The first surge of 2025 NFL free agency was closer to a ripple than a full-crested swell.
With a shallow crop of free agents, most clubs prioritized retaining their own and spending on extensions. Outside of a few big-money deals, most of the market has been relatively rational -- certainly, there was no Kirk Cousins, $180 million for a QB coming off an Achilles injury type of move.
We'd known for months that it would be a mostly muted frenzy compared to past years. The market was mostly flooded with 30-somethings on the back nine of their careers. The slow-moving receiver market (pun partially intended), where many well-known names still linger into the second and third waves, underscores the lesser appetite from clubs to shell out for aging players.
Moves will still percolate. Players will still find jobs. Aaron Rodgers will eventually choose a home. The Cincinnati Bengals drama must still unfold. And, of course, the draft is a significant touchstone. Trades may happen. And extensions will surely occur this summer, as always. But the biggest free-agent signings are mostly done.
As with all offseason acquisitions, some will pan out better than others. I've been tasked with sorting out what I deem the best and riskiest moves of the initial free agency foray. I won't row down every stream, as plenty of other voices have already provided commentary on the winners and losers each step of the way.
NOTE: Players are listed with the ages they will be on Sept. 4, when the 2025 NFL season is set to kick off.
BEST MOVES
- CONTRACT: Three years, $66 million with $44 million fully guaranteed at signing.
General manager Jason Licht doesn't garner enough national credit for continuing to keep his core together. Forecasts of doom following Tom Brady's retirement proved inept. Coaching changes, including multiple offensive coordinator swaps, haven't sunk the ship. The Bucs simply keep chugging along, winning four consecutive division titles. I don't care that the NFC South has mostly been a dumpster fire; that's an impressive streak, particularly when most teams crater amid quarterback changes.
Retaining Godwin on a team-friendly deal is an absolute coup. NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported that the wideout left about $20 million on the table. Not many people on the planet overlook that sort of coin. Godwin's reasons seemed genuine -- he didn't want to uproot his family and is comfortable in Tampa. That commitment speaks to the type of club Licht has fostered.
From a strictly on-field perspective, keeping Godwin, even as he comes off another significant injury, will be a boon as the Bucs transition to new coordinator Josh Grizzard. Godwin was on a heater before suffering the Week 7 ankle dislocation -- on pace for a career-high 1,399 yards. Keeping the 29-year-old paired with the ageless Mike Evans ensures Barker Mayfield plenty of weapons. Add an ascending Jalen McMillan, and the Bucs have a trio to match any in the league. After Godwin spent more time out wide early last season, I expect the veteran to man the slot more following McMillan’s emergence as a boundary wideout.
Not only does retaining Godwin for relatively cheap keep the trio together in 2025, but if Evans decides to retire in the next couple of seasons, the Bucs have an excellent transition in place with Godwin and McMillan.
- TRADE: Acquired in a deal with the Texans, along with a 2025 fourth-round pick, in exchange for third- and seventh-round picks in 2025 and second- and fourth-round picks in 2026.
Smart teams capitalize when star rookie quarterbacks are on cheap deals. GM Adam Peters has done so this offseason by trading for Deebo Samuel, who adds needed YAC to Kliff Kingsbury's offense, and a smashing swap for a top-shelf left tackle. The Tunsil trade bears some resemblance to the 49ers swiping Trent Williams from Washington when Peters was in the San Francisco front office. I'm not comparing a then-disgruntled 32-year-old Williams to a 30-year-old Tunsil, but rather noting that acquiring a difference-making left tackle can alter an offense. Peters knows this firsthand.
Tunsil has his foibles, including an eye-popping 19 penalties last year -- many of the avoidable pre-snap variety -- and is coming off a down year on a horrific Houston offensive line. That makes this a good time to buy for Washington. Even in a relatively off year, Tunsil can still pass protect. He can be a wall on the left side, allowing help to go elsewhere. He should immediately make Jayden Daniels' life easier. As a rookie, Daniels was sacked 47 times. Many were on the QB holding the ball, trying to make something happen -- 13 by Pro Football Focus's count. In addition to Daniels being savvier in Year 2, the presence of Tunsil should give the QB an extra beat to find a target or take off.
The less-discussed aspect of adding Tunsil is the cascading benefit it could have along the rest of the line. The Commanders liked Brandon Coleman's progress at left tackle last season but didn't shy away from an upgrade. The trade opens up the possibility of moving the third-round pick elsewhere. Sam Cosmi's playoff knee injury clouds the group. Given the timeline, he's likely to miss the start of the season and might take some time to get his legs underneath him. Coleman could shift inside to left guard -- where he played some at TCU -- and push Nick Allegretti to replace Cosmi at right guard. Or Washington could move Coleman to right tackle and bump Andrew Wylie inside. The flexibility was needed, given the Cosmi injury.
- CONTRACT: Three years, $60 million.
I'm surprised that Stanley inked a deal worth $20 million per year when it seemed destined that someone would throw buckets of money, pantloads of money at him. Kudos to the Ravens for keeping Lamar Jackson's blind-side protector from hitting the market, where lesser offensive linemen were getting bills heaved their way. You know it's a deal when the Ravens eschewed a potential compensatory pick to lock him up.
