While the NFL isn’t even a month removed from crowning the Philadelphia Eagles as Super Bowl LIX champions, free agency is already upon us. On Tuesday, the window to use franchise and transition tags closed, with only Tee Higgins (Cincinnati Bengals) and Trey Smith (Kansas City Chiefs) being given the former designations.
Now, with free agency’s tampering period starting March 10 before the new league year officially begins at 4 p.m. ET March 12, the moves are starting to be made across the league.
We’ll have every major signing, re-signing and trade graded below, starting with the most-recent action, including some big extensions in Buffalo, news out of Cincinnati and a blockbuster trade between the Seattle Seahawks and Las Vegas Raiders that reunited coach Pete Carroll and quarterback Geno Smith.
March 8
Ravens re-sign Ronnie Stanley
Despite being limited in their cap space, the Baltimore Ravens brought back their biggest pending free agent two days before the legal tampering period opened up.
Baltimore agreed on a three-year, $60 million extension with Pro Bowl left tackle Ronnie Stanley on Saturday, giving him $44 million guaranteed. It’s a nice payday for the 31-year-old, who last year played all 17 games for the first time in his career.
Stanley is an excellent blindside protector for Lamar Jackson, with the big question being his health. Before 2024, Stanley missed 26 games over the prior four seasons with a variety of injuries. However, after staying upright on his one-year, prove-it deal last year, he has cashed in and gives Baltimore security on the left side for years to come.
Grade: B+
Giants re-sign Jamiue Gillan
Perhaps nobody was more in need of rest after Week 18 for the New York Giants than Jamie Gillan, who punted the ball 56 times in just 13 games. That was somehow down considerably from 2023, when he punted 95 times for 4,371 yards.
This weekend, he was rewarded with a new three-year, $10.2 million deal to keep him punting at MetLife Stadium through the 2027 season. Last year, Gillan averaged 40.2 net yards per punt with 48.2% of his punts landing inside the 20-yard line.
At 27 years old, the British-born punter gets security while the Giants get some cost certainty on their special teams.
Grade: B
Lions re-sign Marcus Davenport
With Detroit facing the uncertainty of whether Aidan Hutchinson and Alim McNeill will be full-go to start the season, general manager Brad Holmes gave himself some cushion in the pass-rush department.
On Saturday, the Lions brought back veteran edge rusher Marcus Davenport on a one-year deal worth up to $4.5 million. It’s a bit of a lottery ticket for Holmes, as Davenport has only played six games over the past two years, including two with Detroit last season.
To this point, the 2018 first-round pick has been a career disappointment. He’s amassed only 24 sacks and, outside of having nine in 2021, has never been more than a rotational talent from a production perspective.
Grade: D
Chiefs re-sign Marquise ‘Hollywood’ Brown
On a morning when the Chiefs were made aware of some potentially bad news regarding second-year receiver Xavier Worthy, general manager Brett Veach added some insurance in that room.
Kansas City brought back Marquise “Hollywood” Brown on a one-year deal worth up to $11 million, giving him a second consecutive one-year contract. Last offseason, Veach signed Brown to a deal worth $7 million, but Brown was hurt on the first series of the preseason and didn’t return from his shoulder injury until Week 16.
Brown didn't produce much in five games with Kansas City (including playoffs). The 27-year-old caught just 14 passes for 141 yards and zero touchdowns.
Grade: C+
Bills extend Greg Rousseau
The Buffalo Bills have been incredibly busy getting ahead of next year’s work, already having extended slot receiver Khalil Shakir and linebacker Terrel Bernard this offseason.
On Saturday, they made their biggest move to date, extending 2021 first-round pick Greg Rousseau on a four-year, $80 million deal with $54 million guaranteed.
While the signings of both Shakir and Bernard got terrific grades in our tracker, this is a bit more risky. Rousseau is a good player, racking up 25 sacks and 66 quarterback hits over his first four seasons. However, he’s never had more than eight sacks in a season and appears to be more of a secondary pass rusher than the leader of that group on a contending team.
At 25 years old, there’s certainly still room to grow. That said, his $54 million guaranteed ranks fifth for all defensive ends, and while the number factors in a rising cap and potential for improvement, that’s a stretch considering Rousseau’s production.
Grade: C-
Bengals re-sign Mike Gesicki
It’s not what Bengals fans have been waiting for, but they got some good news Saturday.
