NFL free agency is only one part of the offseason puzzle for teams across the league trying to improve their rosters, especially with a loaded draft around in corner in April.
It’s still important for each team to spend wisely in relation to its resources and salary-cap situation, whether that’s splurging on new starters or finding bargains to boost overall personnel strength. There’s also the matter of what key veteran players a team was willing and able to keep while making smart, money-saving decisions.
Here’s grading how all 32 teams have done with signings and trades through the first five days of free agency, with several more moves still ahead that can change their 2024 season fortunes
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Grade: A
The Texans knew they had to be aggressive to try to win big while C.J. Stroud is starring on a rookie contract. Jonathan Greenard, Devin Singletary, and Blake Cashman didn’t seem like losses for GM Nick Caserio with Danielle Hunter, Joe Mixon, and Azeez Al-Shaair coming to town. Likewise, Tommy Towsend and Jeff Okudah offer more upside than Cameron Johnston and Steven Nelson at the same positions. The team also replenished the defensive tackle depth well to mitigate Rankins not being re-signed. Keeping Dalton Schultz and Noah Brown around for Year 2 of Stroud also was smart.
Grade: A
The Falcons made an aggressive move to get the right franchise QB to take better advantage of their blocking and young skill talent. Kirk Cousins, assuming he’s on track to return well from his Achilles’ injury at 36, gives them an immediate advantage in the NFC South at the most important position. They also got him a sneaky good extra weapon in Darnell Mooney to go with Drake London, Bijan Robinson, and Kyle Pitts. Rondale Moore, Ray-Ray McCloud, and KhaDarel Hodge maintain the depth. This was a great start for new coach Raheem Morris and offensive coordinator Zac Robinson thanks to GM Terry Fontenot.
Grade: A
GM Brad Holmes set an impossible standard with his work in free agency and the draft last offseason that took the Lions all the way to the NFC Championship game in their triumphant return to the playoffs. They expected to take a few hits with Jonah Jackson and C.J. Gardner-Johnson leave. Further locking up Glasgow was good anticipation, and they did well ahead of this year’s draft to fill their three key defensive needs to complement Aidan Hutchinson on the front and back ends. Carlton Davis and Amik Robertson give them real upgrades at two corner spots after the moves didn’t work out for Holmes there last year.
Grade: A
New GM Adam Peters is off and running in his first offseason in Washington to help defensive-minded new coach Dan Quinn and new offensive coordinator Kilff Kingsbury. Dorance Armstong, Frankie Luvu, Bobby Wagner, and Jeremy Chinn all will be key pieces in upgrading the defense in the post-Ron Rivera/Jack Del Rio era. Austin Ekeler, Zach Ertz, Nick Allegretti, and Tyler Biadasz will all start to help their new first-round franchise QB, who also will be supported by Marcus Mariota serving as a spread extension of Kingsbury. Depth for the pass rush and special teams also weren’t ignored after some key salary-saving moves. Getting two draft picks for Sam Howell was Peters’ coup de grace.
Grade: A
While Sneed was a sound late addition to the defense via trade, the Titans are definitely remaking their offense into a pass-first attack with Brian Callahan and Nick Holz. Calvin Ridley provides a huge new weapon for Will Levis in Year 2 to go along with Deandre Hopkins and others. Tony Pollard adds to the open-field explosiveness of Tyjae Spears to help replace Henry. Lloyd Cushenberry is a nice inside pass-protection upgrade in front of Levis next to 2023 first-rounder Peter Skoronski. Mason Rudolph is now the better-suited backup. The defensive moves were just OK, but Tennessee needs to find out quickly if Levis is a true franchise QB. These moves further that objective.
