The 2022 NFL offseason is underway and with NFL Free Agency ongoing and trades being executed, who is having the best offseason so far?
Almost one week into the 2022 NFL offseason, and already we’ve seen twists and turns all over the league.
Aaron Rodgers waited until the franchise tag deadline to declare his intent to return to the Green Bay Packers, who are now going to be paying him over $50 million per year through likely the end of his NFL career.
The Denver Broncos made a blockbuster trade for Russell Wilson with the Seattle Seahawks.
It’s been a wild NFL offseason already with teams handing out massive contracts and the entire landscape of the league changing before our very eyes. It’s time to grade the moves being made by all of these teams through one official week of the offseason player movement period.
2022 NFL offseason grades: AFC West
Denver Broncos: A+
Key moves
- Acquired QB Russell Wilson in trade
- Signed DL DJ Jones
- Signed EDGE Randy Gregory
- Signed CB K’Waun Williams
The reality for the Denver Broncos, at this point, is that the team’s offseason grade cannot be anything but an A+.
They have acquired a legitimate superstar quarterback and kept the core of the roster intact. General manager George Paton might get a statue in Denver for this one someday.
The Russell Wilson trade could go down as the biggest and most important trade in NFL history. It was made almost a decade to the date after John Elway brought in Peyton Manning as a free agent back in the 2012 offseason.
Wilson gives the Denver Broncos a chance to go from last place in the AFC West to legitimate Super Bowl contenders overnight.
The fact that the team supplemented the trade already by adding defensive lineman DJ Jones from the 49ers — one of the top run-stopping defensive linemen available — as well as pass rusher Randy Gregory is icing on the cake.
This offseason will only continue to get better for the Broncos, who still have cap space flexibility and three top-100 draft picks, five in the top 115.
Los Angeles Chargers: A
Key moves
- Traded for EDGE Khalil Mack
- Signed CB JC Jackson
- Re-signed WR Mike Williams
- Signed DL Austin Johnson
- Signed DL Sebastian Joseph-Day
The Los Angeles Chargers, at the time of this writing, are on the cusp of an A+ grade for their 2022 offseason. They still need to find a starting right tackle to protect Justin Herbert and I think they also need a running back.
The biggest move this team has made, thus far, is the signing of cornerback JC Jackson, who has a whopping 17 interceptions over the last two seasons.
Jackson is a ballhawk and one of the best in the NFL at making plays on the ball. It’s shocking that the New England Patriots didn’t do more to keep him around, but maybe they know something we all don’t.
For the time being, that move remains outstanding for the Chargers on paper, as does the acquisition of Khalil Mack.
The Chargers will be hoping Mack can have some better fortune in the health department for them than he did last year for the Bears where he missed 10 games.
Trading a second-round pick for the former Defensive MVP was a no-brainer move, especially given his history with Brandon Staley.
Mack will now pair up with Joey Bosa to give the Chargers a fearsome EDGE duo when healthy, and they’ll have some help on the interior defensive line with Austin Johnson and Sebastian Joseph-Day both coming in and providing some nice upside on the interior.
The team’s decision to re-sign Mike Williams instead of tagging him also gave them further flexibility when they already had plenty.
This is how you surround a quarterback on a rookie contract.
Kansas City Chiefs: C
Key moves
- Franchise tag for OT Orlando Brown Jr.
- Restructured Frank Clark’s deal
- Signed S Justin Reid
- Traded WR Tyreek Hill
The primary goal for the Kansas City Chiefs every offseason for the time being?
Keep the core intact.
Lucky for the Chiefs, they have been able to do that for the last handful of years, keeping their roster core in Kansas City and finding savvy ways to add to it through free agency, trades, and the NFL Draft.
The biggest moves this team has made, to this point, are franchise tagging Orlando Brown Jr. and signing safety Justin Reid to a long-term deal.
The Justin Reid move indicates that Tyrann Mathieu will be playing ball elsewhere in 2022 and that is a bit of a surprise given he will only be 30 this season and has meant so much to this team.
At the same time, Reid once appeared to be one of the premier young players at the safety position, and a relocation to Kansas City could reignite his career. At over $10 million annually, it had better do just that.
We’ll see what kind of moves the Chiefs make if or when Orlando Brown Jr. gets a new contract and they can get that ugly franchise tag number off the books.
This team lost Charvarius Ward to the 49ers and the defensive backfield is still under construction from the outside looking in.
Still, the Chiefs get a “B” grade for keeping the majority of their roster intact to this point.
Post-Tyreek Hill trade update***
Since this post was submitted, the Kansas City Chiefs made a shocking trade, sending star wide receiver Tyreek Hill to the Miami Dolphins.
Regardless of what you think of Hill as a person, he’s an incredible player whose presence on the field changes the dynamic of the Chiefs’ offense. He’s a true superstar wide receiver and now, Patrick Mahomes will have to deal with losing his WR1.
That knocked the Chiefs’ offseason down a full letter grade.
