NFL free agency grades: Why Kyler Murray, Devin Lloyd are among best signings
NFL free agency grades: Why Kyler Murray, Devin Lloyd are among best signings
Jacob Camenker, USA TODAYSat, March 14, 2026 at 11:01 AM UTC
5
NFL free agency never really stops once it begins, but the first wave of it came and went rapidly in 2026.
While a handful of top talents still remain on the board, many of the best available free agents agreed to new contracts during the NFL's "legal tampering" period and during the first days of the new league year. The edge rusher, quarterback and receiver markets all moved rapidly while Tyler Linderbaum was quickly able to reset the center market.
A few top-of-market skill position players – George Pickens, Breece Hall and Kyle Pitts – were slapped with the franchise tag. That worked to further thin the ranks of the top available players.
As a result, 21 of the top 25 free agents in USA TODAY Sports' free agent rankings are under contract for the 2026 NFL season. Below are the grades for those signings – excluding those playing on the franchise tag – based on the value of each player's deal and their fit with their club.
1 / 02026 NFL offseason tracker: Player signings, trades
OT Tytus Howard: Traded to Cleveland Browns (previous team: Houston Texans)
NFL free agent signing gradesTyler Linderbaum, C, Las Vegas Raiders -
Grade: B
Contract: Three years, $81 million ($80 million guaranteed)
Linderbaum has graded as one of Pro Football Focus' top-seven centers in each of his first four NFL seasons and reset the market accordingly in free agency. His $27 million average annual value (AAV) blew by the previous highest-paid center, Creed Humphrey, by $9 million. Linderbaum was no bargain, but the soon-to-be 26-year-old should provide a massive upgrade for a Raiders squad drastically needing to improve its blocking in front of presumptive No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza.
Jaelan Phillips, edge, Carolina Panthers -
Grade: B+
Contract: Three years, $120 million ($80 million guaranteed)
Nic Scourton led the Panthers in pressures last season with 31. Phillips more than doubled that total across 17 games with the Dolphins and Eagles, racking up 63, good for 11th-most in the NFL, per the NFL's Next Gen Stats. Shelling out $30 million in AAV to a player who already has an Achilles tear and an ACL tear during his NFL career may be a bit rich, but Phillips won't turn 27 until May and gives Carolina the No. 1 pass rusher it was sorely lacking.
Trey Hendrickson, edge, Baltimore Ravens -
Grade: C+
Contract: Four years, $112 million ($60 million guaranteed)
The Ravens needed to upgrade a pass rush that generated just 30 sacks – tied for third-fewest in the NFL – last season. They thought they were doing so by trading for Maxx Crosby but pivoted to Hendrickson after their deal with the Raiders fell through.
Hendrickson is certainly an upgrade to Baltimore's pass rush. He has generated a whopping 74.5 sacks in 87 games across his last six seasons. However, the 31-year-old is a below-average run defender and is coming off surgery to repair a core muscle. That makes his $28 million AAV a tad rich.
Daniel Jones, QB, Indianapolis Colts -
Grade: B-
Contract: Two years, $88 million ($60 million guaranteed)
Keeping Jones around makes a lot of sense for the Colts. He enjoyed his best season in 2025, completing 68% of his passes for 3,101 yards, 19 touchdowns and eight interceptions while leading Indianapolis to an 8-5 record.
Jones doesn't have a great track record and is coming off a torn Achilles, so this could prove to be an overpay for the Colts. But even if it is, the short-term nature of the deal will prevent it from becoming an albatross.
Jarrett Bell: Daniel Jones' new Colts contract is a win – even if he loses | Opinion
Odafe Oweh, edge, Washington Commanders -
Grade: C
Contract: Four years, $100 million ($68 million guaranteed)
Oweh certainly has a lot of upside, but few expected the former first-round pick to get a $100 million. He was pegged to earn just under $58 million over three years in free agency, according to Spotrac.com's market value tool, but the Commanders blew by that projection to land the 27-year-old.
It's easy to see what the Commanders like about Oweh. He's an elite athlete and has generated 17.5 sacks over the last two seasons. But will Oweh – who has made just 27 career starts – play consistently enough to live up to this deal? It's a gamble, especially since he hasn't held up well against the run during his career.
