Free agency “winners” and “losers” are a bit odd considering no one really knows how things are going to turn out, but after a couple of weeks I really like the early offseasons by a handful of teams around the NFL.
Dallas Cowboys
I know that many Cowboys fans have been unhappy with their team not being—in their eyes—quite aggressive enough in chasing a Super Bowl, but Jerry Jones and company have clearly taken a step closer to “all-in” for 2023. The acquisition of former Defensive Player of the Year Stephon Gilmore at cornerback, who will now play opposite young superstar Trevon Diggs, is a potential game-changer; even Eagles receiver A.J. Brown seemed to give it props on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/1kalwaysopen_/status/1635753893136314368?s=20
Then the Cowboys added veteran receiver Brandin Cooks, who has produced at every stop throughout his career, to the offense. The additions of Gilmore and Cooks should be a boost on both sides of the ball. Also, I think Mike McCarthy as the offensive play-caller for Dallas will go well despite some vocal critics of the Super Bowl-winning head coach. However, the one downside for the Cowboys is losing the leadership of longtime running back Ezekiel Elliott—but at least they’re keeping Tony Pollard after franchise tagging him.
Philadelphia Eagles
This offseason follows the past couple of years to this point in that I love just about everything the Eagles are doing—which is a far departure from the previous few years following their Super Bowl victory. Retaining All-Pro cornerback James Bradberry was a must, and they were able to get it done after Bradberry took a discount to remain in Philadelphia. If parting ways with Darius Slay via a trade was necessary to get that done, I would’ve done that; but Slay is also back for a defense that I don’t think takes a huge step back talent wise despite some losses—keeping in mind larger roles for Jordan Davis and Nakobe Dean in Year 2. Though we’ll see how new defensive coordinator Sean Desai fares after Dennard Wilson was passed over as a player-endorsed candidate. On offense, Rashaad Penny offers major upside at running back, and I believe it was wise to let Miles Sanders walk. And I think Marcus Mariota is a starting caliber quarterback that Philly got as an awesome backup behind Jalen Hurts. The Eagles have two first-round picks to further supplement the roster in the hope of getting back to the Super Bowl and winning it all.
Detroit Lions
The Lions continue their rise, and the performance of general manager Brad Holmes has a lot to do with it. They re-signed a bunch of players then added more headlined by former Eagles safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson, former Bears running back David Montgomery (a strong fit behind an elite offensive line, but we’ll see about losing the leadership of Jamaal Williams), and a couple of corners in Cameron Sutton from the Steelers and Emmanuel Moseley from the 49ers. Dan Campbell’s competitive squad is getting deeper, stronger on defense (particularly in the secondary), and has two first-round picks and two second-round picks to work with in the draft. Watch out.
Miami Dolphins
All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey will form a lengthy cornerback duo with fellow All-Pro Xavien Howard in Miami, and the Dolphins were also able to re-sign players including their top two running backs in Raheem Mostert and Jeff Wilson Jr. At quarterback, Mike White showed major flashes with the Jets and will be a strong backup to Tua Tagovailoa, who had his fifth-year option picked up and will hopefully be at 100% health for 2023. And the defense added a couple of underrated pieces in linebacker David Long and safety DeShon Elliott.
Denver Broncos
The first order of business for Sean Payton’s Broncos was obvious: To improve in the trenches. Offensive tackle Mike McGlinchey and guard Ben Powers were signed to big contracts and instantly improve the offensive line to make things easier on everyone, and defensive end Zach Allen helps replace Dre’Mont Jones, who they lost to the Seahawks during free agency. Jarrett Stidham was swiped away from the Raiders to back up Russell Wilson at quarterback, and Samaje Perine is a running back that does everything right and will help protect Wilson while being a capable runner and pass catcher that’ll pick up positive yardage. Clearly, the Broncos are going to want to be a physical team that can run the ball and utilize Wilson’s strengths under Payton.
Other headlining moves I like:
The Raiders signing Jimmy Garoppolo: My feelings on Jimmy G being one of the most underrated quarterbacks in the league are well documented. Durability concerns aside, Garoppolo is a pinpoint pocket passer that can create chunk-play opportunities with the way he puts the ball on the money for his receivers to catch and run.
The Saints signing Derek Carr: The NFC South certainly looks weak on paper at this point, but the Saints adding veteran quarterback Derek Carr—paired with also keeping Michael Thomas in the mix along with Chris Olave at receiver—could put the Saints into the driver’s seat. Remember, they were also able to pick up a first-round pick in the Sean Payton trade after the arguably ill-advised trade they made in giving their pick to the Eagles last offseason.
The Giants trading for Darren Waller: The Giants also added Parris Campbell and brought back Darius Slayton at receiver, but the big move was acquiring versatile tight end Darren Waller from Vegas. While Waller has battled injuries, he’s shown he can take over games as a weapon through the air. He can fill the No. 1 receiver role from the tight end spot, and his receiving prowess should mesh well with the way Daniel Jones throws darts over the middle.
The Bills signing Damien Harris: Harris killed the Bills throughout his time with the Patriots, and this felt like such an obvious fit given his physical running style. Harris and second-year back James Cook should former an excellent running back duo in Buffalo.
The Panthers revamping their receiving group: Carolina gave up a ton to move up to No. 1 in the draft. It’s unclear who they will select at this point (I would go with Bryce Young), but I think it was smart to save money at receiver while using D.J. Moore in the deal to move up the board. The Panthers were able to revamp things by adding Adam Thielen and D.J. Chark as free agents, and what was looking like a weak group after trading away Moore now quickly looks intriguing.