Las Vegas Raiders: A+
Key moves
- Acquired WR Davante Adams in a trade
- Signed free agent EDGE Chandler Jones
- Acquired CB Rock Ya-Sin in a trade
- Signed DL Bilal Nichols
- Signed CB Darius Phillips
- Signed CB Anthony Averett
- Signed WR Mack Hollins
The Las Vegas Raiders waited in the wings, and their fans painfully watched on as the Broncos acquired Russell Wilson, the Chiefs made the big splash with Justin Reid, and the Chargers went crazy acquiring their former DPOY Khalil Mack among others.
Finally, on the first official day of the 2022 league year, the Raiders started making some big moves including signing pass rusher Chandler Jones.
They quickly followed that by trading away Yannick Ngakoue for Rock Ya-Sin to upgrade the secondary.
The addition of Chandler Jones — who has obvious Patriots ties with Dave Ziegler and Josh McDaniels — was a borderline essential move for the Raiders with all of the quarterbacks they are facing. They landed arguably the biggest free agent on the market and that’s worth a decent grade in and of itself.
As this post was being constructed, the Raiders actually had an initial grade of “B” but then they struck the trade for Davante Adams.
As big as the Chandler Jones move was for the Raiders, the Davante Adams move was absolutely monumental for this franchise.
The AFC West has continually added one star after another and Adams is one of the biggest to join the loaded division this offseason.
2022 NFL offseason grades: NFC West
Seattle Seahawks: D
Key moves
- Acquired QB Drew Lock via trade
- Acquired DL Shelby Harris via trade
- Acquired TE Noah Fant via trade
- Re-signed S Quandre Diggs
- Re-signed DL Al Woods
- Signed C Austin Blythe
- Re-signed TE Will Dissly
- Signed EDGE Uchenna Nwosu
- Re-signed CB Sidney Jones
- Signed CB Artie Burns
The Seattle Seahawks have done a lot of notable shuffling and reshuffling of their roster in the 2022 offseason, but they are obviously on the “losing” end of the Russell Wilson trade.
The Seahawks made it abundantly clear that Russell Wilson was the one who wanted a trade, not them, but they still had opportunities to figure things out in that regard and it appears — at least from the outside looking in — that they decided to keep Pete Carroll instead of Wilson.
That’s a massive “L” no matter what way you look at it.
The Seahawks got some decent pieces back from the Broncos in Noah Fant and Shelby Harris, and they’ll have a dart throw at QB with Drew Lock, but they are now in the same spot as the Denver Broncos were at the QB position prior to the trade — they have no answer.
Seattle turned around after the Wilson trade and gave Will Dissly $8 million per year on a new contract and at this point, they have yet to bring back Duane Brown. The offensive line will need to be rebuilt.
This has been a nightmare of an offseason for Seattle so far.
Los Angeles Rams: B-
Key Moves
- Signed WR Allen Robinson
- Re-signed OT Joe Noteboom
- Re-signed C Brian Allen
The Los Angeles Rams are Super Bowl Champions.
That came at a cost, however.
They knew when they traded for Von Miller that he might leave in free agency, and now he has.
Miller has bolted Los Angeles for the Buffalo Bills where he will have a chance to win a third championship.
The Rams also lost Andrew Whitworth, who retired, but they were able to retain Joe Noteboom before some other team blew him away with an offer in free agency.
That move was key as Noteboom will likely step in as the Rams’ starting left tackle. Speaking of the offensive line, the decision to re-sign Brian Allen at center was a must. There will be some much-needed continuity for this Rams team offensively in 2022 which cannot be overstated.
The Rams traded away Robert Woods to free up some salary, and the big move they made to upgrade the offense was adding Allen Robinson.
Robinson finally joins a great quarterback in a great offense, and that will be a lot of fun to watch even if it means no more Woods and no more Odell Beckham Jr. in Los Angeles.
The loss of Von Miller hurts big-time, though. The Rams really needed to find a way to bring him back and they simply couldn’t close the deal.
Now, onto the next potential trade candidate or shocking free agent signing.
For the time being, the loss of Miller brings the Rams’ offseason grade down pretty substantially.
Arizona Cardinals: C
Key moves
- Re-signed RB James Conner
- Re-signed TE Zach Ertz
- Signed CB Jeff Gladney
- Signed LB Nick Vigil
The Arizona Cardinals’ offseason thus far has been bordering on disastrous.
What is the team doing with Kyler Murray? It doesn’t feel like the Cardinals are overly committed to Murray or that Murray is overly committed to the Cardinals.
That kind of friction in the front office could ultimately lead to nothing or maybe it will actually help Murray get what he’s wanting from the Cardinals in terms of an extension.
Time will tell.
The Cardinals have not done enough in the 2022 offseason to keep up with the rest of the teams that are contenders in their division.
They won’t have to worry about the Seahawks, in all likelihood, but the Rams retained the majority of their offense from their Super Bowl run and the 49ers have been more aggressive thus far than the Cardinals have.
Bringing back James Conner is a solid move, and the risk-reward move with Jeff Gladney is also okay, but the friction between the Cardinals and their franchise QB is the story of the offseason while the GM and head coach got extensions.