Malik Willis, QB, Miami Dolphins -
Grade: A-
Contract: Three years, $67.5 million ($45 million guaranteed)
A $22.5 million AAV is a lot for a player who has just six career starts, but if Willis pans out, he will quickly become a bargain. The Dolphins were desperate for any sort of talent at quarterback, and Willis' combination of deep accuracy and elite mobility make him an intriguing pivot from Tua Tagovailoa.
Add in Willis' familiarity with Jeff Hafley and Jon-Eric Sullivan from their time together with the Packers and this could work out very well for the Dolphins.
Alec Pierce, WR, Indianapolis Colts -
Grade: B-
Contract: Four years, $114 million ($80 million guaranteed)
There may have been a little sticker shock when Pierce first signed his contract – which ranks tied for 10th among wide receivers in AAV – but it isn't too far above market value for the soon-to-be 26-year-old. Pierce has led the NFL in average yards per reception in back-to-back seasons and ranked first in average depth of target (ADOT) in both campaigns, plus he has strong chemistry with Daniel Jones.
Rashid Shaheed, WR, Seattle Seahawks -
Grade: B+
Contract: Three years, $51 million ($34.7 million guaranteed)
Shaheed has never logged more than 719 receiving yards in a season, but his game-changing speed and elite return abilities make him an excellent weapon for the modern NFL. Shaheed fits in well with Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Cooper Kupp, so it made sense for Seattle to keep its all-purpose weapon.
Next up will be figuring out how to get Shaheed more involved on offense. He generated just 18 catches across 12 games with the Seahawks after being acquired from the Saints, but the 27-year-old should be more productive in his first full season with the club.
Kyler Murray, QB, Minnesota Vikings -
Grade: A
Contract: One year, $1.3 million
Getting Murray on a veteran minimum is a coup for the Vikings. Kevin O'Connell expressed a desire to add competition for J.J. McCarthy and is getting a great, buy-low candidate in Murray – a two-time Pro Bowler with solid career numbers, great arm talent and excellent mobility.
Murray comes with some risk. He has played a full season just once since 2021 and posted a career-worst 192.4 passing yards across five games last season. Even so, the Vikings are risking nothing to see if the No. 1 pick from the 2019 NFL Draft can bounce back.
Meanwhile, Murray will relish a chance to play for the Vikings – his favorite team growing up – while still earning $36.8 million overall. The Cardinals will foot the remaining $35.5 million in guarantees owed to him.
Advertisement
NATE DAVIS: Vikings, 2026 NFC North champs? With Kyler Murray, you can bank on it
Cody Bryant, S, Chicago Bears -
Grade: B+
Contract: Three years, $40 million ($25.75 million guaranteed)
Bryant spent the first two seasons of his career playing cornerback before moving to safety. Since then, the Cincinnati product has generated 139 tackles, 13 pass defenses, seven interceptions and two forced fumbles as a do-it-all force.
The Bears needed a new free safety to replace Kevin Byard, who signed with the Patriots in free agency, and the soon-to-be 27-year-old Bryant is a much longer-term option than Byard, who will turn 33 in August.
Devin Lloyd, LB, Jacksonville Jaguars -
Grade: A
Contract: Three years, $45 million ($25 million guaranteed)
Christian Rozeboom graded as Pro Football Focus' 74th linebacker out of 88 qualifiers last season while allowing a 109.3 passer rating. Lloyd graded as the publication's third-best linebacker while allowing a 69.2 passer rating and earning an All-Pro second team nod.
With that in mind, Lloyd will be a major upgrade for Carolina's defense. He came with an AAV of only $15 million – tied for fourth-highest among linebackers – so this was another strong deal for Carolina.
Jaylen Watson, CB, Los Angeles Rams -
Grade: A-
Contract: Three years, $51 million ($34 million guaranteed)
The Rams desperately needed to add upper-tier talent at cornerback. Watson represents that, as the 27-year-old posted career-highs in tackles (64) and interceptions (2) while allowing a passer rating of just 69 and grading as Pro Football Focus' 17th cornerback among 112 qualifiers.
