5 free agent signings that will have the biggest impact on the 2024 NFL season

NFL teams look different every year thanks to free agency and the draft, and there are some free agent signings that will have a big impact on their respective teams in 2024.

There were 10 teams which spent more than $100 million on free agents, extensions and franchise tags this offseason. Some of these teams have yet to find their footing, while others have found top stars to improve their respective positions.

Let's take a look at the most impactful free agents through the first five weeks of the 2024 season.

Contract information provided by Spotrac.

Honorable Mention: Saquon Barkley, Philadelphia Eagles

Contract: Three years, $37.75 million ($26 million guaranteed)

There are so many notable free agents making an impact this season, but it would be disrespectful not to mention the impact Saquon Barkley is making in Philadelphia.

Even after a bye in Week 5, Barkley is third in the NFL with 435 rushing yards, averaging 6.0 yards per carry and five total touchdowns. His presence has taken a lot of pressure off Jalen Hurts and the passing game, especially as they deal with the absences of AJ Brown and DeVonta Smith.

According to Next Gen Stats, Barkley is also third in the NFL with 156 rushing yards above expectations. His volatility and power make him a dangerous running back in space, but he also has legitimate breakaway speed.

Without Saquon, the Eagles would be 0-4#FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/5rnhLEdk7M

– All About the Birds (@AATBirds) October 1, 2024

The Eagles desperately needed a powerful running back to bring some balance to the offense, and Barkley was just that.

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5. Azeez Al-Shair, Houston Texans

Contract: Three years, $34 million ($21.5 million guaranteed)

DeMeco Ryans knows what he wants from defensive players, and LB Azeez Al-Shair ticks many of those boxes.

The two worked together during their time with the San Francisco 49ers and Ryans was able to reunite with the talented linebacker this offseason. The 27-year-old has brought an aggressive mentality to Houston's defense, adding another competitive and relentless defender to a young and emerging group.

Al-Shaair's box score numbers are modest with 37 total tackles (26 solo), three pass breakups and one sack. However, he was an efficient blitz player with 11 pressures in 28 pass-rush snaps and a missed tackle rate of just 7.7 percent.

Azeez Al-Shair has been a blessing and a great signing for this Texas team

He was a great blitzer and improved his coverage significantly

Henry To'oTo'o has also been great for this team and with Harris coming back soon, that makes for a very good 3LB room. pic.twitter.com/rU5Wnnze8o

– Jacob (@Stroud4MVP) October 2, 2024

The team numbers are also a testament to Al-Shaair and the team's other defensive additions. They are the third-ranked defense according to DVOA after finishing just 16th in 2023.

Off-the-ball linebackers aren't typically valued, but the Texans have found a reliable contributor and team leader at a fair price.

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4. Kirk Cousins, Atlanta Falcons

Contract: Four years, $180 million ($100 million guaranteed)

There was a brief moment of panic among Atlanta Falcons fans following Kirk Cousins' ugly debut. However, the 36-year-old quarterback is looking more and more like a quarterback capable of leading the Falcons to the playoffs.

Cousins ​​looked like a top-notch quarterback in his last outing. In a comeback win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Thursday Night FootballCousins ​​set a franchise record with 509 passing yards and completed 42 of 58 passes with four touchdowns and one interception.

Cousins' passing chart showed he wasn't afraid to throw everything down the field.

Unlike previous seasons, Cousins ​​shows much more willingness to vent and take risks. According to Next Gen Stats, he has the highest turnover-effective play rate since 2014, but also the fourth-highest aggressiveness rate on his passes into tight windows in the league.

Throws like this touchdown are things Cousins ​​wouldn't like to make during his time in Minnesota.

What a catch from Darnell Mooney! 😱#TBvsATL on Prime Video
Will continue to stream #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/YdkrfoRFXn

– NFL (@NFL) October 4, 2024

There's a chance Cousins ​​will return to his conservative approach as the season progresses. But with a talented roster around him and weapons like Drake London, Darnell Mooney and Kyle Pits continuing to make plays, he may end up trusting them enough to continue throwing more aggressive shots into tight windows.