Arizona was wise to re-up on the investment in Zach Ertz, who was a key player for them after being acquired in a trade last offseason.
They lost Chandler Jones to the Raiders and now are in desperate needs of an upgrade in the pass rush department.
San Francisco 49ers: B-
Key moves
- Signed CB Charvarius Ward
- Signed S George Odum
- Signed LB Oren Burks
- Signed DL Hassan Ridgeway
The San Francisco 49ers are about to do a lot of promoting from within, it seems, and that might not get them a lot of recognition from the national media.
The biggest move the team has made so far was signing former Chiefs cornerback Charvarius Ward to a multi-year deal and making him their obvious CB1.
That move gets the 49ers a corner that has really excelled in man coverage and whose best days could still be ahead. He did some great things for the Chiefs as a former undrafted player.
Losing Laken Tomlinson at guard hurts, but that’s why the 49ers drafted Aaron Banks in the second round last year.
Even if the teams continues to lose some of their veteran free agents like nickel cornerback K’Waun Williams and Jaquiski Tartt, there are potential reinforcements already on the roster from last year’s draft class like Ambry Thomas and Talanoa Hufanga.
More moves should be expected from the 49ers but for now, they have yet to trade Jimmy Garoppolo so we’ll have to see what kind of return they can get there.
As the Trey Lance era is ushered in, the 49ers haven’t exactly been aggressive but they did cross off one of their top needs.
2022 NFL offseason grades: AFC South
Indianapolis Colts: B+
Key Moves
- Traded for QB Matt Ryan
- Traded for EDGE Yannick Ngakoue
- Signed CB Brandon Facyson
For the majority of the first week of the 2022 NFL offseason, we’ve all been racking our brains and wondering what the Indianapolis Colts’ move was going to be at the quarterback position.
For many, the likeliest option seemed to be Jimmy Garoppolo in a trade with the 49ers. The Colts and 49ers have a solid history in the trade department and it seemed like a logical fit for Garoppolo.
Then fate dealt the Colts a pretty fortunate hand as Matt Ryan became available following the Falcons’ failed pursuit of Deshaun Watson.
For the low price of a third-round pick, the Colts got their quarterback solution for the time being, and Matt Ryan gets an opportunity on a team that gives him a legitimate shot at winning again.
The trade with the Raiders to bring in Yannick Ngakoue upgrades an already tough defensive front with the Colts, and Brandon Facyson should help ease the loss of Rock Ya-Sin on the back end.
After one week of free agency, there is still plenty of work to be done with the Colts’ roster (left tackle, for starters) but they are off to a solid start and the masses seem to think the Matt Ryan move will go over well for this team.
Houston Texans: B+
Key moves
- Traded QB Deshaun Watson to Browns
- Signed OG AJ Cann
- Re-signed DL Maliek Collins
- Re-signed CB Desmond King
- Signed EDGE Ogbonnia Okoronkwo
- Signed DB MJ Stewart
Other than re-signing some players they brought in during their free agency discount spending spree in the 2021 offseason, the biggest move the Houston Texans have made or will make is trading away Deshaun Watson.
With that situation completely out of their hands at this point, the Texans have received three first-round picks plus additional picks in return for their former franchise quarterback.
I’ve made it well-known that I like Davis Mills and what he brings to the table. It’s great to see that Houston is really giving him a shot in year two after what he showed as a rookie.
The key reason this team gets such a positive grade in the 2022 offseason? It’s hard to beat the haul they received for Watson.
For a player who was not in their future plans anymore, the Texans not only got rid of the off-field drama with Watson, but they’ve also now got multiple first-round draft picks for the next three years.
Jacksonville Jaguars: C-
Key Moves
- Franchise tagged LT Cam Robinson
- Signed WR Christian Kirk
- Signed WR Zay Jones
- Signed OG Brandon Scherff
- Signed TE Evan Engram
- Signed DL Foley Fatukasi
- Signed LB Foye Oluokun
- Signed CB Darious Williams
The Jacksonville Jaguars might have gotten a higher grade for their 2022 offseason moves so far but the amount of money they spent in free agency is absolutely insane.
Despite the fact that as a bad team they kind of have to spend an obscene amount of money, it’s hard to ding the Jaguars too much with the hire of Doug Pederson as the team’s new head coach.
The Jaguars are doing everything they can to upgrade the talent around Trevor Lawrence, and they still have the number one overall pick to use on more talent for this roster.
Given the fact that they brought back Cam Robinson on the franchise tag again, it seems like the likeliest outcome for the Jaguars with the first pick is going to be Aidan Hutchinson out of Michigan, but time will tell.
The additions this team has made have been solid, it’s the price point that drives the grade down. With $155 million in guaranteed money being spread around between these free agents the Jaguars have added, results better quickly follow.
Tennessee Titans: B+
Key Moves
- Traded for WR Robert Woods
- Signed TE Austin Hooper
- Re-signed EDGE Harold Landry
- Re-signed C Ben Jones
Although the Tennessee Titans have had maybe more of an underrated offseason so far, I think they have had a pretty darn good one, especially in recent days.
