Every NFL Team’s Best or Worse Offseason Move (So far)

Evan Tomcik, Citizen of Broncos Country|April 12, 2023

NFC North

  • Packers (best): Trading Aaron Rodgers will certainly bring much-needed draft picks to Green Bay. These can be used on key players (read: a WR) that will help Jordan Love succeed, as a new era begins in Green Bay.
  • Vikings (worst) : Cutting Adam Thielen, while releasing cap space, eliminates a proven WR2 for Kirk Cousins and Justin Jefferson. While the Vikings will probably be fine, they are definitely taking a huge gamble on a weak division.
  • Bears (best): Trading the first overall pick was controversial, but the haul they got for it was certainly not. Acquiring DJ Moore, as well as the ninth pick, gives Chicago several building blocks to support Justin Fields’ development. Also, signing players like TJ Edwards and Tremaine Edmunds will provide building blocks for the defense.
  • Lions (best): Signing CJ Gardner-Johnson will add an elite player to the Lions’ secondary. Being tied for the most interceptions last year will help the injury-riddled Detroit secondary. The only bad part of this deal is that it is only a one-year contract, but if CJ plays well, he could remain in Detroit for years.

NFC East

  • Giants (best): Trading for Darren Waller shows that the Giants are still looking for a deep playoff run. Waller is an elite tight end, which will provide another target for Daniel Jones. The Giants will have another window at the playoffs, and their new man will be a key part of that.
  • Eagles (worst): The Eagles let several key players, such as Javon Hargrave, TJ Edwards and CJ Gardner-Johnson walk in free agency, and while some key players like Fletcher Cox, Brandon Graham, James Bradberry and Darius Slay are still here, the losses will significantly reduce the Eagles’ chances at another Super Bowl unless they draft elite prospects.
  • Commanders (best): The Commanders kept by an elite defensive lineman by throwing money at Daron Payne. His 4-year, $90 million extension will keep the Commander defense at least somewhat relevant while its offense struggles. Payne is a stalwart at DT, and the Commanders were finally able to do something right and keep him around.
  • Cowboys (best): This is really a tie between trading for Stephon Gilmore and trading for Brandin Cooks. Both provide much needed help at CB2 and WR2, respectively. But this is the Cowboys, and as long as it’s still Jerry’s World, they will mess it up in the biggest moments.

NFC South

  • Panthers (best): While trading away one of the most underrated WRs (DJ Moore) in the league was not without controversy, his replacement in Adam Thielen is solid. He has been consistent for years and will provide the rookie QB the Panthers will be drafting with a solid playmaker.
  • Falcons (best): Jessie Bates has been an elite safety the past few years, and Atlanta made the right move by signing him. This gives AJ Terrell an peer in the secondary, providing building blocks for Atlanta’s defense to establish itself as a shutdown unit.
  • Saints (worst): Derek Carr has been up-and-mostly-down over the past few seasons. A 4-year contract essentially means that the Saints just closed their Super Bowl window for the length of it. But the Saints did decide to keep Jameis Winston, so when Carr inevitably screws up, the Saints could have a shot at relevance.
  • Buccaneers (best): With Tom Brady finally retired [Ed. Note—for now], the Buccaneers need a replacement. Baker Mayfield is that guy. Him, plus the duo of Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, will make the Buccaneers solid enough to try a shot at the Wild Card.NF

NFC West

  • Cardinals (best): Hiring Jonathan Gannon as the new head coach shows that the Cardinals defense, which has been terrible the past few years, could be on the rise. The offense is decent enough, but the increased workload it should get as the defense improves could make the Cardinals scary in a few years.
  • Rams (worst): While his performance the past few years was not as incredible as before, Jalen Ramsey is still a top-five cornerback, and an elite veteran would be useful as the Rams are starting the rebuilding process. If not, trading someone of Jalen Ramsey’s caliber should garner at least a second-round pick and a solid player, not a third-rounder and a third-string tight end.
  • 49ers (best): While there were certainly some good moments with Jimmy G, letting him walk was the right move. Brock Purdy appears to be the starter going forward with Sam Darnold as the backup. Of course, this does pose the question of what is going to happen to Trey Lance? Time will tell, but for now, letting Jimmy G sign with Las Vegas was the right move to make.
  • Seahawks (best): Resigning Geno Smith was an unexpected move if you remember, oh, the last five years of football, but in 2022-23 he certainly proved that he deserves every penny. With a few offensive additions, the Seahawks could make a deep playoff run next year.

