Winners and losers from the unofficial start of NFL free agency

NFL free agency doesn't officially begin until Wednesday, but the legal tampering period opened on Monday with a flurry of moves across the league.

From the good (Kirk Cousins, the Eagles) to the bad (Justin Fields, the Dolphins), here are the winners and losers from a wild day.

Winner: Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins

Who needs a sequel to "Ocean's Thirteen" when Cousins is here to pull off magnificent heists? Per ESPN's Adam Schefter, Cousins has agreed to terms on a four-year, $180M contract with the Falcons, which includes $100M guaranteed, six years after signing a landmark three-year, $84M fully guaranteed contract with the Vikings. 

After playing on the franchise tag during his last two seasons in Washington, good on "Kirko Chainz" for maximizing his earnings in free agency. 

He also won't have to endure Minnesota winters anymore while still playing in a dome, and he'll be in the much easier NFC South compared to the burgeoning NFC North. Cousins was undoubtedly the day's big winner, but what about his soon-to-be new team? 

About that ...

Loser: Atlanta Falcons

The Falcons just spent big on Cousins to be something he's not. Atlanta handed the very good regular season quarterback a contract with the same average annual value (AAV) as three-time Super Bowl winner Patrick Mahomes, a massive overpay for a quarterback coming off a torn Achilles and who will be 40 by the end of his contract.

Cousins is also 1-3 in his career in the postseason. He's just good enough to make the Falcons a playoff contender, but anything more is unrealistic. 

So, look forward to those NFC South banners, Falcons fans. Because that first Super Bowl win in franchise history will have to wait.

Winner: Philadelphia Eagles

Eagles general manager Howie Roseman in the offseason is like NBA legend Michael Jordan in the playoffs; it's when he's at his best. 

On Monday, the Eagles agreed to terms on a deal with Bryce Huff (three years, $51.1M), one of the free-agent class's top edge-rushers. He had 67 total pressures last season with the Jets and ranked fifth in pass-rush win-rate, per Pro Football Focus.

Philly made bigger headlines by poaching running back Saquon Barkley (three years, $37.75M), one of three players since 2018 with 5,000 rushing yards and 2,100 receiving yards (Christian McCaffrey, Alvin Kamara), from the division-rival Giants.

Loser: Miami Dolphins

A trio of key contributors for the 2023 Dolphins is set to head elsewhere in 2024, and the Dolphins are still an NFL-worst $25.1M over the cap. Offensive lineman Robert Hunt (Panthers), edge Andrew Van Ginkel (Vikings) and defensive tackle Christian Wilkins (Raiders) agreed to terms on their next contracts, giving the front office more holes to fill as it tries to build on consecutive playoff appearances and win its first postseason game since 2000.

Winner: Minnesota Vikings

Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah responded to losing Cousins with a couple of shrewd moves to fortify a defense that will be Minnesota's best chance of staying competitive in 2024. 

The team agreed to terms with Van Ginkel (two years, $20M) and former Texans edge Jonathan Greenard (four years, $76M), who had a breakout season last year. In his fourth year, Greenard had a career-high 12.5 sacks.

Per ESPN Analytics, Van Ginkel ranked 20th in pass-rush win-rate last season, and Greenard sixth. Both should boost a Vikings pass-rush that ranked 18th in win-rate and 15th in pressure-rate in 2023. 

The defense took a positive step in Year 1 under defensive coordinator Brian Flores and must be even more forceful this season as Minnesota navigates the terrain without a proven veteran quarterback. With their initial free-agency moves, the Vikings are hitting the right notes.

Loser: New York Giants

New York won't have Barkley or safety Xavier McKinney this year, and quarterback Daniel Jones is only in Year 2 of his four-year, $162M contract extension. If Giants fans are unwell, it's easy to understand why.

After failing to agree to a long-term deal with Barkley, whom it selected at No. 2 overall in 2018, New York must now game plan against him two times a year for the next three seasons. 

McKinney, the team's second-round pick in 2020, had a career-high 116 tackles in 2023 and allowed a 52.1 passer rating when targeted by opposing quarterbacks, per PFF, leading to him being graded as the site's best coverage safety. 

Meanwhile, Jones had two touchdowns, six interceptions and averaged 151.5 passing yards per game in six starts before suffering a season-ending torn ACL in Week 9.

Winner: Packers quarterback Jordan Love

Green Bay's front office showed its faith in Love, making a splash by agreeing to terms on deals with McKinney (four years, $68M) and former Raiders running back Josh Jacobs (four years, $48M). 

Those pending transactions suggest Green Bay believes it has the quarterback to lead it back to the Super Bowl, and it might be right. In his first season as Packers starting quarterback, Love led the franchise to the playoffs after a one-year absence and reached the divisional round.

Loser: Bears quarterback Justin Fields

With Cousins in Atlanta, Baker Mayfield returning to Tampa Bay and Gardner Minshew agreeing to terms on a contract with the Raiders, the No. 11 overall pick of the 2021 NFL Draft's options for a starting role this season are dwindling. 

Despite rushing for 1,143 yards in 2022 and having a career-best year as a passer in 2023, it's hard to find a spot for Fields, especially considering if a team trades for him, it has until May 2 to decide on picking up his fifth-year option. 

This offseason has been a swift fall for Fields, who ESPN's Dan Graziano said is viewed as no more of a "sure thing" at quarterback than journeymen Sam Darnold and Drew Lock in league circles.