NFLTR Review: Free Agency Grades For All 32 Teams

By
Logan Ulrich
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Free agency is mostly done, which means we can analyze how your favorite team fared this March:

  • Four teams land A’s
  • 10 others scrape by with C’s — and two get D’s
  • Best & worst signings

Free Agency Grades

Free agency grades usually come down to two big questions. 

Did your team get better? 

Did they get good value? 

With those two questions in mind, here’s a look at every team’s notable moves so far in free agency, and a grade of how they did. 

49ers

The headliner here is obviously Hargrave and he got a monstrous deal. In terms of average annual salary, this was the biggest deal handed out to a non-quarterback free agent at a hefty $21 million per year. Hargrave absolutely benefited from the rising market at defensive tackle, as well as from his astronomical 18.5 sacks over the past two seasons. He’s 30 years old and this is his third contract, so there’s some risk here for San Francisco. That’s lessened by the fact he’s joining an already stacked defensive line with DE Nick Bosa and DT Arik Armstead, so opponents still won’t be able to key in on him. And with some teams, you just give them the benefit of the doubt when it comes to certain positions. That’s the case with San Francisco and defensive linemen, which is what makes the Ferrell signing somewhat intriguing as well even though he busted with the Raiders. 

The 49ers made another intriguing move with Darnold, who gives them a layer of insurance at backup quarterback with both Brock Purdy and Trey Lance dealing with health/experience questions. Bringing back Brendel minimizes the turnover along the offensive line, and Oliver and Hartsfield are dart throws at shoring up the slot corner position. Feliciano has starting experience and versatility at either guard or center. 

Overall, there’s definitely some risk with these moves, particularly Hargrave, but a fair amount of upside if they pan out. 

Grade: B+

Bears

We touched on this a little bit last week with our immediate free agency takeaways, but the Bears entered the offseason with the most cap space of any team ever and came away from the first wave with two starting linebackers and a starting guard. They needed help at those spots to be sure, but it’s worth asking whether the Bears got bang for their buck. Then again, there’s value in just trying to hit singles and doubles in free agency, and it’s relatively easy to project Edwards, Edmunds and Davis fitting with Chicago’s system. Edmunds in particular has the potential to be a rare franchise cornerstone free agent find, as he doesn’t turn 25 until May. 

As free agency turned to the second wave, the Bears did a little better for themselves. Billings, Tonyan and Foreman are all role players more than high-level starters but they fill positions of need and hit that sweet spot in terms of conceivable upside paired with minimal risk. Foreman fills the hammer role left by RB David Montgomery and has been quite effective as a pure rusher the past two seasons with the Panthers and Titans. Tonyan also brings a lot to the table as a red zone threat and blocker. 

Grade: B

Bengals

Getting Brown was a coup that no one, not even in Cincinnati, could have foreseen when free agency started. But the veteran’s market was weaker than he probably expected, which is unfortunate but sometimes how these things go. A signing bonus of $31 million should help him get over an average annual salary that’s pretty ordinary for the left tackle position, and in two years he might be able to get an extension or renegotiation, which is a future problem for the Bengals to file away for when that time comes. In the meantime, they fell into a steal to shore up the blind side for QB Joe Burrow. 

The Bengals lost a few other free agents they weren’t expecting to, which freed up money to go after Brown. They did keep Pratt on a reasonable contract and filled a hole at safety with the underrated Scott. Ford is a nice depth piece with some possible upside, as his game should fit Cincinnati’s system better than Buffalo’s. 

The Bengals entered free agency in a really good spot, and somehow despite losing both starting safeties they managed to get better overall. Hats off to them. 

Grade: A

Bills

Buffalo didn’t have a ton of cap flexibility and as a result they were priced out of the market to re-sign Edmunds. Instead of trying to match the Bears, they elected to keep Poyer and sign Harty and McGovern over re-signing Edmunds. Poyer makes safety less of a need but linebacker is now a big hole. Harty replaces McKenzie as a slot receiver and return specialist, and the Bills paid a premium for someone they think can upgrade both roles. 

McGovern is an interesting bet to try and stabilize the offensive line, as he’ll replace veteran G Rodger Saffold whose deal expired. He had some rough moments in Dallas but there’s a belief his best football is in front of him. Harris is a good get to try and improve the run game, as he provides a physical alternative to QB Josh Allen the team just hasn’t had for a few seasons. 

The offseason isn’t over but as it stands now, the Bills look like they got a little bit worse. They’ll need to be diligent to hunt for values in the second and third waves of free agency, and acing the draft would be a big boost. 

Grade: C+

Broncos

Denver was a little bit of a surprise spender this offseason given how much they already have invested in QB Russell Wilson. But with depreciated draft capital from that trade and a little bit of flexibility with the lower cap hits earlier in Wilson’s deal, this actually was the most realistic way for the Broncos to try and upgrade after a disappointing 2022 season. 

New HC Sean Payton clearly had a major hand in these moves and you can see a theme. The Broncos want to run the ball and stop the run better than they did last year. Denver paid a premium with McGlinchey and Powers to get upgrades in at right tackle and left guard — while I wouldn’t have pegged Powers as an upgrade over previous Broncos LG Dalton Risner a week ago, he got paid and Risner remains available — and Manhertz is a top-shelf blocking tight end. Perine’s known more for his pass-blocking prowess than anything else but he’s also a physical player who gives Denver some insurance in their backfield. 

This suggests a shift back to a similar style of offense that Wilson was accustomed to playing with the Seahawks and that he was most successful in. And if there are issues with Wilson, Payton now has an alternative after making Stidham one of the NFL’s highest-paid backups. Denver gets points for the clear vision all of these signings fit into but gets dinged slightly for value. 

