Winners and Losers from the First Day of NFL Free Agency

The 2013 NFL free-agency period is finally here, and with it comes various winners and losers in teams and players alike. 

Some teams, such as the Miami Dolphins, chose to spend big on players such as receiver Mike Wallace. As a result, other teams were robbed of key players and stability. Other franchises elected to lay low on the first day as the spending spree commenced. 

The results from free agency overall are far from decided, but the first day certainly had its ups and downs.

Let's take a moment to break down some of the biggest winners and losers from the early hours of NFL free agency. 

Winner Miami Dolphins

The Miami Dolphins made the expected big move and signed receiver Mike Wallace to a monster deal in the form of a five-year contract worth $65 million in total, per Jeff Darlington on Twitter. 

It is a lot of money to place in just one receiver that has a tendency of being a bit one-dimensional on the field, but the risk could have a massive payoff. 

Miami did not stop there, and solidified itself as a winner in the process.

After locking up Wallace, the Dolphins stole Dannell Ellerbe from the Baltimore Ravens on a deal worth $35 million total, according to Aaron Wilson on Twitter. Miami didn't stop there, as it later grabbed Phillip Wheeler for $26 million, per Pro Football Talk.

Ellerbee was the No. 14 overall 3-4 inside linebacker in 2012 (per Pro Football Focus), while Wheeler was the No. 6 overall 4-3 outside linebacker (per Pro Football Focus). 

All in all, it was the kind of day that can change a franchise, and Miami is only getting started. 

Loser: Baltimore Ravens

Ray Lewis is gone, but that is just the beginning of the bad news for the Baltimore Ravens. 

Fellow inside linebacker Dannell Ellerbe is lost as well, as the Miami Dolphins scooped him up on a deal early in free agency.

To make matters worse, the Ravens also lost pass-rusher Paul Kruger to AFC North rival Cleveland Browns on a five-year deal (per Adam Schefter on Twitter).

Defense was not the only thing to take a hit with free agency opening, as the Ravens also ended up trading No. 1 receiver Anquan Boldin to the San Francisco 49ers for a measly sixth-round pick (per ESPN.com). 

The Ravens managed to stop the bleeding a bit by signing veteran defensive tackle Chris Canty (per his Twitter), but the losses loom greater in the grand scheme of things. 

Winner: Cleveland Browns

The Cleveland Browns front office played its cards right early in free agency, to say the least. 

First, the Browns robbed divisional rival Baltimore Ravens of their best pass-rusher in the form of Paul Kruger by signing him to a five-year, $41 million contract (per Adam Schefter on Twitter). Kruger is an important piece for the Browns, as they needed serious help at the outside linebacker position.

Cleveland then made what could end up being the most underrated move in the entire free-agency period by signing defensive tackle Desmond Bryant to a five-year deal (per Ian Rapoport on Twitter). 

According to Pro Football Focus, Bryant was the No. 6 overall defensive tackle in the NFL last season. He now joins an already deep defensive line with Phil Taylor, John Hughes and Ahtyba Rubin. 

Don't look now, but the Browns are on track to have the best free-agency period this season and surprise the league next season. 

Loser: Cornerbacks

The cornerback position was slated to have a massive day when free agency opened given the ridiculous amount of big names on the market. 

Said names include Nnamdi Asomugha, Aqib Talib, Brent Grimes, Sean Smith, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Derek Cox, Cary Williams, Antoine Winfield and DeAngelo Hall. 

None of the above names have been signed yet. 

It's a false start for some of the premier names on the market, but some of the mid-tier free agents have already landed deals. Greg Toler nabbed a deal with the Indianapolis Colts (per Colts.com), and Bradley Fletcher signed on with the Philadelphia Eagles (per Adam Caplan), to name a few. 

The market is settling, but it is not exactly the fire sale for big names most were expecting. 

Winner: Tennessee Titans

The Tennessee Titans started off free agency with a bang by landing the No. 1 available guard in former Buffalo Bills player Andy Levitre, who signed on with a six-year, $46.8 million contract (per Adam Schefter on Twitter). 

It's a massive upgrade for the Titans, as Levitre was ranked the No. 9 overall guard in the NFL last season, according to Pro Football Focus. 

Tennessee then grabbed tight end Delanie Walker with a  four-year, $17.5 million contract (per Adam Schefter on Twitter), effectively replacing free agent Jared Cook in a big way. 

Cook was a talent, but so is Walker, who ranked as the No. 18 overall tight end in the NFL last year while backing up Vernon Davis (per Pro Football Focus). 

