NFL Free Agency 2016: Grades for Thursday's Signings and Trades

Thursday marked the end of an era in the NFL. Well, it was the end of many small eras, and the beginning of an equal number of others.

Yes, more big deals were made on the second day of the new league year, and another round of big names switched teams. NFL cash was still peeled off, positional markets were again reset, pretenders started looking like contenders and vice versa.

The Cleveland Browns are engaged in an act of roster self-immolation so dramatic it can only be some kind of protest or performance art. The Atlanta Falcons are trying to keep up with the NFC South Joneses through sheer force of wallet. In between, a lot of wise signings and re-signings came about to little fanfare.

The spending was far more reserved on Day 2 than it was on Day 1, and the quarterback carousel never quite got up to speed.

Here at Bleacher Report, we've pored over the burning-hot transaction wires and graded all the day's big signings (and the little ones, too). How good is the fit? How good is the price? Is it a win-win for team and player or a disaster in the making?

Re-Signings

Stephen Brashear/Getty Images

Vincent Rey: The Cincinnati Bengals' leading tackler for the last two seasons will be sticking around for at least a few more. He signed a three-year, $11.5 million contract, per ESPN.com's Coley Harvey. This mid-level deal works well for both parties. Grade: B

Jeremy Lane: There is a school of thought that says Lane's early-game injury cost the Seattle Seahawks Super Bowl XLIX. It may also have cost him a blockbuster deal like former teammate Byron Maxwell landed last year. Lane's late-season return and solid play in the playoffs weren't enough to get the Seahawks to Super Bowl 50, but it was enough to earn Lane a four-year, $23 million deal, per the Houston Chronicle's Aaron Wilson. Grade: A-

Tahir Whitehead: Whitehead, an athletic special teamer and rotational linebacker for the Detroit Lions, took full advantage of DeAndre Levy's hip injury. He had 36 tackles, 11 assists, two sacks, one interception and one fumble recovery in just nine starts last year. Despite taking a free-agent visit to Tampa Bay, per Dave Birkitt of the Detroit Free Press, he re-signed with the Lions for two years, $8 million, per NFL Media's Ian Rapoport. It's not often a 25-year-old on the rise leaves the building and comes back. Grade: A-

Frank Zombo: Everyone loves a try-hard underdog, and everyone loves a try-hard underdog with a great name. The rotational linebacker and special teams stalwart got a three-year, $3.6 million deal to stay in Kansas City, per USA Today's Tom Pelissero. Grade: B

Bilal Powell: The New York Jets' running back committee was a little unusual last season: Between Chris Ivory and Powell, New York had a primary back who was a competent receiver and a third-down back who was effective between the tackles. Though the arrival of Matt Forte shouldn't impact Powell at all, Khiry Robinson and his short-yardage mojo might. ESPN's Adam Schefter reported the Jets re-signed Powell; the contract details are unknown at this time. Grade: C+

Jermaine Kearse: He's big. He's quick. He's been reasonably productive in the Seahawks offense. But Kearse came back to Seattle—likely because other teams know he needs Russell Wilson more than Wilson needs him. Rapoport reported it's a three-year deal worth $13.5 million. Grade: B-

CB Sean Smith

Signed by: Oakland Raiders

Contract terms: Four years, $40 million with $20 million guaranteed, per NFL on ESPN

Oakland opened Thursday's action with a huge pull: former Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Sean Smith.

Smith, who tied for the 17th-best Pro Football Focus grade out of 118 qualifying cornerbacks in 2015, is a big, physical cover corner—the kind every team would love to have. Very few corners boast the 6'3", 218-pound frame Smith has, and even fewer have the athleticism to shut NFL receivers down in space.

Even better, this is an interdivisional poach. Not only did the Raiders shore up a secondary that allowed more yards (4,140) than all but six teams in 2015, but they also significantly weakened an AFC West rival.

A $10 million-per-year deal is arguably below market, too. Per Spotrac.com, it doesn't even crack the top 10 for cornerbacks. Considering Smith will be just 29 years old when the 2016 season starts, it's money well spent.

Grade: A

OT Mitchell Schwartz

Ron Schwane/Associated Press

Signed by: Kansas City Chiefs

Contract terms: Five years, $33 million with $15 million guaranteed, per Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star

Mitchell Schwartz's negotiation and signing is the early leader for most bizarre free-agency saga of 2016. As reported by Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com, the Cleveland Browns offered Schwartz a deal "far below" what he was hoping for, and he decided to test the market during the legal tampering period. When he decided to stay in Cleveland after all, he was told the Browns' $7 million-per-year offer no longer stood.

Kansas City swooped in, offering Schwartz a five-year deal worth $6.6 million per year—which was good enough to make Schwartz the second-highest-paid right tackle in football. He was Pro Football Focus' highest-rated right tackle in 2015, and he'll be just 27 years old when the season starts this fall.

Schwartz said, per Paylor, "It's really a great opportunity from top to bottom, starting with the organization, the history, all the way up. I think I fit very well in terms of what's going on offensively."

Though they paid him handsomely, the Chiefs solidified a long-standing weak spot on an offense that got dramatically stronger throughout 2015.

Grade: A-

RB Matt Forte

Signed by: New York Jets

Contract terms: Three years, $12 million with $8 million guaranteed, per Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News

Matt Forte wearing anything but a Chicago Bears jersey is hard to imagine, but there's no avoiding it now: New York signed him to replace the departed Chris Ivory.