Over on defense, keeping Singleton means the team doesn’t have to go find a new starter at linebacker and they already know how Allen fits in new DC Vance Joseph’s defense because he’s played his entire career in the system. 

Grade: B

Browns

Up until this week, the Browns had put a clear priority on the defensive side of the ball, specifically adding juice to the defensive line. Cleveland beefed up their rotation with Okoronkwo, Hurst and Hill, the latter two of whom just signed deals around the minimum. The investment in Okoronkwo was much larger, and while his previous career-high of 4.5 sacks isn’t impressive, there are some advanced metrics that suggest he could be a high-impact player across from DE Myles Garrett. 

Tomlinson was signed to be a starter and plug a porous Browns run defense. Tomlinson just turned 29 but remains one of the best run stuffers at the position. Two years ago he signed a two-year, $21 million deal, so this is a nice raise, which you don’t often see for third contracts. It’s been a good offseason to be a defensive tackle. 

I really liked the Thornhill signing and until the team traded for Moore it was my favorite move of the offseason for the Browns. He’s still relatively young and a great athlete whose best football could easily be ahead of him. He just needs to play with more discipline, which has been a big issue for the Browns’ secondary as a whole. 

The Moore move is potentially a big win. He was outstanding as a rookie and looked like he had a bright future in New York. But Jets QB Zach Wilson’s struggles majorly impacted him last season. He fell out of the offense and voiced his frustrations, requesting a trade while the Jets’ record was still pretty solid. And while he remained with the team and the two sides seemed to make up for a little bit, his role in the offense never recovered. The talent is still there, though. If the Browns were going to open up their offense more around QB Deshaun Watson in Year 2, they needed another legit receiving threat. They might have found one with Moore. 

Grade: B+

Buccaneers

Tampa Bay has been able to keep a surprising number of their free agents and didn’t have to break the bank to do it. Keeping Dean at just $13 million a year, less than they paid CB Carlton Davis to stay last year, was a coup. So was getting David to forego other opportunities and stay with the team that drafted him. Stinnie and Nelson are solid role players and guys like Edmonds and Gaines are interesting players in that same vein. 

And then of course there’s Mayfield, who is pretty far removed from being the talk of the league as the former No. 1 pick. How well he plays is going to be a major factor in how bad or good the Bucs end up being in 2023. If he can play within himself, manage the game, avoid turnovers and get the ball to Tampa Bay’s excellent receivers, the Bucs could be frisky in a wide-open NFC South. 

Then again, this is the bet the Panthers made last year and it was a disaster. It had as much to do with their coaching as it did Mayfield, but there are similar questions about the Buccaneers heading into 2023 too. If they miss on Mayfield, it’ll at least be a cheap swing. And the bottom line is that the Bucs’ season looks less DOA than it did at the start of free agency. They didn’t have a good hand to play with given the $50+ million hole they started the offseason in but they’ve arguably played it about as well as they could. 

Grade: B-

Cardinals

With a new coach, new general manager, cap issues and tricky timing with QB Kyler Murray’s ACL rehab, the Cardinals already have a lot working against any on-field success in 2023. This is going to be a reset year and the team appears to be realistic about that. They’ve kept a few players around to give them a chance to impress HC Jonathan Gannon and GM Monti Ossenfort, and their only two outside additions so far have come from Gannon’s old squad to try and reset the culture. 

As a result, grading their free agency is a little tricky. It feels underwhelming when you look at it but that was always going to be the case. If I had to nitpick, they might have overpaid White, Prater and Hernandez by a little and Beachum is blocking some younger players from developmental snaps. 

The biggest move the Cardinals could have made was a trade, either moving back from No. 3 with a quarterback-needy team or unloading WR DeAndre Hopkins for strong draft pick compensation. Neither has happened yet, and the market for Hopkins is looking a little shaky. There’s still time, though, and the draft could spark something. 

Grade: C

Chargers

Los Angeles didn’t have a lot of cap space to work with this offseason even after restructuring several deals. They had to be judicious with their money and elected to spend to keep Pipkins at right tackle, which means they’ll have a good deal of continuity to work with on the offensive line. They got Fox on a good deal considering his contributions last season. Their only real outside addition so far is Kendricks at linebacker. It’ll be interesting to see how much he has left in the tank. 

Pipkins and Kendricks are slight gambles given Pipkins is still developing and Kendricks is older and shifting schemes. The Chargers got solid deals here, however. 

Grade: B-

Chiefs

For reasons outlined last week, the Taylor deal feels like a major risk to me if Kansas City follows through on playing him at left tackle. But at this point, GM Brett Veach, HC Andy Reid and QB Patrick Mahomes get the benefit of the doubt that they’ll make it work. 

The rest of the Chiefs’ moves are far less controversial. Omenihu gives them a starting edge rusher to replace DE Frank Clark with more help likely coming in the draft. He’s got some potential upside to his game to tap into as well. Tranquill and Edwards are potential steals at those prices. Kansas City knows Tranquill’s game well as an AFC West opponent the past four years and Edwards should fit easily into the team’s three-safety looks. 

Grade: C+

Colts

The Colts are another team that seems to be hitting a roster reset going into the 2023 season. They’ll likely have a rookie quarterback starting for at least a portion of the season, so they didn’t over-extend to keep any of their pending free agents. Gilmore didn’t fetch a ton in a trade but it’s more than he’d have returned if he left for nothing in free agency in 2024. 

Indianapolis’ biggest moves were for an edge rusher, giving Ebukam $9 million a year, and a kicker, splurging big on a four-year deal for Gay. That deal pushes him to No. 2 in salary behind only Ravens K Justin Tucker. That’s always a bit of a risk to invest that much in a kicker but Gay has been nails for three years now, with just six missed field goals in that time period on 80 attempts. 

