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5 NFL teams that improved more than the rest so far in 2023

By Sayre Bedinger

NFL Mock Draft 2023 - Frank Reich speaks with the media during the Carolina Panthers head coach introduction at Bank of America Stadium on January 31, 2023 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by David Jensen/Getty Images)
NFL Mock Draft 2023 - Frank Reich speaks with the media during the Carolina Panthers head coach introduction at Bank of America Stadium on January 31, 2023 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by David Jensen/Getty Images) /
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Winning in March is not always going to translate to winning in September and beyond. You can put together the best possible team on paper, but when it comes down to it, having a great offseason can ultimately end up meaning absolutely nothing. Remember the “Dream Team” the Philadelphia Eagles assembled at one point in time? Sometimes a “great” offseason means doing very little.

But you can’t fault teams for being aggressive in pursuing upgrades. There are teams that can afford continuity and there are teams that simply had to shake things up in 2023. And some did that better than others. Which NFL teams made the most improvement in March? Which teams made the moves that are going to make the biggest difference when the games are actually being played?

Let’s take a look at the top five.

5 NFL teams that improved the most in the 2023 NFL offseason

NFL offseason
TAMPA, FL – JANUARY 1: DJ Moore #2 of the Carolina Panthers stretches prior to an NFL football game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium on January 1, 2023 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images) /

5. Chicago Bears

The Chicago Bears no longer hold the no. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, and some would argue they are much better for it. In exchange for the no. 1 pick, the Bears received a bounty from the Carolina Panthers.

Panthers get:

  • 1st overall pick

Bears get:

  • 9th pick
  • 61st pick
  • 2024 1st-round pick
  • 2025 2nd-round pick
  • WR DJ Moore

It’s a steep price to move up to the no. 1 overall pick. It’s a steep price to get your QB of the future. The Bears feel like they have theirs in place in Justin Fields, which is why they were comfortable making this trade and moving not only off the top pick overall, but outside the top five completely.

The biggest piece of the trade — to this point — is wide receiver DJ Moore. Moore fills a void for the Bears that the 2023 NFL Draft likely could not. This is not a top-heavy receiver class, and the Bears desperately needed a playmaker there. Having a rookie would have been okay, but the Bears instead landed a proven playmaker.

Then you have free agency. The Bears have obviously been very active, considering they started with nearly $100 million in overall cap space.

They revamped their linebacker corps by signing Tremaine Edmunds and TJ Edwards to big-money deals. They added former Titans guard Nate Davis to an offensive line desperately needing help. They revamped their running back depth with Travis Homer and D’Onta Foreman.

One of the Bears’ underrated moves was adding defensive lineman DeMarcus Walker on a three-year deal after he racked up seven sacks for the Titans last season.

There is still work to be done with this roster, but the Bears have addressed arguably their biggest need (receiver) and they still have tons of draft capital to work with.

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