There’s a lot of time between now and the start of the 2025 NFL season, which means there’s a lot of time for all 32 teams to continue tweaking their rosters. The start of free agency tends to bring most of the splashy moves, yes, but sometimes the final ingredients to a championship recipe only arrive deep into the offseason. Underscoring this reality is the fact two of the most accomplished quarterbacks of this year’s veteran market — Aaron Rodgers and Russell Wilson — still remain without teams for 2025.
A week after the official kickoff of free agency, however, we also have a pretty good idea of how most teams’ lineups will look come September. The heavy lifting of the veteran market is done, and now all eyes are on April’s draft, when remaining roster holes will be plugged even further. So which teams struck gold, in our eyes, during the early stages of offseason activity? Which signings and trades stand out as most likely to pay dividends? Here are 10 of our favorite player moves so far:
Contract: 3 years, $54 million
Indianapolis may not be a wellspring of Super Bowl hope with Daniel Jones and Anthony Richardson set to battle at quarterback, but the defense should be much more respectable defending the pass with Ward in tow as the new No. 1 cover man. Despite a trying finish with the 49ers, he turned in championship-level showings with both San Francisco and the Kansas City Chiefs. Fresh scenery should do him well.
9. Sam Darnold to the Seahawks
Contract: 3 years, $100.5 million
Don’t be too fooled by the money here. In some ways, Darnold feels less like an upgrade and more like a younger version of Geno Smith — gifted and aggressive but intermittently reckless when everything isn’t tidy in front of him. The seven-year age gap isn’t nothing, though, so the longer-term upside is here after Darnold’s 2024 breakout with the Minnesota Vikings. This move isn’t just about Darnold, though; dealing Smith also netted Seattle a third-round pick, and the Seahawks can easily cut ties after 2025 if needed.
Acquired via trade for: 2025 third-round pick
Is Smith, 34, a long-term solution for a longstanding quarterback problem in Las Vegas? Unlikely. Does Geno’s spirited play style and personality mask some of his forced-throw tendencies? Probably. The Raiders needed someone — anyone — under center, though, and Smith offered far more arm talent and on-field zeal than most available veterans. His arrival also shouldn’t preclude them from drafting a successor.
Acquired via trade for: 2025 fifth-round pick
Samuel has durability issues, yes, and he may never fully replicate the multipurpose stardom that made him the apple of Kyle Shanahan’s eye with the San Francisco 49ers, but for a single late-rounder, you could do a whole lot worse for a one-year flyer. Especially with Terry McLaurin on the other side and Jayden Daniels airing it out. It’s a perfect marriage with the Commanders in win-now mode.
Acquired via trade for: 2026 second-round pick, 2025 third-round pick
Washington also swapped fourth-rounders with the Houston Texans to land Tunsil, who will be 31 when the season kicks off and has missed multiple games in four of his last six seasons. It’s a relatively steep price, considering Tunsil also commands the NFL’s third-largest left tackle contract. Or is it? Blind-side blocking is vital, and Tunsil’s experience should be a welcome reprieve for 2024 rookie sensation Jayden Daniels. The Commanders are clearly angling for a quick title push, and on paper, this helps.
Contract: 3 years, $51 million
A year after bucking its own trends to lure Saquon Barkley on a lucrative running back deal, Philadelphia followed suit at linebacker, rewarding Baun for his weekly dominance as part of the Super Bowl run. He’ll already be 29 before the end of 2025, but his mileage is also low due to a lesser role with the New Orleans Saints to open his career, and he was a tenacious ball magnet at the heart of coordinator Vic Fangio’s defense. Keeping him in place should alleviate the free agent losses of Josh Sweat, Milton Williams, etc.
Contract: 3 years, $54 million
New York has big issues still unsolved, but credit where credit is due: Adebo may have been the most underrated cover man in free agency, and his knack for finding the ball should help offset some of the secondary sizzle that left with Xavier McKinney in 2024. Despite missing 10 games in his final season with the New Orleans Saints, Adebo has totaled seven picks and 28 pass breakups since 2023 alone. Ranked 16th among all cornerbacks in forced incompletions since 2021, per PFF, he could be a lockdown No. 1.
Acquired via trade for: 2026 fourth-round pick
Thuney will turn 33 during the 2025 season, but he’s never logged fewer than 97% of his teams’ offensive snaps over the course of his nine-year career. With both the New England Patriots and Kansas City Chiefs, he proved durable and versatile. These are all major gets for a Chicago front that hardly let 2024 rookie Caleb Williams take a breath under center. Will Thuney alone bulldoze the Bears into playoff relevance? No. But his reliability should make him a tone-setter for the rest of the rebuilt trenches.
Contract: 2 years, $40 million
While other needy teams are still waiting around for old, greying free agents or crapshoot draft picks at quarterback, New York is barely paying starter money for a potential gem in Fields, who is still just 26 despite racking up 44 NFL starts. “Potential” is obviously the key word; Fields has yet to hold a permanent gig and serve as a truly trustworthy passer. But he’s got all the physical tools and flashed better ball control with the Pittsburgh Steelers. This is a classic low-risk, high-upside bet for a team in transition.
Contract: 2 years, $44 million
It might not be long before Los Angeles is back in pure rebuild mode, this time on the offensive side, if Matthew Stafford ages ungracefully at 37. As long as Stafford is under center, Sean McVay’s group might as well be aiming for a deep run. And Adams, though also aging, remains the total package out wide, giving Puka Nacua an improved running mate on the perimeter. Even if he’s past his prime, the former Green Bay Packers star should get a boost from escaping his dysfunctional setups of recent years.
Honorable mentions
- Azeez Ojulari to the Eagles: It may be a one-year, prove-it deal, but Ojulari gives Philadelphia fresh upside for the pass rushing rotation after four serviceable seasons with the rival New York Giants.
- Jordan Mason to the Vikings: Acquired for a late-round pick, Mason didn’t get enough credit for how seamlessly he stepped in for Christian McCaffrey with the San Francisco 49ers. He could be a No. 1.
- Javon Hargrave to the Vikings: Out for most of 2024 due to injury, Hargrave was previously an occasional game-wrecker for both the 49ers and Philadelphia Eagles. Brian Flores should enjoy him.
- Ernest Jones to the Seahawks: Re-signed to a three-year deal after arriving via trade in 2024, Jones was a do-it-all enforcer for Mike Macdonald’s defense. Seattle should be happy to have him back.
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Author: Cody Benjamin
March 19, 2025 | 10:00 am
