- NFL free agency is off to a wild start.
- In the opening days of free agency, countless quarterbacks have changed teams, star wide receivers have found new homes, and the Houston Texans got absolutely swindled.
- Below we break down 21 winners and losers from the opening days of free agency.
- Visit Insider’s homepage for more stories.
Teams across the NFL wasted no time when free agency began this week.
Just a few days into the official start of the offseason, superstar quarterbacks like Tom Brady and Philip Rivers had found new teams, and one of the best wide receivers in the league was traded away for pennies on the dollar.
There’s still plenty of chips left to fall, but take a look below at our 21 winners and losers of the first week of free agency.
WINNER: Arizona Cardinals
On the first day of free agency, the Arizona Cardinals made the biggest splash of the day, unloading running back David Johnson along with a few draft picks to the Houston Texans in exchange for superstar wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins.
The deal gives head coach Kliff Kingsbury and quarterback Kyler Murray their most dangerous offensive weapon yet heading into their second year together in Arizona. Along with fellow wide receivers future Hall of Famer Larry Fitzgerald and speedster Christian Kirk, as well as rejuvenated running back Kenyan Drake, the Cardinals offense should be one to watch in 2020.
LOSER: Bill O'Brien
On Monday, the NFL world focused its attention on Texans head coach/general manager Bill O'Brien and let out a collective cry of "What the hell are you thinking???"
The Texans gave away one of the best receivers in the league for pennies on the dollar, and sports fans across the country struggled to compute how the deal helped the Texans prospect in any way.
"This is a jaw-dropping, mind-bending, inexplicable trade for O'Brien, whose bizarre run as Texans general manager is going to be the subject of a "30 for 30" documentary one day," wrote ESPN's Bill Barnwell of the deal.
WINNER: Kyler Murray
After a rookie season filled with ups and downs, Kyler Murray now has three offensive weapons he can trust heading into 2020, all of whom complement each other's skills well.
DeAndre Hopkins is an all-around superstar, a standout route-runner with a catch-radius like none other in the league. Larry Fitzgerald is a steady-handed veteran who still inspires fear in the eyes of corners across the NFL. And Christian Kirk is fast enough to burn any safety who thinks he can run with him in man coverage.
Second-year quarterbacks have now won league MVP in two straight seasons - could Murray be the next sophomore to do it?
LOSER: David Johnson
David Johnson's move to the Houston Texans is probably a net positive for his career, given he had lost the starting job in Arizona.
That said, it probably wasn't fun for Johnson to have to spend all of Monday hearing about how worthless he was in comparison to Hopkins. Tough to come out of the week as a winner when most of the time was spent talking about how you were the dud-end of a bad trade.
WINNER: Josh Allen
The Buffalo Bills also made a splash at wide receiver, trading for Stefon Diggs in a deal that fills out the team's receiving corps nicely.
Josh Allen's cannon of an arm can be difficult to manage, but if there's any player in the NFL capable of running under a 70-yard bomb, it's Diggs. Fantasy players should see plenty to like from the new duo.
LOSER: Buffalo Bills
The Bills certainly upgraded when they went out and traded for wide receiver Stefon Diggs, but their move broke after the announced trade between the Cardinals and Texans for DeAndre Hopkins.
After seeing how cheap the Cardinals were able to acquire Hopkins, it must have hurt for Buffalo to have given up a first-round pick for their star receiver.
WINNER: Ryan Tannehill
Ryan Tannehill got paid!
After seven years of struggles with the floundering Miami Dolphins, Tannehill took advantage of his change of scenery and in 10 regular season starts with the Titans, led the team to the AFC title game.
For his services, Tannehill has been handsomely rewarded, agreeing to a four-year deal worth $118 million that includes $91 million in guaranteed money.
Congratulations on securing the bag.
WINNER: Kirk Cousins
After landing an unprecedented fully-guaranteed deal to sign with the Vikings two years ago, quarterback Kirk Cousins has once again cashed in for some solid money this offseason.
Cousins and the Vikings agreed to a two-year contract extension worth $66 million, bringing his total earnings over the next three years to $96 million.
The deal makes him the fifth-highest paid quarterback in the league.
LOSER: Baker Mayfield
The Cleveland Browns signed quarterback Case Keenum to a three-year deal worth $18 million guaranteed as one of their forays into the free agency market.
While Baker Mayfield likely won't have to compete for the starting job through training camp, Keenum has proven time and time again that he's more than capable as a starter in the NFL.
Should the Browns get off to another disappointing start, Keenum is a much bigger threat to Mayfield's starting job than Garret Gilbert was last year.
WINNER: Amari Cooper
After a drawn-out process eventually resulted in Dallas running back Ezekiel Elliott signing his deal in the 2019 offseason, the Cowboys wasted no time in showing Amari Cooper his worth this year.
Cooper signed a five-year, $100 million deal with the Cowboys that comes with $60 million guaranteed, keeping him as Dak Prescott's top target for the foreseeable future.
