NFL free agency takeaways: Which teams came out on top and who ended up losing the most
NFL free agency officially begins Wednesday afternoon. However, fans have already been gifted with a year's worth of drama in the past week. While no moves are official yet, we know where many NFL stars are going.
From Russell Wilson to Aaron Rodgers to Tom Brady, the biggest names in the NFL have made league-altering decisions. So far, which NFL teams have come out on top, and which have been disappointments for fans?
3 NFL teams who have already won free agency
#3 - Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have Brady to thank for preventing a total teardown of the franchise. He announced his return when the team slapped the franchise tag on Chris Godwin. Then came the quarterback convincing center Ryan Jensen to stick around.
Getting Brady back means players like Leonard Fournette and Rob Gronkowski should also stick around. Without him, there was no real hope of being a Super Bowl contender in 2022. But Brady saved the day and will continue to recruit talent to Tampa Bay this week.
#2 - Jacksonville Jaguars
If the Jacksonville Jaguars are wrong in 2022, it will not be for lack of trying. The team is spending hundreds of millions of dollars this NFL offseason, headlined by a four-year deal with receiver Christian Kirk that could be worth $84 million. They have also landed Zay Jones, guard Brandon Scherff, and linebacker Foye Oluokun.
#Jaguars spending spree big board:
WR Christian Kirk: 4 years, $72M
G Brandon Scherff: 3 years, $49.5M
LB Foye Oluokun: 3 years, $45M
CB Darious Williams: 3 years, $30M
DT Foley Fatukasi: 3 years, $30M
WR Zay Jones: 3 years, $24M
TE Evan Engram: 1 year, $9M
The team is resetting the market because they know they have to convince players to sign for a team that has struggled for so long. Most teams in this situation may opt to build through the draft solely. Luckily for fans, ownership has agreed to spend big to turn things around.
#1 - Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers have Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams back in 2022. That is a genuinely franchise-altering situation and means they will compete for a Super Bowl this season.
The only downside is pushing off huge dead cap figures until the future. However, it ends up worth it if it results in another title. Losing Rodgers and Adams would have made the Packers the obvious loser this offseason. Yet the front office came to their senses, and the next task was an extension for the receiver.
NFL team that has lost the most in free agency so far
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys already dumped Amari Cooper and subsequently lost star defender Randy Gregory at the last minute. What is Jerry Jones doing?
And… there we go. Randy Gregory done to the #Broncos. Our first free agency plot twist. twitter.com/MikeGarafolo/s…
Fans cannot be happy with the lack of upgrades, especially after another early playoff exit. In recent years, the most significant decision he made was giving Dak Prescott his extension. That has not resulted in playoff success, and the team appears to be no better off than they were when Jason Garrett was in charge.
Gregory leaving at the last minute when the team already announced a deal could signify more bad things to come.