2025 NFL Free Agency Grades For All 32 Teams

By
Logan Ulrich
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There are a few notable free agents still dangling in limbo but by and large across the NFL, the hay is in the barn and the focus for most teams is primarily on the draft. 

That makes this the perfect time to assess how all 32 teams did in free agency. Obviously these grades are preliminary and the true test will be in the fall, but it’s still worth unpacking why teams did what they did and the various pros and cons of those approaches. 

2025 NFL Free Agency Grades

49ers

Grade: C+

It’s challenging to grade the 49ers’ free agency because so much of it was marked by departures rather than additions. A host of notable players signed with other teams, with the 49ers signing dart throw types to replace them, if at all. They went further and made cuts to slash more salary, jettisoning DE Leonard Floyd and DT Maliek Collins and trading Mason and Samuel. San Francisco appears to be operating under a mandate from ownership to tighten the belt financially and prepare for a big deal for QB Brock Purdy. 

Getting cheaper and younger — the team has 11 draft picks this year and could rival that number in 2026 — isn’t necessarily a bad thing but significant holes remain on the roster and that’s a lot of pressure to put just on a draft class to fix. There are also some curious decisions mixed in here. Why splurge on a blocking tight end and largely ignore the voids at defensive tackle and defensive end? Why cut Juszczyk only to sign him back days later for more guaranteed money than he was initially set to receive? 

That said, plenty of these signings have some upside because of how cheap they are. Jones in particular is intriguing given the draft buzz between him and the 49ers when he was entering the league. Getting a pick for Samuel and shedding his whole salary was a win. 

Bears

Grade: A-

I highlighted Chicago’s trio of moves to revamp the interior offensive line among my five favorites of free agency so far. I won’t rehash all of it here, but I liked the value the Bears got by being proactive with trades instead of waiting to pay the free agency premium for guards, allowing them to focus their efforts on landing Dalman, far and away the best center available this offseason. 

The emphasis on the line of scrimmage continued with other moves for Jarrett and Odeyingbo. Jarrett isn’t as formidable as he used to be but he can still play and the Bears could use more of an interior rushing presence. Odeyingbo fills a similar role and while he got a bigger deal than expected, he’s still just 25 years old. There’s potentially some upside for the Bears to mine. 

Bengals

Grade: B

It took far far longer than it should have but the Bengals eventually put their money where their mouth was and paid up to keep the duo of Higgins and Chase in Cincinnati for the long term. It’s fair to question the team-building ramifications of tying up that much money in two wideouts but when the alternative was potentially alienating QB Joe Burrow, the Bengals really didn’t have a choice. The margin for error will be slimmer but paying Burrow, Chase and Higgins won’t prevent them from building up the rest of the team around that trio. 

Cincinnati needs to make better player evaluations than it has recently, however, with a dry spell in the draft and notable free agent signings from the past year or so flopping. They paid up to retain Hill on a third contract when he turns 30, which is interesting considering they self-diagnosed the issues on defense this past year as retaining too many aging players. They added Slaton in free agency as a two-down nose tackle to try and further shore up the interior.

Apart from that, their biggest outside addition was a dart throw on Burks to try and recreate what the Eagles did with Zack Baun. The rest of Cincinnati’s moves have largely been re-signing players — again, interesting given how the self-critique was that the team got a little stale. 

Bills

Grade: C+

Buffalo’s biggest moves this offseason were extensions for homegrown players, rewarding Bernard, Shakir and Rousseau as draft picks who developed into solid starters. Allen got an updated deal as well. It’s a good way for teams to make use of the rising cap and avoid rolling the dice on riskier options in free agency. 

The Bills had a few of those, too, and already lost to some degree on the deals for Hoecht and Ogunjobi. Both will miss six games due to suspensions for PED use. Bosa has serious availability concerns as well. When healthy, he’s an impact player at Buffalo’s biggest position of need. He’s just rarely been healthy over the past three years and the Bills are forking over eight figures. 

Buffalo also put up a big deal for Palmer, who is probably an average starter and is still just 25. But the receiver market has grown so much that these mid-range deals carry some risk and there’s a case to be made that teams should look to the draft rather than dip into this pool.  

