Free agency is set to kick off today once the legal tampering period opens at noon Eastern. We’ll be breaking down the biggest moves here with grades as they happen in our 2026 NFL Free Agency Live Tracker & Grades. 

All signings and trades must wait until the start of the new league year on Wednesday at 4 PM EST to become official — and usually there’s at least one deal a year that falls through so this is an important distinction. 

There were a handful of big trades and re-signings this past week as well, and we’ve included grades on those below. 

Keep checking back here for updates throughout the day as free agency gets underway!

2026 NFL Free Agency Live Grades

Commanders signed DE Odafe Oweh, four years $100M

Grade: B+

Washington had money to spend and a major need at edge rusher. After getting outbid for Phillips by the Panthers, they pivoted to Oweh, a former first-rounder who the Chargers declined to franchise. At $25 million per year, it’s a little more in line with what the market for Phillips was expected to be.

Oweh has been up and down so far in his first four seasons but had 10 sacks for the Ravens in 2024 and 7.5 sacks in 12 games for the Chargers after being traded away midseason by Baltimore. Washington is gambling that it can help Oweh tap into his potential more consistently, and if the Commanders do that, this deal has a great shot to pay off for them. It’s quite possible Oweh could benefit from being in a scheme that will let him pin his ears back and attack more often. 

Bengals signed DE Boye Mafe, three years $60M

Grade: A-

This might be one of my favorite deals of free agency so far. It’s a little weird to call a deal worth $20 million a year a bargain, but considering how much some of the other edge rushers on the market went for, it’s hard not to feel that way.

The 27-year-old Mafe was dinged for having just two sacks this year, and poor sack production overall for his career. But he’s an outstanding athlete and is far more disruptive than the raw sack totals suggest. He was No. 8 among edge rushers in pass rush win rate last year, 12th in 2024 and 17th in 2023. 

Mafe has the potential to really put things together in the coming years for Cincinnati, similar to Trey Hendrickson when they signed him on a similar deal from the Saints in 2021. 

Titans signed CBs Cor’Dale Flott & Alontae Taylor

Grade: B+

These two deals should be discussed together, as the Titans essentially needed to rebuild their cornerback group from scratch. Adding Flott and Taylor goes a long way toward getting that done. Flott signed for $15 million a year on a three-year deal, Taylor got three years at $20 million per year. Both should start in base defense, with Taylor moving inside when the Titans go to nickel. 

Flott is still just 24 years old and his best football could be ahead of him, as it never felt like the Giants knew how to maximize his skillset. He’s got great length at 6-2 but is on the skinny side at 175 pounds. Taylor is solidly built at over six foot as well and has been a playmaker the last three seasons as a starter for the Saints, forcing three fumbles, picking off four passes, pulling down seven sacks and breaking up 41 passes. The Titans got two good players at a decent value (they paid the free agency premium but nothing outrageous) at one of their biggest positions of need. 

Giants signed LB Tremaine Edmunds, three years $36M

Grade: B+

John Harbaugh has always prioritized being strong up the middle of the field on defense, including linebacker. That has been a major weakness for New York in the past, and after veteran Bobby Okereke was cut, a replacement was needed. Enter Edmunds, a cap casualty by the Bears. He’s going on his ninth year in the NFL but is still just 28 years old. He’s got great size and can still run, plus his production in coverage last year was terrific.

As a nice little scoop of gravy on top, he does not count against the compensatory formula because he was released. The Giants have lost a number of high-profile free agents already this week, and they might still cancel those out with more signings. Edmunds helps narrow the gap, though. 

Titans signed DT John Franklin-Myers, three years $63M

Grade: C+

Franklin-Myers was frequently linked to the Titans due to how much cap space they had and his connection with HC Robert Saleh. Denver pulled off a coup by getting him away from the Jets for a late-round pick trade a couple of years ago and he had 14.5 sacks over the past two years. That’s pretty strong production for an interior pass rusher.

However, $21 million a year for a nearly 30-year-old veteran lineman is a bit rich for my blood. That borders on paying a player for what they’ve done, not what they might do in the coming seasons. The Titans wanted to raise the floor on defense like the Patriots did last year but I think there might have been more budget-friendly options. 

Browns signed G Zion Johnson, three years $49.5M

Grade: B

There was some buzz that Johnson could crack $20 million a year thanks to a surging demand for interior offensive linemen. He fell notably short of that number. The former first-round pick has had some issues over his first few seasons in Los Angeles but remains a starting-caliber player. The Browns will hope to be able to get more out of the 26-year-old than the Chargers have so far. There’s some upside with this deal, especially because the Browns didn’t have to pay as much of a premium as expected. 

