All the major free agency moves are now in the books. The NFL draft is coming quickly, as we're less than a month away from NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell informing a whole bunch of college players that their dreams are coming true. That doesn't mean it's time to sit back and relax. There's always something to talk about in this league, even at a time when March is known for a different kind of madness.
This edition of The First Read is about processing the fallout from the most recent free agency frenzy. After all, these moves -- or the lack thereof -- have initiated all sorts of new questions around the league. We'd love to talk about all of them in this space, but let's condense the conversation down to the 10 biggest. Here's what one writer thinks they should be:
1) Can Kyler Murray be Minnesota's next Sam Darnold? The Vikings struck gold two years ago when they brought in Darnold as insurance for rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy, then watched the veteran lead that team to 14 wins. They should be hoping Murray, another quarterback eager to resuscitate his own career, can pay even bigger dividends. The Vikings can claim that Murray and McCarthy are going to compete for the job, but this all feels like a done deal already. McCarthy fizzled in his first year under center after missing all of his rookie season with a knee injury. He continued to be plagued by injuries (he only started 10 games), and his inconsistent play (a 57.6 completion percentage to go along with 11 touchdowns and 12 interceptions) created even more doubts. Murray has dealt with his own health problems -- he missed 12 games last year with a foot injury and the first nine games of 2023 while recovering from a torn ACL -- but he's clearly the better and more accomplished player.
Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell has built a reputation as a quarterback whisperer who knows exactly how to maximize the talents of whomever he puts under center. Even though it's still a mystery as to why he hasn't succeeded with McCarthy, it's not hard to see Murray -- who's signed on a one-year deal -- thriving in this offense. There are ample weapons to work with, including wide receivers Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison and tight end T.J. Hockenson. The defense is disruptive and capable of taking over games with the blitz packages of coordinator Brian Flores. The Vikings learned last season that they can't wait on McCarthy to grow up fast. The NFC North is filled with legitimate contenders in Detroit, Green Bay and Chicago, last year's division winner. If the Vikings want to be in that mix, then Murray needs to be at his best.
2) Is Aaron Rodgers returning to Pittsburgh? The Steelers are doing a lot of things to indicate that the 42-year-old Rodgers is expected to be their quarterback, even though he's once again taking his time deciding on his future. The decision to hire Mike McCarthy as head coach is one prime example. He spent 13 years with Rodgers when McCarthy coached the Green Bay Packers. Even though they had some toward the end of that run, Rodgers shared his respect for McCarthy after hearing about the Pittsburgh hiring. The Steelers also acquired wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. in a trade with Indianapolis at the start of free agency. He now joins DK Metcalf in giving Pittsburgh a more dangerous combination at receiver, with Metcalf serving as the deep threat and Pittman doing the dirty work underneath. Finally, Rodgers has proven he can still play. He completed 65.7 percent of his passes for 3,322 yards, with 24 touchdowns and seven interceptions, while leading the Steelers to the AFC North title. Rodgers may have come to Pittsburgh partly because of his admiration for former head coach Mike Tomlin, who resigned after last season. There might be enough positives still in the building to bring him back for a 22nd season, even with Pittsburgh needing to find a younger quarterback to be the future of this franchise.
3) What are the Eagles going to do with A.J. Brown? Of all the questions in this column, this is the one that has stirred the most debate over the last few months. Brown has done plenty over the past year to stoke those rumors, as the wide receiver's epic unhappiness with his role in the Philadelphia offense turned into a weekly story during the regular season. There also have been plenty of reports about the willingness of Eagles general manager Howie Roseman to hear potential offers while also clinging to the notion that Brown isn't leaving that franchise without a massive return coming the Eagles' way.
The trade that Denver recently struck with Miami to acquire wide receiver Jaylen Waddle should be instructive here. The Broncos parted with three draft picks (a first-, third- and fourth-rounder) for Waddle, while Miami threw in a fourth-round selection to make the deal work. Any package for Brown needs to start with similar compensation, at the very least. A deal for Brown also makes more financial sense for Roseman after June 1 because the dead money will be substantially lower for Philly ($16.35 million versus $43.5 million if he is traded before that date, ). As far as potential partners, the Patriots are always going to be a rumored option because of Brown's ties to New England head coach Mike Vrabel, whom he played for in Tennessee. The Las Vegas Raiders could be interesting, because they're likely selecting Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza first overall and need more help at wide receiver. There surely will be others who enter the conversation, because Brown is that good, and his frustration in Philadelphia needs to come to an end.
