Let's finish up ranking the 32 NFL teams based on the work they did over the 2021 offseason. I did the bottom half of the league last week -- the teams that had the worst offseasons -- which means it's time for 1-16.
This encapsulates both free agency and the draft and measures what each team did versus our expectations heading into the offseason. As an example, we knew heading into the spring that the New Orleans Saints were going to need to create nearly $100 million in cap space. My thoughts here aren't about the circumstances that led the Saints to be in that situation, but how they did over the past few months given those conditions.
An impressive offseason might not mean much in the grand scheme of things, but as a reminder, I did this exercise last year. The team that I thought had the best offseason a year ago did pretty well during the regular season and even better during the playoffs: The Tampa Bay Buccaneers won the offseason, then the Super Bowl and might have had the best summer in 2021, too.
Jump to a team:
ARI | ATL | BAL | BUF | CAR | CHI | CIN
CLE | DAL | DEN | DET | GB | HOU | IND
JAX | KC | LAC | LAR | LV | MIA | MIN
NE | NO | NYG | NYJ | PHI | PIT | SF
SEA | TB | TEN | WSH
1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
What went right: The Super Bowl champions managed to bring back just about everybody from last season's team. Thirty-one Bucs players lined up for at least 200 snaps on offense or defense a year ago. Owing to some creative cap work and a Tom Brady extension, all 31 of those players are back. The most conspicuous departure from the 2020 team might realistically be swing tackle Joe Haeg. Tampa didn't add much outside of former Bengals third-down back Gio Bernard, but this is about as much continuity for an NFL team as you can imagine from year-to-year. The Bucs also managed to keep defensive coordinator Todd Bowles on staff after the former Jets coach flummoxed Patrick Mahomes in the Super Bowl.
What went wrong: Everyone got a year older? It's really tough to find much that went wrong for Tampa this offseason. Its main competitors in the NFC got worse, as the Saints were forced to shed talent and the Packers might have started a blood feud with Aaron Rodgers. You could quibble with using a second-round pick on quarterback Kyle Trask as opposed to using that pick to try to add more depth up front, but Tampa used its third-round pick on Robert Hainsey instead.
What they could have done differently: While Leonard Fournette played a meaningful role in the Bucs' run to the title, I'm not sure they needed to commit $3.3 million guaranteed to Playoff Lenny and another $850,000 guaranteed to Bernard. With that being said, when we're talking about $4 million across two veterans, you can see just how little there is to quibble with when it comes to this franchise's spring.
What's left to do: This one is tough. The Bucs wouldn't be in great shape if Brady suddenly collapsed in his age-44 season, but they brought back Blaine Gabbert and did use the second-round pick on Trask. If you squint and look for a problem, you could see that swing tackle role as a place to improve. Morgan Moses will probably end up as a starter somewhere, but I wonder if they would target Halapoulivaati Vaitai if the former Eagles tackle were cut by the Lions.
2. New England Patriots
What went right: The Patriots found short-term and long-term options at quarterback by re-signing Cam Newton and using a first-round pick on Mac Jones. Neither player cost as much as it seemed; Newton's one-year deal is really a $2 million guarantee, while the Pats were able to stay put in the draft and pick Jones at No. 15 without having to trade up and give away capital. Those quarterbacks will play with significantly improved weapons after the Patriots went on an offseason spending spree.
I'll get to those moves in a second, but the Pats were also able to parlay their pre-2020 success into bringing back players on below-market deals. Bill Belichick traded for Trent Brown while getting the former Raiders free-agent signing to take a significant pay cut in the process. One year after signing a four-year, $51 million deal with the Dolphins, Kyle Van Noy came back for less than half of that average annual salary. COVID-19 opt-out Dont'a Hightower also returned to the fold, although Patrick Chung decided to retire and Marcus Cannon was dealt to the Texans.
What went wrong: Often the poster boys for knowing how to value NFL talent, the Patriots misread the market and got too aggressive in the opening hours of free agency. The Nelson Agholor deal is outlandish in context with the deals of more productive players at the same position. Jonnu Smith and Hunter Henry are being paid like superstars without any established run at that level. Belichick typically develops players such as Matt Judon, Jalen Mills and Davon Godchaux on the cheap; now, he's paying them market value deals in free agency. The Patriots are unquestionably better than they were a year ago, but it's hard to see many places where they got great value.
What they could have done differently: Built a different sort of offense. With a draft deep in wide receiver talent and a free-agent class mostly accepting one-year deals, the Pats could have likely found better value for their spending by focusing more on the top-tier wide receivers. It's easier to envision Fuller delivering outsized value on his deal than Agholor, Henry or Smith.
Paying top dollar for the top two tight ends on the market to play out of 12 personnel looks great on paper, but it doesn't suddenly turn Henry or Smith into Rob Gronkowski. And while working out of 12 personnel made plenty of sense with Newton as the starting quarterback in a run-heavy attack, using it as the base personnel isn't as obvious of a solution if (and when) Jones goes under center. The Pats didn't know they were going to come away with Jones, but they could have looked for a more pass-first quarterback than Newton in free agency by signing a veteran such as Ryan Fitzpatrick.
What's left to do: Figure out the future at cornerback. Stephon Gilmore and J.C. Jackson both will be unrestricted free agents in 2022. Gilmore was rumored to be in trade talks, although no deal ever transpired. The Patriots could work on extensions with either corner, although I wouldn't be shocked if he was dealt before the season began. In the past, Belichick has dealt away Logan Mankins and Richard Seymour in the final few days before the season began. If the legendary coach gets a good offer for the former Defensive Player of the Year, Belichick could do the same with Gilmore.
3. Los Angeles Chargers
What went right: The Chargers shored up an offensive line that ranked 32nd in pass block win rate last season in front of rookie quarterback Justin Herbert. General manager Tom Telesco signed away Corey Linsley away from the Packers and added Matt Feiler from the Steelers before using his first-round pick on Northwestern tackle Rashawn Slater. The team also helped keep the universe in order by signing Chase Daniel to serve as Herbert's backup.
What went wrong: The defense took a hit, as the Chargers lost a trio of starters in Melvin Ingram, Casey Hayward and Rayshawn Jenkins. The only significant replacement they acquired for any of the three was cornerback Asante Samuel Jr., a second-round pick who might be pushed into the lineup prematurely. The pass-rushing spot across from Nick Bosa might come down to Uchenna Nwosu and Kyler Fackrell. The Chargers will count on the return of Derwin James and the arrival of Brandon Staley, who oversaw the league's fourth-best defense by DVOA a year ago.
What they could have done differently: Los Angeles could have addressed cornerback by adding a veteran in free agency; I was surprised it didn't make a run at Troy Hill, who played under Staley a year ago. Linsley was an excellent center in Green Bay, but great centers don't always travel well when they head to new locations in free agency, and he's getting paid $17 million in Year 1 of his deal. Would the Chargers have been better with Hill at corner and instead using their second-round pick on a center such as Creed Humphrey? The money they saved could have bought them an edge rusher.
What's left to do: Add that edge rusher. The Chargers are too dependent on Bosa as it stands, and we know that it's always dangerous for this organization to count on one of their stars to stay healthy.
4. Baltimore Ravens
What went right: The Ravens imported talent around Lamar Jackson. Up front, they signed Kevin Zeitler and added Alejandro Villanueva to replace Orlando Brown, who was dealt to the Chiefs for a haul of picks. Getting a first-rounder for a player who was likely to leave in free agency next year is a nice turn, even if it meant dealing him to an AFC rival.
Jackson will also get more help at receiver, with the Ravens signing Sammy Watkins before using their first-round pick on Minnesota wideout Rashod Bateman. They were hoping for breakout seasons from Marquise Brown and Mark Andrews last season, but neither came. Now, if either of those players take that leap in 2021, they could have one of the best receiving corps in football.
What went wrong: The best offer for Orlando Brown ended up being from the team most likely to keep the Ravens from making it to the Super Bowl. I think they should have dealt Brown for the best available offer, but it would have been helpful if a team such as the Packers or Panthers had been the ones trading for Baltimore's departed tackle. The Ravens also lost Matt Judon and haven't yet signed a replacement.
What they could have done differently: We don't know what the offers were for Brown, but you could make a big-picture case that the Ravens should have taken less and moved their unhappy tackle to someone besides the Chiefs. By the Chase Stuart chart, they picked up 14.1 points of draft capital for Brown, which is roughly equivalent to the 25th pick in a typical draft.
If the Ravens had an offer from an NFC team that would have been in line with that Chiefs offer, I'm sure they would have preferred it. If the hypothetical NFC offer would have netted them draft capital in line with the 30th pick, maybe they take that deal too. Where's the cutoff point? If they would have taken home something like the 40th overall pick from in an NFC deal, would that have been better? I can't fault them for what they chose, but it's fair to think about whether it will be more painful than a typical deal.
What's left to do: Add a veteran edge rusher. The Ravens lost Judon, and while they were able to bring back Tyus Bowser and Pernell McPhee, they have a clear need for another outside linebacker to take Judon's snaps. Justin Houston seems like the obvious fit here, but they will have to get creative. They have just under $10 million in cap space, but they're also expected to extend Andrews and Jackson this summer.
