X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Projections
Articles & Tools
Weekly Planner
24x7 News and Alerts

NFL Free Agency Analysis: Team Winners and Losers From Day 1

Drake Maye - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

John's free agency recap covering NFL team winners and losers from Day 1. Which teams are winners and losers from the first day of free agency for the 2025 NFL offseason?

The first day of NFL free agency in the 2025 offseason has passed, and a flurry of moves were made by a variety of teams. But a few teams emerged as clear winners and losers after just one day of transactions.

Not every team can address all of their needs this quickly, especially those with a lot of roster holes. Nonetheless, bolstering certain areas of their rosters, combined with the upcoming 2025 NFL Draft, can give teams a significant leg up heading into 2025.

Some of these squads made moves that will make them desperate regarding certain positions on their roster, while some filled in serious needs and are well on their way to improving their records for 2025. So let's break down which NFL teams are the biggest winners and losers of the first day of free agency!

Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:

 

Free Agency Winner: New England Patriots

New head coach Mike Vrabel already presents a massive upgrade over the now-fired former HC Jerod Mayo. Mayo's tenure with the Pats lasted just one year, and he really did nothing to elevate his team, instead opting to throw his players and even coaches under the bus. The team languished with one of the worst rosters in the NFL and incompetent leadership that decided to start quarterback Jacoby Brissett for the first few games of the season before it became obvious that they couldn't get away with it any longer. But with Vrabel in charge, the Patriots immediately made moves to bolster the defense.

They first picked up former Tennessee Titans outside linebacker Harold Landry at a discount, compared to his previous seasons' pay, by signing him to a three-year, $43.5 million deal. Landry will reunite with his former head coach in Vrabel and will be intimately familiar with his old HC's defensive system. It's a great match for him. Then, the Pats convinced former Las Vegas Raiders linebacker Robert Spillane, one of the most underrated LBs in the league and the heart and soul of the Raiders defense in 2024, to a three-year, $33 million deal, which is a great price for a leader and player of his caliber.

They also managed to woo Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Milton Williams, one of the team's breakout stars of 2024 and a big part of their Super Bowl dominance over the Kansas City Chiefs, with a four-year, $105 million deal. If he lives up to expectations, he'll be a massive steal at that price. Additionally, NE signed former Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Carlton Davis to a $54 million contract over the next three seasons.

So the team has completely revitalized their defense and should make major strides on that side of the ball in 2025, helping the team to establish an identity and laying the groundwork for achieving a much better record next year. Things have gone well for Vrabel already, and the season hasn't even started.

 

Free Agency Winner: Los Angeles Rams

The Rams addressed one of their biggest issues -- that the fall-off of WR Cooper Kupp left the team without a consistent, reliable, and overall excellent WR2 to draw coverages away from WR Puka Nacua. In the playoffs, it became an issue -- against great defenses, teams can't get away with having just one great pass-catching option. Ask the Los Angeles Chargers, who were crushed by the Houston Texans in the playoffs, largely because they could rely solely on WR Ladd McConkey to consistently separate and make plays for them.

Kupp is likely to be released now that Los Angeles signed former New York Jets WR Davante Adams to a two-year deal. Adams gets an ideal landing spot in head coach Sean McVay's offense with quarterback Matthew Stafford throwing to him, and L.A. gets an aging, yet still highly effective, WR to immediately put major stress on defenses that try to double-cover Nacua. Adams' short 2024 stint with the Raiders wasn't reflective of his current abilities, as separation stats showed that he massively improved later in the season, and even outperformed Nacua there.

Not a huge surprise that he didn't put out much effort in Las Vegas, since they were still a dumpster fire of an organization last year. The Rams are the opposite. The passing offense will likely be massively concentrated on Adams and Nacua, and the majority of the receiving work should be handled by those two, considering that the team's next best options are WRs Jordan Whittington, an inconsistent player as a rookie, wideout Demarcus Robinson, who will turn 31 years old in late September, and tight end Tyler Higbee, who is now 32.

