NFL Free Agency 2016: Examining Effects of Biggest Deals from Day 1

The new NFL league year—and thus the new free-agency period—didn't officially begin until Wednesday at 4 p.m. ET, but there has been plenty of wheeling and dealing going on due to the league's three-day negotiating window. 

In addition to making a sizable impact on some team's cap space, free-agency signings also have huge effects on the draft and projected draft order; when teams satisfy some of their bigger positional needs ahead of draft day, it changes the prospects they may be considering with their early selections. 

Let's dive into some of the biggest deals from Day 1 of NFL free agency and break down the effects they will have on salary caps, the draft and the league as a whole. 

QB Brock Osweiler Gets Paid by Houston Texans

In a deal that was announced before the official start of free agency, Houston put its money where its mouth is and paid up for former Broncos quarterback Brock Osweiler. 

After NFL Network's Rand Getlin broke the news of Osweiler's contract in principle with the Texans, his colleague Ian Rapoport reported that Osweiler's deal is for four years and $72 million. 

If the initial reports about Osweiler's deal didn't shock you, ESPN's Ed Werder's tweet about how much guaranteed money Houston offered the passer should have:

As Werder pointed out, one of the weights on the scale that allowed Houston to lure Osweiler out of Denver was the amount of guaranteed money the Texans were willing to put on the table.

The need to feel wanted is human, and Osweiler already had to deal with being promoted and then benched for Peyton Manning, as well as sitting back and watching him lead the team to a Super Bowl victory. 

A perceived low-ball offer by John Elway and the Denver front office by Osweiler and his representatives could have been the final tipping point in convincing the quarterback to depart.

As Mike Klis of 9News Denver reported, Denver's offer came up shorter than Houston's in both guaranteed money ($16 million per year versus $17-$18 million) and guaranteed money ($30 million versus $37 million). 

You may think that $18 million per year is too much for a quarterback with seven starts, and you may be right. But Osweiler and his reps clearly thought he was worth more than Denver was willing to offer—and, as it turns out, they were right. 

Quarterback was a popular first-round target for the Texans in pre-free-agency mock drafts. But now the Texans, who won nine games and the AFC South in 2015, appear to have their guy. 

New York Jets Replace Chris Ivory with Matt Forte

It didn't take the New York Jets long to find their heir apparent at running back after Chris Ivory departed for the Jacksonville Jaguars. 

New York agreed to a deal with former Chicago running back Matt Forte on Wednesday, as ESPN's Adam Schefter first reported:

This signing was interesting mainly because of comments Forte had made this offseason suggesting that he was more interested in signing with a contender than in money.

"It's not even about the money," Forte said on NFL Network's Super Bowl Live in February. "I want to be in the Super Bowls." 

The Jets did win 10 games in 2015, but it's safe to say they're not Super Bowl favorites.  

Werder reported Wednesday that Forte signed for less than Ivory received from the Jaguars:

Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News followed up Thursday morning with the details on Forte's deal: three years for $12 million with $8 million guaranteed, which is indeed less than Ivory's deal. 

Werder also made the good point that Forte will be a bigger contributor in the passing game for the Jets offense. As a bonus, they also aren't sacrificing the toughness that Ivory brought to their backfield. 

With their backfield set, New York—which allowed quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick to become a free agent—now has to figure out who will be handing the ball off to Forte in 2016. 

DE Olivier Vernon Gets Monster Deal from New York Giants 

Arguably the most shocking deal of Day 1 was the one that defensive end Olivier Vernon signed with the New York Giants—to the tune of $85 million, as Fox Sports' Mike Garafolo reported: 

Rapoport followed that report up with the mind-boggling guaranteed money: $52.5 million.  

For comparison's sake, as NFL.com's Marc Sessler pointed out, that's more than three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year J.J. Watt. 

The Giants' defensive line has been their bread and butter for years, so it's no surprise that general manager Jerry Reese felt the need to fortify the unit.

The team also signed defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul to a one-year prove-it deal and former New York Jets defensive tackle Damon Harrison to a five-year, $46.25 million contract, according to Rapoport and NJ.com's Jordan Raanan, respectively. 

Reese knows that the heat is on, and he's making moves accordingly.

By all indications, the Giants are going all-in on winning another Super Bowl with Eli Manning, and it's easy to see all the areas in which they've improved in just one day. 

New York allowed the ninth-most rushing yards in the league in 2015 and now they have a run-stuffing machine in Harrison. Vernon, meanwhile, has amassed 29 sacks in four seasons and is just 25 years old. 

While his production is sound, is Vernon really worth the contract he was just given? No; but the Giants certainly got what they wanted, and they weren't crazy, since the Jaguars were prepared to pay up in a similar fashion, as Garafolo pointed out. 

More Big Day 1 Signings 

Running back DeMarco Murray will join his third team in as many years by heading to Tennessee, according to Schefter.

The New Orleans Saints are investing in the future with tight end Coby Fleener, as reported by Garafolo.

The Jaguars are keeping busy, this time agreeing to terms with safety Tashuan Gipson, according to Rapoport.

The Texans are adding more help on offense with running back Lamar Miller, according to Schefter.