Broncos

Grade: B+

Denver had a top-five defense last year, then went out and made a strength stronger in free agency, adding Hufanga and Greenlaw as new starters who should upgrade two areas where the Broncos were weak in 2024. They also re-signed Jones as the starting nose tackle, though I like the value less for that deal. 

On offense, the Broncos landed Engram after he was cut by the Jaguars in a solid move that should give HC Sean Payton a mismatch weapon at tight end that he lacked in 2024. There’s still work for the Broncos to do on offense to build around QB Bo Nix but they unquestionably got better this offseason. 

Browns

Grade: C

The Browns have continued to insist they can compete in 2025 despite the numerous holes on the roster, including at quarterback, and the major financial challenges. If taken at their word, then this offseason has been fine. Smoothing things over with Garrett after his trade request is a big win, and moves like adding Lucas, Tryon-Shoyinka and Bush are solid win-on-the-margins signings. Collins is pricy but brings some interior pass-rush juice, which the team needed. Pickett’s not inspiring but a fifth-round pick for a former first-rounder to compete as a backup is not a bad deal. Jenkins is the most fascinating signing, even though it’s not yet clear where he’s going to play. 

The bigger issue is with the Browns’ overall approach to the offseason. This team has been unable to assess itself honestly for a few years now and stayed committed to QB Deshaun Watson far longer than it should have because of that blind spot. Cleveland’s refusal to consider a rebuild or reset seems like a further continuation of that delusion. It won’t stop a rebuild from happening at some point, it will just draw things out even longer. 

Buccaneers

Grade: A-

It hasn’t been a flashy offseason for the Bucs but they got great value in retaining Godwin, keeping the core of the offense intact for 2025. Retaining Bredeson accomplished something similar. The biggest outside addition was Reddick who arrives on a one-year deal to bolster a pass rush that struggled to get home without blitzing. Last year was weird with Reddick’s contract squabble, but he should be a lot more productive without that cloud hanging over his head. 

David returns for another season with some gas still in the tank. Walker should help the rest of the room which was a major weakness last year, but regardless, expect linebacker to be a priority in the draft. 

Cardinals

Grade: C+

Arizona was in the top five in available cap space heading into free agency, and they definitely spent with eight-figure deals for Sweat and Tomlinson to improve the front seven. Yet overall the Cardinals were less active than I expected them to be. This is a big year for them as it’s the third year for GM Monti Ossenfort and HC Jonathan Gannon, who have been rebuilding the roster for two seasons. It should be time to kick things into gear with results. Yet it doesn’t seem like Arizona treated free agency that way. 

It’s quite possible they were unenthused by the players available and elected to save their money. Cap space can roll over after all. Still, it’s not quite the talent infusion, particularly in the front seven, that I expected Arizona to chase. 

Chargers

Grade: B

Los Angeles had over $80 million in cap space to spend entering free agency but in hindsight, GM Joe Hortiz wasn’t going to go crazy given his background with the Ravens front office. The Chargers signed just two outside free agents to multi-year deals, Becton and Jackson. Their other big splashes were to keep Mack and Molden after quality years from both veterans on defense, and to add Harris on a one-year deal in the backfield. 

Becton and Harris are perfect fits for the smashmouth style the Chargers want to play with. Jackson provides some veteran insurance for the secondary at an affordable rate. James is solid competition for Bozeman and a rookie could be added to this mix as well. The rest of the deals are to shore up depth and role players, with the reunion with Williams at receiver an interesting one if he has gas left in the tank and last year was just a fluke. 

Overall, the Chargers didn’t lose any ground in the AFC West and didn’t make a lot of risky free agent investments. But it’s fair to wonder if they missed an opportunity by not being more aggressive with their war chest of assets, like swinging a trade for Metcalf for example or chasing a major pass rush upgrade. 

Chiefs

Grade: B-

I like how the Chiefs spent to keep Smith even though he was a guard, as the position has grown in importance in recent years and Smith is a top-shelf player at the position. Trading Thuney and using the savings to sign Moore at left tackle is more of a risk. Left tackle is a big need for Kansas City and Moore flashed when he entered the lineup late last season for the 49ers. But the sample size is small and the Chiefs now have question marks at both left guard and left tackle. 

