Day 2 of the NFL free-agent tampering period was less busy and frenetic than Day 1, but that doesn’t mean there was no news of interest. We saw several more big-name running backs change teams (Derrick Henry, Aaron Jones), stalwart defenders agree to big-money deals (Danielle Hunter, Leonard Williams, Patrick Queen) and a handful of quarterbacks find new homes (see below).
Again, contracts can’t officially be signed until Wednesday, but The Athletic’s Kalyn Kahler, Ted Nguyen and Dan Pompei don’t have to wait to share their biggest takeaways from the second day of free agency.
Live updates: Free-agent news from across the NFL
FA tracker: New teams and contract details for the top 150 free agents
Best available players: Who’s still on the market?
Grades: Best and worst of free-agent deals
Derrick Henry goes to a Baltimore Ravens team with a strong offensive line and quarterback Lamar Jackson drawing the attention of opposing defenses. Can Henry take the Ravens to another level, or is there not enough tread left on his tires to make a big difference?
Kahler: This player and team pairing could not be more perfect. Henry is exactly the type of physical, durable running back Baltimore needed. Henry has averaged 306 carries over the last five seasons (prehistoric NFL rushing numbers!) and led the league in carries in the last two seasons. I don’t expect Baltimore to use him to that extent since he is 30 years old and has been going at this speed basically since his high school days — but he’ll make a difference.
Nguyen: Henry gives them a more-than-adequate Gus Edwards replacement. Henry is on a different level, and he’ll give the Ravens the early down thumper they need to pair with the smaller but explosive Keaton Mitchell. They might be the biggest contrasting one-two punch in the league. Mitchell is 5-foot-8, 192 pounds, and Henry is 6-3, 247.
The Ravens are mostly a shotgun team because they run option plays with Jackson. Henry isn’t bad running out of the shotgun, but he’s better getting a head of steam with the quarterback under center. The Ravens tapered off their option usage last season and might move toward more under-center runs and play action with Henry in the fold.
Pompeii: Henry fits the team’s offense as well as any back could, and he fits the team’s culture as well. It’s not a stretch to see him and Lamar among the top 10 rushers in the league and the Ravens setting a team rushing record. When opponents gang up on Henry, lanes will open for Lamar. When opponents line up to stop Lamar, holes will open for Henry. The only question is durability, as Henry is 30 and has high mileage. But if he stays healthy, look out.
Through two days, we’ve seen some big-money deals for defensive players. Which defensive signing is likely to make the biggest difference for his new team in 2024?
Nguyen: I love the Christian Wilkins move. Rarely do we see a player of Wilkins’ caliber hit free agency, especially at an impact position. He’s only 28, and defensive tackles typically age gracefully. Pairing Wilkins with Maxx Crosby and Malcolm Koonce, who had a breakout year, gives the Raiders one of the most fearsome defensive lines in the league. Las Vegas had a borderline elite defense last season (eighth in DVOA). They still need to add a starting cornerback, but if they do, they might have a top-five unit this fall.
Pompeii: As Ted points out, Wilkins is an outstanding addition because he’s the type of player who can make teammates better. But Danielle Hunter joining the Houston Texans could be even more impactful because he makes more plays. Since Wilkins came into the league, Hunter has had 27 more sacks. Hunter and Will Anderson will probably form the most talented edge-rushing duo in the NFL, and the Texans will present opposing offenses with a matchup nightmare. Also, the Giants’ trade for Brian Burns would rank high on this list if it were a free-agent signing.
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Kahler: We covered yesterday how surprising it was that Wilkins hit free agency at all. He instantly lifts the Raiders defensive line and provides a matchup problem for any opposing offensive line, especially considering that Maxx Crosby never leaves the field. Bryce Huff and the Eagles have a lot of potential, but it depends on how he fits into Vic Fangio’s defense, where I assume he will have to play more than the 42 percent of defensive snaps he played last season as a situational pass rusher in New York.
With some middle- to lower-tier quarterbacks finding new homes (Gardner Minshew, Sam Darnold, Jacoby Brissett, Jameis Winston, Marcus Mariota, Tyrod Taylor), who is the best fit for his new team? And whom do you see starting the most games in 2024?
Pompeii: The Darnold move fascinates me and is reminiscent of the Baker Mayfield signing one year ago by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The expectation is he’s going to have every opportunity to be the Minnesota Vikings’ starter, and he will have an outstanding support system with Kevin O’Connell, Wes Phillips and Josh McCown coaching him and Justin Jefferson as his No. 1 receiver. Darnold could be at the point in his career when he’s ready to show why he was the third pick of the 2018 draft.
