The first week of NFL Free Agency is nearly over, and while there are still several moves left to be made, most of the biggest names are already off the market. Some of those moves were smart ones, while others were foolish. As is often the case, the first day resulted in several players being overpaid badly.
As a reminder, ending up as a winner in free agency isn't achieved by throwing a ton of money at players. It's about filling needs, finding values and not overpaying. For some teams, that last part is difficult. The winners didn't all make perfect moves and success in March doesn't always translate to success in the regular season. The losers didn't necessarily fail in every move, but as whole, their offseason is off to a rough start. With that in mind, here are the winners and losers from free agency so far:
WINNERS
New England Patriots/Bill Belichick
Bill Belichick is the puppet master that keeps playing the 31 other NFL teams as puppets. First, New England signed Stephon Gilmore, giving the Patriots two legitimate lockdown corners with him and Malcolm Butler. Then, they sent a second-round pick to the Panthers for Kony Ealy and a third-round pick, then sent another third-round pick and their first rounder to the Saints for wideout Brandin Cooks.
They've also made some other smaller moves, but in conclusion, they added a No. 1 caliber cornerback, one of the best young receivers in the league and a promising young versatile defensive end/outside linebacker. Now that they have also re-signed Dont'a Hightower, their offseason couldn't have gone any better.
Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia went into free agency with a priority on upgrading their receiving core, and they were able to accomplish that goal on the first day, signing both Torrey Smith and Alshon Jeffery.
#Eagles and WR Torrey Smith agree to terms on a three-year deal. #FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/8suqdi4MYi
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) March 9, 2017
#Eagles and WR Alshon Jeffery have agreed to terms on a one-year deal. #FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/xRL0j7J73H
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) March 9, 2017
Jeffery gives Carson Wentz a big, No. 1-caliber receiver, while Smith gives them a legitimate deep threat they've been lacking since they got rid of DeSean Jackson.
Houston Texans
The Texans are on this list for one reason - they got rid of Brock Osweiler's massive contract. Yes, it cost them some draft picks, but getting rid of that contract has freed up the cap space for them to pursue Tony Romo. And now with reports that the Broncos may not be interested in pursuing Romo, Houston is in the driver's seat to land him. With them being so close to being a championship contender, it was a move they needed to make.
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jaguars had a lot of money to spend this offseason, and used it in a big way. They upgraded their defense by signing safety Barry Church, cornerback A.J. Bouye and defensive lineman Calais Campbell.
Barring a change of heart, #Cowboys safety Barry Church is expected to land with the #Jaguars on a 4-year deal worth more than $6M per year
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 8, 2017
Former Texans CB AJ Bouye has agreed to a five-year deal worth $67.5M, $26M fully guaranteed, with the Jaguars. https://t.co/VrrGvaliNP pic.twitter.com/qF45itTrIh
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) March 9, 2017
After considering Denver, Calais Campbell is going to sign a 4-year, $60 million deal that includes $30M gtd with Jacksonville, per source.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 9, 2017
Jacksonville clearly made their defense a priority, handing out over $150 million in contracts to those three players. That's a lot of money and look like overpays, but they had the cap space and all three are expected to start right away and elevate the defense to elite status.
LOSERS
New York Jets
New York needs a quarterback, there's no secret about that. However, they have been unable to fill that need. Tyrod Taylor was their top target, but he agreed to restructure his deal with the Bills. They were going after Mike Glennon as a backup plan, but he signed with the Bears. Then Brian Hoyer signed with the 49ers, leaving the Jets without a suitable option at the position. Now, they're thinking that they may re-sign Geno Smith and go into the season with him as their starting quarterback. That is far from ideal.
Washington Redskins
As if Washington's front office upheaval that has resulted in the ousting of general manager Scot McCloughan wasn't enough, quarterback Kirk Cousins reportedly wanted to be traded because of the discord in the front office, with the San Francisco 49ers being his preferred destination. Cousins has since denied making the request, but reports also indicate that he won't re-sign with the Redskins after the season if Bruce Allen is still the team's president.
So now the Redskins are in a situation where they don't currently have a general manager and their franchise quarterback (who they only have under contract for one season) doesn't want to play for them. Everything is fine.
Brock Osweiler
The flip side of Houston's deal with Cleveland, Osweiler went from being the starting quarterback on a division-winning team to the Browns - and the Browns don't even want him. Cleveland plans to release Osweiler if they can't trade him, and while he'll still see the rest of his guaranteed money, it's a big blow going from the most prized free agent available to a player the worst team in the league doesn't even want in just one season. Life comes at you fast.