NFL free agency: Day 1 NFC East recap

Day 1 of NFL free agency is in the books, and there's a lot of news to get to within the NFC East. We'll go in order of each teams' finish last season.

As expected, the Eagles lost a bunch of players on Day 1 of free agency, and they made no outside signings at all. For the three other NFC East teams, we'll list their additions first, but it makes sense to start with the Eagles' losses.

Notable players lost

• iDL Milton Williams: Williams scored a four-year deal worth $104 million (!) from the Patriots. I went through the Eagles' depth chart, and in my opinion, Williams was the Eagles' 15th most important player last season. The fact that he got a $26 million per year deal underscores how absurdly loaded the Eagles were last season. Jordan Davis and Moro Ojomo will have to step into bigger roles in 2025, and there's a good bet the Eagles address the interior of their line in the draft.

• EDGE Josh Sweat: Sweat did well, too, earning a four-year deal worth $76.4 million from the Cardinals. The Eagles have a pair of athletic, young edge rushers in Nolan Smith and Jalyx Hunt, but they'll have to add to their edge rush with Sweat leaving and Brandon Graham likely retiring.

• CB Isaiah Rodgers: There was apparently a robust market for Rodgers, who will have a chance to start in Minnesota. He signed a two-year deal worth around $11 million. His deal — and Darius Slay's projected departure — leaves third-year pro Kelee Ringo in a strong position to start in 2025.

• QB Kenny Pickett: Pickett was the Eagles' QB2 for the entirety of the 2024 season, mainly because he has experience starting in the NFL, even if it felt pretty clear that QB3 Tanner McKee is the better player. Pickett entered one game in relief of an injured Jalen Hurts, a loss to the Commanders, and he started one game, a win over the Cowboys during which he was knocked out with a ribs injury. Pickett will get a chance to start in Cleveland and McKee will step into the QB2 role behind Hurts. This move was arguably the most noteworthy Eagles news of the day, not the losses of Williams or Sweat.

Notable players gained/retained

• QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson: As noted above, the Eagles acquired Thompson-Robinson in the Pickett trade. He was Cleveland's QB3 last season behind Deshaun Watson and Jameis Winston. He has five career starts (1-4), and has thrown 1 TD vs. 10 INTs. He does have some intriguing traits, notably his ability to make plays with his legs, but in Philly he'll compete to be the QB3, possibly with another QB acquisition.

I liked what the Commanders did in free agency last year, and in 2025 they entered free agency loaded up with cap space and a chance to continue to build around emerging star quarterback Jayden Daniels. I kinda hate what they've done so far this year, beginning with their trade for Deebo Samuel a about a week ago, and continuing into Day 1 of free agency.

But we'll save the more aggressive love and hate for each team until we grade their free agency periods in full in a couple weeks.

Notable players gained/retained

• LT Laremy Tunsil (via trade): The trade details:

If you cancel out the 4th round picks, the Commanders basically gave up a 2, a 3, and a 7 for Tunsil, who will also count for $21,350,000 on the Commanders' cap each of the next two seasons.

Is Tunsil better than guys like Brandon Coleman and Cornelius Lucas, who both started games at LT for Washington last season? Of course. But he will also turn 31 before Week 1, and he led the NFL in penalties last season.

• MORE EAGLES
• Philadelphia Eagles 2025 depth chart
• Eagles 2026 compensatory draft pick tracker
• Eagles 2025 free agency tracker

• iDL Javon Kinlaw: In one of the biggest surprises of Day 1 of free agency, league-wide, Kinlaw somehow scored a three-year deal worth $45 million. Kinlaw spent his first four years with the 49ers, and last year with the Jets. He has 9.5 career sacks, although 8 of those came in the last two seasons. Kinlaw has a hulking frame, but has been an atrocious run defender throughout his five-year career. Odd signing.

• P Tress Way: He's been punting for Washington since 2014.

Notable players lost

• WR Dyami Brown: Brown had 30 catches for 308 yards and 1 TD last season. He also fumbled in the NFC Championship Game. For some reason the Jaguars signed him to a one-year deal worth $10 million.

• S Jeremy Chinn: Chinn started all 17 games for Washington last season. He had 117 tackles, 1 INT, 5 pass breakups, 2 sacks, and a forced fumble. He signed with the Raiders.

Before free agency began, Jerry Jones said (via Nick Harris of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram), “I’m not looking at free agency to fill voids.”

So you knew they weren't going to be very active, and well, they weren't, aside from one re-signing. More alrmingly for Dallas was the $40 million per year deal that Myles Garrett got from Cleveland, which will certainly impact negotiations with Micah Parsons on a new deal.

Notable players gained/retained

• DT Osa Odighizuwa: Odighizuwa got a four-year deal worth $80 million. Odighizuwa is a good-not-great starter, but because the Cowboys are so thin on the interior of their defensive line they really had little choice but to retain him.

• RB Javonte Williams: Williams had 3.6 yards per carry in 2023, 3.7 yards per carry in 2024. He agreed to a one-year deal worth $3.5 million.

• S Markquese Bell: Bell signed on a three-year deal worth $9 million. He has played both LB and S for Dallas. He had 94 tackles as a starter in 2023, 6 tackles in 2024.

• LS Trent Sieg: Sieg re-signed on a three-year deal worth $4.5 million. The Cowboys have one of the best kickers in the NFL in Brandon Aubrey, so it's wise not to mess with the field goal operation.

Notable players lost

• SCB Jourdan Lewis: Lewis has been a slot corner for the Cowboys since they selected him in the third round of the 2017 draft. The Jaguars gave him a three-year deal worth $30 million for some reason.

• EDGE Chauncey Golston: Golston was a Cowboys third-round pick in 2021. He was quiet the first three years of his career, but he had 5.5 sacks in 2024. He signed for three years, $19.5 million with the Giants.

• OL Chuma Edoga: Edoga is a backup lineman who started 10 games for Dallas the last two year. He signed with the Jaguars.

Notable players gained/retained

• WR Darius Slayton: Malik Nabers is the Giants' best receiver, but for the half decade preceding him, Slayton was the best Giants receiver, by far. He was widely expected to sign elsewhere, but surprisingly landed back with the Giants on a three-year deal worth $36 million. When I saw that deal, I knew those numbers looked familiar, and sure enough…

Hilarious.

• CB Paulsen Adebo: The Giants signed Adebo to a three-year deal worth $54 million. He's a good press corner, but he also broke his right femur last October, ending his season. At $18 million per season, he's worth 1.5 Saquon Barkleys.

• LB Chris Board: Board is a soon-to-be 30-year-old special teams guy on his fifth team. The Giants signed him to a two-year deal worth $6 million. You know what's fun about any Giants signing? You can simply apply it to Saquon Barkley. In this case, one could say, "They wouldn't give Saquon an extra $3 million per season so that they could sign Chris Board."

• EDGE Chauncey Golston: As noted above, Golston had 5.5 sacks in 2024 with the Cowboys. Three years, $19.5 million, or roughly a half Barkley.

• iDL Roy Robertson-Harris: Robertson-Harris turns 32 in July, and the Giants gave him a two-year deal worth $10 million. 20 tackles, 2 sacks in 2024. The Giants give decent money to a JAG defensive lineman or two every offseason, and they never have any impact, even though they get to play next to Dexter Lawrence. They got him for a little less than a half Barkley.

Notable players lost

None.

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