The 2025 NFL offseason is firing on all cylinders now. A day after several teams agreed to noteworthy deals, including the signings of quarterbacks Justin Fields and Sam Darnold, Day 2 of free agency had no shortage of news as plenty of other significant deals materialized.
Tuesday’s reported signings included former Chiefs safety Justin Reid going to the Saints, fellow safety Jevon Holland agreeing to terms with the Giants, former 49ers pass rusher Leonard Floyd coming to terms with the Falcons, former Giants starting quarterback Daniel Jones heading to Indianapolis, two-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Jonathan Allen going to Minnesota, former Chargers pass rusher Joey Bosa heading to Buffalo and former All-Pro wideout DeAndre Hopkins finding a new home in Baltimore.
Which of Tuesday’s moves are most encouraging? And which ones have us scratching our head?
Here’s how we’d grade the biggest reported signings of Day 2, ahead of free agency’s official start on Wednesday:
Colts signing Daniel Jones
Indianapolis signed Jones before other teams (like the Steelers) could sign arguably the best remaining quarterback option available when the day began. In Jones, the Colts have a young quarterback who showed flashes of his potential during his time in New York. Jones did, after all, lead the Giants to their first playoff win since Super Bowl XLVI. The Colts get extra credit for reportedly signing Jones to a very affordable deal of one year for $14 million while bringing in competition for Anthony Richardson.
Jones had some success in New York while operating under a run-first offense led by Saquon Barkley. The Colts are surely hoping that Jones can have similar success as he teams up with Jonathan Taylor.
Grade: B
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Giants acquire Jevon Holland
Speaking of the Giants, New York made a splash when they reportedly came to terms with former Dolphins safety Jevon Holland on a three-year, $45.3 million deal. The deal makes Holland one of the league’s highest-paid safeties and gives the Giants a much-needed playmaker in the secondary.
On top of getting a marquee player, the acquisition of Holland generated some much-needed positivity for a team and fan base that is surely in need of some.
Grade: A
Vikings land Jonathan Allen
It’s been a busy week for the Vikings, headlined by their acquisition of Allen, a two-time Pro Bowler during his time with the Commanders. One of the NFL’s best and most versatile defensive tackles, Allen has recorded at least 5.5 sacks in a season six times and has had at least 10 tackles for loss in a season on four occasions.
On paper, this is a good signing as the Vikings acquired the top-rated defensive lineman in free agency. But Allen is now on the other side of 30 and is coming off an injury that sidelined him for more than half of the 2024 season. This signing has the potential to be remembered as a bust if Allen doesn’t play at a Pro Bowl level.
Grade: B-
Saints acquire Justin Reid
New Orleans will undoubtedly have chemistry in their secondary in 2025 after coming to terms with Reid, whose new teammate, fellow safety Tyrann Mathieu, played with Reid’s younger brother during their time together at LSU. The acquisition of Reid was more significant after Will Harris agreed to terms with Washington.
A Louisiana native, Reid is returning home after winning two Super Bowls as a valued member of the Kansas Chiefs. He’s a hard-hitting tackling machine who is also capable of creating turnovers.
I like the signing, but for a team with salary cap issues, I wonder if the Saints would have been better off using this money somewhere else.
Grade: B
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Falcons land Leonard Floyd
We’ll keep this short and sweet. The Falcons needed a pass rusher, and they got one in Floyd, whose 8.5 sacks during his last year with the 49ers is more than any Falcons players since Adrian Clayborn had nine back in 2017 (h/t ESPN).
The 32-year-old Floyd is getting up there in age, but he hasn’t shown any signs of slowing down in recent years. He’s had at least 8.5 sacks in each of the last five years, averaging 9.6 sacks a season over that span while not missing a single game since 2017. He also has valuable playoff experience as he won a Super Bowl with the Rams four years ago.
Oh, and did we mention that Floyd only reportedly cost the Falcons $10 million for one year? Add it all up, and this very well could end up being the most underrated signing of the offseason.
Grade: A+
Ravens acquire DeAndre Hopkins
This is a low-risk move for the Ravens, who already have a solid receiving corps in place with Zay Flowers, Rashod Bateman and tight ends Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely. The Ravens reportedly spent up to $6 million to acquire a possible future Hall of Fame receiver who could help Baltimore get over the top.
By his standards, Hopkins had a disappointing 2024 season from a statistical standpoint. But it should be noted that he played the entire year with a knee injury and was traded just before the deadline. After he was traded to the Chiefs, Hopkins looked more like the player that was named to five Pro Bowls over a six-year span. If he’s healthy, he should open things up for two-time league MVP Lamar Jackson, future Hall of Fame running back Derrick Henry and the rest of Baltimore’s offense.
Grade: B
Bills grab Joey Bosa
After recently releasing Von Miller, the Bills went out and reportedly signed another former Pro Bowl pass rusher in Bosa, who was recently released by the Chargers. Bosa was named to his fifth Pro Bowl last year, but it’s been four years since he played at his typical Pro Bowl level. Injuries have hampered Bosa, and it’s undoubtedly one of the reasons why the Chargers parted ways with him.
Buffalo shouldn’t be criticized for signing Bosa, who if healthy could still be one of the league’s better pass rushers. It’s fair, however, to question Buffalo reportedly giving Bosa a $12.6 million deal for the upcoming season. That seems steep for a player who has battled injuries and hasn’t performed at an elite level in quite some time.
Grade: C
It was clear during the Vikings’ final two games of the 2024 season that help was needed on the offensive line, especially in pass protection. The Vikings have emphatically addressed that issue in free agency, signing former Colts center Ryan Kelly and on Tuesday coming to terms with Fries, Kelly’s former Indianapolis teammate. Fries was playing at an elite level before suffering a season-ending injury last year.
Grade: A-
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We weren’t kidding when we said that the Vikings did some work on Tuesday. The team reportedly plans to sign former Pro Bowl defensive tackle Javon Hargrave when the 49ers release him on Wednesday. Hargrave has been a high-level performer for most of his career, but he is coming off a season-ending injury.
The Vikings have chosen to use free agency to bolster their defensive line with Hargrave and Allen, two players that are over 30 and have had recent injuries. These moves will either pay major dividends or could end up costing Minnesota in the end.
Grade: B
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