The 2025-2026 NFL Season came to a close just last month, but now it’s time for some spicy news on free agency, trades, and draft hype. A little over a week ago, the free agency period kicked off, and many teams have new faces to welcome in town. Many teams made many moves, while others made few to almost none. Strap in for a recap of the biggest names being moved around the league, and let me discuss what moves were supreme and what others might be regrettable in the future.
First, we will start with my personal winners of this so-called frenzy start to the offseason. The next few teams made moves that could change their teams for the better, whether it was a pivotal signing or a polarizing trade they made.
Winners: Carolina Panthers
Starting with my number one winner of free agency, the Carolina Panthers. After making the playoffs last season and nearly winning a playoff game as one of the biggest underdogs of all time, Carolina knew coming into the offseason that they were gonna have to make some big moves to get themselves over the hump they now sit on. They started free agency by making a splash, signing veteran pass rusher Jaelan Philips to a massive four-year $120 million deal. Since trading away star edge rusher Brian Burns two years ago, the Panthers haven’t had a perennial presence at the position, and it caused them to be a bottom-ten team in pass rush last season. Now adding Philips to their defensive line gives them some much-needed help in that department.
The Panthers then went on to sign star Linebacker Devin Lloyd, who had a breakout year this past season with the Jaguars. The 27-year-old was arguably the best player available on the market, and Carolina went out and got him, filling an empty slot at middle linebacker. Lloyd signed a three-year contract worth $45 million, which some fans considered to be a bargain for the Panthers, getting one of the best Linebackers in the league for just $15 million a year. The Panthers made some other moves as well, adding depth to their weak offensive line and signing young wide receiver John Metchie III.
Winners: Las Vegas Raiders
Another team I would like to highlight for their activity during the off-season is the Las Vegas Raiders. The team that owns the rights to the number one overall pick in the draft has made some headline moves to improve their squad after a very disappointing 2025 season.
It was a hot start to the off-season for Vegas, as on Mar. 6, they had agreed on a trade with the Baltimore Ravens to trade one of the superior pass rushers in the league, and the Raiders’ best player, Maxx Crosby, in exchange for two first-round picks. One of the picks was the 14th overall pick in this year’s draft, and the Ravens’ 2027 first-round pick. This shocked the NFL world once it was announced, but the trade couldn’t be finalized until the new league year had begun, which was Mar. 11. The trade did not end up happening by the new league year, as the Ravens backed out of the agreement after Crosby had a physical done in Baltimore and showed damage still done to his knee according to some reports by NFL insiders, most likely something to do with his Meniscus injury he suffered last year.
After agreeing to the on-paper trade, the Raiders used their cap space to bring in a bundle of new faces. They started by signing star Center Tyler Linderbaum to a record-breaking deal for his position. Linderbaum signed a 3-year deal worth $81 million, sweeping any previous contract signed by a player at the Center position over the previous years. This was a pivotal signing for the Raiders, as their interior offensive line was one of the worst in the league last season. This move will help their run game and star running back Ashton Jeanty headed into his second season.
The Raiders also bolstered their defense, signing linebackers Quay Walker and Nakobe Dean to three-year contracts, reuniting the 25-year-old linebackers from Georgia. Las Vegas also signed young pass rusher Kwity Paye to a deal worth just about $16 million a year. These moves, along with the hiring of new head coach Klint Kubiak, can really improve this Raiders team, especially given the fact that they are almost certainly going to take the Heisman Trophy winner, Quarterback Fernando Mendoza, number one overall.
Winners: Tennessee Titans
The final winner of free agency, in my books, is another team that had a disappointing 2025 season, after receiving the number one overall pick in last year’s draft. The Tennessee Titans started the offseason by hiring a new head coach after firing previous head coach Brian Callahan midseason. The Titans went out and hired former 49ers defensive coordinator and former Jets head coach Robert Saleh. Saleh then got offensive mind Brian Daboll to be the team’s offensive coordinator, after Daboll was fired as the Giants’ head coach mid-season. I believe these are both perfect hires for this Titans team, with young Quarterback Cam Ward having an on-and-off rookie year, while showing flashes of his talent and a veteran presence on the defensive side of the ball as well. These hires can help the two sides of the ball break out for the Titans.
Tennessee also had a lot of money to spend, so they went to work. They started off free agency by signing wide receiver Wan’Dale Robinson for four years, giving Cam Ward the help he desperately needs in the passing game. Robinson also reunited with Brian Daboll, as he played under Daboll in New York during previous seasons. This was the only main offensive signing they had, but when it comes to their defense, the Titans have started reshaping what that side of the ball will look like next season. They signed veteran interior defensive lineman John Franklin-Myers to a three-year deal, adding strength to their pass rush, and also acquired Jermaine Johnson II in a trade with the Jets to help their edge pass rush. They signed multiple defensive backs as well, including Alontae Taylor, who was a solid coverage corner for the Saints the last few seasons. Seeing that the Titans have been at the bottom of the barrel these past couple of seasons, the front office in Tennessee took charge to try to improve the weak roster in a big way, and they still have huge opportunities for improvement through the draft and their young roster.
Losers: Denver Broncos
Now is the time for the losers of this wild free agency frenzy. Some teams make great moves, convincing talented players to join their squad, while others can’t even grasp the idea of signing new players during the free agency period. The team I am referencing — easily the biggest loser of this part of the league’s offseason — is the Denver Broncos.
Coming off a strong season where you come up just short of a Super Bowl appearance, you would expect said team to make some moves to get over the hump and stay ahead of rising teams. But no, the Broncos’ front office has taken a backseat, as they have yet to sign a single new player to their team. The Broncos, for some reason, just expect themselves to run it back with the same team and have a better outcome, while the rest of the league adds new talent to their rosters.
Denver’s front office revived a portion of the outlook on Denver’s offseason through the trade for Dolphins receiver Jaylen Waddle today, but I just don’t see the vision that the Mile High City’s football team has with these offseason moves. Bolstering an already talented wide receiver room for the price of their first, third and fourth-round picks in April will have an almost immediate positive impact, of course, but it’s very difficult to picture how that single move can outdo all of Denver’s free agency lethargy.
Losers: Indianapolis Colts
The other team that, in my opinion, lost the deadline was the Indianapolis Colts, not because they didn’t sign players, but the contracts they gave out were abysmal. First, they started off by resigning their number one receiver, Alec Pierce, to a massive contract, which could be argued was deserved, but in the Colts’ situation, I don’t know if it was the right move. The contract came out to four years at $116 million. That is a lot of money for a receiver who just had his first breakout season.
They also handed out a huge two-year extension to Quarterback Daniel Jones, who was on and off the field last season due to injury, and has yet to prove he is a franchise Quarterback this far into his career. He ended up getting a two-year contract worth at least $88 million. In comparison, the Vikings signed former number one overall pick Kyler Murray to a minimum one-year deal (worth $1.3 million). It can be argued that in terms of talent and production, Kyler Murray and Daniel Jones are not far off. Without holding their first-round pick, I believe the Colts have plenty of other moves that need to happen to stay in contention.
With many teams improving their roster, and others failing to make nearly any improvement, free agency is just a start to what is a long, stretched out off season for the NFL. The new league year just started, so there is still plenty of time for teams to make some big moves that could shock the league.
