The Chiefs' and Ravens' bets on aging stars made sense. Meanwhile, the Chargers, Cowboys and Commanders all improved their coaching staffs.
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With the major
NFL offseason moves complete, I’ve sorted through them all to find a favorite for each team. This was tougher for some teams than for others, especially without anointing freshly minted draft choices. But we’ve got all 32 teams covered.
Signing former
Cincinnati Bengals first-round pick
Jonah Williams gave the Cardinals an athletic, durable starting tackle at a reasonable rate ($15 million per year), making it easier for the team to use its first-round pick on receiver
Marvin Harrison Jr. The 26-year-old Williams fits the relatively young age profile of other free agents the team signed while costing less than top guards signed by teams this offseason. He has experience at left and right tackle, so the Cardinals will move 2022 first-rounder
Paris Johnson Jr. to the left side and play Williams on the right.
We don’t have to endorse the Falcons’ usage of the eighth pick in the draft for one quarterback (
Michael Penix Jr.) only weeks after spending millions on another (
Kirk Cousins), but we can still applaud Atlanta for upgrading the position, which was priority No. 1 this offseason.
Signing a 30-year-old running back in free agency for $8 million per year usually would not be a great idea, but
Derrick Henry’s addition made sense for the Ravens in the context of their offseason. The move signals renewed commitment to the running game after Baltimore lost its way in the playoffs. It also was the type of move that resonates in a locker room, which was needed for the Ravens after the team
suffered a talent exodus. Adding
Odell Beckham Jr. last offseason served a similar purpose. Henry will likely deliver more on the field than Beckham did.
Trading
Stefon Diggs instead of prolonging
a broken marriage allowed the Bills to set a new course on offense. Yes, they are worse on paper at receiver, but they might not be worse on the field, based on what Diggs gave them late last season. Removing Diggs could promote a welcome cultural reset in Buffalo.
Acquiring receiver
Diontae Johnson from Pittsburgh for nothing of consequence was an under-the-radar move with upside for all. Johnson, two years removed from his breakout 1,161-yard season, turns 28 in July and is entering the final year of the two-year extension he signed with the
Steelers.
Prioritizing their offensive line to a greater degree would have been the preferred route from my perspective, but once the team decided to prioritize weaponry instead, the focus on adding high-odds targets (
Keenan Allen via trade,
Rome Odunze in the draft) assured new quarterback
Caleb Williams would have reliable targets right away.
Rome Odunze and Keenan Allen will help Caleb Williams right away. (Michael Reaves / Getty Images)
Bringing back
Vonn Bell at safety seemed like the surest way the Bengals could restore stability in their secondary. The price was ideal (only $1.21 million, with the Panthers paying the rest of the $6 million Bell was guaranteed for 2024 when they released him), and the fit is assured to be right.
Defensive end
Za’Darius Smith played well enough and hard enough in his first season with Cleveland to qualify as more than a one-year rental. Bringing him back on a deal worth $11.5 million per year was a solid move for Cleveland despite Smith’s age (turns 32 in September).
Does resisting an over-the-top extension with
Dak Prescott count as a move? If not, hiring Mike Zimmer as defensive coordinator after losing Dan Quinn becomes the choice. Zimmer’s hiring assured Dallas will continue to have a proven defensive caller for its offensive-minded head coach. The Cowboys know what they are getting in Zimmer, who also knows what he is getting into, based on his past association with the organization. It’s probably a good time for a scheme tweak on defense anyway.
Using the 12th pick in the draft for
Bo Nix could qualify as desperation, but with Broncos coach Sean Payton
endorsing the move so emphatically, I’m intrigued to see how this plays out. Offensive coaches sometimes love to complain about the quarterbacks they inherit, as Payton did last season. It’s refreshing when they bet their reputations on a prospect, as Payton has done here.
Adding D.J. Reader in free agency to bolster the defensive line comes with injury risk, but his all-out playing style seems like a great fit at a position of need for the Lions, who might need to slow the 49ers’ ground game to reach a Super Bowl.
Xavier McKinney’s addition in free agency was expensive ($16.8 million per year) at a time when the safety market has regressed, but the Packers are getting a 25-year-old emerging star with speed, range and ball skills, at a position they’ve struggled to stabilize. New defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley made it clear upon arriving in Green Bay that he values the free safety position in his defense. Now, it’s up to him to maximize what McKinney can do.
Denico Autry gives the Texans a big (6-5, 285), strong defensive lineman whose advanced age (turns 34 in July) could be misleading. Autry was 24 when he debuted in the NFL. He has averaged 610 snaps per season since 2015. His pressure rate over the past three seasons (12.9 percent) ranks eighth among players listed at 280 pounds or heavier, per TruMedia. Autry set career highs with Tennessee last season in snaps (731) and sacks (11.5). His $10 million average per year was reasonable for what he offers a team that wants to contend now.
Getting the first defensive player in the draft with the No. 15 selection was an ideal scenario for the Colts, who need high-end additions more than role players at this point in their build.
Laiatu Latu’s medical concerns are real, but for the second consecutive season, Indy took a huge home run cut in the first round, hoping to finally break from the pack.
Ryan Nielsen’s addition as defensive coordinator stands out. Nielsen made his coordinating debut with the Falcons last season. His defense ranked 10th in EPA per play, the Falcons’ highest ranking since at least 2000, per TruMedia. That was up from 29th in 2022. There’s less room for improvement in Jacksonville, where the Jaguars ranked 11th last season, but Nielsen is inheriting more talent than he had in Atlanta. This could become a top-five unit.
Keeping
Chris Jones was critical for the defense, even if it meant trading
L’Jarius Sneed to the
Titans instead of paying him as well. Kansas City has picked its spots in terms of making some moves for the long term (trading
Tyreek Hill) and others for the short term (opening the checkbook for Jones). It’s hard to dispute Jones’ value to the defense, especially in critical situations. Keeping him gives the Chiefs their best shot at winning a third consecutive Super Bowl. The Chiefs’ recent track record developing cornerbacks suggests they’ll be able to replace Sneed.
Christian Wilkins was expensive, but at least the Raiders did not have to trade for him, the way the
Giants had to trade for
Brian Burns. Wilkins is an outstanding player whose skill set should fit well in Las Vegas partly because the Raiders’ defensive coordinator, Patrick Graham, was with Wilkins in Miami. This was a high-odds acquisition at a premium position.
Jim Harbaugh gives the Chargers a proven coach with a clear vision for the first time in more than a decade. He was the best hire the team could make without changing its organizational structure.
The Rams’ renewed commitment to becoming more physical on offense stood out, as the team re-signed one guard (
Kevin Dotson) and signed another away from Detroit (
Jonah Jackson).
Matthew Stafford’s contract situation has yet to play out, but it looks like the Rams are making moves designed to prolong his career, which makes sense.
