Of the 60-plus NFL free agent signings and trades Seth Walder has evaluated this offseason, only a few earned coveted "A" grades. We have broken out the nine free agent signings that Walder really liked this offseason -- the 2025 deals he felt were best from a team-based perspective. Then we asked him to order those deals, with his favorites at the top. But we also added a signing at the bottom that wasn't originally graded as an A but now hits that mark after further evaluation.
To determine each grade, Walder evaluated deals based on multiple factors, including on-field impact, salary cap implications, player value/age and the context of a team's short- and long-term outlook. How large is the effect of this decision, and how sure are we it's a good or bad choice? How does this affect a team's chance to win the Super Bowl, either this season or in the future?
Check out Walder's favorite free agent deals and his analysis on all the top signings, which has been adapted from our original piece.
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Five A grades | Four A- grades
B+ grade that should have been an A
A GRADES
1. Linebacker Zack Baun re-signs with the Eagles
The deal: Three years, $51 million ($34 million guaranteed)
The Eagles signing Baun to a one-year, $1.6 million deal, converting him to an off-ball linebacker and then getting a near-Defensive Player of the Year performance, is one of the best transactions and development coaching jobs you'll see in the NFL. Now it's time for the Eagles to pay market rate (or in this case, perhaps less) for Baun. And he's worth it.
Despite only one interception, Baun allowed minus-26 EPA as the nearest defender in 2024, the best mark for a linebacker by a mile per NFL Next Gen Stats (next best was minus-11). He did that while allowing 0.6 yards per coverage snap, sixth best among linebackers. He ranked ninth in run stop win rate among off-ball linebackers with at least 10 starts (41%). And he forced five fumbles and recorded 3.5 sacks. He even recorded another forced fumble and two more picks in the playoffs, including one in the Super Bowl. And he finished fifth in Defensive Player of the Year voting.
So yes, heckuva year. The Eagles, who ranked second in EPA per play on defense this season, wanting to bring him back makes all the sense in the world.
We saw a lot of linebacker re-signings -- and they were pricey. If Nick Bolton and Jamien Sherwood are getting $15 million per year, then giving Baun $17 million per year after the season he just had is a slam dunk.
And $17 million per year isn't a top-of-market deal. A reasonable comparison could be Tremaine Edmunds in 2023, who was coming off a breakout season (but not as good as Baun's 2024) and got what would be the equivalent of $22.4 million per year from the Bears. Not to mention Roquan Smith's deal in 2023, Fred Warner's in 2021 or Shaquille Leonard's in 2021, which would equate in the current salary cap to $24.8 million, $29.1 million and $30.1 million deals annually. Baun at $17 million per year is a great price.
2. Guard Kevin Zeitler signs with the Titans
The deal: One year, $9 million
A year ago, I wrote that the Lions signing Zeitler at a value price -- one year for $6 million then -- was one of my favorite moves of their offseason. Well, it's a new team but the same story, with the NFL overlooking Zeitler again because he's a temporary solution.
There's no question that Zeitler is old; he just turned 35. But he also is the best pass protector in this free agent guard class. And offensive linemen age much better than players at most other positions.
Zeitler ranked sixth in pass block win rate (94%) last season after ranking 12th the season before in Baltimore and 11th the season before that. That's reliability! His run block win rate (72%) was a little above average.
I understand that teams want to find solutions for years to come early in free agency, which is why younger players such as Aaron Banks and Will Fries got big money. But if I had to bet on whether one of Banks, Fries or Zeitler will be an above-average pass protector in 2025, I'm choosing Zeitler without hesitation! To get him signed for less than half the annual value of Banks (and without any guaranteed cost beyond this year) is so much better of a deal.
I like what Tennessee is doing for its offensive line, especially if it drafts Miami quarterback Cam Ward with the No. 1 pick in April. The Titans are prioritizing getting his protection right and doing a very good job of it.
3. Cornerback D.J. Reed signs with the Lions
The deal: Three years, $48 million
Almost every time I write about cornerbacks, I'm compelled to include a note about how volatile players at the position are. But the 28-year-old Reed is an exception, a consistent player year in and year out and, in my view, a long underrated player. I liked it when the Jets signed him three years ago, and I like this signing by Detroit.
Here are Reed's yards allowed per coverage snap from 2022 to 2024: 0.6, 1.0 and 0.8, respectively. That's three straight seasons better than average (1.1) in the category relative to other outside corners. Dating to his time in Seattle, Reed has been better than average in five consecutive seasons.