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Grade: A
GM Omar Khan got a quick quarterback alternative to the disappointing Kenny Pickett, and it doesn’t get any cheaper than the veteran minimum for a potential Hall of Famer. Russell Wilson and Mike Tomlin should be a good mental fit together, and the defensive-minded coach might even be giddier about finally filling inside linebacker with a stud like Patrick Queen. With the offense transitioning to run-heavier with 12 personnel, it made sense to move Diontae Johnson and anoint George Pickens as the ideal No. 1 for Wilson’s big arm. The Steelers went a little out of character with a big QB move and a splurge on defense, and as usual, they will work the draft well to further their advantage. Getting Justin Fields, 25 for nothing late was a great contingency for Wilson, 35.
Grade: A-
The Packers knew they had to get younger at several positions, and safety needed a big upgrade. McKinney makes them much better there with Darnell Savage and Jonathan Owens leaving. Getting Josh Jacobs as the new workhorse to replace Aaron Jones made a lot of sense to support Jordan Love. They kept AJ Dillon in a backup role and made sure they didn’t lose the playmaking of Keisean Nixon.
Grade: A-
When a team loses a veteran starting quarterback and still grades above average, it’s doing something right. GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has had a plan to rebuild the roster around a younger, cheaper QB for offensive-minded Kevin O’Connell. As the Vikings turn the page with a franchise passer on a rookie first-round eal, they had the freedom to stock up defensively for Brian Flores, doing just fine to upgrade despite losing Danielle Hunter and Jordan Hicks. Aaron Jones is a big upgrade from Alexander Mattison. Now the team also has the resources needed to lock up Justin Jefferson and has Sam Darnold as a bridge for the new QB just in case.
Grade: A-
The Bengals didn’t go nuts, but they filled needs well at safety and tight end with reasonable additions. Geno Stone and Vonn Bell can restore a bit of what they had in 2022. They also might have upgraded with a younger Zack Moss over Joe Mixon. They rebounded well replacing D.J. Reader with Sheldon Rankins, and they still have the option to keep Tee Higgins for one more year despite a trade request.
Grade: B+
Saquon Barkley was a rare splurge at running back, but it was probably hard to pass the chance at getting such an explosive option for a high-floor rushing attack. Defensively, Bryce Huff adds to the pass-rush pop, while Devin White, Zach Baun, and C.J. Gardner-Johnson fill some key back-seven holes in need of experience. GM Howie Roseman already was prepared for long-time linemen Jason Kelce and Fletcher Cox hanging it up with moves from the previous two offseasons.
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Grade: B+
The Browns, most important, were able to keep Za’Darius Smith and Maurice Hurst for their strong defensive front under Jim Schwartz. Losing supersub Joe Flacco hurts, but they got their new, younger backup in either Tyler Huntley or Jameis Winston. They also got a productive, savvy starter in Jordan Hicks and improved rotational depth with Queinton Jefferson.
Grade: B+
Finding a way to lock up on Chris Jones and deciding what to do with L’Jarius Sneed were the most essential pieces of business to chase a third consecutive Super Bowl ring with Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid. Jones was more essential up front and harder to replace than Seed, traded late to the Titans. Marquise Brown is the ideal field-stretcher to bring in with Mahomes to complement Travis Kelce and young slot receiver Rashee Rice. Irv Smith can provide Kelce with an intriguing, athletic backup if healthy. GM Brett Veach again understands where to save and find upgrades in the draft.
Grade: B+
The Rams didn’t really do much here, but keeping Kevin Dotson and then getting Jonah Jackson to further beef up their offensive line was a lot to start. GM Les Snead then swept in and got the top safety on the market in the dynamic Kamren Curl. They might have overspent to bring Darious Williams back and definitely overspent to put Colby Parkinson behind Tyler Higbee.
Grade: B+
GM Jason Licht took care of must-do business bringing back the key passing combination of Baker Mayfield and Mike Evans. The Bucs saw their Super Bowl defense under Todd Bowles continue to break up with the exception of stud Antoine Winfield Jr. and venerable Lavonte David, but they brought Jordan Whitehead back into the mix. They need to keep rebuilding the defense in key spots in the draft, but they should keep feeling good about the offense for new coordinator Liam Coen.
