Not even twenty minutes into the start of free agency and media outlets could barely keep up with all the moves that teams were making in the NFL. Just hours after Russell Wilson announced his decision to sign with the Pittsburgh Steelers, the new league year was off to the races. Some teams nailed day one of free agency. Others…not so much (stay tuned for that one).

The Raiders’ Big Gamble

Las Vegas took one of the top defensive free agents off the market when they signed Christian Wilkins to a four-year deal worth $110 million. With $84.75 million of that money being guaranteed, the Raiders have doubled down on their defensive line after signing Maxx Crosby to an extension in 2022. Add in the top-ten selection from the 2023 NFL Draft in Tyree Wilson, and the Raiders are in a position to be cooking on defense.

Generating a strong pass rush, especially in the AFC West, is one way to win games. The Raiders defense in 2023 was more bend-but-don’t-break, after ranking in the top ten in points allowed, so there’s something to build on for Vegas. But the team also struggled to contain some of the league’s top offenses last season and ultimately went 1-3 against playoff teams that were not the Chiefs (Vegas and Kansas City split their series).

By signing Gardner Minshew, Las Vegas is positioning itself to have flexibility in the draft. Minshew is one of the league’s better backup quarterbacks, but he’s still considered to be just that: a backup. Aidan O’Connell showed flashes as a rookie, but Antonio Pierce has been on the record of saying his job is anything but safe going into 2024. Las Vegas picks late enough in the first round for the top three quarterbacks to be off the board, but also high enough to trade up if one starts to fall. With Minshew, they’re not forced to surrender future draft capital and can play the board to their liking to build around this young core. Plus, considering how many teams relied on backup quarterbacks in 2023, the Minshew signing is a win-win for Las Vegas.

New York Makes Giant Move

Through 60 games in New York, Daniel Jones has a record of 22-36-1, which is a big reason why the New York Giants have been a team rumored to be in the mix for a top quarterback in the NFL Draft. Having just signed Jones to a massive contract extension, that’s one of the worst routes for the team to take. Moving on from Jones prematurely would put them in Denver Broncos territory – which is not good. By trading for Brian Burns on the first day of free agency, and not giving up too much draft capital in the process, the Giants are now set up to draft an elite receiver with the 6th overall pick. That is exactly what Jones needs if this team is going to see him rebound from a down season in 2023 that ended early due to injury.

Burns now gets to line up opposite Kayvon Thibodeaux, who is coming off an 11.5 sack campaign. and looks like a star in the making. Being only 26 years old, Burns could be the cornerstone of a premier pass-rushing tandem for years to come in New York. Like Thibodeaux, one could argue that he’s just starting to scratch the surface.

Yes, you could also argue that allowing Xavier McKinney and Saquon Barkley to sign elsewhere makes the Giants losers in free agency. But Burns was one of the top names out there, and the organization was able to land him at a reasonable price. This is a good sign for the team going forward, even if they end up entering 2025 looking for a new quarterback after all.

Green Bay Breaks the Bank

For a team that has long eschewed adding players in free agency, the Green Bay Packers took a few big swings to open free agency. By adding Josh Jacobs and Xavier McKinney, two former Alabama stars who are both considerably young, the Packers addressed two big needs.

McKinney fills the void that was created when Darnell Savage Jr. signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars earlier that day. He also fills an important role in new defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley’s defense. Hafley has been on the record saying he covets a rangy safety who can play as a “post safety”. McKinney is coming off a career year in New York and seems to be hitting his stride at the right time. Green Bay’s secondary is filled with question marks, so adding a player of that caliber now puts them in a position to draft another safety but also focus on bolstering the cornerback room.

Jacobs might be coming off a down year in Las Vegas, but anybody who watched the Raiders in 2023 will tell you that the 2023 season was anything but stable. The team was reportedly firmly in the mix to trade up for the top pick in the 2023 draft, so it’s not hard to wonder how much different the future outlook of this team could appear if they had. It wasn’t until they cut bait with Josh McDaniels, who went 9-16 as head coach of the Raiders, that things turned around for Las Vegas. While Jacobs didn’t replicate his 2022 season, he’s still one of the league’s better running backs and should bolster this Packers offense. Jacobs is proficient as a receiver and also can do the dirty work on inside runs. Green Bay is still likely to add to the running back room, but signing Jacobs was a good start.

Purple And Gold Gets Swagger Back

The Vikings defense underwent a total face-lift going into last season. Brian Flores made the best of the situation and coaxed a productive season out of his defense, despite having more than a few question marks with unproven players. Minnesota set themselves up to add to the defense by allowing Kirk Cousins to sign elsewhere, as well as players like Danielle Hunter—both of whom were poised to receive big contracts and did. They put that money into bolstering the defense with Alex Van Ginkel, Jonathan Greenard, and Blake Casham. All three players will be important building blocks for Flores, as they are all coming off some of their best seasons as pros and are all relatively young.

To further boost the swag, Minnesota added Aaron Jones. Not only a fixture of the rival Packers offense on the field, Jones also made his mark off the field with his iconic sunglasses and swag. Jones gives the Vikings the sort of slasher they had in Dalvin Cook and helps bolster a backfield that needed some juice. Like he did in Green Bay, Jones will give new quarterback Sam Darnold a safety net out of the backfield, as he’s one of the league’s better pass-catching backs. Minnesota doubled down on the offense with Darnold and Jones, giving them tons of flexibility in the first round of the draft to either keep adding to the defense or bolster the offensive line to help increase the chances of their new-look offense succeeding. Either way, GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah is being both tactical and frugal when it comes to rebuilding this team. The future looks bright for Minnesota, despite the departure of Cousins.