and if he does, the Vikings just signed a double-digit sack player for less than $20 million per year.
Grade: A
QB Russell Wilson (Steelers)
2023 stats: 66.4% completion percentage, 3,070 passing yards, 26 touchdowns, 8 interceptions, 98.0 passer rating, 45 sacks taken
Reported terms: One year, NFL minimum (Broncos paying an additional $38 million)
Previous team: Broncos
McKenna: When a team gets a starting quarterback for the veteran minimum, that team is generally a winner in the deal. With the Broncos still on the hook to pay Wilson, Pittsburgh can get away with a tiny contract for the guy they expect to be their starting QB. And if Russ can be That Guy again, the Steelers might be Super Bowl contenders. But you can ask the Jets how badly it can go when adding a declining Super Bowl winner with hopes of plugging and playing that QB. Pittsburgh would be wise to think about the future at the quarterback position beyond Wilson (and, in my opinion, beyond Kenny Pickett).
Grade: B
Gabe Davis, WR, Jaguars
2023 stats: 45 receptions for 746 yards and 7 TDs
Reported terms: Three years, $39 million ($11 million at signing)
Arthur: Assuming the Jaguars can retain Calvin Ridley, Davis slots in as Jacksonville’s No. 3 receiver. If Ridley leaves, Davis becomes WR2. Whichever way you look at it, the contract represents strong value for the Jags, who need wide receiver help. With a dearth of elite talent in the receiver market this year, Davis was pegged as a player who could get a massive payday, perhaps north of $18 million per year. So the reported terms ($13M AAV) are reasonable for Jacksonville. Davis gives Doug Pederson’s offense more speed and a playmaker who can take the top off of a defense. His 16.6 yards per reception was sixth-highest in the NFL last season.
Grade: B+
S Kevin Byard (Bears)
2023 stats: 16 games played, 122 tackles, 1 interception, 102.1 passer rating allowed when targeted
Reported terms: Two years, $15 million
Previous teams: Titans, Eagles
Carmen Vitali: The Bears let Pro Bowl safety Eddie Jackson go, but with a young secondary, they still needed a veteran presence. They’ve accomplished that by signing Byard, who at 30 is the same age as Jackson but comes at a discount. With his ability to come downhill and make tackles, Byard looks like a good scheme fit with what Matt Eberflus has done with this defense. Byard has three straight seasons with triple-digit tackles and, despite spending time with two teams last year, it doesn’t seem like he’s slowing down. Chicago got a fair price of $7.5 million per year in annual contract value.
Grade: B
RB D’Andre Swift (Bears)
2023 stats: 1,049 rushing yards, 4.6 yards per carry, five rushing touchdowns, 39 receptions, 214 receiving yards
Reported terms: Three years, $24.5 million with $15.3 million guaranteed
Previous team: Eagles
Vitali: The molding of Shane Waldron’s offense has begun in Chicago after the Bears agreed to terms with running back D’Andre Swift. With the Eagles last season, he had his best year as a pro, rushing for 1,049 yards and five touchdowns, though his receiving output has dropped incrementally over the past three seasons. Swift will be paired with running back Khalil Herbert in Chicago’s backfield as the Bears undoubtedly place more of an emphasis on play-action under new OC Waldron. But even with the tandem, Chicago still lacks diversity in the backfield and will be paying Swift more than $8 million per year.
Grade: C
WR Kendrick Bourne (Patriots)
2023 stats: 37 receptions, 406 yards, four touchdowns
Reported terms: Three years, $19.5 million (max value $33 million)
McKenna: When Kendrick Bourne said he wanted to return to the Patriots, I wasn’t sure whether to believe him. What else is he supposed to say? But he put his money where his mouth is. Before Bourne could hit free agency, the two sides agreed to a three-year, $19.5 million deal with a maximum value of $33 million. When we look under the hood of that deal, I imagine we’ll see performance incentives and play-time bonuses. The Patriots have likely mitigated their risk on a receiver coming off an ACL tear. Bourne has likely taken the bigger risk with a new regime in an organization that hasn’t exactly treated him fairly.
Grade: B+
[2024 NFL Draft prospect rankings] Top 10 QB prospects | Top 10 RB prospects | Top 10 WR prospects | Top 10 TE prospects | Top 10 OT prospects | Top 10 IOL prospects | Joel Klatt’s mock draft
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