The biggest moves the Titans made early on in free agency were re-signing a couple of their own guys, namely Harold Landry and Ben Jones.
Those are two key starters for them and players that, had they been lost, the Titans would have been likely downgrading one way or the other.
More recently, the additions of Robert Woods and Austin Hooper on offense are a couple of really good, really savvy moves by general manager Jon Robinson.
Coming off of injury and with his salary, Robert Woods was a buy-low pickup that should absolutely prove to be worth the Titans’ while. Woods is one of the best blocking receivers in the game and is also very good after the catch.
Hooper was let go by the Browns but he’s been a Pro Bowl player in the past and for a team that was lacking a presence at tight end, he is a sneaky good addition. He’s only 27 and is a good blocker and receiver at the position.
2022 NFL free agency grades: NFC South
Carolina Panthers: C
Key Moves
- Signed C Bradley Bozeman
- Signed OG Austin Corbett
- Signed WR Rashard Higgins
- Signed DL Matt Ioannidis
- Signed LB Damien Wilson
- Signed LB Cory Littleton
- Signed S Xavier Woods
It’s been an interesting offseason so far for the Carolina Panthers, who remain in desperate need of help at the quarterback position.
The Sam Darnold experiment doesn’t look like it’s going to work out. The Panthers struck out on their pursuit of Deshaun Watson.
What options are left? Jimmy Garoppolo? Baker Mayfield?
The opportunity is still there for Matt Rhule and Scott Fitterer to upgrade the QB position, if even just for the short term.
For the time being, we can only evaluate what they have done and what they’ve missed out on. The Panthers still need a starting left tackle but they have gotten a couple of very budget-friendly starters on the offensive line in center Bradley Bozeman and guard Austin Corbett.
Those two should contribute immediately and defensively, I like the pickups of Matt Ioannidis and Xavier Woods at the price point, and the risk/reward option of Cory Littleton could be a really good pickup for this defense as well.
For now, two of the most important positions on the roster — QB and LT — have yet to be adequately addressed.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: A
Key Moves
- QB Tom Brady unretired
- Re-signed WR Chris Godwin
- Re-signed RB Leonard Fournette
- Signed WR Russell Gage
- Traded for OG Shaq Mason
- Re-signed DE William Gholston
- Re-signed CB Carlton Davis
- Signed DB Logan Ryan
The Buccaneers still have some pieces to bring back, but with Tom Brady returning, it’s tough to get much better than the first week of free agency for Jason Licht and Bruce Arians.
They can rest easy knowing that TB12 is back in the fold.
Because TB12 is back in the fold, so are other key players like Chris Godwin (on a new deal, not just the tag), Leonard Fournette, and newcomers like Russell Gage, Shaq Mason, and Logan Ryan.
The Buccaneers are legitimate contenders in the NFC with Brady under center but that’s just simply not the case when he’s not there.
The Bucs might want to consider a trade for Baker Mayfield to prep for life after Brady, but the cost could be too high.
For now, the Buccaneers still need to address the left guard position after the surprise retirement of Ali Marpet and they need to bring back Rob Gronkowski as well as a couple of defensive linemen, but this group is poised to run it back again and try to reclaim their title.
Atlanta Falcons: D-
Key Moves
- Re-signed RB/WR Cordarrelle Patterson
- Traded QB Matt Ryan (Colts)
- Signed QB Marcus Mariota
- Signed EDGE Lorenzo Carter
- Signed CB Casey Hayward
The first week of free agency almost couldn’t have gone worse for the Atlanta Falcons.
Although they were able to re-sign Cordarrelle Patterson, who was a lot of fun for them last season, they failed to close the deal with quarterback Deshaun Watson and wound up trading Matt Ryan a couple of days later as a result…
…for a third-round pick.
After trading Matt Ryan for next to nothing, the Falcons signed a reclamation project at the QB position in Marcus Mariota, who has a history with Arthur Smith from their time together in Tennessee.
Although the Mariota signing is not the worst move they could have made, the Falcons have been cap-strapped and even the addition of Casey Hayward is overshadowed by the fact that this team traded its former franchise QB and failed to land their top target at that position.
There’s a dark cloud hanging over Atlanta right now. They could and probably should be players on the QB market in this year’s draft after passing in 2021, and if that’s the case, perhaps some excitement will return here.
The other primary issue with the Falcons this offseason is the fact that Calvin Ridley has been suspended for the entire season for betting on games. After losing Russell Gage to the Bucs and Ridley’s suspension, perhaps Kyle Pitts will lead the NFL in targets in 2022.
New Orleans Saints: C
Key Moves
- Re-signed QB Jameis Winston
- Signed S Marcus Maye
Other than moving a ton of money around, it hasn’t really ben an overly eventful free agency for the New Orleans Saints.
The Saints were one of the presumed finalists for quarterback Deshaun Watson, who ultimately chose the Cleveland Browns instead.
