Are you ready for the NFL's free-agency frenzy?
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A key nexus in the NFL offseason is upon us!
The news will be very active this week with the free-agency frenzy, as the negotiating period opens Monday with deals able to be finalized when the new league year starts on Wednesday. Just look at all of these key players who could become available for teams to sign.
The free-agency frenzy kicked into high gear on Sunday when news of a bunch of big moves was dropped by NFL insiders. Check it out ...
- Reigning league MVP Josh Allen agreed to a record-breaking contract extension with the Buffalo Bills.
- Two-time Pro Bowl receiver DK Metcalf was traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers by the Seattle Seahawks.
- Six-time Pro Bowl receiver Davante Adams is heading to the West Coast, agreeing to a deal with the Los Angeles Rams.
- Star pass rusher Myles Garrett eschewed his trade demands and agreed to a contract extension with the Cleveland Browns.
- Veteran pass rusher Von Miller will be released by the Bills, who confirmed a parting of the ways with a social media post.
- Another veteran edge rusher, Harold Landry, will sign with the New England Patriots and reunite with head coach Mike Vrabel.
- Aaron Jones will re-sign with the Minnesota Vikings. This development takes the top available free-agent running back off the market.
Yup, A LOT already has happened. Paste BN Sports' Chris Bumbaca breaks down the winners and losers of the NFL offseason so far. Meanwhile, with some players already off the board, Tyler Dragon has updated the list of the top 25 players available in free agency.
NFL news, notes and analysis
➤ Something remarkable happened: The Browns finally got it right by keeping Myles Garrett, Mike Freeman writes. Up next for Cleveland: Figure out what to do at quarterback, which has been a real bugaboo for this franchise since coming off hiatus in 1999.
➤ After kicking the can down the road on receiver Tee Higgins, the Bengals face another conundrum with Trey Hendrickson, who has been the subject of trade rumors the last two offseasons.
➤ With this year's draft class of quarterbacks leaving more to be desired, the Raiders opted to bring in a veteran, trading for Geno Smith. The Seahawks, meanwhile, are going to have to do an offensive rebuild this offseason after trading their quarterback, trading DK Metcalf and releasing Tyler Lockett.
➤ The 2025 draft might be devoid of top-level quarterbacking talent, but some experts think that 10 to 11 defensive linemen could be taken in Round 1.
➤ Looking for some draft sleepers? Matt Hayes presents eight under-the-radar draft prospects with breakthrough potential.
➤ Nate Davis ranked the 11 teams most poised to make significant splashes this offseason. Tom Brady's former team, as well as the team he is a part-owner of, made the list.
NFL offseason dates to know: This is a big week!
The free-agency frenzy is here! 🍿
March 10 — Free agent negotiating period begins. Teams are allowed to contact and negotiate potential contracts with agents of players on expiring contracts. Agreements can be reached in principal, but are not official until …
March 12 — The new league year begins. At 4 p.m. ET, any negotiated trades or contracts can be finalized and become official 📝.
April 24-26 — The 90th NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting, a.k.a. the draft, will be held at and around legendary Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin. 🧀
May 2 — Rookie minicamps open, as on-field preparations for the 2025 NFL season begin 🏈.
NFL classics: Straight from the YouTube algorithm 🏈🎞️
This is where we reprise some NFL lore and recall classic, memorable moments from yesteryear.
The year is 1993.
Bill Clinton had just been sworn is as the 42nd U.S. President. Grunge still was a musical movement and flannel shirts remained a big fashion statement as a result. "Jurassic Park" — the original — hit theaters in the summertime and would blow everybody's minds. "Beavis And Butt-Head" first aired and defined stupidity for the next few years.
In the NFL, players finally would have the freedom to hit the open market as free agents. The biggest prize that offseason was Reggie White, a future Hall of Famer who wreaked havoc on NFL quarterbacks since joining the Philadelphia Eagles in 1985. His free-agent tour was so extensive that it spawned a famous Sports Illustrated cover. In a stunner, White ultimately signed with the Green Bay Packers.
In 1993, the Packers were an up-and-coming squad that surprisingly went 9-7 in its first season under head coach Mike Holmgren and with the young, free-wheeling Brett Favre as the team's quarterback of the future. The franchise hadn't enjoyed much success since the Vince Lombardi era, making just two playoff appearances since winning Super Bowl II.
White's decision altered pro football history. A once-downtrodden franchise has been one of the league's most successful teams in the generation-plus since "The Minister of Defense" went to Green Bay, winning two Super Bowls, 15 division titles and making 24 playoff appearances since 1993 (and, for good measure, White helped spawn the Lambeau Leap).
As NFL free agency opens this week, White's move to Green Bay remains the biggest free-agent pickup of all-time.
📷: Top NFL free-agency signings of all time
If you enjoy reading 4th and Monday 📰, encourage your football fan friends to subscribe 📱. Follow the frequently frenzied writer of this newsletter on social media @jimreineking.