Ravens back out of Maxx Crosby trade as Day 2 of NFL free agency delivers more surprises

Relive everything that happened on the second day of the NFL free agency negotiating period

The second day of free agency tampering is going to be remembered for a long time in the NFL, and it has nothing to do with free agency. 

In what will likely go down as one of the most shocking decisions in NFL history, the Ravens backed out of the Maxx Crosby trade after the Raiders star failed his physical in Baltimore. Before any trade can be finalized in the NFL, the player has to pass a physical, and the Ravens weren't comfortable enough with Crosby's health to give him a passing grade. 

The important lesson to be learned here for every NFL team is that trades can't be processed until the new league year starts at 4 p.m. ET on Wednesday, so until then, any team can theoretically back out of any deal. That also goes for any new contract that's been agreed to over the past two days. 

NFL free agency kicked off Monday with the start of the two-day negotiation window, which is the period where players are allowed to verbally agree on a contract with a new team. But again, no one can actually sign their new deal until the official start of free agency at 4 p.m. ET on Wednesday. 

Day two of the negotiation period was all about the Raiders. They also made some major headlines that didn't involve Crosby. The biggest move of the day came when they traded Geno Smith to the Jets. That was one of several moves that went down around the league, and we covered them all in our live blog below. 

If you want to re-live all the action from Tuesday as it unfolded, be sure to check out all of our updates.

For more 2026 NFL free agency coverage:

• Team-by-team signings tracker: Full list of every transaction this offseason
• NFL free agency team grades: How has your favorite team fared?
• Top 100 free agents tracker: Updates on Pete Prisco's Top 100
• Top remaining NFL free agents: Best players still available
• NFL free agency grades: Assessing the biggest moves

[Mar 10, 2026 at 8:05 pm ET · John Breech]

The Maxx Crosby trade IS OFF. I repeat the Maxx Crosby trade is off. This is not a drill. 

The Raiders announced on Tuesday night that the Ravens have BACKED out of the trade. 

"The Baltimore Ravens have backed out of our trade agreement for Maxx Crosby. We will have no further comment at this time," the Raiders said in a statement. 

The Ravens haven't offered their side of the story on this yet. 

The two sides agree to a deal on Friday night that saw the Ravens send two first-round picks to Las Vegas in exchange for Crosby. Before any trade can be finalized in the NFL, the player has to pass a physical, so it's possible that Crosby's health was the dealbreaker here. According to NFL Media, Crosby's health was the main factor in the Ravens' backing out of the deal. Crosby was in Baltimore on Tuesday and that's presumably when he underwent his physical. 

Crosby underwent surgery in January to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee. 

Trades can't be processed until the new league year starts at 4 p.m. ET on Wednesday, so until then, any team can theoretically back out of any trade, and right now, the Ravens are backing out of this trade. 

Ravens back out of Maxx Crosby trade after agreeing to send two first-round picks to Raiders

Jordan Dajani

[Mar 10, 2026 at 8:51 pm ET · John Breech]

We started the day here by listing off the top 10 available free agents and after nearly 12 hours of action, we saw three of those players get signed on Tuesday in Romeo Doubs (Patriots), Tariq Woolen (Eagles) and Leo Chenal (Commanders). 

With the clock about to hit 9 p.m. ET on the second day of legal tampering, here's a look at the 10 best players from Pete Prisco's top 100 who are still available: 

1. EDGE Trey Hendrickson (He's reportedly expected to make a decision on Wednesday)
2. QB Kyler Murray
3. S Jaquan Brisker
4. OT Rasheed Walker
5. S Nick Cross
6. WR Jauan Jennings
7. DE Joey Bosa
8. LB Bobby Wagner
9. WR Stefon Diggs
10. TE Chigoziem Okonkwo

Overall, 25 of the top 30 players on Prisco's top 100 list have either been signed or tagged as of today and if you want the full breakdown on where everyone ended up, we've got that here. 