The Titans have executed early free agency to perfection by addressing two massive holes on the roster with top talent that will stand the test of time. 

Loser: San Diego Chargers

For all the talking the San Diego Chargers were doing this offseason about making the offensive line and thus, the health of quarterback Philip Rivers the priority in free agency, the line has managed to get drastically worse just hours after the market opening. 

First, the Chargers lost guard Louis Vasquez to a divisional rival in the Denver Broncos (per Mike Garafolo on Twitter). Vasquez was the No. 13 overall guard in the NFL last season (per Pro Football Focus), but the Chargers did not exactly put up a fight to keep him around. 

After the inexcusable loss, the Chargers tried to remedy the situation by signing tackle King Dunlap (per Adam Caplan on Twitter). 

Yes, the same Dunlap who ranked as the No. 33 overall tackle in the league a year ago (per Pro Football Focus) and was routinely abused by pass-rushers. 

San Digeo has a lot of work to do on the offensive line, and the way it handled the first two hours, it appears things will only be worse next season. 

Winner: Chicago Bears

Quarterback Jay Cutler of the Chicago Bears has a shiny new toy to utilize for years to come at the tight end position thanks to some excellent decisions by his front office. 

Martellus Bennett signed on with the Bears early in free agency, agreeing to a four-year contract with the team (per Mike Wright on Twitter). According to Pro Football Focus, Bennett ranked as the No. 5 overall tight end in football last year in his breakout season. 

Chicago then decided to upgrade Cutler's protection by signing tackle Jermon Bushrod to a five-year deal (per Ian Rapoport on Twitter). Bushrod is an above-average tackle who is easily an upgrade over anyone who protected Cutler ineffectively a year ago. 

It is hard to imagine Chicago is anywhere close to done, but the team is already a winner this free agency given the solid moves it has already made. 

Loser: Veterans with Hefty Price Tags

The early going of NFL free agency have not been kind to veterans with larger cap hits in any way whatsoever. 

The Philadelphia Eagles parted ways with cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha thanks to his contract worth $60 million total (per Adam Schefter on Twitter). He was a disappointment on the field for the past two seasons, but the move was not entirely expected. 

Joining Aso was Washington Redskins corner DeAngelo Hall, who was given the axe because of his $8 million cap hit in 2013 (per John Keim on Twitter). 

On the offensive side of things, Oakland Raider wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey was cut so the team could save a little over $5 million (per Rotoworld). While not an elite receiver, he was solid last season and was steadily improving. 

Finally, Buffalo Bills quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick was cut after free agency opened despite the fact it will cost the team over $10 million in dead money next season (per Adam Schefter on Twitter). It appears Buffalo is ready to start over. 

None of the veterans recently cut have received serious attention on the market yet, and it could be awhile before they do. 

Winner: Indianapolis Colts

The Indianapolis Colts made a variety of moves early in the free-agency period that will allow them to quietly improve across the board. 

The most significant was signing cornerback Greg Toler to a three-year contract (per Rotoworld). They then reinforced the position even more by managing to re-sign last year's breakout player at the position, Darius Butler, to a two-year deal (per Pro Football Talk). 

Indianapolis then grabbed Gosder Cherilus, a pass-blocking tight end who will help to upgrade the protection around quarterback Andrew Luck. Cherilus received a five-year, $34 million contract and ranked as the No. 8 overall offensive tackle in the NFL last season (per Pro Football Focus). 

The Colts also signed offensive guard Donald Thomas for depth on the line (per Field Yates on Twitter), and in a bit of a more puzzling move, signed outside linebacker Erik Walden to provide a boost to the defense (per Bob McGinn on Twitter). 

All in all, the Colts are serious about adding talent with the plethora of cap room they have, and so far, they are spending the money wisely given the large amount of holes scattered across the roster. 

Loser: High-Price Offensive Tackles

While the top guards available in free agency have quickly found new homes, some of the best, and more expensive, offensive tackles have not been as lucky. 

Jake Long is receiving some attention from the St. Louis Rams (per Albert Breer on Twitter), but his market has been slow to develop due to how much money he may be looking for at this point. 

The same goes for Andre Smith, who graded out as the best right tackle in the NFL a season ago according to Pro Football Focus. Smith is believed to still be talking with the Cincinnati Bengals, but has met absolutely no market despite being one of the best players available. 

All has been quiet on the Sebastian Vollmer front as well despite him also being one of the best right tackle the NFL has to offer. 

For whatever reason, offensive tackles have taken a backseat to guards so far, and it may be quite some time before that changes. 

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