Grading every NFL franchise's offseason ahead of mini-camp

The NFL offseason is just about over as most teams have the makings of a 90-man and eventually a 53-man roster. Almost every star player is signed to their new team. There are a few interesting names that haven’t found a home, like Dalvin Cook, Donovan Smith, David Bakhtiari, Xavien Howard, and Stephon Gilmore. However, those are simple additions to the pot and likely wouldn’t impact a team’s offensive grade.

We’ve passed the major move season. Maybe there’s still a trade to happen out there, but the NFL Draft is usually where we see a big move or two. Sometimes right before or after the draft we’ll see some moves, but the biggest move around the draft was the Broncos trading for former second-overall pick Zach Wilson. The biggest move we’ve had in May was the Houston Texans trading for wide receiver Ben Skowronek.

It feels like an appropriate time to give out some grades for the offseason. Some teams did really well, but others absolutely failed at a crucial time in their franchise’s contention window (cough cough Jerry Jones). So let’s play teacher and start grading the NFL’s offseason assignment.

The Arizona Cardinals definitely got better this offseason as they showed some signs in Jonathan Gannon’s first year in charge. Kyler Murray returned from a torn ACL, and the 2023 trade rumors dissipated as he returned as the full-time starter. They did say goodbye to a few weapons like Rondale Moore and Marquise “Hollywood” Brown, but they more than made up for it. 

The Cardinals' biggest move was in the NFL Draft when, despite rumors abound, they stuck to their fourth-overall pick and took generational receiver prospect Marvin Harrison Jr. The son of the legendary Colts Hall of Famer is looking to pair with Murray to build the next dynamic duo in Glendale. They also had the Texans first-round pick, which they likely thought would have been much higher than 27th. They used it to bolster the defensive line by taking defensive end out of Missouri Darius Robinson.

There weren’t many big splashes in free agency for the Cards. They made a lot of interesting moves in the middle of the pack. They gave Bilal Nichols and Sean Murphy-Bunting three-year deals to add veterans to the defense. Jonah Williams will help protect Murray after leaving the Bengals for a sunnier destination. It wasn’t the greatest offseason, but hitting on their draft picks could set this team up for the future.

We didn’t hate the Atlanta Falcons offseason until they made probably the most bizarre draft pick in 10 years. It was the shock of shocks when they came to the podium to announce Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. as the eighth overall pick. It had everything. He was overdrafted according to just about every draft board. He’s an older prospect (24 years old), so his window is shorter. He has a lengthy injury history which scared many teams. Oh, and the Falcons gave a massive contract to Kirk Cousins this offseason, complicating this fully.

We like some of the swings the Falcons took. Darnell Mooney will be a good number two if he stays healthy. They traded for Rondale Moore who is a dynamic playmaker who can open the offense up for whoever is under center. Even Ray-Ray McCloud can make a few plays, whether that’s returns or receiving.

However, the QB controversy will suck the air out of the offseason, and it might suck the air out of the regular season, too. The Falcons needed to just build around the insane weapons they have like Bijan Robinson, Kyle Pitts, and Drake London. Instead, they put a telescope on their season.

We forget this wasn’t even the start of their controversy. The Falcons seemed like the leaders in the clubhouse to get the services of Bill Belichick, but at the 11th hour, they chose Raheem Morris. Morris is a good coach, but the rumor that a call from Robert Kraft pushed the decision for Arthur Blank is not what you want to hear. 

The Baltimore Ravens are trying to figure out how to translate their regular-season success into a true championship contender. They did a pretty good job setting themselves up for that this year. With the reigning league MVP under center, they will always be mentioned amongst the greats of the AFC. However, with the likes of Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Justin Herbert, Aaron Rogers, and Joe Burrow, it takes more than Lamar Jackson to win the AFC.

This offseason, the Ravens' biggest move was making sure Justin Madubuike didn’t leave the building. They gave him a four-year deal worth slightly north of $75 million. He’s quickly become one of the great interior pass rushers in the game (possibly the best in a year or two), and the Ravens couldn’t afford a loss of this magnitude.

The other big move the Ravens made was signing superstar running back Derrick Henry. It was hard to quantify Henry’s value, but the Ravens came in with a two-year deal worth $16 million. Henry is 30 years old and has taken a lot of punishment in his career, but his partnership with Jackson should be amazing. Also, he’s coming to a team that hasn’t had a healthy running back room in years. 

It was another good draft by the Ravens. Nate Wiggins' elite speed, especially in recovery, gives him great upside at cornerback. They added depth at almost every important level with rookie offensive linemen, cornerbacks, and skill players to spare. They did lose a lot on the offensive line, but they seem to have enough pieces to make up for Kevin Zeitler and Morgan Moses.

It seemed pretty destined that the Buffalo Bills were going to have a devastating offseason. They found themselves with one of the worst salary cap situations in the league. They completely dumped many veterans from this team, letting go of safety Jordan Poyer, center Mitch Morse, defensive back Siran Neal, wide receiver Deonte Harty, and running back Nyheim Hines on the same day. This came after the Bills already cut star (but oft-injured) cornerback Tre’Davious White. 