New Orleans responded by re-signing Jameis Winston to a two-year, $28 million deal. He will head into his third season with the franchise now after spending his first five years in the NFL with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who drafted him first overall back in 2015.
Winston was on a huge pace in 2021 before suffering a knee injury. He was on pace to throw for over 50 touchdowns, but we’ll never know how far his momentum from early in the season would have lasted.
Now, with no Sean Payton, Winston is going to have to prove that he can keep this team moving forward in the weak NFC South.
Defensively, the big loss was safety Marcus Williams (Ravens) who is being replaced by Marcus Maye, another player coming off of injury.
The Saints cleared the major hurdles of just getting under the salary cap, but what will this team look like after the second and third waves of free agency?
They need to add receivers and upgrade the tight end position in the next month.
2022 NFL Free Agency grades: NFC North
Green Bay Packers: B
Key Moves
- Re-signed QB Aaron Rodgers
- Traded WR Davante Adams
- Re-signed LB De’Vondre Campbell
- Re-signed CB Rasul Douglas
- Re-signed TE Robert Tonyan
- Signed DL Jarran Reed
When will the shock of the Davante Adams trade wear off?
It’s still pretty incredible, given the entire drama with Aaron Rodgers that ended after Davante Adams was franchise tagged.
We still have yet to hear from Rodgers as of the time this post is being written regarding the trade, and I’m sure we can expect some more fireworks in a press conference.
It just doesn’t feel like a move he would have signed off on given he passed up the opportunity to be pursued by other teams.
Trading Adams helped the Packers re-sign some other key guys like Rasul Douglas and De’Vondre Campbell, but trading WR1?
That’s just not a move I can get on board with. The offseason grade would be much worse if it weren’t for the other moves Brian Gutekunst made, specifically re-signing Aaron Rodgers and somehow convincing him to stay in Green Bay.
Minnesota Vikings: B+
Key Moves
- Extended QB Kirk Cousins
- Signed EDGE Za’Darius Smith
- Signed DL Harrison Phillips
- Picked up option for EDGE Danielle Hunter
- Signed LB Jordan Hicks
The emphasis on the defensive front seven for the Minnesota Vikings has been notable in the 2022 offseason.
This team had the 24th-ranked scoring defense a season ago. They gave up the third-most first downs in the NFL.
The Vikings are taking a bit of a risk on the health of both Za’Darius Smith and Danielle Hunter and they aren’t doing it for chump change, either. Smith got a contract worth $14 million per season from the Vikings and Hunter’s option was $18 million.
Even still, the Vikings need the help in the pass rush department as DJ Wonnum led the team with eight sacks last year, and the next one closest to him was Hunter, who only played in seven games last season.
The Vikings got the pass rush help they needed, they didn’t trade away Adam Thielen, and they didn’t trade Kirk Cousins. Could this be one of the most improved teams in the NFC in 2022?
Chicago Bears: D
Key Moves
- Signed WR Byron Pringle
- Traded EDGE Khalil Mack
- Signed WR Equanimeous St. Brown
- Signed OL Lucas Patrick
- Signed DL Justin Jones
- Signed DL Al-Quadin Muhammad
The Chicago Bears have taken so many L’s at the start of free agency. It’s really hard to watch, given the investment this team made in Justin Fields a year ago.
The Bears watched starting interior lineman James Daniels leave for the Steelers. They have yet to address the tackle position properly. They have added two WR4s at best in Byron Pringle and Equanimeous St. Brown.
They had to call off their biggest deal of free agency with Larry Ogunjobi when he failed a physical.
Al-Quadin Muhammad is probably the prize of this free agent haul for the Bears so far and is part of the vaunted 2017 Saints Draft class which features one star player after another. He’s done a great job with Matt Eberflus so he should be a natural fit.
The Khalil Mack trade with the Chargers seems like highway robbery from Los Angeles’ perspective, but the second-round pick will be a valuable one for Chicago.
They need to start investing in players that can help Justin Fields because this free agent group won’t cut it.
Detroit Lions: B+
Key Moves
- Signed WR DJ Chark
- Re-signed WR Josh Reynolds
- Signed CB Mike Hughes
The Detroit Lions’ free agency grade gets a massive boost because I think they made one of the best value signings of any team in the league.
Getting DJ Chark on a one-year deal is a huge coup for Detroit and a very wise move by general manager Brad Holmes.
In a best-case scenario, Chark will recapture his Pro Bowl form and become a player the Lions can build their passing game around.
In a worst-case scenario, he’s a worthwhile dart throw for the price.
I absolutely love that move for them and even though they have been relatively quiet so far in free agency, I think that move really complements what they already had in Amon-Ra St. Brown and Josh Reynolds, who was also re-signed this offseason.
Most recently, the Lions signed former first-round pick Mike Hughes who did some nice things out of the slot for the Chiefs last year after being traded from the Vikings.
The Lions still have a long way to go but they should keep looking at short-term deals with players that can give them a shot at winning more games in 2022 and perhaps counting toward the future compensatory formula if they can play well.
