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It has been a crazy NFL offseason so far, with what feels like more movement in the trade market than normal. Teams have been quite active on the front of moving key pieces, and free agency has been more of the same, helping set some teams apart while others fall even further into a rebuild.
The following list shows which five teams have improved the most this offseason through their free agency additions – while spending a ton of money does not always translate into immediate results, these teams have set themselves up well moving forward.
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5 Most Improved Teams from NFL Free Agency
The spending spree that the Jacksonville Jaguars went on this offseason has rightfully been met with a ton of skepticism, and they have a long ways to go if they want to compete in the AFC South. But this team will look quite different than last season, which can only be seen as a good thing.
Providing HC Doug Pederson with a revamped team is the best way to show your new coach that you believe in his abilities to coach, and while overspending for WRs Christian Kirk and Zay Jones may ultimately define how successful their haul is, they have provided Trevor Lawrence with plenty of targets in his second season. Plus, adding one of the league’s best guards in Brandon Scherff will help keep Lawrence upright.
Defensively, the Jaguars threw a combined $105 million at DT Foley Fatukasi, LB Foyesade Oluokun, and CB Darious Williams, and all three players will be coming in to anchor their respective positional groups. Oluokun was an absolute stud for the Falcons’ defense and Williams was a key corner that helped shut down receivers in the NFC West, and Fatukasi made a name for himself clogging up running lanes and rushing the passer for the New York Jets.
4. New York Jets
Speaking of the Jets, they too made big splashes this offseason in the free agency market, going out and adding six players.
Of the group, guard Laken Tomlinson (3/$40M) and safety D.J. Reed (3/$33M) were the biggest signings for them, but getting safety Jordan Whitehead on a below-market deal (2/$14.5M) from Tampa Bay could be one of the offseason’s biggest steals.
They also decided to upgrade their tight end position, bringing in both Tyler Conklin (3/$21M) and C.J. Uzomah (3/$24M) on nearly-identical deals to help get Zach Wilson a few more trustworthy receivers for the passing game. While the Jets are fighting quite the uphill battle in the AFC East, they should be better this upcoming season – with offensive pieces brought in to surround Wilson and help his development, look for a Year 2 jump from the former BYU prospect as he finally starts to get comfortable in the NFL.
3. Miami Dolphins
Tailoring this team to fit the background of new head coach Mike McDaniels was an important task for the Miami Dolphins this offseason and their trip through free agency certainly showcased the direction this team wants to go.
Coming from the San Francisco 49ers, McDaniels helped orchestrate their run-heavy attack, something that the Dolphins were not set up to mirror upon his arrival. But their free agency class now reflects their shift in offensive focus.
Guard Connor Williams, running backs Chase Edmonds and Raheem Mostert, fullback Alec Ingold, and wide receiver Cedrick Wilson are all going to be counted on in various offensive roles this season, and getting tight end Mike Gesicki back on a franchise tag helps keep one of their incumbent pass-catchers in-house for at least another year.
While no major defensive additions were made for this team, it was imperative to surround Tua Tagovailoa with a plethora of both options and protection while turning this team into one that is well-suited for offensive success moving forward.
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It is no surprise to see the Buffalo Bills as high on this list as they are, but their already-stout team drastically improved this offseason, a testament to how general manager Brandon Beane is far from content with the current roster structure.
There have been 10 signings up to this point for the Bills, split evenly amongst defensive and offensive players. The team’s biggest-name acquisition is Von Miller, but their most important is likely Rodger Saffold.
Getting Miller to head back to the AFC was no easy coup for the Bills, but they were able to secure his talents on a monster six-year, $120 million deal that is more likely to be a three-year, $52.47 million deal based on its structure.
For Saffold’s impact, he is likely going to slide in as the Bills’ starting right guard, helping protect Josh Allen and open up running lanes for whichever ball carrier is getting the ball. His one-year, $6.25 million deal could look like a steal, provided he stays healthy and is able to mesh well in lengthy pass-protection sets.
After coming up a game short in their quest to win the Super Bowl, the Cincinnati Bengals were tasked with an important element this offseason – protect Joe Burrow. As their franchise QB was constantly facing pressure and being knocked down, it was important for the front office to tackle that issue head-on in free agency.
And did they ever.
Guard Alex Cappa (4/$35M), center Ted Karras (3/$18M), and tackle La’el Collins (3/$30M) were all brought in this offseason to help keep Burrow upright, and these key additions will not only help their QB, but also help open up running lanes for Joe Mixon, who experienced a career renaissance last season.
Outside of offensive line, the Bengals took a depth approach for their other additions – the key one is bringing in Hayden Hurst on a one-year deal to become the TE1 for a team that just lost C.J. Uzomah to the Jets in a deal that was too rich for them to match.
As the Super Bowl runner-ups look to capitalize on their awesome 2020-21 season, they tackled free agency just about as good as you could have asked them to.
Honorable Mentions – Baltimore Ravens, Carolina Panthers, New York Giants, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