Of course, one of their biggest moves was trading Stefon Diggs, a move many thought was coming. There was weirdness with the Bills and Diggs relationship going back to last offseason, and it finally ended in divorce. They sent Diggs, a fifth, and a sixth-round pick for a 2025 second-round pick. The move is fine since most considered the Bills held over a barrel. 

The draft was a strange one, as they traded with the Kansas City Chiefs to give them a receiver they very much could have used in Xavier Worthy. They eventually came away with Keon Coleman. Between him, Khalil Shakir, and Curtis Samuel, this receiving core absolutely exists. The offense around Allen is not great, but Allen might be the second-best QB in the league and he will carry this team.

It wasn’t a good offseason, but the Bills are being graded on a curve. They put themselves in a terrible decision, and unlike other teams, they pulled the Band-Aid off. That means something, and they still have the semblance of a contender in place. 

The Carolina Panthers went on a spending spree this offseason. In all, they spent more than $150 million upgrading the offense this season. A large majority of that money went to the offensive line, where they put big bucks behind Robert Hunt and Damian Lewis. This will give Bryce Young more time, something he didn’t always have in 2023. Young is their biggest investment, and the Panthers must pray he’s better than he was last season. A better offensive line will help that.

Adding wide receivers Diontae Johnson and Xavier Legette helps as well. After losing D.J. Moore in the trade that brought the Panthers the first overall pick in 2023, their receiver room was plain bad. Now, it’s more than serviceable. 

The Panthers did have their share of losses, but they seemed to do it in a smart way. They franchise-tagged Brian Burns and traded him to the Giants, getting Jonathan Brooks (after some draft-day trades) with the pick. This adds yet another weapon, as Brooks will likely be the best running back in the class. The Texas product could be a marvel at the position.

On top of everything, the team found themselves resetting at head coach. It seemed Frank Reich was incensed that the Panthers took Young over Stroud, so it might just be easier to get a head coach who’s willing to make Young great. Dave Canales seems like he’s that guy, even if he was a surprise hire.  That gives him the benefit of the doubt.

We have our first "A" of the article! And it goes to the *checks notes* the Chicago Bears?!? We have to give the Bears their due; they crushed every aspect of this offseason. They can be considered by some as the offseason champions. The only place where they lost is in the Justin Fields trade. Many thought they would at least get a first-round pick for Fields, but they ended up getting a conditional fourth-rounder that will probably be a sixth.

That's such small potatoes at this point. Caleb Williams looks like a generational talent. They were able to get Williams because they avoided the albatross which is Bryce Young's development. That's what we call a win-win. On top of Williams, they also had their own draft pick, which they used on top wide receiver prospect Romeo Odunze. They did only have four draft picks, which was strange for a team that wasn't so good, but they knocked it out of the park with all of their choices (well, except for taking a punter in the fourth round).

On top of the draft additions, the Bears also traded for Keenan Allen to add a veteran star presence to that room. The offense, which also added D'Andre Swift this offseason, went from a laughing stock to possibly one of the most talented in the league.

On defense, they re-signed cornerback Jaylon Johnson, who was the biggest piece they had a possibility of losing. Getting him locked up long-term is huge. They also added safety Kevin Byard. This was a banner offseason for the Bears.

Cincinnati had a lost season in 2023, coming in as one of the favorites in the AFC and ultimately missing the playoffs. Joe Burrow suffered two injuries that ruined the Bengals season. Burrow is returning next season fully healthy, and the Bengals made sure they did just enough to keep themselves firmly in the contender's conversation. They kept Tee Higgins via the franchise tag. Despite his trade request, most think they will work things out. They lost Joe Mixon, replacing him with Zach Moss who was decent in relief for Jonathan Taylor last season. 

The Bengals lost Jonah Williams, but they replaced him with Trent Brown. They lost DJ Reader, but Sheldon Rankings will do well to make up some of that production. They replaced veterans with cheaper veterans. It was a shrewd, but smart, move by the franchise. 

With missing the playoffs comes the privilege of picking earlier in the NFL Draft. They made the most of it, taking incredible tackle prospect Amarius Mims out of Georgia. He could be the best tackle in the draft despite probably being the most raw. It’s still unclear if he can play the left side, but his pure skillset is insane. Meanwhile, Kris Jenkins is the son of a football player who fills a need and came at a value in the second round. 

Not losing Higgins ends up being the huge win here. It was a bold move to put a wide receiver tag on him, but they will either use it to get major assets or go full force trying to win the Super Bowl next season. Either way, those shots are worth it. 

The Cleveland Browns had a great foundation to win outside of the quarterback position. There was nothing they could do more than they did this offseason. They signed two insurance policies for Deshaun Watson in Jameis Winston and Tyler Huntley. They’ve always needed them ever since sending the farm and paying a fortune for Watson. Last season, they needed every possible quarterback. Winston and Huntley have both shown signs of a decent starter in a pinch. Now, it’s almost likely that pinch will come to stew since it has before. 

