We are out of the early phase of NFL free agency, and most of the big names available have found a home. Certain teams outperformed others, with their proactivity and aggressiveness resulting in vast roster improvement that turns franchises from a middling 8-9 win team to playoff contenders and turns playoff contenders to Super Bowl favorites. Here are some of the winners and losers of the off-season.
Winners: Caleb Williams and his Bears
Last season, Caleb Williams was forced to deal with one of the leakiest offensive lines in the league. A squad full of backups could not protect him adequately, especially not from the interior. So the Bears fixed that aggressively, signing center Drew Dalman to a 4-year deal and trading two Day 3 picks for a pair of proven starting guards: Jonah Jackson and Joe Thuney, the latter of whom is coming off a third-straight Super Bowl appearance. Caleb Williams now has legitimate protection.
Elsewhere, new head coach Ben Johnson found new pieces for his team. Dayo Odeyingbo and Grady Jarrett are sure to provide much-needed veteran leadership on the defensive line, Olamide Zaccheaus is a great third wide receiver to have, and Devin Duvernay offers a dynamic kick return option. As long as Caleb Williams plays well, the Bears will go on a deep run in the playoffs. Period.
Winner: Jayden Daniels
The second pick of 2024, Jayden Daniels, played stellar with limited weaponry and mostly inexperienced pass protection. Those problems will be gone away for 2025. The Commanders’ trades for Deebo Samuel and Laremy Tunsil (all while holding onto their first- and second-round picks in 2025) give even more support for Daniels to thrive. Adam Peters has created a lot of magic as the Washington Commanders’ general manager. Expect the Commanders to improve greatly.
Loser: Drake Maye
While Caleb Williams and Jayden Daniels can benefit from loaded rosters, fellow 2024 top-5 pick Drake Maye severely lacks it. Going into the offseason, the Patriots desperately needed a reliable receiver to elevate the young corps of pass-catchers at Maye’s disposal. However, the Patriots have thus far invested heavily in defense, opting to sign Carlton Davis, Milton Williams, and Harold Landry (a good friend of new coach Mike Vrabel) to large contracts. Sure, Maye has new protection in Morgan Moses and Garrett Bradbury, but he can’t go into 2025 with an injury-prone, washed, or incompetent WR1. But as things stand, that’s what he’ll likely have to do (maybe drafting Kayshon Boutte will not be a bad idea in fantasy).
Winner: The Vikings
It was expected that the Vikings would have a hard time keeping their defense intact, but that was far from the truth. While Camryn Bynum was lost, other key pieces—Harrison Smith and Byron Murphy—were retained. Stephon Gilmore was replaced relatively adequately by Isaiah Rodgers, who offers, at worst, very solid depth at the position. Meanwhile, the interior defensive line improved vastly with the additions of Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave, two Pro Bowl-caliber veterans who pair well with Andrew Van Ginkel and Jonathan Greenard. On offense, JJ McCarthy got major help: new guard Will Fries, new center Ryan Kelly, and a super solid running back duo in Aaron Jones and the trade acquisition Jordan Mason. The Vikings have a solid future ahead of them. As long as JJ McCarthy develops, they’re a playoff team.
Loser: The 49ers
The 49ers’ tumultuous 6-11 was understandably followed by an exodus of some major veteran pieces. Deebo Samuel got his wish and was traded to Washington. Javon Hargrave was cut. Key veteran defenders Talanoa Hufanga, Dre Greenlaw, and Charvarius Ward all walked in free agency. And backup left tackle Jaylon Moore walked as well. San Francisco has a lot of recouping to do in the draft. General Manager John Lynch will likely hit on enough draft picks, but losing veteran leadership will be difficult to recover from.
Loser: Anyone who dislikes the Seahawks’ current offensive line
Last season, the Seahawks’ offensive line was among the worst in the league once again. Anthony Bradford was penalty-prone at right guard. Center Connor Williams had snap troubles and then retired suddenly midseason (the replacement, Olu Oluwatimi, was not great). Left guard Laken Tomlinson just didn’t cut it. Right tackle Abe Lucas struggled with injuries. Even though the offensive line was a major need, GM John Schneider approached the matter with little initiative, watching as all the big names found other teams. He has to date only signed Josh Jones, a once-hyped 2020 draft prospect. Seattle fans must hope that the new offensive line coach and the 2025 draft class will improve the play of the mostly inexperienced offensive line.
Winners: Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins
Entering the offseason, the Bengals’ offense looked to be in some turmoil, with Tee Higgins being franchise-tagged a second time. However, Cincinnati has eliminated a huge potential problem—both Chase AND Higgins received historic 4-year contract extensions. Higgins signed a $115 million deal, moving into the top ten for the highest-paid wide receiver. And teammate Ja’Marr Chase earned a $161 million contract, making him the new highest-paid pass catcher in the league. Even with the high price, the Bengals have secured the long-term prosperity of their passing offense. They are a competent defense away from being back in Super Bowl contention.
