While the NFL isn’t even a month removed from crowning the Philadelphia Eagles as Super Bowl LIX champions, free agency is already upon us. On Tuesday, the window to use franchise and transition tags closed, with only Tee Higgins (Cincinnati Bengals) and Trey Smith (Kansas City Chiefs) being given the former designations.
Now, with free agency’s tampering period starting March 10 before the new league year officially begins at 4 p.m. ET March 12, the moves are starting to be made across the league.
We’ll have every major signing, re-signing and trade graded below, starting with the action Wednesday.
March 5
Maxx Crosby signs extension with Raiders
Only hours after announcing the deal for center Alex Cappa, the Las Vegas Raiders made much bigger waves by re-signing their best player.
Crosby and Las Vegas agreed to a three-year, $106 million extension with $91 million guaranteed, potentially keeping Crosby with the franchise that drafted him throughout his career.
Crosby, 27, had 7.5 sacks last season in 12 games and made the Pro Bowl for the fourth consecutive year. He’s a two-time All-Pro who is now signed long-term to be a pillar for the Pete Carroll regime. Over his six-year career, Crosby has 59.5 sacks but is still looking for his first playoff victory, something Carroll aims to bring.
Grade: A
Zack Baun re-signs with Eagles
In a move that goes against everything general manager Howie Roseman is, the Eagles decided to pay an off-ball linebacker in Zack Baun.
Philadelphia kept its first-team All-Pro middle linebacker off the market by agreeing to a three-year deal worth up to $51 million.
After spending four lackluster years with the New Orleans Saints, Baun signed a one-year deal with the Eagles and thrived under defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, totaling 151 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, five forced fumbles, five quarterback hits and 3.5 sacks.
With Baun locked up, Roseman still has a couple of key pieces to retain in edge rusher Josh Sweat and defensive tackle Milton Williams.
Grade: B+
Chiefs trade Joe Thuney to the Bears
The Kansas City Chiefs made a surprising move Wednesday morning, dealing All-Pro left guard and team MVP Joe Thuney to the Chicago Bears in exchange for a 2026 fourth-round pick.
Thuney, 32, is entering the last season of a five-year deal and will likely be having extension talks with general manager Ryan Poles, who was part of the front office which acquired Thuney in free agency four years ago. Now, Thuney joins Jonah Jackson as part of a revamped Chicago interior as the Bears try to give second-year quarterback Caleb Williams a better chance to succeed.
Meanwhile, the Chiefs are getting younger at the position while making a risky bet that second-year man Kingsley Suamataia can step into Thuney’s shoes. This move was necessary, however, with Kansas City placing the franchise tag on right guard Trey Smith with the intention of getting a long-term, market-setting deal done. The move also clears $16 million in cap space for the AFC champions.
Chiefs grade: C+
Bears grade: B+
Alex Cappa signs with the Raiders
After being released by the Cincinnati Bengals earlier in the week, Cappa found a new home on a two-year, $11 million contract with the Las Vegas Raiders.
Frankly, it’s a bit of a head-scratcher. Yes, the Raiders struggled to block last season, ranking 20th in sack rate while allowing 50 sacks, seventh-most in football. However, Cappa struggled mightily last season, permitting the most sacks, hurries and pressures of any guard, according to Pro Football Focus.
The money and terms aren’t excessive for a 30-year-old who has started 96 NFL games, but it seems an overly aggressive play for a veteran who was going to sit on the market.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as NFL Free-Agency Tracker 2025: Grading Every Major Move.