We've also got a full team-by-team list of EVERY signing that has happened in free agency and you can check that out here.

[Mar 10, 2026 at 8:01 pm ET · John Breech]

The Ravens have already lost two players to John Harbaugh's Giants (Isaiah Likely, Jordan Stout), and now, they're about to lose one more. Patrick Ricard has agreed to terms on a two-year deal with the Giants that will make him the highest paid fullback in the NFL. 

The six-time Pro Bowler spent nine seasons with Harbaugh in Baltimore where he played a key part for a Ravens' offense that regularly ranked in the top five in the NFL in rushing. 

[Mar 10, 2026 at 7:57 pm ET · John Breech]

Cameron Heyward has spent his entire 15-year career in Pittsburgh and it looks like he's probably going to finish his career there after agreeing to terms on a new deal. 

Heyward tried to get a new deal before the start of the season, but the Steelers didn't budge and he ended up staging a hold-in for part of training camp. Although he didn't get a new deal back in August, he is getting one now and according to NFL Media, it's a one-year $32.25 million extension that includes $16.25 million in guaranteed money. 

The 37-year-old Heyward has been in Pittsburgh since the Steelers selectd him in the first round of the 2011 NFL Draft. Heyward spent the past 15 years playing for Mike Tomlin, and now, he'll be around for Mike McCarthy's first season in Pittsburgh. 

[Mar 10, 2026 at 7:08 pm ET · John Breech]

There have been dozens of free agent deals that have been agreed to today. As a matter of fact, there have been so many that a few slipped through the cracks, so let's do a round-up of a few signings that happened today that we haven't yet mentioned here yet. 

• QB Teddy Bridgewater to sign with the Lions 
• CB Rock Ya-Sin re-signing with the Lions (one-year, $4 million deal)
• QB Sam Howell to sign with the Cowboys (one-year deal)
• P Tommy Townsend to sign with the Titans (two years, $6 million)
• DL Logan to sign with Texans (two-year deal)
• WR/KR Skyy Moore to sign with the Packers (one-year deal)
• DE Kentavius Street to sign with the Bears
• C Luke Fortner to sign with Panthers (one-year, $4.75 million)
• LB Garret Wallow to re-sign with the 49ers (one-year deal)

Bridgewater spent two seasons as the backup in Detroit (2023-24) and he's now headed back after spending the 2025 season in Tampa Bay. One of the more interesting signings here is the Packers' decision to add Skyy Moore. The two-time Super Bowl champ spent last seaosn with the 49ers where he had a solid year as a returner.  

Moore only caught five passes in San Francisco but he has proven over the course of his career that he can be a weapon in the return game. 

[Mar 10, 2026 at 6:49 pm ET · John Breech]

The Commanders had one of the worst defenses in the NFL last year and they're doing everything they can to improve the unit in free agency. The most recent move is the addition of Leo Chenal, who has agreed to terms on a three-year, $24.75 million deal in Washington. 

Chenal started his career with the Chiefs after they made him in a third-round pick in 2022. In his four seasons with the team, the Chiefs made it to three Super Bowls with two wins. Chenal started eight games as a rookie and ended up playing in 65 total games over the course of his career in Kansas City with 44 starts. 

In Washington, Chenal will join fellow free agents EDGE Odafe Oweh, DL Tim Settle and CB Amik Robertson. 

Chenal was ranked as the 29th-best free agent on Prisco's top 100 and he was the sixth-best free agent still available on the market. 

[Mar 10, 2026 at 6:38 pm ET · John Breech]

The Saints have been busy in free agency and they added another key piece on Tuesday when they agreed to terms with Kaden Elliss on a three-year, $33 million deal. 