LOSER: Dak Prescott
With the Cowboys choosing to spend on Amari Cooper, quarterback Dak Prescott was left to take the franchise tag and play under team control for one more year before cashing in on what should be a monster payday.
The franchise tag brings a lot of risk for star players, as it allows teams to put off committing a big-money deal for another season, meaning another year of hits that could drastically alter Prescott's career.
Prescott needs to make it through another year before he gets his guaranteed money.
WINNER: Dak Prescott
That said, being a quarterback on the franchise tag does come with its benefits - specifically, a deal worth an estimated $33 million for the 2020 season.
It's not ideal for Prescott to have to play out another year without the security of having locked in long-term guaranteed money, but heading into the 2020 season, he'll be one of the five highest-paid quarterbacks in all of football.
LOSER: Derek Carr
The Las Vegas Raiders went out and signed Marcus Mariota at the start of free agency, giving the team a bit of depth and some new knowledge in the quarterbacks room.
Derek Carr is still the top guy in town. However, Mariota is the biggest threat to take the starting job that Carr has seen since joining the Raiders. Last year, Mariota saw his starting job in Tennessee taken away after a tough start to the season - could he take over the role of usurper this year?
WINNER: Tom Brady
Tom Brady clearly got what he wanted.
After 20 years in New England, Brady is heading off to join the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the final years of his career. There, Brady will be aligned with head coach Bruce Arians, and have a slew of talented skill position players at his disposal.
Wide receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin make up one of the most fearsome tandems in the NFL. Along with tight ends O.J. Howard and Cameron Brate and running back Ronald Jones, the group should be a must-watch offense in the 2020 season.
LOSER: Patriots fans
Fans of the New England Patriots have been the most blessed fans in all of sports over the past 20 years. They've gotten six championship seasons, three more Super Bowl appearances, and have existed as the greatest dynasty football has ever seen.
But after Brady's departure, Patriots face the unknown for the first time in what must feel like forever. The extended tenures of both a quarterback and head coach are luxuries nearly every team in the NFL has not had the pleasure of enjoying.
This year, Patriots fans might finally experience what a football fan being feels like to the rest of us.
WINNER: Jets fans
Congratulations, Jets fans, you're free.
Through 20 years of AFC East dominance, Tom Brady went an astounding 29-7 against his divisional rivals in New York City. Though the Jets got their licks in against Brady from time to time, it was a one-sided rivalry for two decades.
Now the Jets, along with the Dolphins and Bills, will have a shot to build their own dynasties without Brady's shadow lingering over the division.
LOSER: Mitch Trubisky
The Bears brought in Nick Foles and his big contract from the Jacksonville Jaguars, meaning Mitch Trubisky will have a bit more pressure on him to perform this year.
Foles is comfortable with Bears head coach Matt Nagy, as the two have spent time together with both the Eagles and the Chiefs.
While Foles' tenure in Jacksonville was a bust, he's proven on multiple occasions that he has what it takes to be a starter in the NFL. With the Bears seemingly one-piece away from being a dominant force in the NFC, and that one piece pretty clearly being consistent play at quarterback, Foles is a clear threat to Trubisky's starting job.
WINNER: Tight ends
Former Atlanta Falcons tight end Austin Hooper hit the market this year and is set to sign a four-year, $44 million deal with the Cleveland Browns that comes with $23 million guaranteed.
The Chargers meanwhile hit their tight end Hunter Henry with the franchise tag, momentarily making him the highest-paid player at his position until Hooper's deal becomes official.
It's a great look for both players, but it's even better news for the likes of George Kittle and Zach Ertz, who just saw the market for their position jump the year before both could be looking for a healthy extension.
WINNER: Darius Slay
Darius Slay worked his way out of Detroit and into a monster extension.
Slay joined the Philadelphia Eagles in the opening week of free agency, and with his new gig, got a contract extension worth $50 million over three years, making him the highest-paid corner in the NFL by average annual salary.
WINNER: Sports fans
In response to the coronavirus pandemic, sports around the world have been put on pause to help slow the spread of COVID-19.
The result has been a lack of sports like we've never seen in the modern era, leaving fans desperate for anything not only keep them entertained, but serve as a welcome distraction to the dreary news that has enveloped the world.
NFL free agency has been a respite, with all of sports Twitter offering an exhale of relief when we could begin cracking jokes about the Texans' awful trade on Monday after five days that felt like a year.
LOSER: 2020 Draft Class
The 2020 NFL Draft was set to be unlike any event before it, shutting down the Las Vegas strip for days as the action took place on a stage set in front of the infamous Bellagio fountains.
But on Monday, the league announced that significant changes would have to be made to the draft this year due to concerns about the coronavirus.
"This decision reflects our foremost priority - the health and safety of all fans and citizens," commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement.
For young players who have dreamed their whole lives of hearing their name called and walking onto the stage to shake hands with the commissioner, the news surely comes as a disappointment.
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