NFL free agency: Grading 2025's biggest deals
The NFL's legal tampering period has begun. That contradictory statement means that even though the 2025 free agent period won't officially open until March 12 at 4 p.m. ET, teams can begin unofficially talking to their offseason targets and reporting deals on March 10.
It's the start of a busy week for team executives, coaches, players, agents and the bustling sports media ecosystem. The combination of a tame free agent class and a higher-than-expected $279.2 million 2025 salary cap means we're likely to see big bidding wars for players who may not have been pegged for massive deals at the end of the season. Almost everyone has cash to splash; in a market where Jevon Holland and Josh Sweat may be the best players available, this could lead to some great contracts for good veterans.
We'll have all the signings across the top 104 free agents in our tracker. Here's where we'll toss out some snap judgments on the biggest deals of 2025.
The Cardinals get the pass rushing boost they badly needed
The deal: Arizona Cardinals sign EDGE Josh Sweat to a four-year, $76.1 million contract ($41 million guaranteed)
From Cardinals sign Josh Sweat: Grading Arizona's addition of the stalwart pass-rusher:
Defensive end Josh Sweat just might be the kind of addition that starts to put the Cardinals over the top. On Monday, Arizona and Sweat agreed to a lucrative four-year, $76 million deal with $41 million guaranteed. After an eight-sack, nine tackle-for-loss, and 15 quarterback-hit 2024 season, Sweat is officially jumping ship from the reigning Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles to reunite with Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon, his former defensive coordinator in Philly. It's a signing that really fits both parties like a glove.
Above all, Sweat gives the Cardinals more credibility. Arizona had an above-average defense last season, and this was with a depth chart that didn't have too many notable field-tilters outside of All-Pro safety Budda Baker. Sweat won't necessarily make any offensive coordinators lose sleep, but he does have to be accounted for, and he does raise the Cardinals' ceiling. At a certain point, every competent defense needs name players the offense actually has to worry about. You can't get by on Arizona's depth and development approach to this point forever.
Is Sweat worth the deal? Given his familiarity with Gannon and the general tenor of this free agency market, I'd probably have to lean yes. Under Gannon's guidance from 2021 to 2022, Sweat earned the only Pro Bowl nod of his career so far and had 18.5 total sacks and 36 quarterback hits in that same time. That's a bona fide star player you can help build an entire defensive unit around. With all due respect to capable veterans like Justin Jones and Mack Wilson Sr., no one was game-planning for them. It's a somewhat crude sentiment, but no one thought, "We have to stop This Guy at all costs."
Grade: B
The Bears take advantage of the Falcons' salary cap snafu
The deal: Chicago Bears sign DT Grady Jarrett to a three-year, $43.5 million contract ($28.5 million guaranteed)
Jarrett was a late salary cap casualty, ending a decade-long run with the Atlanta Falcons. While his impact is waning in his 30s, he can still be a significant boost for Chicago's backsliding defense.
A 7.4 percent pressure rate anchored by the slowest get-off rate of his career made Jarrett a relatively non-factor in the pass rush, leading to only 2.5 sacks last fall. But the former All-Pro remained stout when it came to disrupting running lanes and frustrating interior linemen. Jarrett recorded a tackle on nearly 15 percent of his run snaps and boasted a top-five run-stuff rate among tackles.
That's a big deal! The Bears ranked 29th in the NFL by allowing 4.9 yards per carry. Their -0.025 expected points added (EPA) per run ranked 26th. This was not a unit that could be trusted to keep opponents from grinding out yards and grinding down the clock.
Jarrett can help fix that even before getting to his status as a locker room leader. This was a smart addition for the Bears, even if the veteran's Pro Bowl days are behind him.
Grade: A-
The Broncos' defense gets a massive boost (if Talanoa Hufanga can return to 2022 form)
The deal: Denver Broncos sign S Talanoa Hufanga to a three-year, $45 million contract ($20 million guaranteed)
The good news: the Broncos and their top-ranked defense just added a 2022 All-Pro for just $20 million in guarantees.
The bad news: Talanoa Hufanga played 17 total games the last two seasons.
Hufanga emerged as a valuable safety in 2022, creating havoc in the passing game (four interceptions, nine passes defensed) while teleporting across the field to snuff out runs (97 tackles, five for loss). Injuries cut short the next two seasons and he struggled while on the field last fall. Targeting metrics are always a little wonky for safeties, but Pro Football Reference pegs him with only a single incompletion on 13 targets last season. His effectiveness on the ground waned as well. He had a 12.1 percent run stop rate in his breakthrough 2022 but has barely cracked 10 percent the last two seasons.
