Gaffney's Best of 2026 NFL Free Agency Day 1

Now past 10 PM (EST), it would appear the opening set of moves in the NFL's legal tampering period of free agency is over. Obviously, a lot to get into with a large swath of top names in the class coming off the board, such as Tyler Linderbaum, Jaelan Phillips, David Edwards, and Kenneth Walker, the balance of power hasn't exactly swung dramatically in any direction, but there's certainly been some moves made that are easy to get behind. Here are a few that apply to my taste.

IOL Tyler Linderbaum to the Las Vegas Raiders (Three Years, $81,000,000)

Completely resetting the center market by nearly 10 million dollars annually is a bit of a shock, but the Raiders had plenty of money to burn, and there are few centers in the NFL as good as Tyler Linderbaum. Hard to ask for a better guy to both anchor a line that's almost certainly going to be in front of a rookie QB come the fall (Fernando Mendoza), but to be the centerpiece of a line that's going to be doing a ton of zone blocking under Klint Kubiak. A fantastic move for a team that made a slew of other good ones today, including the addition of LB Nakobe Dean.

LB Devin Lloyd to the Carolina Panthers (Three Years, $45,000,000)

I'd be hard-pressed to say I loved the Jaelan Phillips deal for Carolina, given the 30 million dollar a year price tag; that certainly isn't the case with Devin Lloyd, who was the NFL's fifth-best outright defender in 2025 in terms of pass EPA allowed and racked up five interceptions. He did miss a couple of games, and the tackle production was a bit down, but there's a reason Lloyd was Second-Team All-Pro this year. He's missed some games these last few seasons, which is why this deal probably comes in a tad lower than I would've expected, but Carolina desperately needed an upgrade at linebacker and they got the biggest dog in the yard. A+++ move.

IDL Khyiris Tonga to the Kansas City Chiefs (Three Years, $21,000,000)

The Kenneth Walker signing and the continued bit off Brett Veach not giving any homegrown defensive backs a second contract are the headline grabbers in KC this week, but Khyiris Tonga was a sneakily big part of a Patriots defense that won the AFC. Primarily a 0-2 tech option, he was one of the best run defenders on the interior in 2025, and he's now joining a Chiefs defense that was a top 10 unit in football last season. Spags should be over the moon with this.

IDL John Franklin-Myers to the Tennessee Titans (Three Years, $63,000,000)

I thought the Titans had a very underwhelming day today upgrading their defense, but John Franklin-Myers was an obvious exception. Saying he's been nothing short of an exceptional, nationally undersung player for just about his entire career would be a disservice, and now he's reunited with Robert Saleh, whom he played under in New York. Nevermind the fact that the Titans added a guy coming off back-to-back seasons of at least seven sacks on the interior with, checks notes, Jeffrey Simmons. Yeah, sounds good to me!

FB Reggie Gilliam to the New England Patriots (Three Years, $12,000,000)

It's been pretty quiet in New England save for a couple of moves, but if you aren't here for fullback signings, then that says far more about you than anything else. Even with Josh McDaniels back last year, the Patriots never really had a true fullback to work with in the running game, and that was a part of why their running game was super inconsistent. Gilliam, perhaps the best fullback in run and pass blocking last season, and who can contribute on special teams, is a move Patriots fans should be pleased with, even if it's not the sexiest.

IOL Issac Seumalo to the Arizona Cardinals (Three Years, $31,500,000)

Issac Seumalo isn't a long-term fix for the Cardinals' offensive line, but he's been among the best guards in football for about the last half dozen years with the Eagles and Steelers, and Monti Ossenfort nailed him down for the low cost of 10.5 million a year. He'll turn 33 in the middle of October, but this is a guy who simply didn't allow pressure last year at all. It's been an odd start to free agency out in the desert, given what their QB situation currently looks like, but this was simply a great move for the short term in any regard.

SAF Coby Bryant to the Chicago Bears (Three Years, $40,000,000)

The Bears' defensive needs are certainly more so upfront, but you can't argue against adding a safety, who's very productive around the ball like Kevin Byard was for them in 2025, but notably younger at 26 (turns 27 at the end of this month) and coming off of a Super Bowl run for the Seahawks. Dennis Allen should be pleased to have a guy who can work on the backend solo and in split looks, and who's willing and able to work downhill on ball carries with a level of aggression that would win over just about any coach. Don't know what this means for Jaquan Brisker's future in the windy city, but this was as good a move as any on Monday.

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