The Browns' biggest move this offseason was trading for former first-round wide receiver Jerry Jeudy. He hasn’t hit his expectations in Denver, but a change of scenery and playing behind Amari Cooper might be just what he needs to succeed. 

Their draft was nothing to go home about. Michael Hall has an amazing upside due to his size and quickness off the snap, but he was a slight reach where the Browns took him (although he wouldn’t be available with their next pick). The rest of the draft will likely end up as depth. This is what happens when you’re missing your first-round pick. 

Overall, the Browns didn’t lose much and added some offensive weapons and some safety valves. After losing Joe Flacco, it’s what they needed. Even with Flacco, it’s hard to argue he might be able to repeat the success he had. 

We’ve seen some analysts say they didn’t hate the Dallas Cowboys offseason, but we couldn’t disagree more. The Cowboys had the worst offseason in the NFL. It’s not that they made the worst moves, but they seriously impacted their chance to win while also standing pat on another year of the same with serious uncertainty about the future.

Let’s start with the first move which was a major mistake. Repeating the same tired routine with Mike McCarthy is devastating. Is this truly a team that’s looking to win the Super Bowl or at least get there? The Cowboys are bringing back a coach who has shown in Dallas that he has a ceiling, and his ceiling is not a ticker tape parade. 

They also had to make hard decisions on their own players, saying goodbye to tackle Tyron Smith, running back Tony Pollard, linebacker Leighton Vander Esch and receiver Michael Gallup. They replaced them with… not much. They are welcoming back Ezekiel Elliott, but they can’t think that’s going to replace the production of a traditional starting running back. There were so many options available in free agency this season, and the Cowboys came out with none of them. Tyler Guyton, the Cowboys first-round pick, is incredibly raw. He only has 14 games in college at tackle. He needs to grow, but with the loss of Smith, Guyton could be really good. It’s still a question mark.

Then there are the contracts. Dak Prescott is going into the final season of his deal with no chance at a franchise tag to keep him in Dallas. Ceedee Lamb will need a new contract soon, so the rookie deal is about to be wasted. The situation is not great in Jerry’s World, and we’d be surprised if the Eagles don’t take over the division once again.

“C” might be generous here, but the Denver Broncos offseason was quite bizarre. It all started with them cutting Russell Wilson despite basically owing him his entire 2024 salary. That’s not that big of a deal, but the Broncos then didn’t really address it (unless you count Zach Wilson) until the draft. They then took Bo Nix, who many thought would go in the second round, with the 12th overall pick. It would have been the biggest talking point of the draft if the Falcons didn’t make the Penix pick.

On paper, Nix is fine. However, year two of the Sean Payton tenure doesn’t really have a lot of juice. Their biggest signing was Josh Reynolds, who was basically the third wide receiver in Detroit at their peak. He has upside, but so do a lot of receivers. They also traded away former first-round pick Jerry Jeudy for a fifth and sixth-round pick. They decimated the receiver room without a real contingency plan.

Taking Bo Nix also meant they didn’t take superstar tight end Brock Bowers, or literally any defensive player on the board (no defensive player went in the first 14 picks). The Broncos need a lot of help. While QB is tops among those needs, Nix is so far from a sure thing. 

The Broncos bounced back to get eight wins in Payton’s first year after a rough start, but it still feels like this roster is incredibly flawed. They didn’t do enough to address those flaws, but paying Wilson to exist in Pittsburgh doesn’t help. Maybe they just need to punt on 2024 to set themselves up for the future. 

We don’t know how, but the Detroit Lions have quickly become one of the most enviable franchises in the league. They did it again this offseason, just hitting the nail on the head. They added quality players at necessary positions in D.J. Reader, Carlton Davis, Marcus Davenport, and Kevin Zeitler. They kept their most important players, and they come into this season swinging for the fences.

Let’s start with the re-signings. They gave massive deals to Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jared Goff, and Penei Sewell. They gave deserved extensions to head coach Dan Campbell and GM Brad Holmes. The Lions are doing this right. They are paying their young players and their quarterback, and they are setting a standard for the front office and coaching staff. Heck, it was crazy that Ben Johnson decided to stay in Detroit instead of taking a head coaching job. 

After taking care of everyone in house, the Lions drafted Terrion Arnold. Between Arnold and Davis, the Lions immediately addressed their biggest weakness (the secondary) with both veterans and youth. And Arnold was a great prospect who had an outside chance to go in the top 12. The Lions got him at pick 24. 

It was win after win after win this offseason. The Lions will come with ALL of the hype this year. Expect multiple analysts to claim they have a Super Bowl roster, and they might be right.

If we want to use one word to describe the Green Bay Packers offseason, it’s “strange.” Coming off the best playoff feeling the Packers have had since winning their last Super Bowl, the Packers didn’t exactly build on the hype. They didn’t make destructive moves, but they didn’t breed confidence with their moves. 

The biggest moves came at the running back position. Many thought they’d lost AJ Dillon, who was a free agent. Instead, they signed Josh Jacobs and then cut Aaron Jones. They also re-signed Dillon. Is the position better? We’ve seen Jacobs at his best, but he was far from it last season. We have to ask again: is this better? It’s hard to tell.

