Welcome to our first-ever NFL Trade Rumors Free Agency Live Blog. In this space, we’ll be providing live reactions and analysis to all the free agency action that started coming fast and furious after the negotiating period opened at noon on Monday.
As a quick reminder, teams can officially start negotiating with players and agents once the window opens, though there have been plenty of unofficial conversations and legwork done already. Some of these deals didn’t just happen in five minutes.
All signings and trades must wait until the start of the new league year on Wednesday at 4 PM Eastern to become official however — and usually there’s at least one deal a year that falls through so this is an important distinction.
You can find a recap of some of the most notable moves from Monday linked below, and the Day 2 live blog below starts with a recap of the evening’s action
Keep checking back here for updates throughout the day as free agency gets underway!
2024 NFL Free Agency Live Blog
Chase Young Visiting Panthers, Saints, Titans
The first report here comes from NFL Media’s Tom Pelissero, who added a “handful” of teams have shown interest in Young. That does not sound like a particularly strong market, which shouldn’t be a surprise. Washington got a lot less interest in Young at the trade deadline than his resume as a former No. 2 pick and the 2020 DROY would suggest. Injuries were a major question mark, and visits suggest these teams want to answer those questions for themselves.
Young landed in a great situation with the 49ers and then proceeded to underwhelm. In nine games, he had just 2.5 sacks and six QB hits after having five and nine in his first seven games with Washington. In the playoffs, his effort and production against the run were abysmal. Both the Packers and Lions exposed him. That player is hardly playable on an NFL field.
Of course, Young has the potential to be a lot more. There are a lot of parallels between him and another former top pick, Jadeveon Clowney. Both were ridiculously talented athletes who had their careers complicated by injuries. Clowney has had to settle for a series of one-year contracts, and Young could follow in his footsteps.
Steelers Sign LB Patrick Queen For Three Years, $41M
The best linebacker left on the board lands with the team with arguably the biggest need at the position. Queen is a massive upgrade for the Steelers over the other options on the depth chart. He gives them another quality starter on defense and should help bring the standard at the position closer to what Steelers fans are used to. And of course, the addition to the Steelers/Ravens rivalry will be fun.
Queen got a lucrative deal at $13.6 million per year, which is inside the top ten at the position but outside the top five. He likely was hoping for a little more but teams are careful with linebackers these days. Queen has gotten a lot better since a rough couple of early seasons. He’s at his best when he can play free and fast, not as the nerve center of the defense, which is why Baltimore’s addition of LB Roquan Smith unlocked so much. For the Ravens, they obviously couldn’t afford both, even though Queen was a former first-round pick. They’ll likely look back to the draft to try and replace him.
Trade Buzz
The tag-and-trade between the Giants and Panthers for Burns probably won’t be the only other big deal to go down. But for now, things are quiet on the trade front.
Chiefs CB L’Jarius Sneed is the other big tag-and-trade candidate. Kansas City wants a second and Sneed wants a deal in the $19-$20 million per year range. Both are steep, and several teams linked to Sneed have since made other moves for cornerbacks. It’s possible the price could be coming down a bit on both counts. The Falcons stick out to me as a landing spot now that they have an answer at quarterback.
The Panthers have some extra draft capital, but they’re not expected to turn around and go hunting for veterans. Reports indicate the Panthers have not had discussions with the Bengals about a potential deal for WR Tee Higgins. In fact, Cincinnati has not heard from many teams about their star wideout despite putting the tag on him early in the window. The Bengals’ reputation as difficult trade partners could be a factor here. Perhaps things kick into gear closer to the draft but I still stand by my stance that Higgins will be a Bengal in 2024.
Keep an eye on dominoes setting up to fall in New England, Jacksonville and Los Angeles. The Patriots are gunning for WR Calvin Ridley, but so are the Jaguars. The catch is if Jacksonville re-signs Ridley, it has to be after the league year opens to avoid sending a second to the Falcons. The Patriots don’t have that restriction and can potentially go higher than Jacksonville’s offer, if they want. If not, they have to pivot to alternatives, and the Chargers look like an option. Los Angeles needs to shed a lot of salary still by the start of the league year, and both WRs Keenan Allen and Mike Williams have major base salaries. Williams is coming off a torn ACL and seems more likely to be cut, but either way the Patriots would have the cap space to take on a deal for either of those two, or others like OLBs Khalil Mack and Joey Bosa.
And finally, we’ve seen plenty of seats gobbled up in the quarterback musical chairs, but Bears QB Justin Fields is still in limbo. It’s hard to find a starting seat for him at this point, and that puts the Bears in an interesting situation. The teams looking for quarterbacks are looking for backups at this point, and that will impact what a team is willing to give up for Fields. The Bears were hoping to get a second, now the best they can hope for is probably a fourth.