Chiefs DC Steve Spagnuolo stumped hard to keep Bolton and got his wish, and Brown comes back on a one-year deal to try and put together the big season he was supposed to have before a preseason injury. Fulton is a streaky player who the Chiefs are rolling the dice on to shore up one of their outside corner spots, and that deal is a boom-or-bust proposition. Mitchell is a sneaky signing because he brings an explosive element that the backfield lacked last year. 

Colts

Grade: B

Colts GM Chris Ballard followed up on his promise to be more aggressive this year and attacked the secondary which was a major weakness in 2025. Bynum is a terrific fit with new DC Lou Anarumo, and Ward was outstanding in 2023 before a tough year on and off the field in 2024. He’s turning 29 this offseason so there’s a fair amount of risk for that contract. Time will tell if Ballard picked the right free agent cornerback to swing on. 

The other big goal for the Colts this offseason was to add competition for QB Anthony Richardson and they’ve accomplished that with Jones. He gives them a viable alternative who can hurt defenses with his legs as well. Ideally, Richardson wins the competition and takes a step forward with Jones nipping at his heels. If not, the Colts are in a better spot at the position than last year. 

Commanders

Grade: B

Washington has been one of the busiest teams of the offseason and a lot of that action has been retaining pieces from last year’s NFC title team, including Wagner, Ertz and nearly a dozen others. The Commanders have made some big splashes to try and build on that success, too, swinging trades for Samuel and Tunsil and spending big on Kinlaw to replace DT Jonathan Allen. 

Tunsil’s one of the best left tackles in football, so to land him and not give up a first-round pick was solid work by Washington. Samuel is pricy but Washington had cap space to burn this year and his potential unique impact on the offense is worth a fifth-round pick to test drive for a year. The swap at defensive tackle is more curious, as the only thing Kinlaw has over Allen is youth, even with Allen hitting 30 this year. Kinlaw wasn’t particularly impressive with the Jets last year and that was in a good scheme for defensive linemen.

I’d have liked if the Commanders did more to address the edge rushing group and there’s some risk with the Samuel move but it does feel like Washington isn’t resting on its laurels from last year. 

Cowboys

Grade: B+

The vibes around the Cowboys don’t seem great for the second consecutive offseason but quietly Dallas has had a much better roster-building season already than the year prior. Keeping Odighizuwa was a coup considering what other defensive tackles made on the open market. After that, the Cowboys have focused mainly on low-risk, high-reward signings — such as acquiring former first-round picks on cheap deals or low-cost trades. 

Fowler had 10.5 sacks last year, more than he had the two previous years with the Cowboys combined, and should provide a solid veteran presence across from Micah Parsons along with some other young players Dallas is hoping take a step forward. The Cowboys added some competition at other need areas like guard, linebacker, running back and cornerback, setting themselves up to go true BPA in the draft. Not all of those signings will pan out — sometimes you get what you pay for in free agency — but the Cowboys put themselves in a position to get value back without risking a whole lot. 

If there are some nits to pick, it’s that the Cowboys might have picked the wrong running backs to roll the dice on, letting Rico Dowdle leave after he notched 1,000 yards rushing and signing Williams and Sanders, both who were far less efficient and productive last year. Dallas also still isn’t doing itself any favors by waiting so long to commit to Parsons on a long-term deal. But by and large, the Cowboys have quietly set themselves up well. 

Dolphins

Grade: B

With cap limitations imposed by big-money deals for QB Tua Tagovailoa, WR Tyreek Hill, CB Jalen Ramsey and WR Jaylen Waddle (even with getting LT Terron Armstead and OLB Bradley Chubb to take pay cuts), the Dolphins took a shotgun approach to free agency, signing as many low-cost deals as possible to address needs and set themselves up for the draft. Their biggest deal is also their best deal, inking Daniels for $8 million a year when other guards were signing for two or three times that amount. A torn Achilles clouds Daniels’ outlook a little but before going down he was playing outstanding football and Miami has a big need on the offensive line. 