Bears signed LB Devin Bush, three years $30M

Grade: A-

Chicago gets cheaper at middle linebacker by signing Bush and it’s possible they got better, even though Edmunds was a solid player. Bush is known most for being a busted top-10 pick by the Steelers but he’s quietly turned into a really solid player the past two years. He stuffed the stat sheet for a really good Browns defense last season, notching seven tackles for loss, two sacks, two forced fumbles, three picks, two of them returned for touchdowns, and eight pass breakups. 

Raiders signed WR Jalen Nailor, three years $35M

Grade: B+

Nailor had the best season of his career this past year when he turned 29 catches into 444 yards and four touchdowns. On the surface, that doesn’t seem worth almost $12 million a year. However, the former sixth-round pick was buried behind Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison with the Vikings. When he did get bigger opportunities, he tended to impress with them. Nailor’s not cheap per se but the 27-year-old feels like a better investment at his price point than most of the other receivers who will sign this month. 

49ers signed WR Mike Evans, three years $60.4M

Grade: B-

All of these contract grades are subject to change pending the exact details coming out, as structure matters a lot for NFL contracts that aren’t fully guaranteed. That especially applies here with Evans, as I’m not sure how much of this is real money versus “funny money” to make his agent look better and spread out the cap hit for San Francisco. Let’s assume it’s at least $20 million and at least one year of real commitment for the sake of this blurb. 

That much money for Evans last year wouldn’t have been a good investment, as injuries limited him to eight games (and really fewer since he was knocked out early in a couple). Before that, though, Evans was the standard for durability at the position, notching 11 straight 1,000-yard seasons. That’s the player the 49ers are envisioning adding to their offense, which is short on receiver talent at the moment. 

If they get that, this move will look pretty solid. Is that a realistic projection given that Evans turns 33 this year? Time will tell. 

Titans signed WR Wan’Dale Robinson, four years $78M

Grade: C

Robinson was on a list of 20 free agents poised to cash in for more than expected, and in that article I highlighted the deal the Jaguars gave WR Christian Kirk in 2022 as a relevant comparison. Kirk got $18 million per year and it was jaw-dropping at the time since he was a pure slot receiver and had been solid more than outstanding. 

Well the receiver market has only ballooned since then. Like Kirk, Robinson was also a slot-only receiver coming off a solid season. He topped 1,000 yards in 2025 and had 185 catches over the past two years. It makes sense that he landed in the same range at $19.5 million a year, especially since he’s still just 25.

However, just because that was the market doesn’t mean it was a shrewd investment by the Titans, who clearly factored in Robinson’s familiarity with new OC Brian Daboll from the last few years in New York. Robinson was better in 2025, but in 2024 he was incredibly inefficient. He turned 93 catches into just 699 yards. He’s got some speed but he’s not particularly big or dynamic. A lot of his yards were “empty calories,” too, as he piled up production underneath with a lower ratio of first downs or touchdowns. It never made a whole lot of sense why he was being force-fed so many targets, but with Daboll in Tennessee it will probably continue. 

Raiders signed C Tyler Linderbaum, three years $81M

Grade: C

The Raiders certainly had a lot of cash to spend coming into this week, with a league-leading $128 million in space after clearing over $30 million by trading Crosby. In fact, the Raiders actually needed to spend a certain amount to hit the salary cap floor, which is a three-year threshold set to ensure teams are spending appropriately on players to meet the requirements of the CBA. Normally, teams hit this without having to work too hard. 

So on one hand, the Raiders needed to add talent to a roster that just lost its best player, and free agency was the best avenue to do it. Linderbaum is a top-two center in football and the only reason he was available was a quirk in how his fifth-year option and franchise tag values were calculated. With a rookie quarterback coming in and a new offensive system under HC Klint Kubiak that prioritizes athleticism for a wide zone rushing attack, Linderbaum is a perfect fit.  

Yet Las Vegas blew the market away by so much that it at least has to be noted. Chiefs C Creed Humphrey paced all centers before today at $18 million per year. At $27 million annually, the Raiders reset the market by 50 percent. That’s just unheard of, even for quarterbacks. Linderbaum is a great player but that much money for a center, which is the easiest position to cover for up front, is hard to wrap the mind around. 

