The wheels of NFL free agency are spinning like there is no tomorrow. Just when you think the football's version of March Madness is subsiding, you get a bombardment of action and that is expected to continue with some really good players still available as the league begins Week 2 of the frenzy.
We've also seen major trades as Justin Fields was dealt to the Steelers. Before that deal transpired, Pittsburgh sent Kenny Pickett to the Eagles. We also saw Keenan Allen get traded from the Chargers to the Bears.
Kirk Cousins is arguably the biggest mover thus far, swapping out his Vikings purple for Falcons red after signing on with Atlanta. Several other teams made big improvements in free agency, including the Jets, who have further solidified the offense by adding left tackle Tyron Smith and wide receiver Mike Williams.
Early on in free agency, the league went on a remarkable run for running backs: former Giant Saquon Barkley landed with the Eagles, former Raider Josh Jacobs joined the Packers, former Packer Aaron Jones inked a deal with the Vikings, former Cowboy Tony Pollard signed with the Titans and, of course, former Titan Derrick Henry landed in Baltimore.
Here's a rundown of what you need to know:
Below, we'll have you covered during this free agent period. In our live blog, you'll see every important rumor and deal reached that goes down over this stretch. So, strap in as we navigate through another fascinating NFL free agency.
A former top-10 draft pick, Henderson is signing with the Texans, according to ESPN. Henderson, who started his career with the Jaguars, would likely replace Steven Nelson, who is still a free agent after Houston let him test the open market.
Since it's March Madness, we thought we'd do a little sport crossover and make a bracket in order to seed all the NFC teams based on free agency moves so far. The 49ers took the top spot, but how did the rest of the bracket shape up? Click here to see how each NFC team has done so far.
A lot of teams have made major changes this offseason, but just who has handled free agency the best? Click here to see which moves we think are superior and which gambles will pay off.
Aaron Rodgers will have another big weapon on offense as the Jets are signing former Chargers wideout Mike Williams to a one-year deal worth up to $15 million, CBS Sports confirms. The veteran will line up opposite of former Offensive Rookie of the Year Garrett Wilson.
The Seattle Seahawks are expected to sign veteran defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins, according to NFL Media. He was in for a visit with the team today and the club has since secured the former Cowboy. With Dallas last season, Hankins tallied three sacks and 27 tackles in 14 regular season games.
The Bengals are adding more protection for quarterback Joe Burrow. Cincinnati is signing free agent offensive tackle Trent Brown to a one-year deal, per NFL Network. He visited the team on Tuesday. The 30-year-old was with the Patriots from 2021 through 2023. The former seventh round pick is a Pro Bowler and a Super Bowl champion.
The Lions are signing offensive lineman Kevin Zeitler to a one-year deal. The former first round pick was a Pro Bowler with the Baltimore Ravens last season.
The 2023 season is behind us and we are back to a clean slate, where anyone has the chance to take it all in 2024. Teams have been making moves during free agency in hopes of bettering their chances for the upcoming season, but they haven't all necessarily made themselves Super Bowl contenders.
We took a look at all 16 AFC teams and ranked them after the first wave of free agency. Click here to see where the defending champions landed on the list, along with all the other AFC teams.
The Seahawks are one of the teams who have looked into potentially signing free agent defensive lineman Randy Gregory, per CBS Sports Senior NFL Insider Josina Anderson. Seattle would make sense as a landing spot since the team's new defensive coordinator Aden Durde was the Cowboys defensive line coach from 2021-2023, overlapping with Gregory for two seasons in Dallas. Gregory totaled 3.5 sacks in 16 games played last season, splitting time between the Denver Broncos and the San Francisco 49ers.
The Carolina Panthers continue upgrading their offensive line around 2023 NFL Draft first overall pick Bryce Young. They agreed to terms with former Green Bay Packers swing tackle Yosh Nijman, per NFL Media. Nijman started 22 games in four seasons played in Green Bay since 2020, including 13 in the 2022 season. He filled in for an injured David Bakhtiari frequently at left tackle while also playing right tackle as well depending on the team's injury situations. Nijman marks the three offensive line signing for Carolina in free agency along with Robert Hunt and Damien Lewis. The Panthers entered the offseason with a huge need up front after surrendering 65 sacks (tied for the second-most allowed in the NFL) and a 41.1% quarterback pressure rate (fourth-worst in NFL) in 2023.
With Sam Darnold departing to the Minnesota Vikings this offseason, the San Francisco 49ers agreed to terms on a one-year contract with quarterback Josh Dobbs to be Brock Purdy's new backup, according to Dobbs' agent Mike McCartney. Terms of the deal include $2.25 million in fully-guaranteed money in addition to $750,000 in playtime-based incentives, per NFL Media. The 29-year-old quarterback threw for 13 touchdowns and 10 interceptions as well as as 2,464 yards in 13 games played, 12 of which were starts, last season. Dobbs started the first eight weeks of the 2023 season with the Arizona Cardinals in place of an injured Kyler Murray before the Vikings traded for Dobbs to help fill in for an injured Kirk Cousins.