Most of Miami’s other deals were for depth or role players, including Wilson at quarterback. That one has the potential to be the most impactful given Tagovailoa’s injury history, and Wilson does have a snappy release that could fit the offense well. We just haven’t seen HC Mike McDaniel have success on offense with anyone except for Tagovailoa yet, and we haven’t seen Wilson have real success anywhere in the NFL. 

Eagles

Grade: A-

The Eagles didn’t have a ton of cap space this offseason because they’ve already spent up to build a Super Bowl-winning roster. They had to say goodbye to DE Josh Sweat, DT Milton Williams and CB Darius Slay, among others, but were able to keep Baun on a deal that compares pretty favorably to the rest of his position after his All-Pro year.

After that, it was mostly deals to attack the margins. Eagles GM Howie Roseman flipped Pickett for roughly equivalent value to what he gave up to trade for him last year. He dealt Gardner-Johnson for a 2026 pick swap and Green, saving several million in the process. While Gardner-Johnson is a better player right now than Green, it’s easier and cheaper to find starting safeties than it is starting guards and Eagles OL coach Jeff Stoutland has a new former first-round reclamation project to work with. Uche and Ojulari are solid flyers on bendy pass rushers to rebuild the rotation after losing Sweat. 

Falcons

Grade: D

The Falcons admittedly had their hands tied to a degree this offseason because of the $100 million guaranteed they handed QB Kirk Cousins last year. They’re on the hook for $27.5 million guaranteed still in 2025 and there hasn’t been much of a trade appetite from other teams to take that on given how Cousins faded and was benched last year. 

Atlanta kept Cousins and allowed another $10 million to become guaranteed in 2026 rather than cut him and let him sign for the veteran minimum elsewhere. This keeps a viable backup on the roster instead of needing to sign another and preserves the chance to possibly trade Cousins and recoup some kind of value. It also creates a potential distraction, so we’ll see how it shakes out. 

But the Falcons have continued to make other curious decisions. One of their biggest multi-year deals was for Deablo, who has been starting for the past three years for the Raiders. The Falcons had at minimum an equivalent, if not better, player in LB Nathan Landman who they declined to tender as a restricted free agent. Even with Landman walking, they had two other linebackers they wanted to get on the field in Kaden Elliss and Troy Andersen. Focusing on a third linebacker when there are bigger needs up front and in the back end is head-scratching. 

Atlanta did add Floyd, albeit at a bit of a premium for a 32-year-old edge rusher. They cut DT Grady Jarrett for $16 million in cap savings, which is understandable, but have held on to fellow DT David Onyemata when they could have added another $7.5 million in cap space to reallocate for help on defense. Perhaps they’re planning to squat on Onyemata for a pay cut later in the summer when the cash and jobs have dried up and they have more leverage. Yet they’re still potentially missing a chance to upgrade.  

The Falcons haven’t tried to aggressively restructure to do more in free agency, which is a disciplined approach. They did sign Matthews to a two-year extension when he’s already 33 and had two years remaining on his deal, likely to lower his 2025 cap hit. It’s an example of the ramifications of how Atlanta handled the quarterback position with Cousins and Michael Penix last year, which was hotly debated at the time and looks like it will continue to be. 

Giants

Grade: B

The moves the Giants have made so far all make a lot of sense in a vacuum. New York paid a premium for Adebo and Holland when both weren’t coming off their best seasons. But both players are still just 25 and could have their best football ahead of them. Free agency is always a gamble, so it makes more sense to gamble on players where the upside is greater. Both fill significant holes on defense for the Giants. 

It’s ironic, though, to see the Giants spend big on a safety after letting S Xavier McKinney walk last year and have an All-Pro year with the Packers. It’s also, let’s say interesting, to see the Giants pay Slayton essentially the same amount they were willing to pay Barkley last year when Slayton has been annually underappreciated in New York, including being regularly on the trade block, being forced into a pay cut and rejected when he asked for a raise last year after outperforming his contract. 

That context should temper praise for GM Joe Schoen, who also made some necessary reinforcements on both sides of the line of scrimmage with deals for Golston, Robertson-Harris and Hudson. Defensive tackle depth was a major issue as was the lack of a viable swing tackle. Schoen has now moved to correct those mistakes as well but it doesn’t erase the past. 

