NFL free agency is upon us. As deals roll in, the Sharp Football staff will break them down with analysis for every major move.

This page will be updated throughout the first wave of free agency, so be sure to check back often.

Last Updated: March 11

Explore more 2026 NFL Free Agency content:

2026 NFL Free Agency Content
2026 NFL Free Agency Tracker: Best Available Free Agents
NFL Free Agency 2026: Analyzing Every Major Signing (Updated Daily)
2026 NFL Franchise Tag Tracker: Every Tagged Player & Values
NFL Free Agency Fantasy Impact 2026: Every Big Signing
Fantasy Fallout: Kenneth Walker Signs With Chiefs
Fantasy Fallout: Travis Etienne Signs With Saints
Fantasy Fallout: Malik Willis Signs With Dolphins
Fantasy Fallout: Mike Evans Signs With 49ers
Fantasy Fallout: D.J. Moore Traded to Bills
NFL Free Agency Betting Implications: Which Signings Move the Needle Most? (Coming soon)
NFL Free Agency Fantasy Winners and Losers 2026 (Coming soon)

2026 NFL Free Agency: Every Major Signing (Updated Daily)

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Colts Re-Sign Daniel Jones to Two-Year, $88 Million Deal

The Colts originally kept Daniel Jones with the transition tag last week, but the two sides were always expected to reach an extension.

That happened on Wednesday, with Jones signing a two-year, $88 million contract.

Jones was a revelation for the Colts last season, leading the team to an 8-2 record before the Week 11 bye.

He suffered a broken fibula late in that run that he tried to play through, and his season ended with a torn Achilles in Week 14.

Assuming he is back to health before Week 1, the Colts will hope he can bring the same kind of success on offense.

Through the first 10 weeks, the Colts were first in the league in points per drive (3.2), first in yards per play (6.4), and first in EPA per play (0.17).

Oops: Ravens Pull Out of Maxx Crosby Deal, Sign Trey Hendrickson

We had a shocking reversal on Tuesday night when the Ravens pulled out of the Maxx Crosby trade that would have sent two first-round picks, including No. 14 overall this year, to Las Vegas.

Our Warren Sharp speculated the Ravens would be in on Trey Hendrickson after pulling out of the Crosby deal, and that is exactly what happened on Wednesday.

Baltimore signed Hendrickson to a four-year, $112 million contract.

Hendrickson is three years older than Crosby and played just seven games last season, but the Ravens did not have to give up two first-round picks to get him.

He was also excellent in 2023 and 2024, recording 17.5 sacks in both seasons.

In fact, he is eighth in pressure rate (16.8%) among all pass rushers with at least 500 pass rush snaps over the last three seasons.

Crosby ranks 50th (13.0%) on that same list.

There are age concerns here, and it is fair to question the way Baltimore handled business.

Still, Hendrickson should be a good addition.

As for the Raiders, they agreed to several deals early in free agency under the belief they had already traded Crosby and his cap hit.

They are now up against a deadline with the new league year set to open at 4 p.m. ET on Wednesday.

Patriots Add Romeo Doubs to Receiver Room

Despite their great playoff run, New England's lack of talent at receiver was exposed in last year's playoffs.

Especially after moving on from Stefon Diggs, the Patriots had to add some help on the outside for Drake Maye.

Their first major move came on the second day of free agency, when they signed former Packer Romeo Doubs to a four-year deal.

Doubs is not a like-for-like replacement for Diggs, who ran half of his routes from the slot last season and averaged 8.5 air yards per target.

Doubs profiles more like the receivers left behind — Kayshon Boutte and Mack Hollins — strongly suggesting New England is not done adding to this room.

In addition to Doubs, the Patriots gave a sizable contract to former Jets OG Alijah Vera-Tucker as they look to upgrade the offensive line.

Vera-Tucker should do that when he is healthy, but he has played a total of 43 games since being selected No. 14 overall in the 2021 draft.

He missed all of last season with a torn triceps.

Seahawks Lose Another, Riq Woolen Signs With Eagles

Riq Woolen had to wait a little longer than expected on the open market, but the always opportunistic Eagles were waiting in the wings, giving Woolen a one-year, $15 million deal.

Woolen surprised everyone with a spectacular rookie season despite lasting until the fifth round in 2022.

There have been some downs since then, but Woolen has mostly been an excellent corner, limiting opposing receivers to 5.6 yards per target in his coverage.

He was 20th in yards allowed per coverage snap in 2025, and PFF charted him with the 10th-most forced incompletions among qualified corners.

