NFL Nation reporters break down the opening day of free agency for every team, looking back at the deals made Thursday and ahead to deals that could be on the horizon:
AFC East | AFC North | AFC South | AFC West
NFC East | NFC North | NFC South | NFC West
AFC EAST
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Buffalo Bills
The Bills made a swap at safety on Thursday, releasing Aaron Williams and signing former Packers defensive back Micah Hyde. The Bills still have holes to fill in their secondary after top cornerback Stephon Gilmore signed a monster deal with the Patriots. They also will have to look for help at wide receiver, right tackle and linebacker. One hole the Bills don't have to fill? Quarterback. Tyrod Taylor will be back after restructuring his contract on Thursday. -- Mike Rodak
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Miami Dolphins
The biggest move for the Dolphins on Day 1 of free agency was giving a $60 million contract extension to former Pro Bowl safety Reshad Jones. He's one of the team's best defenders and falls in line with Miami's offseason goal of keeping and valuing its own players. -- James Walker
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New England Patriots
The Patriots made an unexpected big splash by signing cornerback Stephon Gilmore to a five-year, $65 million deal with $40 million in bonuses and guarantees, which could impact restricted free agent Malcolm Butler's standing. The Patriots on Thursday night lost unrestricted free agent Logan Ryan to the Titans. Meanwhile, linebacker Dont'a Hightower and the team maintained an open dialogue, and the fact that he didn't sign with another team increased the odds of a return to New England. -- Mike Reiss
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New York Jets
The Jets sat out Day 1 (no additions), but they set the stage for a possible deal by reaching out to former Bears quarterback Jay Cutler. He isn't at the top of their wish list, but they missed out on Mike Glennon and Brian Hoyer. The rebuilding Jets are in bargain-hunting mode, so they probably will wait until the second wave of free agency. They made two under-the-radar moves, re-signing left tackle Ben Ijalana and top special-teamer Josh Martin. -- Rich Cimini
AFC NORTH
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Baltimore Ravens
The Ravens reached an agreement in principle with the No. 1-ranked free agent in Brandon Williams, keeping the elite run-stopper as the anchor of a very good defensive line. The Ravens also officially signed safety Tony Jefferson and running back Danny Woodhead, which upgrades the secondary as well as their third-down efficiency on offense. The addition of Woodhead is timely because Kenneth Dixon was suspended for four games for violating the league's policy on performance-enhancing drugs. Baltimore's focus now is keeping nose tackle Brandon Williams and adding cornerback Morris Claiborne. The Ravens also need to figure out how they're going to address the wide receiver position after that free-agent class has dwindled. -- Jamison Hensley
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Cincinnati Bengals
It was a painful beginning to free agency for the Bengals, who lost longtime left tackle Andrew Whitworth to the Rams and saw guard Kevin Zeitler sign a record-setting deal with the Browns. The Bengals were able to salvage the day somewhat by re-signing cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick to a five-year deal. The Bengals now head into 2017 with holes at RT, LT and RG. Their top free agents went off the board on Day 1, but the Bengals' midtier free agents, such as Domata Peko and Rex Burkhead, remain unsigned. -- Katherine Terrell
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Cleveland Browns
The Browns had a busy day, signing guard Joel Bitonio to a contract extension, signing Kevin Zeitler to a free-agent deal that makes him the NFL's highest paid guard, signing oft-injured center JC Tretter, claiming center Marcus Martin on waivers and signing wide receiver Kenny Britt. The Browns also added quarterback Brock Osweiler via trade, but that was to assume his contract and gain a second-round pick -- not to install him as the starting quarterback. With all their moves, the Browns still have a giant question mark at the most important position on the field. -- Pat McManamon
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Pittsburgh Steelers
Despite showing interest in high-priced cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick this week, the Steelers attacked the first day of free agency like they normally do -- quietly. Signing quarterback Landry Jones and tight end David Johnson to two-year contracts is unspectacular on paper, but those two provide depth at key positions. Running back Karlos Williams never played a down for Pittsburgh, so his release won't hurt the team. The Steelers will continue to comb free agency for chances to improve the defense, possibly at cornerback or defensive line. Getting a starting-caliber cover corner is an option. But they won't spend irresponsibly. -- Jeremy Fowler
AFC SOUTH
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Houston Texans
