Offseason grades for all 32 NFL teams

"It seemed like they were all over the board with convoluted moves, but there is a connection with the quarterback and the offensive guru and the system," a former general manager said. "It has a chance now, whereas before the draft, I would have said, 'No way.'"

The decision to make another coaching change without overhauling the front office means the Cardinals' first-year head coach inherits a seventh-year GM (Steve Keim) who has a winning record (52-43-1) but could be on less stable ground after three straight non-winning seasons and a 2018 DUI conviction.

"Wouldn't it be interesting if they had a new GM with Kingsbury and Murray?" an exec asked. "Maybe they do different things rather than signing all these old guys who have been cut."

Brooks Reed, 32, and Robert Alford, 30, were older cut players signed by Arizona before free agency opened. Other veteran additions included Terrell Suggs (36), Charles Clay (30) and J.R. Sweezy (30).

"I probably would have gone young with Kyler Murray," an evaluator said. "If they start poorly and it looks like they're going to miss the playoffs, what does a young coach say to Terrell Suggs?"

While execs generally did not like the way Arizona rushed out to sign recently cut players such as Alford, the Cardinals' roster could have been barren enough to justify such an approach.

"Whether you liked Kingsbury or not -- and I am a fan -- they went out and got him a team that he could succeed with," an exec said. "Even the veterans they signed, OK, they were trying to get some depth and eliminate some holes before the draft. Maybe they are not great, but you can at least line up and play with them. I get their strategy. And this coach, more than their last one, gives them a clear identity to build around."

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Atlanta Falcons

Grade: B-

The 2018 Falcons finished seventh on offense, 31st on defense and 16th on special teams in ESPN's expected points-based efficiency rankings. They responded by firing all three coordinators before loading up on offensive linemen in both free agency and the draft.

"They did a lot for their offensive line, but I feel like they are exposed at running back and corner, and their pass rush is a concern," an evaluator said. "Maybe they think [fourth-round pick] John Cominsky can be a Tyrone Crawford type or an Adrian Clayborn from their Super Bowl team."

Beyond the $15.2 million franchise tag for defensive tackle Grady Jarrett, the Falcons' three largest commitments of guaranteed money went to guard Jamon Brown ($12.75 million), guard James Carpenter ($9.3 million) and tackle Ty Sambrailo ($6 million). They then used first-round picks for guard Chris Lindstrom and tackle Kaleb McGary, who one evaluator thought would become the best lineman from the 2019 draft.

"What blew me away was, Jamon Brown got $6 million a year," an evaluator said. "He lost the starting job with the Rams, got cut, went to the Giants, played poorly and got that kind of money?"

Dirk Koetter's return as offensive coordinator went over well.

"I think [Devonta] Freeman will have a big year with Dirk," an exec said. "He fits the mold of Maurice Jones-Drew and even Doug Martin, who had big years playing for Dirk. The question is, can he stay healthy? Losing Tevin Coleman to a relatively modest deal had to hurt."

Baltimore Ravens

Grade: C

The Ravens subtracted defensive leaders Terrell Suggs, C.J. Mosley and Eric Weddle. They signed former Seattle safety Earl Thomas to a deal that was costly on two levels; beyond the $32 million that was guaranteed at signing, the deal canceled out the 2020 third-round compensatory pick Baltimore could have received for losing Mosley in free agency.

"The big issue is what they lost defensively, and can a player-friendly defensive staff adjust to having lost who they lost?" an exec said. "Guys they really leaned on, culture setters, are gone."

Execs agreed that promoting Greg Roman to offensive coordinator and trading Joe Flacco made sense after the team committed to Lamar Jackson as quarterback. Not everyone loved the overall outlook, however. Will the defense be good enough to enable the Ravens' offensive style?

"It is possible Jackson will make a Year 2 jump under Roman," an exec said, "but I think high expectations are misplaced. The defense is going to regress. They are not going to have any flexibility or balance and they will be stuck. It was good for John Harbaugh to get that contract extension."

Buffalo Bills

Grade: B-

Execs see the Bills building in the Panthers' image under Carolina transplants Brandon Beane and Sean McDermott. Both franchises have big, athletic quarterbacks lacking great accuracy, which is why some question the way Buffalo is assembling its receiving corps.

"Carolina used to get these big receivers for Cam [Newton] to compensate for the accuracy," an exec said. "Buffalo has gone to a different model of receiver with [Cole] Beasley and those guys. You are going to have to be accurate with what they have signed."

John Brown's statistical production cratered with the Ravens last season after the team switched from Flacco to Jackson at quarterback. Will Brown's production bounce back with Allen throwing the passes?

"Josh Allen has a [Ben] Roethlisberger kind of arm -- he can throw it a long way," another exec said. "You get a speed guy like John Brown to go get the ball. I like the signing."

Standing pat at No. 9 in the draft and coming away with defensive tackle Ed Oliver pushed up the grade for Buffalo. The money spent for center Mitch Morse and especially for 36-year-old running back Frank Gore raised some eyebrows, but in the words of one exec who has lived in the Buffalo area and liked it, players from other parts of the country aren't always lining up to sign there when all else is equal.

"I think their maneuvers are similar to how New England operates -- not huge money, with some higher picks who got shown the door elsewhere," an evaluator said. "I think their GM and head coach are in sync and when you have that, you have a chance."

Carolina Panthers

Grade: C

The Panthers have a second-year owner with a thirst for analytics, a third-year GM hired twice by the previous owner, a quarterback coming off shoulder surgery and a head coach implementing defensive scheme changes entering his ninth season.

"I don't think they rebound. I'm not sold on the offensive line and we don't know if Cam can throw the ball yet. They are switching defenses. Aye yi yi." NFL evaluator

One franchise icon (center Ryan Kalil) just retired and another (tight end Greg Olsen) is 34 and coming off two injury-shortened seasons.

