Grading the offseason moves of every NFL team

Arizona’s offseason started with some social media conflict between star quarterback Kyler Murray and the team, but the Cardinals appeased him by acquiring former Oklahoma teammate Marquise Brown to replace Christian Kirk. The right side of the offensive line still looks shaky, and the losses of Chase Edmonds and Chandler Jones could be big. The failure to address the secondary should also make fans nervous.

With a full rebuild, it seemed like only a matter of time before Atlanta moved on from Matt Ryan. Getting only a third-round pick in return speaks to his struggles, and it seems unlikely Marcus Mariota or draftee Desmond Ridder are long-term answers. The development of the offensive line remains sub-par, and the year-long suspension of Calvin Ridley necessitated selecting Drake London in the draft. The team did do well to retain Grady Jarrett, along with adding vets Casey Hayward, Lorenzo Carter, and Rashaan Evans to a maligned defense, but this team is going nowhere fast with the offensive talent deficiencies.

Baltimore’s offseason started with a shocking change at defensive coordinator, and the team has given new coordinator Mike Macdonald a lot of new faces to work with by bringing in Michael Pierce, Kyle Fuller, Marcus Williams, and several high draft picks led by safety Kyle Hamilton. The addition of tackle Morgan Moses and center Tyler Linderbaum were desperately needed for the power-running offense, especially considering Lamar Jackson’s injury last year.

The Bills entered the offseason with a clear goal of bringing a Super Bowl to Buffalo, and they’ve taken a huge step forward. They addressed the pass rush significantly by signing superstar Von Miller while also adding Shaw Lawson, DaQuan Jones, Tim Settle, and Jordan Phillips to remake the front seven. The offensive line depth and guard play were also solidified, particularly with Rodger Saffold, and the additions of Jamison Crowder and O.J. Howard add to a nice set of receiving weapons for Josh Allen. Buffalo also boosted the secondary in the draft with Kaiir Elam, and found a third-down back in James Cook.

It’s possible Carolina’s offseason moves aren’t over, but it’s hard not to be disappointed with Sam Darnold still the starting quarterback. If nothing changes, third-round pick Matt Corral could eventually give him competition. The team did address the awful offensive line, at least, adding first-round pick Ikem Ekwonu along with free agents Austin Corbett and Bradley Bozeman. Defensive additions Matthew Ioannidis, Cory Littleton, and Xavier Woods should also go a long way in helping.

There’s been rampant speculation in the media that Chicago is tanking in 2022, which is hardly an endorsement for their offseason. The new front office and coaching staff didn’t make much of an effort to surround Justin Fields with blue-chip talent, though Byron Pringle should be a reliable No. 2 wideout. Lucas Patrick and a bevy of other backup offensive linemen are unlikely to fix the team’s issues protecting quarterbacks, and the defense lost significant talent led by Khalil Mack. Chicago lacked much draft capital but did add a jolt to the secondary with second-round picks Kyler Gordon and Jaquan Brisker.

Cincinnati deserves credit for working to improve after appearing in the Super Bowl. The offensive line is clearly better after adding La’el Collins, Alex Cappa, and Ted Karras, while Hayden Hurst is a viable replacement for C.J. Uzomah. The Bengals’ defense showed great improvement last year, but they still went defense-heavy in the draft with five picks, led by corner Daxton Hill. Retaining B.J. Hill and Jesse Bates was also a positive, as the team brings back their core from 2021.

The Browns completed the move of the offseason, for better or worse, by trading three first-round picks and change for Deshaun Watson. They also gave Watson a massive guarantee despite his off-field issues that could result in a lengthy suspension in 2022. While Cleveland lost Jarvis Landry, they were able to replace him with Amari Cooper, and third-round pick David Bell could also have a big role in the passing game. The defensive talent remains strong, as the Browns were able to retain Jadeveon Clowney and extend Denzel Ward.

