NFL Free Agency 2020: Grades for every team after first wave

When you look at the moves the Carolina Panthers have made this offseason in a vacuum, they’ve done some nice things. Turning the page at quarterback by signing Teddy Bridgewater and cutting Cam Newton is the headliner, without question, and giving the former a chance to start is wise. Meanwhile, landing Robby Anderson, re-signing Tre Boston and several other moves have been solid for Carolina.

Where I take issue with the Panthers’ offseason, however, is that all of their moves still leave them in purgatory. They seem to be in position to go something like 6-10 in the 2020 NFL season as the NFC South is now loaded, which really does them few favors. It seems they would’ve been better off outright tanking than doing what they’re doing. But because the moves themselves have been solid enough, they only get a “C-” for their free agency grade.

Remember when Bears general manager Ryan Pace won NFL Executive of the Year not long ago? Man, does that look bad in hindsight. And after what’s happened in the 2020 offseason, it looks like more of a joke than anything else.

Chicago’s offseason has been one questionable move after another. Yes, they needed to revamp their edge rushers and cutting Leonard Floyd was fine but overpaying Robert Quinn was not. They also paid too much for Jimmy Graham to throw another dart at the tight end board and their one-year gambles on Germain Ifedi and Artie Burns leave a lot to be desired.

But if that all wasn’t questionable enough, the Nick Foles trade remains baffling. Many projected that the Jaguars would have to, in essence, pay a team with a draft pick to take on Foles’ contract. Instead, the Bears gave up a fourth-rounder for the quarterback. Even if he’s better than Mitchell Trubisky, it’s a marginal upgrade and horrible move to put a rotten cherry on this offseason sundae.