"Scary situation," an evaluator said. "They have not done anything. They got Bruce Irvin, who is on his third team in six months and is a situational player right now. Keeping the tackle [Daryl Williams] was good. The center they got [Matt Paradis] is gritty but has been hurt."

Execs liked the Panthers' ability to land edge rusher Brian Burns with the 16th pick in the draft, but they felt a sense of unease while the new owner, David Tepper, plots how he wants to proceed for the long term.

"I don't think they rebound," an evaluator said. "I'm not sold on the offensive line and we don't know if Cam can throw the ball yet. They are switching defenses. Aye yi yi."

Chicago Bears

Grade: B-

This offseason was largely about last offseason for the Bears. Their 2019 first-round pick helped them land Khalil Mack. They spent their 2019 second-rounder last year as well, helping them trade up for receiver Anthony Miller (Kansas City eventually used the Bears' 2019 second-rounder for receiver Mecole Hardman).

"The early part of the Mack trade was exactly what they wanted, but now they are dealing with the back end of the trade," an exec said.

The Mack trade went so well for Chicago in the short term that defensive coordinator Vic Fangio became an even more attractive candidate for head-coaching positions. Losing him to Denver was not ideal but landing former Colts coach Chuck Pagano as a replacement seemed solid. One exec said Chicago went from having an elite defensive coordinator to having a good one, and that the defense should regress some as a result, and also because the talent might not be quite as good.

"Will the offense step up and fill the void?" an evaluator asked. "Did they do enough to offset the loss of Jordan Howard, Adrian Amos and Bryce Callahan? The running back spot was interesting. They spent tons of time on backs for the draft and took two. They signed Cordarrelle Patterson, who could factor in the backfield and should upgrade the return game."

Cincinnati Bengals

Grade: C

The Bengals hired a first-time head coach (Zac Taylor), a first-time offensive coordinator (Brian Callahan) and a first-time defensive coordinator (Lou Anarumo). Those coaches' only experience calling plays in the NFL traces to a 12-game stretch for Taylor and Anarumo with the 2015 Dolphins. There will presumably be a learning curve.

"My biggest question for them as an organization and why they might have considered hiring guys with more experience is just when it comes to identifying talent as a staff," an exec said. "All these guys have been positional coaches and not even special-teams coaches, who at least have to figure out ways to use or evaluate players."

The Bengals, like the Packers, hired a head coach with ties to Rams coach Sean McVay. Unlike the Packers, the Bengals funneled resources into an offense that already had decent talent. First-round tackle Jonah Williams and second-round tight end Drew Sample give Taylor greater ability to implement a balanced offense around quarterback Andy Dalton.

"You can take their offense and make some comparisons to the Rams," an evaluator said. "[Joe] Mixon is like [Todd] Gurley, Dalton is a little bit like [Jared] Goff, A.J. Green is [Robert] Woods, [John] Ross is [Brandin] Cooks, [Tyler] Boyd is [Cooper] Kupp and Taylor is McVay."

Some of those comparisons could be stretches, but the thinking is clear. The Bengals' grade would be higher if the coaches were better known.

"They are so conservative there that I think they are trying to just keep the ship running and hope this guy [Taylor] can give them a little something on offense," an exec said. "A lot is going to depend on what he puts around him, how good his defensive coaches are."

Cleveland Browns

Grade: C+

Execs who weren't sure whether the 2018 Los Angeles Rams could easily assimilate Ndamukong Suh, Aqib Talib and Marcus Peters thought the Browns were taking much greater risks. Cleveland has less stable ownership, a less established head coach, no track record of recent success and a more explosive combination of personalities.

"Handing this roster to Freddie Kitchens, who has never been a coordinator, let alone a head coach, would scare me to death," an exec said. "The talent might be good enough so that it doesn't matter, but it is also combustible. You are already seeing signs with Odell."

Odell Beckham Jr., Kareem Hunt and Sheldon Richardson are talented newcomers who have nonetheless been suspended by the NFL at various points in their careers. While execs lauded GM John Dorsey's eye for talent, they saw the Browns taking a short-term approach that is creating great expectations without necessarily laying a stable foundation.

"I think whatever success they have will be fleeting," an exec said.

A salary-cap administrator thought the Browns' moves created challenges that could complicate their ability to re-sign homegrown talent.

"Face it, with that ownership and these expectations, Freddie Kitchens is coaching for his job in Year 1, which is insane," another exec said. "I give the Browns really high marks for their talent acquisitions at a time when that division is in transition, but it is going to take great leadership to get that done, and there is no track record of that leadership there."

A head coach said he thought quarterback Baker Mayfield had the makeup and personality to roll with whatever waves Beckham and anyone else might make. An exec thought the personalities of Mayfield and Beckham were bigger than the franchise, and he thought there was zero chance Beckham actually wanted to be in Cleveland over bigger, more glamorous markets such as New York and Los Angeles.

"You look at their skill people and it's pretty impressive if the quarterback is the real deal," another exec said. "Defensively, you got the pass-rusher [Olivier Vernon] for a guard [Kevin Zeitler], which is good. I could be dead wrong, but I think they go 10-6 and have a good year. Then I think next year [2020] is the key for them, where they go one way or another."

Dallas Cowboys

Grade: B

The 2019 first-round pick Dallas spent to acquire Amari Cooper last season produced immediate positive returns.

Quarterback Dak Prescott completed 72 percent of his passes with 13 touchdowns, three interceptions, a 104.6 passer rating and 63.1 Total QBR with Cooper on the field last season. Those numbers were much better than when Cooper was off the field.

Can Prescott and the offense make another jump with Kellen Moore replacing Scott Linehan as offensive coordinator?

"They believe Kellen Moore will be more creative and I agree," an evaluator said. "I'm intrigued to see his fingerprints on that offense. He grew up in it, his dad was a really good high school coach and Kellen is very sharp, so it will be interesting to see."

Dallas extended DeMarcus Lawrence's contract, acquired Robert Quinn to offset losing Randy Gregory, and used its first two draft picks for linemen on both sides of the ball.