2022 NFL Free Agency Grades: AFC North
Pittsburgh Steelers: B
Key Moves
- Signed QB Mitchell Trubisky
- Signed OL James Daniels
- Signed LB Myles Jack
- Signed OL Mason Cole
- Signed WR Gunner Olszewski
- Signed CB Levi Wallace
The Pittsburgh Steelers’ offense just feels incomplete at this point, but how much higher can this grade really get?
The Steelers might need more help in the secondary, but the focus of this particular offseason is obviously going to be at the quarterback position.
Mitchell Trubisky might have a one-year audition as the starter of the Steelers to see if he can be the “next” Ryan Tannehill and revive his career with a strong supporting cast.
You never know.
The Steelers got a bargain in this free agency cycle with the signing of interior lineman James Daniels, one of the youngest free agents available and a player whose upside has yet to be tapped into. He’s an outstanding athlete at the center position who can also play guard.
Daniels looked really good early in his career but like most of the other players in Chicago, his effectiveness diminished in recent years.
The biggest signing here is Myles Jack, who comes over from the Jacksonville Jaguars.
I think the Steelers are absolutely a perfect fit for Jack, whose ability to not only play off-ball linebacker but also rush the passer should be highlighted in this defense.
Baltimore Ravens: B+
Key Moves
- Signed OT Morgan Moses
- Signed S Marcus Williams
- Signed DL Michael Pierce
The Baltimore Ravens don’t always go for quantity when it comes to NFL Free Agency, but they always hit on quality.
Whether it’s free agency or the NFL Draft, Baltimore is good for at least a few moves every year that make you shake your head and say, “That’s such a Ravens move,” with the best connotations possible.
The Ravens signed safety Marcus Williams to a big-money deal and that was their primary move in free agency.
Williams has done an outstanding job the last five years for the Saints and is still one of the younger free agents available at 25 years old.
He has picked off 15 passes and racked up 320 tackles in the last five seasons for New Orleans and will give the Ravens a great long-term option on the back end of their defense.
At three years, $15 million, Morgan Moses was one of the steals of the first wave of free agency. The Ravens filled one of their biggest needs with a player that simply doesn’t miss games and will give them a steady option for the life of that contract.
Michael Pierce returns after being a disappointing signing for the Vikings two years ago.
This is a pretty outstanding start to the offseason for the Ravens, who need to stay healthy for the 2022 season to be true AFC contenders.
Cincinnati Bengals: A
Key Moves
- Signed OT La’El Collins
- Signed OG Alex Cappa
- Signed C Ted Karras
- Signed TE Hayden Hurst
- Franchise tagged Jessie Bates
- Re-signed DL BJ Hill
It’s tough to look at the Bengals’ 2022 offseason so far and not like what you see.
The reigning AFC Champions knew after the last two years and highlighted in their Super Bowl loss that they needed to address the offensive line and they’ve done just that.
They’ve spent big money on all of La’El Collins, Alex Cappa, and Ted Karras to upgrade the line and they still have their first-round draft pick as well.
Hayden Hurst will replace CJ Uzomah and could thrive in this offense.
One of the more underrated moves the Bengals made was re-signing BJ Hill, a key young piece of that defensive front.
Overall, the goal this offseason is to protect Joe Burrow at all costs, and Cincinnati has invested in doing exactly that just one week into free agency.
Cleveland Browns: C-
Key Moves
- Traded for QB Deshaun Watson
- Franchise tagged TE David Njoku
- Traded for WR Amari Cooper
- Re-signed LB Anthony Walker
- Signed WR Jakeem Grant
- Signed QB Jacoby Brissett
On paper, the Cleveland Browns have gotten a lot better in the 2022 offseason.
Adding Deshaun Watson is no small deal speaking strictly about the football aspect of that acquisition. For $230 million in fully guaranteed money over the next five years, that move had better prove to be worthwhile, especially given the unsettled off-field situation for Watson at this point in time.
The Browns’ decision to pursue Watson won’t sit well with everyone in the fan base, and you can’t help but wonder how guys in the locker room are going to feel about it as well.
Again, football-wise, that move could be massive for Cleveland. But how much will Watson’s off-field issues affect the on-field product?
Trading for Amari Cooper was one of the top steals for any team so far in the NFL offseason. Cooper has been outstanding if not boring as an NFL receiver throughout his career and he’ll be a steady go-to target in this offense.
Jakeem Grant is a fun speed option and it’s great to see David Njoku back in the fold with the Browns hoping to get a long-term deal done.
The big question mark is obviously with Watson and how the Browns went about acquiring him, what they gave up to get him, and how much money they are paying him with lingering questions about the 22 sexual misconduct cases against him.
2022 NFL Free Agency Grades, NFC East
Washington Commanders: C
Key Moves
- Traded for QB Carson Wentz
- Signed G Andrew Norwell
- Re-signed RB JD McKissic
The Washington Commanders made no secret about the fact that they were in the market for a quarterback this offseason.
They allegedly made an offer for Russell Wilson that was rejected, and that offer came in after the Seahawks and Broncos had already been engaged in discussions.