Besides that, it was a fine offseason. We really like Xavier McKinney, especially the fit in this defense. Safety isn’t valued like it once was, but this is the right place and time. 

Everything else is still in place, as the Packers have young talent everywhere. They replaced some of their offensive line in the draft, including with first-round pick Jordan Morgan. Some say Morgan was a slight reach, but if he can successfully move to the inside, then it will be a slam dunk. They got decent value in Edgerrin Cooper and Javon Bullard in the second round. The Packers added youth to an already young team. 

The Houston Texans and the Detroit Lions are in very similar situations. They are both build on the star power of youth, and the Texans have the advantage with a young, stellar quarterback in CJ Stroud. Most of their offense is super young and fresh, and they have one of the best coaches in the league despite only being in his second season. However, these two teams took very different paths this offseason. 

While the Lions crushed this offseason by investing from within and targeting players that fill specific needs, the Texans seemed to go star hunting. The biggest move was the trade for Stefon Diggs. We learned in the Bills section that Diggs had somewhat of a falling out with the Bills. It’s a risk to bring a possibly disgruntled star into a humming locker room. To quell those fears somewhat, replacing the star’s three-year deal with a one-year pact worth $22 million.

They made a few good moves, like replacing Jonathan Greenard with Danielle Hunter. Many thought this would be a loss that hurt the defense, but they might have even upgraded. They also upgraded the running back position by getting Joe Mixon. We didn’t like that they gave him a three-year deal, though.

The Texans didn’t have a first-round pick because they went up and got Will Anderson Jr. last offseason. They’d do that trade over and over again. They did move up in the second round to take Kamari Lassiter, who was a massive need for the Texans. If the physical, press corner can start opposite Derek Stingley Jr., then this will be an accomplished offseason for Houston. 

The Indianapolis Colts clearly think their biggest issue is keeping Anthony Richardson healthy. They might have a point. Richardson looked like the star coming out of the 2023 NFL Draft. However, multiple injuries sidelined him, and the Colts were forced to go with Gardner Minshew. 

So, they spent their offseason keeping their best players in house. They didn’t let Michael Pittman out the door, signing him to a three-year $70 million deal. They also re-signed Kenny Moore II, Grover Stewart, Julian Blackmon, and Zaire Franklin. It became a priority to bring back everyone from a 9-8 team. 

They did let one person go: Gardner Minshew. But they replaced him with someone very exciting. Joe Flacco looked like one of the best QBs in the league at times after the Browns signed him off the street last season. He even won Comeback Player of the Year over the guy who basically died on the field. 

Sometimes, the draft comes with a little luck, and that’s exactly what happened with the Colts. No team picked a defensive player before the Colts made their pick at 15th overall. So, they were able to pick any defensive player they wanted. They went with Laiatu Latu, the EDGE out of UCLA. It was between him and Alabama’s Dallas Turner, but Latu might fit the Colts' defense a little better. The offseason was fine, but it was nothing special overall for the Colts.

The Jacksonville Jaguars needed a big offseason after the massive disappointment that was 2023. At the midpoint of the season, Jacksonville looked like the next great team in the AFC. A few Trevor Lawrence injuries (among others on the team) led to the team missing the playoffs entirely. It also has the shine of Lawrence falling off intensely. 

They signed Gabe Davis to a bigger-than-we-expected contract. Most analysts thought they did this with the idea that Calvin Ridley would wait for them in free agency and sign a contract after his compensation would drop (there was a clause about re-signing that would have upgraded the draft pick, but it had a specific deadline). However, at the 11th hour, the Tennessee Titans ended up signing him. That’s a devastating loss for this offense. 

They took Brian Thomas Jr. to replace Ridley’s production. However, he is a risk. So is Maason Smith, their second-round pick who might end up being a massive steal. He also might not get a second contract. The swings for his possible production are insane. This team just needed to be a little more safe and secure, but they took massive swings instead. 

Outside of Davis, their biggest signing was Arik Armstead. This was a huge move that is universally loved. The Jaguars need help on defense, and it starts up front. They also signed Mitch Morse and Ezra Cleveland to bolster the offensive line. We don’t hate those moves at all, but we hate how the depth chart looks in a very important year for this entire franchise. This was WAY too many swings.

The rich get richer. The reigning Super Bowl champs hit the nail on the head in just about every way. There is the issue of controversy, but let’s not address that insanity right now (okay real quick, how does one franchise have so many different controversies in one offseason and none of them have to do with the player dating the most famous person in the world?). Let’s address everything the Chiefs have done despite coming into the offseason with so much to do. 

Most importantly, they locked up Chris Jones. After questions around his future lasted more than a year, and it even included a missed Week 1 start, Jones signed a five-year deal worth nearly $160 million. The Chiefs' defense is why they won a Super Bowl, so keeping that intact was important. 

Their other star free agent, L’Jarius Sneed, at least garnered them something after they franchise tagged him and traded him to the Titans. Gaining something off a star player they were about to lose for nothing all because they came to an early agreement with Chris Jones is a huge win. 