General manager Duke Tobin was able to bring back part of Cincinnati’s skill-position talent, signing tight end Mike Gesicki to a three-year deal worth $25.5 million. Gesicki spent the first five years of his career with the Miami Dolphins before joining the New England Patriots in 2023. Then, on a one-year deal in Cincinnati, Gesicki found new life alongside quarterback Joe Burrow, catching 65 passes for 665 yards and two touchdowns.
On its face, the deal seems reasonable. Without knowing the guaranteed money, it’s likely a two-year deal for the 29-year-old. All told, Gesicki is being paid as the 14th-best at his position by annual value, tied with Tyler Higbee of the Los Angeles Rams.
Grade: B
March 7
Seahawks trade QB Geno Smith to Raiders
The Raiders landed their starting quarterback for 2025, sending the third-round pick (92nd) that they landed in the Davante Adams deal to Seattle for Smith, who is now reunited with new Las Vegas coach Pete Carroll.
For Vegas, the 34-year-old Smith stabilizes a position that’s been wildly unsteady since the release of Derek Carr two offseasons ago—and gives the team a playoff quarterback that can effectively buy Carroll and new GM John Spytek time to find a longer-term answer (a la Alex Smith in Kansas City). Smith should also give the team a better shot at attracting veteran offensive talent to Vegas.
The Seahawks are here because of a divide in opinion on Smith’s contractual value (Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer reports they were around $10 million per year apart), and it’s hard to truly assess the deal for them without knowing the next move. But rumblings have Sam Darnold potentially landing in Seattle, in which case, GM John Schneider will have swapped out Smith for Darnold—and come away with a third-round pick for his troubles.
Seahawks grade: Incomplete (But a tentative B with the Darnold possibility)
Raiders grade: B
Bills re-sign Terrel Bernard
Buffalo has had a busy offseason and free agency isn’t even underway.
On Friday, the Bills and standout linebacker Terrel Bernard agreed on a four-year, $48 million extension, keeping him in Buffalo through the 2029 season.
Bernard has been a menace in the middle of the Bills’ defense over the past two seasons, recording 247 tackles, 7.5 sacks and five interceptions. One of the more versatile linebackers in the league, he gives Buffalo an excellent combination at the second level alongside All-Pro Matt Milano.
Grade: A
Buccaneers re-sign Lavonte David
Tampa Bay still has work to do before the new league year begins on Wednesday, but general manager Jason Licht took a step Friday by bringing back longtime linebacker Lavonte David.
David, 35, is entering his 13th NFL season, all with the Buccaneers, and is still one of the more productive linebackers in the sport. Last year, David played in all 17 games for the NFC South champs and recorded 5.5 sacks with 122 tackles and an interception.
With David back on the fold, Tampa Bay can turn its attention to Chris Godwin, who is slated to hit free agency in less than a week. If the Buccaneers can bring him back, it’ll be a fantastic spot to work from for Licht as the tampering period begins on Monday.
Grade: B+
Lions re-sign Derrick Barnes
The Lions made their first impactful move of the offseason on Friday, re-signing Derrick Barnes on a three-year, $25.5 million deal that’ll keep him in Detroit through the 2027 campaign.
Barnes, 25, was limited last year to only three games with a torn MCL and PCL in his right knee. However, that didn’t stop general manager Brad Holmes from keeping Barnes in-house on a large deal.
With Barnes having played starter snaps over the past two seasons, the Lions are relying heavily on him to return in fine form with stars Aidan Hutchinson and Alim McNeill also coming back from significant injuries on the defensive side.
Grade: C
March 6
Commanders re-sign Bobby Wagner
Washington shocked the football world last season by getting all the way to the NFC title game. Apparently, the Commanders aren’t looking to make any unnecessary changes.
With only days before the negotiating period, Washington re-signed its future Hall of Fame inside linebacker in Wagner to a one-year deal worth up to $9.5 million. Wagner will be playing his second season with the Commanders, having posted 132 tackles and two sacks in the regular season last year.
At 34 years old, Wagner is one of the oldest starters in the league and will eventually need to be replaced with a younger, more athletic tackler at the second level. In the meantime, though, Washington has its defensive leader back in the fold.
Grade: B
Texans agree to trade for WR Christian Kirk
With the new league year only six days away, the Houston Texans and Jacksonville Jaguars executed a rare intra-division trade.
With slot receiver Christian Kirk likely to be released by the Jaguars, new general manager James Gladstone instead dealt him to the Texans for a 2026 seventh-round pick. For Houston, the move makes sense as the 28-year-old comes over to replace Tank Dell, who could miss the whole upcoming season after tearing multiple knee ligaments in Week 16.