Big mistakes in key spots have haunted Woolen thus far in his career, but this is a big addition for the Eagles and should be a big upgrade for their CB2 spot.

With Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean already in the mix, the Eagles will have arguably the best corner group in the league heading into the 2026 season.

Browns Continue Offensive Line Rebuild With Elgton Jenkins

After trading for Tytus Howard ahead of free agency and signing OG Zion Johnson on Monday, the Browns continued their offensive line rebuild with Elgton Jenkins on Tuesday.

A versatile blocker, Jenkins played center over the first nine games of last year for the Packers, but he had been primarily a guard before last season.

The Browns have free agent questions at both spots, so it remains to be seen where Jenkins will ultimately play in Cleveland.

Wherever he ends up, Jenkins should be a quality addition to an offensive line that is suddenly taking shape.

Seahawks Bring Back Rashid Shaheed

The Seahawks suffered some big losses on Monday, but they brought back one of their own, re-signing Rashid Shaheed to a three-year, $51 million contract.

Acquired from the Saints during the season, Shaheed was not a consistent producer on offense with the Seahawks, catching 15 passes in nine regular season games and then 3 in three postseason contests.

He did produce some big plays and made his presence felt on special teams, though.

Losing OC Klint Kubiak, who Shaheed broke out under with the Saints, is a blow, but Shaheed should be a bigger part of the offense moving forward following a full offseason with the team.

Steelers Replace Kenneth Gainwell With Rico Dowdle

Kenneth Gainwell left to sign with the Bucs on Monday, and the Steelers quickly replaced him with Rico Dowdle, though it is probably not a like-for-like swap.

Dowdle is not a zero in the passing game — he has 99 targets combined over the last two seasons — but he has run a route on around 40% of his team's dropbacks even when working as the lead back.

Gainwell was the clear option in the passing game last season, running a route on 55.6% of Pittsburgh's dropbacks and leading the team with 73 receptions.

The Steelers have added some underneath receiver help by trading for Michael Pittman, but Dowdle is unlikely to take Gainwell's entire receiving role.

That could mean a change for Jaylen Warren, who was more of a receiving option at times when working with Najee Harris before setting a career high with 211 carries last year.

Notably, Dowdle has a connection with new Steelers coach Mike McCarthy from their days with the Cowboys, which could also give him an edge on early downs.

Raiders Go on a Spending Spree

A massive, record-breaking deal for Tyler Linderbaum got things started on Monday, and the Raiders did not let up from there.

Las Vegas re-signed CB Eric Stokes and EDGE Malcolm Koonce while adding WR Jalen Nailor, EDGE Kwity Paye, LB Quay Walker, and LB Nakobe Dean.

The Raiders had a big need on the edge of the defense after trading Maxx Crosby.

Neither Koonce nor Paye will replace Crosby's production, but they at least give Las Vegas more options as they try to cobble together a pass rush.

Paye has had some decent sack seasons, logging 8.5 in 2023 and 8 in 2024, but he has not consistently gotten pressure on the quarterback thus far in his career.

Koonce, on the other hand, has a career 13.1% pressure rate (would have been 45th among qualifiers last year) and is now a season removed from a serious knee injury.

He is the upside name to watch.

Las Vegas will have a completely revamped linebacker corps after signing Walker and Dean.

Dean was not at his usual level last season as he worked back from a torn patellar tendon, but he will be further removed from that injury come Week 1.

Walker was 77th among all qualified linebackers in run stuff rate last season and 60th in yards per target allowed in coverage.

Falcons Get Tua Tagovailoa for Minimum Deal

Released by the Dolphins on Monday morning, Tua Tagovailoa did not have to wait long on the open market.

He was immediately linked with the Falcons shortly after Miami announced his release, and he signed there Monday afternoon on a one-year, minimum contract — he is still owed over $50 million by the Dolphins this season.

Atlanta is a good landing spot for Tagovailoa.

Michael Penix is recovering from yet another knee injury and might not be ready for Week 1.

Even if Penix can return by the season opener, Tagovailoa will get at the very least most of the offseason to make his case as the starter.

He also gets to work with Kevin Stefanski, who should be able to mostly replicate the quick passing and yards after catch scheme that saw Tagovailoa have success in Miami.

For Atlanta, they get a shot at a former first-round pick for a minimum deal, and while Tagovailoa and Penix have different styles as quarterbacks, having two left-handed options does make the transition easier if they have to switch between the two.

