Familiar faces in new places: Refresher on all the biggest NFL offseason moves in 2026

What free agency lacked in superstar talent, the trade market more than made up for with multiple blockbuster trades Jul 30, 2026 at 7:33 am ET • 8 min read NFL teams are in the throes of training camp, which in most cases means all of their major offseason personnel moves are complete. The vast majority of impactful free agent signings and trades occurred at the start of the league year in March, but another wave hit in June when the biggest signings of the summer hit the transaction wire. That was when the Los Angeles Rams acquired Myles Garrett in an all-timer of a deal and the New England Patriots traded for A.J. Brown, reshaping the league's wide receiver landscape.During the busiest periods of the free agency cycle, it can be a chore to keep up with all the meaningful signings. News flies in by the minute in what is a dizzying time of year. Before preseason games arrive and the regular season gets underway, we are here to help you regain your bearings with a refresher on all the biggest moves.Or perhaps you are just now tuning back into the NFL after taking the offseason off. Either way, the summary below will provide you with the personnel information you need in order to be properly informed ahead of kickoff.Here are all the most important signings and trades from the offseason.Quarterbacks leading new offensesKirk Cousins, RaidersTua Tagovailoa, FalconsKyler Murray, VikingsMalik Willis, DolphinsGeno Smith, JetsTagovailoa and Murray are locked into two true quarterback competitions with Michael Penix Jr. and J.J. McCarthy, respectively. While both are the presumptive frontrunners to emerge as Week 1 starters, any missteps could lead their teams to hand the keys back to the younger options and attempt to develop them rather than rely on the highly affordable veterans. It also remains to be seen just how long Cousins will hold onto the job in Las Vegas with No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza waiting for his first opportunity. Willis and Smith are the likeliest to hold onto their roles over the course of the season. Los Angeles goes all-inTraded for EDGE Myles GarrettTraded for CB Trent McDuffieSigned CB Jaylen WatsonThere is a strong argument to be made that the Rams pulled off one of the five biggest trades in NFL history with their acquisition of Garrett. Landing the player who just set the league's single-season sack record a year ago and who, by the end of his career, might be considered the greatest to ever suit up at the edge rusher spot was the ultimate statement that Los Angeles is pushing all its chips forward in 2026. The Rams also killed two birds with one stone in acquiring McDuffie and Watson, as their arrivals not only elevate the back end of what should be an impenetrable defense but also hamper a fellow Super Bowl contender. Both of them were every-week starters for the Chiefs. Bengals invest in defenseTraded for DT Dexter LawrenceSigned EDGE Boye MafeSigned DT Jonathan AllenSigned S Bryan CookNobody allowed more yards on the ground last year than the Bengals. That should change in 2026. Giving up the No. 10 pick for Lawrence was a more than worthwhile investment in the defensive line, and pairing him with Allen takes Cincinnati from the least-feared run-stopping unit to potentially one of the best -- at least with regard to the defensive tackle spot. Losing Trey Hendrickson hurts the pass rush, but the other signings should help neutralize that star departure. In total, a defense that held the Bengals back from maximizing their offensive superstars is suddenly much less of a liability, which could open the door for a breakthrough season. Patriots fill needs after Super Bowl beatdownTraded for WR A.J. BrownSigned WR Romeo DoubsSigned IOL Alijah Vera-TuckerSigned EDGE Dre'Mont JonesSigned S Kevin ByardPriority No. 1 in proving that last season's run to the Super Bowl was more than just a product of good schedule luck was to load up on weapons around MVP runner-up Drake Maye. Trading for Brown, and only having to give up one first-round pick to do so, gives Maye the No. 1 target he needs in the wake of Stefon Diggs' departure. It was one of the biggest blockbusters of the offseason. Just as impactful might be the Vera-Tucker signing. If he stays healthy (which is certainly an "if"), he will help upgrade the left side of the offensive line that far too often let Maye down in 2025. More high-impact tradesBrowns receive EDGE Jared VerseBroncos receive WR Jaylen WaddleEagles receive EDGE Jonathan GreenardSteelers receive WR Michael PittmanCowboys receive EDGE Rashan GaryVerse and Waddle were parts of two offseason blockbusters. The rest of the most significant trades also show just how valuable the wide receiver and edge rusher positions are in today's NFL. Not only do the stars at these spots command the most money in free agency, but they are now also garnering the largest return packages on the trade market. Waddle, for instance, moved from Miami in exchange for a first-round pick, third-round pick and a fourth-round swap.Other notable trades: Texans receive RB David Montgomery, Lions receive IOL Juice Scruggs, 49ers receive DT Osa Odighizuwa, Saints receive EDGE Tyree Wilson, Bears receive C Garrett Bradbury, Packers receive LB Zaire Franklin