"Randall Cobb was an interesting signing to me," an evaluator said. "He could be Cole Beasley, except hurt. But if he's healthy, he could be an upgrade. I think their process was, for less than the price of Cole Beasley, they got Tavon Austin and Randall Cobb. Two can be better than one, but Beasley had great chemistry with Dak and that could be missed."

Denver Broncos

Grade: B+

The Broncos finished last season with Case Keenum and Kevin Hogan atop their QB depth chart. Joe Flacco and second-round pick Drew Lock fill those roles now. And while stats say Flacco and Keenum are about the same, it's tough finding anyone who would rather have Keenum.

Denver replaced head coach Vance Joseph with Vic Fangio. Failing to reach agreement with offensive coordinator candidate Gary Kubiak was one of the few staff-related disappointments, but landing Mike Munchak to coach the offensive line looked like a home run, especially with the Broncos investing big free-agent dollars in tackle Ja'Wuan James before using a second-round choice for Dalton Risner.

"There are very few great players who are really good coaches, but Munchak is one of them," an exec said. "He does such a good job of not asking his guys to do things they cannot do. Ja'Wuan James will look better. It will end up being a good signing for them."

Execs disagreed over whether 31-year-old corner Kareem Jackson was a good signing at $11 million per year.

"What you have to remember is that Jackson played great against Denver, and he gives them some flexibility because he can play corner or safety," an exec said. "They are paying him $9 million in the first year and it's not like they need him for five years. They will take him for three."

If you're high on Lock, you probably love the way Denver traded down 10 spots in the first round, then used its newfound draft capital to trade up for Lock in the second. Tight end Noah Fant, selected 20th overall after the big trade down in the first round, should help both quarterbacks.

"We'll see on Lock," an exec said. "He played for four years and has a big arm, but he had a losing record and completed 57 percent of his passes, which are all things that were true of Jay Cutler, too."

Detroit Lions

Grade: C

The Lions spent big in free agency for players with ties to coach Matt Patricia and GM Bob Quinn. That included signing Trey Flowers, Justin Coleman and Danny Amendola. Detroit also signed former Steelers tight end Jesse James at $5.6 million per year, then used the eighth pick in the draft for another tight end, T.J. Hockenson.

"They are better, definitely," an exec said. "Flowers is a really good player. Coleman is a really good nickel. They signed so many guys that I can't even remember them all. They are going all-in."

How early is too early to draft a tight end? Some loved Hockenson and would have taken him at No. 8. Others dissented.

"They took a 4.7 [in the 40-yard dash] tight end with the eighth overall pick when they could have taken a quarterback," one of the dissenters said. "I personally think it's time to move on from [Matthew] Stafford. It is the same thing year after year. He's not a bad guy, but he's had so many coordinators and quarterback coaches, it's a smorgasbord. Can you really cook something or do you keep making grilled cheese?"

Green Bay Packers

Grade: C+

The Packers should be better on defense, but did they hire the right head coach for the right reasons? Matt LaFleur's ties to Sean McVay seemed to be his greatest selling point. That, and he wasn't Mike McCarthy.

"They obviously think LaFleur can fix the offense on his own because they didn't really sign or draft anybody on offense," an exec said. "It seems odd that you can hire LaFleur and then everybody [on offense] you have in the building would be a fit for what he does. Maybe that is the case."

Execs suggested that holdover defensive coordinator Mike Pettine could have shaped the offseason priority list more than the first-time head coach with 16 games' experience calling offensive plays.

"One of the concerns is that defensive coordinator is a strong-willed guy and does he wield too much influence?" an exec said. "Free agency was all defense. The first four picks of the draft were defense. And then I have some questions about the staff after they did not get the special-teams coordinator [Darren Rizzi, who landed with New Orleans]."

A strong, established offense-minded head coach might have had the gravitas to set guidelines for quarterback Aaron Rodgers and even challenge him when appropriate.

"I think a C-plus grade is fair," an exec said. "You gotta ding them for the coach. Obviously, we could all be wrong, but if they had an accountability problem, I would think they would bring in somebody that would bring accountability to the franchise. Maybe LaFleur is that guy, but wouldn't you want to bring in a guy with some serious juice?"

Houston Texans

Grade: B

Rebuilding the offensive line was the Texans' overriding responsibility this offseason. They did that by signing veteran tackle Matt Kalil before using first- and second-round picks for tackles Tytus Howard (23rd overall) and Max Scharping (56th).

"I think they improved," an evaluator said. "Guys they added in the draft come from smaller schools and are not sexy names, but they are good football players. Tytus Howard is raw and it might take him a while, but once he gets it, he has a chance to be as good or better than than any tackles drafted by anyone else."

That might soften the sting from Philly leapfrogging Houston in the first round to select tackle Andre Dillard.

Execs thought the Texans would suffer without defensive back Tyrann Mathieu, who signed with Kansas City. They also wondered what the future might hold for franchise player Jadeveon Clowney. Some thought a trade could still be in the works if a long-term deal is elusive.

"I would guess there was a point in the past when they thought J.J. Watt might be done, so they would pay Clowney and move on from Watt," an exec said. "J.J. has come back at a higher level than most of us expected. Now, they have both of them and have to rebuild the offensive line, which is why you can throw out that best-player-available talk in the draft. Sometimes, the cap and your payroll force you to draft need."

Loading up on line prospects in the draft was the cheaper alternative to paying top dollar for veteran free agents.

"When you sign those veteran guys, you could be drafting their replacements in two years anyway," an exec said.

Indianapolis Colts

Grade: A-

The Colts entered the offseason with more than $100 million in salary-cap space. They resisted the most expensive players in the market, instead landing pass-rusher Justin Houston and receiver Devin Funchess to short-term deals (two years for Houston, one for Funchess).

Indy then traded back 20 spots in the draft, moving down from the 26th overall spot. The Colts emerged with three second-round choices for the second year in a row, apparently figuring the difference between the 26th and 46th choices wasn't large enough to justify standing pat.

