With the NFL playoffs in full swing and the season dwindling to a close, we need to understand how and where to upgrade our rosters. With the negotiation window opening on March 10, 2025, and the 2025 league year beginning on March 12, now is the time to put our NFL Free Agency tracker in your bookmarks.
This NFL Free Agency Tracker has your offseason needs covered as it provides updates when defensive free agency signings occur and what that means for their fantasy outlook. By examining how teams benefit from these new players signing, we can stay ahead of our leaguemates when building IDP rosters for next season
Editor’s note: In case you missed it, this is Mike’s offensive Free Agency Tracker.
2025 NFL Defensive Free Agent Tracker | Updated: March 14, 2025
Players on the Move
Trey Hendrickson | DE | Age 30 | Cincinnati Bengals
While having one more year left on his deal, Trey Hendrickson wants to get paid in step with all the other premier pass rushers, something the Cincinnati Bengals don’t seem too keen to honor. News broke on March 6th about how the Bengals are allowing Hendrickson to seek out a trade, as the tumultuous offseason for Cincinnati continues.
Jonathan Allen | DT | Age 30 | Washington Commanders
3/14: Jonathan Allen found a big-money deal with the Minnesota Vikings, signing for 3 years and $60 million.
In what is likely a move to save money, the Washington Commanders are moving on from defensive tackle Jonathan Allen. Allowing Allen to seek out a trade will be tricky as he enters the final year of his 4-year, $72-million deal with a $22.3-million cap hit. With April’s NFL Draft a deep one on the defensive line, it could be slim pickings for Allen’s landing spot.
C.J. Gardner-Johnson | Age 27 | Houston Texans
3/14: Sent from the Philadelphia Eagles to the Houston Texans, safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson has found a new home this offseason. Moved in a deal that saw guard Kenyon Green head to the Eagles, plus draft picks swap teams, Gardner-Johnson joins a defense under DeMeco Ryans that will need to pick up the slack for this team heading into 2025.
Grady Jarrett | Age 31 | Chicago Bears
3/14: After being released by the Atlanta Falcons, defensive tackle Grady Jarrett quickly found a new home, signing a three-year, $43.5-million deal with the Chicago Bears.
Darius Slay | Age 34 | Pittsburgh Steelers
3/14: Darius Slay gets to stay in the state of Pennsylvania, as he joins the Pittsburgh Steelers on a one-year, $10-million deal.
Players Staying Put
Maxx Crosby | DE | Age 27 | Las Vegas Raiders
With the potential for Maxx Crosby to want to play elsewhere, he and the Las Vegas Raiders decided to reset the edge rusher market with his new deal. Signing a three-year, $106.5 million contract, Crosby now will remain with the Raiders for the foreseeable future, putting to bed any thoughts of him joining a contender.
Maxx Crosby is one of the most productive EDGE players in the NFL. He’s recorded at least 7 sacks in every season of his 6-year career, including being named to 4 consecutive Pro Bowls. The Las Vegas Raiders dodged a significant bullet by locking down their best player.
Myles Garrett | DE | Age 29 | Cleveland Browns
The offseason stalemate between Myles Garrett and the Cleveland Browns has come to a surprising resolution: with Garrett remaining with the Browns. The star edge rusher agreed to a 4-year extension that averages $40 million per season. His new deal adds two years onto his existing contract, which will keep him with Cleveland for the next six seasons, paving the way for there to be no holdout or any uncertainty heading into next season.
Jaycee Horn | Age 25 | Carolina Panthers
3/14: The NFL has a new, highest-paid cornerback in league history, as the Carolina Panthers locked Jaycee Horn into a 4-year, $100-million extension. Horn will continue to be the defensive leader for Carolina as they look to continue their multi-year rebuild.
Greg Rousseau | Age 24 | Buffalo Bills
3/14: Keeping talent in town has been a theme for the Buffalo Bills this offseason, as they locked up edge rusher Greg Rousseau on a four-year, $80 million extension. Rousseau is coming off an eight-sack season, and he will continue to be the best pass rusher the Bills have moving forward.