 

Free Agency Winner: Pittsburgh Steelers

The Steelers were one of a handful of teams absolutely desperate for help at the wide receiver position. So as soon as a talented wideout became available, namely former Seattle Seahawks WR DK Metcalf, Pittsburgh jumped at the chance to acquire him, trading a second-round pick to the 'Hawks in exchange for him, and signing him to a four-year, $132 million contract. Previously it was reported to be a five-year, $150 million deal, so who knows? It sounds like a massive deal, but big jumps in the league's salary cap make it much more reasonable in comparison.

And receivers with Metcalf's talent rarely become available. While he's struggled with physicality at times, and has a history of losing his temper on the field, he's one of the world's most absurdly talented athletes. At 6-foot-4 and 235 pounds, he has track star speed, having exceeded 22 miles per hour on the field during a long touchdown catch in 2023. That alone will draw coverages away from other receivers and make him a threat to take any reception to the end zone on long runs. Steelers WR George Pickens, the clear No. 1 pass-catcher for the team for multiple years now, probably isn't too happy about it.

But he'll have to learn to live with the fact that the team has more options in the passing game now. And while the team's quarterback situation is far from being figured out, he'll have a much easier time finding holes in the coverage and moving the ball down the field with Metcalf and Pickens on either side of him. It will be interesting to see how one of the most run-happy offensive coordinators in the league, Arthur Smith, will use his new weapon, though. I'm not super optimistic. He's probably raving to himself about his newest WRs' size and how it will help with the team's run-blocking.

 

Free Agency Loser: Houston Texans

The loss of star left tackle Laremy Tunsil, who has been one of the best pass-protecting offensive linemen in the NFL over the past few seasons, is a big one for Houston. While there were rumors of him being somewhat of a poor locker-room presence, some beat writers have refuted those claims, instead pointing to contract issues as the main reason for the team shipping him off. It's somewhat inevitable that they had to offload him, though.

Especially on defense, the team has some massive contracts it will have to hand out soon and over the next few seasons. Star pass-rusher Will Anderson Jr. will likely receive a market-resetting extension when he's due for one. It could be north of $40 million per year. Cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. The level of play of wide receiver Nico Collins could cause him to re-negotiate his deal, as he's currently playing at a steep discount. And the team will obviously have to pay quarterback C.J. Stroud a massive deal at some point, given how few good QBs there are in the NFL.

But Stroud played extremely poorly under constant pressure in 2024, and they're losing depth along the line with the departures of both Tunsil and offensive guard Kenyon Green, as poorly as he played. The Texans picked up WR Christian Kirk, but he'll just be a temporary replacement for wideout Tank Dell, who they lost in the 2024 season due to a multi-ligament knee injury. WR Stefon Diggs also won't be coming back. The roster will be in rough shape on offense in 2025 without getting substantial steals in the 2025 NFL Draft.



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy football app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, rankings, starts/sits & more. All free!

More Fantasy Football Analysis




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Projections
Articles & Tools
Weekly Planner
24x7 News and Alerts

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

CFB

LaNorris Sellers Upgraded to Probable for Saturday Tilt Against Missouri
Jaylen Waddle

Good to Go For Thursday Night Football
Tucker Kraft

Suffers "Little Knee Tweak," Checks Out OK
Jaylen Waddle

Expected to Play and be a "Big Factor" on Thursday Night
Tucker Kraft

Suffers Knee Injury During Thursday's Practice
Clayton Kershaw

Will Retire at the End of the Season
Malcolm Brogdon

Landry Shamet and Malcolm Brogdon Both Staying with the Knicks?
Detroit Pistons

Charles Bediako Agrees to a Training Camp Deal with Detroit
Anthony Davis

Recovering From Eye Surgery, Uncertain for Training Camp
Charlotte Hornets

DaQuan Jeffries Waived by the Hornets
CFB

Eric Singleton Jr. Questionable For Saturday
Braden Schneider

Limited in Training Camp
Lars Eller

Recovering From Abdominal Procedure
Nick Jensen

in Danger of Missing Start of Season
Brandon Montour

to Miss Two Weeks After Ankle Surgery
Gabriel Landeskog

a "Full Go" for the Season
Samuel Girard

Avalanche Hope to Have Samuel Girard Available for Start of Season
Mackenzie Blackwood