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3. Xavier McKinney, Green Bay Packers

Contract: Four years, $67 million ($23 million guaranteed)

There may be no other player in the NFL who is off to a better start to the 2024 season than Xavier McKinney.

McKinney has thrown an interception in all five games this year. Along with a fumble recovery against the Los Angeles Rams, his six takeaways are more than 18 NFL teams in five weeks this season.

It's not just the takeaways But McKinney's dominance in coverage is impressive. According to Pro Football Focus, opposing quarterbacks have a passer rating of just 1.2 when they are targeting him and have completed the ball 2 of 7 passes for 23 yards and five interceptions.

That's the lowest passer rating allowed by any safety in the NFL this season.

Some of McKinney's interceptions could be considered “lucky,” but the film shows a safety who does a great job of sensing route concepts, reading the quarterback's eyes and getting good angles to pass the ball.

Xavier McKinney reads and reports perfectly on RB Sail pic.twitter.com/QcvuPKHmLt

— Nate Tice (@Nate_Tice) September 30, 2024

The Green Bay Packers desperately needed improvements at safety this offseason. Not only did they sign two promising rookies in Javon Bullard and Evan Williams, but they also hit a home run with their biggest free agent signing, McKinney.

Even if the interception streak doesn't last, McKinney is already drawing serious attention from first-team All-Pro players through the first five games.

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2. Derrick Henry, Baltimore Ravens

Contract: Two years, $16 million ($9 million guaranteed)

No player on this list fits his new team's identity better than Derrick Henry.

The veteran running back signed a cheaper contract with the Baltimore Ravens, and the rest of the league assumed that at 30 years old and with more than 2,000 career wins under his belt, he couldn't match his performance.

Instead, Henry is doing things the league has never seen before from a veteran running back with his running ability. He leads the NFL with 572 rushing yards, is tied for first with six rushing touchdowns and has a career average of 6.0 yards per carry.

Henry also leads the league with 229 rushing yards above expectations. Even when things don't go according to plan, Henry's size and speed allow him to pull off explosive plays.

The Ravens almost failed in their blocking duties on Derrick Henry's big overtime run pic.twitter.com/2DrNJhag5W

— Ted Nguyen (@FB_FilmAnalysis) October 7, 2024

Henry's presence also opens up new opportunities for Lamar Jackson and the passing game. Jackson was deadly in game action, with four touchdowns, zero interceptions and a passer rating of 119.2.

After an 0-2 start, the Ravens are back in the AFC playoff race and Henry's dominance on the ground is a big reason for this success.

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1. Jonathan Greenard, Minnesota Vikings

Contract: Four years, $76 million ($38 million guaranteed)

Jonathan Greenard isn't the first name that comes to mind for critical free agents this year. However, his impact on the Minnesota Vikings' defense is a big reason why they are one of two remaining undefeated teams.

Greenard has four sacks and 12 tackles this season. Those aren't eye-popping numbers, but it's his consistent ability to generate pressure that has made him such a boon to Minnesota's defense.

Greenard's 29 pressures are the second most in the league behind Aidan Hutchinson. He has had at least five pressures in every game this season, including seven pressures and three quarterback hits on Aaron Rodgers in Sunday's game against the New York Jets in London.

No other player on Minnesota's defense has more than 14 pressures this season. Defensive coordinator Brian Flores runs a system based on hiding coverages with pre-snap looks while also generating pressure quickly enough to prevent quarterbacks from diagnosing coverages post-snap.

That wasn't a problem for Greenard.

Jonathan Greenard: fantastic so far as a pass rusher in 2024. pic.twitter.com/hAkc5Brw66

— Matt Fries (@FriesFootball) October 9, 2024

Without Greenard, the Vikings are unlikely to have the No. 1 DVOA defense. His explosiveness at the snap, his playmaking ability and his ability to mix up his pass-rush scheme have made him one of the NFL's most disruptive pass rushers.

As entertaining as this year's free agent class is, no one can match Greenard's impact on the Vikings' defense.