Terrel Bernard | Age 25 | Buffalo Bills
3/14: The Bills also locked up linebacker Terrel Bernard on a 4-year deal, earning $25.2 million guaranteed with a max value of $50 million. Bernard has anchored the Buffalo linebacker group for a while now, and he will look to continue his strong play for the AFC East champions.
Zack Baun | Age 28 | Philadelphia Eagles
3/14: The Philadelphia Eagles retained one of their defensive studs this offseason, re-signing former Wisconsin Badgers linebacker Zach Baun to a 3-year, $51-million deal. Having joined Philly on a one-year last offseason, Baun easily outplayed his tryout contract, making his payday this offseason well-deserved.
Osa Odighizuwa | Age 26 | Dallas Cowboys
3/14: The Dallas Cowboys retained their top free agent this offseason, re-signing defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa to a 4-year, $80-million deal. Odighizuwa will continue to pair up with Micah Parsons to help lead the Dallas pass rush next season.
Lavonte David | Age 35 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers
3/14: The long-time Tampa Bay Buccaneer is staying home, as linebacker Lavonte David re-signed on a one-year, $10-million deal.
Bobby Wagner | Age 34 | Washington Commanders
3/14: The Washington Commanders re-signed veteran linebacker Bobby Wagner on a one-year, $9.5-million deal, getting one of their defensive leaders back for another season.
Micah Parsons | DE | Age 25 | Dallas Cowboys
Micah Parsons is heading into the final year of his rookie deal and will get paid on his next deal. However, whether the Dallas Cowboys or another team hands out that big contract remains to be seen. Parsons is one of the few defenders who absolutely could be handed a blank check, as he is that much of a disruptor.
Last season, Parsons became the 6th player in NFL history to record 50 sacks in his first 4 seasons. However, as the Cowboys have shown over the past few seasons, they tend to get in their own way. The Dallas front office has demonstrated hesitation to engage in fruitful negotiations with Parsons’ camp, which could eventually push him out the door this offseason.
Defensive Tackles | 2025 Free Agency Tracker
Milton Williams | DT1 | Age 25 | New England Patriots
3/14: The prize of the defensive free agency pool was defensive tackle Milton Williams, who eventually landed with the New England Patriots on a monster 4-year, $104 million deal. Reports of Williams signing with the Panthers were quickly put to bed, as the Patriots and their league-leading cap space came through with a huge offer.
While Milton Williams wants to be back with the Philadelphia Eagles, he will have plenty of suitors as the best defensive tackle on the market. Williams, a strong, physical pass rusher who can wreak havoc in the trenches, saw his tackles decrease as his sacks went up in an outstanding season.
His stats might not jump out, but those of a defensive tackle typically don’t—he eats up double teams and consistently gets into the backfield, which makes him DT1 in free agency.
Levi Onwuzurike | DT2 | Age 26 | Detroit Lions
3/14: The Detroit Lions re-upped with defensive tackle Levi Onwuzurike, coming to an agreement on a one-year deal worth $5.5 million.
Levi Onwuzurike hits free agency for the first time, fresh off a strong four-year career with the NFC North-Champion Detroit Lions. While he is a potential re-sign candidate for the Lions, Onwuzurike finds himself in a strong defensive tackle class of free agents that will command top dollar. Onwuzurike is incredibly quick off the ball, fights through blockers well, and is as tough as they come—traits that any team that needs a DT would love to add to their roster.
B.J. Hill | DT3 | Age 29 | Cincinnati Bengals
3/14: The Cincinnati Bengals kept defensive tackle B.J. Hill on their roster, signing him to a 3-year, $33-million deal in free agency.
While his numbers don’t jump off the page, B.J. Hill is as consistent as it comes at defensive tackle. Flying under the radar his entire career, Hill is coming off a four-year stint with the Bengals and is hitting free agency at a good time for his pockets. Look for Hill to come in on a multi-year deal around $8-10 million annually, as a team could decide that a veteran in the trenches is better than a rookie in this stacked draft class.
Davon Godchaux | Age 30 | New Orleans Saints
3/14: The New England Patriots and New Orleans Saints joined up for a small deal, as the Pats sent defensive tackle Davon Godchaux to the Saints in exchange for a 2026 7th rounder. Godchaux has two seasons left on his current deal, which comes in at a very reasonable $18 million.