This also opens the possibility of the situation with Fields stretching out for a long time, potentially into the summer, if Bears GM Ryan Poles wants to try to wait for an injury or surprise situation to suddenly open up a spot for Fields and increase his value. There’s precedent for this with the Browns and Baker Mayfield, though he was entering his fifth-year option and the salary was a major sticking point in a deal. Fields is still on his rookie contract which should help.
Either way, the market for Fields needs to be recalibrated for teams looking for backups and upside plays, not starters.
Ravens Signing RB Derrick Henry For Two Years, Up To $20M
Sometimes, obvious fits in the NFL are too obvious to end up panning out. Other times, the masses are on to something. The fit between the Ravens and Henry has been speculated since Baltimore got close to acquiring Henry at the trade deadline last season. For a physical, run-oriented team like Baltimore, a hammer like Henry is a perfect fit.
Henry is 30 years old and that likely depressed his market some even though he’s the first back since Adrian Peterson with a legit shot at the Hall of Fame. He still ran for 1,167 yards on 280 carries. His 4.2 YPC tied for the lowest of his career but Tennessee’s offensive line was one of the worst in the league last year. Henry shouldn’t have that issue in Baltimore.
In terms of guarantees, $9 million is a lot for a running back but also right around the middle in terms of what’s been handed out so far. For a back who could easily be the most productive of any free agent signed this offseason, that’s a solid gamble. The base value of $16 million works out to $8 million per year.
Backup QB Market Crystallizing
Last year proved to teams the importance of having a reliable backup quarterback, and the market reflects that. Good backup quarterbacks are making as much as starters at some positions. So it’s no surprise to see backup quarterbacks fly off the board early in free agency.
The Patriots signed QB Jacoby Brissett to a one-year, $8 million deal, reuniting him with several familiar coaches from his time with the Browns and giving New England a mentor/bridge for the presumed quarterback they take at No. 3 overall.
The Commanders spent $6 million on QB Marcus Mariota, who is settling into a nice role as a super backup thanks to his mobility, temperament and high-floor/low-ceiling passing ability. The link to new Washington assistant Brian Johnson from Philadelphia last year likely was important here. I wouldn’t go so far as to say signing Mariota shows a preference for the type of quarterback the Commanders will lean toward at No. 2 overall but it’s worth mentioning.
The Browns added former Saints and Bucs QB Jameis Winston to a one-year deal with a maximum value of nearly $9 million. Given starting QB Deshaun Watson‘s lengthy injury history, a significant investment at backup was needed for Cleveland. Winston replaces 2023 Comebacker Player of the Year Joe Flacco, and in a lot of ways Winston is a younger version of Flacco. Both are big, strong-armed and aggressive pocket passers who will make as many turnover-worthy players as they will big strikes down the field.
The Giants inked QB Drew Lock to a one-year deal worth up to $5 million. While the Seahawks love Lock — like really love him — his path to playing time is clearer behind Daniel Jones than it is Geno Smith. However, this move leaves the door open for the Giants to add a rookie quarterback to their room, and I think that’s exactly what they’ll do.
Falcons Signing WR Darnell Mooney To Three-Year, $39M Deal
The receiver market was pretty slow moving on Monday, with just one notable deal being agreed to (Jaguars getting Gabriel Davis for three years, $39 million). This could be the start of more deals getting done.
Mooney went over 1,000 yards receiving in his second season but has struggled the past two years amid Chicago’s general inconsistency on offense. He’s a speedy but diminutive player who can take the top off the defense and run solid routes, but can be disrupted by physical coverage and doesn’t have the most reliable hands. The Falcons didn’t have a player like that on offense, and with new OC Zac Robinson expected to lean on 11 personnel (three-receiver formations), help in the receiving corps was needed.
There’s some risk for the Falcons. Mooney struggled immensely the past two years and $26 million guaranteed is a lot. Signing receivers in free agency has a spotty track record, and this deal could age poorly. But he’s shown an ability to be a solid player and does fill a need. We’ll see how it shakes out.
Bengals Trading RB Joe Mixon To Texans
After initially intending to release Mixon, the Bengals got an offer instead from the Texans in a trade. It’s a win for Cincinnati, who was ready to move on anyway after agreeing to sign RB Zack Moss to a two-year, $8 million deal on Monday. The cap savings are the same with a trade as they are with a release; the Bengals just add a pick.
For the Texans, they missed out while going big-game hunting yesterday for some of the top running backs. While Titans RB Derrick Henry is still available, they evidently felt Mixon was the better deal. He’s a couple of years younger than Henry and owed only $6.1 million in 2024 after agreeing to a pay cut last year. The Bengals felt he didn’t have much left in the tank and pivoted to Moss. The Texans evidently disagreed.