5. Washington Football Team
What went right: The WFT did a great job of sifting through improvements to its roster after a surprising division title. Ronald Darby was impressive on a one-year deal, but instead of counting on Darby to continue at that level, Washington paid a premium to add a higher caliber of player in cornerback William Jackson. Likewise, at quarterback, Ryan Fitzpatrick comes in to push Taylor Heinicke after the latter's impressive playoff start. Too many teams follow a surprise season by trying to bring everyone back, often with disappointing results the second time around. Ron Rivera's team struck a good balance here.
I like the big additions Washington made to the roster. Jackson was a legitimate No. 1 corner at times in Cincinnati, although he often didn't get much pass-rush help from a unit that ranked last in adjusted sack rate in 2020. Curtis Samuel is a perfect complementary fit to Terry McLaurin. And while I didn't love the Cowboys adding a linebacker in the first round given their issues on defense, Washington adding Jamin Davis makes more sense; its defense is set up front and in the secondary.
What went wrong: I don't love the rebuild up front. Brandon Scherff still hasn't signed an extension, meaning that Rivera is now a tag deadline away from losing one of his best players independent of position next year. Trading for Ereck Flowers was more of a gift to Miami, even if Flowers did take a pay cut as part of the deal. Washington signed Charles Leno to play left tackle, but in doing so, it decided to part ways with Geron Christian and Morgan Moses. Second-rounder Samuel Cosmi should step in at right tackle, but Moses' $7.8 million salary was reasonable for a solid starting tackle.
What they could have done differently: I would rather have held onto Moses into camp and seen him go up against Cosmi before making any significant decisions. If the money saved on the Moses deal allows Washington to both sign a left tackle in Leno and eventually get a Scherff deal signed, that's a different story, but it's unclear if all those expenditures are related. If it comes down to cash, well, team owner Daniel Snyder can afford it. Saahdiq Charles has two career snaps but would currently be the swing tackle in Washington.
What's left to do: Get the Scherff deal done. It'll probably take four years and $68 million tacked onto his $18 million franchise tag, but if the Colts get Quenton Nelson signed first, the price is only going to go up.
6. Kansas City Chiefs
What went right: Well, nobody's going to accuse the Chiefs of forgetting to protect their star quarterback again. After the Buccaneers tore apart a line of backups and replacement-level talent in Super Bowl LV, the Chiefs went all-in this offseason to make sure that doesn't happen again. Andy Reid & Co. made Joe Thuney the highest-paid guard in league history and then traded their first-round pick as part of a package to acquire former Ravens tackle Orlando Brown.
Adding two new starters on the left side would amount to a busy offseason for most teams, but that's not even half the story. The Chiefs also re-signed Mike Remmers, brought Kyle Long out of retirement, signed Austin Blythe, drafted Creed Humphrey in the second round and are expected to welcome Laurent Duvernay-Tardif back from his 2020 opt-out. If they think the only thing that kept them from winning the Super Bowl was their offensive line, well, that probably won't be an issue in 2021.
What went wrong: Kansas City never signed a replacement for the departed Sammy Watkins, as their bid to sign JuJu Smith-Schuster was thwarted when he re-signed with the Steelers. The Chiefs are paper thin at receiver behind stars Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce. Of course, that's a problem most teams would love to have.
What they could have done differently: Thuney was incredibly reliable over his five years with the Patriots, but he wasn't even the best guard in New England during his run with the Pats, and he's now the highest-paid interior lineman in the league. Trent Williams is older and has injury issues, but he plays a far more important position, especially for a team that passes as much as the Chiefs do. I would rather have tried to top the 49ers' offer for Williams and spent less on the interior, especially with Trai Turner still on the market.
By missing out on Williams, the Chiefs then had to trade their first-round pick to the Ravens to acquire Brown, who will also expect to get a massive extension after establishing himself as a left tackle. It's possible that the team just didn't think it could get a deal done with Williams at that price tag, but it will spend more over the next few years on Brown and Thuney than it would have with Williams and whichever guard it would have drafted at the end of the first round. The Chiefs would have been better off with the latter pairing.
What's left to do: Sign a cornerback. They bought low on a pair of former first-rounders in Mike Hughes and DeAndre Baker, but they could still stand to add at least one veteran corner to the bunch. Former Kansas City defender Steven Nelson is still on the free-agent market.
7. New Orleans Saints
What went right: It wasn't as bad as it could have been. Facing down the worst cap situation of the past decade, the Saints were able to keep most of their core and even managed to bring back safety Marcus Williams on the franchise tag. With restructures, creative timing and a reliance on voidable years, they will be spreading some of the effects of their cap crunch over the next several years, but minus a few meaningful pieces, these Saints look a lot like the team that won 49 games over the past four years. That's a victory in itself.
The biggest question was going to be figuring out a replacement for Drew Brees, but in addition to restructuring Taysom Hill's contract, the Saints were able to convince Jameis Winston to return on a one-year, $5.5 million deal. Winston certainly isn't Brees, but getting a starting-caliber quarterback on a one-year deal for that sort of money is exactly what teams need to do when they're pinching every penny.
What went wrong: The Saints could have cleared out more short-term cap room by working out extensions with Ryan Ramczyk and Marshon Lattimore, but neither of their young stars have signed new deals. Likewise, they weren't able to get a long-term deal done with Williams to free up cap space in 2021, so the safety is still on the books for $10.6 million this year.
Given their situation, I don't love how the Saints handled the draft. There's star power on this roster, but they need to replace all the depth they've lost by adding players on rookie contracts and developing them into worthwhile contributors. If anything, they should have been trading down and trying to amass extra picks. Instead, they reportedly tried to trade up in Round 1 and then did so in the third and sixth rounds. Since their incredible, franchise-altering draft in 2017, New Orleans has had a total of just 22 picks. It's going to feel that lack of depth in 2021 and the years to come.
What they could have done differently: Moving on from veterans Jared Cook, Emmanuel Sanders, Nick Easton and Sheldon Rankins was probably inevitable, but I was a little surprised to see New Orleans keep some of their other vets. Latavius Murray and Patrick Robinson combine for a cap hit of just over $8 million, and neither player is likely to be essential to the team's success this upcoming season. Moving on from them might have allowed the Saints to hold onto someone such as Sanders or go after depth along the line of scrimmage.
What's left to do: Extending Ramczyk and Lattimore on rookie deals would create some short-term cap space, and that would allow the Saints to address their depth up front. There was talk of bringing Easton back after they cut him, and that would make sense on the interior. Perhaps more significantly, Dennis Allen's defense could use a tackle to rotate in with Shy Tuttle.
8. Miami Dolphins
What went right: The first item on the offseason agenda was getting Tua Tagovailoa some help. Enter Will Fuller and Jaylen Waddle, with the former signing a one-year deal worth $10.6 million. The Dolphins suddenly went from having a bottom-five receiving corps to one of the best groups in football on paper, although Fuller will be out for the first game of the season as he finishes up his PED suspension. Miami also added valuable depth behind Tagovailoa by signing Jacoby Brissett to a one-year pact.
The Dolphins continued to reap the benefits of the Laremy Tunsil trade by trading down from the No. 3 overall pick while nabbing three first-rounders from the 49ers, who used the pick to select quarterback Trey Lance. Miami then traded away one of those picks to move back up from No. 12 to No. 6 in a deal with the Eagles, but the net gain is still impressive. By moving from No. 3 to No. 6, the Dolphins wouldn't have their pick of the receivers in this year's class, but we overestimate our ability to judge between players at the same tier. Ja'Marr Chase might end up as a better prospect than Waddle, but I wouldn't be willing to bet a first-round pick on it. The Dolphins ended up with a superstar prospect at receiver and a future first-rounder, and as we saw from the Tunsil trade, nobody knows where those picks may land.
What went wrong: After going on a spending spree last offseason, the Dolphins basically erased most of their moves. They traded away Shaq Lawson and Ereck Flowers and cut Kyle Van Noy. I suppose you can say the moves amounted to sunk costs at this point, but they didn't really make any major investments in free agency to replace those guys, either. Benardrick McKinney came over from the Texans as part of the Lawson trade, and he'll help replace Van Noy, but Miami didn't appear to spend wisely last offseason.
I wasn't a fan of the Flowers move when it happened, and I can't fault the Dolphins for moving on, but I also don't know if they did enough to address the offensive line this offseason. They signed depth pieces such as D.J. Fluker and Matt Skura, the latter of whom was benched by the Ravens last season after struggling to snap the ball to Lamar Jackson. General manager Chris Grier used a second-round pick on Notre Dame lineman Liam Eichenberg, but there's a chance that the team didn't add a single above-average starter up front this offseason.
What they could have done differently: Could the Dolphins have held onto that extra first-round pick from the 49ers? It cost the Eagles only a third-round pick to move up from No. 12 to No. 10 and draft DeVonta Smith. Waddle might end up as a better player than Smith, but holding onto that extra first-rounder could have been really valuable if the Dolphins end up souring on Tagovailoa or want to add a young star via trade.