Javon Hargrave | Age 32 | Minnesota Vikings
3/14: The news of Javon Hargrave’s new contract dropped, as the defensive tackle can earn up to $30 million over 2 seasons on his new deal with the Minnesota Vikings.
While the money part of his deal is still unknown, Javon Hargrave has joined Jonathan Allen in Minnesota, forming a really solid pairing in the defensive trenches.
Javon Kinlaw | Age 27 | Washington Commanders
3/14: Replacing Jonathan Allen, Javon Kinlaw joins the Washington Commanders on a 3-year, $45-million deal. This deal feels a bit inflated for the 27-year old, but the Commanders thought that the money vacated by Allen was best used by bringing in Kinlaw.
Honorary Mentions
Poona Ford | Signed a 3-yr/$29.6M deal with LAR
Calais Campbell | Age 38 | Miami Dolphins
Jarran Reed | Re-signed with SEA on a 3-yr/$25M deal
Tershawn Wharton | Signed a 3-yr/$54M deal with CAR
Edge Rushers | 2025 Free Agency Tracker
Josh Sweat | DE1 | Age 27 | Arizona Cardinals
3/14: Josh Sweat was the other prized target in free agency this offseason, as the Eagles lost one of their star pass rushers to the Arizona Cardinals. Four years and $76.4 million later, and Sweat is a new member of Jonathan Gannon’s defense out in the desert.
Seven efficient seasons in Philadelphia set Josh Sweat up for a big-time payday this offseason, which is unlikely to come from the Eagles. The reigning Super Bowl Champions are towards the bottom of the league in available cap space ($17.5 million), the Eagles likely will dedicate money towards other positions, leaving Sweat to find a new home. Josh Sweat has put together four consecutive seasons of at least eight sacks, and he should have plenty of suitors looking to sign him to a long-term deal in free agency.
Joey Bosa | DE2 | Age 29 | Buffalo Bills
3/14: With the Los Angeles Chargers moving on from Joey Bosa in a cost-savings move, the Bills latched on and added Bosa on a one-year, $12.4 million deal. Pairing Bosa with Rousseau will give this pass rush a good 1-2 punch, even after the release of Von Miller.
The offseason turnstile on defense continues for the Los Angeles Chargers, as they have released Joey Bosa into the free-agency pool. The older of the Bosa brothers, who is coming off a five-sack season, has not reached double-digit sacks since 2021, which is also the last season he played 16 games. IDP managers can expect Bosa to garner a good amount of interest, but his injury-riddled past might see him settle for a one-year-prove it deal.
Khalil Mack | DE3 | Age 34 | Los Angeles Chargers
3/14: Khalil Mack is back in the fold for the Los Angeles Chargers, as the long-time pass rusher re-upped on a one-year deal worth up to $18 million. With Joey Bosa out of the picture, Mack will be tasked with leading this pass-rush group in 2025.
Khalil Mack looks to be a hot commodity in free agency, as the 11-year veteran is coming off a 6-sack season. That total tied for the worst season of his career since his rookie season. Mack has been healthy the past 3 seasons and is the best EDGE rusher available north of 30 years old. Expect contenders to be interested in signing Mack, including the Los Angeles Chargers, who have the cap space to bring him back.
Baron Browning | DE4 | Age 26 | Arizona Cardinals
3/14: Baron Browning heads back to the Cardinals on a 2-year, $15-million deal, a solid deal for a player that was just acquired last November in a deal with the Denver Broncos.
After being traded to the Arizona Cardinals for a 6th-round pick, Baron Browning only managed 2 sacks in 13 games this past season. It wasn’t a great season for Browning, who hits free agency in a year where many teams are searching for pass-rush help. Browning is one of the younger EDGE rushers on our list, which will help put him on radars, but it remains to be seen how big of a deal he will receive.
Dayo Odeyingbo | DE5 | Age 25 | Chicago Bears
3/14: Former Indianapolis Colts pass rusher Dayo Odeyingbo cashed in in free agency, signing a three-year, $48 million deal with the Chicago Bears. The offseason of revamping both lines for the Bears continues, as Odeyingbo gets a huge pay raise to rush the passer in the NFC North.
