Day 1 of the NFL's legal tampering period in free agency is in the books, and the New England Patriots made a few noteworthy moves.

Most of the Patriots' deals on Monday came on the offensive of the ball, coming to terms on deals with offensive lineman Michael Onwenu, quarterback Jacoby Brissett and running back Antonio Gibson. They also agreed to a deal with linebacker Sione Takitaki.

As the Patriots reshuffle their roster following a miserable 4-13 season, let's grade some of their initial free-agency moves.

Jacoby Brissett

The highly anticipated addition that had been expected for at least a week came to fruition on Monday as the Patriots reportedly agreed to sign Brissett on a one-year, $8 million deal.

The implication of this move is pretty obvious: Brissett will serve as a bridge quarterback of some sort, keeping the starting quarterback seat warm for their draft pick for at least some portion of the season.

If that's what ends up happening, then making Brissett that guy is an OK move. Brissett arguably played the best football of his career playing under new Patriots offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt when the two were together with the Cleveland Browns in 2022. He threw for 2,608 yards, 12 touchdowns and six interceptions with an 88.9 passer rating to go with 243 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns over 11 starts, filling in for the suspended Deshaun Watson.

Those aren't bad numbers, but they aren't too great. Brissett only had two games with multiple touchdown passes that season and also had six fumbles (four lost) that year, which isn't ideal from your quarterback. But he also threw for at least 200 yards in 10 of his 11 starts, showing a decent floor each week.

Brissett isn't going to light things up in New England, especially as the offense still remains untalented at key spots. If he can just provide a steady hand while being a solid leader and mentor for the next quarterback, Brissett will have done what he's supposed to do to perfection. History suggests that the odds are in his favor.

Grade: B

Michael Onwenu

What a major win this was for the Patriots.

Onwenu reportedly agreed to a three-year, $57 million deal with $38 million guaranteed to stay in New England. The move keeps the Patriots' most consistent offensive lineman in town as the unit was anything but that for much of the last two seasons.

The price tag also seems to be a bit cheap, too. Earlier Monday, the Carolina Panthers reportedly agreed to sign guard Robert Hunt to a whopping five-year, $100 million deal with $63 million guaranteed, serving as the second-biggest contract ever for a guard.

While Hunt might arguably be a better guard than Ownenu, the Patriots offensive lineman's versatility should've made him more valuable. He has played exceptionally well at guard over the first four seasons in his career, allowing just one sack plus 14 pressures at right guard in 2022. He was more than serviceable when he moved to right tackle for the majority of the 2023 season as well, allowing three sacks plus 19 pressures.

Sure, Onwenu might not be the ideal pillar for your offensive line and the Patriots certainly still need to make a move at left tackle. But keeping Owenu at least provides stability to the right side of the offensive line, allowing the Patriots to either play him at right guard again if they add a pair of offensive tackles or continue to play him at right tackle to help spread more resources along the roster.

Most importantly, Ownenu's presence along the line should help give necessary protection upfront for the Patriots' next long-term quarterback.

Grade: A

Antonio Gibson

The Patriots got involved in the running back sweepstakes on Monday, but they made a relatively minor move. They reportedly agreed to a three-year, $11.25 million deal to sign Gibson, although the structure of the contract allows the team to easily get out of it.

Gibson hasn't run the ball too well since his 1,000-yard season in 2021, but the Patriots probably won't be asking him to do that much. Gibson solidified himself as a pass catcher out of the backfield over the last couple of seasons with the Washington Commanders, recording at least 46 receptions in each of the last two years. The former college receiver can run routes and has averaged roughly eight yards per reception since the 2022 season.

The Patriots haven't had a safety valve out of the backfield since James White suffered a career-ending injury in 2021, so Gibson is a welcomed addition.

Grade: B-

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Sione Takitaki

The lone move the Patriots made on defense was to add some linebacker depth, agreeing to a two-year, $6.6 million deal with Takitaki.

Takitaki seems to be a replacement for Mack Wilson, who reportedly agreed to a deal with the Arizona Cardinals on Monday. He probably won't win or lose the Patriots any games in 2024, but his profile seems promising. The linebacker had 65 combined tackles, two sacks and an interception last season, making him a seemingly active off-ball linebacker.

Grade: C+

Overall Day 1 grade

We didn't hit on the Patriots' moves to keep wide receiver Kendrick Bourne and tight end Hunter Henry, nor their expected decision to release DeVante Parker, but it's a good sign they're valuing the more reliable receivers and cutting ties with the dead weight. Henry was expected to be the top free-agent tight end on the market but actually signed a deal for less than what he got to join the Patriots in 2021, while Bourne received a slight pay raise from his first deal with the team.

As for Parker, he was ranked dead last in separation over the last four seasons. Sure, the Patriots hardly saved any cap space by letting him go, but they also seem to prioritize finding receivers who make life easier for the quarterback. Henry serves as a good red zone threat, while Bourne can turn routine plays over the middle of the field into first downs and more.

There's still plenty of work to be done for the Patriots in free agency, but they played it safe on Day 1, which is a good thing.

Day 1 grade: B+