The biggest issue with the Chiefs last season was their wide receiver room. All of their risks didn’t work out outside Rashee Rice. Now, with Rice facing serious legal issues, the Chiefs signed Marquise Brown and drafted Xavier Worthy. While we were on record as saying the Chiefs should avoid Brown, Worthy is too perfect to take anything away from them for it. 

It’s really hard to like the Las Vegas Raiders offseason with what they did at quarterback. It’s hard to fault them, though. There were finite options, and there were zero options at the position when they made their pick in the draft. Atlanta and Denver overdrafting QBs changed their strategy, and the Raiders are now going into the season with a quarterback battle between Gardner Minshew and Aidan O’Connell. 

However, besides that, the Raiders avoided disaster. They didn’t trade Davante Adams, which could have been awful. They didn’t give a massive deal to Josh Jacobs, which is another disaster missed. We wished they got a better replacement than Alexander Mattison, but maybe Zamir White is ready to be a starter. 

The biggest mistake avoided was signing Antonio Pierce to be the head coach. Pierce did a phenomenal job after taking over for Josh McDaniels. The Raiders have made all of the bad decisions with their head coach. Jon Gruden was a disaster, and replacing him long-term with McDaniels, who has a history of being a terrible communicator, was a baffling decision. Mark Davis wants to make a splash, but Pierce is the smartest possible decision. 

Overall, the Raiders are just kind of here. They are definitely a professional football team. Adding Brock Bowers was great (although we wanted to see year two of Michael Mayer), and signing Christian Wilkins made sense. Yet, if we told you they had the first-overall pick in 2025, most wouldn’t be floored. If we told you they fought for a playoff spot, it wouldn’t make you faint. So, they are just here.

We love the Jim Harbaugh head coaching choice. This is an A+ head coaching decision as they bring the reigning National Champion back to the NFL. That word “back” is essential to this, because Harbaugh was already successful in the league. He’s here to bring a different mindset to LA’s other team. 

However, this roster went through the strangest overhaul. We thought they might lose their pass rushers, as some analysts predicted they’d cut or trade both Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack. However, they opted to instead move receivers Keenan Allen and Mike Williams. Now, the offense is in a serious jam, with Justin Herbert coming back from injury. They have Ladd McConkey and Joshua Palmer as the top of the wide receiving depth chart. 

The biggest moves came in the running back room, where the Chargers signed former Ravens Gus Edwards and JK Dobbins. It seems like replacing Austin Ekeler with two options who aren’t exactly reliable enough to be stars. The Chargers just needed a little more from this offseason.

The Chargers opted for Joe Alt over Malik Nabers in the draft. They really couldn’t lose on this. They didn’t get a massive haul from a team looking for a quarterback so that stinks for them. It’s an offseason where they have some decent pieces in the draft and a good coach, so maybe in the long run it’s great, but the players they added don’t pass the smell test. 

It’s just really hard to recover from losing a generational player who is still playing at the highest level. Aaron Donald will leave a hole that will continue to hurt for the Rams. There is no one replacement for a player like Donald, who could walk into the Hall of Fame whenever Canton is ready for him. This put the Rams behind, but they did some things with their offseason.

Despite losing Donald, they made serious additions to their pass rush. They already had Byron Young play incredibly well last season. They add first-round pick Jared Verse out of Florida State, who can be a superstar and win the Defensive Rookie of the Year with the right production. 

They kept some assets on the offensive line (especially Kevin Dotson) and added a few more (especially former Lions guard Jonah Jackson). They are investing in keeping Matthew Stafford upright. We have no idea how much longer Stafford will play, so making his life easy is important. 

The biggest need for the Rams was adding to the secondary. They did that very well, signing both Tre’Davious White and Darious Williams. They also added another Florida State defender in the third round of the draft; safety Kamren Kinchens. Overall, the Rams made themselves contenders for a playoff spot again, building around an explosive offense.

The Miami Dolphins' offseason was not a great one. The AFC East is weak, with the Buffalo Bills purging their roster, the New England Patriots in a full-blown rebuild, and the Jets just waiting for the next “Jets” thing to happen. It seems like the perfect time to make their move after years of futility. The Dolphins blew the division last season, giving them even more motivation to succeed. Yet, this offseason, we come out of it a little ho-hum.

First, let’s start with the purge. The hardest cut had to be Xavien Howard. The long-time Dolphin has been in the secondary every year since 2016, but his career came down to a math equation. Despite the dead money, the Dolphins save $18 million by cutting Howard. Jerome Baker and Emmanuel Ogbah both found themselves as cap casualties as well. We mentioned they didn’t re-sign Christian Wilkins, one of the better defensive linemen in the league. Robert Hunt also found more money elsewhere.

They made a few fun moves in free agency. We say “fun” because it’s hard to say it’s a good or bad move yet. They signed Shaq Barrett, Odell Beckham Jr., and Jordan Poyer. Those are all big names at necessary positions, but they have some “proving” to do after their seasons didn’t go as planned. 

In the draft, they took edge rusher Chop Robinson out of Penn State. We like the pick, and he gives them necessary depth on the edge. However, the Dolphins did have some bigger needs. That’s okay if he was the best player on the Dolphins board. 

