Well, the first couple of weeks of the 2024 NFL offseason certainly didn’t disappoint!
From massive free agent signings to blockbuster trades, and even some retirements of all-time greats — hello Aaron Donald and Jason Kelce — the offseason has not lacked in drama, jaw-dropping moves and excitement.
Still almost a half-year wait until Week 1, so plenty of work remains for all 32 NFL teams. But for now, let’s dive into five NFL teams who have won the early stages of the offseason, and five who have lost it big-time.
Winning: Chicago Bears
By trading Justin Fields to the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Bears essentially confirmed that they’ll be using the first overall pick on Caleb Williams.
They’re not trading the pick and they’re not using it on a non-QB. No overthinking this. They’re taking the best QB prospect since Trevor Lawrence. It was a no-brainer of a call, but it’s still a win for Bears nation.
But the Bears won the offseason weeks before the NFL Draft commenced anyway. For starters, they landed six-time Pro Bowl wideout Keenan Allen from the Los Angeles Chargers for the shockingly low price of a fourth-round pick.
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So now Williams will have Allen AND DJ Moore as his top two pass-catchers. You know, the two guys with a combined TEN 1,000-yard seasons on their resumes.
The Bears added do-it-all running back D’Andre Swift on a three-year deal. Swift, who’s put up 1,000 yards of offense twice, will form a dangerous tandem with Khalil Herbert. And we have no issue with the two-year pact for veteran tight end Gerald Everett. Can’t have too many weapons for your rookie QB!
Looking to shake up the secondary, veteran safeties Kevin Byard and Jonathan Owens on two-year deals. Speaking of the secondary, superstar corner Jaylon Johnson was brought in on a four-year deal worth $76 million.
Chicago may be known as the Windy City, but the forecast calls for an extremely bright future for this long-struggling Bears team.
Losing: Dallas Cowboys
Two weeks after their season ended with a humiliating loss to the Green Bay Packers on Wild Card Weekend, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said that the team will have an “all in” approach for the offseason.
All we can tell ya folks is that the renowned expert of word salad has a very funny definition of “all in.” So far, the Cowboys have been “all out” — meaning they’ve been happy to sit back and do absolutely nothing to fix up the roster.
The usually rock-steady offensive line lost future Hall of Famer Tyron Smith and center Tyler Biadasz in free agency. Lead running back Tony Pollard left for Tennessee, putting Rico Dowdle — he of 385 career rushing yards — atop the depth chart.
Veteran edge rushers Dorance Armstong Jr. and Dante Fowler Jr. bolted for the rival Washington Commanders, too. All-Pro cornerback Stephon Gilmore is gone, too.
To date, Dallas’ big move was signing past-his-prime linebacker Eric Kendricks on a one-year deal. Yippee.
Meanwhile, the NFC’s top heavyweights like San Francisco, Detroit and Philadelphia all made big-time moves to get better. Heck, the Commanders and New York Giants have also been awfully aggressive since free agency opened.
And the Cowboys have done..what exactly? Stand by and watch their roster worsen. Good grief. And Jerry keeps telling us how badly he wants another Super Bowl. “All in” might be the biggest lie that Jones ever told.
Winning: New York Jets
The Jets had three primary needs this offseason, and GM Joe Douglas addressed them all in a matter of days.
Number one: Offensive line help. BADLY.
Number two: A proven No. 2 receiver.
Number three: A competent backup QB option behind Aaron Rodgers.
Ladies and gentlemen, Douglas did not disappoint.
He signed longtime Cowboys All-Pro offensive tackle Tyron Smith to a one-year deal, giving Rodgers a rock-solid blindside protector.
Douglas also traded for old friend Morgan Moses and landed another ex-Baltimore Raven in John Simpson on a two-year deal. That’s three new starters on an o-line that allowed 64 sacks last year. Think Rodgers is happy?
Needing another receiver to help Garrett Wilson, the Jets picked up Mike Williams on a one-year deal following his release from the Los Angeles Chargers. The contested-catch specialist has two 1,000-yard seasons under his belt and should do wonders with the four-time MVP throwing him the football.
And lastly, the Jets signed veteran journeyman Tyrod Taylor to a one-year deal – ensuring there’s a steady backup option — something Zach Wilson was not last year.