All of it makes sense, but it is still tough to get too excited about this for the Falcons based on what we saw from Tagovailoa last season and his weaknesses when everything is not set up perfectly for him.

Warren Sharp looked more at Tagovailoa's 2025 numbers and limitations following his release on Monday.

Click here to read Warren's analysis.

Odafe Oweh Signs Massive Deal With Commanders

The Commanders were already not great at getting after the quarterback last season, and they faced several potential departures in free agency.

It was not surprising, then, to see them go big on an edge rusher in free agency, signing Odafe Oweh to a four-year, $100 million contract.

Oweh was a solid pass rusher for the Chargers last season, logging a 15.9% pressure rate and 7.5 sacks in 12 games after being acquired from the Ravens.

Oweh had a 12.4% pressure rate over his 67 games with the Ravens before the trade, turning 11.6% of those pressures into sacks.

Both of those numbers would have ranked outside the top 50 among qualifying defenders last season.

Oweh has the talent to live up to this contract, but the Commanders will hope they get the Chargers version.

Bears Beef Up Defense With Devin Bush & Coby Bryant

With several free agents and holes on defense, the Bears moved quickly in free agency, adding both LB Devin Bush and S Coby Bryant to the fold.

Bush signed a three-year, $30 million deal.

The Bears will hope he can help fill the void left by Tremaine Edmunds, who was released last week.

Chicago also re-signed LB D'Marco Jackson to help replace Edmunds.

The Bears also had serious questions at safety with both Kevin Byard and Jaquan Brisker scheduled to hit free agency.

Bryant played mostly in the free safety role with the Super Bowl Champion Seahawks over the last two seasons, which would seemingly make him a better replacement for Byard, but the Bears still have more work to do at safety.

Browns Get Much-Needed Offensive Line Help

The Browns have to rebuild literally their entire offensive line this offseason.

After trading for Tytus Howard ahead of free agency, Cleveland got to work by signing OG Zion Johnson to a three-year, $49.5 million contract on Monday.

Johnson is coming off his best season in terms of pressure rate allowed, but his 4.1% rate was still just 29th among all qualified guards.

PFF graded him as the 42nd-best run-blocking guard last season among qualifiers.

Johnson is a young former first-round pick who fills a much-needed hole on Cleveland's roster, but he will likely need to be better on his second contract to really make a difference in Cleveland.

Titans Spend Big Early in Free Agency

The Titans came out swinging early in free agency, signing deals with WR Wan'Dale Robinson, TE Daniel Bellinger, DL John Franklin-Myers, CB Alontae Taylor, and CB Cor'Dale Flott.

Robinson was discussed below, so let's focus on the defensive additions here.

Franklin-Myers spent three seasons with new Titans coach Robert Saleh in New York, and he is coming off back-to-back outstanding seasons with the Broncos.

While he did set a new career high with 7.5 sacks last season, Franklin-Myers saw his pressure rate slip to 11%, well below his career average.

The Titans will hope for a bounce-back.

Taylor and Flott join a defense that was dead last in yards per attempt allowed last season.

Tennessee was 31st in yards per target allowed to wide receivers, and they were 31st in yards per target allowed to boundary receivers.

Neither Taylor nor Flott was elite last season, but they finished 41st and 42nd in yards per target allowed among qualified cornerbacks.

That is significantly better than what the Titans got out of their primary options in 2025.

End of an Era: Mike Evans Leaves Bucs for 49ers

There were always rumblings about Mike Evans leaving the Bucs, who drafted him way back in 2014, but it will still be odd to see him playing for a new team in 2025.

That team will be the 49ers, who signed him to a three-year, $60 million contract in free agency.

Evans failed to reach 1,000 yards for the first time in his career last season, amassing 368 and 3 touchdowns over 8 games in another injury-shortened year.

He still commanded targets when he was on the field, getting a look on 27.3% of his routes, but he averaged a career-low 5.9 yards per target.

That number ranked 101st among all receivers with at least 200 routes last year, and his yards per route run was 41st despite that high target rate per route.

With Evans turning 33 before the start of the season, it is fair to wonder if he has hit the wall, but earning targets at a high rate is a strong sign despite his inability to convert those looks last season.

With Brandon Aiyuk expected to be released and Jauan Jennings a free agent, Evans should immediately take over as the No. 1 weapon on the outside for the 49ers.

He can produce big numbers in that role if he is healthy and still at his best, but the 49ers are taking something of a gamble that both of those things will be true throughout the season.