The salary cap eventually comes for every team, even the free-spending Cowboys. Dallas suffered notable losses like Amari Cooper, Cedrick Wilson, La’el Collins, and Randy Gregory. The Cowboys tried to fill those losses in the draft and retained wideout Michael Gallup and DeMarcus Lawrence on massive deals. Elsewhere, they were mostly quiet in free agency, with lesser additions like James Washington, Carlos Watkins, and Dante Fowler. The 2022 draft class will ultimately determine this offseason’s report card.

Denver’s most notable addition and arguably the biggest prize of the offseason was Russell Wilson. The Broncos shipped a lot of draft capital, along with Drew Lock, Shelby Harris, and Noah Fant, but it was a move that needed to be done after the last several years of quarterback futility. Denver further showed their commitment to winning now by giving big money to defensive linemen Randy Gregory and D.J. Jones, and they also improved the offensive line with right tackle Billy Turner. Of course, it remains to be the seen if these moves will be enough in an AFC West that looks brutal.

The Lions continued their vision of adding players who could bite a kneecap off like D.J. Chark and draftees Aidan Hutchinson, Jameson Williams, and Josh Paschal. The defense still has some big holes, particularly in the secondary, and it remains to be seen if Jared Goff is the long-term answer at quarterback. However, the Lions are rightfully biding their time, slowly but surely adding talent after last year’s teardown.

While the Packers convinced Aaron Rodgers to stick around, his favorite target, Davante Adams, went west for the money. Replacing top wideouts Adams and Marquez Valdes-Scantling with Sammy Watkins and a pair of rookies has to make fans nervous, but we’ve seen Rodgers manage with less. The loss of Za’Darius Smith could also be an issue, but the team addressed the defense with two first-round picks while keeping around key talent like Preston Smith, De’Vondre Campbell, Jaire Alexander, and Rasul Douglas.

Houston had too many problems to fix in one offseason, but many of their moves were still head-scratching, beginning with the firing of David Culley and promotion of Lovie Smith to head coach. The Texans added a lot of role players like Marlon Mack, A.J. Cann, Blake Cashman, and Steven Nelson, but their best move was finding such great value for Deshaun Watson despite his off-field issues.

The Colts put themselves in a corner by failing to commit to Carson Wentz, but they were able to get adequate value from Washington for him. They continued to build out the rest of the roster well, including defensive stars Yannick Ngakoue and Stephon Gilmore, along with Dennis Kelly at right tackle. The biggest issue, once again, could be the quarterback position, as Matt Ryan showed great decline in Atlanta last season. It’s just a flier for a third-round pick, but the Colts likely need to find something better to compete for a Super Bowl.

Jacksonville has been as poorly run as any team in recent years, but they got it right by hiring experienced head coach Doug Pederson to start the offseason. As is often the case with bad teams, the Jags had to overpay to attract free-agent talent, and they certainly did that with the contracts of Christian Kirk, Zay Jones, Brandon Scherff, Foley Fatukasi, Foye Oluokun, and Darious Williams. Still, those additions along with first-round picks Travon Walker and Devin Lloyd could go a long way in making the team competitive again.

The headline of the Chiefs’ offseason was their trade of Tyreek Hill after failing to work out a contract extension. However, they used the added draft capital well and filled needs at cornerback, defensive end, and wide receiver. The addition of JuJu Smith-Schuster could turn out to be the steal of the offseason if he stays healthy, and Marquez Valdes-Scantling adds a capable deep threat. Perhaps the riskiest decision was allowing defensive leader Tyrann Mathieu to walk in favor of Justin Reid, but it fits the front office’s trend of going younger whenever possible. The glaring issue continues to be the team’s pass rush, especially after losing Melvin Ingram.

The Raiders had an eventful offseason, prying Josh McDaniels away from the Patriots and getting several offensive players to follow, led by superstar wideout Davante Adams. The defense had a spectacular addition of its own, signing Chandler Jones and then trading Yannick Ngakoue for Rock Ya-Sin. There remain big questions about the offensive line and defense, but there can be little debate that the team’s talent is better than it was when 2021 concluded.