Of course, they also could have held onto that pick at No. 3 and drafted Lance. I don't think what we saw from Tagovailoa in 2020 was disqualifying -- and it would be ridiculous to give up on the former Alabama star after a half-season as the starter -- but the best way to come away with a franchise quarterback may be to draft a couple of them in the top five and see who wins in a competition. I think Tagovailoa is going to be a good NFL quarterback, but if Lance turns out to be a superstar in San Francisco, trading down could come to haunt this franchise.
What's left to do: Add another offensive lineman. Nick Easton, Larry Warford and Trai Turner are all still available in free agency. The Dolphins should be adding pieces to the puzzle up front; if Eichenberg can beat someone like Turner out for a starting job at guard, that's great. They are young up front, but we didn't see enough from their starters a year ago for anyone to be locked into a starting role.
9. San Francisco 49ers
What went right: The 49ers made their big move at quarterback, trading three first-round picks to move up in the draft and grab North Dakota State product Trey Lance. Lance gives Kyle Shanahan a cheap, high-upside quarterback to build the rest of his team around over the next few years, with the savings at quarterback going toward future extensions for Fred Warner and Nick Bosa.
The other big move of the offseason was re-signing star left tackle Trent Williams, who inked the richest contract for an offensive lineman in history. Williams hasn't played a complete season since 2013, but on a snap-by-snap basis, he's still one of the league's best tackles. The rest of the offseason was relatively quiet, although I did like the addition of veteran center Alex Mack to take over for the retiring Weston Richburg.
What went wrong: It seemed like Jimmy Garoppolo's days with the 49ers were numbered after the organization traded up, but the team has decided to keep him around for the time being in the hopes of having an Alex Smith/Patrick Mahomes-style transition. In doing so, the Niners lost out on the opportunity of trading Garoppolo to a team such as the Patriots or Bears, costing themselves draft capital.
The Niners could still trade or cut Garoppolo in August to create the cap space they'll want to roll over into future seasons, but their leverage will likely be greatly reduced, driving down the compensation they would get in return. Furthermore, if he stays on the roster through Week 1, they will be on the hook for his $25 million in compensation. Given that Jimmy G has made it out of September without getting injured just once in four tries as a starting quarterback, the nightmare scenario in which he stays on the cap and then gets hurt almost immediately seems like the most likely outcome.
While it wasn't a great year for the 49ers in 2020, their success in 2019 spurred teams to pick apart their coaching staff this past offseason. The Jets hired Robert Saleh, who then took Mike LaFleur and John Benton to help run the offense in New York. Former Texans linebacker DeMeco Ryans was promoted to the defensive coordinator role, where he'll be debuting and filling Saleh's considerable shoes.
What they could have done differently: Even if the Niners don't think Lance is ready to start in 2021, they didn't need to limit themselves to Garoppolo as their other starting option. If they had been able to get this deal done before free agency, they could have gone after Ryan Fitzpatrick or Andy Dalton as their short-term starter at a fraction of Garoppolo's price tag. They also could have shipped off Garoppolo to one of his desired destinations and ensured that they'll be able to roll over most of that cap space (minus what they would pay another quarterback) into 2022 and beyond.
What's left to do: Re-sign Warner. The star linebacker has been a bargain over the past three years and would be for one more season even with a proven performance raise to $3.3 million. Franchising Warner is also difficult, since all linebackers are treated as equals in the franchise tag system, meaning his franchise number would be influenced by pass-rushers like Khalil Mack as opposed to other off-ball linebackers, who typically make less money. My guess is that Warner's deal comes in around four years and $76 million.
10. Cleveland Browns
What went right: After the most successful season in modern franchise history, the Browns spent most of the offseason rebuilding their pass defense at all three levels. Up front, Jadeveon Clowney and Malik Jackson are expected to offer support to edge-rusher Myles Garrett. Anthony Walker and second-rounder Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah might end up as the team's two starting linebackers in nickel and dime looks by the end of the season.
We could see as many as four new starters in sub-packages in the secondary, with former top-five pick Denzel Ward joined by Rams imports Troy Hill and John Johnson, first-round pick Greg Newsome and 2020 second-rounder Grant Delpit, who missed all of his rookie season after tearing his Achilles. This is suddenly a deep secondary on paper, and it sure feels like general manager Andrew Berry is trying to build a secondary capable of keeping up with the Chiefs.
What went wrong: The Browns might not be better up front than they were a year ago. They've swapped out Olivier Vernon, Sheldon Richardson and Larry Ogunjobi for Clowney, Jackson, Takkarist McKinley, and 2020 opt-out Andrew Billings. Clowney is a big name, but he's also coming off an anonymous half-season with the Titans. Jackson wasn't all that impressive last season with the Eagles, and McKinley never lived up to expectations in Atlanta. The Browns saved money, but this group might not be as impressive on the field as its pedigrees.
What they could have done differently: Cleveland could have gone after one of the other available edge rushers as opposed to Clowney, who signed a one-year, $8 million deal. Justin Houston and Melvin Ingram both have knee injuries in their past, but then again, so does Clowney. Signing Clowney also seemingly led the Browns to cut Richardson, and while the organization has talked about possibly bringing the former Jets tackle back, he might be the better player at this point.
What's left to do: Work on extending the class of 2018. Nick Chubb is an unrestricted free agent after the season. Baker Mayfield and Ward will have fifth-year options for 2022. The Browns will likely wait until after the season for Ward, but given that quarterbacks typically ink their deals after their third seasons, it'll be telling whether the Browns decide to extend Mayfield this summer.
11. New York Jets
What went right: The Jets successfully executed a regime change at quarterback by using the No. 2 overall pick on Zach Wilson. Despite their lack of leverage, general manager Joe Douglas & Co. also came away with decent value for their deposed starter, with the Panthers sending a sixth-rounder in 2021 and second- and fourth-rounders in 2022 for Sam Darnold. Darnold might turn out to be a star in Carolina, but players who start their career as poorly as he did rarely turn into successful starters as they get older.
While Darnold rarely had much talent around him over his three-year run with the Jets, Wilson will have more help from day one. The team signed Corey Davis and Keelan Cole and then used a second-round pick on Elijah Moore. Douglas also used a first-round pick on lineman Alijah Vera-Tucker, who appears set to step in at left guard alongside rookie star Mekhi Becton. It's hard to remember the last time this franchise had two promising young players lining up together on one side of the line; two stars up front would go a long way.
What went wrong: Douglas paid dearly for Vera-Tucker, as the Jets swapped two third-round picks for a fourth-rounder to move up nine spots. With one of the thinnest rosters in football, moving up for a guy expected to slot in at guard means Vera-Tucker needs to be a superstar to justify this deal. The Vikings moved down in the trade and still managed to get an offensive lineman at No. 23 in Christian Darrisaw.
And while the Jets signed Carl Lawson and Sheldon Rankins to help rebuild an inconsistent pass rush, a secondary that wasn't very good in 2020 didn't get much help this offseason. Lamarcus Joyner was signed to a useful low-cost deal and will be moved back to safety, where he excelled with the Rams, but New York has the league's worst cornerback depth chart.
What they could have done differently: It was a bit of a surprise to see a team that is bringing in a new quarterback opt for a defensive head coach. Granted, hiring Adam Gase didn't exactly do wonders for Darnold, and there's no issue with the Jets hiring the highly regarded Saleh to be their new coach, but I wonder whether Wilson would have been better off if they had gone after Brian Daboll or Eric Bieniemy.
The other big decision was at quarterback, and we won't know whether they were right to take Wilson over Trey Lance or Justin Fields for several years to come. Given that the Jets could have basically done what the Dolphins did by moving down with the 49ers at No. 12 before moving back up to No. 6 and still come away with Fields (or perhaps Wilson), it may have been a missed opportunity.
What's left to do: Get an extension done with Marcus Maye. The franchise-tagged safety isn't as much of a difference-maker as former teammate Jamal Adams, but he's a valuable starter on a team that simply hasn't drafted and developed many talented players over the past decade. Any Adams deal is going to reset the market at safety, so Maye's camp rightfully might want to wait for that contract to come, but I wonder whether the Jets could get something done in line with Justin Simmons' four-year, $61 million pact.
12. New York Giants
What went right: General manager Dave Gettleman finally traded down! The Giants moved down in the draft for the first time in 15 years and picked up a juicy trinket for doing so: Chicago's first-rounder in 2022 could be extremely valuable, even if Justin Fields lives up to expectations in the Windy City. (Remember that the Texans drafted Deshaun Watson and still had to send the No. 4 overall pick to the Browns after Watson's rookie season, in part because he impressed and then tore his ACL.) If the Giants do need to move on from Daniel Jones, that Bears pick might come in handy if they want to draft a replacement quarterback in 2022.