He also averaged a 13% target rate in his three seasons in New York, slightly lower than average despite playing opposite Sauce Gardner!
Those are strong numbers and exactly what the Lions need. I'd rather have Reed than Carlton Davis III, and the Lions got him for cheaper than what the Patriots paid Davis.
4. Offensive tackle Dan Moore Jr. signs with the Titans
The deal: Four years, $82 million ($50 million guaranteed)
We don't know who will play quarterback for the Titans in 2025, but that person will have better pass protection with Moore now on the team.
Moore is coming off a nice season in which he put up career highs in both pass block win rate (93%, 11th best out of 66 qualifiers) and run block win rate (76%, 23rd best). Offensive line can be a place where players take longer to develop, so I'm inclined to invest in Moore's improvement.
That becomes easy to do when considering who else was available on the tackle market. Cam Robinson isn't as good as Moore as a pass protector, Jaylon Moore is unproven and has worse numbers, and Jedrick Wills Jr. has several question marks attached to him. To me, Moore was the one to go with, and $20.5 million per year is not top-tier tackle money at all.
Last season, Titans tackles JC Latham (88%) and Nicholas Petit-Frere (82%) ranked 40th and 64th in pass block win rate among tackles. If Latham -- their first-round pick in 2023 -- develops, the Titans could have a really nice pair of tackles, which is crucial for setting a quarterback up for success.
5. Wide receiver Davante Adams signs with the Rams
The deal: Two years, $46 million ($26 million guaranteed)
Three years ago, the Rams were seeking a second wide receiver to play alongside Cooper Kupp and they signed veteran Allen Robinson to a three-year, $45 million deal. It didn't go great. Fast-forward to 2025, and they're trying the veteran free agent route again. With Kupp being released (he signed with the Seahawks), the Rams are turning to Adams on a two-year deal to line up opposite Puka Nacua. And this time, I think it will turn out better.
Make no mistake: Adams is on the decline. He's 32, and we often underestimate the rate at which age can erode a player's ability. Maybe I'm doing it right now. But Adams' decline is coming from such a high peak, and the evidence is there that he's still a very good receiver. And in my view, he is a value at the price Los Angeles paid. Even in his down 2024 season, Adams averaged 2.1 yards per route run -- and he was catching passes from Gardner Minshew (with the Raiders) and Aaron Rodgers (in a dysfunctional Jets offense). That's still pretty good.
The advanced metrics suggest a similar story. His open score was 77 last season (via ESPN's receiver scores), down from a peak of 99 in 2020 but still well above average. (Adams' catch score dropped to a disastrous 5 last season, but it is more volatile from year to year, and I'd be less worried about age affecting his hands than his shiftiness.)
Now put that player in a Sean McVay offense in which he can be the No. 2 option behind an exceptional Nacua, and there's a world where this could really work out, at least for a year. It makes all the sense in the world for the Rams, running it back with quarterback Matthew Stafford for another year with great offensive playmakers and an exceptional defensive line in place. I think the $23 million per year for Adams is going to age very well. After all, if Tutu Atwell is getting $10 million these days, you had better believe Adams is worth $23 million.
A- GRADES
6. Edge rusher Malcolm Koonce re-signs with the Raiders
The deal: One year, $12 million
I'm surprised. I thought Koonce was going to be a hot name this offseason and land a pretty big deal based on his upside. But this could be injury-related.
Koonce missed the entire 2024 season with a knee injury. But Koonce showed promise in 2023, with 8.0 sacks and a 17% pass rush win rate at edge (22nd best out of 50 qualifiers) in his first season as a starter. Koonce started 11 games that season after moving past first-round rookie Tyree Wilson on the depth chart.
Now, Koonce has a one-year, prove-it deal. And it's good for the Raiders that the rest of the league didn't have much interest. At best they get an ascending edge rusher on a bargain deal. At worst, it's only a $12 million commitment.
7. Running back Rico Dowdle signs with the Panthers
The deal: One year, $3 million
If you told me before free agency that Dowdle had signed with Carolina and nothing else, I'd prepare to be quite critical. This is a team that burned a second-round selection on Jonathon Brooks in last year's draft then signed Chuba Hubbard to an extension during the season. Why bring in another free agent running back?
It turns out that there was a good reason: They got a bargain!
Dowdle recorded 61 rush yards over expectation last season for the Cowboys, per NFL Next Gen Stats. That's more than Aaron Jones (plus-41), Najee Harris (minus-3) or Javonte Williams (minus-83). Dowdle caught 39 passes for 249 yards (1 receiving yard over expectation) and was a shade above average in pass block win rate for a running back. But those are solid numbers -- certainly better than those of Harris or Williams. Yet Harris got a couple of million dollars more, and Williams got Dowdle's same contract from Dowdle's old team.