The biggest offseason question for the Giants remains unanswered. Signing Winston gives New York some competence at the position but he’s unlikely to be a long-term answer and the Giants are likely going to try to make more moves there to inspire more confidence about the future. How it turns out will probably determine how this offseason ends up being viewed, solid as it looks from here. 

Jaguars

Grade: C

Jacksonville was active in free agency again this year but made it a point to shop in the middle tier instead of at the top of the market like in prior years with former GM Trent Baalke. It’ll be interesting to see if that’s a better strategy. The Jaguars paid less for players individually but it’s unclear if they avoided overpaying.

Lewis was a quality slot corner last year with the Cowboys, but the Jaguars just made him one of the league’s highest-paid nickels at $10 million a year going into his age-30 season. Corner play can be volatile and Lewis’ previous deals reflected that with averages of $4.5 million and $2.8 million. Murray got a rock-solid deal too at nearly $7 million a year with guarantees into the second year. He’s been versatile the last four years with the Texans but not much of a needle mover and his snap counts have varied wildly. 

Brown got $10 million after a career year in 2024 — which was 30 catches, 308 yards and a touchdown. He’s at least young and fast so the Jaguars are betting there’s some untapped potential. Mekari and Hainsey are cheaper than a lot of other interior linemen who signed last week but neither were full-time players for their former teams, at least not until this past year for Mekari. 

Jets

Grade: C+

Keeping Sherwood was the Jets’ best move, as he’s an ascending player who is a successful developmental story. His deal looks big at face value but he was a hot commodity as a free agent this year. With New York cutting veteran LB C.J. Mosley, keeping Sherwood keeps linebacker a strength for the team. 

Signing Fields was the team’s most notable move, and it’s emblematic of the theme for the Jets this offseason. Fields, Cisco, Stephens, Okorafor and Myers were all notable draft picks for their previous teams and plus-level athletes. All have underachieved to varying degrees. The Jets are betting they have the coaching and support systems to get the best out of these players and succeed where their previous teams failed. It’s a bold stance considering first-time HC Aaron Glenn and GM Darren Mougey are unproven in their current roles. But we’ll see how it all shakes out. 

Lions

Grade: B

The Lions had the resources to make more splashes if they wanted but Detroit instead largely elected to make tweaks to what has looked like one of the best teams in the NFC for two years now. The biggest signing was Reed, who is a textbook fit for the gritty locker room culture the Lions prize as much or more than anything else when evaluating players. It’s a big salary number for a cornerback getting dangerously close to 30 but the team hopes Reed will be a necessary veteran presence and raise the floor of a scrappy yet inexperienced cornerback room. 

Aside from Reed, Detroit went bargain shopping. They brought back Davenport and Onwuzurike on one-year prove-it deals with the hope that better or continued good health can allow both players to unlock their potential. Lopez is the other notable outside signing and he’s primarily been a run specialist. Detroit added more experienced competition to the back end of its cornerback room with Ya-Sin and Maddox, and both those moves could pay dividends next year. 

Packers

Grade: C+

There wasn’t much controversy over what the Packers needed this offseason, just a discussion about which positions they should/would prioritize between cornerback, offensive line, pass rusher and wide receiver. Packers GM Brian Gutekunst spoke loud and clear about where his concerns were in free agency, putting $125 million in total value on bringing in Banks and Hobbs to fortify the offensive line and secondary. 

The Packers are on the hook for far less given the way they structure their deals with no guarantees past the first season but those are still significant contracts. Banks got over $19 million per year and is now the sixth-highest-paid guard in football. He’s a decent player but got paid like a great one, and it’s a big departure for a Packers team that historically has had tons of success mining quality starters as good or better than Banks from the middle rounds. 

Hobbs’ deal is easier to justify, as he had flashes in his first four seasons with the Raiders and can play in the slot or outside. Staying healthy is his biggest concern. Though the Packers were linked as a potential trade suitor for Metcalf, a cheap deal for Hardman is much more in the mold of how Gutekunst has treated the position since taking over. He brings speed and big-game experience but it’s equally likely he’s beat out for a roster spot by Bo Melton than it is he transforms into a notable contributor. 

