The so-called legal tampering period of
NFL
Free agency remains intense, with less than 24 hours until the official kickoff of Wednesday’s new league year. It’s becoming typical for this level of activity as we approach the start.
key figures in the open player market
Most have already succumbed by this point. The initial couple of days in free agency are when
all the action
is at these days.
Given how rapidly everything unfolds, it’s crucial to assess what transpired. This week at SofTech, we’re tackling this task through various means, including naming our free agency winners and losers daily throughout the week.
On day two, things kicked off with a strong beginning early in the morning; however, by the afternoon, it had significantly slowed down. This is typical since many major transactions tend to happen right after the opening bell.
Winner:
Vikings
On Tuesday, Minnesota made significant moves by securing the services of three expensive free agents right at the start of the day. These signings were crucial for bolstering their defensive line: they agreed to terms with Jonathan Allen on a three-year, $60 million deal, signed Will Fries to a five-year, $88 million agreement, and plan to ink Javon Hargrave after his official release from another team.
49ers
This is the route the Vikings chose after parting ways with Kirk Cousins and selecting J.J. McCarthy as their quarterback of the future. While they might still have interest in acquiring players such as Aaron Rodgers down the line, for now, it appears they intend to construct the remainder of their team around their young quarterback under contract.
Loser:
Cowboys
Dallas has more than $54 million in salary-cap space… but hasn’t made much use of it so far. The external free agents they’ve brought aboard include Javonte Williams, Robert Jones, and Solomon Thomas—none of whom have proven to be standout players recently. Additionally, negotiations haven’t gone smoothly for key figures like Micah Parsons (with his demands increasing daily), Tyler Smith, or Daron Bland. Year after year, the Cowboys keep doing what they’ve always done, somehow expecting different outcomes each time.
Winner: Daniel Jones
Jones secured a $14 million deal to vie for the starter position in Indianapolis. Despite potentially losing to Anthony Richardson — who appears highly probable unless Jones significantly surpasses Richardson during training camp, considering the team’s substantial investment in Richardson — he will have earned quite a handsome sum merely weeks after being replaced by Tommy DeVito and Drew Lock, with no intervening performance indicating his readiness for a starting role.
Loser: 49ers
It seems like the Niners have lost about half their roster in just the initial two days of free agency. Including transactions from last week, they’ve traded Deebo Samuel, released Kyle Juszczyk, plan to release Javon Hargrave and Maliek Collins shortly, and watched Dre Greenlaw, Charvarius Ward, Talanoa Hufanga, Aaron Banks, Jaylon Moore, Elijah Mitchell, and Josh Dobbs depart through free agency.
a lot
Of production across all aspects of the game. Moreover, San Francisco doesn’t possess an abundance of draft resources to bring in polished substitutes. The team may face considerable reshaping, which could result in a downturn in performance come 2025.
Winner: Return specialists
KaVontae Turpin signed a three-year contract worth $18 million with Dallas, making him the NFL’s top-paid specialist. Although he participated in 27 percent of the Cowboys’ offensive plays last season, indicating some utility beyond returns, his primary role remains as a returner, significantly raising the stakes for players in this position.
Loser: Aaron Rodgers and/or Russell Wilson
The game of quarterback musical chairs is almost at an end, and none of the seasoned quarterbacks have secured their next team as of now. The remaining options appear to be with the teams in Pittsburgh and New York (with the
Giants
), and only Pittsburgh appears to be a place where you can confidently count on being named the season opener starter. Unless the Vikings unexpectedly join the competition, or they
Titans
or
Browns
alter their path from their current position, one of these two individuals will likely end up quite displeased — and the other may also find themselves less than satisfied with how things turn out.
Winner: Cam Ward (along with Shedeur Sanders)
When discussing the Titans, numerous indications suggest that they might use their first-overall pick to select the ex-University of Miami quarterback. Initially, rumors indicated that the team would explore acquiring an experienced quarterback; however, these speculations have proven unfounded so far. In reality, they focused on reinforcing their offense by bringing aboard a fresh starting left tackle. While it’s possible for them to target players like Abdul Carter or Travis Hunter, they likely would’ve secured a temporary solution at the quarterback position had such plans been in motion. Regardless, even if Ward isn’t chosen number one, both the Browns and Giants urgently require signal-callers, which could work out favorably for Sanders too.