While the Indianapolis Colts have over $30 million in cap space, their depth on the defensive line could see Dayo Odeyingbo head elsewhere this offseason. Odeyingbo has a higher upside than Baron Browning, but the stats don’t jump off the page, putting him a little behind. Odeyingbo was 1 of 6 Colt’s defensive linemen to play at least 50% of snaps last season. Don’t be surprised if Odeyingbo earns a big contract this offseason, more than most are predicting, as he rounds out the DL in our NFL Defensive Free Agency Tracker.
Honorary Mentions
Haason Reddick | Signed a 1-yr/$14M deal with TB
Chase Young | Re-signed with NO on a 3-yr/$51M deal
DeMarcus Lawrence | Signed a three-year, $42-million deal with SEA
Dante Fowler Jr. | Age 30 | Washington Commanders
Malcolm Koonce | Re-signed with LV on a 1-yr/$12M deal
Azeez Ojulari | Age 24 | New York Giants
Chauncey Golston | Signed a 3-yr/$19.5M deal with NYG
Dennis Gardeck | Age 30 | Arizona Cardinals
Matthew Judon | Age 32 | Atlanta Falcons
Linebackers | 2025 Free Agency Tracker
Nick Bolton | LB1 | Age 24 | Kansas City Chiefs
3/14: The Kansas City Chiefs were able to keep one of their own this offseason, re-signing linebacker Nick Bolton to a 3-year, $45-million deal. This helps keep defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo’s leader on defense on this roster for at least the next three seasons.
Under a month before his 25th birthday, Nick Bolton tops our group of linebackers in our NFL Defensive Free Agency Tracker. Bolton was one of Steve Spagnuolo’s defense leaders for the Kansas City Chiefs, racking up 100-plus tackles in 3 of his first 4 seasons. The Chiefs have to navigate the free agencies of both Bolton and guard Trey Smith, as both players would be huge losses. A former 2nd Round pick, Bolton might be the odd man out, although that would likely mean he locked down a nice contract elsewhere.
Dre Greenlaw | LB2 | Age 27 | Denver Broncos
3/14: The purge of the San Francisco 49ers continues this offseason, as linebacker Dre Greenlaw heads to the AFC on a 3-year, $35-million deal. Joining the Denver Broncos will help Greenlaw reclaim some of his value, as he looks to make it back to playing a full season after dealing with a lingering Achilles injury.
Limited to 34 snaps this past season, Dre Greenlaw is hitting free agency with much to prove. After tearing his Achilles in the Super Bowl two seasons ago, Greenlaw only returned for a few games this year before being shut down with a calf injury. Whether these injuries are here to stay or something that he just needed to rehab a bit longer, Greenlaw is one of the most versatile linebackers in the league.
In a free agency year that saw Greenlaw coming off another strong performance, he would be the clear top option in this group. Instead, Greenlaw may need to settle for a one-year deal while the San Francisco 49ers (or another team) gets a look at how Greenlaw bounced back from his significant leg injury.
Ernest Jones IV | LB3 | Age 25 | Seattle Seahawks
3/14: After acquiring him this past season, the Seattle Seahawks re-signed linebacker Ernest Jones IV to a 3-year, $33-million deal. Jones made 10 starts for Seattle this past season, making 94 tackles and recording an interception.
NFL players don’t get traded often, but for Ernest Jones to get traded twice last season is quite odd. With the Los Angeles Rams trading Jones to the Tennessee Titans in late August 2024, the Titans traded Jones back to the NFC West in October 2024 to the Seattle Seahawks. Jones put up another strong season, collecting 138 tackles on a career-high 96.5 snap percentage. Ernest Jones remains a solid linebacker and should be highly pursued this offseason. He rounds out a productive LB group of our NFL Defensive Free Agency Tracker.
Harold Landry | Age 28 | New England Patriots
3/14: In an effort to bolster their pass rush, the Patriots added former Tennessee Titan Harold Landry on a 3-year, $43.5-million deal. It is quite a large deal for Landry, who is familiar with head coach Mike Vrabel since the two crossed paths during their stints in Nashville.