Panthers

Grade: B

At first glance, it looks like Carolina brought back a lot of players from a five-win team. Most of those were bright spots in a rough year, however. Horn was the team’s only Pro Bowl player and his $25 million APY was quickly superseded by the deal the Texans gave CB Derek Stingley. Jackson exceeded expectations as well and will get a chance to defend his starting job.

Carolina also put a lot of resources in maintaining the depth on the offensive line, bringing back Corbett, Mays and Christensen. That’s a promising sign for 2025, as last year’s team built an identity by being physical up front and gouging opponents with the offensive line and running game. Getting Dowdle on a cheap deal makes a strength stronger for the Panthers. 

Shoring up a historically inept defense was always going to be a top priority for the Panthers but with a generally weak free agent class, doing so effectively was always going to be a challenge. Carolina was active, signing Moehrig, Wharton, Jones and Brown to significant contracts. Time will tell if the Panthers effectively upgraded their talent level on that side of the ball.

Moehrig got the biggest deal of any free agent safety this offseason but it’s not clear if he’s really a better option than players like Bynum and Holland. Scheme fit is important for safeties and Moehrig had his best season playing closer to the line of scrimmage for the Raiders last year. Wharton flashed in Kansas City but got paid like an established producer. Jones and Brown were signed to be role players, and Brown’s deal might ultimately be the best value of these four. 

Patriots

Grade: B

New Patriots HC Mike Vrabel hinted before free agency that the 2025 Patriots roster would look radically different than the 2024 version, and he was true to his word. New England was one of the most active teams in free agency this offseason and radically overhauled the defense in anticipation of the biggest scheme change the Patriots have had on that side of the ball in literally decades. The Patriots tossed out huge deals for Williams, Davis, Spillane and Landry, all players who had past experience with current coaches or executives. The goal was to become quicker, and more dynamic while patching holes on a unit that was almost as bad as the offense last year, even if it didn’t attract the same criticism. 

Unfortunately the Patriots weren’t able to give the offense the same kind of overhaul. Massive needs still remain on the offensive line and at pass catcher. New England signed Moses and swooped in to add Bradbury when the Vikings released him after signing a new center, but both are band-aid solutions. Left tackle remains a glaring need, as does receiver. Hollins is a fun player and has been a fan favorite everywhere he’s played, but he’s a No. 4 or No. 3 wideout at best. 

Top wideouts and left tackles aren’t regularly available in free agency but what stings is the Patriots once again made hard runs at targets at those positions, just like last year when they also had a wealth of cap space available, and were turned down. That will put a ton of pressure on the team to find solutions in the draft, which they failed to do last year. 

Raiders

Grade: B+

Las Vegas’ trade for Smith could end up the shrewdest quarterback transaction of the offseason, as it was a significant upgrade for an eminently reasonable cost in a year where lots of teams are competing for uninspiring options at the position. It doesn’t turn the Raiders into contenders but it significantly raises the floor for a team that hasn’t won a playoff game since 2002. 

Still, new Raiders HC Pete Carroll has his work cut out for him to try and snap that drought. There were major defections on defense in free agency and Las Vegas largely sat out the market despite having stacks of cap space available. Their two big outside signings were middle to lower-tier starter deals for Cappa after he was cut by the Bengals and for Chinn to replace Moehrig. Instead, the Raiders directed their efforts into keeping players like Koonce and Butler, plus a brand-new deal for franchise cornerstone Crosby. The Raiders defensive line looks like it could be one of the better units in football, so there’s an identity to build around on that side of the ball. Smith will get a significant extension as well. 

Major holes still remain, however, at receiver, running back, linebacker and cornerback despite the Raiders signing some low-cost veterans to compete for roles like Mostert, Roberts and Stokes. The plan evidently is to try and build through the draft, as the Raiders had money to make more moves at all those positions and elected not to. 

Rams

Grade: A-

There’s some room to quibble with the value of some of the deals the Rams gave out. For instance, $10 million to Atwell when he’s never been able to consistently push himself above fourth on the depth chart despite being a second-round pick who spent four years in Los Angeles is curious. He’s fast but the Rams are paying a premium for that speed. They’re also forking over a lot of guaranteed money to a 32-year-old Adams after eating cash to cut a 31-year-old Kupp. 