Ebukam had some big fans and a fair amount of buzz around his market. In my personal opinion, I would have rather spent a little less and gone after Omenihu or a little more and kept DE Yannick Ngakoue. The former is younger and has more potential, while the latter has more proven pass-rush production. 

Speed will have a chance to prove he can make the transition from full-time special teamer to defensive starter but he’ll have some competition, either from current players or a draft pick. Minshew knows the system and is young enough to have some plausible upside. Hard to ask for much more in a backup signing. And assuming the Colts didn’t pay much for McKenzie, he fits in nicely as a speedy replacement at slot receiver for Campbell. 

Grade: C+

Commanders

Keeping Payne, and getting his deal done before other players pushed the market even higher, was the top priority for Washington this offseason. The team is going to try and make up for its weakness at quarterback by being strong along the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball, which is why they went after Gates and Wylie. Gates should start at center and Wylie at right tackle. Both are average at best but the offensive line is a position where the sum can be greater than each of the individual parts. 

Out of all the bridge quarterbacks/backups signed this offseason, Brissett got the most money, which could indicate he has the best chance to start. Currently his only competition is 2022 fifth-round QB Sam Howell, who started one game and completed 11 of 19 pass attempts for 169 yards, one touchdown and one interception while adding 35 yards rushing and another touchdown. It remains a little surprising this is all Washington is doing in a critical third season for HC Ron Rivera but we’ll see how the rest of the offseason plays out. 

The addition of Dantzler is a really interesting move. He was somewhat surprisingly waived before the start of free agency despite still being on his rookie contract. The past three years in Minnesota have been pretty up and down for Dantzler but he’s a much better fit in Washington’s defense than what the Vikings were going to run in 2023. There’s a chance the Commanders landed a starting corner off waivers. 

Grade: B-

Cowboys

Dallas has put on a masterclass in how to use cap space and late-round picks to take on players from rebuilding teams who in a vacuum would be worth much more. By trading for Gilmore and Cooks, the Cowboys landed rock-solid veterans at premium positions who could still be strong contributors on a contending team. The addition of Gilmore creates a real pickle for opposing offenses on which side of the field to target and should give Dallas’ other starting corner, Trevon Diggs, more opportunities to make plays on the ball. Cooks opens up the entire offense as a No. 2 receiver, as his speed and route running should help punish defenses who pay too much attention to WR CeeDee Lamb. 

The Cowboys have focused on retaining their own outside of those two moves, bringing back Wilson, Vander Esch, Fowler and Rush to reasonable deals and negotiating a pay cut with Smith, who can make it back with incentives. They’ll get another major chunk of cap space after June 1 when RB Ezekiel Elliott’s cap hit comes off the books, which will let them be aggressive during training camp and the first half of the season if they need to plug other holes that come up. For now, the roster is in good shape. 

Grade: A

Dolphins

Plucking Ramsey away from the Rams for just a third-round pick was a major steal for the Dolphins. He’d have been the clear No. 1 free agent available and as a cherry on top Miami didn’t even have to give him a raise. The fit in new Dolphins DC Vic Fangio’s scheme is perfect, there’s plenty of help around him and Ramsey still had a lot left in the tank last year. So far this is on the short list for one of the best moves of the offseason. 

White gives Miami some experience at backup quarterback, although he’s had a bit of an injury history in his short career so far. At some point, though, the Dolphins just need better luck at this position. 

Long hasn’t played a full season yet but he also could be a steal at that value. His coverage ability in particular will be an asset as Miami transitions schemes. Guys like Mostert, Wilson, Van Ginkel and Needham were solid starters or role players for the Dolphins in 2022 and came back on deals that didn’t break the bank. 

Grade: A

Eagles

Eagles GM Howie Roseman has done his best to fight the power of entropy this offseason. The list of free agents the Eagles have lost includes Hargrave, Sanders, Seumalo, Gardner-Johnson, Edwards, Dillard, White, Epps and several other starters and key role players on what was the best team in the NFC. But Roseman was able to work out deals to keep Kelce, Graham, Bradberry, Cox and Slay, despite a cap situation that’s the least flexible in the league right now. 

We’ve seen Super Bowl teams get old in a hurry, so Roseman is taking a bit of a risk that won’t happen here. All five of those players were so good in 2022, however, that it makes sense to try and run it back. Roseman did roll the dice on some younger players like Penny, Williams and Evans to try and replace some of the players the Eagles lost. All three have long injury histories and are coming cheap as a result, but at one point they were thought of highly enough to be Day 2 draft picks. There’s no guarantee they pan out as starters for the Eagles but there’s a ton of upside if they do. 

The biggest avenue left for the Eagles to address their needs is the draft, where they could still look at adding a young defensive tackle. Slay and Bradberry were both tremendous last season but they’ll be 32 and 30 respectively when the season starts. It would not surprise me if that were the oldest combined starting cornerback duo in the league. I’d expect Roseman to look hard at cornerback in the draft too, as he’s shown a preference to be prepared with answers on the roster in place. 

It’s worth noting Roseman is one of the most active general managers year-round, so there will be other opportunities for him to address holes even as we get into the summer. It’s hard to say the Eagles have gotten better this offseason but they could be a little worse than last year and still make a deep run in 2023. 

