Day 1 of the NFL free agency legal tampering period was full of news around the league. It started with Pro Bowl quarterback Kirk Cousins leaving the Minnesota Vikings for the Atlanta Falcons on a large-money contract.
As the day unfolded, it became clear who was going to be active. That included the Philadelphia Eagles signing star running back Saquon Barkley away from the division-rival New York Giants.
Speaking of the Giants, they pulled off a blockbuster trade for Carolina Panthers star edge rusher Brian Burns. It creates one of the best defensive fronts in the league. Below, we check in on the biggest winners and losers from the first day of NFL free agency.
Related: Top NFL free agents of 2024
Winner: Philadelphia Eagles ace first day of NFL free agency
Adding Barkley on a three-year, $37.75 million contract was an absolute boon for general manager Howie Roseman and Co. He replaces D’Andre Swift (Chicago Bears) as RB1 in Philadelphia. Teaming him up with a dual-threat quarterback in Jalen Hurts makes the Eagles’ offense that much more scary. That’s especially true wtih DeVonta Smith and A.J. Brown doing their thing at wide receiver.
- Saquon Barkley stats: 5,211 rushing yards 288 receptions 2,100 receiving yards 47 TD
Still only 27 years old, Barkley is now just hitting his prime. Stealing him from a division rival only adds to the belief that Philadelphia won Day 1 of NFL free agency. Signing EDGE guy Bryce Huff away from the New York Jets only adds more to this belief. Huff, 25, recorded 21 QB hits and 10 sacks for the Jets a season ago.
Related: NFL free agency tracker
Loser: Carolina Panthers overpay for Bryce Young protection, deal key player
New Panthers general manager Dan Morgan did not have a great opening day of free agency. They overpaid guard Robert Hunt to the tune of a five-year, $100 million contract. That’s $20 million annually for a 27-year-old guard who has not earned a Pro Bowl spot in any of his first four seasons in the NFL.
Carolina then dealt star EDGE rusher Brian Burns to the New York Giants for a second-and-fifth-round draft pick. The Panthers had turned down an offer from the Los Angeles Rams of two first-round picks and change during the 2022 NFL season. They now sell low on one of the better young EDGE rushers in the NFL. Yeah, Monday did not go swimmingly for Carolina.
Winner: Green Bay Packers fill holes with two major additions
Surprising. That’s the best way to describe Green Bay deciding to replace running back Aaron Jones with 2022 NFL rushing champion Josh Jacobs. The deal comes in at $48 million for four years and provides Jordan Love with that dual-threat running back that he needs.
General manager Brian Gutekunst wasn’t done there. He added star New York Giants safety Xavier McKinney to the mix. It’s an area that has plagued the Packers’ defense a whole heck of a lot in recent years. McKinney, 24, now comes over to Green Bay after having recorded three interceptions while yielding a mere 69.8 QB rating when targeted a season ago.
Related: NFL salary cap tracker
Loser: Minnesota Vikings now in quarterback purgatory
It’s no real surprise that Kirk Cousins opted to sign with the Atlanta Falcons in NFL free agency. Atlanta handed him a four-year, $180 million contract with $100 million in guaranteed cash. Simply put, Minnesota wasn’t willing to pay that out.
Unfortunately, it has the Vikings in quarterback purgatory after the first day of NFL free agency. They are now being linked to former New York Jets first-round bust Sam Darnold on the open market. It also has to be expected that general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah will be looking quarterback in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft.
Related: Minnesota Vikings sign EDGE guy Jonathan Greenard in NFL free agency
Winner: Kirk Cousins gets paid again in NFL free agency
Since Washington made him a fourth-round pick in the 2012 NFL Draft, Kirk Cousins has made a whopping $231.7 million in cold hard cash. Even more so than playing with a winning team, money has been the goal for Cousins throughout his career.
That came up again on Monday with the Pro Bowl signal caller inking a four-year, $180 million contract with the Atlanta Falcons. The deal calls for $90 million in fully-guaranteed cash with $100 million in total guarantees. This will take Cousins’ career earnings to north of $330 million. Talk about gaming the system. Craziness.
Related: Highest-paid NFL players of 2024
Loser: Free agent wide receivers
We knew that this position was pretty weak heading into NFL free agency. Add in the fact that the NFL Draft is seen as stacked at this position, and it was not going to be friendly to wide receivers. As Monday’s action came to a close only three wide receivers inked new contracts.
Gabriel Davis’ three-year, $39 million contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars was a market setter. Calvin Ridley, Odell Beckham Jr., Tyler Boyd and Marquise Brown all went unsigned. Expect much more of the same moving forward in free agency.