Get ready for a free agency free-for-all

The beginning of free agency Monday will launch an exciting week in the NFL. Dozens of players will join new teams, and hundreds of millions of dollars will be awarded.

But there’s a downside to free agency. Before dozens of players can be added, dozens of players were released this past week, with more than $350 million in salary cut as of Thursday morning, including more than $100 million at safety.

The belt tightening isn’t done.

Teams don’t need to be compliant with the salary cap until Wednesday at 4 p.m., and as of Friday morning, the Dolphins, Chargers, Bills, Ravens, Broncos, and Saints were over the cap.

The Dolphins are probably hoping that left tackle Terron Armstead chooses retirement to help clear about $9.5 million. The Chargers can erase more than $43 million if they release pass rusher Khalil Mack and receiver Mike Williams. The Broncos made moves at receiver, restructuring Tim Patrick and then trading Jerry Jeudy to the Browns, and they could move on from Courtland Sutton.

Here’s what to expect for the week ahead:

• The deals will start coming in Monday at noon, when the league’s negotiating window opens. By the time the league year starts Wednesday, most of the top players will already be snapped up. Most of the top free agents agree to deals without meeting their new teams face to face. But deals can’t be signed until 4 p.m. Wednesday, and nothing is official until ink meets paper. Last year, the Raiders verbally agreed to a deal with Jimmy Garoppolo, but revised it significantly when Garoppolo arrived at the team facility and the team was dismayed at the progress of his broken foot.

• Remember to take most initial reports with a grain of salt. Buccaneers receiver Mike Evans signed what was reported to be a two-year deal worth $52 million and $35 million guaranteed. But it’s really valued at $48 million and $29 million fully guaranteed — $23 million this year and $6 million next year, which really makes it “one year and we’ll see” for Evans, who turns 31 in August.

• As in most years, most of the top free agents are getting re-signed before hitting the market. The Bengals and Colts used the franchise tag on receivers Tee Higgins and Michael Pittman, while the Buccaneers re-signed Evans. The top pass rushers (Brian Burns, Josh Allen) and the top defensive backs (Jaylon Johnson, Antoine Winfield, L’Jarius Sneed) got the tag as well, though Sneed is available on the trade market. Hunter Henry, the top tight end, resigned with the Patriots on Friday.

• Among the top players available: QB Kirk Cousins ,DT Chris Jones ,DT Christian Wilkins ,QB Russell Wilson, DT Leonard Williams ,DE Danielle Hunter ,QB Baker Mayfield ,LB Patrick Queen ,WR Calvin Ridley ,andS Justin Simmons. The Seahawks are working on re-signing Williams, and it would be a surprise if the Chiefs don’t re-sign Jones to a massive deal. Same for the Buccaneers and Mayfield, though the sides don’t appear to be close on financial terms.

• A few intriguing receivers will be free agents, including Ridley, Gabe Davis, Tyler Boyd, K.J. Osborn, Marquise Brown, Curtis Samuel, and Michael Thomas, while Mike Williams, Brandin Cooks, and Sutton are potential cuts. Big fireworks could come in trades, with Justin Jefferson, Diontae Johnson, Brandon Aiyuk, and Amari Cooper among the possibilities.

• At quarterback, a league source said the Falcons are “all-in” on Cousins, which makes sense. They tried the young QB route the last two years with Desmond Ridder, but finished 7-10 each time and wasted a talented roster. Cousins is by far the best veteran available, even though he’ll be 36 in August and is coming off a torn Achilles’. He also seems like a good scheme fit with new Falcons offensive coordinator Zac Robinson, who came from the Rams.

• Wilson visited the Giants and Steelers over the weekend, and he makes sense for teams who want to win now but have a shaky starting QB (the Vikings and Raiders could get involved, too). Justin Fields is also available in a trade, though his market hasn’t materialized. Jacoby Brissett is arguably getting more interest than both as a bridge starter and mentor for a young QB. A league source said the Patriots’ interest in Brissett is real — Patriots OC Alex Van Pelt loved working with Brissett in Cleveland two years ago, when Brissett started 11 games in place of Deshaun Watson, and the Patriots view Brissett as a good locker room guy who is all about football. Devin and Jason McCourty also are said to love Brissett and would vouch for his return to New England. But the Broncos, Bears, and Commanders have expressed varying interest in Brissett, and the Falcons could turn to Brissett, not Fields, if they don’t land Cousins.

• Though most teams that need a quarterback are looking to find one in the draft, 21 teams need to sign at least one backup. It’s going to be quite a game of musical chairs for players including Fields, Wilson, Garoppolo, Ryan Tannehill, Mac Jones, Jameis Winston, Marcus Mariota, Gardner Minshew, Sam Darnold, Tyrod Taylor, Joe Flacco, Mason Rudolph, Josh Dobbs, and Tyler Huntley.

• A handful of positions are loaded with talent and the markets likely will be slow — safety, running back, and offball linebacker. Running back and linebacker have been devalued for years, but safety is joining them because of the prevalence of two-high-safety defenses, which diminish the need for a rangy, athletic center fielder.

• The top left tackles available are at least 30 years old — Charles Leno (32), Tyron Smith (33), George Fant (31), Andrus Peat (30), and Donovan Smith

(30). At right tackle are two younger players who have disappointed, the Bengals’ Jonah Williams (26) and the Jets’ Mekhi Becton (24).

• There won’t be much available at edge rusher, with the Vikings’ Hunter and the 49ers’ Chase Young by far the best of the bunch. Mack, 33, could shake loose as well. The other top ones available are D.J. Wonnum, Jonathan Greenard, and Za’Darius Smith.

• And there won’t be much available at cornerback. The Patriots may have to spend more than they want to retain Myles Bryant, who could be one of the more coveted players available due to his age (26) and versatility. Ahkello Witherspoon, Kenny Moore, Kendall Fuller, and Stephon Gilmore are also free agents.