Grade: B

Falcons

If you listened to Falcons GM Terry Fontenot and HC Arthur Smith going into free agency, nothing Atlanta has done the past couple of weeks would have surprised you. The Falcons had the second-most cap space going into free agency outside of Chicago but earmarked a big chunk of that toward retaining Lindstrom. Another chunk went to McGary, though he ended up getting a lot less than what some projected at $11.5 million a year instead of $15-$17 million. The Falcons used his perceived deficiencies as a pass blocker to their advantage, and McGary’s best fit is in their system anyway. 

Smith and Fontenot leaned heavily on past connections with the rest of their moves. They traded for Smith and took on a chunk of his salary to reunite him with Smith, who so far has been the only NFL play-caller to maximize his skill set. Onyemata and Elliss were scouted by Fontenot in New Orleans and worked with new DC Ryan Nielsen. 

The biggest exception here was Bates, who inked a deal worth $16 million a year despite not having any significant familiarity with anyone in Atlanta beforehand. But Bates has a reputation as one of the most high-character players in the league, which combined with his youth and past production made this an appealing swing for the risk-averse Falcons. Hollins and Heinicke, though far cheaper, are also viewed as terrific locker room presences. 

Grade: B

Giants

Last year the Giants couldn’t afford to spend even if they wanted to. This year, the budget loosened considerably but it feels like New York felt the pressure to sustain its surprise playoff berth in 2022. They didn’t grossly overpay for anyone — no one this offseason grossly overpaid for anyone, it’s been a weird free agency — but several of their moves look like the Giants paid a premium. Most linebackers were signing deals in the $6 million range, Okereke got $10 million a year. Slayton got $6 million a year after the Giants couldn’t find anyone willing to trade for him last year, and Gillan getting anything other than the veteran minimum after last season is a surprise. 

The biggest move here is clearly the trade for Waller, and if the Giants get the thousand-yard version of Waller who’s impossible to cover, this is a huge win. The catch is Waller hasn’t been that guy for two years now due to various injuries and he turns 31 this season. That’s why the Giants only had to pay a third-round pick to bring him over from Las Vegas. I like the potential upside a lot but it’s a risk. 

Grade: C+

Jaguars

The Jaguars had to restructure a bunch of the free agents they signed last year just to get under the cap this season and franchise tag TE Evan Engram, so they’ve been understandably quiet. The only moves they’ve been have involved bringing back some role players on defense. Wingard is best suited as a third safety but he does have a lot of starting experience. Same with Herndon. Hard to ding them too much for these moves but they don’t exactly blow you out of the water either. 

Grade: C+

Jets

The eventual trade for QB Aaron Rodgers deserves its own article when it finally goes through. New York has been busy retooling other parts of the roster, though, identifying a few key free agents they wanted to keep like Williams, Zuerlein and Thomas. They lost several others, particularly at defensive tackle and on the offensive line. The Jets have done a decent job of rebuilding depth on the interior of the line but they still need a starting center and they need more insurance at tackle with the uncertainty on both sides. Defensive tackle remains a major need as well. 

Lazard did incredibly well for himself considering how other free-agent receivers didn’t find the money they expected. That’s a great deal for him. I’m not sure how good this deal will look for the Jets in a year or two, as $11 million a year for someone who is most known for his blocking isn’t a bargain. The Williams deal might be a bit of an overpay, too. And while they didn’t get ripped off in the Moore trade, I think they traded away the better player.  

Grade: C

Lions

The only move I didn’t like for the Lions was the deal for Anzalone. That was the going rate for linebackers this offseason but at minimum Detroit could have gotten a better player for that price. They obviously put a higher value on Anzalone’s leadership and culture fit. 

Outside of that deal, Detroit has had an impressive offseason. The other big multi-year contracts went to Sutton and Montgomery. Sutton gives them a much-needed infusion of talent into the secondary and can play both outside and in the slot. Montgomery might not be as big a personality as departed RB Jamaal Williams, but he plays with a physical edge and is more dynamic. The Lions sneakily got a better overall player with that swap. 

While Gardner-Johnson might be a tad overrated due to his interception total, he’s still a solid starter and a coup for Detroit to get on a one-year deal at that rate. There’s also no question about his scheme fit because he’ll be playing with some of the same coaches he started his career with in New Orleans. I also love the Glasgow signing to shore up a glaring weakness at right guard that held the Lions back from being a top-shelf offensive line unit last season. And Detroit added another potential starter by taking a flyer on Moseley, who had a depressed market coming off a torn ACL last season. 

None of these moves are going to put the Lions over the top in 2023. But on paper at least, Detroit has raised the floor for this roster by adding some solid talent at positions of need. That means if they stay healthy and some other young players take a big jump, the Lions could be poised for big things in 2023. 

Grade: A-

Packers

It’s the end of an era in Green Bay, as the team will watch several other veteran players walk out the door in addition to their Hall of Fame quarterback. The Packers aren’t throwing in the towel on the 2023 season but they’re definitely going to put more of a priority on getting the books cleaned up and figuring out if QB Jordan Love is any good as opposed to going all-in to contend for a Super Bowl like they have the past two years. 

The Packers haven’t made any outside additions yet but keeping Nixon is solid after his breakout season. Nijman is a bargain as a starting tackle at that salary, too. Ford is better suited as a special teamer but at this point he’s penciled in the starting lineup. The return Green Bay ends up getting for Rodgers could have a positive impact on this grade but it could be a while until that is sorted out. 

Grade: C+

Panthers

Factoring in the trade for the No. 1 pick, the Panthers have been one of the splashiest teams so far this offseason. History says that’s a mixed bag when it comes to free agency and that’s a fair characterization of the Panthers’ haul so far. Keeping Bozeman and Thompson, who were solid starters and bright spots in 2022, was a win, as was the addition of Bell. Safeties are huge in DC Ejiro Evero’s system and Bell is a solid player who upgrades their current roster. 