Rodgers is coming back with a force — with a much better offensive line and an improved supporting cast to help him. Yep, these Jets have totally aced the offseason and now have NO MORE excuses. They HAVE to – and will – contend for a Super Bowl next season.
Losing: Denver Broncos
The Broncos brought in Sean Payton last year to fix Russell Wilson. The Broncos actually had to give up the hefty price of a 2023 first-round pick plus a 2024 second-rounder to the New Orleans Saints to acquire Payton.
Wilson had a fine bounce-back year in Denver, throwing for 26 touchdowns against only eight interceptions. The nine-time Pro Bowler, however, was benched for the Broncos’ final two games after refusing to adjust the injury guarantees in his contract.
So the Broncos ultimately decided to cut Wilson, taking on an NFL-record $85 million dead money charge for the next two years.
Continuing the roster reset, top wideout Jerry Jeudy was traded to the Cleveland Browns for two late-round picks. Oh, and All-Pro safety and fan favorite Justin Simmons was released in a cap-saving move.
This o-line was shaky enough as is. Then it lost center Lloyd Cushenberry to the Tennessee Titans in free agency.
With the No. 12 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, the Broncos are out of range to get Jayden Daniels or Drake Maye. That means they’d have to reach big-time for JJ McCarthy or Bo Nix if they want a quarterback.
So, what exactly is Denver’s plan then? They sold the farm for Wilson and later Payton just to basically tank? Like, what’s the plan in Mile High City?
Broncos fans deserve better than this complete misdirection. Good thing they have the Colorado Avalanche and Denver Nuggets to remind them of what a great and well-managed sports team looks like.
Winning: Washington Commanders
The Commanders’ offseason crown jewel will come on draft day when they get either Jayden Daniels or Drake Maye with the No. 2 selection.
But the bottom line: The new regime of Adam Peters and Dan Quinn have aced their first offseason together. And for once, brighter days appear to be ahead for this once-proud NFL franchise.
Looking to rebuild a defense that finished dead-last in both yards and points allowed, the Commanders signed future Hall of Famer Bobby Wagner, versatile safety Jeremy Chinn and standout pass-rushers Dorance Armstrong Jr. and Frankie Luvu.
Needing to fix up an o-line that allowed 65 sacks on Sam Howell, Washington also signed Tyler Biadasz and Nick Allegretti. Signing Biadasz and Armstrong Jr, away from the rival Cowboys? Double-whammy!
For good measure, ex-Chargers star running back Austin Ekeler was picked up on a two-year deal — giving Washington’s next QB another playmaking weapon. Oh, and they somehow got a third-round pick plus a fifth-rounder from the Seattle Seahawks for Howell — who was never gonna play another snap in DC.
The Commanders have completely revamped their defense and o-line, two of football’s absolute worst units a year ago. And with a new potential franchise QB on the way, the Commanders are about to complete a near-flawless offseason.
You deserve this one, Commanders fans.
Losing: Minnesota Vikings
When you lose a four-time Pro Bowl quarterback for nothing in free agency, of course, you’re going to be an offseason loser. But even if you take Kirk Cousins’ departure out of the picture, it still hasn’t been a very encouraging offseason in The Gopher State.
Cousins left for the Atlanta Falcons in free agency, and Minnesota pivoted by signing Sam Darnold to a one-year deal. That was an interesting call, considering they could have landed a better option for cheap like Russell Wilson, Jimmy Garoppolo, Gardner Minshew II, or Jacoby Brissett.
The Vikings also lost their top defensive player in four-time Pro Bowler Danielle Hunter. Jonathan Greenard was a nice pickup in free agency, but he’s still a bit of a downgrade over Hunter.
And we aren’t convinced that the signings of Andrew Van Winkel and Blake Cashman will move the needle on this defense.
Minnesota made one big splash by acquiring the No. 23 pick from the Houston Texans, but that cost the Vikings their next two second-round picks. And remember, they don’t have a third-rounder because of the TJ Hockenson trade.
Unless the Vikings come away with JJ McCarthy or Bo Nix in the draft, they’ll enter 2024 with an all-time draft bust in Darnold and without their defensive MVP in Hunter.
Winning: Atlanta Falcons
With half-competent quarterback play, the Falcons would have won the NFC South division in both 2022 and 2023. But alas, they finished 7-and-10 both years because of mediocre to terrible production behind center.