The Chargers are stacking one strong offseason after another, with the hope of finally jumping the Chiefs in the AFC West. The biggest offensive move was re-signing Mike Williams to a lucrative extension, but the Chargers also spent big on the defense by signing J.C. Jackson and trading for Khalil Mack. We shouldn’t overlook the additions of Gerald Everett, Kyle Van Noy, or Bryce Callahan either. LA’s draft filled the last of their needs, including first-round guard Zion Johnson.

The Rams managed to make some noise in spite of basically no draft capital and minimal cap space. Allen Robinson was the big offensive addition, replacing Robert Woods and Odell Beckham. The defense had some big moves of their own, adding Seahawks legend Bobby Wagner and bringing back Troy Hill. It takes so much to go right for a team to repeat as Super Bowl champs, but the Rams’ core remains intact and the front office made the most of their limited resources.

It’s become a cliche for teams to build around their young quarterback, but the Dolphins took that to heart by hiring offensive-minded head coach Mike McDaniel and following it with big additions like Chase Edmonds, Tyreek Hill, Cedrick Wilson, Terron Armstead, and Connor Williams. Tua Tagovailoa has no excuses heading into his third season. The defense also managed to retain most of its key pieces, including extensions for Emmanuel Ogbah and Xavien Howard. The late addition of Melvin Ingram concludes the offseason for a team that made one of the clearest talent improvements.

Despite rumors to the contrary, the Vikings retained Kirk Cousins and added a year to his contract, in the process. Whether the team can reach their goals with him is up for debate, but there are clearly many teams in the league that would happily take Cousins as their starter. Minnesota didn’t find much help for him, with the exception of second-round guard Ed Ingram, but the hope is that a new voice in head coach Kevin O’Connell will make a difference. The defense did make some much-needed additions after getting old fast, stealing Za’Darius Smith away from the rival Packers and inserting veterans Harrison Phillips and Jordan Hicks in the front seven. Shoring up the maligned secondary was another priority, with draft picks Lewis Cine and Andrew Booth Jr. added to the fray.

Bill Belichick always finds bargains, and wideout DeVante Parker could be that after several inconsistent seasons in Miami. The rest of the notable offensive additions were via the draft, including first-round guard Cole Strange, a pick that had many draft analysts scratching their heads. Not surprisingly, the Pats refused to meet cornerback J.C. Jackson’s asking price, and are hoping that veteran Malcolm Butler has some juice left instead. The additions of Mack Wilson and Jabrill Peppers are more upside players for the defense, but it’s tough to find personnel improvement with this roster.

The Saints hope life without Sean Payton will be smooth, but there were also big roster changes. New Orleans potentially got a steal with Jarvis Landry, joining Michael Thomas and first-round wideout Chris Olave. That gives Jameis Winston a bevy of weapons as he returns from injury, though there’s no question the team will miss left tackle Terron Armstead. Rookie Trevor Penning has big shoes to fill. The defense has been a clear team strength in recent seasons, but they will have to deal with some significant changes in the secondary, with new safeties Tyrann Mathieu and Marcus Maye replacing Malcolm Jenkins and Marcus Williams.

Daniel Jones is set for yet another coaching change, and the Giants hope they finally got this one right with former Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll. New York needed help on the offensive line and got it with Mark Glowinski, Jon Feliciano, and rookie Evan Neal. The pass rush also gets stronger with first-round pick Kayvon Thibodeaux, joining Azeez Ojulari and  Leonard Williams to create a ferocious front seven. The Giants were much quieter than last offseason, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

The Jets were connected to every big offensive weapon but mostly came up empty. Former Bengal C.J. Uzomah is a notable exception, and the team also filled holes with early draftees Garrett Wilson and Breece Hall. The youthful additions do give Zach Wilson an opportunity to grow with his new teammates over the long term. The Jets were to get guard Laken Tomlinson to take their money and did well to fix one of the worst secondaries in the league with D.J. Reed, rookie Sauce Gardner, and Jordan Whitehead.