Reinforcements arrive in BuffaloTraded for WR DJ MooreSigned EDGE Bradley ChubbSigned CB Dee AlfordSigned S C.J. Gardner-JohnsonFirst-year coach Joe Brady is not the only new face who could help the Bills get over the hump and finally reach the Super Bowl. Josh Allen now has a dangerous go-to target for the first time since 2023. The timing of Moore's arrival could not be better with Allen now firmly in his prime. Defensively, Buffalo surrendered the fewest passing yards of any team in the NFL last season. The newcomers on that side of the ball go more towards keeping the pass defense elite than improving a run-stopping scheme that had serious shortcomings. Ravens pivot after failed Maxx Crosby tradeRavens sign EDGE Trey HendricksonPerhaps the most surprising development of the entire offseason was that the Ravens backed out of their agreed-upon trade with the Raiders that would have sent Crosby to Baltimore. They settled on a terrific backup plan in signing Hendrickson, and in fact, it might have been a higher-value deal than the one they nixed. Hendrickson is not nearly as well-rounded as Crosby but is just as dominant in pass rushing, and the Ravens got him at a lower average annual value and did not have to part ways with any first-round picks.Other notable edge rusher moves: Panthers sign Jaelan Phillips, Commanders sign Odafe Oweh, Colts sign Arden Key Jets overhaul defenseTraded for S Minkah FitzpatrickTraded for DT T'Vondre SweatSigned EDGEs Joseph Ossai, Kingsley EnagbareSigned DT David OnyemataSigned LB Demario DavisSigned CB Nahshon WrightThe Jets were the most active team in the early days of free agency with their flurry of defensive signings. Before that, the Sweat and Fitzpatrick trades set the stage for their spending spree. These are not necessarily ceiling-raisers, considering the Jets set the bar remarkably low last year, but at the very least, they should produce some kind of improvement from a campaign that saw New York force exactly zero interceptions and rank fourth-worst against the run. The only way to go is up, and the influx of talent should put the Jets on that path. Aaron Glenn needs that to come to fruition, or else he could be looking for work next year. Super Bowl MVP on the moveChiefs sign RB Kenneth Walker IIIThe Seahawks elected not to give Walker a second contract even after fueling their Super Bowl run. Once the price tag became clear, it is not hard to see why Seattle was content to let him walk. The Chiefs made him the highest-paid free agent in NFL history with a three-year, $43.3 million deal, and if his asking price to stay in Seattle was in that same realm, it might have been tough to justify spending so much on a ballcarrier who missed time with injuries in each of his first three seasons. That is not to say Kansas City made a poor investment, though. The Chiefs have been in the midst of a rushing drought for years and last season finished bottom-five in numerous categories. Walker joining the offense should take some pressure off Patrick Mahomes as he works his way back from a torn ACL.Other notable running back moves: Saints sign Travis Etienne Jr., Buccaneers sign Kenneth Gainwell, Cardinals sign Tyler Allgeier, Steelers sign Rico Dowdle, Lions sign Isiah Pacheco, Falcons sign Brian Robinson Jr. Raiders build roster around Fernando MendozaTraded for CB Taron JohnsonSigned IOL Tyler LinderbaumSigned EDGEs Kwity Paye, Malcolm KoonceSigned LBs Quay Walker, Nakobe DeanIn addition to signing Cousins, the Raiders went after other plug-and-play pieces that should help elevate the roster around their eventual starting quarterback in Mendoza. Most of the reinforcements come on the defensive side of the ball and ought to bolster a group that already features a top-flight edge rusher. But the most direct aid to Mendoza is Linderbaum, whom the Raiders made the top-earning center in league history. His presence on the interior should also clear running lanes for Ashton Jeanty in what Las Vegas undoubtedly hopes is a more productive second year. Robert Saleh rebuilds Titans' defense with familiar facesTraded for EDGE Jermaine JohnsonTraded for DT Solomon ThomasSigned DT John Franklin-MyersSigned CBs Cordale Flott, Alontae TaylorIf it worked before, it can work again. That seems to be Saleh's thought process as he reunites with Johnson, Thomas and Franklin-Myers, all of whom played for him during his time with the Jets. Saleh's fingerprints will be all over the defensive front while less familiar names round out the back end. Improvement on this side of the ball could ease pressure on a young offense that projects to take a step forward as it matures.Best of the rest49ers sign WR Mike EvansBears sign LB Devin Bush, S Coby BryantBrowns sign IOL Zion JohnsonBuccaneers sign LB Alex AnzaloneCardinals sign IOL Isaac SeumaloChargers sign TE David NjokuChiefs sign S Alohi GilmanCommanders sign TE Chig Okonkwo, LB Leo Chenal, CB Rasul Douglas, S Nick CrossCowboys sign S Jalen ThompsonEagles sign CB Tariq WoolenGiants sign TE Isaiah Likely, DT D.J. ReaderLions sign IOL Cade MaysPanthers sign LB Devin LloydRavens sign S Jaylinn HawkinsSaints sign IOL David Edwards, LB Kaden EllissSteelers sign CB Jamel DeanSteelers sign S Jaquan BriskerTexans sign OT Braden Smith, IOL Wyatt Teller, S Reed BlankenshipTitans sign WR Wan'Dale RobinsonVikings sign WR Jauan Jennings