Nguyen: I don’t know if it’s the best move, but the Darnold agreement is certainly the most interesting. He had some strong games for the Panthers in 2022 before heading to San Francisco to be the backup. He learned a similar system to the one he’ll run with the Vikings, so he’ll already have some familiarity coming in. He’ll have a strong supporting cast, throwing to Jefferson and with two of the league’s best tackles (Christian Darrisaw and Brian O’Neill) blocking for him. And O’Connell has proven to be an excellent play caller. This is likely Darnold’s final shot at shedding the “bust” label, and he couldn’t have picked a better environment. Now, it’ll be up to him to cut down on the turnovers. It’ll be fun to watch.
Kahler: Darnold is interesting for the reasons above, but I’ll highlight Jacoby Brissett here. I liked this New England Patriots reunion because I never understood why Brissett wasn’t a starter somewhere last season. (Looking at the New York Jets here.) His best year came in 2022 when Alex Van Pelt was his offensive coordinator in Cleveland, and he was the best quarterback in Cleveland that year. Van Pelt is now New England’s offensive coordinator. I expect the Patriots to draft a quarterback, so it’s possible we won’t see Brissett at all next season, but he’s exactly who I’d want right now as a veteran mentor to a rookie — and as a QB who can start and win games.
Our experts are bullish on what Sam Darnold can do in Minnesota with the Vikings. (Sergio Estrada / USA Today)
Speaking of which, more landing spots for Justin Fields evaporated Tuesday as more QBs around the league agreed to deals. At this point, what’s the best-case scenario for Fields and the Bears?
Kahler: I’ve been evangelizing the “two quarterbacks are better than one” theology for a while now. Why does it have to be either or? Draft Caleb Williams and keep Justin Fields (for the time being). I know, I know … that could be a recipe for disaster. But, as we’ve seen, the market for Fields isn’t yet what we thought it would be, and if Chicago wants the best value for him, they may need to keep him until another team’s quarterback gets hurt. Fields would be a great insurance policy for Williams, who should win the job and be ready to start right away. But as Chicago knows painfully well, there is no more unpredictable position than quarterback. Plus, if there’s more uncertainty with Williams’ draft process (medical testing at his visit or his pro day next Wednesday), at least the Bears will have one quarterback they know well.
Pompeii: If the Bears are concerned with bad juju, they’ll take what they can get for Fields now and move on. If they are concerned with maximizing value, they should hold on and wait for a desperate team to come calling. And a desperate team would come calling. It’s just a matter of when. Waiting could be the difference between getting a fourth-round pick for Fields and a second. It wouldn’t create the ideal scenario for their rookie quarterback, but if a player is picked first in the draft, he should be able to deal with a controversy.
Nguyen: The Broncos are still a possibility, but I don’t see Sean Payton wanting to run the type of offense that Fields would thrive in. It’s just not a good fit. The Raiders could still be a possibility, too. They paid Minshew, but the deal looks like a high-end backup to bridge-quarterback money. They should still be looking for an upgrade at quarterback and may not have the draft capital to nab one of the top prospects. Fields might be their best shot at landing a quarterback with a high ceiling. Another possibility is landing as a backup in Philadelphia or Indianapolis, where the systems would be perfect for Fields. If the No. 1 gets injured and he plays, he could thrive and look for a new home next season.
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There were more high-profile agreements Tuesday, but what’s an under-the-radar move from Day 2 that you liked?
Pompeii: Darnell Mooney to the Falcons. He’s a good player coming off a bad year, and he can thrive in a more predictable passing game with Kirk Cousins throwing to him. Mooney is different from any receiver the Falcons have and should be an ideal complement in an offense that also features Drake London, Kyle Pitts and Bijan Robinson. It wouldn’t be stunning if he were their leading receiver, as Mooney had more receiving yards in his most productive year than London or Pitts had in theirs. His best is yet to come.
Nguyen: Josh Uche getting a one-year, $3 million deal with incentives was pretty surprising. Uche had 11.5 sacks in 2022 and though his sacks dropped this season, he still pressured quarterbacks at a high rate. Uche is still only 25 years old. He’s a high-level pass rusher, and young pass rushers typically get paid. This is a hometown bargain for New England.
Kahler: Drew Lock to the New York Giants and Tyrod Taylor to the Jets. I can’t get enough bridge/backup/stopgap/journeyman/whatever-word-you-want-to-use-for-it quarterback movement. Last year, the Jets were seemingly content to carry on without a capable backup for Aaron Rodgers. They’ve learned their lesson the hard way, agreeing to a two-year deal with Taylor. If Rodgers goes down again, the Jets have a quarterback with the experience to step in and win. Lock played well last season in relief of Geno Smith, and as fun as Tommy DeVito’s story was last season, the Giants knew they needed to shore up the QB room with a solid backup.
(Top photo: Wesley Hitt / Getty Images)
2024-03-13 11:50:47
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