The Texans made a blockbuster deal by sending quarterback Brock Osweiler, his $16 million guaranteed and a 2018 second-round pick to to the Browns. The Texans also swapped their sixth-round pick for the Browns' fourth-round pick this year. Along with not signing cornerback A.J. Bouye (who got a five-year, $67.5 million deal with $26 million guaranteed from the Jaguars) and safety Quintin Demps (who got a three-year, $13.5 million contract with $5 million in the first year), the Texans have money available to go after a free-agent quarterback, including Tony Romo. -- Sarah Barshop
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Indianapolis Colts
The Colts found their replacement for retired punter Pat McAfee when they signed Jeff Locke, who spent his first four seasons with the Vikings. Locke was only 29th in the league in punting average (42.6), but he landed 34 punts inside the opponent's 20-yard line, which was the fifth-most in the league. The Colts also signed linebacker Barkevious Mingo to a one-year deal as they try to figure out their linebacker issues. The lack of moves by new general manager Chris Ballard on the first day isn't surprising because he said early on that the team was not going to be overly active during free agency. He prefers to build the roster through the draft. -- Mike Wells
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Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jaguars added two of the top six players in ESPN's Top 150 in defensive end Calais Campbell (No. 4) and cornerback A.J. Bouye (No. 6) to bolster a defense that finished sixth in the NFL last season. The biggest issues the defense had were pass rush and lack of big plays in the secondary. Campbell and Bouye, who will team with Jalen Ramsey to give the Jaguars one of the best cornerback duos in the NFL, will help there. The Jaguars didn't address offensive line, though, mainly because the price tag for guards was $12 million annually -- and that was for a player (Kevin Zeitler) who hadn't made a Pro Bowl. The Jaguars will mine the second level of free-agent offensive linemen in the next few days. -- Mike DiRocco
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Tennessee Titans
Tennessee's biggest move came late Thursday night, as it signed former Patriots cornerback Logan Ryan to a three-year deal. The Titans also nailed down a solid run-stuffing safety in Johnathan Cyprien and enhanced its special teams by signing two players away from the Raiders, Brynden Trawick and Daren Bates. Tennessee's fine blocking tight end, Anthony Fasano, bolted to Miami. -- Paul Kuharsky
AFC WEST
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Denver Broncos
The Broncos didn't make the high-profile move by acquiring Tony Romo as some might have expected, but they never had that at the top of their to-do list anyway. They did sign a former Cowboys starter in guard Ronald Leary, who was one of their top targets in free agency. Leary is a walk-in starter. The Broncos took swings at Calais Campbell and Chris Baker, but those two elected to sign with the Jaguars and Buccaneers, respectively, instead. The Broncos lost left tackle Russell Okung, who signed with the Chargers. They had negotiated some with Okung, but the price was too high. That means they officially have an opening at left tackle. -- Jeff Legwold
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Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs will be looking for a No. 2 quarterback for Alex Smith after declining to exercise their option on Nick Foles and making him a free agent. The only other quarterbacks on the roster, Tyler Bray and Joel Stave, have never played in a regular-season NFL game. Pro Football Talk reported that the Chiefs will visit with inside linebacker Gerald Hodges, who has played with the Vikings and most recently the 49ers. The Chiefs' top inside linebacker, Derrick Johnson, tore an Achilles' tendon late last season and will turn 35 in November. -- Adam Teicher
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Los Angeles Chargers
The Chargers secured an upgrade at the left tackle position with the addition of free agent Russell Okung, signing the Oklahoma State product to a four-year, $53 million deal. The agreement likely means the end of offensive lineman King Dunlap's tenure with the Chargers. Moving forward in free agency, the Chargers are searching for an experienced slot defender and more pass-rush help. -- Eric D. Williams
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Oakland Raiders
The Raiders allowed all 13 of their unrestricted free agents to test the free-agent waters, and five hours after the new league year began, four of them were with other teams: defensive tackle Stacy McGee (Washington), linebacker Malcolm Smith (49ers), linebacker Daren Bates (Titans) and safety Brynden Trawick (Titans). Oakland stood pat in the first wave of free agency and did not sign anyone, though it was linked to tight end Martellus Bennett and running back Adrian Peterson. Truly, the biggest and perhaps most unfortunate news of the day was suspended linebacker Aldon Smith's reportedly being detained for public intoxication after a car he was riding in hit an unmarked police car in San Francisco. -- Paul Gutierrez
NFC EAST