It's a return to New Orleans for Elliss, who started his career with the Saints back in 2019 after they made him a seventh-round pick. Elliss spent four seasons in New Orleans before moving on to Atlanta for three seasons. In 2025, he was one of the best off-ball linebackers in the NFL when it comes to pressure quarterbacks. According to NextGen Stats, Elliss had 30 QB pressures, which was the second-most of any off-ball linebacker in the NFL. 

Elliss now joins a Saints free agent class that also includes Travis Etienne, David Edwards, John Ridgeway and Noah Fant. 

Elliss was ranked as the 47th best free agent on Prisco's top 100 and he was the 13th-best free agent still available on the market. 

[Mar 10, 2026 at 6:31 pm ET · John Breech]

As of 6 p.m. ET on Tuesday, the Eagles were the only team in the NFL that had not made a single signing in free agency, but that drought is now over with the addition of Tariq Woolen. The Seahawks cornerback has agreed to terms on a one-year deal worth up to $15 million. 

Eagles fans were probably starting to wonder whether their team was actually going to make any moves, but they don't have to wonder any more after this one. The Eagles do have Cooper DeJean and Quinyon Mitchell in the secondary, but they don't have much beyond that, so the addition of Woolen should be a huge boost for the secondary. 

Woolen was ranked as the 22nd best free agent on Prisco's top 100 and he was the fifth-best free agent still available on the market. 

[Mar 10, 2026 at 6:25 pm ET · John Breech]

The Giants struggled with their kicking game last year and John Harbaugh is looking to fix that by adding former Pro Bowl kicker Jason Sanders on a one-year deal. 

The Giants used four kickers (and one punter) in 2025 and those kickers combined to hit an NFL-worst 87.8% of their extra points. Those kickers also combined to hit just 57.1% of their kicks from 40 yards or longer. 

With the Sanders, the Giants are getting a former All-Pro kicker who has spent his entire career in Miami. Sanders earned All-Pro honors in 2020 during a season where he hit 92.3% of his field goals. In 2024, he hit 90.2% of his kicks, but he didn't play a single down in 2025 due to a hip injury that knocked him out for the season. 

The Giants will now be hoping that he can return to his 2024 form. 

As for the Texans, it's been a busy special teams day for them. Not only did they hand out a record-setting extension to Ka'imi Fairbairn, but they made a trade with the Saints to get punter Kai Kroeger. The texans had Tommy Townsend at the position in 2025, but with his contract now expired, they decided to move on. The Texans are sending a sixth-round pick to the Saints for Kroeger and a seventh-round pick. 

Kroeger is coming off a rookie season that saw him average just 44.8 yards per punt, which was one of the lowest numbers in the league. 

[Mar 10, 2026 at 6:03 pm ET · John Breech]

The Browns offensive line is suddenly starting to come together. For the second time today, the Browns have gotten a deal done with an offensive lineman. This time around, they agreed to terms on a two-year, $24 million deal with former Pro Bowl center Elgton Jenkins. 

Jenkins was released by the Packers today and the Browns immediately swooped in to get a deal done. Jenkins is a two-time Pro Bowler who had spent his entire seven-year career in Green Bay. The move means that Cleveland now has its starting center in place for the upcoming season. 

Less than 48 hours ago, the Browns were in dire straits on the offensive line. The six offensive linemen who took the most snaps in Cleveland this year -- Joel Bitonio, Wyatt Teller, Ethan Pocic, Jack Conklin, Teven Jenkins and Cam Robinson -- were all set to be free agents, but then Jenkins decided to re-sign with the Browns. 

The Browns also added Zion Johnson on Monday and with Jenkins also returning, those will almost certainly be Cleveland's two starting guards. The Browns also have Tytus Howard at tackle after making a trade for him last week. And now, they have Jenkins at center, so four of their five starters appear to be in place for 2026. 

[Mar 10, 2026 at 5:36 pm ET · John Breech]

Although free agency has officially kicked off with the two-day tampering period, that does NOT apply to players who got hit with the franchise tag. 

