Every year in March, NFL free agency opens up and players find new homes. There is always plenty of turnover, but 2026 has truly been wild. Super Bowl LX MVP Kenneth Walker III joined Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs. Future Hall of Fame wide receiver Mike Evans signed with the San Francisco 49ers.
The Carolina Panthers added elite edge rusher Jaelan Phillips. Staying in the NFC South, the New Orleans Saints inked Travis Etienne to supplant Alvin Kamara.
Out in the NFC West, the Arizona Cardinals landed running back Tyler Algeier and wide receiver Kendrick Bourne.
But maybe the biggest story involved the Las Vegas Raiders. The Raiders and Baltimore Ravens had agreed to a trade that would have sent Maxx Crosby to the AFC North, only for Baltimore to pull out at the last minute.
Despite the Raiders being left holding the bag, they still highlight the biggest winners at the start of NFL free agency.
The Raiders have a big week
Yes, some people may think I am off the mark in listing the Raiders as a winner due to the Crosby ordeal. But to the veteran edge rusher's credit, after the trade was nixed, he reported back with the Raiders.
His trade value is sure to decline after the Ravens pulled the plug. But that has nothing to do with why Las Vegas tops this list.
Their week of free agency began re-signing cornerback Eric Stokes. While that isn't a big move, it was a necessary one considering the lack of depth. But that was just the beginning.
Las Vegas added Pro Bowl center Tyler Linderbaum, linebackers Quay Walker and Nakobe Dean, wide receiver Jalen Nailor, defensive ends Kwity Paye and Malcolm Koonce, and then traded for cornerback Taron Johnson.
That is quite the haul of very good football players. The New England Patriots completed a very similar overhaul last offseason. We saw how that went. Am I suggesting the Raiders can reach the Super Bowl?
Absolutely not.
But they should improve drastically. And if Crosby actually remains in Las Vegas, this defense might go from near the bottom to the top-10 overnight.
Daniel Jones is a big winner in free agency
One of the other big winners of free agency is Daniel Jones.
Jones signed a two-year, $88 million contract with the Indianapolis Colts. The deal is actually worth up to $100 million with incentives. Sixty million of it is guaranteed, as his contract is the largest 2-year deal in NFL history.
Remember, it was not long ago that Jones was labeled a bust. After being drafted in the first round by the New York Giants, Jones failed to live up to the hype. But in his first season with the Colts, he looked like a different quarterback.
Jones had the Colts in the driver's seat of the AFC South before injuries derailed their season. Can he duplicate his recent success and lead Indy to the playoffs? That remains to be seen. But one thing is for sure, he was a big winner this week.
New England Patriots fill key holes
The Patriots won 10 more games in 2025 than they did the previous season. That was, in large part, due to their offseason acquisitions. Despite losing the Super Bowl, they are looking to avoid the dreaded hangover.
That started this week in free agency.
The Patriots let former Pro Bowl receiver Stefon Diggs walk. To fill his shoes, they got a much younger player with similar skills. The Patriots inked Romeo Doubs in free agency. Doubs, like Diggs, is a solid possession receiver with good route-running, and can play both in the slot and outside.
But maybe the biggest need was on the offensive line. If you weren't sure, just go re-watch that Super Bowl vs. the Seattle Seahawks.
The Patriots addressed that as well. They signed Elijah Vera-Tucker, previously with the New York Jets. Vera-Tucker missed all of 2025 due to injury and has a checkered injury history before that. But when he can play, he is an elite interior offensive lineman.
Baltimore Ravens, Trey Hendrickson, both happy
Would the Ravens prefer a healthy Crosby over Trey Hendrickson, probably. But that also would have come with a hefty price tag of two first-round NFL Draft picks.
Instead, they immediately pivoted after that trade fell through and signed Hendrickson.
The former Cincinnati Bengals edge rusher has been openly unhappy. He goes from one of the most dysfunctional organizations in the NFL to one of the most stable.
He also joins a highly talented defense that was in desperate need of a pass rusher.
Hendrickson, from 2020 through 2024, racked up a whopping 70.5 sacks. He is truly one of the most talented at his position in football, and the Ravens got to keep their draft picks. Everyone in Baltimore ought to be very happy with that development.