Yes, there were always risks in signing Stanley to a long-term pact. He's missed a ton of games over his career, playing in 15-plus in just three of nine seasons. It helped that 2024 was the first time in his career he did play a full slate. The soon-to-be 31-year-old is coming off a Pro Bowl season in which he displayed how sturdy he can be when on the field.
The top tackle heading into free agency isn't even in the top 10 in per-year average salary among OTs. That's a W for the organization. The deal became a good one when the Ravens weren't forced to get to a $23 million- or $25 million-per-year figure to retain their left tackle. I also like the short-term nature of the pact for both sides. The structure allows Baltimore to get out of the deal relatively free after two years if the injury bug respawns. Likewise, if Stanley stays healthy and keys a Super Bowl run in Baltimore, he can push for a re-up in 2027 when no guaranteed money is left.
- CONTRACT: Three years, $35 million.
Is it risky to sign a player who played a grand total of 34 snaps coming off an Achilles injury? Certainly. But it's also how you get a reasonable rate. Greenlaw felt like a sure bet to ink a one-year deal to show he was fully healthy before hitting the market again. For that reason, it was smart of the Broncos to tack on extra years to entice Greenlaw to leave San Francisco.
Turning 28 this offseason, Greenlaw remains one of the top linebackers in the NFL. His two-plus quarters played last year were some of the best any linebacker put on film. Question the injury? Sure. Question the film? Nope. If he's healthy next season, this is a smashing move for Vance Joseph's defense.
Greenlaw is the type of patroller Denver needs behind Zach Allen, Johnathan Cooper and the up-field pass rushers. He can gobble up ball-carriers and is a premier cover linebacker. Greenlaw is an immediate upgrade against running backs and tight ends in the passing game, where the Broncos were peppered last season (179 total catches allowed between RBs and TEs).
You're telling me I can get a difference-making coverage linebacker for a shade over Azeez Al-Shaair money? Yes, please. I'll worry about potential injury fallout later.
- CONTRACT: One year, $18 million that's fully guaranteed.
The fan base of every team that needed pass-rush aid this offseason was clamoring for its club to sign Mack. Instead, the Chargers get their top pass rusher back relatively cheaply. Given some of the projections -- Pro Football Focus, for one, had Mack earning a two-year deal for an average of $22.5 million per season with $40 million guaranteed -- $18 million for a season is a win for L.A.
With Joey Bosa out the door, retaining Mack was essential. The 34-year-old's sack number might have dipped, but he still led the Chargers with 54 QB pressures in 2024, 20th among all edge rushers. He's not a spry chicken, but Mack owns the relentlessness and savvy to continue to disrupt the passer. His fit in Jesse Minter's defense is ideal, with the versatility to drop into coverage when needed.
It's smart for both sides to go year by year at this stage. Entering Year 12, Mack still hasn't won a playoff game -- a stunning fact for a future Hall of Famer. Mack was well worth the price to return, as he and the Chargers chase that elusive postseason success.
RISKIEST MOVES
It was clear Carolina needed to upgrade a defense that got bulldozed on the ground and diced up through the air in 2024. The Panthers allowed a woeful 3,057 rushing yards, the third-most in a season all time. The unit generated a league-low 25.5 percent quarterback pressure rate and recorded a 32nd-ranked 152 total pressures.
Reinforcements were needed, but my word, did GM Dan Morgan shell out cash this offseason.
The Panthers made Jaycee Horn the highest-paid defensive back in the NFL, a semi-surprising move, considering he's never played a full slate of games. With Horn coming off by far his best season, Carolina is paying a premium for a player it believes will continue to ascend. Getting ahead of future deals for Sauce Gardner and Derek Stingley Jr. was smart, but giving Horn a bigger contract than Defensive Player of the Year Patrick Surtain II? Meh.
Morgan wasn't done shelling out cash, handing $17 million per year to safety Tre'von Moehrig, making him the fifth-highest paid at the position. I liked the ballhawk's improvement over the past two seasons, but that's a hefty price. And Patrick Jones II got two years, $20 million, despite a 6.7 percent pass-rush win rate.
Carolina responded to missing out on Milton Williams by spending $54 million ($30 million guaranteed) on Tershawn Wharton, a rotational interior defender in Kansas City. Wharton is coming off a career year with 6.5 sacks, nearly doubling his career total. Paying a player after one year of meaningful production is the definition of risk.
We knew the Panthers needed to spend to upgrade a woeful defense. But let's put it this way: I like the New England Patriots’ overpays better.
- CONTRACT: Four years, $82 million with $50 million guaranteed and $30 million in Year 1.
I want to trust offensive line guru Bill Callahan can make anything work, but with the Titans coming off a woeful 2024 campaign up front, they responded by making Moore a top-10 offensive tackle by salary. Tennessee is paying $20.5 million annually over four years for a man who Steelers fans wanted to run out of town for years. There is something to be said for the fact that Pittsburgh always turned back to Moore in times of need, and his durability is not in question. But we currently live in a world where Dan Moore makes more than Lane Johnson ($20 million per year). That's livin' in The Upside Down. The Moore signing makes the Ravens locking up Stanley for $20 million per year even better.
