2024 NFL Free Agency got off to a crazy start this week and has remained at a fever pitch ever since.
From minute one, the running back position finally got the paydays they were looking for. Kirk Cousins is on the move to Atlanta on a nearly 200 million-dollar deal. Brian Burns is now the second-highest-paid edge rusher in the NFL. Very few teams sat on the sidelines during this week of free agency, while many others found at least one improvement.
So who has improved the most after four days of free agency?
Free Agency Boosted A Texans Team Already on the Rise
C.J. Stroud and the Houston Texans made waves in 2023 after three seasons of being in the NFL’s basement. Stroud took home Offensive Rookie of the Year, while linebacker Will Anderson Jr. took home Defensive Rookie of the Year. Head Coach DeMeco Ryans received coach of the year votes as the Texans won the AFC South with a 10-7 record.
To start the 2024 free agency period, the Texans have already made substantial improvements on both sides of the ball. The team traded for Bengals RB Joe Mixon to fill the gap now left after Devin Singletary headed east to join the New York Giants. Danielle Hunter left the Vikings and will also fill a gap left by Jonathan Greenard.
These moves, along with adding Defensive Tackle Denico Autry, places Houston in prime position to ascend further upward to challenge the Chiefs in the AFC in 2024. However, a sophomore slump of any kind from Ryans, Stroud, or Anderson may put that belief to the test.
Chicago Bears Improved Virtually All Skill Positions
In the overnight hours between the 14th and 15th, the Chargers finally traded one of their key pieces away, sending Keenan Allen to the Bears for a 4th-round selection. The move pairs Allen with DJ Moore in a potentially high-flying Chicago offense. With the second of their two first-round picks in next month’s draft potentially adding another Wide Receiver, the Bears may be on the precipice of possessing one of the league’s best Wide Receiver rooms.
The move to pair Allen with Moore has been but one of many important free agency moves the Bears have made this week. Of course, the Bears started the proceedings by signing D’Andre Swift away from Philadelphia on a $24 million deal. Other moves, including bringing Byard along from Philadelphia as well, showcase the Bears’ desire to shift away from recent struggles and enter “win-now” mode.
All that remains, of course, is to sort out who will be starting at quarterback in Week 1.
Green Bay Packers Join Chicago in Major NFC North Free Agency Improvements
The Packers have continued to engage in daring moves after an expectations-defying 2023 campaign. The Packers pried Xavier McKinney out of New York, a move for a Safety who is only 24 years old and has plenty of high-caliber play ahead of him. The Packers’ second huge free agent splash happened later the same afternoon when the team signed Josh Jacobs away from Las Vegas on a $48 million deal for four seasons.
The Packers have remained somewhat quiet ever since in this free-agency period. But the significant improvements the Packers made this week, coupled with the moves the Bears have made, suggest the NFC North division could be much more closely contested between the Lions, Packers, and Bears than we may realize.