NFL Free Agency Winners & Losers
- quansmith33
- Mar 17
- 5 min read
Every offseason, NFL teams have one goal: to get better. Free Agency is where teams can sign new players or trade for them. Every fanbase is hoping its franchise finds a way to improve its chances of making it to the Super Bowl. But as we all know, some teams win better than others. Some are a few moves away from contention, and others are at the beginning of their rebuild. Which teams won and lost thus far in free agency?
Winners
Baltimore Ravens- As I covered the Ravens in a recent article. They are playing chess not checkers. Going out and signing Trey Hendrickson instead of trading for Maxx Crosby is genius. Comeback team of the year is this one.
Buffalo Bills-Brandon Beane isn't playing games, folks. He traded for DJ Moore, signed Bradley Chubb, Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, and Geno Stone, just to name a few. The Bills are undoubtedly better than they were a year ago and can represent the AFC if they can get over the ''proverbial playoff wall''.
Cleveland Browns-Yes, even the Browns can be winners every now and then. Their goal was to improve the offensive line and did exactly that. Signing Tyrus Howard, Teven Jenkins, and Zion Johnson. Got to have an offensive line for Shadeur, right?
Pittsburgh Steelers- The Steelers quietly had a low-key good free agency. They finally got a number two with getting Michael Pittman; getting Rico Dowdle is a win, and they even added talent on the defense with the likes of Jamel Dean, Sebastian Joseph Day, and Darnell Savage, to name a few. None of that matters until they figure out their quarterback situation.
Indianapolis Colts- Bringing back Daniel Jones and Alec Pierce is a massive win for a team looking to get back to the playoffs. They made some solid moves to improve the secondary and shore up the defensive line can they finish what they started from last season though?
Denver Broncos- They just traded for Jaylen Waddle given them a dynamic offense attack, and bringing back JJ Dobbins. They resigned a few guys and don't have a lot of roster holes. Sean Payton's remix of Denver is fascinating. It only took him a few years to turn this into a contender, nice work bro.
Dallas Cowboys- I am going to give them some credit at least for trying to fix the defense. Rashan Gary is a hell of a pickup, essentially being your Micah Parsons replacement. They added Cobie Durant(sounds like a 2k basketball name in my player mode?), Ottito Ogbonnia, and Jalen Thompson..... I just give them credit for Rashan, and maybe they will finally stop the run.
Washington Commanders- I'm not impressed with the offensive signings they made. Uninspiring is the word, but at least they made up for the defense. Odafe Oweh got generational money, Leo Chenal, and Amrik Robertson. Jayden Daniels will have to work his magic to make this team matter again.
Chicago Bears- The team feels like they could win the NFC North right now. They got a really good offensive line, like signing Jedrick Willis and Garret Bradbury. They got Devin Bush and added some guys on the interior and secondary. Good Vibes in Chicago right now.
Carolina Panthers- Not only did they make the playoffs and then some. The Panthers are a functional team. They signed John Metchie to help in the pass game. The real win comes on the defense; signing Jaelean Phillips and Devin Lloyd is the highlight here. Carolina feels like the most trusted team in their division; times are a-changing, folks.
LA Rams- The rich get richer here, getting Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson. This team is already deep, and they could be the best team in the league again to win it all. F those draft picks you hear!!!
Quarterback Redemption-Tua and Kyler Murray just might be the latest redemption failed runs in Arizona and Miami resectively. Tua can reclaim his status with a talented Falcons Offense. Kyler Murray is going to the best situation with the Vikings that has comptent head coach, a talented receiver duo, and a good defense. If both guys ball out this season, they are going to make an already impressive 2027 quarterback carousel offseason even more impressive, since they are one-year deals. No pressure, right?
Losers
Miami Dolphins-With a new regime in place, the organization has made it clear they are not winning in 2026. Already cutting several veterans, eating cap space, and building for the future. They signed Malik Willis only to trade Jaylen Waddle, which makes no sense. It's going to be a long year for Dolphins fans, but at least they have South Beach and other distractions to keep them busy.
New England Patriots-For a team just coming off a Super Bowl loss, you would expect more urgency. Their best move was signing Romeo Doubs, and that won't get it done. 70 million is a lot for a non-pro bowler, and they are going to need internal improvement again to make a run at the Super Bowl.
New York Jets- The Jets actually had a solid free agency, adding actual NFL talent to their JV roster. I mean, Demario Davis, Minkah Fitzpatrick, T'Vondre Sweat, to name a few, will help make them better defensively. But the real issue is once again the quarterback getting Geno Smith, a guy who actually started his career as a Jet, is a full circle moment. There is a reason he is playing for his third team in many years, and the Jets are still the Jets. Maybe he would be better off as Wendy's Chief Tasting Officer.
Tennessee Titans- You know, the Titans are like getting your holiday bonus to spend on a bunch of miscellaneous items you don't need. I have no idea what they are doing roster construction-wise. Spent plenty of money on Wan'Dale Robinson, John Franklin Myers, and Cordale Flott, to name a few. Look, talented players and the Titans improved the roster to the bare minimum. At least they have nice jerseys, Cam Ward, and a new stadium.
Jacksonville Jaguars- They won 13 games last season but had a very quiet free agency. Losing Devin Lloyd and Travis Etienne will be impact than you think. They still will be good, but regression is coming for Duvval.
LA Chargers-The only issue I have with them is not signing Mike Evans. They couldn't convince him that Justin Herbert is better than Brock Purdy. Adding another dynamic receiver is the way to go, and they didn't do it. Maybe the Chargers have other ideas because who is doing it better than them?
Tampa Bay Buccaneers- I think the beginning of the end is coming to them. They had some good years. The NFC South is getting better, and they lost Mike Evans, among others. They didn't do much in free agency, and hard to see them being better than last year.
Arizona Cardinals- You know your team is headed for a rebuild when Gardner Minshew and Jacoby Brissett are going to battle it out for the starting quarterback job. With the Kyler Murray era over, it's all about the 2027 draft class, and their free agency signings aren't any better. Tyler Allergier, Kendrick Bourne, and Ray Lopez are roster-rebuilding 101 folks. Maybe they can offer shareholders and fans free tickets to the game. It's going to be hard to watch 60 minutes of 2026 Arizona Cardinals football this season.
Seattle Seahawks- The defending Super Bowl Champions have a top ten roster. Yet letting Kenneth Walker go is mind-boggling as your SuperBowl Mvp is going to Kansas City. Nothing like build Kansas City backup, and we should blame them in the coming years if the dynasty starts winning again. Letting Tariq Wooden go to Philadephia Eagles is also disappointing. You just can't help perennial contenders with your elite talent going there.
Comments