Well, that problem is entirely out the window. The Falcons were the lucky winners of the Kirk Cousins sweepstakes, landing the former Viking on a four-year deal worth $180 million.
A healthy Cousins will put up over 4,000 passing yards and 25-plus TDs in any given year. That won’t be an issue in Atlanta, where he’ll be working behind an elite offensive line — with a wealth of weapons.
Bijan Robinson, Tyler Allgeier, Drake London, Kyle Pitts and Darnell Mooney? That’s a terrifying thought for the rest of the NFL, folks.
And don’t forget, the Falcons can beef up an already borderline top-10 defense with the No. 8 pick in the NFL Draft. To us, there’s a new clear-cut favorite for the NFC South division crown.
After being stuck in neutral for the last six years, the Falcons are finally on to something special here. If Cousins comes as advertised, Atlanta could very well re-emerge as a Super Bowl contender in 2024.
Losing: Baltimore Ravens
The Ravens narrowly dropped a heartbreaker to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game. And so far…they’ve done nothing to close the gap with the defending champs. If anything else, they’ve just widened the gap.
Pairing Derrick Henry with Lamar Jackson was a beautiful move. But at 30 years of age, how much of an upgrade will Henry be over Gus Edwards?
The Ravens’ stout offensive line lost John Simpson and Morgan Moses — both of whom joined the Jets.
Their front seven took a giant hit with the departures of Jadeveon Clowney and Patrick Queen — who went to the archrival Pittsburgh Steelers by the way — plus the release of Tyus Bowser.
The defense lost standout safety Geno Stone to another division rival, the Cincinnati Bengals. Cornerback Ronald Darby left for Jacksonville, opening up yet another void in the Ravens’ secondary.
And we thought losing well-respected defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald was a tough enough blow to begin with.
Can someone please tell us how the current makeup of this Baltimore D is more suited to stop Patrick Mahomes?
Winning: Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers won 10 games and reached the postseason in 2023 with three different quarterbacks in Kenny Pickett, Mitch Trubisky and Mason Rudolph. Those three combined for…3,421 passing yards, 13 touchdowns and nine interceptions.
Honestly, Pittsburgh hasn’t had above-average QB play since Ben Roethlisberger’s last great year in 2018. But they keep churning out winning seasons and have still made the playoffs in three of the last four years, so take that haters!
So, Mike Tomlin and Omar Khan let Trubisky and Rudolph walk to free agency. Then they signed Russell Wilson to a one-year deal worth the veteran’s minimum. That prompted Pickett to request a trade, so he was dealt to the Philadelphia Eagles.
After that move, the Steelers landed Justin Fields from the Bears for a 2025 late-round draft choice.
So they went from 10 wins and the playoffs with three mediocre QBs to…swapping those three out for a safe veteran option and a recent former first-round pick who just might hit his ceiling in Steel City.
Oh, and the Steelers signed Pro Bowl linebacker Patrick Queen away from the archrival Ravens. As if the TJ Watt, Cam Heyward and Alex Highsmith-led defense wasn’t scary enough.
Wilson is a fine short-term option for the time being. And if he can’t regain his Pro Bowl-like form, then the Steelers can turn to the dual-threat Fields. All angles are covered for a Pittsburgh team that may finally make the jump to Super Bowl contender again.
Losing: Buffalo Bills
Did the Bills have to cut Tre’Davious White, Jordan Poyer, Micah Hyde and Mitch Morse to clear cap space? Yes. Were they wise to let Leonard Floyd and Gabe Davis walk instead of overpaying to keep them? Also yes.
But at the same time, all those losses DO NOT make the Bills a better team in the short term. Not even close.
Josh Allen lost one of his best offensive linemen and his No. 2 receiver. The Bills’ stingy secondary just lost its three best players. And just how does this close the cap with the Chiefs, Ravens, Texans, Bengals, Dolphins and Jets in the AFC?
It doesn’t at all. The only big splash in the opening week of free agency was wideout Curtis Samuel on a three-year deal worth $24 million. And that’s generous money for a guy who doesn’t have a single 1,000-yard receiving season on his resume.
Sorry, Bills fans. But right now, your team is actually closer to MISSING the playoffs than getting to a Super Bowl. That’s the cold hard truth. That’s what the painful salary cap can do to ya.