"There is a clarity, a vision and a discipline to what they are doing," an exec said. "They know what they want to be and they are disciplined in executing the plan. One thing about Indy is, the owner [Jim Irsay] knows football, has a strong desire to win and will support that financially, particularly now that everyone is on the same page."

One exec said he was optimistic as to how Houston would fit with the Colts, on the theory that the scheme in Kansas City was broken, and former Chiefs exec Chris Ballard, now the GM in Indy, would have a good feel for the situation.

"What's really striking about the Colts is how they have revamped their team in the trenches," an evaluator said. "That has gone from weakness to strength in two years. That is where you see what true talent evaluators can do. You saw it with Washington when [Scot] McCloughan was there and you see it now in Indy."

Jacksonville Jaguars

Grade: B

Blake Bortles, Malik Jackson, Carlos Hyde and Tashaun Gipson are out. Telvin Smith says he's taking a year off. Leonard Fournette says he's eager for a fresh start. Nick Foles is the new quarterback, John DeFilippo is the new offensive coordinator and Josh Allen is the new pass-rusher selected in the first round.

"Allen, to me, cannot miss," an evaluator said. "Will he be elite? He will definitely be good. This is not a Luke Joeckel miss or a Dante Fowler Jr. miss."

Foles is not Bortles, which means the Jaguars finally have a fresh outlook at quarterback for the first time in five years.

"It all depends on how Foles does," an exec said, "but to get the pass-rusher where they got him and then get the tackle [Jawaan Taylor] in the second round, both those guys were early, early talent that they were able to get for one reason or another, and that is really big for them."

And what about Foles?

"The good thing is, there is familiarity between Foles and Flip [DeFilippo] and Flip has [Doug] Marrone, who is not going to let him throw it 60 times," another exec said. "There are some positives there. They still do not have many weapons, though."

Kansas City Chiefs

Grade: C

The Chiefs still have Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes, which is what matters most, but this will be a vastly different team in meaningful ways -- some good, some bad.

"You can see what they are trying to do with the defense, but Kansas City is a hard one to figure overall because they've had some curveballs," an exec said.

Defensive coordinator Bob Sutton, outside linebackers Justin Houston and Dee Ford, safety Eric Berry and (for now) receiver Tyreek Hill are out. Taking their places: defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, defensive end Frank Clark (among others), safety Tyrann Mathieu and rookie receiver Mecole Hardman.

"They did really well on Dee Ford. They are changing schemes and this is a guy who had one good year in a contract year, and they were not biting. They parlayed it into getting Frank Clark, who is just a much better player." NFL executive

In a four-day period bleeding into the draft, the Chiefs acquired Clark, suspended Hill after audio surfaced in which his fiancée accused him of abusing their 3-year-old son, and traded up in the second round to select Hardman, a potential replacement for Hill. They also gave Clark a deal worth nearly $21 million per year, which one evaluator noted could explain why Chris Jones is not attending OTAs.

"They did really well on Dee Ford," an exec said. "They are changing schemes and this is a guy who had one good year in a contract year, and they were not biting. They parlayed it into getting Frank Clark, who is just a much better player."

The Chiefs essentially traded Ford and the 29th pick for Clark (their own 2020 second goes to Seattle, and San Francisco's 2020 second goes to Kansas City). If you're going to trade a first-round pick, you're better getting a player at a premium position in return. Clark is one such player.

"They have lost a 'blue' running back [Hunt] and a 'blue' wide receiver [Hill] and could drop because of that," an evaluator said. "You just can't replace those guys. But they do have the X factor [Mahomes] that can make that all less relevant."

Los Angeles Chargers

Grade: C

The Chargers were the only NFL team to rank among the top five on both offense and defense in ESPN's efficiency metrics last season. They didn't need to do much this offseason, but showing a little more urgency -- or perhaps just an inclination to spend a little more -- would not have met resistance.

"Sometimes activity isn't the best way to improve," an exec countered. "Sometimes just letting it jell will work. What do they normally do? This, right?"

The rest of the AFC West was wheeling and dealing all offseason, including when Oakland landed Chargers receiver Tyrell Williams, whom Los Angeles didn't really replace. The Chargers also stood pat in the draft, becoming the only team that did not trade away one of its original selections or acquire a selection from another team.

"The Nasir Adderley addition [in the draft's second round] was a good get for them because they just haven't had a safety opposite Derwin James that can really play," an evaluator said. "This kid can do that. The receiver they lost [Williams] was talented and on the come. I don't know what they have done to help a 40-year-old quarterback [Philip Rivers is 37]."

Los Angeles Rams

Grade: C+

The Rams made their big moves last year, reached the Super Bowl and made no big splashes in the pool this spring.

"This offseason looked like a counterbalance and a little bit of a reset," an exec said. "They are very progressive analytically and in terms of personnel have a very good balance between short-term acquisitions and long-term acquisitions and being able to balance their roster."

Clay Matthews, Eric Weddle and Blake Bortles were the bigger-name additions.

"Getting Matthews and Weddle for $9-10 million total, that is sort of cheating the system," an exec said.

Keeping Dante Fowler Jr. on a one-year, $12 million deal was another plus, but is the net talent change positive without Lamarcus Joyner, Ndamukong Suh and Rodger Saffold?

"They've got a lot of good players -- there were some scouts out there calling them 'Ala-Ram-a'," an exec said. "But sometimes you realize that signing Ndamukong Suh really did nothing for you. It didn't get you over the hump. You gotta sign the right guys. It's probably good they didn't pull the trigger on an Odell Beckham trade or something like that."

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Miami Dolphins

Grade: B

It's hard to call this a great offseason so early in the game, especially without knowing how Brian Flores projects as a head coach. The new structure could be promising, however.

"You have a first-time head coach and a GM who has never had this much on his plate," an exec said. "They realize this and have brought in mentors for them to model after."

