The legal tampering period is, for all intents and purposes, the unofficial start to free agency in the NFL. While the deals are not official until the start of the new league year on Wednesday, teams and players can now negotiate and come to terms on the parameters of contracts. As the tampering window opened on Monday, a plethora of deals spilled through, including some of the top names of the market, including Kirk Cousins jumping ship from the Vikings and joining the Falcons.
The running back market also was white hot out of the gate following a prior offseason where backs struggled to find lucrative deals. That was headlined by the likes of Saquon Barkley, Tony Pollard, Josh Jacobs and D’Andre Swift all finding new homes.
And that was just the start of the NFL’s version of March Madness. While there will be plenty of other deals coming down the line, let’s roll through all the agreements that have already come together and give out our grades.
Note: Grades are for players that signed with other teams or re-signed
Falcons signing Kirk Cousins
Cousins was the No. 1 free agent on senior columnist Pete Prisco’s Top 100 list, so it’s not hyperbole to say that this was the biggest shoe to drop on Monday. He agreed to a four-year, $180 million deal with the Atlanta Falcons, who finally have their answer at quarterback. While Cousins is set to enter his age-36 season in 2024 and is coming off a torn Achilles that ended his season, this is a great move for the Falcons. If Cousins can return to form, he’s their best quarterback since Matt Ryan and could finally unleash the potential of their collection of first-round skill position players like Bijan Robinson, Drake London and Kyle Pitts. This move likely makes Atlanta the team to beat in the NFC South.
Grade: A
Eagles signing Saquon Barkley
Who doesn’t love a little NFC East on NFC East crime?! While the Eagles snatching a beloved…
Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/2024-nfl-free-agency-grades-day-1-eagles-get-a-for-landing-saquon-barkley-kirk-cousins-huge-for-falcons/
Author : Jeff Kerr
Publish date : 2024-03-12 02:38:55
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