Honorary Mentions
Jamien Sherwood | Re-signed with NYJ on a 3-yr/$45M deal
Tyrel Dodson | Re-signed with MIA on a 2yr/$8.25M deal
Robert Spillane | Signed a 3-yr/$37M deal with NE
Cody Barton | Signed a 3-yr, $21-million deal with TEN
Cornerbacks | 2025 Free Agency Tracker
D.J. Reed | CB1 | Age 28 | Detroit Lions
3/14: D.J. Reed was the top cornerback available in free agency, and he went north to the Detroit Lions on a 3-year, $48-million deal. Reed will suit up opposite Terrion Arnold and will help replace the gap vacated by Carlton Davis III’s departure.
D.J. Reed finds himself as the top cornerback in our NFL Defensive Free Agency Tracker, as the 7-year veteran is in line for what is likely the final big-money deal of his career. Reed earned a 70.1 coverage grade from PFF, as he only allowed 35 receptions and 12.3 yards per reception in over 500 coverage snaps. While Reed only played in 14 games this past season, he is generally healthy, making him an ideal target for a team needing a top CB, like the Green Bay Packers and Philadelphia Eagles.
Charvarius Ward | CB2 | Age 29 | Indianapolis Colts
3/14: The big offseason for the Colts defense continues, as they add Charvarius Ward on a 3-year, $60-million deal. The former Niners and Chiefs corner will now be tasked with leading the Indy pass coverage unit, which also got an addition at safety.
After playing four years with the Kansas City Chiefs, Charvarius Ward helped lock down opposing receivers for the San Francisco 49ers for the past three seasons. As he hits free agency again, Ward likely will be targeted by teams desperate for a cornerback to help lock down top receiving options. Ward is a higher-volume tackler than most cornerbacks, with at least 50 tackles in 6 consecutive seasons. While Ward’s next deal likely won’t break the bank, any team interested in D.J. Reed will also likely target Ward, so that they could have a similar list of potential new teams.
Carlton Davis III | CB3 | Age 28 | New England Patriots
3/14: Both Ward and Davis received the exact same 3-year, $60-million deal on the surface, with Davis’ coming from the Patriots. The revamped New England defense adds Davis to pair up with Christian Gonzalez, forming one of the best CB combos in the entire league.
Having paired up with rookie Terrion Arnold in Detroit, Carlton Davis looks to cash in on another big-money free agent deal. Detroit would do well to bring Davis back, and it does sound like the front office would like to retain their best CB.
Carlton Davis is a physical cornerback who can be matched up across the board with anyone, and you can comfortably leave him out on an island and not worry about it. Davis should find himself with plenty of options to choose from, especially if he decides leaving Detroit is his best option.
Brandon Stephens | Age 27 | New York Jets
3/14: After leaving the Baltimore Ravens, cornerback Brandon Stephens quickly found a new home in the AFC, signing with the New York Jets. Stephens will lock up receivers opposite Sauce Gardner on a 3-year, $36-million deal for the Gang Green.
Donte Jackson | Age 29 | Los Angeles Chargers
In order to potentially replace Asante Samuel Jr., the Los Angeles Chargers signed cornerback Donte Jackson to a 2-year, $13-million deal. The former Pittsburgh Steelers CB joins the Chargers as a boundary corner and will look to improve his coverage grade from last season.
Honorary Mentions
Rasul Douglas | Age 30 | Buffalo Bills
Asante Samuel Jr. | Age 25 | Los Angeles Chargers
Mike Hilton | Age 30 | Cincinnati Bengals
Byron Murphy Jr. | Re-signed with MIN on a 3-yr/$66M deal
Paulson Adebo | Signed a 3-yr/$54M deal with NYG
Safeties | 2025 Free Agency Tracker
Jevon Holland | SAF1 | Age 25 | New York Giants
3/14: The best safety available heads north, as the New York Giants reeled in former Miami Dolphins safety Jevon Holland on a 3-year, $45-million deal. Averaging around $15 million per season is a solid deal for Holland, who will be one of the defensive leaders for the Giants heading into this season.
Jevon Holland, the cream of the crop at safety, headlines the safety position in our NFL Defensive Free Agency Tracker. The 25-year-old, second-round pick has been a steady part of the Miami Dolphins secondary for the past four seasons, and now he is looking to cash in on his first big payday.