AFC North

  • Bengals (worst): Samaje Perine was a solid RB2 behind Joe Mixon, who could now face legal troubles (again), which could hamper the Bengals offense. However, now that Perine is in Denver, the Cincinnati offense, already struggling because of its notoriously bad offensive line, may be in trouble.
  • Browns (best): The Browns knew they needed help on the D-Line, and Dalvin Tomlinson provides that as a solid complement to Myles Garrett. Along with several other defensive additions like Juan Thornhill, he will help the Browns make a run at the division title next year.
  • Steelers (worst): While Cam Sutton wasn’t perfect, he was a solid corner. The Steelers, whose CB depth was already not ideal, just got worse, and considering the intradivisional rivals that surround the Steel City, Pittsburgh should’ve kept Sutton and added to their secondary.
  • Ravens (worst): The Ravens have dragged their feet all offseason. While OBJ was just signed a few days ago, the whole Lamar Jackson debacle has gone on longer than it should’ve. Not only that, OBJ’s $18 million contract is an overpay, especially when better players like DeAndre Hopkins are still available.

AFC East

  • Bills (best): The Bills let Devin Singletary walk in free agency and replaced him with Damien Harris. While not a huge upgrade for this pass-heavy offense, Harris is better than Singletary, and will add even more explosiveness to this offense.
  • Patriots (worst): This is really a tie between letting both Damien Harris and Jakobi Meyers walk in free agency. While not elite by any stretch, both were solid playmakers for the relatively limited Patriots offense. Without them, the Patriots have shot themselves in the foot for next season.
  • Jets (best): While this technically hasn’t happened yet, when Aaron Rodgers is finally traded, this will become one of the best, if not the best, offseason moves by any team. Aaron Rodgers will make the Jets competitive with the Bills and Dolphins, and will give Jets fans hope for the future.
  • Dolphins (best): The Dolphins traded hardly anything for Jalen Ramsey, who is still a top-five cornerback. The Dolphins’ secondary, already scary with Xavien Howard and Jevon Holland, just got better, which will once again give the Dolphins a shot at the division title.

AFC South

  • Colts (best): Matt Ryan had to go. He limited this team even more than the rest of its lackluster roster did. While his temporary replacement is Gardner Minshew (who deserves a starting spot somewhere in the league), the long-term answer, more obvious than ever, is a rookie that will be taken in April.
  • Titans (worst): While the Titans are in rebuilding mode, keeping Robert Woods around would have been smart. While he is older and injury-prone, he would have given Treylon Burks solid veteran advice that could help the Titans be somewhat relevant during their rebuild.
  • Jaguars (best): Evan Engram had a career year in 2022 in his first year in Jacksonville. The Jaguars knew that they had found a diamond in the rough, and franchise tagged him to keep him around for at least another year. Engram, along with receivers Christian Kirk and Zay Jones, will provide Trevor Lawrence with solid targets as the Jaguars make another run for the division title, which is probably Jacksonville’s to lose.
  • Texans (best): This is really a three-way tie, as Devin Singletary, Dalton Schultz, and Sheldon Rankins all signed one-year deals with the Texans. These three provide starter capability to the rebuilding Texans, which could help them disrupt the division from becoming Jacksonville’s.

AFC West

  • Chiefs (worst): While he wasn’t the most important target for Patrick Mahomes, Mecole Hardman definitely should’ve been kept around. With the rest of the AFC West getting better this offseason, the Chiefs should keep every available weapon they had if they want a shot at a repeat Super Bowl run.
  • Broncos (best): There is no single best move by Denver, but signing Ben Powers and Mike McGlinchey to bolster the offensive line was arguably the best one. The Denver O-line has been, at best, average the past few years, and these two will certainly help with that. The O-line help will likely resonate with the offensive weapons like Samaje Perine and Marquez Callaway that Denver also signed.
  • Raiders (worst): You know you’re a poverty franchise when the best thing you’ve done all offseason is signing Jimmy Garoppolo. While his contract isn’t terrible, he definitely is not that much of an upgrade over Derek Carr. Jimmy G will not make much of a difference for the Raiders, who will probably be seen by the rest of the division as one big practice squad.
  • Chargers (worst): The Chargers’ worst offseason move is that they have done pretty much nothing. While a few players have been resigned or waived, none of them are true difference makers. The Chargers have done next to nothing to improve the team this offseason, and it will probably come back to haunt them.