Officially, NFL free agency doesn’t kick off until Wednesday, March 12, at 4 p.m. ET.
But that hasn’t stopped teams from making huge blockbuster trades before the official fun is set to begin.
Monday, March 10, marked the beginning of the legal tampering phase of free agency. Teams can officially speak with pending free agents who are still technically under contract for two more days before the new league year officially kicks off Wednesday.
For veteran football fans, the Monday before free agency feels like Christmas. The teams with the most cap space always go on a huge shopping spree to kick off the “new year,” filling roster holes with the best potential free agents money can buy.
Some of that maneuvering already started over the weekend as big-ticket names, like former Seattle Seahawks D.K. Metcalf and Geno Smith, changed teams (Steelers and Raiders, respectively), while others like Myles Garrett stayed put after the Cleveland Browns signed him to a four-year deal with a potential total value of $204.8 million ($123 million guaranteed).
Related: NFL free agency kicks off this week with $1.3 billion in play
Sam Darnold signs 3-year deal with Seattle
Speaking of Seattle, they moved quickly to replace Smith Monday, agreeing to a 3-year $100.5 million contract ($55 million guaranteed) with Sam Darnold. The former Minnesota Viking was seen as the top free-agent quarterback on the market.
Darnold revived his career after one year with the Vikings, during which time he threw for more than 4,300 yards and 35 touchdowns.
Jaycee Horn signs 4-year extension with Carolina
Monday was a record-breaking day on the offensive and defensive sides of the ball. ESPN reported that the Carolina Panthers signed standout cornerback Jaycee Horn to a 4-year $100 million extension ($70 million guaranteed).
Horn earned his first Pro Bowl this past season after being Carolina’s top pick in the 2021 NFL draft (8th overall). According to Over the Cap, the deal’s $25 million average annual value (AAV) overtakes Jalen Ramsey’s $24.1 million annual salary.
Josh Allen signs 4-year extension with Buffalo
In 2020, Allen led Buffalo to their first division title since 1995.
Al Bello/Getty Images
Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills stole the show over the weekend after the two sides agreed to a 6-year $330 million contract ($250 million guaranteed).
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How can a team like the Bills, with so little cap room, sign their quarterback, who just so happens to be the reigning league MVP, to a deal that breaks the NFL record for guaranteed money?
Well NFL free agency and the salary cap are more complicated than they seem.
D.J. Reed signs 3-year deal with Detroit
Free agency has been good to budding star cornerback D.J. Reed.
At just 28, Reed was able to test the free agency market for a second time, landing a three-year $48 million deal with the Detroit Lions Monday, a big raise over the three-year $33 million deal he signed with the New York Jets in 2022.
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Davante Adams signs 2-year deal with Los Angeles
Davante Adams’ career has featured instability since his trade from the Green Bay Packers in the 2022 offseason. But he will be calling Los Angeles for the next two seasons, possibly after the 32-year-old signed a deal with the Rams.
Adams’ deal is for $46 million with $26 million guaranteed. His 2025 base salary of $8 million is fully guaranteed, and he received a $12 million signing bonus.
However, the deal’s second year gets interesting as the $6 million left in guaranteed money is due on the third day of the league year. Meaning if things don’t work out in year one, the Rams can get out of the rest of the contract with minimal penalty.
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