Out Week-to-Week
Alex Tuch

Day-to-Day With Undisclosed Injury
Jordan Greenway

to Sit Out Training Camp
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen

Considered Day-to-Day
Simon Edvinsson

to Miss a Couple of Weeks
Mikael Backlund

Signs Two-Year Extension
Connor Ingram

to Be Waived by Mammoth
Zach Hyman

Misses Start of Training Camp
Nick Paul

Out Until November
Kris Letang

Cleared for Training Camp
David Pastrnak

Out for Start of Training Camp
Matthew Tkachuk

Expected to Be Out Until December
NBA

Trevelin Queen Joins Chinese Team
Damian Lillard

Not Rushing His Return
Brooklyn Nets

Keon Johnson Waived by Nets
Justin Verlander

Plans to Pitch in 2026
Junior Caminero

Day-to-Day With Back Tightness
Will Smith

Won't Return When First Eligible
Tyler Soderstrom

Returns to A's Lineup
Tyler Warren

Sidelined on Wednesday with Toe Injury
Jaylen Waddle

Questionable for Week 3 Against Buffalo
Joe Burrow

Bengals Not Closing the Door on Joe Burrow Returning This Year
CFB

LaNorris Sellers to Play Against Missouri?
Kyle Tucker

Progress has "Plateaued"
Isaac Paredes

has "Outside Chance" to Return This Weekend
CFB

Kaidon Salter Expected To Start for Colorado on Saturday
Willson Contreras

Goes on 10-Day Injured List, Done for Season
Justin Fields

Ruled Out for Week 3 Due to Concussion
Jayden Reed

Out Indefinitely After Foot and Shoulder Surgery
Washington Commanders

Preston Smith Signs With Commanders
Trey Jemison III

Joins Knicks on Two-Way Contract
Kevin McCullar Jr.

Signs New Two-Way Deal With Knicks
Matt Ryan

Returns to Knicks on Exhibit 10 Contract
New York Knicks

Alex Len Signs Exhibit 9 Deal With Knicks
Nickeil Alexander-Walker

Expected to Take on Larger Offensive Role With Hawks
Thomas Sorber

Undergoes Surgery
Dominic Canzone

Has Five-Hit, Three-Homer Game Tuesday
Cal Raleigh

Sets Single-Season Home Run Record for a Switch-Hitter
Jayden Reed

Undergoes Clavicle and Foot Surgeries, Out for Foreseeable Future
Bo Bichette

to Miss Rest of Regular Season
Zach Neto

Placed on 10-Day Injured List With Hand Injury
Yordan Alvarez

Out on Tuesday, Dealing With "Significant" Ankle Sprain
Aaron Jones Sr.

Vikings Place Aaron Jones Sr. on Injured Reserve With Hamstring Injury
CFB

Diego Pavia Refutes Report of Seeking Seventh Collegiate Season
Christian Kirk

Expected to Return in Week 3
CFB

Diego Pavia Seeking Another Year of Eligibility
Tarik Skubal

on Track to Start Thursday
CFB

Kevorian Barnes Questionable Against SMU
Bo Bichette

has Short-Term Knee Injury, Could Return for Postseason
Tosan Evbuomwan

Joins Knicks
NBA

Kai Jones Links Up With EuroLeague Team
Bismack Biyombo

Returns to Spurs
Bones Hyland

Rejoins Timberwolves
Kobe Bufkin

Moves to Brooklyn
Trey Yesavage

Sets Franchise Strikeout Record On Monday
Yordan Alvarez

To Receive MRI For Sprained Left Ankle On Tuesday
Willson Contreras

Exits Early Monday With Right-Biceps Tightness
Yordan Alvarez

Exits With Ankle Sprain
Brock Bowers

Officially Active on Monday Night
Jauan Jennings

Day-to-Day With Ankle Injury
Logan O'Hoppe

Activated Off Seven-Day Injured List
CBJ

Denton Mateychuk Dealing With Groin Issue
Bo Horvat

Fine for Training Camp
Kirby Dach

on Track to Be Ready for Opening Night
Jose Altuve

Returns Against Rangers
J.J. McCarthy

Expected to Miss 2-4 Weeks With High-Ankle Sprain
J.J. McCarthy

Likely Out for Week 3 With High-Ankle Sprain
Jean Silva

Gets Finished For The First Time In His Career
Aaron Jones Sr.