Unlike his former counterpart in New York, Jones won't be able to make many arguments about not having much help if he struggles in his third season. The Giants added Kenny Golladay and Kadarius Toney to the mix and got back opt-out Nate Solder on a much smaller contract. Everybody wants Saquon Barkley to stay healthy after he missed most of the past two seasons with injuries, but this is a make-or-break year for Jones.
What went wrong: The Giants continue to hand out puzzling contracts. Mike Glennon and Devontae Booker got guaranteed money. Golladay got a four-year deal with $28 million in guarantees after an injury-hit year when other guys at the top of the market settled for one-year contracts. Gettleman celebrated a successful bet on Leonard Williams by paying the former Jets first-rounder like he's Khalil Mack, as Williams was rewarded for the first significantly productive season of his career with a three-year, $63 million pact.
What they could have done differently: One more of those deals. The Giants presumably could have sent a conditional seventh to the Titans to get Adoree' Jackson on a one-year, $10.2 million deal, but instead signed him to a three-year, $39 million deal with $24.5 million fully guaranteed. Jackson has been a promising corner for stretches of his rookie deal, but he played only three games in 2020 and would have made much more sense as a one-year flier.
What's left to do: Explore the trade market at receiver. The Giants are stocked with Golladay, Toney, Sterling Shepard and Darius Slayton, especially for a team that (mistakenly) correlates running with winning. Shepard has three years and $25 million left on his deal and would make sense for a team that loses a weapon in training camp. The Giants could use offensive line depth.
13. Jacksonville Jaguars
What went right: The Jaguars made the most valuable addition of the offseason by drafting Trevor Lawrence with the No. 1 overall pick; my estimate is that being in position to take Lawrence was worth about $100 million or so in surplus value. They should have a solid core around Lawrence after franchising left tackle Cam Robinson, signing wideout Marvin Jones and using their other first-round pick on running back Travis Etienne.
While the offense was the focal point in the draft, the Jags also addressed a secondary that had decayed since the playoff run in 2017. After using a first-round pick on CJ Henderson in 2020, Jacksonville signed veterans Shaquill Griffin and Rayshawn Jenkins and then used second- (Tyson Campbell) and third-round (Andre Cisco) picks to fill out the lineup. There's no Jalen Ramsey in the bunch, but the Jaguars have a shot at fielding an above-average secondary for the first time since Ramsey left town.
What went wrong: New coach Urban Meyer has looked to be in over his head. The former Florida and Ohio State coach tried to push through strength coach Chris Doyle, who was accused of making racist remarks and bullying players during his time at Iowa. Doyle eventually resigned.
The Jaguars then drafted Etienne with the 25th pick and immediately claimed that the Clemson star would be their third-down back; running backs aren't typically great uses of first-round picks, let alone those who are expected to play situational roles. (Optimistic fans have made comparisons between Etienne and Alvin Kamara without remembering that the Saints' star was a third-round pick.) Etienne then took snaps as a receiver in rookie camp, playing the sort of hybrid role that seemed to be Laviska Shenault's obvious spot in the lineup.
Signing Tim Tebow this month only added to the perception that Meyer is simply surrounding himself with as many familiar pieces as possible. The frustrating thing about all of these mistakes is that they're mostly unforced errors. Meyer should have known Doyle would be a divisive figure and either didn't care or thought he could simply glide past the criticism. Anybody who has taken 30 seconds to look at the background of NFL third-down backs knows you don't need to find them in the first round. If Tebow has a role in a NFL organization, it's as a leadership coach. It's tempting to suggest that Meyer brought in Tebow to attract attention away from Lawrence as the rookie works through his first offseason, but his other decisions don't suggest that sort of subtlety.
What they could have done differently: After years of spending free-agent dollars and significant draft picks on running backs, the Jags plugged undrafted free agent James Robinson into the starting lineup last season and found a useful back for the minimum. The new regime has learned from the old regime's mistakes by ... signing Carlos Hyde to a two-year, $4.5 million deal and using a first-round pick on Etienne. Hyde, of course, played for Meyer at Ohio State.
There's no need to pay even $1.4 million guaranteed for a back to compete with Robinson for snaps on early downs, given how many backs are available on the market. If the Jaguars needed a third-down back and desperately wanted to spend money, Duke Johnson is a free agent and already established as an effective player in that role. No, Johnson didn't play with Lawrence at Clemson, but I strongly suspect the difference between Johnson and Etienne is not what will cause Lawrence to succeed or fail.
Not using a first-round pick on a situational running back means the Jaguars can use that pick to address a position that is much harder to fill. If Etienne is a star, it won't matter, but that was the same argument when the they took Leonard Fournette with the fourth overall pick in 2017. In the process, they passed up Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson, as well as a running back who was taken two rounds later: Kamara.
What's left to do: With Chris Manhertz expected to start at tight end, the Jags could stand to add some non-Tebow talent to the position. They should have conversations about Zach Ertz if the Eagles release their longtime starter, and I wonder if they would be interested in former Steelers and Lions tight end Jesse James, who is still a free agent.
14. Indianapolis Colts
What went right: Indy was able to buy low on a guy who was perceived to be a top-10 quarterback in many circles two years ago by sending a third-round pick and a potential first-rounder in 2022 to the Eagles for Carson Wentz. Frank Reich will need to essentially rebuild Wentz from the ground up after the former MVP candidate collapsed in 2020, but the Colts should be able to support Wentz with much better offensive line play than what we saw last season in Philly.
What went wrong: Both quarterback Philip Rivers and left tackle Anthony Castonzo retired, leaving the Colts in need of replacements at two of the most important positions in football. Wentz cost the franchise two draft picks, while Castonzo will be replaced on a one-year deal by Eric Fisher, who tore his Achilles in January and might not be ready to start the season. Indy also appears set to move on from Justin Houston, who was its primary pass-rusher on the edge; while it used a first-round pick on end Kwity Paye, there's nobody with a long track record of success rushing the passer on this roster besides DeForest Buckner.
The Colts also re-signed two players who might have outlived their usefulness on the roster. Marlon Mack's future with the team seemed in question last season when it drafted Jonathan Taylor, and that was before Mack tore his Achilles. His one-year, $2 million deal seems unnecessary for a player who doesn't catch passes or play special teams. T.Y. Hilton is a Colts legend, but at one year and nearly $9 million, he'll make more than guys like JuJu Smith-Schuster for 2021. General manager Chris Ballard has earned the benefit of the doubt over the past few years, but this is nearly $11 million the team could have used elsewhere.
What they could have done differently: Was Fisher the right choice at left tackle? Given the injury and the short-term nature of the deal, I wonder whether the Colts might have instead looked at Alejandro Villanueva as their veteran solution on Wentz's blindside. They are pretty picky about who they target from outside the organization and place a heavy emphasis on character, but it's difficult to imagine Indy finding many faults with the former Army captain.
What's left to do: It's contract extension time for Ballard's dazzling top two picks from 2018. Quenton Nelson is about to become the highest-paid guard in football, and Darius Leonard won't be far off among off-ball linebackers. If they each sign four-year extensions, Leonard could take home $64 million on his new deal, while Nelson could be up with approximately $70 million.
15. Buffalo Bills
What went right: After years of going outside the organization to add talent, general manager Brandon Beane's biggest task this offseason was instead going to involve keeping around as many valuable contributors as possible. He succeeded, as the Bills retained their key free agents. Jon Feliciano and Daryl Williams were re-signed to protect Josh Allen up front, but the most important move might have been keeping anchor linebacker Matt Milano. Beane even got a bargain with Milano's four-year, $41.5 million deal.
The other huge positive was out of Beane's hands. Owing perhaps to their deep playoff run, the Bills were able to bring back offensive coordinator Brian Daboll for another season. Daboll's work with Allen and Buffalo's move toward one of the league's most progressive, creative offenses has been a pleasure to watch, and while many expected the former Patriots staffer to earn a head-coaching job elsewhere, Daboll is back in the fold for another run.
What went wrong: Despite suggesting at the beginning of the offseason that he was hoping to add an impact contributor at tight end, the only player Beane added at that position was former Seahawks target Jacob Hollister. Cap constraints and spending elsewhere led Buffalo to swap out John Brown for 34-year-old Emmanuel Sanders, which is another downgrade at receiver. I still think the Bills could add someone such as Zach Ertz in the months to come, and Gabriel Davis is primed for a larger role, but this core is more dependent upon Stefon Diggs staying healthy than it was a year ago.
What they could have done differently: The Bills certainly value continuity and players with former Panthers experience, but Williams' three-year, $24 million deal is dangerous for a player who hadn't been healthy and/or effective in 2018 or 2019. I wonder if they could have committed that money to an edge rusher and instead pursued offensive line help on the right side in the first two rounds of the draft.
What's left to do: Extend Allen. The Bills made a big bet on Allen in the 2018 draft, and while he struggled in 2018 and 2019, he was one of the three best quarterbacks in football in 2020. Teams typically prefer to extend their quarterbacks after their third season to use as much salary-cap runway as possible, and it would be a surprise if the they didn't reward their quarterback of the future with a significant raise this summer. Beane might be able to talk Allen into a discount, but if not, Buffalo will give Allen, 25, a four-year deal worth $165 million or so.