It's possible that's a matter of health. A full offseason and a change of scenery could restore him to lofty heights. Or be may simply be an average player now. With only $20 million in guarantees this amounts to a one-year gamble for the Broncos. That's a risk the team can afford to take after jump-starting their rebuild last season.
Grade: A-
The Panthers commit to a proven, young and *expensive* secondary
The deal: Carolina Panthers sign S Tre'Von Moehrig to a three-year, $51 million contract
Carolina kicked off its day by making Jaycee Horn the league's highest-paid cornerback. Hours later, the Panthers made Moehrig the NFL's fifth-highest-paid safety.
Moehrig is an over-the-top boon who has the size to crash toward the line of scrimmage as a run stopper as well. That's important, because the Panthers don't currently have a starting safety next to him (Xavier Woods and Jordan Fuller are both free agents). This versatility means the franchise can cast a wider net when it comes to its next safety upgrade -- flexibility that allows Carolina to wait out the market and see which bargains could linger after Monday's initial spending spree.
The money isn't excessive for a player who still has room to grow into a perennial Pro Bowler. Moehrig can be defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero's Swiss Army Knife in the middle of the field and just the thing the once-vaulted assistant needs to prove his play-calling bonafides. Moehrig may not be a big name, but he's one that will make the Panthers reliably better.
Grade: B+
The Jets find another quarterback reclamation project
The deal: New York Jets sign QB Justin Fields to a two-year, $40 million contract ($30 million guaranteed)
The Pittsburgh Steelers may have been leaning toward making Fields their primary quarterback in 2025. Then they traded for DK Metcalf, pairing him with George Pickens to give Pittsburgh a pair of dynamic downfield threats. That meant Russell Wilson's moon balls were a better fit for the Steelers and Fields could spread his wings elsewhere.
He landed in New York where, if nothing else, the bar is low. The Jets can give him a dynamic running back in Breece Hall and a viable WR1 in Garrett Wilson, but the supporting cast is limited for a player who has struggled to push his offenses to a new gear. Fields's deep shots occasionally scrape the face of glory, but have mostly fizzled across four seasons in the NFL. His biggest asset is his mobility, which will be a drastic change for an offense built to protect a 41-year-old coming off a torn Achilles last season.
Still, Fields has some untapped potential and $20 million for a starting quarterback isn't terrible. The onus now is on Aaron Glenn to perform an even more impressive act of career CPR than his former co-worker Ben Johnson did with Jared Goff in their time with the Detroit Lions. If nothing else, Fields could make the Jets more fun to watch in 2025 than they were either of the last two seasons.
Grade: B-
The Seahawks replace Geno Smith with a different, younger Geno Smith
The deal: Seattle Seahawks sign QB Sam Darnold to a three-year, $100.5 million contract ($55 million guaranteed)
From Seahawks sign Sam Darnold: Grading Seattle's swap from Geno Smith to new QB:
The Seahawks swapped out one former New York Jets' castoff who had an unexpected career renaissance for another. Seattle dealt away Geno Smith for a third round pick so the Las Vegas Raiders could eventually sign him to a contract extension expected to be worth $40 to $45 million annually. Then they signed Darnold for three years and $100.5 million -- $33.5 million per year and, based on his $55 million in guarantees, a deal the team can walk away from after two seasons.
Is that a good deal? The 2024 version of Darnold suggests it could be, especially since he's nearly seven years younger than Smith and now about $10 million cheaper annually. But Smith had been very good as Seattle's starting quarterback the last three seasons, dealing with pressure to deliver accurate throws downfield and keeping the Seahawks stuck in the phantom zone between contending and rebuilding. He's had a completion percentage over expected (CPOE) of at least +2 each of the four years he's started games as a Seahawk. Darnold, on the other hand, has hit that number in only two of the last six seasons.
Additionally, Darnold was buoyed by a stellar cast of receivers in Minnesota. He got to throw to Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison and, once healthy, T.J. Hockenson. Now he'll have Jaxon Smith-Njigba atop his depth chart and, after trading DK Metcalf and releasing Tyler Lockett, Jake Bobo as his most productive returning WR2. Even if he plays at the same level he did in 2024 -- and, concerningly, he wrapped the season with a 53 percent completion rate and a single touchdown pass in a pair of blowout losses to end the Vikings' season -- it may not be reflected in the box score or NFC West standings.