When the dust settled, the Commanders settled on Carson Wentz, a former division rival and high draft pick of the Philadelphia Eagles.
The Commanders didn’t exactly “buy low” on Wentz, but they did give up less than the Colts did to get him a year ago.
Wentz is considered a primary reason why the Colts blew a 98 percent shot at the playoffs a season ago, and that’s why the Colts were so motivated to move on from him this offseason.
Still, he threw 27 touchdown passes last season and cut down on his interceptions considerably.
Washington has a good enough roster to be a playoff team with Wentz under center.
After losing Brandon Scherff in free agency, the Commanders went out and signed veteran Andrew Norwell who should be able to fill in and do a good job at the guard spot.
They also re-signed JD McKissic who had actually agreed to a deal with Buffalo. McKissic is one of the best pass-catching backs in the league and is very valuable for this Washington offense.
New York Giants: C
Key Moves
- Signed OG Mark Glowinski
- Signed QB Tyrod Taylor
- Signed RB Matt Breida
- Signed TE Ricky Seals-Jones
- Signed DL/DGE Jihad Ward
The New York Giants have sent out the signal-fire with their free agency so far. The 2022 NFL Draft is where the primary additions to this roster will come in the 2022 offseason.
The biggest move thus far by new GM Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll is poaching Mark Glowinski away from the Colts. Glowinski may not get the headlines but he’s a big reason for that Colts’ running game success in recent years.
He is a nice addition for an ailing offensive line.
After losing both Evan Engram and releasing Kyle Rudolph, the Giants signed Ricky Seals-Jones who is not a bad placeholder for whatever young guy they bring in at the position.
The real wild card among this free agent crop is Tyrod Taylor. Could he wind up beating out Daniel Jones for the starting job?
As crazy as it sounds, don’t think that’s impossible.
Dallas Cowboys: B
Key Moves
- Re-signed WR Michael Gallup
- Signed WR James Washington
- Signed EDGE Dante Fowler Jr.
- Re-signed S Jayron Kearse
- Re-signed LB Leighton Vander Esch
- Franchise tagged TE Dalton Schultz
The Dallas Cowboys have had an interesting start to the 2022 offseason, to say the least.
The biggest headlines have been made by the Amari Cooper trade (Browns) and the free agency blunder involving pass rusher Randy Gregory.
The Cowboys announced they had reached a multi-year deal with Gregory — five years, $70 million, to be exact — before some last-minute changes to the deal caused Gregory to change his mind and sign the exact same deal with the Broncos.
As a result, Dante Fowler Jr. was brought in and will be a familiar face for Dan Quinn, who used to coach him in Atlanta.
Fowler Jr. is an intriguing move for one of the most improved defenses in the league last year and I think he will do well. I also love the pickup of wide receiver James Washington, who effectively replaces the role Gallup had when Amari Cooper was still around.
The Cowboys did well bringing back Jayron Kearse, who had a big breakout campaign last season for them as well.
Overall, the offseason has gone just okay for the Cowboys, leaning on the optimistic side with the low-risk, high-reward moves to acquire Fowler and Washington.
Philadelphia Eagles: C+
Key Moves
- Signed EDGE Haason Reddick
- Re-signed Fletcher Cox
- Signed WR Zach Paschal
- Re-signed S Anthony Harris
- Re-signed C Jason Kelce
Aside from the decision to go out and make Haason Reddick a free agent priority, it’s been a rather uneventful first week for Philadelphia Eagles fans in free agency.
The most noise the team has made since agreeing to a deal with Reddick has been cutting and then immediately re-signing Fletcher Cox, one of the team’s best defensive players.
The Eagles need a couple of starters in the secondary yet. They need help at wide receiver. They need linebackers.
There’s plenty on Howie Roseman’s to-do list, but he’s also got three first-round picks to work with.
Will the Eagles be able to get what they need to fill out this roster, a group that made the playoffs in 2021, just through the 2022 NFL Draft?
Even with three first-round picks, I’m slightly skeptical of that.
I think we’ll see the Eagles make some good moves here in the second and third waves of free agency as the asking prices on some of these players go down.
Getting Haason Reddick to come back to Philadelphia is no small deal. He’s been one of the more underrated pass rushers over the last couple of seasons and signed for a relative bargain at $15 million per season for the next three years.
That was a great move for Roseman to get Jonathan Gannon another threat off the edge, and the Eagles still have a shot at some big names left in free agency heading into week two.
2022 NFL Free Agency Grades: AFC East
New England Patriots: D
Key Moves
- Re-signed RT Trenton Brown
- Signed WR/RB Ty Montgomery
- Traded OG Shaq Mason (Bucs)
- Acquired LB Mack Wilson
- Signed DB Terrance Mitchell
The New England Patriots have done the opposite of what they did in 2021 when they went on their free agency spending spree.
It’s understandable that it’s been a quiet free agency for the Patriots, but losing Joe Thuney last year and then letting JC Jackson walk in free agency in 2022 was very odd.