But Adams was more productive than Kupp last year and topped 1,000 yards receiving despite playing for two different teams and missing three games. He’s also got a different skillset, one that’s more suited to beating man coverage. He adds another weapon for QB Matthew Stafford, who the Rams were able to keep on a reworked deal that the details are not yet available for. Los Angeles reinforced the rest of the team around Stafford as well, bringing back Shelton to start at center most likely and snaring the All-Underrated team headliner Ford to start at nose tackle. Landman is an under-the-radar signing to watch, too, considering how weak the Rams have been at linebacker and his production in 2023 for the Falcons when he was healthy. 

Ravens

Grade: A

Baltimore’s work this offseason stands out when considering how little financial flexibility the Ravens had. They could not afford to lose Stanley and take a major step back at left tackle considering how sparse the other options were this offseason, and retaining him for just $20 million a year while other teams had to pay surge pricing for lesser alternatives was a major coup. 

The Ravens also kept Ricard and Washington for low-cost deals and both players have been key starters. Hopkins is nearing the end of his career but can be a sure-handed ancillary option for the passing attack and his contract is not out of line with other No. 3 or No. 4 receivers. Backup quarterback has been an under-the-radar hole for several seasons and Baltimore signed one of the league’s best in Rush. 

Saints

Grade: D

There was a fork in the road for the Saints this offseason following the in-season firing of former HC Dennis Allen. Saints GM Mickey Loomis could have taken the opportunity to embrace more changes and radically reset an organization that has been floundering in mediocrity and finally bottomed out in 2024. Instead, Loomis quadrupled down once again on the idea that tweaks are all that’s needed instead of a full-scale rebuild, which perhaps shouldn’t be surprising considering Loomis would have stayed the course with Allen if the decision had been 100 percent his to make. 

The Saints restructured QB Derek Carr, committing to him for another season despite doubts from both him and new HC Kellen Moore about whether it was the right fit because restructuring Carr’s contract was the only way to both retain players from last year like Young and Johnson while still adding new (ish) blood in Reid and Cooks. Young was better than his sack total from last year suggests and Reid is solid. Johnson is an interesting player as well who was drawing interest from the Broncos and former Saints HC Sean Payton. 

Yet none of these moves address the biggest issue with the Saints — they’re stale and have been for a couple of years now. They’ve spent too much time committing and re-committing to players and methods that once served them well, but in the process have forgotten that the NFL evolves quickly and teams are left behind much more easily than they stay ahead. Signing Cooks, a former New Orleans first-round pick who hasn’t topped 1,000 yards since 2021 and had just 259 yards last year, is one of many examples. So is forcing another season with Carr when it’s clear he and the city have not been a good fit together. 

Seahawks

Grade: C

The Seahawks missed the playoffs last year but won 10 games and entered this offseason seemingly only needing to make a few tweaks. First-year HC Mike Macdonald had the defense on a positive trajectory and the offense had a solid nucleus of talent to build off of. The interior offensive line needed a major boost but otherwise Seattle seemed right on the cusp of becoming a serious contender.

So naturally the Seahawks traded their starting quarterback and highest-profile receiver while declining to sign any guard or center of real note.

It’s a major gambit by GM John Schneider, who is quietly starting to feel some heat as the Seahawks haven’t won a playoff game since 2019. There’s some rationale with the switch from Smith to Darnold, as the latter is several years younger and signed for cheaper than what Smith was asking. But Smith did a lot to paper over flaws in Seattle’s offense the last few years, flaws that could be exacerbated by how the offseason has played out. Seattle will have to ace the draft or coach the heck out of players already on the roster to get better on the offensive line. And while Kupp is a clean schematic fit for new OC Klint Kubiak, the Seahawks will lose a lot without Metcalf’s field-stretching abilities. 

The good news for the Seahawks is there’s a lot of reason to be optimistic about the defense Macdonald is building, and that side of the ball retained key players like Reed and Jones while adding to the front four with Lawrence. It’s possible the defense will have to carry the Seahawks to success just like it did in the last decade. 