The Dallas Cowboys agreed to terms with 2023 backup running back Rico Dowdle, per his agency. Dowdle, who turns 26 on June 14, ran for 361 yards on 89 carries (4.1 yards per carry) and totaled four touchdowns from scrimmage (two rushing and two receiving). With Tony Pollard departing to the Tennessee Titans, Dowdle is the Cowboys leading returning rusher from the 2023 season. He is returning on a one-year contract, per ESPN.
The New Orleans Saints are adding one of the top remaining free agents, as they have agreed to terms with former San Francisco 49ers defensive end and former No. 2 overall pick Chase Young on a one-year, fully-guaranteed $13 million deal, according to CBS Sports HQ senior NFL insider Josina Anderson.
Young was dealt from the Washington Commanders to the 49ers at last year's trade deadline, with San Francisco sending Washington a compensatory third-round pick. Young played nine games for the 49ers in 2023, recording 10 combined tackles, 2.5 sacks and six quarterback hits. He also recorded 11 combined tackles in the playoffs, and one sack in the Super Bowl LVIII loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
The former Viking running back is headed to Vegas, according to NFL Media. He rushed for a career-high 700 yards in 2023, but did not find the end zone on the ground. He did score a career-high three touchdowns as a receiver go along with 192 yards.
So much has happened in such little time and even more is on the way. Just one week into the free agency madness and it can be easy to overreact to some of the biggest news. We took some reactions and broke down whether they are an overreaction or reality.
Are the Falcons really a Super Bowl contender with Kirk Cousins, or are people getting ahead of themselves? Click here for the answer to that question, and more, from the start of free agency.
From Kenny Pickett, to Mac Jones, to Justin Fields, a lot of quarterbacks will suit up for a different team in 2024 than they did in 2023. Not every trade is as valuable as the next, so we broke down all the quarterback moves so far.
Click here to see details of each trade along with how they all rank.
Free agency is in full swing and not everyone has a new team ... yet. Where some players will end up remains to be seen and as we wait for the official word, CBS Sports decided to play matchmaker and place some of the remaining free agents with teams that would make sense.
Ryan Tannehill to the Broncos? Carson Wentz to the Saints? Take a look at where we placed the top remaining players and why.
The Bills are signing All-Pro Taron Johnson to a three-year, $31 million extension, his agent Jason Chayut confirms. He is the NFL's highest-paid nickel back. Johnson played in all 17 games in 2023 and finished with 98 total tackles, a career high.
The Dolphins are re-signing former first-round pick Isaiah Wynn, per agents Drew Rosenhaus and Shawn O'Dare. The guard will be entering his second year in Miami.
Free agent Connor Williams' knee injury was significant and he will not be signing anywhere soon, per his agent Drew Rosenhaus. The center last played for the Miami Dolphins and was placed on injured reserve due to an ACL injury in December of 2023.
The former Chargers wideout is slated to meet with week with the Steelers, Jets and Panthers, according to our own Josina Anderson. Williams is the top-ranked wideout available in free agency.
It looks like Odell Beckham Jr. will not be returning to Baltimore. The WR posted a goodbye to fans on social media.
Former Chargers LB Denzel Perryman is signing a one-year deal with the team, according to NFL Media. Perryman spent his first six NFL seasons with the Chargers before spending two years with the Raiders and the 2023 season with the Texans.
Washington is bringing in former Dolphins first-round pick Noah Igbinoghene, according to ESPN. Igbinoghene spent last season in Dallas under new Commanders head coach Dan Quinn. The Cowboys acquired him via trade for their own disappointing second-round pick, Kelvin Joseph. Now, Igbinoghene joins Quinn again.
Chicago finally dealt Fields, acquiring a sixth-round pick in 2025 that could become a fourth-rounder based on Fields' playtime.
The Eagles agreed to terms with linebacker Devin White this week, and now have added another one. Per The Athletic, Philly is signing former 49ers linebacker Oren Burks to a one-year deal worth up to $2.5 million.
Burks played his college ball at Vanderbilt, and was a third-round pick of the Packers in 2018. A special teams guy that is also a nice depth piece.
Braxton Berrios is signing a one-year deal with Miami that is worth up to $3 million, according to his agent (via ESPN). Berrios, a former University of Miami standout, caught 27 passes last season. He also has a combined 41 punt and kickoff returns.
The Carolina Panthers continue to look for wide receiver help. Per NFL Media, the club is set to host former Cowboys receiver Michael Gallup for a visit next week.
The Athletic reports that the Houston Texans and New York Jets were among the teams who were also involved with the Chargers in trade talks for wideout Keenan Allen. The Athletic adds that the Jets were merely checking in on Allen and did not make a serious offer. However, the Texans were close to landing Allen to play with C.J. Stroud, which would've been a dynamic combination. Of course, the Bears ultimately won out on those conversations with the veteran landing in Chicago.