Some questioned why the Minnesota Vikings didn’t make bigger moves at the quarterback position. They have Justin Jefferson still on his rookie contract for one more season, so an extension is inevitable. Even if they don’t extend him, they would put him on the franchise tag until the end of time. So, having Sam Darnold throw to him this season was an interesting decision. The former top-three pick never lived up to his hype, but he’s all right. They still drafted JJ McCarthy, and what was great is they didn’t have to trade up past 10. 

Quarterback wasn’t the only major overhaul, where they avoided a huge contract with Kirk Cousins coming off a torn Achilles. They signed Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel to replace the production of Danielle Hunter. 

There was also the addition of Aaron Jones. He was let go by the Packers after they signed Josh Jacobs. Jones might be better than Jacobs in the long run. He’s still under 30 and can really impact the passing game. Whether it’s Darnold or McCarthy, they will need a great outlet to pass to when things get hairy. Jones is one of the best at that. 

We also REALLY liked the Dallas Turner pick. This just adds another EDGE to the stockpile. He could be a superstar and the best defensive player in the draft. Honestly, this is exactly how a team should do a rebuild on the fly. They avoided the insane contracts, but they also brought players to add an impact on the field so they don’t bottom out. 

It’s official. The dynasty is over. Everyone short of the owner is gone from those Super Bowl-winning New England Patriots teams, and they are looking at what comes next. The Patriots ended their relationship with Bill Belichick, a relationship that lasted all of the 21st century. Now, they need to see what comes next, and they made the right decision just keeping it in-house with Jerod Mayo. Mayo was a former Patriots captain who came in and became a diplomatic solution to issues within the locker room. 

Now that the Patriots have settled the head coach, they need to address the roster. It was clear to everyone that quarterback was the biggest issue on the roster. Mac Jones either lost his confidence or lost his cool, but it was apparent his issues weren’t getting fixed in New England. After months of speculation about a trade, the Patriots kept their third-overall pick and took North Carolina’s Drake Maye. Maye isn’t the playmaker that Caleb Williams and Jayden Daniels has, but he’s a great signal caller and can send the ball to whoever needs it.

The Patriots spent most of free agency retaining those players who impacted the roster most. They re-signed safety Kyle Duggar, linebacker Josh Uche, lineman Mike Onwenu, tight end Hunter Henry, and wide receiver Kendrick Bourne. They signed long-term deals with defensive tackle Christian Barmore and center David Andrews. This is a team that’s building the foundation. If the AFC East doesn’t watch out, the Patriots could be great again while they fumble the bag.

We’d be remiss if we didn’t mention the player who likely will be the starting quarterback Week 1. Jacoby Brissett is a nice option to keep the seat warm while Maye learns. Signing him for $8 million is a slight overpay for a backup, but it’s way below market value for a starter.

The New Orleans Saints have been in salary cap hell for longer than most of us can remember. This season was no different. Even with the massive rise in the salary cap (it’s now $255 million), they still came into the offseason $40+ million over the cap. So, it’s no surprise they had to do some slashing. Even after restructuring multiple contracts, including Derek Carr’s, they settled at $42 million over the cap. 

Some of the cuts were obvious, like Jameis Winston and Michael Thomas. Marcus Maye was forced to find a new team. It put the Saints in a place where most don’t expect them to compete. 

In the draft, they started to search for cheap talent at crucial positions. They took Taliese Fuaga as their future tackle. It also gives the Saints options with Trevor Penning, who has struggled. We like Kool-Aid McKinstry, but trading fifth and sixth-round picks to move up four spots to get him in terrible asset management for where the Saints are in terms of roster needs. They need cheap players more than anything. They threw two away to take a player in the second round when they already had a pick there. 

The big roster addition was Chase Young. They took a chance on a former second-overall pick. However, it’s starting to feel like he’s getting value based on draft position despite a lack of production. He didn’t do much after his trade to the 49ers, and he hasn’t turned into that superstar many expected. Some like the Young signing for the upside, which we understand, but this just doesn’t feel like enough for a team with this many roster issues.

Let’s start with the good. The New York Giants trading for Brian Burns is an A+ acquisition. He’s a monster on the defensive line. He’s going to really help this defense get to where it needs to be. And here’s why the defense needs to get there.

Not only did the Giants not upgrade from quarterback Daniel Jones, which we understand given his contract situation and the options at their disposal, but they also said goodbye to by far his best weapon. Running back is not valuable in the NFL today unless you build your entire offense around them. Saquon Barkley was not only the backfield workhorse, but he was always the number one target on pretty much every passing play. Sure, a play might be written for someone else, but it often went to Barkley.

Now that Barkley signed with the Giants' rival in Philadelphia, they had to pick up the pieces. Luckily for them, they had the option of Derrick Henry, Austin Ekeler, Tony Pollard, Josh Jacobs, and Aaron Jones. They ended up with Devin Singletary. He was fine last season with the Texans, but he wasn’t necessarily great.