Steelers

Grade: C+

It’s hard to totally grade the Steelers’ free agency period because there’s a high chance they have yet to make their most notable move. It’s near the end of March and Pittsburgh is still courting potential starting QB Aaron Rodgers. If the Steelers reel him in, the vision the team is selling this offseason looks a lot more credible. Steelers HC Mike Tomlin cited a need to be more explosive and dangerous as a passing attack when he turned back to QB Russell Wilson last year, surprising many including colleagues inside the building. The huge swing for Metcalf makes a lot of sense in that context, even with the potential volatility from paying him big bucks and adding him to a receiver room that includes George Pickens in a contract year. 

It makes far less sense if the person piloting that hopeful “explosive and dangerous” passing attack is Rudolph. Even with Rodgers, there will be major challenges getting all the pieces in Pittsburgh to fit together. Tomlin will be tested in ways he hasn’t in his long and winning career. 

Texans

Grade: C+

The Texans get credit for recognizing they needed to change things up on offense, and especially on the offensive line, rather than running everything back and hoping for better results. Houston is moving on from three starters, its offensive coordinator and its OL coach from this past year. 

The challenge is that not only is it unclear whether guys like Tomlinson and Ingram are upgrades over players like Green and veteran G Shaq Mason, the Texans also now have to replace one of the best left tackles in football after trading Tunsil to Washington. In terms of value, the Texans got a bushel of picks and cleared significant cash from their books, so they weren’t ripped off, even if the best pick in the deal doesn’t come until 2026. They just have to work around the hole at left tackle, one of the hardest positions in the sport to fill. 

Robinson and Brown are clear downgrades from Tunsil but are significantly cheaper. Offensive line play is interconnected as well, so it’s possible to a degree to have worse players but a better starting five — at least that seems to be what the Texans are hoping for. 

As far as the other moves, there was a big emphasis on keeping the defensive line strong by adding Rankins back to the defensive tackle room following a disappointing year in Cincinnati, as well as retaining rotational players like Barnett and Edwards. The trade for Kirk looks like a replacement for WR Stefon Diggs in the slot. Kirk is younger and healthier, though he’s not coming cheap financially. 

Titans

Grade: B

While the Titans absolutely overpaid for Moore as the new starting left tackle, it actually fits in well with the overall vision of what Tennessee is trying to build this offseason. The offensive line was a fatal flaw for last year’s team, particularly on the right side where they just didn’t have enough NFL-caliber bodies. By signing Moore and the veteran Zeitler, Tennessee has dramatically upgraded its starting five by allowing 2024 first-round OT JC Latham to switch back to the right side and having a competent replacement in hand on the left in Moore. If the Titans take a quarterback with the No. 1 pick, which is what the current signs are pointing to, that player will have the benefit of a much better starting five than his predecessor. 

The Titans got better (although not outstanding) value with several of their other signings, including Joseph-Day, Woods, Jones and Barton. Those four should help a defense that had some flashes last year but was often put in a bad position by turnovers from the offense. 

Vikings

Grade: B

Minnesota threw around a lot of money in free agency with a clear goal — upgrade both sides of the line of scrimmage and re-establish the running game. The Vikings handed out two of the top three contracts signed by running backs this offseason, retaining Jones on the biggest deal of any pending free agent back and inking Mason to the third-highest APY after trading for him. And those deals paled in comparison to the others. 

The Vikings double-dipped at defensive tackle with players who had been cut by their former teams, signing Allen and Hargrave to contracts worth over $15 million a year. Both were let go because of their age and doubts about how much they had in the tank but Minnesota is betting they’ll be just what DC Brian Flores needs to continue to stay on the cutting edge with his defensive scheme. On offense, one of the biggest weaknesses was the interior offensive line, so the Vikings added two new starters by handing huge deals to two former Colts players. Fries played just a handful of games last year but the Vikings saw enough to make sure they won the bidding war for his services. Kelly is getting older but the Vikings still gave him a deal that ranks seventh among all centers. 

The spending didn’t stop there with big deals to retain as much of the secondary as possible with Murphy, Smith and Jackson, plus a mid-range shot on Rodgers as a potential upside play. All told, the Vikings spent big to address their needs in free agency, including on aging players. Time will tell if those were wise investments. 

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