As for the Bucs, they are still in a good spot at receiver with Chris Godwin, 2025 first-round pick Emeka Egbuka, 2024 third-round pick Jalen McMillan, and 2025 seventh-round pick Tez Johnson.

That said, Egbuka has to show better than he did down the stretch last season to become the clear No. 1 option the Bucs will need with Evans gone.

Check out Rich Hribar's thoughts on Mike Evans' fantasy value with the 49ers

Saints sign Travis Etienne, Add Offensive Line Help

Alvin Kamara‘s future appeared to already be up in the air, and that was before the Saints added Travis Etienne to a four-year, $52 million contract.

Etienne had a bounce-back season with the Jaguars last year, gaining 1,399 yards from scrimmage and scoring 13 touchdowns.

His underlying numbers still left something to be desired, though.

Among 43 running backs with at least 150 touches, he was:

  • 24th in yards per touch (4.7)
  • 27th in yards per carry (4.3)
  • 24th in explosive run rate (10%)
  • 33rd in negative run rate (21.2%)
  • 24th in yards created after contact (3.04)

Those numbers are not far off his averages from the two seasons before, as he has struggled to recapture his 2022 form.

The Jacksonville offensive line did not create a ton of room, ranking 24th in yards before contact created per running back run, but the Saints were four spots lower at 28th last year.

New Orleans also addressed the line early in free agency, at least, signing OG David Edwards to a four-year, $61 million contract.

Edwards can help open running lanes, and another step forward from Tyler Shough can create more favorable running situations for Etienne.

Still, it is fair to wonder if the Saints overpaid.

Titans Reunite Wan'Dale Robinson With Brian Daboll

One of the worst-kept secrets of free agency was that Wan'Dale Robinson would reunite with new Titans OC Brian Daboll in Tennessee.

That's exactly what happened on Monday with Robinson signing a four-year, $70 million deal.

The Titans were desperate for receiver help, and Robinson is coming off the best season of his career, taking more of a No. 1 role following the injury to Malik Nabers.

He also showed more ability to work as a full-field receiver, setting career highs in air yards per target (8.5), snaps out wide (43.1%), intermediate targets (16.4%), and deep targets (15%).

Those numbers still ranked 75th, 83rd, 81st, and 60th among qualified receivers.

Robinson has proven to be a target earner in his career, getting a look on 23.6% of his career routes, but he also does not profile as the clear No. 1 option in a passing game.

Hopefully, he will be a secondary option to another addition for the Titans as they look to build around Cam Ward.

Steelers Land CB Jamel Dean

The Steelers struggled to stop opposing passing games last season, finishing 23rd in yards per attempt allowed.

They specifically struggled to stop receivers, allowing 8.2 yards per target (22nd) to all wide receivers and 9.2 yards per target to slot receivers (31st).

New signing Jamel Dean will not be a major factor against the slot — he has played 214 career snaps there, according to PFF — but he should be an overall upgrade to a secondary that lost James Pierre in free agency.

Dean ranked 16th among all qualifying corners in yards per coverage snap allowed last season, and he has allowed just 6.7 yards per target throughout his seven-year career.

Warren Sharp dug deeper into the Bucs' splits with and without Dean:

New Steelers CB Jamel Dean had MASSIVE on/off splits for the Bucs pass defense the last few years.

Dean ON the field:

#11 EPA/attempt (-0.01)#14 success rate (46%)#12 Y/A (7.0)#10 quarterback rating (89)

Dean OFF the field:

#32 EPA/attempt (+0.18)#31 success rate (50%)#31 Y/A (7.9)#32 quarterback rating (112)

Dean always misses a few games — he has not played more than 15 in a season — but he should be a quality option when on the field for the Steelers.

Raiders Sign C Tyler Linderbaum to Record-Breaking Contract

With several needy teams and few high-end options on the market, Tyler Linderbaum was expected to become the highest-paid center in NFL history.

That is exactly what he did, signing a three-year, $81 million contract with the Raiders.

It was not just a small jump in the center market, either, as noted by our Warren Sharp.

Highest paid centers (APY):

$27.0M – Tyler Linderbaum (LV)

<HUGE gap>

$18.0M – Creed Humphrey (KC)
$16.0M – Cam Jurgens (PHI)
$13.0M – Connor McGovern (BUF)
$12.0M – Luke Wattenberg (DEN)
$12.0M – Erik McCoy (NO)

Last year, the Raiders averaged 0.5 yards before contact per rush.