• For players who got hit with the franchise tag, the rules are slightly different. George Pickens, Breece Hall and Kyle Pitts -- the only three players who got tagged -- aren't allowed to talk to other teams until the official start of free agency on Wednesday. This also applies to players who got hit with the transition tag and all restricted free agents. So players like Daniel Jones (transition tag) and Brandon Aubrey (second-round tender) won't be able to talk with teams until 4 p.m. ET on Wednesday. Until then, they're only allowed to negotiate with their current team. 

So if you're waiting to hear some news involving any of those players, you'll be waiting until Wednesday at 4 p.m. ET. 

[Mar 10, 2026 at 5:06 pm ET · John Breech]

For the second straight day, the Cowboys have added a safety. This time around, they've agreed to terms on a one-year, $5 million deal with former Broncos defensive back P.J. Locke. 

The Cowboys have also agreed to terms with nose tackle Otito Ogbonnia on a one-year, $3 million deal. The Cowboys have now signed three outside free agents over the past two days. Besides Locke and Ogbonnia, they also signed Jalen Thompson to a three-year, $33 million deal on Monday. The Cowboys also acquired Rashan Gary in a trade with the Packers, so every move they've made so far has been on defense. 

Based on the money spent, Thompson will likely be starting in the secondary this year with Locke in a backup role. Locke had spent his entire six-year career with the Broncos before agreeing to this deal. The 29-year-old played in 16 games last year with three starts. 

As for Ogbonnia, who saw action in nine games with the Chargers last season, he'll give the team some depth on the defensive line. 

[Mar 10, 2026 at 4:53 pm ET · John Breech]

Kyler Murray is one of the biggest names available on the free agent market, but there has been very much news on where he might end up and there a reason for that: Teams actually aren't allowed to contact Murray just yet. 

The big difference between Murray and Tua Tagovailoa is that the Dolphins have formally announced that they are planning to cut ties with Tua. 

Under NFL rules, teams are allowed to contact a player if his team has announced that he's going to be released. That rule is why the Falcons were allowed to communicate with Tua's camp on Monday. On the other hand, the Cardinals haven't yet formally announced that Murray is going to be released, so other teams aren't allowed to reach out to him. 

One reason you'll see a team hold on to a player is because they're trying to trade him. The Cardinals could be waiting until the last second to see if anyone will offer them anything for Murray, but that seems unlikely since everyone knows that his release will be coming tomorrow. 

The Cardinals informed Murray last week that he's going to be released and once that release officially happens, then other teams can come in and try to sign him. 

[Mar 10, 2026 at 4:15 pm ET · John Breech]

When free agency started, it looked like the Browns were going to lose all five of their starters from last season, but it looks like at least one of them will be returning. 

The Browns have re-signed G Teven Jenkins, and with that deal, the offensive line is now coming together. They added Zion Johnson on Monday and with Jenkins now back, those will almost certainly be Cleveland's two starting guards. The Browns also have Tytus Howard at tackle after making a trade for him last week. 

Now, they just have to fill in the rest of the holes on the line. 

The six offensive linemen who took the most snaps in Cleveland this year -- Joel Bitonio, Wyatt Teller, Ethan Pocic, Jack Conklin, Teven Jenkins and Cam Robinson -- were all set to be free agents and although Jenkins is returning, the Browns could still lose five of their top guys. 

[Mar 10, 2026 at 4:05 pm ET · John Breech]

At the rate things are going, the Jets defense might have 11 brand new starters this year. The team added another defensive player on Tuesday with the Nahshon Wright agreeing to terms on a one-year, $5 million deal. 

Wright had five interceptions last season for the Bears, which not only finished second on the team, but it was tied for the second-most in the entire NFL. If there's any team that needed to add a ball hawking defensive back, it's the Jets, who became the first team in NFL HISTORY to go an entire season without recording a single interception. 

