Five biggest losers (so far) in NFL free agency

Days into NFL free agency, most of the big names have signed with new teams and the winners are clear. So are the losers.

Here's an assessment of the five biggest losers so far. (Contract figures are from Spotrac.)

New York Jets

Geno Smith and Sam Darnold were viewed as draft busts with the Jets, but the QBs have gone on to revive their careers elsewhere. Darnold signed a huge contract with the Seattle Seahawks in free agency, and Smith is expected to get one from the Raiders after his trade from Seattle. All of that must sting the Jets and their fans.

Speaking of fat contracts, the Jets signed Justin Fields to a two-year, $40M deal. He fizzled with the Chicago Bears, and the Pittsburgh Steelers obviously did not want him back all that badly. If Aaron Rodgers wasn’t the answer for the Jets, how could Fields be? 

The Jets also lost key starters in offensive tackle Morgan Moses and cornerback D.J. Reed in free agency.

Dallas Cowboys

The Cowboys took care of one of their own by signing defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa to a four-year, $80M extension. Other than that, they have not made notable moves to help close the gap between them and the NFC East rival Eagles and Commanders.

Dallas continues to shy away from the flashy moves that fans had once grown accustomed to from owner Jerry Jones. A lot of that probably has to do with their attempts to sign LB Micah Parsons to an extension. A new agreement between the Cowboys and their star pass-rusher would certainly help, but the anxiety level in Dallas remains as high as ever.

Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles started their offseason with a bang when they gave RB Saquon Barkley a massive extension and re-signed starting linebacker Zack Baun. Since then, the Super Bowl champions have experienced something of a mass exodus.

Star defensive linemen Milton Williams (Patriots) and Josh Sweat (Cardinals) signed with new teams, which was not all that surprising. The Eagles must save some money to eventually re-sign DT Jalen Carter, but losing Williams and Sweat could sting. The Eagles also suddenly need defensive back help. They traded C.J. Gardner-Johnson to the Houston Texans and let Darius Slay (Steelers) and Isaiah Rogers (Vikings) walk in free agency.

San Francisco 49ers

The 49ers released veteran fullback Kyle Juszczyk, a fan favorite in San Francisco for nearly a decade. That was far from the only difficult sacrifice the 49ers made at the start of free agency.

Star cornerback Charvarius Ward signed a three-year deal with the Indianapolis Colts. Meanwhile, defensive cornerstones Dre Greenlaw, a linebacker, and Talanoa Hufanga, a safety, landed with the Denver Broncos. 

On offense, starting guard Aaron Banks joined the NFC rival Green Bay Packers with a four-year, $77M deal. And, of course, the Niners traded star wide receiver Deebo Samuel to the Washington Commanders. While much of the NFC got stronger, San Francisco seems to be going in the other direction.

Colts QB Anthony Richardson

The Colts signed Daniel Jones to a one-year, $14M deal. He will have a chance to earn nearly $4M more in incentives. The contract makes it clear that he will have a chance to compete for a starting job, which is bad news for Richardson.

Richardson has struggled to stay healthy through his first two NFL seasons. The former Florida star has thrown for 11 touchdowns (and 13 interceptions) in 15 games. If Jones wins the quarterback battle this summer, that could spell the end of Richardson's tenure in Indy.