Not only was that #32 in the NFL last year, but it was the worst for any team in the NFL since 2013!

416 team-seasons since 2013.

#416 out of #416.

In addition, they ranked:

#32 in yards per carry at 3.6
#32 in stuff rate at 25%
#32 in rate of runs to gain 1 yard or less at 37%
#32 in EPA per rush at -0.20
#32 in rushing success rate at 31%

That simply wouldn't fly with new HC Klint Kubiak, who was OC in Seattle and operated an offense with the NFL's #1 highest run rate.

You can't possibly run as much as Kubiak would want with that offensive line.

And you definitely can't run that much with a rookie quarterback or he'll constantly be in third and long.

Linderbaum should be a big addition for Ashton Jeanty and likely No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza.

Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker Lands With Chiefs

After years of middling to worse production from the running game and with Patrick Mahomes recovering from a serious knee injury, the Chiefs were always expected to make a splash at running back this offseason.

Originally, there was a thought that it would be with the No. 9 overall pick and Notre Dame's Jeremiyah Love.

Instead, they went to the top of the free agent market, signing Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker to a three-year, $43 million contract.

Our own Warren Sharp had some interesting notes on Walker's fit with the Chiefs.

The Chiefs were the only team in the NFL to not have a single RB average over 4.0 yards per carry last season.

Kenneth Walker goes from the NFL's #1 most RUN HEAVY team in 2025 (Seattle)…to the #1 most PASS HEAVY team of the last 5 years (Chiefs)

Last year, 84% of the runs for the Seahawks were against 7+ box defenders.

#4 HIGHEST rate in the NFL.

Chiefs RBs faced just 66% of runs against 7+ box defenders.

#4 LOWEST rate in the NFL.

51% of Seahawks runs were against stacked 8+ man boxes.

That number was 32% for the Chiefs.

Once again, the #4 highest rate for the Seahawks to the #4 lowest rate for the Chiefs.

Despite those brutal box counts, Walker ranked #2 in missed tackles forced per carry last year.

It's the THRID STRAIGHT YEAR he's been top-two in missed tackles forced.

Walker has been something of a boom-or-bust runner throughout his career, but those booms should be a welcome addition to a Chiefs offense desperate for more big plays.

They also could happen more often given the lighter boxes he should see in Kansas City.

Check out Rich Hribar's thoughts on Kenneth Walker's fantasy value in Kansas City

Dolphins Sign Malik Willis to Replace Tua Tagovailoa

The Dolphins appear to be in full rebuild mode, but that did not stop them from taking a shot on the most interesting quarterback of this free agent class.

Miami signed Malik Willis to a three-year, $67.5 million deal on the first day of the negotiating window.

Willis still does not have a ton of NFL experience despite being part of the 2022 NFL Draft class, but his limited action with Green Bay was extremely positive.

As our Warren Sharp notes, it is also promising that new Dolphins coach and former Packers DC Jeff Hafley signed off on the deal.

Jeff Halfley was the Packers defensive coordinator the last two years.

In practice, Malik Willis went up against his defense countless times.

No coach would probably have better appreciation for what Willis could bring to the table than Halfley.

And they rushed in to sign Willis just hours after agreeing to eat over $99M in dead cap from the Tua Tagovailoa.

Willis is very different from Tagovailoa.

The last two years, Tagovailoa had the #4 fastest time to throw at 2.4 seconds per attempt.

In Green Bay during that time, Willis averaged 2.72 seconds (NFL average).

Tua averaged 6.2 air yards per attempt, which was #6 shortest out of 65 QBs.

Willis averaged 8.8 air yards per attempt, which was #8 deepest out of 65 QBs.

Willis will likely hold the ball longer than Tagovailoa did in Mike McDaniel‘s offense, but with that comes his ability to create with his legs when things break down.

With Willis now in the fold, Miami has to focus on improving the pass protection in front of him, which was a constant concern during the Tagovailoa era.

Check out Rich Hribar's thoughts on Malik Willis' fantasy value in Miami

Panthers Get Pass Rush Help, Sign Jaelan Phillips

Carolina came into the offseason desperate for pass rushing help, and they got it on the first day of the negotiating window.

The Panthers agreed to terms with former Dolphins and Eagles EDGE Jaelan Phillips on a four-year, $120 million contract.

The Eagles reportedly made a strong push to re-sign Phillips, but it was not enough to keep him in-house.

Among all players with at least 200 pass rush snaps last season, Phillips ranked fifth with an 18.8% pressure rate.

