The second day of free agency's legal tampering period certainly didn't disappoint around the NFL, as plenty of big names went off the board. Danielle Hunter signed with the Houston Texans, Derrick Henry landed with the Baltimore Ravens and Aaron Jones ended up with the Minnesota Vikings.
Plenty of teams improved, which impacted the present and future of current players on rosters. With Day 2 of the legal tampering period in the books, here's a look at the winners and losers amongst the free-agent signings and trades.
Winner: Derrick Henry
While it always seemed like a formality Henry and the Baltimore Ravens were going to match, the two sides actually did when Henry agreed to terms on a two-year, $20 million contract Tuesday. Henry is going to be the No. 1 running back on the No. 1 rushing team over the last six seasons (2018 was the year Lamar Jackson was drafted). The Ravens now have the running back with the most rushing yards since 2018 (Henry) and the quarterback with the most rushing yards since 2018 (Jackson).
Jackson and Henry are a scary combination for anyone having to tackle them. The Ravens are immediately better on offense.
Loser: Daniel Jones
If things weren't bad enough for Jones -- who is coming off a torn ACL -- the Giants essentially brought in some competition for their quarterback with the $47.1 million cap hit in 2024. New York signed Drew Lock to a one-year deal worth $5 million, filling the void created with the departure of Tyrod Taylor.
Not only is Lock an insurance policy for Jones, he may be the starter come Week 1 and may not relinquish the job -- to Jones anyway. The Giants are still in play to draft a quarterback with the No. 6 overall pick, and that player could develop enough to unseat Jones and Lock at some point in 2024.
Jones may have taken has last snap as the Giants starting quarterback. The team appears ready, or at least prepared, to turn the page.
Winner: Linebackers
The linebacker position isn't a premium one in the NFL, yet the players who are free agents have been getting paid pretty well. Patrick Queen received $13.7 million in average annual salary from the Pittsburgh Steelers, Azeez Al-Shaair earned $11.3 million per year from the Houston Texans, Frankie Luvu got three years and $36 million from the Washington Commanders, and Lavonte David earned up to $10 million from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The higher salary cap has something to do with that, but a newfound commitment to the run in the NFL has made good tackling a premium. The top linebackers received nice contracts, as those four mentioned above are amongst the top-10 paid linebackers in the game.
Loser: Sam Howell
The Commanders have a new regime, and it might be looking to move on from Howell, as the team agreed with Marcus Mariota on a one-year contract on Day 2 of free agency. Howell appears to be an afterthought, with Mariota set to be the stopgap for the next franchise quarterback (the Commanders have the No. 2 overall pick).
One season with Howell as the starter might've been enough for Washington. Whether Howell remains with the Commanders in 2024 is a mystery.
Winner: Eagles' secondary
The Eagles and C.J. Gardner-Johnson mended fences after a bizarre divorce in free agency last season. Without Gardner-Johnson, the pass defense fell from No. 2 overall to No. 31. The takeaways fell from No. 5 to No. 23. When Gardner-Johnson was with the Eagles, he tied for the league lead in interceptions (six) in just 12 games, sparking a career year for James Bradberry in the process.
With Gardner-Johnson back, the Eagles get a playmaking safety that was well liked amongst the secondary in the locker room. Perhaps Bradberry can return back to his 2022 form as well.
Loser: Offensive tackles
The tackle market has been mostly inactive in the first two days of the legal tampering period. Jermaine Eluemunor has received the biggest contract at two years and $14 million ($7 million per year) -- and he's just one of three tackles to sign.
The left tackle market isn't great, but this is a premium position in the NFL as not a lot of teams have quality starters. David Bakhtiari, Tyron Smith and Andrus Peat are still on the market, so there are good tackles available.
Winner: Texans' pass rush
The Texans pulled off one of the biggest signings in free agency by landing Danielle Hunter on a two-year, $49 million deal -- with $48 million of the contract guaranteed. Hunter is an upgrade over Jonathan Greenard (an ascending player in DeMeco Ryans' defense), who was fifth in the NFL with 16.5 sacks last season and is coming off four double-digit sack seasons in his last five seasons played.
Hunter will line up opposite of Will Anderson Jr., who had four sacks in his last six games played to capture Defensive Rookie of the Year. With Hunter in the fold, the Texans have one of the best pass-rushing duos in the game. This is a group that had 46 sacks last season -- and should have at least 50 in 2024.
Loser: Diontae Johnson
Johnson has 50+ catches and 600+ receiving yards in all five of his NFL seasons. This was with poor quarterback play since Ben Roethlisberger's final season in 2021, yet Johnson had 224 catches for 2,760 yards and 13 touchdowns in those three seasons.
Of course, when the Steelers get a decent quarterback in Russell Wilson, Johnson is on the move. The Steelers traded Johnson to the Carolina Panthers for cornerback Donte Jackson and a 2024 sixth-round selection (No. 178 overall), sending Johnson to Carolina to help out Bryce Young.
While Johnson will get No. 1 wide receiver reps in Carolina as the primary target, he also is responsible for helping Bryce Young's development at quarterback. Johnson's numbers may be affected if Young doesn't take the next step or get the ball where it needs to go. Fortunately, the Steelers quarterbacks have prepared Johnson for a situation like this over the last few years.
Going from a consistent winning team like Pittsburgh to a rebuilding team like Carolina isn't ideal either.
