Monday saw the opening of the negotiating period in which NFL teams can agree deals with free agent players across the league. While those deals cannot be officially ratified until the official beginning of the new NFL year on Wednesday night, the offseason milestone led to a flurry of activity.
In recent days we have seen trades of players such as Maxx Crosby (Las Vegas to Baltimore) and Trent McDuffie (Kansas City to LA Rams). And the opening day of Free Agency also created plenty of headlines with high-profile signings… and releases. Here are my big takeaways from the first 24 hours.
Raiders spend big
The Las Vegas Raiders won just three games last season, but they are putting themselves in position for a decent turnaround in 2026. On Monday, the Raiders spent $271 million and brought in muscle to go alongside some of their skill position talent already in place such as running back Ashton Jeanty and tight end Brock Bowers.
Both those offensive weapons – and incoming rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza, who is likely to be the first pick in the 2026 NFL Draft – will benefit from the addition of Baltimore center Tyler Linderbaum, who has grown to become one of the league's best. He is now the highest-paid interior lineman in NFL history at $27 million per year.
What was notable was the fact that the Raiders either signed, re-signed or traded for six defenders. This opening 24 hours was not about flashy receivers or running backs. It was about giving this team a firmer foundation heading into next season.
Chiefs add a major puzzle piece
Kansas City's rushing attack has been stuck in second gear for a few years now with Kareem Hunt and Isiah Pacheco failing to create offensive balance for Andy Reid. Their failings led to more Patrick Mahomes runs in 2025 and now he is rehabbing from a torn ACL. I do believe the two are connected.
So, the addition of Super Bowl Most Valuable Player Kenneth Walker from Seattle looks very promising. It certainly had Mahomes excited enough to immediately take to social media. Walker needs to stay healthy, but he can be both a punishing runner and a home-run hitter. If he brings the running game up to a new and improved level, the Chiefs are going to be dangerous again.
There was more good news for Chiefs fans as Pro Bowl tight end Travis Kelce is returning for a 14th NFL season. He is past his physical best, but Kelce will continue to be an important player in KC. There was little point in him moving to another team. He is at his best when teams with Mahomes and Reid. On the negative side, the Chiefs have to rebuild a secondary that lost cornerbacks Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson (Rams) and safety Bryan Cook (Cincinnati Bengals). They made a start on that front by signing Alohi Gilman away from the Ravens.
Shanahan gets his man
When he was offensive coordinator of the Atlanta Falcons – before becoming one of the most tactically-feared head coaches in the NFL – Kyle Shanahan loved having a big, powerful number one receiver who could beat man coverage in Julio Jones.
Now he gets to work with another one after the San Francisco 49ers tempted Mike Evans away from his beloved Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Evans is 32 and has spent all 12 of his NFL seasons with the Bucs. The 2025 campaign was his first without 1,000 receiving yards. At 32, I think there is still gas left in the tank.
The injury worries are real, but I am fascinated to see how Shanahan can work Evans into situations where he can dominate defensive backs. If he is schemed into the right spots, the Super Bowl champion and six-time Pro Bowler can still have a major impact on the NFL. This is going to be a fun partnership to watch.
All change at quarterback in Miami
The Miami Dolphins unsurprisingly moved on from Tua Tagovailoa, preferring to eat a league record $99 million in dead money over the next two seasons rather than having him hang around for the rebuild. That should serve as a major red flag warning to other NFL clubs, but the Atlanta Falcons are willing to take a cheap gamble on Tua with a one-year deal for 2026.
The Dolphins are now under new management with a heavy Green Bay influence. General manager Jon-Eric Sullivan and head coach Jeff Hafley both hail from the NFC North club. And that means both got a good look at Malik Willis in relief duty for Jordan Love last season.
Willis was excellent in limited action and is worth a gamble at $22.5 million per season. If he shines as a true dual-threat quarterback and Miami strike gold, they have him at a low price. If it doesn't work out, they can draft a rookie in 2027 and will be out from under the Tua money by the end of that season. In the meantime, they can start to add the pieces around the eventual long-term quarterback via the NFL Draft.
A new number one in Indianapolis
The Indianapolis Colts are gambling that the version of their team which started 7-1 in 2025 can be found again in 2026. They are chasing a long-term deal with quarterback Daniel Jones, who has been franchise-tagged, and spent big on Alec Pierce (four years for $116 million) to keep their explosive wide receiver in the building.
Pierce becomes the new number one following the impending trade of Michael Pittman to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Pierce has never caught more than 47 passes in a season, but he did lead the league with an average of 21.3 yards per reception in 2025. There is a value to creating such chunk plays on a regular basis. And it cost the Colts a lot of money.