In short, love the player, don’t love the price. And the price is a pretty important factor when it comes to free agency…

Dolphins signed QB Malik Willis, three years $67.5M

Grade: B

You can say this about new Dolphins GM Jon-Eric Sullivan and HC Jeff Hafley. It seems like they’re well aware of the phrase “underpromise, over-deliver.” Both stressed the limitations of Miami’s budget at the Combine and in ensuing comments, which led to a lot of the buzz between them and Willis cooling down. It got to the point where most of the Dolphins beat reporters were surprised when this deal came through. 

The fit always made sense; both Sullivan and Hafley had front row seats to Willis turning around his career in Green Bay the past two years. More importantly, they got to see his reps behind the scenes which were much more extensive than the few times he got into the game during the regular season or preseason. Had Sullivan and Hafley not been interested, it would have been foreboding for Willis’ outlook. 

They evidently liked what they saw enough to roll the dice on Willis. The true number to know here is the guarantees: $45 million over the next two seasons. That is a hefty number, 50 percent more than the $30 million Justin Fields got in guarantees from the Jets last year. But to some degree, that’s just the cost of doing business at quarterback. Willis is 25 years old and flashed significant upside last year. If things don’t work out this upcoming season, this contract is not going to stop the Dolphins from doing whatever they want to try and solve the position. If they do, then this was a gamble worth making. 

Saints signed RB Travis Etienne, four years $52M

Grade: B

The running back market kept on moving with $13 million per year for Etienne to land back in his home state. The Saints were also surprising spenders after a quiet lead-up to free agency, also inking a deal for G David Edwards for over $15 million a year. It’s a clear sign the Saints want to run the ball better, and the Etienne signing is ominous for the future of RB Alvin Kamara. He restructured his deal but in a little-known move that didn’t actually guarantee him any cash. 

Etienne is a little like Kamara in that he has a dual-threat skillset, but he’s a very different player and nowhere near as good as Kamara at his peak. He is explosive, though, and should help bring that element back to the Saints’ backfield. Normally rebuilding teams elect to wait to address running back as more of a final piece to a rebuild, so this could be an indication the Saints think they’re closer to being back than outsiders might guess.  

Giants signed TE Isaiah Likely, three years $40M

Grade: B

This is a strong payday for Likely, putting him just outside the top five at the tight end position and giving him upside to over $16 million annually with incentives. It’s a good deal for a player who had just 27 catches last year. It helps that Harbaugh clearly was impressed with him over the last four years and has a vision for how he’ll fit into the offense the Giants are building with OC Matt Nagy and assistant Greg Roman. It’s not a one-to-one comparison, but Likely is kind of a replacement for WR Wan’Dale Robinson, who made nearly $20 million per year from the Titans. 

Steelers traded for Colts WR Michael Pittman Jr.

PIT grade: B+

IND grade: B

The exact details of this trade aren’t yet known, but it reportedly involves a late-round swap. That could dictate the grade for the Colts somewhat, as if it’s just a sixth for a seventh, that’s selling a little low on Pittman even if they did need to clear his $24 million salary. Still, it was time to move on. The deal for Pierce not only takes up a big chunk of the budget, it should indicate Pierce’s role expanding in the hierarchy of the passing game. Those targets have to come from somewhere, too. 

For Pittsburgh, they get a proven veteran receiver with a history of production for a relatively affordable amount. The swap means they’re not giving up a draft pick and they had the cap space to take on the contract. As part of the trade, the Steelers are signing Pittman to a new three-year, $59 million contract. The top of the position is over twice that, so this is good value for a veteran who is still just 28 years old. 

Panthers signed OLB Jaelan Phillips, four years $120M

Grade: C

Reports indicated the Eagles were willing to go over $25 million per year to keep Phillips, who they viewed as an ascending player and a great scheme fit. Well, the Panthers were willing to touch the $30 million annually mark, which is why he’s headed to Carolina now. Last year, the Patriots beat the Panthers out for DT Milton Williams on a $26 million per year deal. This year, it’s clear Carolina didn’t want to be denied again as it sought to upgrade its defense. 

Edge rusher was a big need for the Panthers, who ranked near the bottom of the NFL in pressure rate last year. It’s also a premium position and they run a similar scheme to the Eagles. However. This is a massive leap of faith for a player who has yet to reach double-digit sacks in a season and has dealt with major injury issues dating back to his time in college, especially because I’m sure this deal contains significant guarantees. 

