The Sportsletter - Free Agency Fireworks 💥

BY JEFF YODER

MAR. 12, 2024 | SUBSCRIBE | WEB VIEW

Good Morning 👋

The NFL’s official “tampering window” began yesterday at Noon ET. By 12:10 pm, Kirk Cousins was a Falcon. The floodgates opened. By 2:00 pm, Saquon Barkley was an Eagle and Josh Jacobs was a Packer. Brian Burns became a Giant before dinner. What took place for 12-plus hours yesterday was an explosion of free agency fireworks unlike anything I’ve ever seen. The bottom-line ticker needed a water break. Adam Schefter's phone requested a timeout. Twitter/X went up in flames. Pure chaos.

In one crazy day, the entire NFL got a facelift. And it's far from over.

⌛️ Selection Sunday: 5 Days

Letter Rip!

NFL

Free Agency Fireworks 💥

Photo: Jonathan Bachman / Getty Images

QB Kirk Cousins (Falcons), RB Saquon Barkley (Eagles) & RB Josh Jacobs (Packers) Bring Landscape Shift to NFL

Forget the NFL you used to know. Just one month after Super Bowl LVIII, some of the biggest names in the game are switching teams at an alarming rate. We saw Russell Wilson join the Steelers on Sunday night, and yesterday brought the full-fledged, firework-filled kickoff to NFL free agency. Vikings QB Kirk Cousins opened the floodgates when he announced his intention to sign with the Atlanta Falcons on a 4-year, $180 million deal. The move was somewhat expected in NFL circles. Cousins’ wife is from Atlanta, and they often spend offseasons there with her family. Plus, the Falcons have a dynamic core on offense and appeared to only be missing a veteran quarterback presence. If you’re a Falcons fan, you’re excited.

Elsewhere in the NFL, running back deals went absolutely berserk. The position had been disrespected in recent years, but a lot of major contracts were dished out in the last 24 hours. Some of the best ballcarriers in the game are moving teams, including Saquon Barkley (Eagles) and Josh Jacobs (Packers). There was also a blockbuster trade for Brian Burns (Giants), and a lot of notable extensions. Free agency week has only just begun. Here’s a look at all of the deals from the last 24 hours.

Notable FA Acquisitions (Last 24 Hours)

QB Kirk Cousins → Falcons

Contract: 4 Years, $180 Million

DT Christian Wilkins → Raiders

Contract: 4 Years, $110 Million

RB Saquon Barkley → Eagles

Contract: 3 Years, $37.75 Million

RB Josh Jacobs → Packers

Contract: 4 Years, $48 Million

RB Tony Pollard → Titans

Contract: 3 Years, $24 Million

RB D’Andre Swift → Bears

Contract: 3 Years, $24.5 Million

RB Austin Ekeler → Commanders

Contract: 2 Years, $11 Million

WR Gabe Davis → Jaguars

Contract: 3 Years, $39 Million

DE Bryce Huff → Eagles

Contract: 3 Years, $51 Million

DE Jonathan Greenard → Vikings

Contract: 4 Years, $76 Million

S Xavier McKinney → Packers

Contract: 4 Years, $68 Million

OL Robert Hunt → Panthers

Contract: 5 Years, $100 Million

QB Gardner Minshew → Raiders

Contract: 2 Years, $25 Million

RB Devin Singletary → Giants

Contract: 3 Years, $16 Million

Notable Trades

Giants Acquire Panthers DE Brian Burns

Panthers Receive 2nd & 5th-Round Picks

*Burns Signs 4-Year, $150 Million Extension

Notable Extensions

WR Michael Pittman (Colts)

Contract: 3 Years, $71.5 Million

OT Dion Dawkins (Bills)

Contract: 3 Years, $60.5 Million

G Landon Dickerson (Eagles)

Contract: 4 Years, $84 Million

Other Roster News & Rumors

FOX Sports: 2024 NFL Free-Agency Grades: Evaluating Every Major Signing So Far

NCAA

Big Dance Warm-Ups 💃

Photo: Icon Sportswire / Getty Images

UConn Captures 11th Straight Big East Crown, Final AP Polls Before Selection Sunday

Even in a “down year,” there’s no touching UConn. Geno Auriemma’s Huskies put the finishing touches on another Big East Tournament run Monday night with a 36-point rout against Georgetown (78-42) to take their 11th consecutive conference title. Paige Bueckers — who’s returning next season — poured in 27 points in the championship game. UConn (29-5) hasn’t been the same untouchable powerhouse as year’s past, but they’re starting to click. The Huskies’ only two losses since Jan. 1 came against #1 South Carolina and #15 Notre Dame. They blitzed the Big East tourney with three wins of 30-plus, defeating Providence (86-53), Marquette (58-29), and then Georgetown. Bueckers had 83 points in all three games (29, 27 and 27) to earn the Tournament’s Most Outstanding Player. Expect a 2-seed for UConn in next week’s NCAA bracket, and that’s a dangerous squad on the 2-line.