The addition should flip JC Latham to his more natural right tackle spot after a roller-coaster year on the left side. Last season, the Titans were pitiful at right tackle, a hole they could never seem to plug. The Moore signing at least puts a plan in place to stop the gushing flow off the edge. The Titans also added an upgrade with Kevin Zeitler at guard. The 35-year-old was solid in Detroit but began to break down late, as aging linemen often do. This is a one-year band-aid in Tennessee.
Back to Moore, who is coming off his best season but still allowed 12 sacks and 41 QB pressures, per Pro Football Focus. Sure, the sacks came with Justin Fields and Russell Wilson, two signal-callers prone to invite pressure, but Moore is not yet a trusty $20 million rock. On the plus side, he's still just 26 years old and does have the size and profile to improve. The Titans are betting Callahan can aid that development. I just wish the bet wasn’t so big.
We knew the Texans wouldn't enter the 2025 season with the same offensive line that mightily struggled in 2024. One of the worst groups in the NFL rarely opened holes in the running game and left C.J. Stroud ducking for cover far too often.
Trading Kenyon Green was an obvious move. He wasn't improving in Houston, and the former first-round pick fluctuated from hurt to ineffective. That the Texans got more than a box of drywall screws back was an excellent return. I can also see the rationale in moving on from Laremy Tunsil, cashing out for draft assets. Releasing Shaq Mason was also necessary after his struggles.
Starting from bare bones, however, comes with inherent risk. The only move Houston has actually made to bolster the unit was inking Laken Tomlinson to a low-cost deal. Tomlinson is on the clear downslope of his career but has consistently been available to play 1,000-plus snaps each of the past eight years. He's better than what the Texans had at guard last year. However, he's far from a stable answer.
There are questions from left to right along the line. Will Tytus Howard play tackle or guard? Will Blake Fisher improve at right tackle after taking over for Howard last year? Can Houston find a legitimate plug-and-play answer in the draft? Multiple answers? With much of the free-agent pile picked over, will the Texans find starters that fit new offensive coordinator Nick Caley's scheme?
The changes aren't horrific -- in part, because I don't think it was possible for the Texans to get worse along the O-line than they were last year. But there is risk involved in setting out toward Stroud's third season with massive question marks in front of the young passer.
EDITOR'S UPDATE: After publishing on Thursday, the Texans sent a 2026 sixth-round pick to the Vikings in exchange for offensive guard Ed Ingram.
- CONTRACT: Three years, $100.5 million with $55 million guaranteed and $37.5 million in Year 1.
Sports writing in the 21st century dictates that every hot topic must be plowed so deep that the Earth's core is lacerated before we move on to the next one. As such, every football scribe or orator must have a take on the Seahawks flipping Geno Smith for Sam Darnold.
Here is a room-temperature-milk read of the situation: I understand it, but I don't have to love it.
I get that Seattle got younger. I get that Smith didn't want to take another lesser offer. I get that the club refused to meet those demands. I get that Smith might not have been a perfect fit in Klint Kubiak's offense. I get that Darnold has experience with the new offensive coordinator and fits that vision better.
The fact remains: Darnold is a downgrade.
I appreciate that the Seahawks didn't massively overpay for Darnold. The assumption heading into free agency was that someone would plop down $40 million-plus per year for the top QB on the market. It's become the going rate. That belief is what worried me about inking Darnold. For once, restraint won out, and the market didn't overpay for a quarterback with one good season of play. Darnold getting a Baker Mayfield-type deal makes far more sense. There needs to be a middle class in QB contracts.
Even with the favorable contract and the projected fit in Kubiak's offense, I still don't like Darnold in Seattle as the centerpiece of a transition. Replacing Smith with Darnold is like substituting prosciutto with tavern ham.
Darnold is going from the cushiest of offenses with a sublime play-caller in Kevin O’Connell, a catch machine in Justin Jefferson, good secondary weapons in Jordan Addison and T.J. Hockenson, and solid if unspectacular blocking. The interior blocking wasn't good in Minnesota, but it was head and shoulders better than what Smith dealt with in Seattle.
Now, Darnold is stepping into a situation with one ascending receiver in Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who is a primary slot, an aging Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Jake Bobo as his top targets. The offensive line massively underperformed last season, and the interior is one of the worst in the league.
If the plan was to save some money at QB to fortify the line, you can't get outbid for Will Fries. You must win those negotiations. We've seen Darnold when pressure is in his face constantly. He's spooked -- and I'm not just talking about seeing ghosts. If he unraveled in an offense perfectly set up for him, how will he perform in a much less-than situation?
Perhaps John Schneider has some tricks up his sleeve. Maybe he can have a turn-back-the-clock draft like those early 2010s when he was plucking producers at every turn. He needs to, or the makes-sense-on-paper plan to trade an aging QB for a younger, cheaper one will age like sour milk.