If Phillips takes a step forward in 2026, when he will still be just 27 years old, this could pay off for the Panthers. He was top ten in pressures among edge rushers last year even though his sack numbers lagged. It’s a major risk, though, and a departure from the methodical team-building style they’ve employed the last two offseasons. 

Rams signed CB Jaylen Watson, three years $51M

Grade: B+

In a fun little quirk, the Rams double-dipped on former Chiefs corners, signing Watson to team back up with McDuffie who they agreed to trade for last week. Watson was the boundary corner across from McDuffie and had a strong season, finishing as PFF’s No. 17 highest-graded corner in 2025. He’s got good size and zone skills, making him a strong fit for Los Angeles’ system. The price is reasonable for a high-end No. 2 corner as well. The Rams’ secondary has gone from a weakness to a position of strength so far, albeit with significant investment. 

Chiefs signed RB Kenneth Walker, three years $43.5M

Grade: A

From a fit perspective, this is an outstanding move for both parties. The Chiefs have sorely missed an explosive play element in their backfield the last couple of seasons, as Isiah Pacheco has just not been the same since an injury a few years back and Kareem Hunt doesn’t have that tool in his bag anymore. Walker excels at ripping off chunk gains and gives Kansas City an easy button on offense. 

At $14.5 million a year, the Chiefs are paying up for a back, but there has been a resurgence in how teams value the position in recent years, especially backs who are capable of creating explosive plays. I don’t have an issue with this contract. Walker is still just 25 years old. I’m not sure there are much better ways that the Chiefs could have spent $14 million. 

Patriots signed OLB Dre’Mont Jones, three years $39M

Grade: B+

It feels like this is going to be more of the mold of player the Patriots shop for this year despite being linked to a bunch of high-end possibilities at the top of the market. The pass rusher market has exploded to the point where $13 million per year is a reasonable rate for a starting-caliber player.

Jones had seven sacks last year splitting his time between the Titans and Ravens. He is a more well-rounded player than OLB K’Lavon Chaisson, who probably will sign for around this amount, and can play all across the defensive front from edge to the interior. It’s a strong fit for the Patriots’ defense, even though he’s 29 years old. There’s inherent risk with signing older players but this contract isn’t too far out of line with Jones’ value.  

Colts re-sign WR Alec Pierce, four years $114M

Grade: B+

Pierce had one of the hottest markets of any free agent after a breakout 2025 season. He’s averaged over 20 yards per catch for two straight years, but it was the dimensionality he flashed last year that helped drive his market higher beyond just the usual high demand for field-stretching deep threats. 

You can probably quibble with how exactly the Colts handled things here but they should get some credit for playing high stakes chicken with both Pierce and QB Daniel Jones, using the transition tag on Jones and allowing Pierce to test the market for a few minutes, but ultimately keeping both in the fold for 2026. The price got driven up for Pierce and there could be fallout with the rest of the receiving corps, specifically WR Michael Pittman Jr. who is due $24 million this year. Still, keeping an ascending player in the fold is a win. 

Cowboys traded for Packers OLB Rashan Gary

DAL grade: B

GB grade: B+

The initial reports about the compensation in this trade were all over the place, from a third-round pick in the initial report to a late-rounder in another. Finally it was nailed down to a 2027 fourth-round pick. All told, that is solid for both sides. There’s a precedent for solid veteran players making in the neighborhood of $20 million per year going for a fourth-round selection, including Keenan Allen and Joe Thuney in recent seasons. 

Gary didn’t live up to the expectations the Packers had for him after trading for Parsons to be his running mate last year, but he still had solid pressure numbers and finished with 7.5 sacks. He’s a strong fit in new Cowboys DC Christian Parker‘s scheme and can set the edge. Dallas needs to make multiple additions here, so sending the pick makes sense. It’ll be interesting to see how they handle his contract because they have a boatload of defensive linemen making around $20 million, including Gary’s former teammate, DT Kenny Clark. Still, Jerry Jones did say he was going to spend. 

For the Packers, getting a fourth-round pick for a player they might have released in a few weeks or months is great business. They needed to shed a lot of salary this offseason, so that mission is partially accomplished. Now they need to find a replacement for Gary who can step up while Parsons rehabs from his torn ACL and maximize the opportunities he’ll create when healthy. 

Jets traded for Dolphins S Minkah Fitzpatrick

NYJ grade: B-

MIA grade: B+

Miami would likely have cut Fitzpatrick if no trade takers had emerged, as he was due something in the neighborhood of $15 million in cash and the Dolphins are clearly taking their salary cap medicine this year. All they got was a late seventh-round pick originally from the Chargers, but that’s better than nothing. 