Watch: #10 UConn Wins 11th Straight Big East Title With Rout of Georgetown (78-42)

Other Conference Tournaments

W-BIG12: Iowa State def. #17 Oklahoma (85-68)

W-BIG12: #5 Texas def. #16 Kansas State (71-64)

M-WCC: #21 Saint Mary’s def. Santa Clara (79-65)

M-WCC: #17 Gonzaga def. San Francisco (89-77)

Final Pre-Bracket Polls

Men’s AP Poll

1. Houston (28-3) | —

2. UConn (28-3) | —

3. Purdue (28-3) | —

4. North Carolina (25-6) | ↑3

5. Tennessee (24-7) | ↓1

6. Arizona (24-7) | ↓1

7. Iowa State (24-7) | ↓1

8. Creighton (23-8) | ↑2

9. Kentucky (23-8) | ↑6

10. Marquette (23-8) | ↓2

Full Men’s AP Top-25

Women’s AP Poll

1. South Carolina (32-0) | —

2. Iowa (29-4) | ↑1

3. USC (26-5) | ↑2

4. Stanford (28-5) | ↓2

5. Texas (28-4) | ↑1

6. UCLA (25-6) | ↑1

7. Ohio State (25-5) | ↓3

8. LSU (28-5) | —

9. Notre Dame (26-6) | ↑5

10. UConn (28-5) | ↓1

Full Women’s AP Top-25

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HIGHLIGHTS 🎥

🏀 NBA

Pistons def. Hornets (114-97)

Warriors def. Spurs (112-102)

Nuggets def. Raptors (125-119)

Celtics def. Blazers (121-99)

*Boston NBA's 1st Team to 50 Wins

Suns def. Cavaliers (117-111)

*Kevin Durant (37 points) Leads PHX

Mavericks def. Bulls (127-92)

*Luka Doncic (27-12-14), 7th-Straight Triple-Double

🚨 Bonus: Warriors’ Trayce Jackson-Davis Puts 7-Foot-4 Victor Wembanyama on a Poster

🏒 NHL

Kings def. Islanders (3-0)

Blues def. Bruins (5-1)

Rangers def. Devils (3-1)

Jets def. Capitals (3-0)

⚽️ Soccer

EPL: Chelsea def. Newcastle Utd. (3-2)

🎾 Tennis

Luca Nardi Upsets #1 Novak Djokovic at Indian Wells

*20-Year-Old Stuns Childhood Hero (6-4, 3-6, 6-3)

STORYLINES

⛳️ The Players Championship Odds

The bevy of longshot PGA Tour winners might have come to an end last weekend with Scottie Scheffler's victory at the 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational. Now, the world No. 1 is set to defend his 2023 title this week, and this may only be the start of another Scheffler run. (CBS Sports)

🏀 The Latest Bracket Projections

North Carolina, Tennessee and Arizona are battling for the final No. 1 seed heading into their respective conference tournaments, and Kentucky – which has moved up a line each of the last two weeks – might just be the hottest team in the country. (Sporting News)

⚽️ Best EPL Title Race Ever?

Is this the best three-way title race the Premier League has ever seen? Arsenal (64 pts), Liverpool (64 pts) and Manchester City (63 pts) are providing one of the most competitive EPL races in recent memory. Only ten matches remain. (The Athletic, $)

NEWS 📰

🏀 Errors on Kobe Bryant Statue Outside Arena to be Fixed (ESPN)

⚾️ Yankees Ace Gerrit Cole Has MRI on Pitching Elbow (CBS Sports)

🏈 Bears Plan to Commit $2 Billion to New Domed Stadium in Chicago (SI)

🏈 Full List of NFL Draft 2024 Compensatory Picks Released (B/R)

🏀 Flau-jae Johnson’s Brother Arrested for Jumping Onto Court During LSU-SC Altercation (Yahoo! Sports)

🏀 Otto Porter Jr. Announces Retirement From NBA After 11-Year Career (NBC Sports)

SCHEDULE 🗓️

Tonight's Must-Watch List

🏀 NBA

76ers at Knicks (7:30 pm ET, TNT)

Pacers at Thunder (8:00 pm ET, NBALP)