The NFL offseason has delivered in a big way, and the NFL Free Agency Frenzy has been exactly that.
After the Seattle Seahawks won the Super Bowl, all 32 teams officially got to work in trying to dethrone them, and some teams have made huge strides. At least as much as you can on paper at this time of year.
With everything that has gone down already this offseason after the coaching changes around the league, major trades going through (and some being canceled), and free agent signings galore, which teams have improved the most? Which teams are going the wrong direction?
NFL Power Rankings: Titans rising fast, Chiefs hanging on for dear life
32. Arizona Cardinals
To say this offseason has been a brutal one for the Arizona Cardinals so far would be an understatement. At least it didn’t feel like they had to punt on their head coach situation, landing Mike LaFleur after almost being left without a date to the dance. But cutting Kyler Murray is a brutal look for this team, and we’ll see how quickly they can reset.
31. Miami Dolphins
Taking on an NFL-record in dead cap this offseason are your Miami Dolphins. Nobody thought it would be possible after the Broncos ate $85 million in dead cap from the atrocious Russell Wilson deal, but the Dolphins found a way. The excitement of bringing in free agent Malik Willis makes up for it a little bit, at least, but the Dolphins are ripping this thing down to the studs.
30. Cleveland Browns
Good for the Browns, going out in NFL Free Agency and getting aggressive to upgrade the offensive line. Raising your team’s play in the trenches is the tide that raises all boats in the harbor. It’s impossible to know what the future holds here at the quarterback position, but you at least feel like the Browns will be able to run the ball and play great defense. They might not win more than 5 or 6 games, but they’ll be a tough out.
29. Atlanta Falcons
I considered putting the Falcons even lower on here, but I also believe that Kevin Stefanski can put the elite skill players he’s got at his disposal here in a position to succeed. I don’t hate the Falcons taking a risk on Tua Tagovailoa, but the injury concerns this team has at quarterback, combined with the James Pearce situation, and no first-round pick? This is an awful offseason to be a Falcons fan.
28. New York Jets
The Jets probably have too much talent to get the #1 pick in next year’s draft, so they must be banking on the fact that next year’s quarterback class is going to be a lot deeper than this year’s or even last year’s. Geno Smith can lead them to the promised land. It’s been an interesting offseason already for the Jets, and you can tell that even without long-term plans at the QB position (so far), the pressure to win is there for Aaron Glenn.
27. Las Vegas Raiders
It was already shaping up to be a really strong offseason for the Raiders in 2026, but then the Maxx Crosby trade fell through, and he recommitted himself to the organization. Now, the Raiders have gone from having a really good offseason to potentially a great offseason, and we’ll see how quickly Fernando Mendoza can adapt at the next level. Klint Kubiak’s offense will be kind to him, and he has some easy buttons on offense in Ashton Jeanty and Brock Bowers.
26. New York Giants
The hiring of John Harbaugh should elevate the Giants significantly, but this team has serious injury issues now and going forward that can’t be ignored. Obviously, Jaxson Dart’s play style makes him more susceptible, but Malik Nabers is in recovery mode, and it sounds like the Giants are really not sure about Cam Skattebo going forward. Luckily, this Giants defense looks strong, and with Harbaugh coaching this team, they should take a massive step forward.
25. Tennessee Titans
I don’t know that anyone has taken a bigger leap forward this offseason than the Tennessee Titans. From the coaching changes to the uniforms, and now NFL Free Agency, this team has made so many substantial changes that they will literally not look the same in 2026. Cam Ward’s progression is a huge X-factor, but with Robert Saleh coaching up that revamped defense, this Titans team is an early candidate to go from worst to first in my book.
24. New Orleans Saints
There were few teams in the NFL that finished out last season as strong as the New Orleans Saints, and there are plenty of reasons to believe they can go take the NFC South this coming season. Tyler Shough’s development will be big, but the Saints already had a solid infrastructure roster-wise, and they just added Travis Etienne, David Edwards, and Kaden Elliss. If they can get another playmaker and some pieces for the secondary in the draft, they’ll be one of the sleeper teams in the NFC.
23. Kansas City Chiefs
It’s funny how badly I struggled to put the Kansas City Chiefs this low, but also how it felt like I placed them way too high at the same time. You can be as optimistic as you want to be, but the reality is that Patrick Mahomes’s injury is a problem, and so is the Chiefs’ offensive line. They also lost almost their entire starting secondary and other key defenders on the front seven. And the cherry on top of it all is Rashee Rice with his off-field issues. But they signed Kenneth Walker!
22. Washington Commanders
Injuries plagued the Washington Commanders during the 2025 season, but they’ve got a shot to bounce back in 2026. And they are clearly believing the bounce-back is coming. The Commanders spent a ton of money revamping the defense, especially off the edges where they were arguably weakest (on paper, at least) going into last season. Odafe Oweh and K’Lavon Chaisson are two former first-round picks who have been late bloomers, and they’re going to a really favorable scheme to give Dan Quinn some weapons. The sleeper pickup for this team? Leo Chenal at the linebacker position.
21. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
No matter what way you try to slice it, there are just some bad vibes around the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this offseason. This team obviously had an epic collapse at the end of last season, but now they’ve lost a franchise legend in Mike Evans, who bolted for the San Francisco 49ers. Maybe he jumped ship just in time, because if the Bucs regress again in 2026, we could be looking at a total reset for the team at coach and quarterback. That feels so weird to say, considering Baker Mayfield was playing at an MVP level early last season.
20. Pittsburgh Steelers
Why do we have the Pittsburgh Steelers this high? Wow, that’s a great question. I guess at this point, everybody is just assuming that new head coach Mike McCarthy is going to be able to bring Aaron Rodgers back after all the offseason theatrics are overwith. The Brett Favre parallels just won’t stop, will they? The Steelers still have a solid team, and adding Michael Pittman Jr. for next to nothing is interesting. I’m still not sold on them at all, and they could realistically be lower than this. Ask me again next week.
19. Carolina Panthers
This feels so low for the Carolina Panthers, but the injury to Ikem Ekwonu at left tackle as well as the uncertainty over whether or not Bryce Young is going to be able to take that next step as a player loom large for an otherwise really improved team. Picking up Devin Lloyd and Jaelan Phillips for a defense that already improved a lot last year is how you “win” free agency. I also love the insurance pickup of Rasheed Walker at the tackle position on a short-term deal.
18. Minnesota Vikings
The foregone conclusion of Kyler Murray joining the Minnesota Vikings has now become a reality, and I actually really love the move. We saw how good Kyler Murray could be when DeAndre Hopkins was still in his prime, and he had a weapon on the outside he could trust when he went into backyard mode. We’ll see if being around Kevin O’Connell can get Murray to another big-money contract next offseason, but you have to like his chances. The elephant in the room: What is up next for JJ McCarthy?
17. Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys have had a solid offseason already, bringing in Rashan Gary via (another) trade with the Packers, and getting some other key pieces for their new-look defense. Jalen Thompson and Cobie Durant will add some needed experience to the secondary, and now the draft looms large. The Cowboys are back on the board in round 3 with the Osa Odighizuwa trade to the 49ers, so they’ve got three darts on the first two days, including two first-round picks.
16. Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals are like the AFC’s version of the Dallas Cowboys. You have to feel great about that offense producing at a high level when everyone’s healthy, but the defense is disgusting. It was, anyway. The Bengals have made some upgrades on paper already this offseason, bringing in Boye Mafe to replace Trey Hendrickson. The also made a couple of really underrated signings, adding defensive lineman Jonathan Allen and safety Bryan Cook. On paper, the defense they’ve assembled should give them a shot to get back to the postseason.
15. Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions narrowly missed out on the playoffs last year, and the losses of Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn proved to be much more detrimental than perhaps even Dan Campbell expected. The Lions are clearly relying mostly on internal development and the draft, but have made a couple of underrated pickups this offseason. Maybe the most notable is at the center position with Cade Mays coming in. Mays is an underrated player who upgrades a major weak spot on the Detroit offensive line. So what about replacing Taylor Decker at left tackle now?
14. Los Angeles Chargers
The Los Angeles Chargers were the 7th seed in the AFC playoffs last season, and they just have that look once again. While a lot of folks were expecting the Chargers to be major players in free agency, they’ve had a pretty modest offseason overall, and lost a key member of their staff with Jesse Minter getting the head coaching gig in Baltimore. They need those tackles to come back healthy, because Justin Herbert staying upright is the only way this team is going to have sustained success.
13. Baltimore Ravens
It’s going to be difficult for anyone in the NFL world to focus on anything with the Baltimore Ravens other than the fact that they backed out of the Maxx Crosby trade after getting cold feet at the altar. Didn’t want to give up those first-round picks, did you Eric? The Ravens made a deal with Trey Hendrickson suspiciously immediately after Crosby’s failed physical. It’s just not as much of a needle-mover, no matter how bad the Ravens want it to be. We’ll see how it works out for them, but I’m expecting a bounce-back year for this team.
12. Houston Texans
The Texans are once again doing some remodeling of the offensive line and running back position. The most notable move Houston has made so far this offseason is trading for David Montgomery, who has a lot of wear and tear heading into the 2026 season, but the Texans are believing he can be the complete back they need to take pressure off of CJ Stroud. Montgomery’s impact on the offense needs to be tremendous, because right now, nobody knows what to make of Stroud.