For the Jets, Fitzpatrick gives them an experienced player on the back end who played for new Jets DC Brian Duker this past year. New York is also giving Fitzpatrick a three-year, $40 million extension as a part of this trade, which lowers his APY to a bit more of a reasonable number. It’s a decent deal, but the structure will be interesting to see. Fitzpatrick is 29 and his play has started to wane the past couple of years, so I wouldn’t want to commit more than one year of guarantees. 

Texans re-signed G Ed Ingram, three years $37.5M

Grade: B+

The market for interior offensive linemen is expected to go nuts today and Ingram was poised to cash in as a relatively young option coming off a breakout season in a contract year. So keeping him in the fold for an offensive line-needy Texans team is a big win. Ingram was a good fit for their downhill, mashing style of play last year. At $12.5 million a year, that’s pretty solid for a starting-caliber guard. 

Ravens traded for Raiders DE Maxx Crosby

BAL grade: B+

LV grade: A

The Raiders got two first-round picks for Crosby, including the No. 14 overall selection from the Ravens and Baltimore’s 2027 selection. That’s a pretty strong return and it’s hard to pick holes in it. Las Vegas didn’t dink around and try to squeeze blood from a stone, they timed the market well and took the best offer. Losing a player like Crosby stings but if they draft well, the Raiders will be better for it in the long run. 

It’s a little more complicated to grade this trade for the Ravens. Baltimore quite literally has never done a move like this before. This is the first time in franchise history that the Ravens have traded a first-round pick for a veteran player. It says a lot that they broke this tendency, both about Crosby and about how the Ravens see themselves heading into 2026. 

Two first-round picks for any non-quarterback is a lot, and history says Crosby will have an uphill battle to justify the price for the Ravens. However, pass rushers are the most important position outside of quarterback and there’s no debating Crosby is one of the best in the league. On a defense like the Ravens that already has talent at all three levels and a highly respected coach in new HC Jesse Minter, it’s easy to get excited about the potential impact of a player like Crosby. 

As Ravens QB Lamar Jackson gets closer to 30 years old and a potential transition point in his game, it’s easy to understand why the Ravens are operating with a sense of urgency to win a championship now. That’s ultimately what this trade is going to be graded on. 

Bills traded for Bears WR D.J. Moore

BUF grade: C

CHI grade: A

The Bears looking to move Moore is something we had our radar up for the last few weeks, so the trade itself wasn’t a surprise. What was shocking was how much Chicago was able to get back from Buffalo considering the Bears were on the hook for $49 million over the next two seasons for Moore, most of which was guaranteed. That’s a ton of money for a receiver who’s nearly 29 and coming off the least productive year of his career. Something more in line with a fourth or a fifth-round pick was my expectation given recent precedent. 

Instead, the Bears got a second-round pick while sending back a fifth, a net value somewhere between a late second or a third, depending on which trade value chart you like. They also wash their hands of his salary completely, clearing over $20 million each of the next two years. That is outstanding considering Moore might have been the No. 3 receiver in 2026 had he stayed on the roster behind Rome Odunze and Luther Burden, and even further down the pecking order on offense when factoring in TE Colston Loveland and RB D’Andre Swift. 

The flip side of that is the Bills overpaid — massively. They did get a veteran receiver who has a history of production in HC Joe Brady‘s offense and probably has more in the tank than last year’s results suggest. But with how much salary they were taking on, the Bills should not have been anywhere close to a second-round pick in the bidding. As a remarkable little cherry on top, they guaranteed Moore another $15.5 million in 2028 when he will be 32, putting them on the hook for three years of guarantees. 

This is probably an indication of how desperate GM Brandon Beane was to secure a name-brand upgrade at receiver after being hammered for it all last year. After Buffalo fired HC Sean McDermott, Beane’s head is next on the chopping block if the Bills can’t break through this season. 

Rams traded for Chiefs CB Trent McDuffie

LAR grade: C+

KC grade: A-

Los Angeles and Kansas City pulled off a blockbuster last week that will be official on Wednesday. The Chiefs sent McDuffie to the Rams in exchange for a bounty of draft picks, including a first-rounder at No. 29 overall, fifth and sixth-round picks this year and a third-round pick in 2027. On top of all that, the Rams gave McDuffie an extension that reset the cornerback market at $31 million annually. 