16. Denver Broncos
What went right: New general manager George Paton was able to get an extension done with star safety Justin Simmons, who signed a four-year, $61 million contract. Paton added to the secondary by signing Ronald Darby from Washington and Kyle Fuller from the Bears, and he used the No. 9 overall pick on Patrick Surtain. After trying to get by at cornerback last season, Vic Fangio might have one of the league's best secondaries on paper. The Broncos also bought low on Teddy Bridgewater, whose restructured deal will cost the team only $4.4 million for 2021.
What went wrong: It looked like the Broncos were set at tackle after locking up Garett Bolles and getting back Ja'Wuan James from opting out in 2020, but James tore his Achilles in a workout and was released. The team was able to avoid paying James $10 million because the injury took place away from the team facility, but it would probably rather have an above-average right tackle protecting Bridgewater and Drew Lock. Bobby Massie has been signed as a stopgap, and the Broncos will roll over the cap space, but they ended up paying James $17 million for three games over two seasons.
What they could have done differently: The key decision for the Broncos this spring was drafting Surtain at No. 9 when Justin Fields and Mac Jones were still on the board. If either quarterback turns into a star, this team will be kicking itself, regardless of what happens with Surtain. There was speculation that Denver drafted Surtain in the hopes of packaging the corner in an Aaron Rodgers deal, which ...
What's left to do: Make a serious run at Rodgers. The Packers probably aren't going to deal away their star quarterback, and when given the opportunity to push for a trade on SportsCenter with Kenny Mayne last week, Rodgers didn't try to force his way out of the only professional organization he has ever known. If there's a tiny window in which Rodgers does come available, though, the Broncos can put together the best possible package for the future Hall of Famer.
Note: Nos. 17-32 on this list originally published Thursday, June 3.
17. Seattle Seahawks
What went right: I liked most of the moves the Seahawks made in free agency. In addition to bringing back Carlos Dunlap on a reduced salary, Seattle took shots on Pierre Desir, Ahkello Witherspoon and Aldon Smith. Chris Carson returned on one of the rare middle-class running back extensions, signing a two-year, $10.5 million deal, while the Seahawks also traded for a significant offensive line addition in former Raiders guard Gabe Jackson.
What went wrong: While most Seahawks fans seemed to be in favor of firing Brian Schottenheimer after an inconsistent run as offensive coordinator, the future of the offense appears to be murky. Pete Carroll hired former Rams assistant Shane Waldron to serve as coordinator amid chatter that he wants the team to get back toward running the ball after their muddy second half. Somewhere around this time, Russell Wilson started complaining about getting hit too much and reportedly hinted about a possible trade.
Nothing ever came of the Wilson rumors, and unless something happens shortly after June 1, it seems like the Seahawks are going to move forward with him as their star quarterback. That's good. Replacing Schottenheimer with Waldron could be good. The uncertainty and frustration clearly permeating the walls in Seattle? Not ideal.
What they could have done differently: I was a bit surprised to see the Seahawks use a second-round pick on wideout D'Wayne Eskridge, who is much older than the typical rookie (24) and seemingly capped as the third wideout behind Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf. Older prospects typically don't perform as well as players who leave school at a younger age. Teams shouldn't necessarily draft for need, but the Seahawks are without their first-round pick from the Jamal Adams trade and could have added help just about anywhere besides linebacker on defense.
What's left to do: Get an Adams extension done. There's no way they are getting any sort of discount after trading two first-rounders to get the former Jets standout. Last year was up-and-down for the talented defender, but Adams is going to reset the safety market. It wouldn't be a surprise if his new deal came in at four years and $72 million.
18. Chicago Bears
What went right: While the Mitchell Trubisky era ended with an NVP nod, the Bears seemingly had no plan for the future under center when they signed Andy Dalton to a one-year, $10 million deal. Enter Justin Fields, who was acquired when the Bears moved up on draft day. It remains to be seen whether they have enough around the former Ohio State star to unlock his potential, but Bears fans have hope. Given what the offseason looked like before draft day, that qualifies as a victory.
What went wrong: The rest of the offseason wasn't inspiring. Chicago franchised Allen Robinson, and when the wide receiver market cratered, he chose to sign his tag, locking the cap-strapped Bears in for nearly $18 million on their 2022 cap. The resulting squeeze forced them to cut cornerback Kyle Fuller and might have led them to release left tackle Charles Leno. Unless second-rounder Teven Jenkins is an instant superstar on the blindside, Fields will play behind one of the worst lines in football this season.
What they could have done differently: I'm not sure I understand why Jimmy Graham is on the roster for a team with Chicago's cap issues. Cutting the veteran tight end would have freed up $7 million in cap space, money that would have been better used on Leno or Fuller.
What's left to do: Try to trade one of the veteran quarterbacks. For whatever lip service the Bears are throwing out there about sitting Fields, history tells us he'll be in the lineup sometime in September. Nick Foles would be in line for at least $9 million over the next two seasons, so he's probably untradeable without eating money, but Dalton would cost another team only $2.5 million in a deal. If a veteran quarterback gets hurt in camp and Chicago can swap Dalton for an offensive lineman, it should take that opportunity.
19. Tennessee Titans
What went right: General manager Jon Robinson thoroughly addressed the league's second-worst Adjusted Sack Rate from 2020 by signing Bud Dupree to play on the edge and Denico Autry to rush on the interior. A front four with Harold Landry and Jeffery Simmons might actually be able to get after the passer.
What went wrong: Owing to unfortunate fifth-year option decisions, the spectacular flameout of 2020 first-rounder Isaiah Wilson and the money needed to fix the pass rush, the Titans are a less talented team than they were a year ago. Out went Corey Davis, Jonnu Smith and virtually all of an expensively-assembled secondary short Kevin Byard. (To be fair, that secondary wasn't very good in 2020.) The replacements -- veterans Josh Reynolds and Janoris Jenkins and first-round corner Caleb Farley -- don't look good on paper as last year's team. The Titans also lost offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, who left to join the Falcons as their new coach.
What they could have done differently: I don't want to go back and relitigate the fifth-year option choices from years past, but it's clear that something was up with the Adoree' Jackson situation. The Titans had Jackson under contract for 2021 on an unguaranteed fifth-year option of $10.2 million and instead decided to cut their former first-round pick. The Giants then signed Jackson to a three-year, $39 million deal with $15 million due in year one and $24.5 million guaranteed.
Something went wrong here. If the market really held that sort of money for Jackson, the Titans should have been able to trade Jackson for some sort of draft asset. Even if the Giants were the only team interested in paying him that sort of money, Tennessee should have been able to come away with a seventh-rounder. That the two teams either didn't speak or didn't read the market appropriately was to Jackson's benefit.
What's left to do: Add a backup quarterback. Ryan Tannehill has been effective and healthy since taking over the starting job for Tennessee, but he struggled with injuries during his time with the Dolphins. The backups behind Tannehill right now are Logan Woodside and DeShone Kizer, so a serious injury to Tannehill would likely sink the Titans' season. The backup quarterback market is about as threadbare as it gets right now, but they should look to add someone as teams pare down their rosters in August.
20. Dallas Cowboys
What went right: Jerry Jones and Dak Prescott finally found common ground on a new contract with the help of everyone's favorite mechanism in 2021: voidable years. Prescott gets $160 million over four years and a shot at true free agency with a no-tag clause in 2025, while the Cowboys get to spread Prescott's $66 million signing bonus and restructure his base salaries over six years for cap purposes. In what was a relatively quiet offseason by Cowboys standards, getting the Prescott deal done locks in this team with a potentially incredible offensive corps for years to come.
What went wrong: Dallas went back to the well at linebacker, as it declined the fifth-year option for Leighton Vander Esch and used its first-round pick on Micah Parsons. There's a chance that both Vander Esch and Jaylon Smith are off the roster in 2022, but after adding Parsons and converting safety Keanu Neal to linebacker, the Cowboys have invested too much over the last few years at this position. Most teams see linebacker as a position to fill in last once they've solved their problems up front and in the secondary; the Cowboys still have those problems and seem set to try and build from the middle out.
What they could have done differently: Traded down again from No. 12. The Cowboys picked up a third-round pick from the Eagles when they moved down two spots as part of the DeVonta Smith deal, but the Jets then roared up from No. 23 to No. 14 to take Alijah Vera-Tucker. Swapping a fourth-rounder for two third-rounders would have been nice, especially for a Cowboys team that is going to need draft picks to fill out the depth on their roster given the contracts on offense.
What's left to do: Add defensive line depth. Going after veterans was a disaster last year, given that Gerald McCoy suffered a season-ending injury in camp and Everson Griffen wasn't a good fit before being traded. I understand being reticent to do that again, but there's plenty of talented veterans out there and just not much on paper for Dallas' front four. It could sorely use a penetrating tackle such as Geno Atkins or Kawann Short.
