2025 NFL free agency Day 2 winners and losers: Vikings making big splash, Cowboys doing little with cap room

The so-called legal tampering period of NFL Obtainable agency continues apace, and we are now mere hours away from the official Begin of Wednesday’s new Bracket year. As has become the norm, the major dominoes of Obtainable agency have all pretty much fallen by now. The Primary two Periods of Obtainable agency are where all the action is at these Periods.

Because so much happens, and so quickly, it’s always Significant to take stock of what went down. We’re doing that in a host of different ways this week here at CBSSports.com, and one of those ways is by declaring our Obtainable agency winners and losers Every and every day this week.

In the Cosmos below, we’re digging in on Day 2, which got off to a Scorching Begin Prompt in the morning, but cooled pretty considerably by the afternoon, because that’s Only the way things go when most of the big-time deals get done within the Primary few hours of the Leading gun.

Minnesota continued to splash the pot in a big way on Tuesday, landing three high-priced Obtainable agents Prompt in the morning. Importantly, all three deals continued the Vikings’ fortification of the trenches: They are signing Jonathan Allen to a three-year, $60 million deal, Will Fries to a five-year, $88 million deal and will sign Javon Hargrave to a contract once he’s officially released by the 49ers. This is the path the Vikings set themselves on when they moved on from Kirk Cousins and landed on J.J. McCarthy as their Signal-caller of the future. They could potentially still get in the mix for someone like Aaron Rodgers (more on him later), but for now it seems like they’re going to build out the rest of the Lineup around their Primary-year-contract Signal-caller. 

Dallas cleared over $54 million in cap room … and has basically done nothing with it. The only outside Obtainable agents the Club has signed are Javonte Williams, Robert Jones and Solomon Thomas, none of whom has been an impact player in recent seasons. Dallas has still also yet to get a deal done with any of Micah Parsons (whose price keeps going up day by day), Tyler Smith or Daron Bland. The Cowboys Only continue to do the same things year after year and somehow Anticipate the results to change. 

Jones got himself a $14 million contract to go compete for the Leading Position in Indianapolis. Even if he loses out to Anthony Richardson — which seems likely unless Jones dramatically outperforms Richardson in Practice camp, given how much the franchise has invested in Richardson — he still Created himself a nice chunk of change Only months after being benched in favor of Tommy DeVito and Drew Lock, and without doing anything in the interim that suggested he’s worthy of a Attempt at a Leading spot. 

2025 NFL Obtainable agency tracker: Updates on top 100 Obtainable agents, including Jevon Holland and Jonathan Allen

Cody Benjamin

Loser: 49ers

The Niners have seemingly lost half their Lineup in the Primary two Periods of Obtainable agency. Stretching back to last week, the Niners have traded Deebo Samuel, cut Kyle Juszczyk, will soon Throw Javon Hargrave and Maliek Collins, and seen Dre Greenlaw, Charvarius Ward, Talanoa Hufanga, Aaron Banks, Jaylon Moore, Elijah Mitchell and Josh Dobbs leave in Obtainable agency. That is a lot of production on both sides of the ball. And it’s not like San Francisco has a ton of draft capital to acquire ready-Created replacements. There could be a significant retool coming for this Club, and it might not look great in 2025.

Winner: Return specialists

KaVontae Turpin landed a three-year, $18 million deal from Dallas, making him the highest-paid special-teamer in the Bracket. Turpin also played 27% of the Cowboys’ offensive snaps last year so he is not value-less on Assault, but he is primarily a return man and he Only Created the price of the brick for players at that spot go way up. 

2025 NFL Obtainable agency Day 1 winners and losers: Mike Vrabel beefs up Patriots Protection; what’s Steelers QB plan?

Cody Benjamin

The game of Signal-caller musical chairs is nearly over, and neither veteran signal-caller has Discovered a home Only yet. The only spots left are seemingly in Pittsburgh and New York (with the Giants), and only one of those (Pittsburgh) seems like a spot where you’re guaranteed to be the season-Beginning starter. Unless the Vikings surprisingly get in on the action, or the Titans or Browns change course from where they are right now, one of these two guys is going to be pretty unhappy — and the other might not be too thrilled with his landing spot, either.

Winner: Cam Ward (and Shedeur Sanders)

Speaking of the Titans, more and more signs seemingly Mark to them drafting the Previous University of Miami Signal-caller with the No. 1 overall Picking. There was speculation that the Titans would get involved in the veteran Signal-caller market this week, and that has not happened. Instead, they chose to invest in the offensive line by signing a new left Competition. Could they still draft Abdul Carter or Travis Hunter? Sure. But they probably would’ve gotten themselves a bridge QB by now if they were going to do that. Even if Ward doesn’t go No. 1, well, the Browns and Giants still badly need quarterbacks, and that could potentially benefit Sanders as well.