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Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys suffered four losses in free agency Thursday, with Barry Church (Jacksonville), Terrell McClain (Washington), Jack Crawford (Atlanta) and Ronald Leary (Denver) departing. The Cowboys knew it would be difficult to keep most of their free agents, so the defections do not come as a surprise. The surprise, to some degree, was Chris Mortensen's story on the Cowboys' attempt to trade Tony Romo. The expectation was that Romo would be released Thursday, but now they look like they are slow playing a Romo decision without a true opportunity to gain compensation. As for adding players, the Cowboys were never going to be in the first wave of big-money signings. They are saving their money for Zack Martin's extension, which was made larger by the deal Kevin Zeitler received from the Browns. -- Todd Archer
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New York Giants
Without a lot of money, the Giants were bit players in Day 1 action after signing wide receiver Brandon Marshall before everything started. Their biggest move Thursday was adding a blocking fullback/tight end in Rhett Ellison. No offensive lineman, no defensive tackle, no linebacker. Those could be coming soon, though it's unlikely with any big names. It has sort of flown under the radar, but what the Giants have done in free agency is upgrade their run-blocking at two or three spots: wide receiver and fullback/tight end. That's a positive. They had the league's 29th-ranked rushing attack last season and struggled to block at those positions. -- Jordan Raanan
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Philadelphia Eagles
Carson Wentz is one of the big winners in free agency so far. In free agency on Thursday, the Eagles got their quarterback a No. 1 wide receiver in Alshon Jeffery and a deep threat in Torrey Smith. Tight against the cap, the Eagles will likely have to shed some salary if they want to continue to stay active. -- Tim McManus
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Washington Redskins
Off the field, the Redskins' made the biggest move of the day by firing general manager Scot McCloughan. But they had their share of player losses and gains. Receivers Pierre Garcon and DeSean Jackson left for San Francisco and Tampa Bay, respectively, while end Chris Baker will join Jackson. The Redskins signed defensive linemen Stacy McGee and Terrell McClain and safety D.J. Swearinger. They do have a visit with receiver Terrelle Pryor on Friday; he's someone they did not think would be available to them. -- John Keim
NFC NORTH
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Chicago Bears
The Bears agreed to terms with quarterback Mike Glennon, safety Quintin Demps and receiver Markus Wheaton, but the biggest pieces of news Thursday were the departures of quarterback Jay Cutler and wide receiver Alshon Jeffery. As expected, the Bears released Cutler after failing to trade him. Cutler's replacement, Glennon, will sign for $19 million guaranteed. Jeffery left for a one-year, $14 million deal with the Eagles. The Bears also missed out on top cornerback A.J. Bouye, who signed a lucrative contract with Jacksonville. -- Jeff Dickerson
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Detroit Lions
It was a busy day for the Lions, starting with the release of longtime linebacker DeAndre Levy, who spent most of the past two seasons injured. He told ESPN that he anticipated his release. Pro Bowl offensive guard T.J. Lang -- a Michigan native -- was already in the building for his first visit, and that's a sign that the club is serious about signing him with Larry Warford heading to New Orleans. Then Detroit picked up two depth defensive linemen in Akeem Spence and Cornelius Washington. Friday should be busy too, as tight end Darren Fells is scheduled to visit, and Lang might be continuing his. Plus, the Lions could officially announce the signings of right tackle Rick Wagner and linebacker Paul Worrilow. It has been a productive two days for general manager Bob Quinn. -- Michael Rothstein
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Green Bay Packers
The Packers retained one (Nick Perry), lost two (Micah Hyde and JC Tretter) and have to be worried about at least two others (Eddie Lacy and T.J. Lang). Perry, who led the Packers with 11 sacks last season, came back on a five-year, $60 million deal ($18.5 million guaranteed). But Hyde took his versatility in the secondary to Buffalo, and Tretter signed with the Browns as part of their efforts to bolster their offensive line. Lacy has visits scheduled with the Seahawks and Vikings, while Lang already met with the Lions and will go to Seattle. -- Rob Demovsky
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Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings took care of one of their big priorities by landing a tackle in Detroit's Riley Reiff. It remains to be seen whether he'll play on the left or right side, but he provides the team with a durable veteran. Left tackle Matt Kalil left in free agency, and the Vikings also lost punter Jeff Locke and tight end Rhett Ellison. They'll likely continue searching for help on the offensive line and have a visit set up with Packers running back Eddie Lacy. -- Ben Goessling
NFC SOUTH
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Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons bolstered their defensive line with the addition of defensive lineman Jack Crawford from the Cowboys, who agreed to a three-year contract. Crawford is a high-effort guy known for his work ethic, which is the type of player coach Dan Quinn wants on the team. The Falcons also re-signed versatile defensive lineman Courtney Upshaw, giving the line even more depth. Veteran defensive tackle Tyson Jackson got cut with two years left on his contract, which freed up $2.65 million in cap space. Jackson simply isn't productive enough and doesn't add anything to the pass rush. The re-signing of quarterback Matt Schaub, tight end Levine Toilolo and linebacker LaRoy Reynolds are underrated but important to success in the grand scheme -- capable role players and backups who bring a winning attitude. -- Vaughn McClure
