Tuesday welcomed a flurry of NFL free agency activity after the legal tampering window opened on Monday afternoon. Wednesday at 4 p.m. ET will officially mark the actual date players can begin putting pen to paper. Clubs wasted little time attempting to improve their 2024 outlook. Hundreds of millions of dollars were shelled out via multi-year contracts that carried hefty guarantees.
Certain general managers navigate the dangerous waters of free agency better than others. We combed through Tuesday's busy dealings to swiftly identify five immediate winners and losers on day two of free agency.
2024 NFL FREE AGENCY WINNERS
WINNER: BALTIMORE RAVENS, DERRICK HENRY, RB
Rumor became reality on Tuesday when the Ravens signed superstar running back Derrick Henry to a two-year contract worth $16 million with potential incentives increasing the total overall value to $20 million. Henry receives $9 million guaranteed in the first year. There's little doubt that Henry and Lamar Jackson will form the most explosive backfield in the league next season.
Henry received just $8 million per campaign, which matches what Tony Pollard and D'Andre Swift landed on the open market. Henry's advancing age undeniably played a role in the modest price tag, but does anyone think Pollard or Swift will outproduce Henry next season? Baltimore's physical, successful rushing attack just got even scarier.
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WINNER: MIAMI DOLPHINS, SHAQ BARRETT, EDGE
Dolphins general manager Chris Grier entered the offseason needing to upgrade the pass rush after Jaelan Phillips suffered a season-ending Achilles injury in late November. Phillips now faces a lengthy 9-12 month recovery period after undergoing surgery. Grier needed to ensure the Dolphins were prepared to ease him back into the lineup.
Signing Shaq Barrett protects the Dolphins against that possibility. The aging Barrett was still extremely productive rushing the passer last season, earning an elite pass-rush grade of 84.5 from Pro Football Focus. Barrett will replace Justin Houston as a designated pass rusher.
WINNER: MINNESOTA VIKINGS, AARON JONES, RB
Aaron Jones shockingly became available after a breakdown in contract revision negotiations with the Green Bay Packers. The Packers responded by signing Josh Jacobs and releasing Jones. The RB-needy Vikings quickly swooped in on his availability.
Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah signed Jones to a one-year contract worth $7 million. That annual salary is lower than what the aforementioned Pollard and Swift got on the open market, and Jones is a more proven back than they are. The one-year term and lack of long-term commitment is another win for Minnesota.
Injury limited Jones to 11 regular-season appearances last season, but he still averaged an effective 4.6 yards per carry. That should improve a struggling Vikings run game that averaged a 29th-ranked 91.4 yards per contest last season. Jones will help the offense transition from Kirk Cousins to Sam Darnold.
2024 NFL FREE AGENCY LOSERS
LOSER: CINCINNATI BENGALS, MIKE GESICKI, TE
The Bengals continued their tradition of rotating the tight end position on an annual basis by signing Mike Gesicki on Tuesday. The gamble arrives after a failed similar role-of-the-dice on Irv Smith Jr. last season. The Bengals have struggled to find consistent production at the position since letting the likes of C.J. Uzomah and Hayden Hurst walk in free agency.
In the interest of fairness, the Bengals only gave Gesicki a one-year deal worth up to $3.25 million. There's a scenario out there where Gesicki develops into a legitimate red-zone weapon for Joe Burrow. The timing is simply curious after whiffing on Smith Jr. so hard last offseason.
LOSER: CAROLINA PANTHERS, A’SHAWN ROBINSON, DT
The Panthers agreed to terms with free-agent defensive tackle A'Shawn Robinson on a three-year contract worth $22.5 million. The annual average salary of $7.5 million qualifies as sizable given that Robinson is essentially a two-down run stopper. Robinson has never produced more than two sacks in a single season throughout his eight-year career, and he hasn't taken a quarterback down since 2021.
The Panthers understandably needed to get better at stopping the run after allowing a 23rd-ranked 122.4 rushing yards per contest last season. They also need to find effective pass rushers after trading Brian Burns to the New York Giants. Robinson won't help in that area despite earning nearly $8 million annually.