Which may be at least partially the point in Seattle. The Seahawks are aiming for a rolling rebuild by signing Darnold akin to what the Los Angeles Rams and Tampa Bay Buccaneers have pulled off in recent years. But bottoming out creates an escape plan from Darnold (who can be a high-priced backup in 2026 if the right rookie comes along, then released or traded in 2027) and a chance to draft a franchise quarterback. Even if he stinks, he'll accomplish something.
From a talent standpoint alone, Seattle got worse at quarterback. It also got younger, cheaper and gleaned a third round pick in the process. If Darnold works out, the Seahawks can keep him around -- even if it lands the team back in the no-mans land of quasi-competing and nine wins per year. If not, they can aim their rebuild at a year with a better crop of quarterback talent. On its face this feels like an unnecessary lateral move. But squint hard enough and you can see Seattle putting its gears in place to create an incredible machine.
Grade: B-
New England's rebuilding spree continues with the best available defensive tackle (but hooooo buddy, that price)
The deal: New England Patriots sign IDL Milton Williams. Terms not yet disclosed, but reportedly a $26 million average annual salary
From Patriots sign Milton Williams: Free agency grade for New England's pricy DT:
There's logic to betting on his potential. Williams set career highs in both sacks (five) and pressure rate (12.5 percent) last season for the Super Bowl champions and is only 25 years old (for another month). He had help, obviously, but the Eagles didn't exactly have a stacked pass rush. The team's 31.1 percent pressure rate was 28th-best in the NFL last season, right ahead of the 29th place Patriots. He wasn't just cleaning up messes created from the outside-in; Williams sewed meaningful chaos on his own. Per ESPN, his 13 percent pass rush win rate was sixth-best among interior linemen in 2024.
Pair him with a returning Christian Barmore and you've got a disruptive combination who can make life easier for the Pats' beleaguered edge rushers (good news, Harold Landry!). New England badly needed proven production. Williams brings that.
There are hazards as well. There's no absurd Jordan Davis/Jalen Carter combination next to him up front, which means more double teams. Williams was merely good before his 2024 breakthrough, making this a huge bet on a player with only one year of elite production under his belt.
Grade: B+
The Lions move quickly to replace (and upgrade?) from Carlton Davis
The deal: Detroit Lions sign CB D.J. Reed to a three-year, $48 million contract
From Lions sign D.J. Reed: Grading Detroit's $48 million new cornerback
At three years and $48 million, he'll make $4 million less in annual average salary than [Carlton] Davis, providing a little financial relief for a team with a roster led by a high-priced quarterback and defensive studs (Brian Branch, Aidan Hutchinson) careening toward expensive extensions.
Reed can be an upgrade from Davis. While his 2024 was a mess in all the ways most sloppy Jets seasons are, he still allowed just an 80.4 passer rating when targeted. Opposing wideouts have caught less than 59 percent of targets thrown his way in three of the last four seasons. He doesn't turn 29 until November, which suggests he should be able to play out the two big money years on his partially guaranteed contract at a similar level.
Now he'll be the veteran leader atop a depth chart that features 2024 draft picks Terrion Arnold and Ennis Rakestraw. Detroit's -0.12 expected points added (EPA) per pass play allowed gave it the league's fourth-best passing defense, per NFL Pro. Swapping Davis for Reed at a reasonable cost ensures that unit can be just as disruptive in 2025 as it was last fall.
Grade: A-
The Patriots add an adult to their tackle rotation
The deal: New England Patriots sign OT Morgan Moses to a three-year, $24 million contract
In a landscape where Dan Moore (DAN MOORE!) is getting more than $20 million annually, the Patriots made a significant upgrade to its tackle rotation by signing Morgan Moses for $8 million per year. Moses is 34 years old and nearing the end of his career, but his presence should mean Patriot fans never again have to watch Vederian Lowe, which is a moral victory for the northeast. Even average play is a massive boost for Drake Maye behind center; Moses should be able to provide that, and at a low cost.
Grade: B+
The Giants land a bargain in the midst of a pricey free agent period
The deal: New York Giants sign CB Paulson Adebo to a three-year, $30 million contract
The Giants' secondary needed reinforcements. Deonte Banks has struggled. Andru Phillips has chops but is best utilized in the slot.
Enter Adebo, who has allowed a passer rating under 72.0 each of the last two seasons. While he's benefitted from having Marshon Lattimore across from him, his coverage abilities make him an underrated piece of a Giants rebuild. With proper athleticism and top-line speed, he can handle duties deep or on out-breaking routes to erase splash plays. At just $10 million annually -- half the going rate for Carlton Davis -- New York got a 25-year-old cornerback with room to grow.