Vikings Sign RB Aaron Jones
The veteran didn’t have to wait long after being cut by the Packers on Monday, and signed a one-year deal worth up to $7 million with the Vikings on Tuesday. It’ll be interesting to see the full details, as the Packers wanted Jones to take at least a 50 percent pay cut from the $12 million he was scheduled to make. That’s pretty close to what he got from the Vikings.
For Minnesota, it’ll be interesting to see how much Jones still has left in the tank. He was one of Green Bay’s best offensive players when he was on the field in 2023 but his reps had to be carefully managed after injuring his hamstring in Week 1. Either way, the Vikings will probably take a committee approach with Jones and incumbent starting RB Ty Chandler.
Panthers Trade Brian Burns To Giants
Outside of the quarterback moves, this was easily the biggest splash of yesterday. Had Burns reached the open market, he would have been our No. 1 free agent of the day given all the other tags and extensions that were reached before Monday. As it happened, he still had a serious market with the Giants giving him a massive deal in addition to giving up second and fifth-round picks to the Panthers.
New York gave Burns a five-year deal with a max value of $150 million, essentially the $30 million a year the Panthers weren’t willing to cough up. The total average annual salary is less but Burns has $90 million that’s practically guaranteed in the first three years of the contract. He’s now paid like one of the five best pass rushers in football. The draft compensation the Giants gave up was less of a premium, as it essentially was the same compensation they received for DT Leonard Williams at the deadline last year.
The Giants wanted to upgrade their edge rushing group and this does that in a huge way. With former top-five pick Kayvon Thibodeaux on the other side and monstrous DT Dexter Lawrence in the middle, this is easily the strongest defensive line the Giants have had since their Super Bowl squads. Burns has a real chance to live up to this contract. The Giants still have a lot of other holes to figure out, but they added a really good player. Ultimately it’s hard to go wrong doing that.
Meanwhile the Panthers lost a really good player — again. Combined with LB Frankie Luvu electing to sign with the Commanders earlier in the day, and Carolina’s defense took two huge hits in the span of a few hours. If you’re a fan of the team, like me unfortunately, it’s hard not to feel like the team is going backward.
Two things can true. Panthers GM Dan Morgan did not get enough for Burns. He also probably couldn’t have played the hand he was dealt much better. When Carolina declined the godfather offer from the Rams (two first-round picks in 2024 and 2025 and a second in 2023) but were still unwilling to pay Burns at the value implied by that decision, they put themselves on this path.
The Panthers could have kept trying to negotiate with Burns but he’s been betting on himself for a few years now, and he’d have eaten up $24 million in cap space while playing out the tag. Next year, the Panthers would have faced the same dilemma, only a tag would have been almost $30 million and Burns’ trade market would be even less. So Morgan took the off-ramp, getting “first-round equivalent” value with the No. 39 overall pick and a fifth and clearing cap space that was swiftly reallocated to a pair of guards to protect QB Bryce Young.
If it all feels helter-skelter, it’s because it is. The biggest issue the Panthers have faced in owner Dave Tepper‘s tenure is a lack of a consistent plan from year to year. Carolina starts down a path and then abandons it:
- The Panthers replaced Cam Newton with Teddy Bridgewater, only to cut Bridgewater after a year and trade for Sam Darnold, then replace Darnold with another trade for Baker Mayfield the following year, then trade a massive haul to go from No. 9 to No. 1.
- They hired HC Frank Reich, only to jettison him after less than a season.
- Until this year, the Panthers have not had a coach and a GM on the same timeline. They hired Matt Rhule and kept Marty Hurney, then hired GM Scott Fitterer after a year. When Rhule was fired, they kept Fitterer and hired Reich.
- In the trade to No. 1, the Bears wanted a player instead of a future first, specifically either Burns, WR D.J. Moore or DT Derrick Brown. Fitterer, determined to keep Burns but also determined not to pay him $30 million per year, thought it would be easier to find a receiver than a pass rusher and traded Moore. Carolina missed Moore dearly in the disastrous 2023 season.
Once again, the Panthers have a plan. Morgan and new HC Dave Canales are focused on building up the offense as much as possible around Young and taking a multi-year approach, largely due to how bare of talent the roster is. They spent big on big guards, dropping over $150 million in total contract value on Robert Hunt and Damien Lewis to build a bulwark in front of the diminutive Young. They let go of Luvu and Burns instead of paying them, and cut other veterans like S Vonn Bell, C Bradley Bozeman and TE Hayden Hurst for minimal cap savings, but less cash.
The Panthers aren’t tanking but they are taking a long-term view of the roster. We’ll see if that lasts more than a year.