Wright is now the seventh player that the Jets have added since Monday morning, joining: S Minkah Fitzpatrick, S Dane Belton, DL Joseph Ossai, DL Kingsley Enagbare, DL David Onyemata, and LB Demario Davis.

Wright was ranked No. 62 on Prisco's top 100 list of available free agents. You can see the full list here. 

[Mar 10, 2026 at 3:59 pm ET · John Breech]

With the Geno Smith trade now in the books, Jared Dubin decided to put his professor hat on and grade the trade for both teams. 

Let's check out what he came up with: 

• Jets: B. New York did well to acquire a bridge quarterback for essentially no cost. Moving down just 20 spots in the draft is not much to pay for a quarterback who will make around the league minimum after the Raiders cover much of the cost and Smith reworks the remainder of his contract. 
• Raiders: B. Las Vegas was going to cut Smith and did at least end up with something in return, even if it was only a swap of late-round draft picks. 

If you want Dubin's full explanation for each team's grade, we've got that here. 

[Mar 10, 2026 at 3:49 pm ET · John Breech]

As you probably already know, the Raiders have traded Geno Smith to the Jets. After the deal happened, there was a report that the Raiders would be paying a chunk of Smith's contract and we now know the details on that. 

First, let's get to the compensation of the trade: 

• Jets get: Geno Smith, 2026 7th-round pick (228th overall)
• Raiders get: 2026 6th-round pick (208th overall)

Now comes the money: Geno Smith, who was scheduled to make $26.5 million n 2026, agreed to restructure his contract to make the trade happen. Smith will now make $19.5 million with the Raiders paying $16.2 million of that salary and the jets paying $3.3 million, according to SI. The Jets get a starting QB at a cheap price and the Raiders will create about $10.3 million in cap space, so it becomes a win-win for both teams. 

[Mar 10, 2026 at 3:20 pm ET · John Breech]

Every year in free agency, the top players available almost all get snatched up in the first few hours of action, and for the most part, that was the case this year, but with one exception: Trey Hendrickson still hasn't signed anywhere. 

Hendrickson was ranked as the second-best player available on Prisco's top 100, but that hasn't help him land a job. He plays a premium position and he led the NFL in sacks as recently 2024, which are usually two things that would help you get a job, but it hasn't worked out that way for him. 

So why is he still available?

It appears the biggest reason is money. CBS Sports NFL Insider Jonathan Jones has reported that there's a gap of about $10 million per year between what he wants and what teams are willing to pay. The highest-paid pass-rusher in free agency so far is Jaelan Phillips, who got $30 million per year from the Panthers and Hendrickson would probably love to top that number, but the reality is that he won't be able to if no one is willing to pay him that much. You're only worth what someone is willing to pay you. 

Although Hendrickson has had a solid career, he does have two things working against him: His age (31) and his injury history. Hendrickson missed 10 games last season and was placed on season-ending IR after making the decision to have undergo core muscle surgery. 

With two days of tampering in the books, he remains one of the most intriguing names available. 

[Mar 10, 2026 at 2:51 pm ET · John Breech]

Every offseason, it seems like the Texans are trying to fix their offensive line. They've already made several moves this year and they made another one today with the addition of Braden Smith. 

The former Colts offensive tackle has agreed to terms on a two-year, $25 million deal that includes $13.5 million in guaranteed money. 

Smith spent the first eight years of his career with the Colts and for most of that time, he played right tackle. The Texans have Trent Brown at right tackle and Brown just signed a one-year deal, so it will be interesting to see how this plays out. Smith did play some guard in college, so the Texans could move him over there have him play next to left tackle Aireontae Ersery. No matter what happens, having too many linemen is a good problem to have and it's not something the Texans have had over the past two years. 

The Texans have been busy on the line this year. Besides re-signing Brown, they also traded away two players this offseason in Juice Scruggs (Lions) and Tytus Howard Browns). 