Everything else the Giants did was somewhere between fine and really good. Malik Nabers might have been the obvious pick, but he was very much the right pick. He finally gives the Giants a star at the position they haven’t had since they traded Odell Beckham. Andru Phillips is a very smart player who could start tomorrow. That’s huge to get in the third round. The Giants either made stellar moves or stood by as terrible things happened to their team. 

The New York Jets are building a roster for Aaron Rodgers. It’s clear as day. Heck, even the coaching staff is built for Rodgers. They added Mike Williams as a huge threat to go next to Garrett Wilson. After he was cut by the Chargers, he was going to make a move toward competitive football. The Jets hope to be there. 

The Jets invested heavily in the offensive line, but they did it with age outside of their concern. Tyron Smith is still a good tackle, but he’s 33 years old. Morgan Moses is also 33 years old. Despite signing these two 33-year-olds, the Jets used their first-round draft pick to take Olu Fashanu. He’s a big tackle who probably could start if given the chance. However, he will likely back up to begin his career. 

The Jets added two good pieces on defense in Javon Kinlaw and Haason Reddick. It adds some very important pieces to a defense that lost some important names (Bryce Huff, Quinton Jefferson and Jordan Whitehead). Reddick was an especially great move, adding him from a Philadelphia Eagles team looking to shed money. He’s a great leader and still very competitive on the field.

A move that is likely getting more attention than usual is the backup position. Last season, the Jets thought they were in a positive spot, having Aaron Rodgers as the starter and a learning Zach Wilson as the backup. Wilson looked as bad as ever after Rodgers went down in Week 1. The Jets made him the Broncos problem this offseason and signed Tyrod Taylor. Rodgers claims he will be 100 percent by Week 1 after an Achilles injury, but we’ve seen this go bad in the past with players prior to their 40th birthday. The Jets need a serious plan in case Rodgers is not what he says he is. 

The Philadelphia Eagles thought they had a Super Bowl-caliber roster in 2023. It started off that way, as they looked like the biggest threat to the Kansas City Chiefs, the team that just beat them in the Big Game the season prior. Then, the wheels came completely off. The Eagles blew the division to the Cowboys, and they lost a laugher in the first round against the Buccaneers. 

This offseason was incredibly important for the Eagles. They could have made drastic moves, like moving on from head coach Nick Sirianni, but they were smart to take a step back and make adjustments instead of blowing it up. Sirianni was considered one of the best coaches in the league. He had to replace both of his coordinators going into 2023. He did not make all of the best decisions with his staff, but he has a chance to reset and get it right. 

As for the roster, they had some very exciting additions. Saquon Barkley stole all of the headlines, and he truly brings a new weapon to this offense. He will take some of the heat off of A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith (both of whom got new extensions this offseason). Barkley replaces Swift and leaves the Giants, just making this a monster win for Philly. They also added Bryce Huff, who we thought was one of the most underrated moves of the offseason). 

Beyond that, they signed former Eagle C.J. Gardner-Johnson. He spent a season with the Lions, but the Eagles needed him back for this secondary (which looked worlds worse this season). They added DeVante Parker and Devin White as flier pieces who could have serious upside after previous superstar seasons. They drafted Quinyon Mitchell, who could start on day one at CB if James Bradberry is cut. The Eagles knocked this offseason out of the park.

The Pittsburgh Steelers just completely exploded their quarterback room, either letting everyone walk in free agency or trading them away. It was a move that floored many, but what they were doing wasn’t working. Kenny Pickett lost the locker room, and it sounded like many wanted Mason Rudolph to be the starter. Instead of dealing with that drama, the Steelers signed Russell Wilson to be their starter. Then, they traded close to nothing for Justin Fields, who can grow behind a Super Bowl-winning QB. It does add some drama since Fields is the one with star talent, but a humbling experience could be the best thing for his career. 

We didn’t love losing Diontae Johnson, who has been efficient for them, but we understand these types of moves have to happen sometimes. Receiver is the team's weakness, especially after George Pickens. However, it isn’t a huge issue as they have some high-upside pieces (looking at you, Calvin Austin). 

The signing of Patrick Queen is great, taking him from their rivals the Ravens. He adds to a defense that has been getting better each year. They also added Cordarrelle Patterson, who has been an absolute weapon no matter where he’s played. We have a feeling the Steelers will find a great place for him to succeed. 

The Steelers spent the draft addressing the offensive line, starting with Troy Fautanu with their first-round pick. That was smart. Offensive line was an issue last season, and they finally addressed it with some youth. Zach Frazier and Mason McCormick could be starting by season’s end. This was a massive haul for a massive need in the Steel City.

Coming off a Super Bowl loss, the San Francisco 49ers had a ton of free agents to address. They let a lot of them go, but it really didn’t hurt. Losing the likes of Sam Darnold, Javon Kinlaw, Arik Armstead, and Chase Young isn’t going to change the 49ers ability to compete. 

It helps when they added talent. They signed Leonard Floyd to a two-year deal, adding talent after losing some on the defensive line. They also added Yetur Gross-Matos, who feels like the type of player who is going to San Francisco and absolutely excel. Rock Ya Sin is another one who didn’t do his thing with the Colts, but things are different in the Bay Area. He could find his potential under Kyle Shanahan.