Pittman's move to Pittsburgh made sense for both sides. He should team well with DK Metcalf, while the Colts remain in good passing game targets shape with Pierce, Josh Downs and second-year tight end Tyler Warren.
Panthers bolster their ranks
The Carolina Panthers invested hugely into their defense via the Draft last offseason. This time around, they are bolstering that side of the football with the free agent additions of edge rusher Jaelan Phillips (Philadelphia) and linebacker Devin Lloyd (Jacksonville).
The Panthers played with a lot of spirit and intensity on the defensive side of the ball at the back end of 2025 and these two moves make a great deal of sense for their future.
Phillips is a disruptive force who plays the run and pass very well indeed. Don't be fooled by his low career sack numbers (28 sacks in five seasons). His presence will be felt on Sundays. Lloyd was allowed to walk by the Jags, which could be a red flag considering Carolina are spending $15 million per season on him. But splash plays that result in turnovers have real value in the NFL and Lloyd (an All-Pro in 2025) caught the eye with five interceptions last term.
Jags lose two key performers
As I just mentioned, the Jaguars had decided a while back not to pick up the fifth-year option on Lloyd and that meant he was always going to test the free agent market. That would suggest that despite his excellent numbers and performances in 2025, it was not a killer to this team if he walked.
The same could be said about Travis Etienne (now of the New Orleans Saints), who was a 1,100-yard rusher who scored 13 touchdowns in the last regular season. He and Lloyd are good and valued guys in the locker room, but Jacksonville could not afford to pay top dollar for two players they drafted.
Positional value comes into play here. You re-sign quarterbacks, offensive tackles and edge rushers, perhaps wide receivers. Those who largely impact the passing games. But running back is an often-undervalued position where you can draft replacements and you also don't win Super Bowls in today's NFL with off-the-ball linebackers. Jacksonville are banking on drafting cheaper and younger substitutes for Etienne and Lloyd.
Super Bowl champs get raided
This is not a new NFL phenomenon, but the Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks got raided in the first hours of Free Agency. They lost safety Coby Bryant to the Chicago Bears, edge rusher Boye Mafe to the Cincinnati Bengals and the aforementioned Walker to the Chiefs.
Mafe enjoyed a career year in Seattle, but I think they can generate enough pass rush without him. Bryant was an outstanding and physical chess piece who could cover deep or step up and deliver big hits in run support near the line of scrimmage. His penchant for taking the ball away – seven interceptions over the past two seasons – will be missed.
The Seahawks did keep a huge special teams threat and a home-run hitter in Rasheed Shahid. I think with more time in their system, the downfield receiver could be even more impactful in 2026 and beyond.
Titans bolster their ranks
The Tennessee Titans almost spent as much as the Las Vegas Raiders on the opening day of Free Agency, committing $270 million to future contracts. And the team that also won just three games in 2025 is banking on some familiar faces delivering for head coach Robert Saleh (former Jets head coach) and offensive coordinator Brian Daboll (former Giants head coach).
Wan'Dale Robinson is the exciting 1,000-yard receiver coming over from the New York Giants, while John Franklin-Myers played on Saleh's defensive line for the New York Jets before joining the Denver Broncos. There was also considerable investment in the cornerback position, headlined by bringing Alontae Taylor on board from the New Orleans Saints.
Most moves made sense, but I do think the Titans were a great example of the amount of money flowing into the game today. They paid Cordale Flott $15 million per year! In four seasons with the Giants, the cornerback recorded a total of three interceptions and never had more than one in any campaign. I guess he could become a star, but that feels expensive.
The perfect Raven
This is a few days old now, but I loved the Baltimore Ravens swinging a trade for Maxx Crosby, the tenacious and often-unblockable edge rusher who wanted to move on from the Las Vegas Raiders. The move also made sense for the Silver and Black as their rebuild is going to take a few years.
The 29-year-old Crosby wants to compete now and I think he has the mental and physical skills to be the perfect Raven. He absolutely fits the mentality of that team and that defense. If the Ravens improve on that side of the ball, I believe they will contend again in 2026.
I don't have any concerns around Lamar Jackson and his inconsistency on the form and injury front last season. He is still truly special and one of the very best in the game. Upgrading one of the league's worst and most injury-hit defenses was the priority for this offseason and the Ravens were willing to pay a steep price (two first-round draft picks) to get off to a positive start with the acquisition of a true tone-setter in Crosby.