4) What happens with Maxx Crosby? Now that a little bit of time has passed since the blockbuster trade that didn’t materialize with the Baltimore Ravens, it's worth wondering who else should make a run at acquiring Crosby. True, there are more extenuating circumstances involved in this story today, particularly the state of Crosby's surgically repaired left knee and the likelihood that no other franchise is going to offer two first-round picks for him after the Ravens reneged. That doesn't mean certain championship contenders shouldn't be eager to make something work to land him.
The Chicago Bears make plenty of sense, for one. They are coming off an exciting season in which they won the NFC North and reached the Divisional Round of the playoffs with a defense that was only great at forcing turnovers. They could use Crosby badly, especially since quarterback Caleb Williams is entering the third year of his rookie deal. Philadelphia and Tampa Bay should be interested, as well, because of their current pass rush deficiencies. It's likely the Raiders will sit tight and see how the market evolves for Crosby after the Ravens debacle, and he might not be available again until the midway point of this coming season. But keeping him on a team that is still a long way from contending isn't great business. Somebody will come calling for him again.
5) How much work do the Chiefs have to do on defense? There has been so much attention paid to Kansas City's need to improve its offense this offseason -- especially after the free-agent acquisition of running back Kenneth Walker III -- that it's easy to forget how many holes the Chiefs have on defense. The secondary lost starting cornerbacks Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson along with safety Bryan Cook. Versatile linebacker Leo Chenal signed with Washington, and there already were serious concerns along the defensive line, both inside and along the edge. Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo has been a critical component of this team's success, but he can only do so much without the proper personnel. Two key veteran signees in free agency -- defensive tackle Khyiris Tonga and safety Alohi Gilman -- should help bring leadership to that side of the ball. After that, Spagnuolo will be leaning on a lot of unknowns.
It's expected that general manager Brett Veach will look for an edge rusher early in this draft, especially since this team tied for 22nd in the league in sacks in 2025. Cornerback is another area where help must arrive, as Spagnuolo will be leaning on one player who didn't play much at that position (second-year veteran Nohl Williams) and another who has had trouble staying healthy (Kristian Fulton). As much as people are waiting to see how quarterback Patrick Mahomes returns from a torn ACL, that defense bears watching, as well. It couldn't come up with enough key stops last year. Now it will be asked to be better with less accomplished players moving into major roles.
6) Is Tua Tagovailoa going to revive his career in Atlanta? Just as J.J. McCarthy needs to be concerned about his future in Minnesota, the same thing is true for Michael Penix Jr. in Atlanta. Tagovailoa's decision to join the Falcons on a one-year deal means Atlanta is hoping a proven veteran -- albeit one who was benched during his final season in Miami and has battled his own history of injuries -- can finally get this team over the hump. Penix hasn't shown he's capable of doing that in his two seasons with the franchise. He was benched in a Week 3 loss to Carolina and then placed on injured reserve after sustaining a torn ACL in a Week 11 defeat to the Panthers. Penix now enters his third season without the man who drafted him (former Falcons GM Terry Fontenot was replaced by Ian Cunningham) and with a new head coach in the building (Kevin Stefanski). This creates a lot of reasons to believe Tagovailoa can win that job and possibly thrive. The weapons in Atlanta rival what Murray has in Minnesota, as the Falcons have an All-Pro running back in Bijan Robinson and two talented young pass-catchers, wideout Drake London and tight end Kyle Pitts. The NFC South also is far more winnable than any division in football. The Panthers took the crown last season with an 8-9 record. If Tagovailoa becomes the starter and returns to the form he showcased during his best years in 2022 and 2023, there's every reason to believe the Falcons can reach the playoffs.