That was the best rate of his career, but his 14.6% career pressure rate would have ranked in the top 25 among that same group last season.

Phillips should improve a big area of weakness for the Panthers.

Rams Land Another Former Chiefs Corner, Sign Jaylen Watson

The Rams entered free agency with serious questions at corner.

They shored up the unit by trading for and extending Trent McDuffie, and they dipped back into the former Chiefs corner market for even more help.

On Monday, the Rams agreed to terms with Jaylen Watson on a three-year, $51 million contract.

The secondary was the clear weakness of Los Angeles' defense last season, and they have already taken massive steps to correct that issue early in free agency.

With Matthew Stafford nearing the end of his career, the Rams are clearly throwing everything they can at one more Super Bowl run.

Colts Bring Back Alec Pierce, Trade Michael Pittman

The Colts had two strong candidates for the franchise tag ahead of the deadline last week.

They decided to use the transition tag to keep Daniel Jones in the fold, potentially allowing Alec Pierce to hit the open market.

That will not happen.

Just after the negotiating window opened, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported the Colts and Pierce agreed to a four-year, $116 million contract.

The deal reportedly includes $60 million fully guaranteed.

Pierce was already one of the better deep threats heading into last season, and he had easily his best season last year.

He set career highs in targets (84), receptions (47), and receiving yards (1,003) in 2025.

His per-snap numbers also were the best of his career.

Pierce averaged 2.11 yards per route and was targeted on 17.7% of his routes.

After re-signing Pierce, the Colts traded Michael Pittman to the Steelers in what appears to be a cost-cutting move.

Pittman topped 110 targets for five straight seasons for the Colts, but his usage in the last two seasons has been down.

Moving Pittman could open more full-field usage for Pierce moving forward.

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Travis Kelce Returning to Chiefs

Travis Kelce‘s NFL future has been in doubt since the end of the 2025 season.

On top of retirement rumors, there were reports that Kelce was willing to talk to other teams once the free agency negotiation window opened.

Neither of those realities will come to be, however.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports that Kelce will return to the Chiefs for another season.

Kelce's decline over the last two years is impossible to ignore.

He has averaged just 1.47 yards per route run and 6.9 yards per target the last two seasons.

Over the 10 seasons before that, he averaged 2.15 yards per route run and 8.9 yards per target.

His lows over that decade were still well above what we have seen in the last two seasons.

Even with Kelce back for another season, the Chiefs have to begin looking at the future at tight end and finding more help for Patrick Mahomes as he works back from a serious knee injury.

Dolphins Release Tua Tagovailoa

Some unsurprising news broke right on the doorstep of free agency when the Dolphins announced they will be releasing Tua Tagovailoa at the start of the new league year.

The move will reportedly be designated as a post-June 1 cut, which moves some of the dead cap hit from the 2026 books to 2027.

Still, Tagovailoa will take up $99.2 million of Miami's salary cap over the next two seasons including $67.4 million in 2026.

Miami also traded away S Minkah Fitzpatrick on Monday morning as they set up for what could be a long rebuild.

As for Tagovailoa, he enters into an oddly robust quarterback market, but he should get a chance to at least compete for a starting job next season.

That would be the case in Atlanta, who are reportedly “making a strong push” to sign Tagovailoa, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero.

Click here for Warren Sharp's deep dive into Tua Tagovailoa's recent struggles

Maxx Crosby Traded to Ravens

It had become crystal clear that EDGE Maxx Crosby‘s time was up with the Raiders.

The only real question left was where he would land.

That question was answered on the Friday night before free agency.

The Raiders sent Crosby to the Ravens in exchange for two first-round picks.

Baltimore struggled to create pressure last season, ranking 28th in the league in pressure rate and 31st in sacks per attempt.

They also have free agency concerns on the edge with both Dre'Mont Jones and Kyle Van Noy scheduled to hit the open market.

Crosby will bring more than a better pass rush with him to Baltimore.

He ranked third among all qualified defensive linemen in stuff rate last season, stopping the ball carrier at or behind the line of scrimmage on 6.5% of his run defense snaps.

Two firsts is a high price to pay for a player who is set to turn 29 in August, but Crosby fits the bill as a difference maker on defense.

Geno Smith Released by Raiders, Chargers Make Offensive Line Addition

The Raiders are a lock to select Fernando Mendoza at No. 1 overall, so there was no surprise when reports emerged that the team plans to release Geno Smith.