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Carolina Panthers
The Panthers filled their biggest need in reaching an agreement with Minnesota left tackle Matt Kalil, the brother of Carolina center Ryan Kalil. It didn't come cheaply, with a five-year $55.5 million deal that was more money than general manager Dave Gettleman spent on 25 free agents the past three years. Carolina had little choice, though, with tackle Michael Oher still in the concussion protocol and no good options for the No. 8 pick in the draft. Even if Oher does return, Kalil offers more stability at a key position, and Oher can move to the right side. Now the Panthers need to find a slot receiver and safety among the players left. -- David Newton
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New Orleans Saints
The Saints were active -- and seemingly successful -- on the first day of free agency while keeping their top in-house free agent, defensive tackle Nick Fairley, and adding guard Larry Warford, linebacker A.J. Klein and wide receiver Ted Ginn Jr. They addressed the No. 3, No. 4 and No. 5 needs in my offseason position rankings (linebacker, guard and defensive tackle). That still leaves No. 1 and No. 2 (pass-rusher, cornerback). But they've got plenty of time -- and they haven't even traded Brandin Cooks yet. If they wind up swapping Cooks for Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler, that would fill one of the biggest needs. -- Mike Triplett
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Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Bucs got the speed they craved in Pro Bowl wideout DeSean Jackson. He's an excellent replacement for Vincent Jackson and will keep opposing defenses from doubling up on Mike Evans. This should also help Jameis Winston on the deep ball. The Bucs also signed Jackson's former Redskins teammate, defensive tackle Chris Baker. They re-signed running back Jacquizz Rodgers, who gives them a viable option as a starter for three games next year while Doug Martin serves a suspension and also leaves the door open to draft a running back. Safety Chris Conte was brought back on a two-year deal, but the Bucs aren't finished there. A source tells ESPN that Cowboys safety J.J. Wilcox has a visit scheduled. -- Jenna Laine
NFC WEST
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Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals began replacing safeties Tony Jefferson and D.J. Swearinger, both of whom signed with other teams Thursday, by signing safety Antoine Bethea. Arizona kept some stability on its offensive line by re-signing center A.Q. Shipley to a two-year deal. The Cardinals also officially lost Calais Campbell to a big-money deal to the Jaguars. -- Josh Weinfuss
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Los Angeles Rams
The Rams addressed their two greatest needs, signing veteran left tackle Andrew Whitworth to a three-year, $36 million contract and adding former USC receiver Robert Woods to a five-year deal that maxes out at $39 million. Both receive $15 million guaranteed. Whitworth, 35, will prompt Greg Robinson, the No. 2 overall pick in 2014, to move to the right side, either to tackle or guard. Woods, still a month away from his 25th birthday, essentially replaces Kenny Britt. The Rams then parted ways with four key players to save close to $16 million under the salary cap in 2017. Defensive end William Hayes was dealt to the Dolphins, while center Tim Barnes, tight end Lance Kendricks and defensive lineman Eugene Sims were released. -- Alden Gonzalez
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San Francisco 49ers
The 49ers announced that they've agreed to terms with seven players, most notably wide receiver Pierre Garcon and quarterback Brian Hoyer as they rebuild under coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch. The Niners have already added nine free agents this offseason, which makes this their most active free-agent period in years. And they might not be finished. With things unraveling in Washington, San Francisco will undoubtedly keep an eye on what happens with quarterback Kirk Cousins in the coming days. The more likely scenario still involves remaining patient and getting a franchise quarterback in 2018, but if Washington decides its relationship with Cousins has run its course, the 49ers figure to be ready to make a play. -- Nick Wagoner
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Seattle Seahawks
The Seahawks' priority going into free agency was to bolster the offensive line, and on Day 1, the Seahawks signed former No. 2 overall pick Luke Joeckel to a one-year deal that can be worth up to $8 million. Joeckel, who played in only four games last year because of a knee injury, is expected to compete for a starting job at either guard or tackle, and the Seahawks likely are not finished up front. They will get a visit from Pro Bowl guard T.J. Lang and appear to want to make a move at running back. Both Eddie Lacy and Latavius Murray are expected to make free-agent visits to Seattle. -- Sheil Kapadia