Free agent losers

Through the first official day of 2021 NFL free agency, a look at five losers around the league:

Receiver market: Wideouts who were hoping for a big payday in free agency have been sorely disappointed. Yes, Agholor found a home, as did Emmanuel Sanders in Buffalo, but a handful of other notable pass-catchers (Lions’ Kenny Golladay, Texans’ Will Fuller, Panthers’ Curtis Samuel, Steelers’ JuJu SmithSchuster, Colts’ T.Y. Hilton) remain unsigned.

Chicago: The Bears signed QB Andy Dalton to a one-year, $10 million contract. Landing the longtime Bengals starter and ex-Cowboys backup is a major disappointment for the Bears, who were also reportedly in pursuit of the Seahawks’ Russell Wilson and the Texans’ Deshaun Watson over the past few weeks. Chicago’s Super Bowl odds dropped with the signing.

Derek Carr: The Raiders’ QB saw his top WR, Agholor, sign with the Patriots (although Las Vegas did sign John Brown to a one-year deal). And Las Vegas also traded Pro Bowl tackle Trent Brown to New England and Pro Bowl center Rodney Hudson to Arizona.

Cincinnati: The Bengals couldn’t retain DE Carl Lawson (three-year deal with Jets, $30 million guaranteed) or CB William Jackson (three-year deal with Washington, $26 million guaranteed), and then the Bengals replaced Lawson with a lower-ceiling pass-rusher in ex-Saint Trey Hendrickson (four-year, $60 million).

Russell Wilson: The QB wants out of Seattle, but his four preferred destinations don’t seem to be working out. The Cowboys’ re-upped with Prescott, the Saints re-signed Jameis Winston, the Bears settled for Dalton and the Raiders remain committed to Carr. Unless something dramatic happens, Russ is stuck in Seattle.