Center Tyler Linderbaum left the Ravens for a three-year, $81 million deal with the Raiders.
Center Tyler Linderbaum left the Ravens for a three-year, $81 million deal with the Raiders.Terrance Williams/Associated Press
With the understanding that things can change dramatically, here’s a quick look at the winners and losers from the first day of the NFL’s negotiating window.
WINNERS
Fernando Mendoza and the Raiders: Las Vegas went all in for center Tyler Linderbaum, adding the veteran on a three-year, $81 million deal. The best free-agent interior lineman on the market will be tasked with helping guide presumed No. 1 overall pick Mendoza through his rookie year. A terrific investment for Las Vegas, which now also has the first and 14th overall pick after the trade of Maxx Crosby. Vegas also signed wide receiver Jalen Nailor for three years and $35 million, as well as ex-Packers linebacker Quay Walker and ex-Eagles linebacker Nakobe Dean to three-year deals, two more pieces for the other side of the ball.
Alec Pierce: The first big deal of the tampering period, the Colts receiver landed a four-year contract worth $116 million with a reported $60 million guaranteed. He caught 47 passes for 1,003 yards last season with Indianapolis (both career highs), but is now in the contractual stratosphere; when it comes to annual average value, according to over The Cap, Pierce makes more than Tee Higgins, DeVonta Smith, Jaylen Waddle, and Nico Collins.
Tennessee’s defense: No idea how it all might come together for new Titans coach Robert Saleh, but it’s hard not to be impressed by the full-court press of Tennessee. The Titans went all-in on Monday, adding potential impact players like defensive tackle John Franklin-Myers, and cornerbacks Cor’Dale Flott and Alontae Taylor. That’s on top of acquiring pass rusher Jermaine Johnson in a deal for defensive tackle T’Vondre Sweat. Good start to free agency for Tennessee.
Trey Hendrickson: With Odafe Oweh, Jaelen Philips, and Maxx Crosby all now with new teams, Hendrickson is now the only big-name edge player left on the market, which means he should land a sizable deal within the next few days.
Christian Gonzalez: The cornerback market keeps going up. Trent McDuffie signed a four-year, $124 million extension with the Rams. Gonzalez, who is eligible for a new deal of his own this offseason, could see something in the neighborhood of $35 million annually.
Kansas City: Added Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker and old friend Khyiris Tonga, and coaxed Travis Kelce back for at least one more year. A good day for Andy Reid and the Chiefs.
LOSERS
This year’s draft class of running backs (other than Jeremiyah Love): Love is easily the best of the bunch, and will find a spot somewhere in the top 15. But the rate at which veteran free agents backs agreed to deals on Monday certainly suggests there’s not a whole lot of faith in the rest of the draft class. Kenneth Walker, Travis Etienne, Kenneth Gainwell and others all landed impressive contracts on Monday. It would be a surprise if two backs were taken in the first round this year.
Miami: Monday marked the official end of an era for the Dolphins, as they announced they were cutting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. The remake, which started when Miami parted ways with head coach Mike McDaniel earlier in the offseason, hit the skids over the last year as McDaniel’s team stumbled while Tagovailoa had problems of his own (including concussions). In the end, the much-ballyhooed combination won zero playoff games. McDaniel is now the offensive coordinator for the Falcons, and Tagovailoa agreed to a one-year deal with the Falcons at the end of the day Monday. (Tagovailoa is actually entering a pretty good situation; quarterback Michael Penix Jr. is recovering from ACL surgery, so he’ll get the bulk of the snaps, and he’ll have talent such as Bijan Robinson, Drake London, and Kyle Pitts at his disposal.)
Seattle: Repeating as Super Bowl champs is always a steep challenge, but it’s going to be even tougher for a Seahawks team that lost running back (and Super Bowl MVP) Kenneth Walker III, safety Cody Bryant, and outside linebacker/pass rusher Boye Mafe on the first day of the negotiation period. (Don’t forget that offensive coordinator Clint Kubiak also took the Raiders head coaching job.) Points to the Seahawks for bringing back the speedy Rashid Shaheed.
Arizona: They are slated to dump quarterback Kyler Murray, but couldn’t land Malik Willis (who signed with the Dolphins), instead settling for Gardner Minshew. Could Ty Simpson be ticketed for the Cardinals come draft weekend? (Points to the Cardinals for a sneaky-good addition in guard Isaac Seumalo.)
Tampa Bay: The Buccaneers have depth at wide receiver — and the reality of the business sometimes dictates these sorts of things. But it’s lousy when a future Hall of Famer like Mike Evans has to end his career in a different uniform.
Christopher Price can be reached at christopher.price@globe.com. Follow him on Bluesky at christopherprice.bsky.social.