Flores has a strong mentor in assistant head coach/quarterbacks coach Jim Caldwell. GM Chris Grier has a mentor as well in the newly hired Reggie McKenzie. Grier also has help from a newly created assistant GM position manned by Marvin Allen.

The long-term rebuild that owner Stephen Ross greenlit could be best for the Dolphins. Will he be patient?

"That is the inherent risk with any rebuild," an exec said. "Philly was able to rebuild and compete because they were able to trade up and get [Carson] Wentz."

The Dolphins bypassed the quarterbacks in the draft and instead picked up Josh Rosen and his team-friendly contract, giving Caldwell a young prospect to develop.

That seemed like a win, as did re-signing corner Xavien Howard.

"If you are Miami and you are looking at your future and you are short on talent but long on cap dollars, you cannot really afford to let a guy like Howard go," an exec said. "Just getting him to sign is a nice win, particularly for five years. Howard wins, too, because he outearns the tag at a position where how the game is officiated can change how you are viewed."

Minnesota Vikings

Grade: B

Re-signing receiver Adam Thielen and linebacker Anthony Barr proved again that Kirk Cousins' contract would not prevent the Vikings from keeping together their core.

Losing Sheldon Richardson from the defense demonstrated there are limits, however. At least Minnesota stands to receive a 2020 third-round comp pick after Richardson commanded $12.3 million a year from Cleveland.

"I'd rather have Richardson than Barr, especially if they are going to keep dropping Barr into coverage like they did against the Rams," an evaluator said, "but Barr just has way more emotional ties for them."

Gary Kubiak's hiring as assistant head coach/offensive adviser gives Minnesota not just another cook in the offensive kitchen, but a world-renowned chef serving in the No. 2 role behind the rising but less established Kevin Stefanski. Coach Mike Zimmer's history with offensive coaches and the increased pressure on Zimmer to win make this a compelling situation.

Three views that are not necessarily conflicting:

• Veteran coach: "Kubiak is collaborative and will be a net benefit for Stefanski."

• Head coach: "'Kubes' will be great for [Kirk] Cousins. 'Kubes' is the master of simplifying the complex and he knows what he wants done and it's clear."

• Personnel director: "They will have a sounder identity offensively, a firmer identity with a guy like Kubiak playing to the mindset and style of the head coach."

Stefanski already started implementing that identity late last season. Kubiak's résumé suggests he can help take it to another level with a scheme that could take pressure off the Vikings' offensive line, which the team addressed in the draft.

New England Patriots

Grade: C

The Patriots' offseason featured a prostitution solicitation arrest for owner Robert Kraft, multiple staff departures, would-be defensive coordinator Greg Schiano joining and quickly leaving the team, postseason hero Rob Gronkowski retiring and top free agent Trey Flowers leaving for riches in Detroit.

Oh, and Las Vegas has the Patriots as 6-1 favorites to win the next Super Bowl, the best odds for any team.

"So, they are going to go 10-6, at least," an exec said. "Is that a B offseason? In their own weird way, it's a good offseason for them."

The exec let out a loud laugh, knowing that picking apart the Patriots' moves seems futile in the face of robust annual returns.

"[Bill] Belichick is the guy who climbs Everest without oxygen just to see if he can do it," another exec said. "It'll work out for them."

A quick run through some of the leading subjects:

• Kraft: His arrest was embarrassing, but it shouldn't affect the on-field product.

• Staff: Belichick, Josh McDaniels and Dante Scarnecchia are still there, which is critical.

• Schiano: "They say Belichick is going to be the defensive coordinator," an exec said. "That has to help them. He is a coaching genius."

• Gronk: The Patriots tried to trade him one year ago and presumably would have been fine moving on from him this offseason as well, simply based on age and injuries. Using the 32nd overall pick on a big wideout (N'Keal Harry) could fill some of the receiving void.

• Flowers: New England replaced him with veteran Michael Bennett, who might be as good in 2019. They will pocket a 2020 third-round compensatory pick, plus another third and two sixths for losing other players, giving them the NFL's largest projected haul of comp picks next year.

One potential regret: not drafting a tight end. The Patriots might not be finished at that position, though. Execs said New England has shown interest in the veteran trade market.

"I would think they wish they would have handled the tight end situation differently, but the tight ends in the draft all went early," an evaluator said. "My guess is, they probably wanted to get one in the third round and they all ended up gone before they picked."

New Orleans Saints

Grade: C

The Saints' grade takes a hit from the 2018 trade that saw them surrender their 2019 first-round pick to Green Bay as part of trading up to select defensive end Marcus Davenport. That was one of those we-are-one-player-away moves that are hard to execute successfully. The Saints might argue that one blown call in the playoffs was all that stopped them, but they got 4.5 sacks and zero starts from the player they had to have.

"I think New Orleans freely gives out future picks and it ends up hurting them," an exec said. "It's like they fall in love with one player at one position, and that is where you get in trouble."

The Davenport trade gave the Saints less flexibility in the 2019 draft, where they traded up again -- this time in the second round, to select center Erik McCoy, a player evaluators like very much. The Saints picked McCoy after committing $4 million in guaranteed money to veteran center Nick Easton following Max Unger's surprise retirement.

"To me it seems like an overreaction to Unger retiring, but that is what teams do," an exec said, noting that Kansas City acted similarly following Tyreek Hill's suspension.

The Saints continued to emphasize special teams. They brought veteran coach Mike Westhoff out of retirement two years ago and wound up ranking No. 1 in ESPN's special-teams efficiency rankings for 2018. While the retiring Westhoff expressed disappointment in the Saints' decision to dismiss his underlings, New Orleans did well in adding Darren Rizzi to coach the units. Rizzi's Dolphins finished second to the Saints in ESPN's special-teams efficiency rankings last season. His units were fourth during his nine seasons with Miami (2010-18).

"From a roster standpoint, they do as much to address special teams as anyone," an evaluator said. "They signed Marcus Sherels. They are the ones to think about having a backup quarterback [Taysom Hill] in a special-teams light."