It hearkened back to some other trades the two teams have made, including nearly a decade ago when the Chiefs sent another corner, Marcus Peters, to the Rams for a fourth and a second. It’s also reminiscent of when the Chiefs didn’t want to pay WR Tyreek Hill at the top of the receiver market and instead traded him for a haul of picks to the Dolphins. 

Kansas City made out okay both times. The Chiefs have a good history of cycling through cornerbacks, though most of the time they haven’t invested nearly as much as the first-round pick they used to draft McDuffie. The Hill trade also helped kick-start a successful draft that played a big role in reloading the roster. Kansas City won two Super Bowls after trading Hill and went to a third even if they still haven’t replaced him. 

It stings more to trade McDuffie, who arrived with more hype than many of the Chiefs’ other defensive backs and who was much more of an upstanding citizen and positive locker room impact than Hill. It’s easy to see how the Chiefs felt like they couldn’t turn that trade offer down, though. 

For the Rams, this is a huge swing. It does add an All-Pro player at a position of need in the secondary, which was the biggest weakness for Los Angeles last year. It was a steep price, though, and I’m a little skeptical that McDuffie was worth it. His ball production is not great, with just three interceptions in four seasons. He did force five fumbles in 2023, the year he was named first-team All Pro, but he was playing primarily slot corner that year. The last two years, he’s been mostly an outside corner. 

McDuffie will probably play outside corner in Los Angeles, as they have numerous options in the slot. They could also move him around more to hunt matchups. His 20 pass breakups over the past two years is solid but his coverage stats, at least as tracked by PFF, are closer to ordinary. At 5-11 and 193 pounds, he can give up some size in certain matchups. Perhaps the Rams get more out of McDuffie than the Chiefs did, and he is just 25 years old. He’s not someone I would have been keen to reset the cornerback market for, though, let alone trade what the Rams did for that right. 

Texans traded for Lions RB David Montgomery

HOU grade: C

DET grade: A-

Houston made a move to get ahead of the running back market, swinging a trade for Montgomery who was looking for a bigger role after being de-emphasized by the Lions last year. The Texans gave up a fourth-round pick, No. 128 overall this year, a 2027 7th and C Juice Scruggs, which is a fair amount more than the fifth-round pick the Lions were reportedly seeking. 

The Texans save cash because Montgomery is owed just $15 million over the next two years. The bigger name backs in free agency will likely command a lot more. In terms of price, though, a fourth-round pick for a runner who turns 29 this summer is a bit of a premium. Houston clearly has a type given past moves for guys like Joe Mixon and Nick Chubb, and Montgomery is a lunchpail type player who should fit what the Texans want to be on offense. There’s a case to be made, however, that they should have targeted someone younger and more explosive. 

For the Lions, they got a great return as opposed to just cutting Montgomery outright, which was in the range of outcomes had things broken differently. The two picks will help them rebuild the roster which has started to get a little top-heavy, and Scruggs is a dart throw at their biggest position of need who could benefit from a change of scenery. 

Titans traded DT T’Vondre Sweat to Jets for DE Jermaine Johnson

TEN grade: B+

NYJ grade: C

The first trade of the 2026 season was a swap of players who didn’t necessarily fit with the new coaching staff. New Titans HC Robert Saleh coached Johnson in New York and was part of the decision to draft him in the first round in 2022. Johnson made the Pro Bowl in his second season with 7.5 sacks but tore his Achilles after just two games in 2023. Tennessee needs to rebuild its edge rushing room almost from the ground up, and Johnson gives Saleh a known quantity who still might have his best football ahead of him.

Meanwhile, the 6-4 366-pound Sweat wasn’t as much of a fit for what Saleh wanted to do up front. He does fit the Jets and the system HC Aaron Glenn is installing as he takes a larger role with the defense. Johnson did not fit as well, and after he clashed with the defensive coaching staff late last year, Glenn and GM Darren Mougey already had a pretty good idea that they wouldn’t be extending him. Sweat has two years left on his rookie deal and the trade clears Johnson’s $13.4 million salary under the fifth-year option. 

Defensive tackles have closed the positional value gap between edge rushers, but this deal still feels a bit lopsided in Tennessee’s favor given how much more of a proven commodity Johnson is. The Jets dumped a big chunk of cash and that matters, but they missed a chance to get more for Johnson at the trade deadline last year when they surely had some inkling this was a possibility. Sweat has rare size and athleticism, but discipline and maturity have been concerns to start his career. Players of his size have extra challenges when it comes to longevity, too.