Watson's AAV ranks just 20th among cornerbacks, making him a solid value signing for the Rams. He should resume his regular role as a No. 2 cornerback across from his Kansas City Chiefs teammate Trent McDuffie, who was traded to the Rams during the offseason.
Tyler Dragon: How the Rams have won the NFL offseason, even before the draft | Opinion
Bryan Cook, S, Cincinnati Bengals -
Grade: A-
Contract: Three years, $40.25 million ($14 million guaranteed)
Cook grew up in Cincinnati and played collegiately there, so this is a homecoming for him. The Bengals need to upgrade all areas of their defense, but they particularly needed help at safety, where Geno Stone struggled over two seasons.
Cook graded as Pro Football Focus' fourth-best safety in 2025, so he fits the bill. He could develop into a steal for the Bengals, who are only shelling out a guaranteed $14 million for his services.
Kenneth Walker, RB, Kansas City Chiefs -
Grade: C+
Contract: Three years, $43.05 million ($28.7 million guaranteed)
It's hard to argue against Walker's fit with the Chiefs. He is far more explosive than the Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt duo the team employed last season, which averaged 3.8 yards per carry, and should take some of the pressure off Patrick Mahomes as he recovers from a torn ACL.
That said, Walker has only once played a full, 17-game NFL season across his four-year career and seemed to find better success last season when splitting snaps almost evenly with Zach Charbonnet (498 to 490). So, paying Walker $14.35 million in AAV to be a true workhorse carries some risk.
KENNETH WALKER SIGNS WITH CHIEFS: RB bucks Andy Reid's career trend at position
Mike Evans, WR, San Francisco 49ers -
Grade: B
Contract: Three years, $42.4 million ($16.3 million guaranteed)
Evans' deal could be worth up to $60.3 million, but the base value of it checks in at $42.4 million. That makes it a worthwhile shot for the 49ers, who needed a high-end partner for Ricky Pearsall with Brandon Aiyuk, Kendrick Bourne and Jauan Jennings all likely to leave the team.
Evans will turn 33 in August and is coming off a season during which collarbone and hamstring injuries limited him to just eight games. If he can stay healthy, he should once again become a perennial 1,000-yard receiving threat, as he was in his first 11 NFL seasons.
Nahshon Wright, CB, New York Jets -
Grade: A
Contract: One year, $5.5 million
This is a good gamble for the Jets. Wright broke out in 2025, posting five interceptions and two forced fumbles as part of a Bears defense that produced a league-best 33 takeaways. By comparison, the Jets had a league-worst four total takeaways last year and failed to log an interception.
The ball-hawking Wright should help remedy the latter issue if he plays as he did during his Pro Bowl season with the Bears. He doesn't have a long history of success, but the Jets won't have to worry much about him regressing since he is on a low-risk, one-year deal.
Romeo Doubs, WR, New England Patriots -
Grade: B
Contract: Four years, $68 million
Patriots fans may have been hoping for a bigger swing at receiver – like signing Alec Pierce or trading for A.J. Brown – but Doubs is a good replacement for Stefon Diggs. The former Packer is a polished route-runner and posted a career-best 724 receiving yards in 2025.
Doubs has improved his contested catch skills throughout his career and should continue to do so, as he will only be 26 in April. Don't be surprised if he's able to outplay this solid, market-value contract and develop into a key red-zone weapon for Drake Maye.
Boye Mafe, edge, Cincinnati Bengals -
Grade: B-
Contract: Three years, $60 million ($19 million guaranteed)
Look, $20 million in AAV is a lot to shell out for a player who had just two sacks last season. Granted, Mafe was a backup for the Seahawks and still generated 41 pressures, per the NFL's Next Gen Stats, but the Bengals are paying him to emerge as a high-end starter.
Could Mafe do that? Absolutely. He's an elite athlete and totaled nine sacks while starting a majority of games during the 2025 NFL season. Add in that the Bengals gave Mafe just $19 million in guarantees, effectively making this a one-year deal, and it's a lower-risk pact than it would appear on the surface.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NFL free agency tracker: Grading the best signings in 2026
Source: “AOL Sports”
