Commanders, Bears, Patriots are free agency winners so far

NFL

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Texans offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil walks off the field at the end of the first half of a wild-card playoff game against the Chargers on Jan. 11 in Houston. MARIA LYSAKER — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE

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By Rob Maaddi

The Associated Press

The NFL’s new year officially kicked off Wednesday, two days after teams began spending big money in free agency.

Here are some of the winners and losers so far:

Winners:

Washington Commanders

The Commanders made two major moves through trades, acquiring star wide receiver Deebo Samuel and five-time Pro Bowl left tackle Laremy Tunsil to surround Jayden Daniels with even more talent on a team that reached the NFC championship game. They added defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw, cornerback Jonathan Jones and defensive tackle Eddie Goldman. Washington also kept a few of its own key players, re-signing linebacker Bobby Wagner and tight ends Zach Ertz and John Bates along with backup quarterback Marcus Mariota.

Chicago Bears

After Caleb Williams was sacked a league-high 68 times, the Bears overhauled their offensive line. They acquired All-Pro left guard Joe Thuney and guard Jonah Jackson in trades before signing center Drew Dalman. Chicago also bolstered the defensive line, bringing in defensive tackle Grady Jarrett and edge rusher Dayo Odeyingbo.

New England Patriots

New coach Mike Vrabel has plenty of new players to help a defense that finished in the bottom third last season. The Patriots gave defensive tackle Milton Williams a $104 million deal, adding the Super Bowl star along with edge rusher Harold Landry, linebacker Robert Spillane and cornerback Carlton Davis. They didn’t give Drake Maye a new receiver yet — maybe Cooper Kupp later — but gave him more protection, signing offensive tackle Morgan Moses.

Minnesota Vikings

Despite letting quarterback Sam Darnold walk away, the Vikings end up on the winning side because they bolstered both lines, adding center Ryan Kelly and guard Will Fries, and defensive tackles Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave. Minnesota also retained cornerback Byron Murphy, signed cornerback Isaiah Rodgers and special teams ace Tavierre Thomas.

The decision to let Darnold leave and the departure of Daniel Jones means J.J. McCarthy takes over as the starting quarterback for a team that won 14 games. The Vikings are expected to add a veteran QB and Aaron Rodgers remains an option until he signs elsewhere or retires.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Star receiver Chris Godwin gave the Buccaneers a hometown discount to stay in Tampa Bay, to continue to play alongside Mike Evans and catch passes from Baker Mayfield. They landed edge rusher Haason Reddick in a low-risk, high-reward move, giving a two-time Pro Bowl selection coming off a holdout-marred season a one-year, $14 million deal. The Bucs also kept their offensive line intact, retaining left guard Ben Bredeson.