Carolina put the rest of their energy into retooling their offense, which is understandable based on how poor that side of the ball was in 2022 and the fact they traded their two best skill players in the span of fewer than six months. The Panthers got better but overpaid to do it, landing Sanders, Hurst and Thielen on multi-year deals with at least two-year commitments. 

Sanders’ deal is the least objectionable. Free agent running backs can be risky propositions but $6.25 million a year isn’t a huge commitment and it means the team doesn’t have to take a back in the draft, though they probably will. Hurst got a much stronger deal than guys like Schultz or Gesicki, who had to settle for discounted one-year prove-it deals with the Texans and Patriots, even though his production has lagged behind both. Thielen got more than $8 million a year and essentially a two-year commitment even though he’s turning 33 and his productivity has declined for three straight seasons. 

However, the addition of all three prevents the Panthers from trotting out a starting lineup featuring RB Chuba Hubbard, TE Ian Thomas and WR Shi Smith. It upgrades the skill group from worst in the league to baseline NFL competency, which is important since they’re going to be starting a rookie quarterback sooner rather than later. The Jaguars were criticized for a similar approach last year and it ended up working out. Both teams needed an infusion of talent to help a young quarterback develop. 

The other big addition on defense was Tuttle, who capitalized on a hot market for defensive tackles with a deal that locks him in with two years of guarantees. Carolina evidently thinks Tuttle can be a find but it feels like the Panthers could have found someone just as good for less if they’d been patient. So far, that’s been the big theme of the offseason. 

Grade: C+

Patriots

The biggest decision the Patriots have made so far this offseason is at receiver. They declined to match the reasonable contract Meyers got from the Raiders and instead pursued Smith-Schuster on a deal that at the time was reported as identical. The details show it’s a little bit more favorable to New England, but the big question is whether it makes the team better or not. Both Meyers and Smith-Schuster are best suited to be slot receivers or flankers and are better fits as No. 2 options in the passing game. Meyers is a much better route runner and better at separating from defenders, while Smith-Schuster is a physical blocker and better after the catch. Evidently New England preferred the latter. 

Outside of receiver, the two other big problem areas for the Patriots this offseason were in the secondary and offensive tackle. They’ve retained guys like Jones, Bryant, Peppers and Mills to hopefully make any transition to younger players, drafted this past year or in April, easier. All four were decent enough in 2022 and the knowledge of the system is valuable. 

At tackle, the Patriots took a moneyball approach with cheap deals for Cajuste, Reiff and Anderson. At a minimum, the Patriots should be rock solid with their depth. Reiff’s deal suggests he’ll take one starting job at tackle with Trent Brown manning the other for the time being, but Anderson has a lot of starting experience as well and Cajuste could win a role. This is regarded as one of the top priorities for the Patriots in the draft as well but if the board doesn’t fall their way, this group is good enough to go into the season. 

Dumping Smith’s contract on the Falcons was a classic Patriots move. It doesn’t make up for the misevaluation of handing him a big free agent contract in the first place but it minimized the damage. Gesicki technically replaces him on the roster but he’s a radically different player even if he’s listed as a tight end. He’s a better fit as a jumbo-sized slot receiver and red zone specialist, so we’ll see if the Patriots can utilize him better than Smith. It helps that new OC Bill O’Brien coached Gesicki at Penn State.

Grade: B

Raiders

The questions about Garoppolo are fair — he’s got a lengthy injury history and the Shanahan offense clearly propped him up to some degree — but he’s been productive and won games. He might be a little underrated at this point, though even if that ends up true the Raiders could still have the fourth-best quarterback in the division. 

Someone has to play tight end, and Hooper should be the favorite for that over Howard, though neither is particularly dynamic. Las Vegas essentially swapped out Meyers for Waller in the offense, processing the trade shortly after agreeing on terms with the veteran slot receiver. The return in the trade isn’t much but it gets Waller’s contract off the books and gives the Raiders another top-100 draft pick. In theory, Meyers is a better fit for the offense, but notice again how Raiders HC Josh McDaniels is funneling out players for “his guys” after a lot of talk about how he’d be different as a second-time head coach. 

The Raiders spent most of their budget on those two players, so they were left to address other needs with flyers or mid-range deals. The defense needed reinforcements and Epps, Facyson, Spillane and Long have a good amount of starting experience. All three are closer to replacement level than impact players, but the Raiders’ defense was bad enough that all three should be upgrades as depth, if nothing else. Willis is interesting as a rotational rusher behind Maxx Crosby and Chandler Jones.

By bringing back Eluemunor and Parker, the Raiders have some starting options on the offensive line if they’re not able to find upgrades in the draft or later on in free agency. With the sheer number of needs they still have to fill, there’s a decent chance one or both of those guys is in the lineup Week 1. 

Grade: B-

Rams

It’s a little hard to grade an offseason that has featured dramatically more departures than arrivals so far. The bulk of the reinforcements to the roster are going to come through the draft as Los Angeles just doesn’t have much of a spending budget. If the Rams are going to be better in 2023, it’ll be from being healthier, young players taking a step forward and/or HC Sean McVay and company coaching their butts off. 

As for the two moves the Rams made, they got far less for Ramsey than a lot of people expected. Some of that is because Ramsey exerted his leverage to go to his preferred destination and the Rams didn’t get to hold a true auction. Even if they had their hands tied, it’s tough to only get a third back for a player of that caliber. 

Shelton will likely start at center and he did fine in 2022. The Rams had bigger problems than him. He has a player option after this season, however, and if he has a big season he can exercise it and become a free agent. That seems like an unnecessary amount of leverage for the team to relinquish and not a great precedent to set. 