Grade: B
The Ravens were bound to be careful with their spending outside of Justin Madubuike because of their history and drafting acumen under GM Eric DeCosta. Derrick Henry cleans up the backfield from Gus Edwards and JK Dobbins with the ideal power back to complement Lamar Jackson as a runner and passer. Patrick Queen and Geno Stone were difficult to keep given the investment in other key back-seven pieces.
Grade: B
The 49ers have seemed to be quiet, but rebooting the pass rush a bit around Nick Bosa was needed and they can get sneaky good returns from Loenard Floyd and Yetur Gross-Matos in their adjusted defensive line rotation. There’s also still a chance GM John Lynch can trade wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk for top draft compensation. For now, San Francisco keeps staying ahead of the inevitable salary issues caused by Brock Purdy’s future extension.
Grade: B
The Colts weren’t expected to be aggressive, and they took care of their biggest in-house priorities with Stewart Moore returning to the defense along with some other key pieces. Raekwon Davis boosts their front, and Joe Flacco keeps giving them a strong veteran backup to Anthony Richardson minus Gardner Minshew.
Grade: B-
The Jaguars did well with Arik Armstead and Mitch Morse to fill different interior line concerns. Trent Baalke gave Trevor Lawrence more speed around him with Gabriel Davis and Devin Duvernay arriving to help stretch the field. Darnell Savage and Ronald Darby are fine recoveries from losing Rayshawn Jenkins and Darious Williams. Mac Jones was worth the small trade to give Lawrence a developmental No. 2 with QB C.J. Beathard batting injury.
Grade: B-
The Giants got aggressive with Joe Schoen in trading and then breaking the bank for Brian Burns to complement Kayvon Thibodeaux. They were smart not to force Saquon Barkley back and save plenty with Devin Singletary. Jon Runyan was a nice starting upgrade for the offensive line. Xavier McKinney leaving hurts, but they can find a good safety replacement in the draft.
Grade: B-
The Chargers had to trade Keenan Allen and cut Mike Williams for cap purposes, but they shouldn’t fret given they now won’t need to pay for diminishing returns for durability concerns.They already were set to move on from Austin Ekeler in the new power running offense of Greg Roman. Gus Edwards already fit that scheme from Baltimore, going coast to coast from John Harbaugh to Jim Harbaugh. Will Dissly is a suitable replacement for Gerald Everett. What’s not seen here is the fact the Chargers were able to keep edge rushers Khalil Mack and Joey Bosa with key contract restructures. Harbaugh and new GM Joe Hortiz are on track cleaning up everything from the end of the Tom Telesco tenure.
Grade: C+
New GM Tom Telesco made his patented aggressive, defensive-minded moved in landing Christian Wilkins as the ideal inside complement to Maxx Crosby. Vegas is also rebooting a lot of other positions for the first full year under Antonio Pierce, including at running back without Josh Jacobs. Gardner Minshew and Harrison Bryant are mild upgrades from Jimmy Garoppolo and Austin Hooper.
Grade: C
The Cardinals worked a little on getting defensive depth for Jonathan Gannon and replaced D.J. Humphries with Jonah Williams for the offensive line. Arizona’s bigger offseason impact will come in the draft, starting with two first-rounders. Rondale Moore wasn’t helping much, so it made sense to get a better backup for Kyler Murray in Desmond Ridder. GM Monti Ossenfort keeps working on a youth-fueled rebuild to keep pushing the team away from its previous aging roster.
Grade: C
Given the Dolphins’ moves were wholesale through their cap trouble, it’s hard to keep up with whether their many comings in free agency outweighed their significant goings. Replacing Xavien Howard with Kendall Fuller was easily the best move. Then they took shots with quantity after losing so much quality, especially defensively in Christian Wilkins and Andrew Van Ginkel. The offense got limited help through the overall dealings, landing just Aaron Brewer and Jonnu Smith.
Grade: C
The Seahawks had to go after Tyrel Dodson and Rayshawn Jenkins given how much they needed to refill their cup at linebacker and safety, respectively, for new defensive-minded coach Mike Macdonald. They will hope for bigger things from Leonard Williams up front, too. The tight end moves signal they will go back to spreaing the field with their talented wide receivers. They say Sam Howell won’t compete with Geno Smith, which makes sense, but giving up two draft picks for that kind of backup doesn’t.