21. Arizona Cardinals
What went right: Arizona retooled what has been an inconsistent offensive line to try to help Kyler Murray, with the big move coming when general manager Steve Keim dealt a third-round pick to the Raiders for a seventh-round selection and star center Rodney Hudson. It was a bit of a surprise to see a third-round pick change hands when earlier reports had suggested that the Raiders were about to release the veteran center, but Hudson is a useful player who should help make Murray's life much easier. The Cardinals imported Brian Winters from the Bills, although they don't have much depth behind their starting five. Arizona also added much-needed speed to the lineup by drafting Rondale Moore in the second round.
The pass rush should also be improved after Arizona signed future Hall of Famer J.J. Watt in one of its patented pre-free agency signings. Injuries have taken a toll on Watt, but he still racked up five sacks, 17 knockdowns and 14 tackles for loss on a brutal Houston defense last season. Playing alongside Chandler Jones will give him more pass-rushing help than he ever had with the Texans.
What went wrong: A lack of depth flummoxed the Cardinals during their second-half fade, but Keim continued to opt for a top-heavy approach in going after expensive veterans like Hudson and Watt. Malcolm Butler was less expensive, but the duo of Butler and Robert Alford might be one of the best sets of starting corners in the NFC. Good thing there aren't any terrifying receivers in the West. At times, it feels like the Cardinals are trying to build a 2016 superteam. Watt and Hudson are one thing, but who asked for A.J. Green here?
Keim's emphasis on adding athletic linebackers continued yet again, with Arizona using its first-round pick on Zaven Collins. The Cardinals haven't even figured out how to use last year's first-rounder, Isaiah Simmons, and they kept Jordan Hicks around after the former Eagles starter took a pay cut. It's curious to see them repeatedly go after linebackers at the expense of the secondary, especially with Patrick Peterson gone.
What they could have done differently: The money the Cardinals spent on Green ($6 million) and Butler ($3.3 million) could have combined to net Kliff Kingsbury a better cornerback in Kyle Fuller ($9.5 million). Green might find the fountain of youth in Arizona, but the Cardinals desperately needed speed, and it wouldn't have cost much more to get someone like Will Fuller in that role. Moore should help, but if the oft-injured wideout is unavailable, they might be forced to go back to Andy Isabella, who isn't trusted by the coaching staff.
What's left to do: Add a corner. Alford hasn't played since 2018 because of injuries, and the Cards can't rely on him to be a healthy, useful contributor. Landing Steven Nelson would be a huge plus for Arizona.
22. Philadelphia Eagles
What went right: The Eagles are in great position to rebuild ... in 2022. After a disastrous 2020 season, they used this offseason to eat their vegetables. They'll have a relatively clean cap in 2022 and as many as three first-round picks after grabbing one to move down with the Dolphins and another conditional pick as part of the Carson Wentz trade. General manager Howie Roseman should either be in position to surround Jalen Hurts with talent or draft a new quarterback if Hurts struggles.
While the Eagles mostly sat out the player acquisition period of the offseason, the moves they made were reasonable. Signing Anthony Harris to a one-year, $4 million deal enabled them to buy low on a player who was franchised a year ago. Ryan Kerrigan was useful edge depth at one year and $2.5 million. Joe Flacco ... well, he's local. Hurts and Flacco will get to play with rookie Heisman Trophy winner Devonta Smith, who could quickly become a folk hero in Philly if the Eagles surprise.
What went wrong: Imagine telling an Eagles fan after they won the Super Bowl in February of 2018 that neither Doug Pederson nor Wentz would be involved with the organization three years later. Pederson was fired after his relationships with Wentz and owner Jeffrey Lurie fractured beyond repair, and Wentz was traded to Indy shortly thereafter. We'll see how the moves work out, but two key positions that seemed solved for the Eagles for years to come are question marks yet again. Philly is eating a staggering $33.8 million in dead money on its 2021 cap as part of the Wentz trade, meaning that his ghost will have the second-largest cap hit of any player in football this season.
What they could have done differently: Signed a backup quarterback who runs something vaguely approximating the same scheme the Eagles will run with Hurts. It's difficult to imagine two quarterbacks who are more different than Hurts and Flacco, and while the passing concepts for the two don't necessarily need to be different, they will at least build some chunks of their offense to play to Hurts' strengths. If Tyrod Taylor wasn't financially feasible, Robert Griffin might have been a better choice than Flacco.
What's left to do: Move on from Zach Ertz. It's clear that the star tight end's future is somewhere else, and Philly could use the $8.5 million it will save on their cap in 2021 to help extend Ertz's long-term replacement, free agent-to-be Dallas Goedert. The Eagles will likely either trade the 30-year-old for a late-round pick or cut him outright.
23. Minnesota Vikings
What went right: For seemingly the 100th straight offseason, the Vikings added badly needed help to their offensive line. General manager Rick Spielman managed to trade down and still grab his left tackle of the future in Christian Darrisaw, who will replace Riley Reiff, who left in free agency. Minnesota also addressed a frustrating couple of years at cornerback by bringing back Mackensie Alexander, taking an interesting flier on Patrick Peterson, who signed a one-year, $8 million deal, and signing Bashaud Breeland on June 4.
What went wrong: Edge rusher is still an enormous question mark. Danielle Hunter, who missed all of 2020 with a neck injury, sat out OTAs amid reports that the veteran wants a new deal. The Vikings had Adam Thielen signed to a bargain extension and then gave the star wideout a new contract with two years to go; Hunter might have to wait until 2022 to get a much-deserved raise. The cupboard behind Hunter is about as bare as it gets.
What they could have done differently: I like the Vikings trading down and grabbing extra picks, but I would expect fans to track Darrisaw against Rashawn Slater for years to come. The Chargers grabbed Slater one pick before the Vikings, and I wonder whether Minnesota would have considered moving up to No. 10 to get ahead of the Chargers to take the Northwestern product instead.
What's left to do: Add an edge rusher. Minnesota has approximately $14 million in cap space, and it is crying out for veteran bodies on the edge, especially if Hunter can't or doesn't want to play. Even a situational piece like Trent Murphy or John Simon would sorely help this team in 2021.
24. Cincinnati Bengals
What went right: The Bengals added key pieces for Joe Burrow by signing former Vikings tackle Riley Reiff and drafting Burrow's former LSU teammate, Ja'Marr Chase. Some NFL draft analysts felt like the Bengals should have opted for Oregon tackle Penei Sewell to try to protect Burrow as he returns from a serious knee injury -- and I wouldn't have had any issue with the move -- but Chase also helps protect Burrow. Giving him a receiver he trusts on 50/50 balls will help the former first overall pick get the ball out more quickly. Expect Burrow to have the option to throw hot to Chase throughout the season.
What went wrong: After years of mostly avoiding free agency, the Bengals waded into the free-agent waters again. Unfortunately, for the second straight year, their biggest signing doesn't look like good value. The decision to move on from Carl Lawson for Trey Hendrickson seems curious, given that Hendrickson had only one significant season with the Saints. Even that 2020 campaign has red flags attached, suggesting Hendrickson won't be able to keep up his newfound sack totals in Cincinnati.
You could also argue that the Bengals didn't do enough for Burrow up front. Reiff is a solid pass-protector on the right side, but it's still unclear whether Jonah Williams will actually end up as a franchise left tackle. Cincinnati re-signed Quinton Spain after the former Bills lineman joined the team in November, but the only other notable addition the organization made was second-round pick Jackson Carman, who ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. had as his 13th-ranked tackle. The Bengals are expected to move Carman to guard, but they don't have a spectacular recent track record at developing linemen at their college positions, let alone new ones.
What they could have done differently: Choosing Hendrickson over Lawson and Chase over Sewell are the two decisions the Bengals will end up being judged for across the next few years. They can get out of the Hendrickson deal after one year and $20 million, but doing so would leave them in need of another replacement on the edge.
What's left to do: Extend Jessie Bates, who took over Justin Simmons' spot as the most underrated safety in football. With a Jamal Adams extension likely to reset the safety market somewhere north of $18 million per season, the Bengals would be better served to get a Bates extension done before the Seahawks get busy.
25. Detroit Lions
What went right: The Lions (mostly) committed to a new plan after the disastrous two-plus years of the Matt Patricia era and rebuilt. New general manager Brad Holmes sold high on Matthew Stafford, getting two first-round picks and Jared Goff in return from his old employers in Los Angeles. The best way to start a rebuild is to add extra first-round picks, and while we're expecting those picks to land in the 20s, Houston's trades for Deshaun Watson and Laremy Tunsil are a reminder that future first-rounders can land just about anywhere.
After making the move to deal Stafford, we got a clear idea of how Holmes and new coach Dan Campbell are planning to win football games in the future by what they did in the draft. The Lions had four picks in the first three rounds and used three of those four on linemen, including Oregon tackle Penei Sewell in the first round. They also picked up Michael Brockers in a salary dump with the Rams and re-signed Romeo Okwara. We'll see how the plan works out, but given that the last plan appeared to be simply stacking players the Patriots didn't want to keep around, trying to control the line of scrimmage is at least a theory with a better track record of success.