[Mar 10, 2026 at 2:30 pm ET · John Breech]

The reigning AFC champions have been looking to add a receiver this offseason and they finally made that happen today with the addition of Romeo Doubs. The former Packers receiver has agreed to terms on a four-year, $68 million deal. 

After cutting Stefon Diggs, it was pretty clear that the Patriots were going to need a new No. 1 receiver. There had been some speculation that the Patriots might look to make a trade for A.J. Brown, but the Eagles' asking price was too high and a deal never got done. Instead, the Patriots decided to bring in Doubs as a new weapon for Drake Maye. The Patriots could still try to make a deal for Brown, but they won't be as desperate to get something done now that they have Doubs in place. 

Doubs has averaged 53.3 catches and 666.3 receiving yards over the past three seasons. Based on the money involved, it's pretty clear that the Patriots expect big things out of Doubs in New England. 

[Mar 10, 2026 at 2:21 pm ET · John Breech]

Geno Smith is headed to the Big Apple!

The Jets have acquired Smith from the Raiders in a deal that cost them almost nothing. Here are the details of the deal (via NFL Media): 

• Jets get: Geno Smith, 2026 7th-round pick (228th overall)
• Raiders get: 2026 6th-round pick (208th overall)

This marks the second time in 12 months that Smith has been traded. He was shipped from Seattle to Las Vegas last March, and now, he's headed back to New York. Smith started his career with the Jets after they made him the 39th overall pick in the 2013 NFL Draft. He started 29 games during his first two seasons with the team, but was eventually benched and he ended up only starting one game over his final two years with the Jets. 

This trade likely means that you can pencil in Smith as the Jets starting QB in 2026. 

For the Raiders, their QB plans for the upcoming season are pretty clear: They're going to draft Fernando Mendoza.

This deal would have created $26.5 million in salary cap space for a Raiders, but according to NFL media, Vegas will be paying the bulk of Smith's salary this year, so they won't end up saving much money after all.   

[Mar 10, 2026 at 2:08 pm ET · John Breech]

The Panthers have released A'Shawn Hand, a defensive tackle who will likely now draw a lot of interest in free agency. 

Hand signed with the Panthers in 2024 and racked up 5.5 sacks that season, which tied for the team lead. In 2025, he started 16 games for an improving Panthers' defense. The decision to release him was likely cap-related: The Panthers will be freeing up $10.5 million in salary cap space with this move. 

Hand, who turns 31 on March 21, has played for four teams in his 10-year career. He started 14 games for a 2021 Rams team that ended up winning Super Bowl LVI. He proved in 2025 that he can still play, so he'll likely be a hot commodity since he plays a position where teams are always looking to add a quality player. 

[Mar 10, 2026 at 1:49 pm ET · John Breech]

I hope you love kicker news, because we have some coming your way. The Dolphins have a new kicker after signing Zane Gonzalez to a one-year deal. 

Gonzalez will be taking over for Jason Sanders, who was cut last week. Sanders was drafted by the Dolphins in 2018 and had spent his entire career in Miami, but he missed the entire 2025 season due to a hip injury. It's not clear if he's fully recovered yet, but the Dolphins still decided to move on. 

As for Gonzalez. he's a journeyman kicker who will now be playing for his sixth team. The 30-year-old kicked in nine games for the Falcons last season, hitting 86.4% of his kicks. Gonzalez hasn't kicked an entire season for one team since 2019. In 2023, he spent six games with the Commanders and the year before that, he was out of football. 

With Sanders out last year, the Dolphins turned to Riley Patterson, who actually had a solid season that saw him connect on 93.1% of his field goal attempts, but Miami has decided not to bring him back. 

[Mar 10, 2026 at 1:39 pm ET · John Breech]

Harrison Butker is no longer the highest paid kicker in the NFL. Ka'imi Fairbairn took. over that title on Tuesday after the Texans signed him a two-year, $13 million extension. 

The new deal will pay Fairbairn an average of $6.5 million per year, which puts him just ahead of Butker, who is making $6.4 million per year with the Chiefs.

It's a much deserved raise for Fairbairn, who has been one of the NFL's best kickers over the past few years. In 2025, he hit 91.7% of his field goal attempts, which ranked sixth in the NFL for any player with more than 15 attempts. He also hit a total of 44 field goals during the regular season, which was the most in the league. 

Fairbairn didn't miss a single kick from inside 50 yards last season, going a perfect 37 of 37. There were 17 kickers in the NFL who attempted at least 25 field goals from inside 50 yards and Fairbairn was one of just two who hit 100% of his kicks. 

Fairbairn also hit nine field goals from outside 50 yards, which was tied for the fourth-most in the NFL. Although Fairbairn is the highest paid kicker now, that title might not last for long. If Brandon Aubrey signs an extension with the Cowboys or signs a deal with a new team, there's a good chance that he'll top Fairbairn's number.  

[Mar 10, 2026 at 1:16 pm ET · John Breech]

After trading away David Montgomery, the Lions had some room on their roster for a new running back and it looks like they've found their guy in Isiah Pacheco. 

The Chiefs running back, who has spent his entire four-year career in Kansas City, is headed for Detroit where he'll share a backfield with Jahmyr Gibbs. The Lions got rid of Montgomery because he was apparently unhappy with his playing time last season. Gibbs the feature back in Detroit, but Pacheco is a violent runner who should complement Gibbs well. 

In his four NFL seasons, Pacheco went to the Super Bowl three times with the Chiefs, including two wins. He'll bring a winning pedigree to a Lions team that has never been to the Super Bowl in franchise history. 

[Mar 10, 2026 at 1:00 pm ET · John Breech]

Through the first 24 hours of free agency, there have only been three contracts handed out that have been worth more than a total of $70 million and three of those have topped $100 million. 

Here are the five biggest contracts since the tampering period started at 12 p.m. ET on Monday: 

1. Jaelan Phillip to the Panthers: Three years, $120 million ($80 million guaranteed)
2. Alec Pierce re-signs with Colts: Four years, $114 million ($84 million guaranteed)
3. Odafe Oweh to the Commanders: Four years, $100 million ($68 million guaranteed)
4. Tyler Linderbaum to the Raiders: Three years, $81 million ($60 million guaranteed)
5. Wan'Dale Robinson to the Titans: Four years, $70 million ($38 million guaranteed)

If you go by average annual value, then Malik Willis would move up to fifth. He signed a three-year, $67.5 million contract that will pay him an average of $22.5 million per year. 

Trey Hendrickson might have a chance to crack this list, but due to his age and injury history, it's not yet clear what kind of deal he's going to be able to score in free agency.  

[Mar 10, 2026 at 12:25 pm ET · John Breech]

Bears coach Ben Johnson is reuniting with a familiar face: Kalif Raymond. 

The former Lions kick returner, who spent the past five seasons in Detroit, is headed for Chicago after agreeing to terms on a one-year, $5.1 million deal with the Bears. 

For Chicago, there are two big reasons why this move makes sense:

1. Raymond is threat in the return game. Raymond is an electrifying returner who has scored at least one punt return touchdown in three of his past four seasons. In 2024, Raymond led the NFL in punt return yards (413) and finished fourth in yards per return (13.8). He's ranked in the top 10 of punt return yards in three of the past six seasons. He can also return kickoffs, but he doesn't do that as often. 

2. Raymond gives the Bears some depth at receiver. With DJ Moore now in Buffalo, the Bears needed some bodies behind Rome Odunze and Luther Burden III and Raymond gives them that. Not to mention, Raymond spent four seasons in Detroit with Johnson, so he already knows his offense, which means there shouldn't be much of an adjustment. 

The Bears will be the sixth team that Raymond has played for since entering the NFL in 2016. 