The Panthers are spending this offseason, which means they might not be spenders next offseason. As a result, they might give Dowdle some run this season, let him walk in free agency and pick up a late-round compensatory pick for him. This deal is cheap enough that they can think about that type of thing.
Or it might be worth having Dowdle inked at this rate just to flip him at the deadline. A bargain is a bargain, and there are ways the Panthers can turn that into a little value, even if they didn't need a running back.
8. Guard Mekhi Becton signs with the Chargers
The deal: Two years, $20 million
By signing Becton, the Chargers were able to upgrade their running game. And in waiting patiently for the guard market to come to them, they were able to get him to sign a contract at a good price.
Los Angeles ranked 10th in EPA per designed running back carry last season but was ranked only 25th in yards before contact (2.2) on running back carries. And the Chargers were 26th in the same category when looking at only interior runs (2.0).
Enter Becton, who can be a quick upgrade at guard. A 2020 first-round pick by the Jets as a tackle, Becton was a successful reclamation project for the Eagles in 2024. A year ago, he signed a one-year deal with Philadelphia for under $3 million and the Eagles turned him into a guard, where he became an asset. Becton recorded a 92% pass block win rate (average) and a 72% run block win rate (above average) in Philadelphia.
Coincidentally, Becton's pass block win rate was identical to Chargers guard Trey Pipkins III -- whom Becton will presumably replace in the starting lineup -- to the tenth of the percentage point (91.8%). But his run blocking was significantly better than Pipkins' below-average run block win rate of 67.3%.
There is some risk. Becton has played guard for only one season, and it's reasonable to wonder how he'll do when separated from Eagles run game coordinator and offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland. He was also playing next to Lane Johnson, which had to help.
But this is well worth it for the Chargers at these terms. While Aaron Banks and Will Fries received $19.25 million and $17.6 million annually, respectively, Becton comes in far cheaper at $10 million per year. And I don't think our outlook for Becton ought to be much different than for either of those players. Plus, if the team releases Pipkins due to signing Becton, it will save $6.75 million in 2025 cash it otherwise would have spent.
9. Wide receiver Chris Godwin re-signs with the Buccaneers
The deal: Three years, $66 million ($44 million guaranteed)
Not only did the Buccaneers get Godwin back -- they got him back for pretty cheap.
Godwin was clearly the best wide receiver available in a wideout-thirsty market when the negotiation period started March 10. He wasn't around for long though, returning to the Buccaneers for only $22 million per year. Considering Tee Higgins' new contract averages $28.75 million per year, that DK Metcalf cost $30 million per year and a second-round pick and that Davante Adams cost $23 million per year, the Bucs getting Godwin back at this price is a bargain. Having a second playmaker for Baker Mayfield to target beyond Mike Evans is crucial for the health of the Tampa Bay offense.
Godwin comes with some risk, of course. He just turned 29 and is coming off an ankle injury that limited him to only seven games in 2024. But he's also coming off his best season since he tore his ACL at the end of the 2021 season, increasing his yards per route run from 1.8 in 2022 and 1.9 in 2023 to 2.5 in a limited sample in 2024. Godwin posted a career-high 68 in ESPN's open score in 2024. He was worth bringing back, particularly at this price.
THE HINDSIGHT A GRADE
Offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley re-signs with the Ravens
The deal: Three years, $60 million
Original grade: B+
When doing these instant-reaction grades, there are always a few I look back on and realize that my first instinct wasn't the correct one. This is particularly likely early in the process, when the markets at each position haven't yet come into focus. Sometimes, I'm too generous (a B+ for the Patriots signing Harold Landry III seems a little much in retrospect). And sometimes I'm not generous enough.
The latter was the case when I gave Baltimore the B+ for re-signing Stanley. I was overly focused on his injury history and not what I wrote in the first two sentences of my analysis -- that the Ravens had to bring back Stanley and were fortunate this contract didn't cost them more.
There is risk in retaining Stanley, no doubt. But there were no great options at tackle, and one has to look no further than the Chiefs, who settled for paying Jaylon Moore, a former backup with poor metrics, $15 million per year to see that. Protecting Lamar Jackson is paramount for the Ravens, and to get Stanley back at only $20 million per year and $44 million guaranteed is basically a bargain considering the alternatives. He should be on this list.