It might not have been as fast-paced as the opening of free agency Tuesday, but there were plenty of signings and impact deals reached Wednesday. The moves provided a clearer picture into what teams are thinking for the 2014 season and, therefore, the NFL draft in May.
Here are a few of the free agent moves that could result in some changes to draft boards across the league.
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Draft impact: A big question for the Bucs and whom they would target with the No. 7 pick was whether Mike Glennon did enough last year to be Lovie Smith's guy at quarterback. Wednesday provided a big clue. It wasn't just that Tampa Bay signed Josh McCown, but that Smith publicly came out and said he was the starter. That probably means the Bucs can scratch Teddy Bridgewater, Blake Bortles and Johnny Manziel as targets at No. 7 and will probably go after a tackle such as Taylor Lewan or Jake Matthews.
Draft impact:In other unsurprising news, the Browns essentially signaled that they'll be taking a quarterback early in the draft by releasing Brandon Weeden and Jason Campbell. Whether this ends up being one of the top three quarterbacks with the No. 4 pick or possibly Derek Carr, whom the Brownsreportedly are very high on, with the No. 26 pick remains to be seen.
Draft impact: This situation was building for weeks, so it was only a matter of time before the Bucs dumped cornerback Darrelle Revis if they didn't find a trade partner. It didn't take long before Revis made his way to New England, so this move really affected two franchises: For the Bucs, they whiffed on getting additional picks in a deep draft. For the Pats, they no longer need to target a cornerback in the first round and can move to fill holes on both lines with an impact rookie.
Draft impact: More than a few folks thought Detroit would look for a running mate for Calvin Johnson, and while there was talk of moving up to get Sammy Watkins, that seems to be less likely now. Too bad, because Watkins' idea of a Megatron-Starscream combo sounded awesome for writers and dangerous to defenses. Now it seems like the club will go after a top flight corner at No. 10 and then look for a tight end early in the second round.
Draft impact: It's not a good sign when your jersey disappears from the team store and an even worse sign for your future when reports about your difficult personality start to surface. The departure of Steve Smith should only increase the talk that the club will target a wideout at No. 28 -- Matt Smith and Daniel Jeremiah have the Panthers taking Marqise Lee in their pre-free-agency mock drafts -- but given the depth at the position this year, don't be shocked if they also address a need at corner first.
Draft impact: Whatever John Elway has in his war room is having quite an effect on free agents this year, and Ware is the latest to sign up for the orange and blue. The Broncos are drafting late, but given the depth of talent this year, they could still land a quality offensive lineman to protect Peyton Manning in another year of chasing a Super Bowl.
Draft impact: Dallas knows it can find good receiver at a low cost somewhere later in the draft. That made Miles Austin expendable and shouldn't change Jerry Jones' overall strategy this May.
Draft impact: The Giants have quietly made some smart moves this off-season, and keeping Jon Beason qualifies as one of them. Linebacker is still an issue for the team, but at least keeping Beason around means the Giants can wait until the second round or later to help the linebacking corps out if they don't find Khalil Mack or Anthony Barr fall to them at No. 12.
Draft impact: Run-stuffing tackles playing at a high level are tough to come by, so keeping Randy Starks around is a big win for Miami. Depth is still an issue in the trenches for the Dolphins, but they clearly don't have a pressing need at No. 19 for a defensive tackle like they once did. Expect offensive-line help early and a backup for Starks to come from the middle rounds.
Draft impact: Baltimore could have opted to replace Jacoby Jones through the draft, but keeping the dangerous return man/receiver around provides a familiar face for Joe Flacco to target. The Ravens could go a number of directions with the No. 17 pick, but it seems doubtful they'd move up and chase a top receiver after committing money to Jones.
Follow Bryan Fischer on Twitter @BryanDFischer.