The Eagles were a surprise team last year, but it won’t be a surprise if they have even better results after their strong offseason moves. The draft-day addition of A.J. Brown was spectacular for young Jalen Hurts, completing what could be one of the more dynamic offenses in the league with DeVonta Smith and a bevy of running backs keeping defenses on their heels. Not many teams will be able to run on the Eagles after the team drafted Jordan Davis and Nakobe Dean to plug up the middle, while the signings of Haason Reddick and James Bradberry should greatly improve the pass defense.

Mitchell Trubisky wasn’t exactly the quarterback addition Steelers fans hoped for, so there was likely some relief when the team drafted Kenny Pickett in the first round. Nearly as important was rebuilding the offensive line, which the Steelers accomplished with James Daniels and Mason Cole. The defense didn’t need much but took a nice step forward with Myles Jack and Levi Wallace added to fill important roles as starters. The hope is that the team can get better quarterback play than what they had from over-the-hill legend Ben Roethlisberger last year, giving them a shot to reclaim the AFC North.

Offseason surgery for Jimmy Garoppolo likely prevented a trade of the quarterback, but it was also a potential distraction for future signal-caller Trey Lance. The losses of Alex Mack and Laken Tomlinson to the offensive line could wreak havoc on the running game, but the 49ers saw the defensive secondary as a bigger need. Former Chiefs corner Chavarius Ward should stabilize the team at cornerback, and the 49ers also hope George Odum can shine at safety. A deep defensive line has long been one of the team’s biggest strengths, with signings Kerry Hyder and Kemoko Turay potentially allowing San Francisco to keep their top pass rushers fresh.

The Russell Wilson marriage finally ended, but the Seahawks did as well as they could have hoped in the trade with Denver by adding Drew Lock, Noah Fant, Shelby Harris, and a bevy of draft picks. Fans certainly hope the Seahawks can find something better at quarterback than Lock or Geno Smith so that Fant, D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett aren’t wasted. The offensive line got younger by replacing Duane Brown with first-round pick Charles Cross, with third-round pick Abraham Lucas potentially helping on the opposite side of the line. The “getting younger” trend carried over to the defense, where the Seahawks said goodbye to Bobby Wagner and D.J. Reed and could be a work in progress with new faces, Uchenna Nwosu and Justin Coleman.

What looked like a complete rebuild changed quickly when Tom Brady opted to return. He will go potentially without Rob Gronkowski, but the Bucs might offset that loss with wideout Russell Gage and the return of Chris Godwin. The team will have new starters at guard, with the notable retirement of Ali Marpet. The defense saw big changes to the front seven, though should like what they have in Akiem Hicks and Logan White replacing Jason Pierre-Paul and Ndamukong Suh. Veteran Logan Ryan could also add be a valuable experience for the secondary.

The Titans saw big changes at wideout, as A.J. Brown and Julio Jones are gone in favor of Robert Woods and rookie Treylon Burks. There’s no way to sugarcoat that downgrade, but perhaps it won’t be as glaring in the run-heavy offense. Few Titans fans would frown on third-round pick Malik Willis potentially challenging Ryan Tannehill down the line, and adding some flavor in short-yardage situations in the meantime. The defense was able to keep Harold Landry around on a huge deal, but the big money prevented them from making other big moves and meant fellow 2018 draftee Rashaan Evans had to go elsewhere for his payday.

Washington entered the offseason with a desperate situation at quarterback. Taking on Carson Wentz’s contract stands as a giant risk that smells of desperation after he was all but run out of Philadelphia and Indianapolis. Losing Brandon Scherff is a blow for the offensive line that newcomers Andrew Norwell and Trai Turner will try to lessen. The offensive weapons do look the best they have in years after first-round pick Jahan Dotson was added at wideout, and J.D. McKissic was re-signed as the third-down back. For better or worse, the defense saw minimal changes, though the team did move on from free agent dud Landon Collins.