The Patriots’ decision not to franchise tag JC Jackson is basically inexplicable given the fact that he had 17 interceptions over the last two seasons for that defense.
How do they plan on replacing that production? That remains to be seen.
The Patriots also did old Tom Brady a favor by trading him Shaq Mason to fill the void left behind by Alex Cappa at the guard position.
I don’t love any move the Patriots have made yet this offseason but I’m sure they will still be in the thick of the playoff race for the entirety of the 2022 season.
Buffalo Bills: A+
Key Moves
- Signed EDGE Von Miller
- Signed WR Jamison Crowder
- Re-signed WR Isaiah Mckenzie
- Signed OG Rodger Saffold
- Signed TE OJ Howard
- Traded for QB Case Keenum
- Signed DL Tim Settle
- Signed DL Da’Quan Jones
- Signed DL Jordan Phillips
- Signed EDGE Shaq Lawson
- Signed RB Duke Johnson
Wow.
It has been an offseason for the ages for the Buffalo Bills.
Following their playoff loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, the Buffalo Bills got to work at rebuilding the roster and reloading for a Super Bowl run in 2022.
The biggest move this team made was to sign pass rusher Von Miller to a six-year, $120 million deal and get themselves a truly elite edge player and they also brought back Shaq Lawson and Jordan Phillips to boost the defensive front.
Tim Settle was a really underrated pickup for the Bills’ now absolutely loaded defensive line and Da’Quan Jones was added for even more depth.
Jamison Crowder and OJ Howard were two outstanding values for this team in free agency and will make significant contributions to this offense moving forward. Rodger Saffold will also step right in at the right guard spot and give them high level play from day one.
For an already stellar roster, the Buffalo Bills made some moves that could absolutely push this team over the top in December and January.
This is as good of an offseason as Bills fans could have hoped for and we’re only through one week of free agency.
New York Jets: B
Key Moves
- Signed RG Laken Tomlinson
- Signed TE CJ Uzomah
- Signed TE Tyler Conklin
- Signed DE Jacob Martin
- Signed CB DJ Reed
- Signed S Jordan Whitehead
One of the things the New York Jets needed to do in the 2022 offseason is upgrade the talent around Zach Wilson offensively, and they made some big strides towards doing exactly that.
Laken Tomlinson revived his career with the San Francisco 49ers, and he’ll be a familiar face for Jets coordinator Mike LaFleur on the offensive side of the ball.
Adding both CJ Uzomah and Tyler Conklin at the tight end position is not overkill if you’ve been paying attention to the tight end depth chart with the Jets the last couple of years.
Those guys will be huge in the development of Zach Wilson and defensively, I think Robert Saleh landed two really good, young scheme fits with cornerback DJ Reed and safety Jordan Whitehead.
Have the Jets done enough?
Through the first week of free agency, they have done more than most. They are still armed with plenty of capital in the 2022 NFL Draft to keep improving the roster and this was never meant to be an overnight type of thing.
As the rebuild continues, the Jets are making clear progress on the overall quality of their roster and that’s a great sign for this fan base.
Miami Dolphins: A+
Key Moves
- Signed OT Terron Armstead
- Signed OG Connor Williams
- Signed WR Cedrick Wilson
- Signed RB Raheem Mostert
- Signed RB Chase Edmonds
- Signed QB Teddy Bridgewater
- Franchse tagged TE Mike Gesicki
Since the Miami Dolphins made the very odd decision to fire Brian Flores, their offseason has taken a turn for the better.
The Mike McDaniel hire was one of the more forward thinking moves any team in the NFL made this past offseason. Along with McDaniel, the Dolphins placed almost a unanimous effort on the offensive side of the ball in the first week of free agency.
Just as this post is being finished up, the team agreed to a big-money deal with Terron Armstead, formerly of the Saints. Armstead fills the Dolphins’ biggest need at left tackle and he will be playing next to fellow free agent acquisition Connor Williams, another really great fit for McDaniel’s offense.
At running back, the Dolphins had arguably the worst situation in the NFL and they added both Chase Edmonds and Raheem Mostert to help give that unit a boost.
Teddy Bridgewater was brought in to presumably be the backup to Tua Tagovailoa but Teddy has actually been coy about that with the media.
Overall, this free agency almost couldn’t have gone better for the Dolphins now that Armstead is in the fold. That is an absolutely massive move for this team and gives them ultimate flexibility now in the 2022 NFL Draft.
UPDATE: Post-Tyreek Hill trade
Wow. The Miami Dolphins have acquired Tyreek Hill.
Initially, this offseason grade already was an “A” for Miami, but it’s now been bumped up to an A+.
I felt like there was just one missing piece from Miami’s offseason preventing the entire free agency period from being an A+, and I didn’t quite know what it was. Well, not only did the Dolphins acquire Hill for their own offense to pair up with Jaylen Waddle, but they also prevented the New York Jets from acquiring him by completing the trade.
The speed teams will have to deal with in this offense is insane.
New head coach Mike McDaniel has his hands full — in the best way — with one of the top three receivers in the NFL joining one of last year’s best rookie receivers.