11. Philadelphia Eagles
It feels like the offseason hasn’t gone overly well for the Philadelphia Eagles so far. Getting Riq Woolen was a nice deal in free agency, but the Eagles wanted Jaelan Phillips back and couldn’t keep him. There’s a reason why they swung that trade at last year’s deadline, so that’s another gaping hole in the defense. Now, even with Dallas Goedert back in the fold, the AJ Brown situation could linger to the month of June.
10. Green Bay Packers
The Packers got rid of some much-needed dead weight by sending Rashan Gary to the Cowboys in a trade, which was huge for them because it seemed like he was on his way to getting cut. It feels like there’s been a mass exodus out of Green Bay this offseason, but they’ve also made some really underrated additions. They scooped up Javon Hargrave quickly after the Vikings cut him, and they added Zaire Franklin and Benjamin St. Juste to the defense on top of it. A healthy Micah Parsons will put this team right back into contention.
9. Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts did what they could to keep the band together, bringing back Daniel Jones and Alec Pierce on big-money deals. Even though they had to trade away Michael Pittman Jr., this team has plenty of weapons to make a run this coming season. We’ll see how the new additions on defense work out, but the Colts look like they’ll be one of the better teams in the AFC if they can stay healthy this season.
8. Chicago Bears
The surprise retirement of Drew Dalman put a bit of a damper on the offseason for the Chicago Bears to start things off, but this team has a number of other moving parts to think about as well. As impressive as the Bears were last year, they lost a couple of guys who created a ton of takeaways for them in Kevin Byard and Nahshon Wright. They’re also replacing Tremaine Edmunds with Devin Bush in the middle of that defense, so Dennis Allen is going to be put to the test with a number of new guys who will have to fast-track the learning curve to play a lot of snaps for him in 2026.
7. Jacksonville Jaguars
Jaguars general manager James Gladstone pulled back the curtain on the team’s rather quiet offseason in 2026, stating that he wants the future compensatory picks for losing players like Devin Lloyd and Travis Etienne. And you can’t blame him, but retaining at least one of those players might not have been the worst idea. The Jags brought in Chris Rodriguez from the Commanders, and that could end up being a really underrated move to pair him up with Bhayshul Tuten.
6. San Francisco 49ers
Even with all of the injuries they dealt with in 2025, the San Francisco 49ers were one of the toughest teams all year in the NFL. So you have to figure, when they’re healthy, they’re going to be awesome. And now, they’ve made some more big splashes this offseason to upgrade the roster. The 49ers lured Mike Evans away from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, getting another playmaker for Brock Purdy. They also traded for Osa Odighizuwa to upgrade the defensive line, and brought back Dre Greenlaw to reunite him with Fred Warner.
5. New England Patriots
The Patriots followed up their Super Bowl loss by making some really solid, measured moves in NFL Free Agency. The situation with Stefon Diggs basically forced the team to release him, but getting Romeo Doubs as a replacement should give Drake Maye a reliable weapon at all levels of the field. The Patriots also reunited Mike Vrabel with Kevin Byard, who is an interception machine. We’ll see how the Patriots approach the draft, but the addition of Alijah Vera-Tucker to fortify the offensive line might be my favorite move they’ve made so far this offseason.
4. Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills put the blame of last season’s playoff loss squarely on head coach Sean McDermott, and they’ve quickly reloaded for another shot at a championship in 2026. The Bills made a big trade with the Chicago Bears, sending a second-round pick to get wide receiver DJ Moore. That move alone will hopefully solve a major issue this team had last year at receiver, but the Bills have also been able to revamp their defense with the additions of Bradley Chubb, CJ Gardner-Johnson, and Geno Stone.
3. Denver Broncos
It’s been a disappointing offseason for any Broncos fans hoping for some outside additions. At the time this post was written, the Broncos haven’t made a single addition from the outside. They’ve retained a whopping 17 of their 21 in-house free agents, and I’m not sure there’s any precedence for this kind of roster retention. The Broncos need to add impact players, but they don’t appear to be in any rush. This team could have won a Super Bowl if Bo Nix hadn’t gotten hurt, and they clearly believe that internally. They’re running it back.
2. Los Angeles Rams
The Rams were one of the most aggressive teams to start this offseason, trading a 1st-round pick (and then some) to get Trent McDuffie away from the Kansas City Chiefs. That move addresses the lone drastic need for the Rams’ roster right now, so they should be in a great position to once again go for it all as Matthew Stafford is likely in the final year (or two) of his NFL career. This is one of the most complete rosters in the entire league.
1. Seattle Seahawks
The Seahawks haven’t put up much of a fight to keep some of their own players this offseason, despite the fact that they have a boatload of cap space. Last year was a big spending year for Seattle, so they are looking to recoup some future compensatory picks and roll with the core they currently have. And you can’t blame them, though it’ll be interesting to see how they handle losing all of Kenneth Walker, Boye Mafe, Coby Bryant, and Riq Woolen.