Jevon Holland is a strong contender to earn the ‘he got paid how much?!?’ mantle this offseason, and the odds of that new contract coming from the Dolphins don’t seem high. Expect contenders, potentially even the Buffalo Bills, to be in on Holland this offseason.
Talanoa Hufanga | SAF2 | Age 26 | Denver Broncos
3/14: Talanoa Hufanga joins former Niners teammate Dre Greenlaw on the Broncos, as the safety agreed to terms with Denver on a 3-year, $45-million contract. Hufanga will be a great addition to an already-strong defensive unit led by Patrick Surtain, and they need all the help they can get in the tough AFC West.
Limited to only 17 games over the past 2 seasons, Talanoa Hufanga enters free agency lacking a bit of luster but still in line for a multi-year contract. Hufanga is a physical presence on the backend of the defense, willing to get involved in almost every aspect of stopping the opposing offense. His age will help get him a lot of looks on the free-agent market, and he should find himself a nice payday.
Justin Reid | SAF3 | Age 28 | New Orleans Saints
3/14: Safety Justin Reid heads down to the Big Easy, leaving the Chiefs for the Saints on a 3-year, $37.5-million deal. Reid is taking the same path as former Chiefs and current Saints safety Tyrann Mathieu, as the two veterans will team up on the back-end of the defense.
Justin Reid sets himself up nicely for free agency with 80-plus tackles and a 90-plus snap percentage over the past 3 seasons. Reid played over 900 snaps every season with the Kansas City Chiefs, helping solidify the defense’s back end. Rookie safety Jaden Hicks earned more playing time this past season, and his ascension into a more significant role could be in store, which would phase out the veteran DB Justin Reid.
Camryn Bynum | SAF4 | Age 26 | Indianapolis Colts
3/14: Camryn Bynum is the aforementioned other defensive addition for the Colts, as the former Vikings safety gets a massive 4-year, $60-million deal to play for Indy. Bynum will likely jump into the spot vacated by fellow free agent safety Julian Blackmon moving forward.
Camryn Bynum is one of the less-talked-about options in the safety free agent class this offseason. His under-the-radar career with the Minnesota Vikings sets him up nicely for a large contract this offseason, as he would fit with many teams that need help at the safety position. Bynum racked up 90-plus tackles and 2-plus interceptions in the past 2 seasons, including an overall DB3 finish in 2023, showing that he can contribute in many different ways.
Jeremy Chinn | SAF5 | Age 27 | Las Vegas Raiders
3/14: Jeremy Chinn leaves the Commanders and heads to the Raiders, signing a 2-year deal worth $16 million. Chinn is coming off a bounceback season under Dan Quinn’s tutelage in Washington, and will look to continue that trajectory out west, stepping in for Tre’von Moehrig.
The final member of the essential names in this safety group is Jeremy Chinn, who just celebrated a birthday on February 26. Chinn signed a one-year deal with Washington last offseason. He spent his first four seasons with the Carolina Panthers and put together a robust season for the Commanders this past season. Chinn played in a career-best 94.5 percent (1,021) of snaps this past season, earning 107 tackles and an interception. If a team wants a proven safety that is physical on the backend but is willing to get dirty near the line of scrimmage, Chinn can be that guy for cheaper than some of the other options. The former 2nd-round pick in the 2020 NFL draft rounds out our NFL Defensive Free Agency Tracker.
Honorary Mentions
Tre’von Moehrig | Signed a 3-yr/$51M deal with CAR
Justin Simmons | Age 31 | Atlanta Falcons
Harrison Smith | Age 36 | Minnesota Vikings
Andre Cisco | Signed a 1-yr/$10M deal with NYJ
Julian Blackmon | Age 26 | Indianapolis Colts
See our latest IDP Rookie Mock Draft!
Check out our Offensive Free Agency Tracker!
We didn’t forget about the offensive side of the ball. Whether it’s for dynasty, redraft, or your favorite NFL team, we have you covered with our 2025 NFL Free Agency Tracker. Updated with all the latest trades and confirmed rumors:
