NFL free company 2026: Finest, most questionable suits from Day 1

NFL groups spent over $1 billion within the first 90 minutes of free company and no one had a gap burning of their pocket greater than the Raiders ($281 million) and Titans ($270 million), who led the league in spending for the day.

That does not imply it was all cash nicely spent, although. A few of these signings had been house runs marrying nice gamers filling huge wants. However, there have been quite a lot of head scratchers too as is commonly the case for overpaying veterans on the free agent market.

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Most closely fits

Tyler Linderbaum to the Raiders

The Raiders could have gotten the finest free agent within the 2026 class once they signed former Ravens middle Tyler Linderbaum to the richest deal for an inside offensive lineman ($27 million per yr) in NFL historical past. It is also probably the greatest suits. Getting into the 2026 season, the Raiders may have a younger core of QB Fernando Mendoza (2026 No. 1 decide), RB Ashton Jeanty (2025 No. 6 general decide) and TE Brock Bowers (2024 No. 13 decide) with Linderbaum setting the inspiration within the center. On the very least, this transfer ought to give Ashton Jeanty extra room to run. He ranked forty eighth out of 49 certified rushers in yards earlier than contact per rush (0.60) final season. 

Tua Tagovailoa to the Falcons

At first look I believed why within the heck would the Falcons need not one, however two quarterbacks who cannot keep on the sector. However for the worth (one-year deal value $1.3 million) it is positively value a flier on Tagovailoa. There will probably be ample continuity because the Falcons will not have to vary their offensive system irrespective of who’s at quarterback, as each are left-handed. Tagovailoa’s chilly climate issues should not be a difficulty with 11 video games scheduled to be performed indoors. Plus, Falcons new head coach Kevin Stefanski will draw up loads of designed rollouts the place Tagovailoa is comfy. I am undecided how impactful Tagovailoa will probably be or how a lot he’ll even play with Penix Jr. getting back from harm, however the match at the very least is sensible. 

Bryan Cook dinner to the Bengals

The Bengals had one of many worst defenses within the NFL final yr and have huge wants throughout the board, most notably at edge rusher and security. Security Bryan Cook dinner ought to assist Cincinnati immediately enhance as they allowed 7.0 yards after catch per reception in 2025, the worst charge by any workforce up to now twenty years. Cook dinner had the fifth-lowest missed sort out charge (5.7%) amongst defensive backs with 75+ tackles final season. He’ll substitute Geno Stone who had the fifth-highest missed sort out charge final season (18.1%).

Cade Mays to the Lions

Detroit’s offensive line took a step again in 2025 after the retirement of middle Frank Ragnow. They went from second and fifteenth in PFF’s run and cross block grades in 2024 to thirteenth and twenty fourth in 2025, respectively. Cade Mays will probably be an improve over Graham Glasgow after making a career-high 12 begins for Carolina in 2025.

Kenneth Walker III to the Chiefs

It pains me to place Kenneth Walker III right here after he timed free company completely after a giant postseason end following Zach Charbonnet’s harm. Nevertheless, he fills such a giant want for the Chiefs even at the price of the richest free agent RB deal ever ($14.4 million per yr). Walker III had extra 25-yard runs in a single drive within the Tremendous Bowl (two) than Chiefs working backs had all of final season (one). Kansas Metropolis had completely no explosiveness on the bottom. Chiefs working backs had an explosive run (12+ yards) on 3.0% of their carries in 2025, the fifth-lowest charge by any workforce in a season since 2000. The 2024 Chiefs ranked second-lowest (2.8%). Walker III ranked fifth amongst 49 RBs with 100+ carries final yr in explosive run charge (10.0%). I can not blame the Chiefs for lastly investing on the place because the offense round Patrick Mahomes has regarded pedestrian for a number of years.

Questionable suits

Malik Willis to the Dolphins

Malik Willis pulled a Jekyll-and-Hyde act going from Tennessee to Inexperienced Bay, the place he went from one of many worst to finest supporting casts in soccer. So even with the connection to Dolphins head coach Jeff Hafley (he was the Packers defensive coordinator final yr), it was stunning to see him signal with a Dolphins workforce that’s in an entire rebuild after consuming Tua Tagovailoa’s NFL-record $99 million lifeless cap hit. Willis has numerous expertise however this is not a really perfect setting to convey the perfect out of him. 

Michael Pittman Jr. to the Steelers

The Steelers acquired Michael Pittman Jr. in a late-round decide swap and promptly gave him an extension value $59 million over three years. Pittsburgh desperately wanted a WR2 behind D.Okay. Metcalf (he accounted for practically half of the Steelers WR receiving yards final yr) nevertheless it’s head scratching to see them commerce for one more huge wideout after transport off George Pickens final offseason. Steelers vast receivers ranked second-worst in yards from the slot final yr, so I might have a lot reasonably seen them discover a risk like Rashid Shaheed. He signed a barely cheaper deal than Pittman (three years, $51 million) to remain in Seattle.

Travis Etienne Jr. to the Saints

I wrote about paying working backs final month and my takeaway was it is okay to spend cash on the place on short-term offers. The one exception can be paying a famous person again like Derrick Henry or Saquon Barkley. The Saints did neither. They shelled out $13 million per yr over 4 years for Travis Etienne, who ranked fourth-worst in rush yards over anticipated per try up to now three years (amongst 25 working backs with 500+ rushes). Now, he is an improve over Alvin Kamara, who ranked final on this stat, nevertheless it’s nonetheless not value this huge contract (he has the seventh-richest lively RB contract) when guys like Rico Dowdle and Javonte Williams signed low cost one-year offers final season and produced 1,000-yard years.

Wan’Dale Robinson to the Titans

On the one hand, I perceive Titans offensive coordinator Brian Daboll reuniting with Wan’Dale Robinson to enhance Cam Ward’s supporting solid particularly when Tennessee had a ton of money to burn. Nonetheless, Robinson received the fifth-biggest contract ever for a free agent wideout ($38 million assured) and Chimere Dike confirmed indicators of enchancment working out of the slot because the season went on. Dike averaged 1.46 yards per route run out of the slot within the remaining 5 weeks of the yr, up from 0.89 from Weeks 1-14. Robinson is a slot service provider, however he is probably not definitely worth the cash if it will get in the best way of Dike’s improvement.

Quay Walker and Nakobe Dean to the Raiders

They needed to spend all that cash someplace, proper? Las Vegas goes to be spending $26 million yearly on former Georgia Bulldog teammates Quay Walker and Nakobe Dean for the following three years. For context, the Bears led the NFL in spending on off-ball linebackers in 2025 at $28 million. Walker and Dean convey various things to the desk however they don’t seem to be among the many finest at their place within the league so I might have reasonably seen more cash spent on the offensive line and vast receiver to assist out Fernando Mendoza.