The second day of free agency didn't have as many big names signing deals as the first day did but there was certainly a lot more action. Some of the top names got their deals done on Wednesday but we really started to get into the second tier of free agents. Let's get right into the happenings of day two:
One of the busiest teams during free agency has been the Philadelphia Eagles and they didn't slow down at all on Wednesday. They started the day off by signing cornerback, and former Oregon Duck, Walter Thurmond. Later in the day they signed running back Ryan Mathews. Adding to that, they are flying DeMarco Murray in for a visit on Thursday. It seems like they have no intentions of slowing down.
Speaking of the Eagles, former Eagle wide receiver Jeremy Maclin officially signed with the Kansas City Chiefs on Wednesday. Another extremely busy team in free agency has been the Arizona Cardinals and they didn't disappoint on Wednesday. They were able to sign offensive lineman A.Q. Shipley and defensive lineman Cory Redding. Both will fill important needs for the Cardinals.
Former Cardinal's defensive lineman Dan Williams decided to sign with the Oakland Raiders along with linebacker Curtis Lofton. Defensive lineman Ndamukong Suh signed his mega-deal with the Dolphins on Wednesday and it was enough to make Darrelle Revis blush. The Patriots, who lost Revis to the Jets, got stronger on the defensive side of the ball when they signed Jabaal Sheard to a deal.
The Chicago Bears were able to sign some quality players in defensive lineman Pernell McPhee and safety Antrel Rolle. In Atlanta the Falcons replaced wide receiver Harry Douglas with Leonard Hankerson while the Bucs signed linebacker Bruce Carter.
One day after signing running back Frank Gore to a contract, the Colts were able to land veteran wide receiver Andre Johnson. The Texans were able to bring in some competition at the quarterback position when they acquired Brian Hoyer. The Cincinnati Bengals brought back one of their own guys, re-signing offensive lineman Clint Boling.
While not all acquisitions in the free agency period are free agent signings, there are some trades here and there (not normally as big as the ones that took place on Tuesday). There was another trade on Wednesday when the Jets traded for quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick. The Texans will get a conditional seventh round pick that can become a sixth based on how much playing time Fitzpatrick gets with the Jets.
On the flip side of the coin, to make room for the incoming free agents teams have to get rid of some players. The 49ers jettisoned wide receiver Stevie Johnson and the Dolphins released Randy Starks. After being such a huge free agent signing just last year, the Bucs decided to part ways with defensive lineman Michael Johnson. The Buffalo Bills decided they didn't need the services of tight end Scott Chandler anymore. And in news that I don't think anyone saw coming, cornerback Cortland Finnegan decided to retire on Wednesday.
Between these last two days of free agency it certainly seems as though most of the free agents have been signed already. However, a very small percentage of them have already. There are a lot more available players and this is the time that makes the most difference in free agency. This is the time teams get their role players and ancillary pieces. The teams that are successful year after year usually make their mark around this point of free agency. The names might not be as well known tomorrow as they've been the past two days, but the players signed will certainly play just as big of a role in most cases.