What went wrong: The Lions let Kenny Golladay leave, although they'll get a third-round compensatory pick in 2022. They're left with the worst group of wideouts in football as a result, with the plan to seemingly chuck it deep to Tyrell Williams and Breshad Perriman. They also cost themselves a late-round comp pick by signing Jamaal Williams and just brought in Todd Gurley for a look; early-down back is not a position that this rebuilding team needs to make a priority.
Holmes' work on draft day wasn't as inspiring as his first move; he reportedly turned down offers to move down from No. 7 and then tried to move up in the second round before landing the player he wanted, Levi Onwuzurike, without having to sacrifice picks. I love Sewell as a prospect, but the Lions are not one player away from being a contender, and there were plenty of other valuable linemen in the first round. They can't afford to be this confident about individual players in the first draft of a multi-year rebuild.
It was also a bit of a surprise to see Detroit give Campbell a six-year deal. The former tight end's press conferences have been entertaining -- and he might turn out to be a great coach -- but it's not as if he was the hottest candidate on the market or did wonders as an interim coach in Miami several years ago. If Detroit's rebuild is going to take so long that it needed to give Campbell six years, it should have been trading down at No. 7.
What they could have done differently: I like the idea of buying low on Goff. The former first overall pick wasn't as good as people suggested during the peak of the first few Sean McVay years in Los Angeles, but he's also better than his general public perception in 2021. The Rams talked themselves into believing Goff was the player they wanted him to be and paid an exorbitant fee to rid themselves of that mistake.
The Lions restructured Goff's deal after his arrival, but should they have eaten some of his remaining salary and moved the veteran on for more draft picks? If they had eaten $10 million, they could have traded him with four years and $94.1 million to go on his deal, including just $15.5 million in remaining guarantees after this season. I think that could have netted a second-round pick from the right team in need of a veteran option without much cap space, like the Saints before they brought back Jameis Winston.
What's left to do: Wait. The Lions aren't tanking, but they probably aren't going to be very good in 2021. They need to stay patient and keep with a long-term vision.
26. Carolina Panthers
What went right: The Panthers continued to build carefully under Matt Rhule and new general manager Scott Fitterer, with one significant swap that we'll get to in a minute. I like the deals they made Haason Reddick and A.J. Bouye on defense, and they added a valuable piece at cornerback in No. 8 overall pick Jaycee Horn. The decision to give up on Teddy Bridgewater and make a run at Sam Darnold might end up being the most notable and important choice the Panthers made this offseason, but I generally liked the supplemental decisions Rhule & Co. made around their roster this offseason.
What went wrong: I'm not thoroughly excited about the Darnold trade, which saw Carolina send three picks to the Jets for the former No. 3 overall pick, including a second-rounder in 2022. Perhaps more importantly, the Panthers also agreed to pick up Darnold's fifth-year option for 2023, which is now fully guaranteed at $18.6 million. Quarterbacks who start their career like Darnold rarely turn into effective passers in their second stops, and this franchise is making a significant bet that Darnold will be the exception. His lack of development and middling success even in clean pockets would worry me, and I think the most likely scenario is that Carolina is back in the quarterback market again in 2022.
What they could have done differently: The other big bet the Panthers made this offseason was staying put in Round 1 of the draft and drafting Horn. The Bears sent pick Nos. 20 and 164 in the draft and their first- and fourth-rounders next year to the Giants to move up from No. 20 to No. 11 and draft Justin Fields, and even if the Panthers didn't want the Ohio State product, they presumably could have accepted a similar offer from the Bears and picked up a tantalizing first-rounder in the 2022 draft.
Even if we value those future Bears picks as being the last picks in their respective rounds, the package on the whole was worth 33.5 points by the Chase Stuart value chart, which is right around the value of the No. 1 overall pick in a typical draft. More realistically, those picks will add up to being worth more than the top pick in a typical draft. Passing up that trade offer (or, at the very least, not successfully seeking out that sort of offer from a team like the Bears) implicitly values Horn as being worth something like the No. 1 overall pick, and cornerbacks taken in this range just do not have that sort of success rate or impact historically. You could make this same argument for the Lions at No. 7 or the Broncos at No. 9, but this was probably an opportunity the Panthers missed.
What's left to do: Extend Taylor Moton. The 2017 second-rounder has developed into one of the best right tackles in football, and with the left tackle spot looking like a big question mark, the Panthers would do well to solidify one tackle spot for Darnold's sake. The Panthers franchised Moton for 2021 at $13.8 million, and a new deal for the 27-year-old should come in around four years and $62 million.
27. Los Angeles Rams
What went right: If you think that quarterback play was holding the Rams back from making the Super Bowl, well, you got your upgrade. Los Angeles packaged two first-rounders and former franchise quarterback Jared Goff in a deal with the Lions to acquire Matthew Stafford, giving Sean McVay a new toy under center. The Rams had to eat $24.7 million in dead money for the Goff contract to get the trade done, but nobody will care about the accounting if the move pushes them over the top.
It also seemed likely that Los Angeles would be forced to sign a replacement for Leonard Floyd after the former Bears first-rounder had a bounceback year with the Rams, but Floyd ended up coming back on a four-year, $64 million pact. The move forced general manager Les Snead to dump longtime defensive linemen Michael Brockers on the Lions, but the Rams probably prefer having an expensive edge rusher alongside Aaron Donald to another expensive interior lineman.
What went wrong: When the Rams traded for Stafford, they didn't sign the veteran quarterback to an extension. Teams that have traded two first-round picks to acquire star players have typically paid a premium to sign those guys to extensions, including the Rams with Jalen Ramsey. Khalil Mack, Laremy Tunsil, and Ramsey each became comfortably the highest paid players in the league at their respective positions when they signed new deals; Stafford won't get Patrick Mahomes money, but the former first overall pick is going to have all of the leverage when he negotiates his new deal. It wouldn't be surprising to see a four-year extension for him top $170 million.
Despite adding Stafford and McVay's known aptitude for scheming players open, the Rams continue to invest some of the limited resources they have left at receiver. Despite having Robert Woods, Cooper Kupp and Tyler Higbee signed to extension and using a second-round pick on Van Jefferson last year, they signed DeSean Jackson to an inexplicable one-year, $4.5 million deal. Jackson is 35 and played three full games over the last two seasons. He's coming home to Los Angeles. Who else was competing for him at this price tag? Kenny Stills remains a free agent and would have been more likely to stay on the field. The Rams then used their top draft pick on Tutu Atwell.
McVay should have no lack of weapons at receiver, but the Rams continue to neglect an offensive line that is still dependent upon 39-year-old left tackle Andrew Whitworth playing at a high level. Los Angeles was healthier up front last season than it was in 2019, which led to an improvement, but it's relying on so many mid-to-late round picks to keep the line afloat while investing its highest picks on skill-position players. Maybe Stafford will overcome those line issues, but we saw the veteran miss time over the last few years in Detroit when his line failed to hold up. Offensive line coach Aaron Kromer also left the organization, with the Rams hiring Stanford line coach Kevin Carberry to take over the job. Carberry is the rare offensive line coach who is actually younger (38) than his best lineman.
Kromer was one of a number of coaches to leave, as the Rams also lost defensive coordinator Brandon Staley (now the Chargers coach), Joe Woods (Packers defensive coordinator), Shane Waldron (Seahawks offensive coordinator) and Andy Dickerson (Seahawks run game coordinator), among others. Staley helped produce the league's fourth-best defensive DVOA a year ago, and while Raheem Morris did good work in Atlanta, the new L.A. defensive coordinator will have his work cut out for him to keep a top-heavy team at that level in 2021.
What they could have done differently: We've now seen Floyd and Dante Fowler Jr. join the Rams after disappointing stints with their first teams and produce big numbers alongside Donald. Fowler fell back to earth in his first season with the Falcons. Floyd will stick around, but I wonder whether the Rams could have let him leave and tried to replace him with a cheaper option while using the money they saved to add some desperately-needed offensive line help. I might prefer the combo of Haason Reddick and Kevin Zeitler to Floyd and a replacement-level backup guard.
What's left to do: Re-sign Stafford. It'll be better for cap and leverage purposes to get a deal done now as opposed to next offseason.
28. Atlanta Falcons
What went right: The Falcons hired Arthur Smith to be their coach, but I might be more excited about the the fact that Smith coaxed defensive coordinator Dean Pees out of retirement. The former Patriots, Ravens and Titans coach has a long track record of success, and Tennessee fell from 18th in DVOA in their final season with Pees to 29th without the veteran a year ago. The Falcons will need Pees, given that they probably have the worst secondary in the league on paper.
What went wrong: A brutal cap situation forced the Falcons to let veterans Alex Mack and Keanu Neal leave. It's also be one of the reasons franchise icon Julio Jones is following them out the door, with the star wideout headed to the Titans in a trade. The Falcons needed to clear out more cap space solely to sign their draft class, but seeing the future Hall of Famer line up in Tennessee is going to make Atlanta fans sick to their stomachs.
