The Vikings, Packers, and Bears all had a very active and emotional opening day of free agency.
It took them a while, but the Detroit Lions had themselves an active Day 1 of free agency. After agreeing to a new deal with Graham Glasgow , Detroit orchestrated a trade to land a potential CB1 in Carlton Davis and bolstered their defensive line with veteran Marcus Davenport .
But before the Lions made their mark in free agency, the rest of the NFC North was moving. The Packers , Vikings, and Bears all made significant changes to their roster, and it will undoubtedly shift the perspective of the division going forward.
Let’s take a closer look at a busy Day 1 of free agency in the NFC North.
Minnesota Vikings
Added:
- QB Sam Darnold: one-year, $10 million
- EDGE Jonathan Greenard: four-year, $76 million
- EDGE Andrew Van Ginkel: two-year, $20 million
- LB Blake Cashman: three-year, $25.5 million
Lost:
- QB Kirk Cousins: Signing four-year, $180M deal with Falcons
Retained:
- OL Blake Brandel
- OL David Quessenberry: one-year, $2 million
The Vikings were surprising spenders on Day 1, targeting their front seven with three significant signings. They bolstered their defensive end with Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel, but that almost certainly means they’ll eventually lose Danielle Hunter to free agency. Still, I like the versatility of Van Ginkel in Minnesota, when you never know if an edge defender is pass rushing or dropping into coverage.
Of course, the biggest news is that the Vikings couldn’t come to an agreement with Cousins, meaning they’ll likely be in the quarterback market for the NFL Draft . They did sign Sam Darnold, but that is almost certainly just a backup plan in case they don’t land the quarterback they want in the draft.
Chicago Bears
Added:
- RB D’Andre Swift: three-year, $24.5 million
- S Kevin Byard (deal done on Sunday): two years, $15 million
Lost:
- N/A
Retained:
- N/A
After taking the economical route at running back last year (D’Onta Foreman: 1-year, $2M + drafting Roschon Johnson in the fourth), Chicago decided to spend aggressively at running back. Swift’s deal was far from the most expensive at running back on a surprisingly busy day at the position, but it’s significant pay from Chicago, who let David Montgomery sign in Detroit last year for less.
Chicago got a head start on the safety market by adding Byard shortly after the Eagles released him. Byard will be 31 when the season starts, but the veteran safety has been one of the most reliable defenders over the past eight years.
Green Bay Packers
Added:
- RB Josh Jacobs: four-year, $48 million
- S Xavier McKinney: four-year, $68 million
Lost:
- RB Aaron Jones (expected to be released)
- LT David Bakhtiari (expected to be released)
- G Jon Runyan: Signing three-year, $30 million with Giants
- S Darnell Savage: Signing three-year, $21 million with Jaguars
Retained:
- N/A
Gone are the days of the Packers being quiet on the first day of free agency. It was a huge day in Green Bay, with a bunch of mixed feelings amongst the cheeseheads. Losing Jones and two starting offensive linemen—granted, Bakhtiari has only started 13 games in three years—is a pretty big blow to the offense and the running game. That’ll certainly put more pressure on quarterback Jordan Love in 2024.
Jacobs is a talented replacement from Jones, but he’s still a downgrade and he’s coming at a pretty expensive price—particularly when you factor in the $12.3 dead cap they’re eating on Jones’ contract.
That said, McKinney was one of the best defenders available in free agency and should help round out a Packers secondary that has struggled recently. He’s certainly an upgrade from Savage, whom they lost to the Jaguars.