Grade: D+

Ravens

In my opinion, the Ravens should have gone into this offseason either ready to give Jackson whatever contract he wanted, including guarantees, or ready to trade him to a team that would and move forward with a clear vision. Instead, they used the non-exclusive tender on Jackson hoping it would spark talks, with another team potentially making progress where they’d been unable to.

Nothing has happened yet and the two sides are still stuck in the same limbo with Jackson’s tag acting as an anchor on the cap. And while it’s less than the exclusive tender would have been, the Ravens still can’t make any moves because they have to preserve cap flexibility in case another team tries to rig an offer sheet with a frontloaded year to prevent them from matching. 

So far, the Ravens have only been able to re-sign a few depth players and special teamers. Huntley would be the starter again if Jackson doesn’t report. We’ve come a long way from people speculating Baltimore would be fine turning over the keys to him. They gave him just the original round tender and his record as a starter in place of Jackson is just 3-5. 

The Ravens limped into the playoffs last season in large part to the cushion provided by Jackson before he was injured. Their receiving corps is a mess and they need at least one new starting cornerback to be serious contenders in the AFC. As long as there’s no resolution with Jackson, the Ravens have their hands tied. There aren’t even assurances he signs the tag and reports for OTAs or training camp, which is a big deal because the Ravens are installing a new offense under OC Todd Monken. The longer this drags out, the more likely it is that 2023 turns into a wasted season. 

Grade: D

Saints

New Orleans’ top priority this offseason was fixing the quarterback position, and without a high first-round pick or a lot of salary flexibility to make a trade, Carr was one of the best options available. His deal is really a three-year, $100 million commitment, which puts him on the lower rung of starting quarterback salaries. 

With the cap space they had left, the Saints emphasized retaining some of their skill position talent like Johnson and Thomas. Johnson is seen as an ascending player, particularly as a pass-catching threat. Thomas looked solid before getting hurt again but he has more upside than most of the other possession receiver alternatives the Saints would have had. New Orleans went outside the building to land Williams to work in tandem with starting RB Alvin Kamara — and perhaps carry the load if the Saints lose their star weapon to a suspension. 

The other big priority was replacing the talent they lost at defensive tackle after the Falcons and Panthers poached Onyemata and Tuttle. Another chunk of cap space went toward replacements. Both Shepherd and Saunders will have bigger roles in New Orleans than they had with their former teams, so it’ll be interesting to see if they’re up for the task. The Saints might have felt some pressure to get bodies in here and overspent slightly but these deals shouldn’t hurt them too much in the long run even if they don’t work out. 

The rest of these deals are largely dart throws as the Saints fill out the rest of their roster, with the hope at least one of these players turns into a solid starter. For a team determined not to tear it down and rebuild, this offseason has gone about as well as they could have hoped. It’s still not clear what the upside of this team is. 

Grade: B-

Seahawks

Getting the extension done for QB Geno Smith gave the Seahawks room to make one big splash in free agency. Predictably they focused on addressing their defensive line by adding Jones, who was one of the more highly sought-after free agents in the first wave. He’s put up 18.5 sacks over the past three seasons and teams are always looking for players who can be disruptive from the interior. And at just 26 years old, he should be in his prime. 

Seattle dipped into the mid-level market with a deal for Love, which is a little interesting because safety isn’t a huge need with Quandre Diggs, Jamal Adams coming back from injury and Neal being tendered. Love is a good player with a lot of versatility, though, and could see a lot of time at slot corner. 

The rest of the Seahawks’ deals were of the bargain-bin variety. Brown gives them insurance and depth at all three interior spots. He’s played a lot for the Lions over the past two seasons and could start for Seattle at center depending on how the draft falls. They’re taking a flyer on Bush at linebacker to see if he can get his career back on track. And it was a big priority to keep Lock in the fold as a developmental option. 

Grade: B+

Steelers

Under GM Omar Khan, the Steelers have been a lot more aggressive than usual in free agency the past two offseason, especially in the middle range of the market. That continued this year as the Steelers tried to add talent to a team that barely missed the playoffs despite a rough start last season, addressing needs at corner, linebacker and offensive line. 

The biggest deal Pittsburgh handed out was to Ogunjobi, who finally landed a multi-year commitment after having a $40-plus million contract with the Bears last offseason voided due to a failed physical. This deal is considerably smaller but still a strong payday for Ogunjobi. Pittsburgh clearly put a high value on him, and it’s hard to blame them given the talent Ogunjobi has flashed, even if the consistency isn’t always there. 

Peterson is an interesting signing, as while he turns 33 this year he was highly productive last season even on a bad Vikings defense. He pulled in five interceptions and knocked down 15 passes which is terrific production for any corner at any age. The Steelers have had success signing veteran cornerbacks in the past like Joe Haden, and they clearly hope to replicate that here as they push for a playoff spot. 

Seumalo should help Pittsburgh’s offensive line take another step forward as the Steelers rebuild that unit, and Herbig’s contract suggests he might have a chance to start as well. While Seumalo and one of last year’s major free agent signings, James Daniels, seem penciled in at guard right now, both have played center in the past. 

Finally, the team is wiping the slate clean at linebacker, saying goodbye to Spillane, Bush and Myles Jack while bringing in Holcomb and Roberts. On paper, they should be better. Holcomb is a terrific athlete and decent all around. Roberts is a liability in coverage but an absolute hammer as a run defender and blitzer. He’s perfect for the AFC North. 

Grade: B

Texans

Texans GM Nick Caserio has a pretty clear MO at this point going into his third offseason. He loves loading up on veteran players on short one to two-year deals to augment the depth on the roster. Houston has once again gone that route with a league-leading 18 transactions listed here. Guys like Winovich, Boone, Singletary and Deiter are classic Caserio dart throws, along with larger-than-normal deals for depth players like Stewart, Littleton and Ridgeway. 