What they could have done differently: The big question for the Falcons came down to how they cleared out cap space for 2021. Fontenot was going to need to restructure at least one big contract to make room, and the player he chose was going to inform what they were doing with the No. 4 overall pick. Fontenot chose to restructure Matt Ryan's deal, which pointed toward Atlanta avoiding a quarterback. Fontenot & Co. ended up drafting tight end uber-prospect Kyle Pitts.
The other way to do it would have been to call time on Ryan's future. Atlanta could have restructured the contracts of Jones and Grady Jarrett, drafted a quarterback at No. 4 and traded Ryan after the 2022 season. I think I prefer the way the Falcons handled it in real life, but if Fontenot and Smith loved Justin Fields or Mac Jones, they could have gone in this other direction.
What's left to do: Extend Calvin Ridley. After the Jones trade, one thing the Falcons can do to try to mollify a frustrated fan base is make sure that their other wideout is sticking around. Ridley is a free agent after 2021, and while the team can't afford a massive raise on its current cap, it should be able to use a multi-bonus structure to keep Ridley around for the next several seasons.
29. Houston Texans
What went right: The Texans didn't do anything to send the franchise backward this offseason, so they took a small step in the right direction. New general manager Nick Caserio's plan in free agency was clear, as the Texans added a staggering 32 veterans to their roster. The vast majority arrived on one-year deals, so this might not be a viable long-term strategy, but they should be deeper across the board and much better on special teams in 2021.
What went wrong: Where to begin? Deshaun Watson reportedly requested a trade out of Houston after the disastrous events of 2019 and 2020. He was then accused of sexual assault by 22 women, leaving his status for 2021 in limbo. The Texans did not seem inclined to trade Watson for a haul of draft picks after his request, but until his cases are resolved, there's no way the team can even trade its quarterback.
On top of that, nobody seemed to want the Texans' head-coaching job. They ended up hiring Ravens passing game coordinator David Culley, who had never been on an NFL head-coaching radar before getting the Texans job at age 65. Culley is widely regarded as a good human being and has plenty of experience, but it's hard to see how the veteran coach isn't being set up to fail.
What they could have done differently: Done something else besides draft a quarterback in the third round. Houston signed Tyrod Taylor in the event that Watson isn't ready to start the season, but it was a surprise to see the team use its first selection in the 2021 draft on Stanford quarterback Davis Mills. The track record for quarterbacks with ideal size and arm strength who fall out of the top two rounds (or really the first round) just isn't very good. Mills had only 11 starts at Stanford and didn't get to go through a traditional combine, so the Texans could argue that Mills slipped through the cracks, but that's the sort of shot a team with lots of talent should be taking in the middle rounds. This is not that team.
What's left to do: Fast-forward through the 2021 season. With their missing draft picks and the Watson situation still unresolved, 2021 already shapes up like a lost year for the Texans. Their underlying performance in 2020 would have projected them to improve in 2021 if Watson was in the fold -- and they are unlikely to be completely terrible after adding so many veterans -- but they've gone from being a top-heavy team to one without star power.
30. Pittsburgh Steelers
What went right: The Steelers got a pleasant surprise when JuJu Smith-Schuster's market failed to develop, leading the 24-year-old to return on a one-year, $8 million deal. It took voidable years to get Smith-Schuster back in the fold, which should tell you what a mess Pittsburgh's cap looks like. Given their lack of options at the position, the Steelers should also probably be happy that Ben Roethlisberger decided to return for another season, taking a $5 million pay cut in the process. And after agreeing to sign with the Jaguars, Tyson Alualu changed his mind and returned to the Steelers on a two-year, $5.5 million pact.
What went wrong: They were forced to eat their financial vegetables and watch Bud Dupree and Mike Hilton leave in free agency. With the organization moving on from Steven Nelson, cornerback has gone from being one of the team's biggest strengths to one of Pittsburgh's thinnest positions. Justin Layne, a third-round pick in 2019, has played only 117 defensive snaps over his first two seasons, but he might be one of the team's three top cornerbacks this season.
The offensive line is also a mess, with the Steelers losing Maurkice Pouncey to retirement and both Matt Feiler and Alejandro Villanueva to free agency. They brought back B.J. Finney and used third- and fourth-round picks on linemen, but they project to be below average at as many as four positions. Their decision to try to revitalize the running game by using a first-round pick on Alabama star Najee Harris also seemed curious given what we know about the position.
What they could have done differently: Used their first-round pick on a lineman while signing one of the many running backs still available in free agency. Christian Darrisaw came off the board one pick before the Steelers at No. 23, but I have to think that they would have been better off with Darrisaw and a back such as Todd Gurley than they are with Harris and their current line situation.
What's left to do: Start working on extensions for T.J. Watt and Minkah Fitzpatrick. Plenty of teams would love to have this problem, but the Steelers will have to find a way to extend their two young stars on defense over the next two years while struggling with cap constraints. Roethlisberger could retire after the 2021 season, but the franchise will still be on the hook for nearly $16 million in dead money between their longtime quarterback and Smith-Schuster in 2022.
31. Green Bay Packers
What went right: The Packers were able to bring back their two most prominent free agents by re-signing Aaron Jones and Kevin King. General manager Brian Gutekunst was always going to struggle to bring back star center Corey Linsley, but the Packers will at least pocket a fourth-round compensatory pick for their former pivot. They were able to land a possible replacement in the draft with second-rounder Josh Myers.
What went wrong: Well, if you're a Packers fan who has been hiding under a rock for the past two months, I've got some bad news. Reigning MVP Aaron Rodgers does not seem particularly enthused by the idea of playing for the team, and while the future Hall of Famer has publicly stopped short of requesting a trade, his unhappiness does not appear to be subsiding.
Beyond Rodgers, the roster is getting thin. The offensive line is rebuilding on the fly while David Bakhtiari recovers from a torn ACL, with Elgton Jenkins taking snaps at left tackle in OTAs. The Packers added another option at corner with first-rounder Eric Stokes, but most fans I knew were hoping to see King move on for good this offseason. The Jones re-signing will see the team hand a huge raise to a player it doesn't trust to take more than two-thirds of the snaps from week-to-week, one year after it used a second-round pick on expected replacement AJ Dillon.
What they could have done differently: Letting Jones walk would have freed up more money to address the offensive line. Jones is a great running back, but if the Packers don't see him as a 50-snap-per-game guy, it's tough to justify paying the 26-year-old just under $20 million over the next two seasons. Moving on from Jones would have allowed them to either re-sign Linsley or add another lineman or two to the fold, and they could have used Dillon as the front end of a rotation with one of any number of veteran backs on the cheap.
What's left to do: Working on a Davante Adams extension. The star wideout has a $16.8 million cap hit in 2020, which is the final year of his deal. Green Bay's in rough cap shape next year, so franchising him has the possibility of putting the Packers in a messy situation. The Bears went through this spring when they franchised Allen Robinson, as when the veteran unexpectedly signed his tag, Chicago was forced to cut Kyle Fuller.
Adams should be looking for something in the ballpark of five years and $115 million. Getting that extension done now would allow the Packers to lock up their star wideout and create much-needed cap space, both in 2021 and 2022. Green Bay could create $5 million or so in room this year and use that space to add a veteran or two around cutdowns or during the season.
32. Las Vegas Raiders
What went right: For the third consecutive offseason, the Raiders finally fixed their defense. This time around, they didn't let the draft picks they've been counting on stand in the way. Clelin Ferrell, Johnathan Abram and Trayvon Mullen are among the players who aren't guaranteed starting jobs after the Raiders signed Yannick Ngakoue, Karl Joseph and Casey Hayward Jr. They have spent years importing talent on defense and failing to get the most out of their additions, a problem new defensive coordinator Gus Bradley has to turn around.
What went wrong: While contracts for Ngakoue and John Brown were relative bargains, the Raiders inexplicably handed Kenyan Drake a two-year, $11 million pact to serve as a second running back alongside first-round pick Josh Jacobs. Las Vegas also dismantled one of the league's most impressive offensive lines by trading away free-agent addition Trent Brown, star center Rodney Hudson and homegrown guard Gabe Jackson for mid-to-late round picks. The team used a first-round pick on Alex Leatherwood to help replace the losses, but just about every public source regarded the Alabama tackle as an overdraft at No. 17 overall. Teams have more insight into prospects than we typically do, but given the Raiders' recent track record with draft picks, they don't deserve any benefit of the doubt.
What they could have done differently: Bradley was regarded as one of the league's most promising defensive coaches when he took over as Jacksonville's coach in 2013, but his defenses haven't been consistent, even when he has had talent to work with. Bradley's Chargers defenses ranked 10th in each of his first two years with the team, but they fell to 25th and 20th over the past two seasons. His Jags defenses ranked in the top half of the league just once in four years and improved in the season after he was fired. Should the Raiders have made the call to the ultimate turnaround expert and hired Wade Phillips?
What's left to do: Look for depth at guard. The Raiders signed Nick Martin to compete with Andre James for the starting job at center, but they would be relying on John Simpson and Patrick Omameh at guard if there were injuries. There's more available at the position than there is in a typical year, so I'd encourage them to look at someone such as Larry Warford or Nick Easton.