Bears youngster Jeremy Langford came on strong as a Forte-esque do-everything back in 2015, seemingly making the veteran surplus to requirements. Yet, Forte was no less effective last season than he has been throughout his career, averaging 4.1 yards per carry and 8.8 yards per reception. In fact, his 1,287 yards from scrimmage matched Ivory's production for the Jets.

Ivory, who is about to turn 28, is only two years younger than Forte, yet he'll cost the Jacksonville Jaguars 60 percent more per year than Forte will cost New York.

Besides, he'll probably look great in green.

Grade: A+

C Alex Mack

George Gojkovich/Getty Images

Signed by: Atlanta Falcons

Contract terms: Five years, $45 million with $28.5 million guaranteed, per Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com

Yet another member of the Cleveland Browns' talent exodus, Alex Mack turned down even more money from Cleveland than Mitchell Schwartz did to rejoin former offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan in Atlanta, according to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com.

The 30-year-old is coming off his third Pro Bowl season. Cabot indicated the Browns expected Mack's market to be richer than it was. The Falcons still made him the highest-paid center in the NFL, per Spotrac.com, as he edged Miami Dolphins pivot Mike Pouncey by $50,000 per year.

Atlanta hasn't had a full-time starting center with a positive Pro Football Focus grade since Todd McClure in 2012. There is, however, some risk here: Mack has perennially been one of his best in the business, but last year was far from his best season. You can chalk it up to his recovery from a broken leg suffered in 2014 or the dark cloud hovering over Cleveland, but it's something to be wary about with a deal of this length for a player this old.

On paper, this addition looks great—but if Mack is beginning to decline, the Falcons will have to eat a long deal with a lot of guaranteed money.

Grade: B-

WR Mohamed Sanu

John Minchillo/Associated Press

Signed by: Atlanta Falcons

Contract terms: Five years, $32.5 million with $14 million guaranteed, per Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com

Mohamed Sanu is one of the most exciting athletes to hit the free-agent market. At 6'2", 210 pounds, he has rare explosion. He's also, statistically speaking, the best quarterback in the NFL: He has a perfect 158.3 passer rating on five career attempts.

As a wideout, though, Sanu is limited. Per ESPN Stats & Info, he had the fourth-lowest target-to-route rate of any player with at least 50 targets. That either means Cincinnati Bengals quarterbacks are allergic to throwing the ball, or he struggles to get open.

Sanu will be a tantalizing complement to Julio Jones in Atlanta, as he was to A.J. Green in Cincinnati, but he'll be 27 when the season starts. He's unlikely to get much better than he's been, and he's averaged a paltry 38 catches for 448 yards and three touchdowns per year in his career.

That kind of production isn't worth anywhere near $6.5 million per year.

Grade: D+

LB Danny Trevathan

Nam Y. Huh/Associated Press

Signed by: Chicago Bears

Contract terms: Four years, $28 million, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Media

Danny Trevathan's relationship with Chicago head coach John Fox "played heavy" in his decision to leave the Mile High City for the Windy City, per Aaron Leming of BearReport.com. Many free agents try to maximize their contract value—at $28 million over four years, it's not like Trevathan left a lot on the table—but fewer try to maximize their potential production. Trevathan knows he can play well for Fox, and that's what he'll do.

In an age in which inside linebackers have gone from the heart of defenses to afterthoughts, Trevathan's two-way ability earned him a solid contract. At the moment, per Spotrac.com, his $6.125 million average annual value ranks 11th among inside linebackers.

Enough Bears inside linebackers have collapsed under the weight of Brian Urlacher's legacy at the position that Trevathan won't have to try to fill those shoulder pads, but he should at least stabilize the far-too-shaky middle of the Chicago defense.

Grade: B+

Best of the Rest

Ross D. Franklin/Associated Press

Chase Daniel: One of the most intriguing reserve quarterbacks in the NFL, Daniel headed to Philadelphia to be Sam Bradford's No. 2, as Eagles head coach Doug Pederson may have told NFL Media's Ian Rapoport. But Daniel signed a three-year deal, longer than Bradford's two-year contract, and wouldn't have to play that well to eclipse Bradford's 2015 performance. Grade: A-

Khiry Robinson: The powerful 6'0", 220-pound running back occasionally flashed potential in his three years in New Orleans but was never been able to take advantage of opportunities to do more. Now with the New York Jets, per NFL Network's Albert Breer, Robinson has a chance to bring the thunder to Matt Forte's lightning...as the third tailback signed by New York. It's hard to see how he and Bilal Powell both fit into the Jets game plan. Grade: C+

Johnson Bademosi: Per ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Detroit Lions made Bademosi one of the highest-paid special teamers in the league, with a two-year, $4.5 million deal. One of the Cleveland Browns' escapees, Bademosi will have opportunity in Detroit. Grade: B+

Stefan Charles: The 6'5", 323-pounder is yet another defector from the Buffalo Bills front seven. A rare restricted free agent the Bills decided not to tender, he'll back up Haloti Ngata in Detroit on a one-year deal, per Rapoport. Like many Buffalo defenders, Charles was more productive in 2014 than 2015. Lions fans are probably hoping their team will add more talent here. Grade: C+

Emmanuel Lamur: Lamur, another one of those athletic rotational linebacker and core special teams types, left the Cincinnati Bengals to reunite with Minnesota Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer. Per Cincinnati.com's Jim Owczarski, he signed a two-year, $6 million deal. That's too rich for a special teams ace but not quite enough for a guy expected to be a quality starter. If Minnesota paid for the former and got the latter, this is a great deal, but since Lamur was Pro Football Focus' fourth-worst 4-3 outside linebacker in 2015, that doesn't seem likely. Grade: B-