Unlikely to Play in Week 3 Due to Hamstring Injury
Diego Lopes

Returns To The Win Column
Jayden Daniels

' Week 3 Status in Doubt
Rob Font

Outclassed In The Noche UFC 3 Co-Main Event
David Martinez

Wins His Second UFC Fight
Jared Gordon

Suffers Brutal TKO Loss At Noche UFC 3
Rafa Garcia

Wins Back-To-Back Fights
Brian Thomas Jr.

Dealing with Wrist Injury
Dustin Stoltzfus

Drops A Decision At Noche UFC 3
Kelvin Gastelum

Gets Back In The Win Column
Diego Ferreira

Suffers Second-Round TKO
Alexander Hernandez

Extends His Win Streak With A Brutal TKO
Quang Le

Suffers First-Round Knockout
Santiago Luna

Shines In His UFC Debut
Christopher Bell

Earns his First Bristol Cup Series Victory
Alex Bowman

Falls Short of Advancing Through Cup Series Playoffs
Chase Briscoe

Collects his Third Top-10 Finish at Bristol
Ryan Blaney

Strong Top-Five Bristol Performance Advances him to the Playoffs
Corey Heim

Earns his First Career Cup Series Top-10 Finish at Bristol
Giannis Antetokounmpo

Leads Greece to Bronze Medal
Alperen Sengün

Alperen Sengun Drops 28 Points in EuroBasket Finals
CFB

Indiana's Lee Beebe Jr. Out for Season with Knee Injury
Dennis Schröder

Dennis Schroder Named EuroBasket MVP
Kenneth Walker III

Bounces Back with Big Week 2 Performance
Ty Gibbs

Has Arguably his Best Career Drive, but Only Finishes 10th
Chase Elliott

Despite Crashing Out at Bristol, Chase Elliott Advances to Round of 12
Austin Dillon

Misses Round of 12 After Extremely Mediocre Bristol Run
Shane Van Gisbergen

Shane van Gisbergen Fails to Advance to Round of 12
Josh Berry

Finishes Last in All Three Round of 16 Races to Fail to Advance
CFB

Ryan Williams Explodes In Return To Field
CFB

Drew Allar Plays Mediocre Game In Blowout Win
CFB

LaNorris Sellers Exits Game In Blowout Loss
CFB

DJ Lagway Tosses Five Interceptions In Loss
CFB

Garrett Nussmeier Plays Game Manager in Saturday's Win
CFB

CJ Carr Remains Poised In Narrow Loss
CFB

John Mateer Leads Oklahoma In Rout
CFB

Arch Manning Struggles Against UTEP
CFB

Jeremiah Smith Impresses In Win
CFB

Sam Leavitt Shines As Arizona State Rebounds From Week 2 Loss
Chris Buescher

May have Another Solid Run at Bristol
Kyle Busch

Should DFS Managers Roster Kyle Busch at Bristol?
Ricky Stenhouse Jr

Is Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Too Risky to Consider Rostering at Bristol?
Michael McDowell

Could be A Solid Value Option For Bristol DFS Lineups
Chase Elliott

Probably Won't Factor in for Bristol Win
NASCAR

Bubba Wallace Not as Strong at Bristol as Other Short Tracks
Alex Bowman

Needs to Win to Make Round of 12
Ross Chastain

has Never Led at Bristol but Has Been Pretty Consistent
Austin Dillon

Richmond Speed Unlikely to Carry Over to Bristol
Josh Berry

Might Run Well at Bristol, but Almost Certainly Won't Win to Advance
Justin Haley

Bristol One of Justin Haley's Few Recent Bright Spots
CFB

Austin Simmons Listed As Game-Time Decision Against Arkansas
CFB

Nico Iamaleava Struggles In Fourth Straight Loss