A few deals stick out of course. Caserio made larger than normal investments in Woods, Ward and Rankins. This is where you can see the impact of new HC DeMeco Ryans, as Woods is a fit in the offense they’re installing which will be a new branch on the Shanahan tree. Ward played for Ryans in San Francisco and fills a need, while Rankins played for another former 49ers defensive coordinator under Jets HC Robert Saleh and also fills a major need. Ward’s deal is right in line with the market, while the deals for Woods and Rankins are probably a little rich, even if not excessively so. 

The trade for Cooks is likely the best Houston could get right now. They missed an opportunity to get a better pick by not being willing to eat money at the trade deadline and had to settle for the Cowboys’ offer. That trade should basically be looked at as a cash dump to get an unhappy player out of town

However, the deal for Mason upgrades a starting spot for basically nothing in terms of draft compensation and an affordable salary. The Texans also capitalized on a weak tight end market to land Schultz, who was a solid and reliable player for the Cowboys and should be exactly what their incoming rookie quarterback needs. 

Grade: B

Titans

The Titans were in need of a big makeover this offseason, so new GM Ran Carthon and HC Mike Vrabel have mostly stuck to cheap deals as they focus on cleaning up their books. The two exceptions were big multi-year deals for Dillard and Key. Dillard is a former first-round pick who was boxed out of a starting job in Philadelphia but could develop into a competent answer for Tennessee at left tackle. Key gives the Titans another pass-rushing threat up front and a starter across from OLB Harold Landry, who’ll be coming back from a torn ACL. 

Carthon tapped into his connections from his former team in San Francisco for Al-Shaair and Brunskill, who both should easily start. Al-Shaair has developed into a nice player who the 49ers just didn’t have room for, and Carthon got him for a little less than the standard $6 million going rate for a lot of linebackers this offseason. Brunskill can play all five positions, though his best fit for the Titans might be right guard. 

What’s interesting about him and Dillard is both are far better pass blockers than they are run blockers, while the Titans have been a heavy run-first team the past few years. Combined with the trade rumors around RB Derrick Henry from the Combine, and it’s enough to raise an eyebrow. 

Murphy-Bunting is the other notable signing. He had his moments with the Buccaneers but ultimately fell out of favor. He can play both in the slot and outside and gives the Titans options as they try to sort out some reliability in their secondary. 

Grade: B

Vikings

In addition to these moves, the Vikings were able to keep LB Jordan Hicks and S Harrison Smith with pay cuts, while they had to release Thielen, Kendricks and Dantzler. Minnesota also restructured QB Kirk Cousins and RB Dalvin Cook is a name to monitor for a potential trade or pay cut situation. As a result, Minnesota had the cap space to be fairly active with their additions and could get more if they grant OLB Za’Darius Smith’s request for a trade or release. It remains to be seen how effective these moves will be, however. 

The largest APY on a deal went to Davenport, who had one of the most intriguing free agent profiles available this offseason. He’s 26 years old and a tremendous athlete, checking all the physical boxes teams want from the position. But Davenport has never put it all together. Injuries have been one of the factors holding him back but his best season was nine sacks in 11 games in 2021. Last season for the Saints he had just half a sack in 15 games. Minnesota is rolling the dice big-time, especially if he’s expected to replace Smith. 

Murphy and Oliver both got multi-year deals at around $7 million a season. Oliver is the latest blocking tight end to cash in big as a free agent, as it seems like a couple of guys do every year. In fact, he signed the largest deal of any tight end this offseason. Given the team already has TE T.J. Hockenson, that’s curious resource allocation, at best, to me. Murphy’s deal looks a lot better, as he showed some promise in Arizona and should be a terrific fit in new DC Brian Flores’ system. Some people thought he’d earn twice that but the bottom fell out of the cornerback market this offseason. 

Bradbury’s deal was about the going rate for a decent starting center, and he did make some improvements before a back injury last season. Keeping Mattison on a cheap deal could be big depending on what happens with Cook. Lowry feels like a major overpay. 