Whether or not head coach Brian Daboll can get him there is up for debate. But this move adds proven talent to a lineup in dire need of it at a low cost.
Grade: A-
The Patriots give Christian Gonzalez a proper buttress
The deal: New England Patriots sign CB Carlton Davis to a three-year, $60 million contract ($34.5 million guaranteed)
The Patriots have two young building blocks around which they need to spend. Carlton Davis won't help Drake Maye much, but he'll be a boon for Christian Gonzalez. A Gonzalez-Davis pairing at cornerback will be a weapon for a team that has to face the reigning MVP twice per season as well as whatever explosive wrinkle-filled offense Mike McDaniel cooks up in Miami.
Davis is coming off a season-ending broken jaw, but was playing some of the best football of his career in 2024. His 77.0 passer rating allowed was a career low, as was a 55.3 percent pressure rate when targeted. New England had money to spend and landed on a player who can keep opponents' game plans from simply reading "THROW AWAY FROM GONZALEZ."
The annual average salary is high, but barely half the contract is guaranteed. The Patriots built in a failsafe in case Davis can't return to form and will likely be able to move on with modest cap penalties should things not work out.
Grade: B+
The Titans, uh, sure do spend some money
The deal: Tennessee Titans sign OT Dan Moore Jr. to a four-year, $82 million contract ($50 million guaranteed)
OK. Phew. First, remember teams have more money to spend than ever before and a weak crop of free agents on which to spend them. This will help us all reconcile with the fact Dan by-god Moore is now making top 10 offensive lineman money and a higher salary than Lane Johnson or Dion Dawkins.
This is likely a front-loaded deal with team options that Tennessee can escape after 2026. And it's a necessary upgrade for an offense that allowed Will Levis to be sacked nearly 12 percent of the time last season (granted, a large reason for this is because Levis never saw a problem he couldn't solve by running face-first into it, but still). Regardless, this is a ton of money for Dan Moore, a reliable starter whose offensive line allowed Pittsburgh Steeler quarterbacks to be sacked nearly nine percent of the time in 2024.
He's only 26 years old and pairing with JC Latham gives Tennessee two trustworthy starters who both still have room to grow. But the floor isn't as high as you'd expect from a team with one of the league's highest paid tackles and another who was a top 10 draft pick a year earlier. The Titans have no quarterback and there's logic to ensuring whomever is slinging passes is safe -- especially if its the player drafted with the No. 1 overall pick in this year's draft. Ronnie Stanley wasn't available, and Tennessee ventured into the breach and gave Ronnie Stanley to someone else instead.
That's a tough bet to make. Moore is a perfectly cromulent tackle. One of his best abilities is his availability. Is that worth more than $20 million annually? Maaaaannnnn...
Grade: C
The Bears continue their offensive line overhaul
The deal: Chicago Bears sign C Drew Dalman to a three-year, $42 million contract ($28 million guaranteed)
Dalman isn’t the best center in the NFL. Far from it. No one is confusing him with the stalwart Creed Humphrey. Still, Dalman is a solid starter the Bears paid appropriate fair market value to at one of the most important junctures in franchise history as they try to coalesce around Year 2 of Caleb Williams.
While a bit undersized, Dalman is a smart pass protector and wily run blocker who knows how to compensate by maximizing leverage. He will be the anchor to an entirely revamped interior offensive line in Chicago that now also features All-Pro Joe Thuney and former Pro Bowler Jonah Jackson. Dalman is, in effect, the face of Ben Johnson’s earnest plan to help Williams and the Bears offense finally get off the ground running.
We may look back upon this addition as one of the more underrated signings of this whole free agency period.
The grade: B
The Commanders prove how shallow the 2025 free agent crop is by giving Javon Kinlaw (!) so much money
The deal: The Commanders sign IDL Javon Kinlaw for three years and $45 million ($30 million guaranteed)
Well, this is great news for Milton Williams, Jonathan Allen and every other big name at defensive tackle. Javon Kinlaw is now worth $15 million per year.
Kinlaw, to his credit, improved in a meaningful way after leaving the San Francisco 49ers as a draft bust. The former first rounder's 4.5 sacks in 2024 nearly doubled his career total. But that number is a bit of a mirage, since he had just a 6.9 percent pressure rate and five quarterback hits -- a number more in line with a two-sack season. Asking him to crumple pockets on a consistent basis may not work out, which is a problem for Washington and its fairly average pass rush.