Smith just joined the Raiders last offseason via trade and signed a two-year, $75 million extension.

They still owe Smith $18.5 million guaranteed as part of that extension, but this move will save them $8 million against the cap.

The Smith trade turned out to be an abject disaster, but I have no room to criticize the Raiders' front office.

In last year's version of this very article, I praised the move, citing Smith's play and accuracy during his career renaissance in Seattle.

We did not see that version of Smith in Las Vegas.

He threw just 19 touchdowns to 17 interceptions, struggling mightily against consistent pressure.

Despite that awful season, Smith will likely land on his feet with a quarterback-needy team looking for a short-term answer or competition at the position.

Elsewhere in the AFC West, the Chargers made a much-needed addition to their offensive line ahead of free agency, signing C Tyler Biadasz to a three-year, $30 million contract.

Biadasz was cut by the Commanders last month as they looked to shed salary, but he remained a quality option in the middle last season.

Biadasz will take over the center spot from Bradley Bozeman, who retired earlier this offseason.

While the Chargers now have Biadasz in the fold and will get back both starting tackles from injury, they still have work to do at guard.

LG Zion Johnson is headed to free agency, and RG Mekhi Becton was just released.

D.J. Moore Traded to Buffalo Bills

The week before free agency is often dominated by trades, and that's exactly what we got on Thursday with the Bills acquiring D.J. Moore from the Bears.

Buffalo sent a second-round pick in the deal, getting back a fifth-round pick in return along with Moore.

Moore is coming off the least productive season of his career, catching 50 passes for 682 yards and 6 scores over 17 games.

He was less involved in the offense, setting career lows in yards per route run (1.23) and target rate per route (15.3%).

Those decreases could be early signs of decline, but Moore was in a new offense with quality target competition and suffered from some erratic quarterback play.

Moore's 16.5% off-target rate was well above the league average for all receivers with at least 250 routes.

While the Bills do have Khalil Shakir and Dalton Kincaid, two players who consistently earn targets when on the field, neither has been utilized as an every-snap player to this point in their careers.

Moore can be that for Josh Allen, potentially giving him his best outside weapon since the departure of Stefon Diggs.

The real concern is the price.

Moore is soon to be 29 and coming off the worst season of his career, which makes the inclusion of a second-round pick questionable at best.

As for Chicago, this trade allows them to build the offense around the young core of Rome Odunze, Colston Loveland, and Luther Burden III.

Burden was easily first on the team in yards per route run last season, and Loveland was second.

Getting both players more opportunities should only be a good thing for Chicago's offense and the development of Caleb Williams.

Chiefs Trade Trent McDuffie, Patriots Release Stefon Diggs

We are still a week away from free agency officially starting, but big moves are happening every day.

The biggest on Wednesday was a trade that sent former Chiefs All-Pro CB Trent McDuffie to the Rams in exchange for a package of draft picks that includes No. 29 overall this year.

McDuffie is headed into the final year of his rookie contract, but he is expected to sign a long-term extension with the Rams in the near future.

There was no surprise that the Rams made a splash in the corner market.

They are squarely in win-now mode, already needed help at corner last season, and have several players headed for free agency.

McDuffie should give them a solid No. 1 option to build around.

Elsewhere around the league, the Patriots released Stefon Diggs — or at least they plan to once the new league year begins.

Diggs quietly put together a solid season for the Patriots, grabbing 85 catches (9th among receivers) for 1,013 yards (15th) and 4 touchdowns (40th).

The underlying numbers were also good.

Among all receivers with at least 250 routes, Diggs ranked fifth in yards per route run (2.42) and 17th in target rate per route (24.4%).

He was not a full-time receiver, though, running a route on just 68.3% of New England's dropbacks despite playing all 17 games.

Moreover, the end of his season and postseason were marred by off-field stories.

Diggs showed last year that he can still earn targets when on the field, but those other questions will make his free agent market interesting.

Receiver was already a pressing need for the Patriots with Diggs on the roster, so it should be a primary focus over the next week.

New England has been linked with A.J. Brown, who played the first three years of his career under now Patriots coach Mike Vrabel when the pair were in Tennessee.

This Diggs move could set the table for that blockbuster trade.

Cardinals Release Kyler Murray

Unsurprisingly, the Cardinals have decided to move on from Kyler Murray, who they will release on the first day of the new league year (March 11).

Even if they make Murray a post-June 1 cut, Arizona will eat a lot of dead money on this year's cap to get Murray off the books, but the relationship had clearly come to an end.

