A majority of the top NFL free agency in 2024 have come off the board and there has been a lot of movement this offseason. While true evaluations can only be made on the field, it’s never a bad time to highlight some of the best moves in NFL free agency.
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Here are the 10 best moves from NFL free agency’ 2024.’s first wave.
Green Bay Packers solve problem with Xavier McKinney
The Green Bay Packers haven’t had a playmaker at safety since Nick Collins and his NFL career was ended by a neck injury in 2011. When Green Bay hired defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley, he made it clear how important an instinctive ballhawk was for his scheme. Xavier McKinney fits that description perfectly. McKinney, heading into his age-25 season, played at an All-Pro level in 2023 with the New York Giants. A sure tackler and do-it-all defender, he is the player the Packers’ defense has been missing for years.
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Atlanta Falcons emerge as NFC contenders with Kirk Cousins
The Atlanta Falcons ranked 27th in quarterback rating (80.5) last season, 17th in 2022 (87.7) and 21st in 2021 (86.6). For all his faults as a head coach, Arthur Smith was anchored down by the most important position in sports. Fortunately, that’s no longer going to be an issue in Atlanta. Kirk Cousins will be familiar with some of the concepts from play-caller Zac Robinson’s system because he was mentored by the same coach (Sean McVay) as Kevin O’Connell. The new Falcons’ signal-caller will unlock playmakers Bijan Robinson, Kyle Pitts and Drake London like no quarterback in Atlanta ever did before. Even coming off an Achilles tear and entering his age-36 season, Cousins dramatically raises the floor of the Falcons’ offense and that’s worth the contract.
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Baltimore Ravens finally land Derrick Henry
Running behind the worst offensive line in the NFL last season, running back Derrick Henry ran into a stacked box on 25.4 percent of his carries last season and he ranked 52nd at his position in light front carry rate (29.3 percent). That’s all going to change in the Baltimore Ravens offense. Just as the dual-threat presence of Jalen Hurts led to explosive seasons from Philadelphia Eagles’ running backs, Henry will now experience that same effect paired with Lamar Jackson. If you thought the Ravens offense was good in 2023, you haven’t seen anything yet.
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Pittsburgh Steelers get Russell Wilson at a historic bargain
Russell Wilson will rank 47th among quarterbacks in 2024 ($1.21 million) in total cash earned from his team. That gives the Pittsburgh Steelers such a massive advantage with roster construction, as we saw with the signing of linebacker Patrick Queen. While Wilson isn’t even an above-average starting quarterback these days, he’s far better than Kenny Pickett (77.9% On-Target Rate vs 71.6% On-Target Rate). That difference is going to be noticeable in this new-look Pittsburgh offense and it easily makes this one of the best moves in NFL free agency.
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Minnesota Vikings help Aaron Jones get revenge
The moment Aaron Jones was released by the Green Bay Packers, it was evident he would sign with the Minnesota Vikings. Determined to get revenge on his former team, Minnesota was happy to oblige him especially since it meant hurting its biggest rival. While the injury risks with a 30-year-old running back are undeniable, Jones’ three-down ability and his success late in the 2023 NFL season – 5,4 ypc and 102.8 rush ypg from Weeks 14-17 – make him a massive upgrade over Alexander Mattison.
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Houston Texans fortify defense with Danielle Hunter
Once Jonathan Greenard left the Houston Texans in NFL free agency, there was a massive void left at edge rusher opposite of Will Anderson Jr. Not only did DeMeco Ryans and Co. fill it, they upgraded at the position. Danielle Hunter finished last season with the 10th-most pressures (80) among edge rushers and placed 16th in Pro Football Focus’ pass-rush win rate (15.7 percent). He’s also a great mentor for Anderson Jr. and together in Ryans’ system, the duo can easily combine for 25-plus sacks next season.
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Washington Commanders keep Panthers’ defenders together
The best moves in NFL free agency aren’t always necessarily the costliest financially. The Washington Commanders provided a perfect example of that. Under general manager Adam Peters, Washington spent a combined $14.438 million average annual value and less than $20 million guaranteed at signing on safety Jeremy Chinn and linebacker Frankie Luvu. In Luvu, the Commanders land a linebacker who excels at rushing the passer and is strong against the run. Meanwhile, Chinn provides the type of hybrid safety that can thrive in Dan Quinn’s scheme. The former Carolina Panthers duo should be two of the best players on the Commanders’ defense.
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Cincinnati Bengals find great value in Geno Stone
Cincinnati Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo is one of the best in the business, but his defense experienced alarming regression in 2023. Inexperience played a significant role, but the absence of playmakers also was a significant factor. Geno Stone, who only cost $14 million over two seasons, is an excellent deep safety with outstanding instincts and ball tracking. Putting Stone deep will also make life much easier for the Bengals’ cornerbacks and his presence should also allow Anarumo to get more creative in 2024.
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Kansas City Chiefs land big-play threat with Hollywood Brown
The Kansas City Chiefs offense changed a lot after trading away Tyreek Hill. Patrick Mahomes ranked 29th among qualified quarterbacks in percentage of throws 20-plus yards downfield in 2022 (9.4 percent) and he was 30th last season (10.2 percent). Of course, he just picked defenses apart underneath. Marquise Brown is bringing that vertical element back to the Chiefs’ offense. Brown drew 20 deep targets last season, but he also had the 11th-most unrealized air yards (789) due to the Arizona Cardinals’ quarterback issues. While Brown might not have a 1,000-yard season in Kansas City, his very presence will make this Chiefs’ offense more difficult to contain.
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Las Vegas Raiders make a splash with Christian Wilkins
While we certainly didn’t love the money the Las Vegas Raiders spent on quarterback Gardner Minshew, the addition of Christian Wilkins is easily one of the best moves in NFL free agency. Not only is Wilkins an excellent interior run defender, but he’s coming off a 2023 season with career-highs in sacks (nine) and pressures (30). Opponents already had trouble stopping Maxx Crosby, who was constantly double-teamed in recent years. With Wilkins and Crosby on the same defensive line, teams are going to have to focus on one and that will free up the other to wreak havoc.
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