So here’s where things get rough. The 49ers have held their cards on the wide receiver position, as rumors continue to run rampant. Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel continue to wait for news of what will happen next. The noise didn’t get quieter when the 49ers selected Ricky Pearsall out of Florida in the first round. 

Until we see what happens with Aiyuk and Samuel, this offseason should have an “incomplete” grade. However, that didn’t fit on the graphic. So, the 49ers sit here with a B-. 

This offseason was… surprising for the Seattle Seahawks. They made the most surprising coaching move, saying goodbye to Pete Carroll, who brought unfounded success to Seattle and showed just in 2022 that he could win with a flawed roster. He got the best out of Geno Smith, and he’s the reason the Seahawks are still playoff contenders. Well, he “was” the reason. Now, it’s up to Mike Macdonald to fill Carroll’s shoes. 

The changes did not end with the head coach. Jamal Adams, Quadre Diggs, and Will Dissly were let go. Bobby Wagner was able to leave Seattle for a second time. Jordyn Brooks is another playmaker who chose another team. The old Seahawks team is completely gone, but they have something here for McDonald to coach.

The Hawks made a splash, signing Leonard Williams to a massive three-year deal. The Seahawks traded for Williams last season, and they made it count. Jerome Baker will also help quell some of the defensive losses the Seahawks suffered. 

We LOVE the Byron Murphy pick. The Texas DT has stellar upside, and his floor seems to be higher than many in the first round. 

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were one of the big surprises last season. Many thought that going 8-9 with the greatest quarterback of all time and watching him retire (for real) would be the death knell for the Bucs. They signed Baker Mayfield on a flier and kept most of the core together. They ended up winning the NFC South again, and they even won a playoff game. 

This offseason, they faced a similar mountain to overcome. There were a ton of free agents they had to make decisions on. They had to really look at what was important, and they did a pretty good job with the situation at hand. They re-signed Baker Mayfield, setting themselves up with a decent option under center in a very strange quarterback market. Mayfield is still just 29 years old, so he should be able to contribute at a high level throughout his three-year deal.

The other huge win was re-signing Mike Evans. The star of this franchise will spend the rest of his prime at Raymond James Stadium. It was smart for the Buccaneers to avoid free agency entirely. When it seemed clear Evans was leaving, the Bucs came in off the top and signed him. Most receivers fall off after 30, but Evans has continued to be the outlier for just about everything, so this only adds to the value of the deal.

The Buccaneers kept most of their defensive stars. They did lose Devin White, which is about as surprising of a disappointing from a top-five pick as we’ve seen in a while. He was so great to start his career, but he fell off by a ton. They replaced Ryan Jensen in the draft by taking Duke’s Graham Barton.

The Tennessee Titans are honestly hard to peg after what was just an odd offseason. It all started when they fired Mike Vrabel. It seemed like one of those necessary moves, as the Titans were going into a new era. However, Vrabel is still a great coach, so moving on from him is something they have to prove is the right decision. They did hire Brian Callahan, a great football mind who has the makings of a really good coach. Vrabel just left some big shoes to fill.

Beyond that, the Titans had an interesting offseason with multiple upgrades across the depth chart. The biggest move was signing Calvin Ridley. This was a two-pronged positive. Not only will Ridley upgrade a wide receiver room that relied too heavily on DeAndre Hopkins last season, but they also took him at the 11th hour from their division rival, the Jacksonville Jaguars. On top of that, they signed Tyler Boyd, giving them immediate depth that includes former first-round pick Treylon Burks. 

The Titans are going full bore with Will Levis. That makes perfect sense. He had moments where he seemed like he was a good starting quarterback. This was a second-round rookie. They added Mason Rudolph as a contingency plan if Levis gets injured, but the Titans will go as far as Levis takes them. 

In the draft, the Titans used that to focus more on the crucial positions like offensive line and the defensive front seven. J.C. Lathan could be a cornerstone to the left tackle position and he might be the steal of the top ten.

The Washington Commanders had an amazing offseason. It’s the first full offseason with new ownership, and they spent a ton of money to bring stars into the building. They signed Bobby Wagner, Zach Ertz, Marcus Mariota, and Jeremy Chinn to one-year deals. They also signed Austin Ekeler, Frankie Luvu, and Tyler Biadasz to multi-year deals. They did a great job overhauling this roster while avoiding the massive deals that weigh down the salary cap that the last regime was very familiar with. 

However, the future of the franchise was set up with two major moves. The first was the new head coach, which was somewhat of a surprise. The Commanders were not scared off by a bad playoff performance by the Dallas Cowboys and they hired Dan Quinn. To bring in an offensive mind to match Quinn’s defensive scheme, the Commanders also hired former Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury to be the offensive coordinator. 

Then, there’s the quarterback. After months of constant “rumors” about the Commanders listening to trade talks for the second-overall pick, they made the right decision by taking reigning Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels. The now-former LSU Tigers quarterback has all the skills to be a star in this league. He’s slightly undersized, and that’s been scary for teams in the past, but Washington has everything built to make this kid successful.