Some of the big moves ahead of NFL free agency

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The new league year, and free agency, doesn’t officially get underway until Wednesday, March 11 at 4:00 PM ET, but the legal tampering window opens on Monday, March 9 at 12:00 PM ET. Teams throughout the NFL aren’t waiting for those important dates to make moves, however, and there have already been several trades, cuts, and and signings. It’s one of the busiest times in the offseason, and is an opportunity to set the stage for how they’ll build their roster through the draft next month.

Here are some of the more notable moves around the NFL ahead of free agency:

Maxx Crosby to the Ravens

The Eagles were named as one of the several teams interested in Raiders edge rusher Maxx Crosby, but ultimately, the Ravens ended up finalizing a trade with Las Vegas that included two first round picks — their first rounder in 2026 and 2027. There’s no way Howie Roseman is giving up two firsts for a guy, so it doesn’t seem like Crosby to Philly was ever a likely outcome.

Daniel Jones gets the transition tag

It’s not used often, but the Colts placed the transition tag on QB Daniel Jones as they head into the offseason. Jones was doing a tremendous job for Shane Steichan and the Indianapolis offense before suffering two significant injuries that cut his season short.

By utilizing the transition tag, the Colts will be able to get an idea as to what kind of value Jones has on the open market and then make a decision about whether they agree and want to match any outside offer. This will keep the team from over-paying for a QB they’re optimistic about, but also is coming off big injuries and has been pretty inconsistent through most of his career.

Packers and Colts trade players

It doesn’t happen as frequently as it seems, but the Packers and Colts did a simple player swap on Saturday, with Green Bay sending DT Colby Wooden to Indianapolis in exchange for LB Zaire Franklin.

Lions break up Sonic and Knuckles

The Lions sent RB David Montgomery to the Texans for a 2026 fourth round pick, 2027 seventh round pick, and IOL Juice Scruggs. Montgomery had just days prior to the news of the trade, denied wanting out of Detroit, and the second-half of their formerly dynamic duo was sad to see his teammate go.

The Texans granted Joe Mixon’s requested release just a couple of days after adding Montgomery to the RB room — which probably wasn’t a hard decision for Houston after Mixon missed the entire 2025 season due to an undisclosed injury.

Centers are a hot commodity

Several centers around the league have announced that they are stepping away from the game this offseason, which set in motion several other teams making trades or re-signing their upcoming free agents at the position.

Bears Drew Dalman told the team that he was retiring from the NFL, and doing so only 27 years old. As a result, Chicago agreed to terms with the Patriots for center Garrett Bradbury in exchange for a seventh round pick.Chargers sign Tyler Biadasz to a 3-year deal worth $30M, after the center was cut by the Commanders. This signing came soon after Chargers center Bradley Bozeman announced his retirement after eight seasons.Bills were able to re-sign center Connor McGovern to a four-year deal worth $52 million, including $32 million guaranteed.Vikings center Ryan Kelly announced his retirement after eight years in the NFL.Saints center Will Clapp will retire from the NFL after seven seasons.

Chiefs get big haul for CB

The Rams are making a big push this offseason, and started with a splash. Los Angeles gave up three draft picks in 2026 (first round, fifth round, sixth round) and a third-rounder in 2027 to the Chiefs for CB Trent McDuffie. Many of McDuffie’s teammates in Kansas City expressed how much they were going to miss the All-Pro, two time Super Bowl winner, and now he’ll try and win a ring with a new team on the west coast.

The Eagles are still trying to figure out if they’ll be able to afford to re-sign Dallas Goedert this offseason, or if the TE will hit free agency for the first time in his career. Howie Roseman will be looking around the league as other top tight ends signed extensions before hitting the market.

T.J. Hockenson and the Vikings agreed to a restructured contract, saving Minnesota more than $5 million in cap space.Dalton Schultz signed a 1-year, $12.6 million contract extension with the Texans.Tyler Higbee signed a 2-year, $8 million contract extension with the Rams.Jelani Woods signed an extension to stay with the Jets.Quintin Morris signed a 1-year, $3 million extension with the JaguarsKyle Pitts was given the franchise tag by the Falcons, worth $15.045 million.

It wasn’t that the Eagles were interested in adding another big receiver, but the Bills were considered one of the teams that was interested in trading for A.J. Brown. Several reports have emphasized that Roseman and Co. are not backing down on their price to move Brown, so the Bills went to Chicago and traded for the DJ Moore, instead.

Moore’s trade does, however, give some credence to the Eagles standing firm in their asking price — which is reportedly set at a first round pick, second round pick, and a starter. The Bills gave up a second round pick in exchange for Moore and fifth-rounder from the Bears.

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