NFL Free Agency Winners and Losers Day 2: Bryce Young, Derrick Henry, Danielle Hunter and More
A look at some of the teams and players affected by moves made on the second day of free agent negotiations.
There was no way the second day of free agency was going to compare to the first, but there were still a few big names on the move. Several teams hoping to contend made acquisitions they hope can push them over the edge.
Let’s go through some of the winners and losers of NFL free agency day 2. Contract numbers listed are generally the total reported numbers, not focusing on guaranteed money. That’s not the best way to analyze contracts, but it’s much simpler for the purpose of this article.
Winner: Bryce Young
A day after getting a pair of new guards on the offensive line, Young was gifted a new No. 1 receiver on Tuesday. Carolina agreed to trade cornerback Donte Jackson for Pittsburgh wide receiver Diontae Johnson, with late-round picks also being swapped.
It was reported the Panthers were going to cut Jackson if they couldn’t trade him, so they did well to get a talented player like Johnson in return. With Johnson in the last year of his contract, the team will have to work on an extension to avoid more franchise tag drama next offseason.
For 2024, though, Young already has a new offensive line and a top receiver to help him out.
Winner: Houston Texans
Houston is taking advantage of having a star quarterback and pass rusher both on rookie deals by adding impact players to help keep their place atop the division. Pass rusher Danielle Hunter was the big get on Tuesday after the team signed defensive lineman Denico Autry and linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair Monday.
Hunter and Will Anderson will pair as one of the best pass-rushing duos in the league: They combined for 23.5 sacks in 2023, and Anderson should only continue getting better.
Houston has brought in a lot of talent on defense over the first two days of free agency, adding more depth players, including former top-five pick cornerback Jeff Okudah on a low-cost flier.
Loser: Run defenses in the AFC North
Derrick Henry agreed to a two-year contract with the Baltimore Ravens (the first year guaranteed), adding one of the best running backs of the last decade to one of the best run games in football.
As injuries built up, the Ravens cycled through backs last year, seeing productive work from Gus Edwards, Keaton Mitchell and Justice Hill. Baltimore’s running game is built around Lamar Jackson, so running back has been secondary.
While aging, Henry is still a bruising back who had nearly 1,400 total yards and 12 touchdowns in 2023. He will likely work in more of a rotation than he has during the last half-decade, possibly helping him age gracefully. Jackson will help.
Baltimore was the top seed in the AFC last season, and they just upgraded their weakest offensive spot with a reasonable contract. Even a diminished Henry can be very good in Baltimore.
Winner: Competent quarterbacks
Baker Mayfield earned himself $40 million in 2024 by winning the worst division in football; Gardner Minshew, Jacoby Brissett, Tyrod Taylor and more got guaranteed money on day one.
The Minnesota Vikings agreed to a one-year deal with Sam Darnold worth up to $10 million after losing Kirk Cousins to Atlanta. Darnold has been one of the worst quarterbacks in football since entering the league, but he has a real chance to start for a team hoping to compete for the playoffs.
It’s nothing new that quarterbacks get paid. Cousins is averaging $45 million per year on his new deal. Quarterbacks who can come into a game and function, even if only as a backup, will get millions of dollars each season.
Loser: Chicago’s hopes for a second-round pick
With quarterbacks signing contracts to fill holes in Pittsburgh, Atlanta and Las Vegas, the suitors for Justin Fields have fallen off the board quickly. Minnesota might make the most sense, but a quarterback deal within the division will be tricky to pull off.
Instead, the best plan of action for the Bears is probably to keep Fields until the draft and see if someone misses out on their guy and gets desperate. Even in training camp, someone will get hurt and need to be replaced, and Fields has a cap hit of less than $4 million.
Chicago reportedly wanted a second-round pick for Fields but haven’t gotten any offers near that; they might be able to get a 2025 second rounder if they are patient. Immediate draft picks usually mean more, but the Bears would be wise to wait for the right deal.
Loser: Offensive tackles, for now
This will likely change to a group of winners by the time it’s all said and done. Guards and centers have gotten paid handsomely, and tackles always make more. Tyron Smith, Trent Brown, Jonah Williams and others are on the free market with varying levels of success and likely contract demands.
No one has cashed in yet, and this is considered a very good offensive line draft class, with multiple franchise-level prospects at both left tackle and right tackle. That might mean one or more of the veterans will have to wait to see who misses out on their targets and/or who suffers an injury.
It might just take one domino to set the market before others follow suit; either way, tackles are going to get paid, it’s just a matter of when that will start.
Losers who will be Winners: Fans of teams staying quiet
This comes from personal experience, as I had a friend who is a Seahawks’ fan complaining to me about the team’s lack of moves while other franchises have added splashy names (Seattle has just re-signed tight end Noah Fant and defensive tackle Leonard Williams).
It can be frustrating to see your team failing to make upgrades. Some fans are winning right now, while others are feeling agonizing defeat.
We have seen, though, how wrong things can go for the teams that “win the offseason.” The Jets in 2023 are a great example: Aaron Rodgers getting hurt robbed them of any chance to compete, but they were seen as the team likely to make the biggest jump after adding multiple players.
The “Dream Team” Eagles from 2011 added several big names and gave themselves Super Bowl expectations, only to finish 8-8 and miss the playoffs. Free agency goes wrong more often than it goes right, and those teams quiet right now will usually come out better in the long run.
Stay patient, especially if your team is Kansas City or Baltimore. It will probably pay off later.
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