[Mar 10, 2026 at 12:07 pm ET · John Breech]

The Saints made an interesting move on Monday with the addition of Travis Etienne. The former Jaguars running back was given a four-year, $52 million deal, which is mostly notable, because that's a lot of money to pay a running back when you already have Alvin Kamara on your roster. 

As noted by ESPN, some teams around the league are wondering whether the Saints might end up trading Kamara. With that in mind, Bryan DeArdo decided to come up with some possible landing spots. 

Let's check out the two most interesting ones: 

• Broncos. Denver makes a lot of sense for Kamara at this stage of his career, starting with the fact that he would get the chance to reunite with Sean Payton, who coached him when he had his best seasons in New Orleans. 
• Seahawks. The defending champions have a pretty big opening at running back after reigning Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III agreed to a hefty new deal with the Kansas City Chiefs. Kamara is nothing like Walker, but with Zach Charbonnet expected to miss a good portion of the 2026 season recovering from his torn ACL, the Seahawks are in dire need.

DeArdo came up with a total of five landing spots and you can check out all of them here. 

Kamara is headed into the final year of his contract, so the Saints might be open to dealing him even though they'd take a dead cap hit of $21.4 million if they trade him before June 1, according to Over the Cap.  

[Mar 10, 2026 at 11:47 am ET · John Breech]

Dawson Knox has spent his entire career in Buffalo and it looks like he's going to be sticking around for at least three more season. The 29-year-old has agreed to terms on a new three-year deal with the Bills. 

Knox's contract was set to expire at the end of the 2026 season and he had a $17.1 million cap hit, so it certainly made a lot of sense for the Bills to give him a new deal now so that they could reduce the cap hit. 

Since being drafted by the Bills in 2019, Knox has consistently produced in Buffalo's offense. Last season, he caught 36 passes for 417 yards and finished second on the team in touchdown catches with four. 

[Mar 10, 2026 at 11:37 am ET · John Breech]

Since NFL teams have apparently forgotten about free agency -- not much has happened today -- we're going to take a look at the grades we handed out for some of the biggest signings from Monday. 

Zach Pereles handled these grades, and based on his view, there were only two signings that were worthy of an 'A' grade: 

• Tyler Linderbaum to the Raiders (Three years, $81 million): A. Linderbaum, 25, was regarded as head and shoulders above every other offensive lineman available, and the Raiders felt the same way. ... He will be an integral part of Klint Kubiak's offense. The skill, stability and experience Linderbaum will provide Mendoza is priceless. 
• Jaylen Watson to the Rams (Three years, $51 million): A. The Rams were terrific many places and good in almost every other spot in 2025. The one exception? Cornerback. Now, before free agency has even "officially" begun, they have traded for and extended Trent McDuffie and signed Jaylen Watson, too. ... Watson provides excellent size -- something Los Angeles sorely missed last year -- and a willingness to tackle in the run game. 

On the flip side, let's check out the three lowest grades of the day: 

• Tua Tagovailoa to the Falcons (One-year, $1.3 million): C. It's hard to swing too hard one way or another here. On one hand, there's a small chance Tua Tagovailoa can discover something in Kevin Stefanski's system, where Bijan Robinson, Drake London, Kyle Pitts and a solid offensive line surround him. On the other hand, does he really raise the ceiling enough to give up on Michael Penix Jr.?
• Malik Willis to the Dolphins (Three years, $67.5 million: C. The Dolphins are very much in the early stages of a rebuild -- or at least they ought to be. Willis, for as good as he was in a few appearances in place of Jordan Love, has six career starts. He was in a great spot in terms of surrounding talent and coaching in Green Bay. He won't be afforded those in Miami.
• Zion Johnson to the Browns (Three years, $49.5 million): D. This is a lot of money for a player who, at best, has just been OK. Last year, Zion Johnson ranked 54th out of 79 PFF-graded offensive linemen.

Zach handed out a total of 22 grades and you can check out all of them here.