New York Giants

Grade: D

A dispirited college roommate once told me without sarcasm that he was "shooting for a high F" on an upcoming exam. That bit of unintentional comedy came to mind after I told an exec that a D-minus grade seemed right for the Giants' offseason.

"Yeah," the exec replied without any intended malice, "so why wouldn't the Giants be an F?"

Because they finally identified and drafted a potential franchise quarterback in Daniel Jones, I replied.

"If you think he is the guy, great," a different exec said. "It is just, what are you trying to make your team?"

The Giants traded away one of the game's great playmakers (Beckham) and one of their better pass-rushers (Vernon). They used the first-round choice acquired for Beckham on a 350-pound nose tackle, seven months after trading away a 350-pound nose tackle (Damon Harrison). They acquired a 23-year-old safety drafted in the first round (Jabrill Peppers) to replace a 25-year-old safety drafted in the first round (Landon Collins).

For some, it felt as if the Giants were akin to a basketball team sinking 2-point shots while its opponents were hitting 3s.

"You could have had Odell and Harrison from last year's team," an exec said. "Instead, you have Dexter Lawrence and a fifth-rounder from Detroit. That makes no sense to me."

It obviously makes sense to the Giants, but execs agreed that New York's GM, Dave Gettleman, has not communicated the plan effectively.

One exec said it looked as if the Giants were building a team to stop the run in a potentially run-heavy division within a more pass-oriented league. Another questioned whether a "meat-and-potatoes" team would gain traction in New York during the current age. A third questioned how Gettleman could suggest that Jones might sit for three years, which would make it difficult for the team to decide how to proceed on a second contract.

"I don't think you get rid of great players," a former GM said. "They traded a pass-rushing defensive lineman [Vernon] for an interior offensive lineman [Zeitler] and drafted a quarterback I'm iffy on. You can defend every one of their moves individually, but collectively, are they building an identity that you can win with?"

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New York Jets

Grade: D-

This Jets offseason remains in flux until the team names its next GM, but there's lots to digest.

The plan all along could not have been to fire GM Mike Maccagnan two weeks after the draft -- well after Maccagnan seemed to drive key moves in free agency, including the signing of Le'Veon Bell, which no one saw as a move the new head coach, Adam Gase, would have made or even supported.

"If you had told people in November that the Jets were going to wind up with Adam Gase as the head coach and [interim] GM, they'd be like, 'What the f--- are you talking about?'" an exec said.

Lots of people are saying a variation of that right now.

"You don't have to agree with the decision people make -- people are right or wrong all the time -- but you should be able to understand what teams are trying to accomplish," an exec said. "With the Jets, you have done some things that could make you better, but you don't get the sense they walked in knowing how to fix their organization. They threw darts."

Where there is no coherent plan, there is speculation.

Gase and franchise quarterback Sam Darnold share representation through agent Jimmy Sexton, as do some of the potential GM candidates, and Bob LaMonte reps Maccagnan. Not everyone agreed those dynamics were critical here.

"I don't think Maccagnan got fired because of agents or even because of Gase," an exec said. "Look, Gase could have prevented Maccagnan from being fired, but I don't think Gase is the reason he was fired. What solidified it was that they've had two head coaches not love the fit."

Beyond leading the league in intrigue, the Jets also led in guaranteed money committed to free agents, which carries its own downside -- specifically, that when you're determined to spend in free agency, you're at the mercy of what's available.

For the Jets, that meant spending $17 million per year on an inside linebacker (C.J. Mosley) and $13 million per year on a running back (Bell) who hasn't played in more than a year and had become estranged from his previous team. Meanwhile, another team with excess cap space, the Indianapolis Colts, continued making decisions based on value and strategic planning.

What the Jets do on the GM front could determine whether they're throwing darts again next offseason.

"There are a lot of pretty good evaluators," an exec said. "You need to get a guy that formulates an organizational plan, with the personnel people and with the coaching staff. The problem with keeping the evaluator during a coaching changeover is, that is not always the case."

Oakland Raiders

Grade: C+

This Raiders offseason requires bullet points to digest:

• Fired GM Reggie McKenzie and hired NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock to replace him

• Acquired and paid Steelers receiver Antonio Brown

• Spent in free agency for tackle Trent Brown, receiver Tyrell Williams and safety Lamarcus Joyner

• Used first-round picks for defensive end Clelin Ferrell, running back Josh Jacobs and safety Johnathan Abram

• Traded guard Kelechi Osemele

"I would rather have Khalil Mack and Amari Cooper than Josh Jacobs and Johnathan Abram," an exec said. "That is why it is dangerous to trade good players for draft picks. Those draft picks are super valuable until they are spent and then they are players that not everybody wants."

Instead of potentially having Cooper and Mack on expensive contracts for years to come, the Raiders have:

• 2019 first-round picks Jacobs and Abram

• Chicago's 2019 sixth-round pick (since traded to the Jets with Osemele for a fifth-round pick that was traded to Jacksonville)

• Chicago's 2020 first- and third-round picks (minus the Raiders' 2020 second and a conditional fifth)

"They pass on Khalil Mack, but then they overpay the tackle [Trent Brown] and they overpay the safety [Lamarcus Joyner]," another exec said. "You could have had a dynamic pass-rusher [Mack] for $23 million a year, but now you are paying $27 million a year for a safety and a tackle who could not start in San Francisco two years ago."

Some wondered how long the honeymoon would last between the Raiders and Antonio Brown, who forced his way out of Pittsburgh.

"They are paying a bunch of offensive guys and it is not a terrible strategy," an exec said. "They are saying they will draft on defense and have guys for four years. Most of these big-time players getting cut are defensive guys, which I think played into their thinking on Mack. There is some evidence to support it and that is how they are building their team."

OK, but where did all this Raiders cash come from?

"One thing they did was structure contracts to have big bucks in Year 2, for when they are in Vegas," an exec said. "That is good for players, too, because there is no state income tax in Nevada."