Kinlaw is a big body at 6-foot-6 and 310 pounds, but he's also not a great run-stopper either. Pro Football Reference credited him with a nearly 15 percent missed tackle rate last fall. That same season he only had 30 run stops on 282 run snaps. These are all useful numbers (mostly), but not necessarily worth $15 million per year.
Then again, the Commanders have money to burn thanks to Jayden Daniels's rookie contract. They have a defensive minded head coach in Dan Quinn. He sees the raw talent that made Kinlaw a top 15 pick once upon a time. If he can coax Kinlaw to reach his potential, Washington will look brilliant.
Grade: C-
Tampa Bay keeps the band together by tossing money at Chris Godwin
The deal: The Buccaneers sign WR Chris Godwin for three years and $66 million ($44 million guaranteed)
From: Chris Godwin signing grade: Buccaneers get an 'A' for keeping the band together
It's a familiar deal to Tampa executives; they signed Godwin's veteran running mate Mike Evans to a two-year, $41 million deal last offseason. It's also a statement to the rest of the NFC South. The Bucs don't see Baker Mayfield's career year in 2024 as a one-off.
Mayfield thrived even with Godwin missing 10 games due to injury. His 4,500 passing yards and 41 touchdowns were each career highs. By keeping Godwin (along with a returning Evans and a rising Jalen McMillan), it's clear Tampa feels this is all sustainable.
Godwin is 29 years old and coming off a broken ankle, but there's reason to believe he can be a dynamic force over the length of this contract. Former offensive coordinator Liam Coen (now head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars) devised an offense that created room for the veteran near the line of scrimmage. His average target distance fell to a career low 5.6 yards per target but his yards-after-catch over expected (YACOE) rose to a career high 2.24. His seven yards after catch per reception were also a personal record; he thrived in the space created by Tampa's threats downfield and forced opposing defenses to pick their poison when it came to double coverage.
That led to more than 500 receiving yards in those seven games and the promise of 1,000-yard seasons to come. What's more; his $22 million annual average salary ranks just 18th in the NFL among wideouts. In a year where teams have a lot of money to throw around and few sure thing free agents on the market, this is a bargain.
Grade: A
The Bucs make a modest gamble on their pass rush with a veteran whose 2024 barely counts
The deal: Tampa Bay signs EDGE Haason Reddick for one year and $14 million ($12 million guaranteed)
Reddick's failed contract holdout left him to play just 10 games in 2024 with a single sack. But the New York Jets were a tire fire last fall, and while Reddick contributed to the flame there's reason to believe he can get back to something approaching his Pro Bowl form. His 13.5 percent pressure rate was higher than it was in 2023 or 2021 -- two seasons with double-digit sacks.
The question is whether he can hold up as a run-stopper after failed to add a consistent force on the ground in New York. Tampa Bay is willing to stake a modest bet -- five percent of its cap space -- on a revival. After fielding a top 10 pass rush in 2024, head coach Todd Bowles is reloading.
Grade: B+
The Rams punch up their passing game (and signal the end of the Cooper Kupp era)
The deal: Rams sign WR Davante Adams to a two-year deal worth up to $46 million ($26 million guaranteed)
From Grading the Rams' Super Bowl window-extending signing of Davante Adams:
Even at age 32 Adams still found ways to get open. His 3.2 yards of separation per target in 2024 were on par with his most productive Green Bay Packers seasons. His 2.14 yards per route run (YPRR) ranked 26th among qualified wide receivers (Tutu Atwell, his new teammate, ranked 25th. So *that's* why he got $10 million this offseason!). He still brings plenty to the table.
He'll be counted on to fill Cooper Kupp's role in the offense. Kupp hasn't been traded or released yet, but Adams's separation number is roughly in line (slightly less) than where Kupp's been the last few years and more importantly, he's played 48 games the last three seasons to Kupp's 33. While Adams's arrival probably only drops the asking price for the veteran he'll likely replace, it's still an upgrade for an offense that remains solidly efficient. LA's 402 yards in a playoff loss to the Philadelphia Eagles was the most the Super Bowl 59 champions allowed after September.
The risk is, well, Adams turns 33 in December. Stafford had his fastball in 2024, but just turned 37. That's a lot of money to spend on two guys past the peaks of their careers. Snead's efficient drafting made it possible -- there's plenty of surplus value to be spent thanks to the cheap rookie contracts of Nacua, Verse and more -- but this is a big bet that will limit the Rams' options going forward. Not terribly so (and Snead can always deal away more picks if the itch returns), but it's still a hefty wager.
Grade: A-
This article originally appeared on For The Win: NFL free agency grades for every big 2025 deal