7) Is Houston finally solving its offensive line issues? Anybody who follows the Texans knows how hard life has been for quarterback C.J. Stroud when it comes to protection. Two years ago, the offensive line was horrible. Last year, it was filled with new faces working in a new offense, and it wasn't much better. Now GM Nick Caserio is making moves again in hopes of making that unit reliable. Caserio's first step was re-signing guard Ed Ingram and offensive tackle Trent Brown. Caserio also traded Tytus Howard to Cleveland but signed two veteran free agents, guard Wyatt Teller and right tackle Braden Smith. This group looks promising the paper. The key is how long Teller and Smith can stay on the field. Both players have missed at least four games in each of the last two seasons, while the 30-year-old Smith hasn't played a full season since 2019. If they can stay healthy, then Caserio must like his chances of seeing what Stroud can do while under less duress. Stroud is moving into his fourth pro season, and it's difficult to know if he's worth a long-term extension, based on his last two years. Some of those problems came down to what was in front of him. Houston had better hope that issue doesn't continue for a third straight season.
8) Are the Chargers doing enough to make Justin Herbert's life easier? The Los Angeles Chargers quarterback deserved plenty of credit for the beating he endured while leading this team to the playoffs for a second consecutive season. He was sacked 54 times, which ranked second in the NFL. Most of those protection issues were the direct result of season-ending injuries to offensive tackles Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt. The problem for Los Angeles is that more problems hit the offensive line once the offseason ensued. General manager Joe Hortiz was able to address the retirement of center Bradley Bozeman by signing free agent Tyler Biadasz. Hortiz also signed former Miami Dolphins guard Cole Strange to replace Mekhi Becton, who was released after a disappointing 2025 season. The Chargers still need to find a new left guard to replace Zion Johnson -- who signed with Cleveland in free agency -- but it's looking increasingly more like the draft might be where that happens.
The Chargers obviously can't afford to take a step back, given how competitive the AFC West has become. Head coach Jim Harbaugh hired former Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel to be his offensive coordinator because McDaniel has proven to be creative with his run game schemes. But right now, the Chargers remain a work in progress, which isn't surprising, given that Hortiz isn't high on investing in free agency. There are more moves to be made with this franchise before we have a better sense of how safe Herbert will be this fall.
9) Has Buffalo improved its defense? The Bills have made some major moves this offseason, both with the promotion of former offensive coordinator Joe Brady to head coach and the trade that is supposed to turn wide receiver DJ Moore into the top target for quarterback Josh Allen. However, the changes on defense should be just as noteworthy when evaluating whether this team can finally reach the Super Bowl during the Allen era. The Bills have been plagued by poor defensive efforts in every one of its playoff losses dating back to the 2020 season. An inconsistent pass rush has been an ongoing problem for this team, but this past year, Buffalo became inept at stopping the run, as it finished 28th in the league in rushing yards allowed. Brady is hoping to change those numbers with the hiring of new defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard. The Bills will move from a 4-3 system to a 3-4, and the goal is to be more aggressive as a unit. GM Brandon Beane also has spent this offseason rebuilding the secondary (with new defensive backs Dee Alford, Chauncey Gardner-Johnson and Geno Stone) and adding a veteran edge rusher (Bradley Chubb) to help that cause. There are more moves to come when the draft arrives next month, but the Bills should have a sense of urgency. Like their rivals in Kansas City, they've learned there's only so far that their stud quarterback can take them. Improving the defense will make things so much easier moving forward.
10) How much will Seattle be affected by all their losses? The Seahawks knew they were going to face some attrition after winning last year's Super Bowl. That's why it shouldn't be surprising to see some of the hits they've taken thus far. Running back Kenneth Walker III, who won Super Bowl MVP, is now a member of the Kansas City Chiefs. The secondary lost versatile safety Coby Bryant (Chicago) and cornerback Tariq Woolen (Philadelphia), while edge rusher Boye Mafe signed with Cincinnati. GM John Schneider was able to retain some key performers -- namely wide receiver Rashid Shaheed, cornerback Joshua Jobe and linebacker Drake Thomas -- but there's some work to be done in the coming months.
The loss of Walker is significant because his backfield partner, Zach Charbonnet, sustained a torn ACL in Seattle's Divisional Round win over San Francisco. There's a real question about how much Charbonnet can contribute to this team next season. Schneider has made some masterful moves in constructing a Super Bowl champion, but it won't be so easy to replace the starters that were lost from a defensive backfield that was so cohesive in 2025. Let's also not forget that head coach Mike Macdonald is breaking in a new offensive coordinator (Brian Fleury) for the third straight season after Klint Kubiak accepted the job as head coach of the Raiders. The Seahawks proved last season that their team chemistry was a major factor in their overall success. Maintaining that will be much harder now, especially when any little weakness can be problematic in the ultracompetitive NFC West.