Philadelphia Eagles

Grade: B-

The Eagles seemed to operate with purpose when they kept together their offensive line, maneuvered to add a left tackle of the future in first-round pick Andre Dillard, replaced Michael Bennett with Malik Jackson, added an explosive element with DeSean Jackson and beefed up their backfield with runners Jordan Howard and Miles Sanders.

"Losing Bennett and [Chris] Long both in one offseason is going to hurt," an evaluator said. "They drafted [Shareef] Miller and brought back Vinny Curry to address it, but I just feel like on the edge, there is going to be some liability. Their defense played so well the year they won the Super Bowl and I just don't see them having that again."

There wasn't much Philly could have done to keep No. 2 quarterback Nick Foles. His departure brings even greater awareness to how Carson Wentz-dependent the Eagles are becoming. That dependence will grow after Philly pays him.

The Eagles selected five players in the draft, a relatively low number hurt by the 2019 third-round pick they traded to Detroit for Golden Tate. Research by Nick Korte of overthecap.com shows Philly can get a 2020 third-round compensatory for Foles and a fourth-rounder for Tate, which is good, but something else in the projections stood out.

The Eagles' signing of Andrew Sendejo could cost them a 2020 fourth-round comp pick they could have received for losing Jordan Hicks, making Sendejo a player to watch as the season approaches. If the Eagles hold onto Sendejo, the net loss between his value and Hicks' compensatory value would be among the largest for any signing in free agency this offseason.

Pittsburgh Steelers

Grade: C

The Steelers' offseason turned into a circus, with Antonio Brown forcing a trade after gaining a league-high 9,145 receiving yards over the previous six seasons. Le'Veon Bell's departure was quiet by comparison, but the effect was similar. Is there upside?

"I'll say this, I think Pittsburgh is going to come out of it looking good," an exec said. "I like the way they have churned that culture and the guys they picked up and drafted kind of start them back in the old Pittsburgh way."

This offseason amounted to doubling down on quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, including with a contract extension.

Here are five of the most interesting comments I collected from execs during a tumultuous Steelers offseason:

• On the Steelers, like the Giants, parting with high-profile players: "Look, the game has changed. Players have changed. These older franchises that have always had a staid way of doing things, it does not fly anymore. Players do not care. They are their own brand, and if you can't accept that, then you probably are going to struggle. For the Bears, it took [Matt] Nagy to come in and shake it up."

• On why the Steelers seem less stable: "I think Mr. [Dan] Rooney's passing [in 2017] really hurt that team. He had so much backbone to stand up and do things the way they are supposed to be done."

• On going all-in with Roethlisberger: "[GM] Kevin [Colbert] was put in a tough spot, because if you have to pick between those three guys [Roethlisberger, Bell or Brown], I would back Ben too."

• On Colbert saying Roethlisberger was free to criticize teammates at will: "What happened in a moment of rash decision-making was, they chose a quarterback over a head coach. When you make those decisions where you empower the player over everyone in the organization, that invites trouble. I don't know how many players in league history you can feel safe entrusting everything to while he is a player."

• On an underrated Steelers departure: "To me, the biggest loss is [offensive line coach] Mike Munchak. They go from having a top-five O-line coach to breaking in a replacement who might be good but has never held that job before."

Despite all the turmoil and change, execs generally thought the Steelers would challenge for the AFC North title and that their floor was probably the highest in the division. They thought first-round linebacker Devin Bush was exactly what the defense needed, and also thought the Steelers' success in drafting receivers merited optimism on third-round choice Diontae Johnson.

"This would probably piss off Steelers fans who are upset with how things are going, but this is still a really talented team, and when Ben Roethlisberger is executing, they can win the Super Bowl," an evaluator said.

San Francisco 49ers

Grade: C

The 49ers' six largest free-agent commitments of guaranteed money this offseason went to Dee Ford, Kwon Alexander, Robbie Gould, Jimmie Ward, Tevin Coleman and Jason Verrett.

Gould has sought a trade. Coleman has drawn rave reviews as one of the NFL's better offseason value additions, especially given his ties to 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan. A personnel director called that a brilliant signing. An evaluator wondered how Atlanta could let him get away at that price.

The 49ers' other four highest-compensated veteran additions carried significant injury histories, as did first-round choice Nick Bosa. Alexander is rehabbing from a torn ACL. Ward recently suffered a broken clavicle. Bosa, highly regarded despite his own injury history, has a hamstring issue.

"The Chiefs give up Dee Ford for a two and then go give Frank Clark $100 million and a first-round pick to Seattle," an evaluator said. "They could have paid Ford and saved a first-round pick, so you go, 'Uh oh.' It is just interesting. Dee Ford is not a surefire elite pass-rusher."

Another evaluator said he would rather have Justin Houston than Ford among former Chiefs pass-rushers, for medical reasons. A personnel director said signing Alexander, acquiring Ford and drafting Bosa amounted to expensive do-overs for missing on Reuben Foster and Solomon Thomas early in the 2017 draft.

"I think they were feeling really good about things and really positive, but I think as a young GM, you learn how hard it is, too," an exec said of 49ers GM John Lynch. "Even when it looks good, it is not always good."

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Seattle Seahawks

Grade: C+

Seattle re-signed quarterback Russell Wilson, turned Frank Clark into draft capital and then made a series of late signings -- Ziggy Ansah among them -- that did not count in the equation for 2020 compensatory draft choices. The maneuvers are projected to leave Seattle with more than one choice in the second, third, fourth, sixth and seventh rounds next year.

Draft picks are great, of course, but without Clark, do the Seahawks have enough good players on their roster?

"The good thing for them is, they have a formula that won," an exec said. "It is clear that Pete [Carroll] needs a culture where guys are not paid, where they are younger and hungrier and can adapt. Guys like [Richard] Sherman, [Earl] Thomas and Michael Bennett figured out they could talk their way out."

The Clark trade helped Seattle increase its 2019 draft-pick total from four to 11.