With Stefon Diggs also slated to hit free agency (and also coming back from a torn ACL), the Texans were thin at receiver. Now, they add Kirk, who does count for a significant cap charge of $15.5 million. It does make one wonder whether general manager Nick Caserio could have waited for Kirk to be released and then signed him at a cheaper rate.
Jaguars grade: C-
Texans grade: C
Vikings extend safety Theo Jackson
Minnesota has a pair of impact players in its secondary hitting free agency in slot corner Byron Murphy Jr. and safety Cam Bynum. In that vein, it appears general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah is getting ahead of the potential issue, signing Jackson to a two-year extension, keeping him with the Vikings through 2027.
The deal is worth $12.6 million with the first two years fully guaranteed. While it’s not an enormous sum, the raise portends Jackson playing more snaps for Minnesota. Last season, he saw just 7% of the defensive snaps under coordinator Brian Flores.
With uncertainty looming on the Vikings’ back end, it appears Jackson will be doing more than just contributing on special teams in 2025.
Grade: B
Rams re-sign Tutu Atwell
While Cooper Kupp and Demarcus Robinson could be headed elsewhere this offseason, general manager Les Snead made it a priority to keep Atwell in house.
On Thursday morning, the Los Angeles Rams signed Atwell to a one-year, $10 million deal. Atwell, 25, finished up his rookie deal in 2024 with his best season to date, totaling 42 catches on 62 targets for 562 yards, albeit without a touchdown. If Los Angeles does move off Kupp and Robinson, Atwell would be a nice third option alongside star Puka Nacua and another addition.
Grade: B-
March 5
Maxx Crosby signs extension with Raiders
Only hours after announcing the deal for center Alex Cappa, the Las Vegas Raiders made much bigger waves by re-signing their best player.
Crosby and Las Vegas agreed to a three-year, $106 million extension with $91 million guaranteed, potentially keeping Crosby with the franchise that drafted him throughout his career.
Crosby, 27, had 7.5 sacks last season in 12 games and made the Pro Bowl for the fourth consecutive year. He’s a two-time All-Pro who is now signed long-term to be a pillar for the Pete Carroll regime. Over his six-year career, Crosby has 59.5 sacks but is still looking for his first playoff victory, something Carroll aims to bring.
Grade: A
Zack Baun re-signs with Eagles
In a move that goes against everything general manager Howie Roseman is, the Eagles decided to pay an off-ball linebacker in Zack Baun.
Philadelphia kept its first-team All-Pro middle linebacker off the market by agreeing to a three-year deal worth up to $51 million.
After spending four lackluster years with the New Orleans Saints, Baun signed a one-year deal with the Eagles and thrived under defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, totaling 151 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, five forced fumbles, five quarterback hits and 3.5 sacks.
With Baun locked up, Roseman still has a couple of key pieces to retain in edge rusher Josh Sweat and defensive tackle Milton Williams.
Grade: B+
Chiefs trade Joe Thuney to the Bears
The Kansas City Chiefs made a surprising move Wednesday morning, dealing All-Pro left guard and team MVP Joe Thuney to the Chicago Bears in exchange for a 2026 fourth-round pick.
Thuney, 32, is entering the last season of a five-year deal and will likely be having extension talks with general manager Ryan Poles, who was part of the front office which acquired Thuney in free agency four years ago. Now, Thuney joins Jonah Jackson as part of a revamped Chicago interior as the Bears try to give second-year quarterback Caleb Williams a better chance to succeed.
Meanwhile, the Chiefs are getting younger at the position while making a risky bet that second-year man Kingsley Suamataia can step into Thuney’s shoes. This move was necessary, however, with Kansas City placing the franchise tag on right guard Trey Smith with the intention of getting a long-term, market-setting deal done. The move also clears $16 million in cap space for the AFC champions.
Chiefs grade: C+
Bears grade: B+
Alex Cappa signs with the Raiders
After being released by the Cincinnati Bengals earlier in the week, Cappa found a new home on a two-year, $11 million contract with the Las Vegas Raiders.
Frankly, it’s a bit of a head-scratcher. Yes, the Raiders struggled to block last season, ranking 20th in sack rate while allowing 50 sacks, seventh-most in football. However, Cappa struggled mightily last season, permitting the most sacks, hurries and pressures of any guard, according to Pro Football Focus.
The money and terms aren’t excessive for a 30-year-old who has started 96 NFL games, but it seems an overly aggressive play for a veteran who was going to sit on the market.
Grade: D
This article was originally published on www.si.com as NFL Free-Agency Tracker 2025: Grading Every Major Move.