Grade: C
The Bears were quick to land D’Andre Swift but they probably overpaid given they had some potential assets in the backfield. They swooped in with a surprise trade for Keenan Allen, an expensive move money-wise after giving up a fourth-rounder for an aging, injury-prone player with just one year left on his deal. Kevin Byard was the best get for GM Ryan Poles, but he might not have too much left replacing Eddie Jackson, and Jonathan Owens was shaky for the rival Packers last season. Gerald Everett just adds depth behind Cole Kmet to replace Robert Tonyan. Chicago also wasn’t able to trade Justin Fields for good value, so it can still load up in the draft given it’s already-considerable draft capital that includes the No. 1 (Caleb Williams) and No. 9 overall picks.
Grade: C
The Jets made their splash last year, only to keep thinking about what could have been after prized acquisition Aaron Rodgers went down with a torn Achilles’ in the first game. They are more reserved with GM Joe Douglas this year with fewer resources. At least the only real tough hit was Bryce Huff. They also got Tyrod Taylor to make sure the backup QB mess doesn’t happen again. Javon Kinlaw is a total dart throw to see if a reunion with Robert Saleh can save the first-rounder. The late key is whether the former Cowboys stalwart Smith has much left at age 33.
Grade: C
The Patriots’ so-so grade under new GM Eliot Wolf is tied to the fact they did bring back key free agents Dugger, Onwenu, and Uche. It would be much worse without those moves, as they cleaned plenty from the end of the Bill Belclichick era and then went for interesting, limited-impact volume moves in their additions. They also lost out on their bid to sign Calvin Ridley as their new No. 1 receiver. Much of this offseason hinges then on landing the right first-round franchise QB after whiffing on and eventually trading Mac Jones.
Grade: C-
New GM Dan Morgan did well to invest in the offensive line, but the Panthers may have overspent badly for two interior blockers to help Bryce Young. Diontae Johnson gives Young a key weapon, but there’s a lot more work to do and he might not be a true No. 1. They took some massive defensive hits with Frankie Luvu, Jeremy Chinn, Brian Burns, Donte Jackson, and Yuter Gross-Matos, and they didn’t come close to compensating with Josey Jewell, Dane Jackson, and A’Shawn Robinson. For not having a first-round draft pick, the Panthers needed to come out better in their rebuild spending for new coach Dave Canales.
Grade: C-
The Bills were facing salary-cap hell, and GM Brandon Beane had to accept there would be major hits on both sides of the ball. Interior offensive line and the secondary will need to be addressed well in the draft. The Bills also will need to replenish their depth at large. When getting Mitchell Trubisky back is your best move, it doesn’t help in the landscape of AFC contenders. Curtis Samuel is a different type of receiver than field-stretcher Gabe Davis, more in line with what they already have to complement Stefon Diggs.
Grade: D
The Saints weren’t likely to do much with their cap situation, making Willie Gay Jr. their only notable pickup before taking a shot on Young. This doesn’t look good at all given how active the Falcons, Buccaneers, and Panthers all were in the division.
Grade: D
The Cowboys knew they were cap-strapped and couldn’t do much to improve. They also didn’t retain much with their offensive line, running back room, defensive line, and secondary all taking big hits. Kendricks is a solid addition, but he’s not a needle mover, especially given how active other teams in the NFC East were, including old friend Dan Quinn and the Commanders plucking three players.
Grade: D-
The Russell Wilson disaster and sucking up all that dead money would have put Denver down near the bottom of the league regardless. The resulting financial conundrum confirmed that. They were stuck releasing Justin Simmons without any return. Lloyd Cushenberry and Josey Jewell ripped further into the middle on both sides of the ball. On top of everything else, the Broncos didn’t land a better bridge option than Jarrett Stidham, likely forcing them into using their first-rounder on a QB.