"I really struggle with Seattle," another exec said. "They traded their best pass-rusher for picks they used for a safety with some character concerns, a receiver who runs three routes [DK Metcalf] and a really good special-teams linebacker [Ben Burr-Kirven] who might wind up being the best player of those three."

Others think Metcalf can become a star despite whatever route-running limitations exist.

"It's interesting when you look at their receivers," an evaluator said. "They have the Kansas State guy already [Tyler Lockett], who can run. They are adding speed guys that are good on the outside and can stretch the defense."

Most of the Seahawks' draft produced replacements. First-round pick L.J. Collier replaces Clark. Second-round safety Marquise Blair fills some of the void left by Thomas. Metcalf, fourth-rounder Gary Jennings Jr. and seventh-rounder John Ursua help replace retiring receiver Doug Baldwin.

"I think they will be fine, but their defensive roster, on paper, looks like one of the worst in the league simply because of the youth," an evaluator said. "If the youth hits, boom, they explode, but there is the alternative scenario that leaves them overly reliant on their quarterback."

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Grade: B-

There are nits to pick with this Buccaneers offseason, but the big picture is what matters most here.

Tampa Bay wanted a dynamic head coach who could lead the entire team while possibly redeeming Jameis Winston. The Buccaneers got that in Bruce Arians, who has driven success as a head coach with two organizations.

"I think Arians does make a difference," an exec said. "You watch what he does and it seems like everybody is a better player. It wouldn't shock me if he takes them to 8-8, 9-7, and maybe for a year the quarterback tries to prove everyone wrong."

The Arians-led Cardinals got good production from Carson Palmer. As the table shows, Winston was more productive last season than Palmer was in 2012, the year before he joined Arians in Arizona.

Beyond Arians, I expected more resistance to the Buccaneers using the fifth overall pick for an inside linebacker [Devin White] over an outside pass-rusher [Josh Allen]. Multiple evaluators liked White enough to justify the decision, although Jason Pierre-Paul's injury created an even bigger pass-rush void.

The way Tampa Bay handled the signings of outside linebacker Shaquil Barrett and receiver Breshad Perriman did raise objections. Committing a combined $5 million in guaranteed money to them suggests both will be on the Week 1 roster, and if that is the case, those signings stand to cost Tampa Bay third- and fourth-round compensatory choices in 2020.

Barrett, valued at a sixth-round level in overthecap.com projections, cancels out a third-rounder for losing Kwon Alexander. Perriman, valued at a seventh, canceled out a fourth for Adam Humphries. Using Jimmy Johnson trade chart values, the gap in value between Barrett and Alexander was the largest among all NFL signings. The gap between Perriman and Humphries was the third largest. What it means, basically, is that Barrett and Perriman are either severely undervalued, or Tampa Bay freely sacrificed 2020 draft capital.

"The most important thing is Arians making a difference in Winston, and if they do that, they will be better," an exec said.

Tennessee Titans

Grade: C

The Titans used top-10 picks for Marcus Mariota (2015), Jack Conklin (2016) and Corey Davis (2017) over the past four years. Moves they made this offseason served as a reminder that the stakes are high when picking that early.

Acquiring Ryan Tannehill from the Dolphins highlighted the uncertainty surrounding Mariota entering his fifth-year option season. Forgoing a fifth-year option on Conklin hurt because the team traded up at great expense to select him. Loading up on receivers in free agency (Adam Humphries) and the draft (A.J. Brown) was not necessarily a negative reflection on Davis, but the fact that receiver was still seen as a big need wasn't an endorsement either.

"They drafted only four players last year [2018] and six this year, and one of the six [injured first-rounder Jeffery Simmons] is a year away from playing," an evaluator said. "They have leveraged themselves with some of their trades and now they really need these players to pan out."

Evaluators loved Simmons as a prospect and some applauded Tennessee for selecting him despite the injury.

"I totally understand it," an evaluator said. "He could be the best player in the draft and you got him at 19, but there was a reason he was there at 19. If I have a position of need for them right now, that is it. They do not have enough on the inside."

Not lost on execs: Tennessee will be breaking in a first-time offensive coordinator for the second season in a row, with Arthur Smith replacing Matt LaFleur. Tight ends coach Todd Downing, Oakland's offensive coordinator in 2017, is the only coach on staff with offensive playcalling experience in the NFL.

"To me that is the biggest question mark," an exec said. "As for their signings, [Rodger] Saffold and Humphries are good players who fit the type of guys that they want. If their GM [Jon Robinson] is going to overpay, he will overpay for that guy."

Washington Redskins

Grade: B-

Washington had to have a quarterback and drafted one in the top half of the first round without trading up. Will Dwayne Haskins be good, bad or somewhere in between? Take a guess and you might be correct. As far as process goes, however, that critical part of this Redskins offseason seemed to go well.

"The answer is, if the guy is a good quarterback, they are geniuses and if not, they are idiots," an exec said. "Whether they moved up from 15 and got him at eight or moved down and got him at 28 doesn't matter. Is he the right guy?"

A team that finished last season with Josh Johnson and Mark Sanchez as its active quarterbacks will happily move forward with Haskins and trade acquisition Case Keenum, while figuring out whether Alex Smith will ever play again.

"They were a 5-4 team and in the hunt when they lost their quarterback last year," an exec said. "They went 2-5 after that because they had no one. Alex Smith is an average quarterback. Maybe they bounce back this year just by becoming average at that spot again."

Though Washington wasn't the only team to make salary-cap managers cringe with free-agent excesses, execs found the Redskins' deal with former Giants safety Landon Collins to be particularly cringe-worthy from a team standpoint. No one would probably advocate for building around a safety with limited coverage skills, but the best players available in free agency generally are not quarterbacks, pass-rushers or corners.

"It is wild how non-traditional high-end positions are now getting paid high-end-position money," an exec said. "A linebacker from the Ravens [C.J. Mosley] gets $17 million a year and he's got a bad knee. A safety [Collins] gets $14 million. Who knows what the next tight end deal will look like. It's a domino effect."