Grade: C

This Week In Football

  • Almost as quickly as it began, NFL free agency ground to a halt as teams decided this was the year to spend responsibly. It’s like scrounging through the pantry for a week eating canned soup and ramen noodles until your paycheck drops and you can snare legit groceries — that’ll be 2024 for the NFL. But while the pace of news has slowed dramatically, there are still fascinating things happening with the wide receiver market as playmaker-needy teams try to secure upgrades. Two trades went down this week, with the first being the Texas swap sending WR Brandin Cooks from the Texans to the Cowboys. It gives Dallas a viable No. 2 receiver again, and while Cooks isn’t as good as WR Amari Cooper who the Cowboys infamously shipped off last year for just a fifth-round pick, he’s a lot better than the options Dallas had last year. Cowboys WR Michael Gallup should be a lot healthier after rushing back from a torn ACL last year and look more like the player Dallas expected to get when they extended him. 
  • The second trade was when the Browns moved down from the second to the third round with the Jets and got back WR Elijah Moore, who had a rocky 2022 season in New York to say the least. From the Jets’ side of this, they got decent value for Moore. The Jimmy Johnson trade value chart that’s still fairly ubiquitous around the league has the difference worth about a third-round pick. Other trade calculators have it as less but this gives the Jets both the No. 42 and No. 43 picks in the second round, which offers them a lot of flexibility with other trades they might be considering. With the additions of Allen Lazard, Mecole Hardman and potentially Odell Beckham Jr. (more on that later), the Jets just didn’t have room for Moore anymore. It stings to give up on a player who looked so promising so recently but the Jets didn’t get robbed here. However, there is a ton of upside here for the Browns. Moore was great as a rookie but didn’t take the second-year leap the Jets expected as Zach Wilson’s struggles bogged the entire offense down. He should be in a better environment in Cleveland as the No. 2 behind Cooper and catching passes from QB Deshaun Watson. He has two years left on his rookie deal and the Browns moving down instead of giving up a pick straight up was a sneaky great move. 
  • Even after those two trades and the Bears’ blockbuster to get WR D.J. Moore from the Panthers earlier this offseason, there are still some big-name wideouts floating around on the trade block. Broncos WR Jerry Jeudy had some interest from the Browns before they settled on Moore, who was likely a lot cheaper. Denver has clearly explored the idea of moving a receiver, which is a position of relative strength on the roster, but their asking price has been high, including reportedly a first-round pick for Jeudy. Broncos WR Courtland Sutton would be the other potential candidate, but the Broncos would have to find a taker for his $14 million guaranteed salary, a sticking point that could push the compensation closer to what Houston got for Cooks. Denver has WRs KJ Hamler and Tim Patrick, but Patrick is coming off a torn ACL and Hamler just tore his pec while training. Other teams likely won’t have much interest. Something could still come together with either Jeudy or Sutton but it seems like if it does, it’ll be closer to the draft. 
  • The other big name on the trade block is Cardinals WR DeAndre Hopkins. There’s been a lot of buzz about his trade market apparently heating up this week, as in terms of career production he’s head and shoulders above the other available options. And while he’s on the far side of 30, he has shown no signs of decline on the field yet. There are a few teams apparently interested, with the Bills perhaps leading the fray so far. That same report also mentions the Chiefs while ruling out the Ravens. There are a few different moving parts here, however, with Hopkins’ remaining $34 million on his contract and his potential desire for an updated deal. While his suspension last year voided his no-trade clause, an acquiring team is going to want to work something out with Hopkins’ contract which will require his consent, so he holds a fair amount of leverage here. He’s not being traded anywhere he doesn’t want to go. Although the Cardinals have reportedly been trying to get a second-round pick for Hopkins, they might have to settle for less just like the Rams did with Ramsey. 
  • While Beckham isn’t under contract anywhere and interested teams don’t have to pay any trade cost, the market for him is still developing slowly. What started as a dozen teams has now been whittled down due to various moves, and at this point, the Jets seem like the leader given the reports about “mutual” interest between the team and Beckham. It makes sense given Beckham’s presence on Rodgers’ wish list of players and New York’s decision to trade Moore. The Jets could still use another player who can beat man coverage outside of WR Garrett Wilson. Lazard is not that guy, nor was he signed to be. Neither is Hardman, as he fits best as a slot/gadget player. If Beckham’s healthy, he could be that guy. However, they’ll have to settle on a deal that makes sense. Beckham has said he wants to sign a multi-year deal, and a number that’s come up for him as a salary is $11 million a year. Given the long layover since he’s last played, that might be too steep. 
  • Receivers aren’t the only big names on the trade market. The Bengals have been getting calls on LT Jonah Williams following the former first-rounder’s trade request. Williams wants to stick on the left side in a contract year, understandably so given he’s played there his entire NFL career and left tackles are paid more than right tackles. It’ll be interesting to see what happens. Historically speaking the Bengals don’t like to trade away players. They might be a little more willing to do so here because Williams would need to buy in to move to right tackle if he stays. The other factor is that, weirdly enough, there aren’t a ton of teams that need left tackles right now. Williams’ $12.6 million 2023 base salary will also drive the market down. While he’s a solid player, Williams is probably closer to above-average than elite. If all the Bengals can get is a fourth-round pick, do they pull the trigger? 
  • Titans S Kevin Byard isn’t on the trade block yet but given the team approached him about taking a pay cut and he declined, there has to be another shoe about to drop here. Usually if a team is willing to broach the topic of a pay cut, they’re willing to follow through with a release. That hasn’t happened yet, perhaps because Byard has been one of the league’s best safeties for several years and 2022 was no different, so the Titans didn’t have a lot of leverage to ask for a pay cut in the first place. If other teams know he’s unhappy with Tennessee, it could get the ball rolling for a trade. This is another situation to keep an eye on ahead of the draft. 
  • Last week we mentioned how the Falcons’ extension for G Chris Lindstrom was a clue about how some players were about to cash in huge on extensions in the next year. Days later, one of the players we mentioned, Texans LT Laremy Tunsil, reset the market at his position on a three-year, $75 million deal, $60 million of which is practically guaranteed. At $25 million a year, Tunsil’s deal pushes the left tackle market up by $2 million over 49ers LT Trent Williams. And at just three years, Tunsil will have another chance to cash in at 32 — the same age Williams was when he signed his market-pacing deal. It’s a big win for Tunsil, and for the Texans to lock in a great player at one of the game’s most important positions. 
  • Former Cowboys RB Ezekiel Elliott is one of the biggest names still available. Elliott has apparently issued a wishlist of teams that includes the Bengals, Eagles and Jets. All three of those teams have a need for a physical back. Jets RB Breece Hall is coming off a torn ACL and the rest of the backs on the roster struggled to replace him last year. Philadelphia could use help in the backfield, as they replaced Sanders with Penny, who’s talented but injury-prone. And the Bengals need a replacement for Perine as a short-yardage and third-down back, assuming they don’t also move on from RB Joe Mixon if they bring in Elliott. At this point in his career, Elliott is probably better viewed as a Perine replacement — pass pro and short-yardage specialist — than a serious starter.

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