2024 NFL free-agency grades: Evaluating every major signing so far

FOX Sports NFL Staff

Contents

DT Chris Jones (Chiefs)S Kevin Byard (Bears)

The start of a new NFL league year is upon us, and free-agency deals will surely come quickly.

[2024 NFL free-agency tracker: Signings, best players available]

Players are cashing in as teams reinforce their ranks, and a reshaped league will soon turn its attention to the April 25 NFL Draft. The FOX Sports NFL crew evaluates the biggest signings of this year’s free agency class and grades each move. Players are listed according to their rank in FOX Sports’ top 50 free agent list.

DT Chris Jones (Chiefs)

2023 stats: 16 games played, 10.5 sacks, 29 QB hits, 30 total tackles
Reported terms: Five years, $160 million, $95 million guaranteed

Henry McKenna: Chris Jones is the type of player every team is currently seeking. He doesn’t play a flashy position, but when he’s at his best, he’s just as essential to the Chiefs as Travis Kelce, if not more so. Jones is a disruptive interior rusher who also plays well against the run. That makes him a three-down threat perfectly designed to help defenses win in the modern era. He makes life difficult for Josh Allen, Tua Tagovailoa and Brock Purdy. Yes, Kansas City paid top-dollar for Jones. But when you have one of the NFL’s best players in a system where he thrives, why would you create a massive problem by letting him walk? They chose a simple, expensive solution. In this case, it’s the right one.

Grade: A

QB Baker Mayfield (Buccaneers)

2023 stats: 64.3 completion percentage, 4,044 passing yards, 28 passing TDs, 10 interceptions, one rushing TD, 94.6 passer rating
Reported terms: Three years, $100 million ($50 million guaranteed)

The Bucs’ priority this offseason was to keep their core intact, which meant bringing back three of the league’s top 15 free agents. They’ve done that, putting the franchise tag on Antoine Winfield and getting Mike Evans and Baker Mayfield locked up on multi-year extensions. This is a well-deserved raise for Mayfield after a career year — think of it as a two-year, $60 million deal that gives Mayfield two seasons to show he’s worth keeping on a $40 million salary in 2026. To get all three players back before free agency begins — without overspending — is commendable for the Bucs.

Grade: A

S Kevin Byard (Bears)

2023 stats: 16 games played, 122 tackles, 1 interception, 102.1 passer rating allowed when targeted
Reported terms: Two years, $15 million
Previous teams: Titans, Eagles

Carmen Vitali: The Bears let Pro Bowl safety Eddie Jackson, go but with a young secondary, still needed a veteran presence. They’ve accomplished that by signing Byard, who is the same age as Jackson but comes in at a discount. Byard looks like a good scheme fit with what Matt Eberflus has done with this defense, in his ability to come downhill and make tackles. Byard has three straight seasons with triple-digit tackles and despite spending time with two teams last year, it doesn’t seem like he’s slowing down. Chicago got a fair price of $7.5 million per year in annual contract value.

Grade: B