We are now more than a week into NFL free agency, which means we have more to look back on than we do to look forward to. Most of the most impactful signings happen during that first week, which is obviously in the rearview mirror at this point.
This season, it seems like most of the true impact players changing teams in free agency were on defense. Among the top 20 highest-paid non-quarterbacks who changed teams so far this offseason, 15 of them were defensive players, according to Spotrac.
With that in mind, we want to take a look at some of the most interesting signings that happened on the less glamorous side of the ball. The key word to keep in mind there is interesting, and that can be on a schematic level or some other level, but it doesn’t necessarily mean it has to include the most expensive or noteworthy players. (Although the list below obviously does include some of those players.) In the space below, we’re touching on 11 different signings, though a few of them come in pairs because there were several teams that double dipped in defensive free agency.
Without further ado …
Minnesota Vikings
Jonathan Allen
Position: Defensive Tackle
Javon Hargrave
Position: Defensive Tackle
Minnesota already had one of the NFL’s best and most fascinating defenses in 2024, with Brian Flores scheming things up and a host of fast, athletic, versatile players stacking each level of the unit. But the weakness of that unit was on the defensive interior.
On runs up the middle, according to Tru Media, the Vikings allowed 1.73 yards before contact per attempt – a mark that ranked 26th in the NFL. Their interior defensive linemen combined for only 75 pressures, according to Pro Football Focus. Neither Allen nor Hargrave was fully healthy in 2024, but when they were in 2023, Allen had 49 pressures on his own and Hargrave had 52. If these two can stay on the field, it will be a massive upgrade.
New England Patriots
Milton Williams
Position: Defensive Tackle
Carlton Davis
Position: Cornerback
Do you know how much fun it’s going to be to have Davis and Christian Gonzalez playing across from each other at cornerback? Whooooo boy. These are two big, physical corners who will beat you up and make sure you remember the next day that you played against them. That’s already an interesting enough look for a defense these days, where a true elite cornerback duo is kind of a rarity.
But then you drop Williams into the middle of the defensive line and things get even more interesting. If Christian Barmore is able to return from his blood-clot issue, then the Pats will have a star duo on the defensive interior, as well. With those guys both pushing the pocket and knifing through blocks in the run game, guys like Robert Spillane, Harold Landry, Ja’Whaun Bentley and more should be put in position to succeed.
Arizona Cardinals
Josh Sweat
Position: Defensive End
Sweat is reuniting with his former defensive coordinator in Philadelphia, as Jonathan Gannon is now entering his third year as the Cardinals head coach. Sweat had the best years of his career playing for Gannon, notching a combined 18.5 sacks, 36 quarterback hits and 22 tackles for loss across two seasons. His 89 combined pressures were 38th in the NFL during that span, but his 40 combined sacks, tackle for loss, forced fumbles, pass breakups and interceptions ranked 17th. Arizona desperately needed a high-level player coming off the edge, and we know Sweat can succeed in this system.