Lions Trade For Buccaneers CB Carlton Davis
Detroit has been sniffing around adding a big-name cornerback for most of the offseason, as the secondary was one of the Lions’ glaring weaknesses in 2023. They were one of the teams linked to a possible tag-and-trade for Chiefs CB L’Jarius Sneed but they found a cheaper alternative instead with a deal for Davis.
The Lions will give up a third-round pick — their own selection at No. 92 overall, not the one they got from the Vikings at No. 73 — for Davis and two sixth-round picks from Tampa Bay. The asking price for some of the other cornerbacks on the trade market like Sneed and perhaps eventually Saints CB Marshon Lattimore was much higher, and free agency is a desert at this particular position. Detroit isn’t picking high enough to guarantee a top corner prospect, so this is a creative alternative.
When Davis has been on the field, he’s been a solid starter for Tampa Bay for the past six seasons. The catch has been staying on the field. Davis has never played a full season and his production has declined over the past two years, which is likely why the Buccaneers were willing to move on and shed his $14 million base salary in 2024. The Lions are taking a bit of a risk with this deal but at least they’re paying less of a premium to do so.
Vikings Sign QB Sam Darnold
Minnesota has its replacement for Cousins. The Vikings inked Darnold to a one-year deal worth $10 million, though that’s probably the max value and not necessarily the base. They’re going the dart throw route at the position while eating the dead money hit from Cousins’ deal. It’s a path we’ve seen teams have some success with recently, most notably the Seahawks in 2022 and the Buccaneers last year.
This puts the Vikings in a position where they don’t have to draft a rookie, though they certainly will be open to it if the board falls their way during the draft. Darnold would also be able to keep the seat warm until a rookie is ready to play.
The former No. 3 pick is still held in high regard by NFL coaches for his size, athleticism and arm talent. In a structured system like what the Vikings have, it’s not out of the question Darnold could have some success, or at least be more productive than at any other stop in his career. However, his flaws are well-known at this point. Darnold struggles to process quickly enough at times and his brain short-circuits against pressure. Maybe Vikings HC Kevin O’Connell can draw more out of him, but either way, it’s a low-risk signing.
Other Notable Signings From Monday
Quick-hits of the other most notable moves from yesterday evening:
- The Patriots were able to keep OL Michael Onwenu on a three-year deal worth $57 million. Considering Onwenu has legit tackle versatility and the deals other guards got yesterday, this is a huge steal for New England. Perhaps Onwenu was seen as less of a fit for zone-blocking schemes run by a majority of the rest of the league. Regardless, a major win for the Patriots.
- The Eagles got DE Bryce Huff on a three-year, $51 million contract, which sets up an interesting decision with veteran DEs Haason Reddick and Josh Sweat. It would seem more than likely one of them is traded, perhaps even both, with Nolan Smith and Brandon Graham also in the plans for 2024. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Eagles GM Howie Roseman make more additions here either.
- The running back market has been moving fast and furious. The Giants replaced Barkley with a three-year, $16.5 million contract for Devin Singletary, reuniting him with HC Brian Daboll and landing a back in the budget range New York wanted for the position. New England got a new passing down back in Antonio Gibson from the Commanders, as he inked a deal for three years and under $12 million. The Chargers made their first but probably not their last move at running back, reuniting OC Greg Roman with power back Gus Edwards. The Bengals swapped out Joe Mixon for Zack Moss, cutting the former and giving the latter a two-year deal for about half what Mixon was making. And the Commanders replaced Gibson with Austin Ekeler, signing the veteran to a two-year deal with a max value of $11 million. This likely indicates the team sees Ekeler as a part-time player at this point in his career.
- Seattle played with fire a little bit by letting DT Leonard Williams hit the negotiating window but they were still able to bring him back and make sure last year’s trade wasn’t a waste. Williams got a three-year deal worth up to $64.5 million, which is yet another solid payday for the veteran. The Seahawks overpaid to get Williams but he was productive on the field and should be a good fit for new HC Mike Macdonald‘s defense.
- The Jets had an active evening. New York landed a new starting left guard in former Raven John Simpson, inking him to a two-year deal worth up to $18 million. Compared to other deals signed by guards on Monday, this is quite reasonable. New York also took a flier on DT Javon Kinlaw to beef up their rotation in a similar system to what he played in with the 49ers, and upgraded at backup quarterback with a two-year deal for Tyrod Taylor. The Jets paid a premium with a contract worth up to $18 million for Taylor, but they can’t really be blamed for that given the pickle they landed in last year.
- The Commanders had more cap space than any other team on Monday but they weren’t shopping at the top of the market. Washington still landed deals for Ekeler, Luvu, C Tyler Biadasz, DE Dorance Armstrong, OL Nick Allegretti and K Brandon McManus. That’s six guys who will either start or play significant roles next season. Washington got better and didn’t break the bank to do so.
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