Murray's next step will be interesting.

There are several quarterback-needy teams, as always, but his performance and injury histories raise a lot of red flags.

Warren Sharp wrote about one of Murray's biggest areas of weakness earlier this offseason. 

Colts Use Transition Tag on Daniel Jones, Jets Tag Breece Hall

The Colts had two potential franchise tag options in Daniel Jones and Alec Pierce.

They decided on the quarterback, although Jones received the less-often-used transition tag.

That tag allows Jones to negotiate with other teams, but the Colts retain the right to match any offer sheet Jones receives on the open market.

Functionally, this almost certainly means Jones will be with the Colts for at least this season, but a desperate team like the Vikings could put Indy in a tough spot with an offer sheet.

If Jones plays under the terms of the tag, he will receive $37.8 million in 2026.

The only other tag on deadline day went to Breece Hall, which had long been expected.

Hall will earn $14.3 million if he plays under the terms of the franchise tag in 2026.

The two sides have until July 15 to work out a long-term deal.

Lions trade David Montgomery to Texans

David Montgomery shot down rumors that he had requested out of Detroit, but the Lions moved him anyway, trading him to the Texans.

Montgomery became the clear second option in Detroit last season, touching the ball a career-low 182 times despite appearing in 17 games.

In Houston, he should offer a much better “big back” option than what the Texans got out of Nick Chubb last season, although there have to be some concerns about his ability to produce behind what will likely be a worse offensive line.

Even in something of a down year, the Lions ranked a full 12 spots ahead of the Texans in ESPN's run block win rate last season.

Detroit running back runs ranked fourth in yards before contact created, while the Texans ranked 25th in that metric.

The quality of running back play affects those numbers, but it is fair to expect Montgomery to get fewer favorable running lanes in Houston.

He is also soon to be 29, which raises questions about long-term viability.

Even so, he now faces less competition for carries and should be an upgrade for at least the short term.

As for the other side of the trade, the Lions will almost certainly add some help, but they have set things up to lean on Jahmyr Gibbs as the clear No. 1 back.

That should make fantasy players very happy.

George Pickens and Kyle Pitts earn early franchise tags

The deadline to place the franchise tag on free agents is March 3, but both the Cowboys and Falcons got an early jump on the action.

The Falcons went first, playing their tag on TE Kyle Pitts.

The one-year tender will earn Pitts just over $15 million in 2026 unless the two sides come to a long-term agreement in the next couple of months.

Pitts is coming off arguably his best season in the league, hauling in 88 passes for 928 yards and 5 touchdowns.

His air yards per target have fallen dramatically over the last two seasons, but Pitts' efficiency numbers looked much better in 2025.

He ranked ninth in yards per route run and target rate per route among qualifying tight ends.

Things could change under the new coaching staff, but it is promising that Kevin Stefanski, who has a history of utilizing tight ends in the passing game, was clearly on board with keeping Pitts around.

The Cowboys also kept an important member of the passing game in-house, putting the franchise tag on WR George Pickens.

Pickens was exceptional in his first season with the Cowboys, setting career-highs with 93 catches, 1,429 yards, and 9 touchdowns.

He provided a legit No. 1 receiver when CeeDee Lamb was out injured, and he remained a dangerous No. 2 option even when Lamb was back healthy.

While the tag will likely keep Pickens in Dallas, he will be free to negotiate with other NFL teams (the Cowboys can match any offer), and there are reports that Pickens will hold out in training camp if the two sides do not come to a long-term agreement by the July 15 deadline.

Despite all of that, this move makes it very likely Pickens will be in Dallas for the foreseeable future.

Notable Players Still Available

Notable players such as Daniel Jones, Kenneth Walker, and Trey Hendrickson remain available in 2026 NFL free agency.

Click here for a full list of available free agents

2026 NFL Free Agency FAQ

When does 2026 NFL free agency start?

The 2026 NFL free agency legal tampering period begins March 9, 2026. Players can officially sign contracts starting March 11, 2026 at 4 p.m. ET.

Who are the top 2026 NFL free agents?

The top 2026 NFL free agents include Kenneth Walker III (RB), Trey Hendrickson (EDGE), and Kyler Murray (QB).

When is the 2026 franchise tag deadline?

Teams must apply franchise tags by March 3, 2026. Top candidates include Breece Hall and Daniel Jones.

What is the salary cap for 2026 NFL free agency?

The 2026 NFL salary cap is approximately $301 million per team, up from $279.2 million in 2025.

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