2024 offseason grades for all 32 NFL teams: Eagles, Chiefs and Bears among teams to get As

Atlanta made a huge splash in free agency with the signing of quarterback Kirk Cousins. They also brought in Darnell Mooney and Rondale Moore to up the offensive depth.

After addressing their biggest need, the Falcons were left with glaring holes along the defensive line and at cornerback heading into the draft. However, they opted to use the No. 8 pick on a quarterback rather than either of those two spots and overlooked the cornerback position entirely.

If Clark Phillips III struggles as a full-time outside cornerback, and if their rookie defensive line class fails to make a decent early impact, there will be a lot of look-back questions from their offseason.

BALTIMORE RAVENS: B+

Bringing back Justin Madubuike was a big win, though Baltimore also lost Patrick Queen and Geno Stone. Offsetting those departures is the fact that their secondary and linebacker rooms still have stars, so instead we look at their free-agent addition of Derrick Henry as a big plus.

They had a fairly large offensive line need, as Morgan Moses, Kevin Zeitler and John Simpson are now playing elsewhere, but the addition of Roger Rosengarten via the draft somewhat mitigates that.

I ultimately loved the Ravens’ draft, so outside of some other offensive line question marks, it’s hard to hate on their offseason.

BUFFALO BILLS: C+

It’s hard to be too harsh on the Bills’ offseason, as it just came time for them to move on from many of the veterans who made up the core of their latest winning window.

Still, the fact of the matter is the Bills don’t have as strong a team for 2024, as they waved goodbye to Tre’Davious White, Mitch Morse, Jordan Poyer and Gabe Davis, among others. They re-signed Taylor Rapp and DaQuan Jones and brought in Mike Edwards to help make up for the loss of Poyer, and they signed Curtis Samuel as a flier receiver. And that is all without mentioning that they traded away Stefon Diggs.

I liked their draft, even though I’m skeptical of Keon Coleman’s ability to consistently produce at the pro level. I went back and forth between a high C and a low B, but again, it’s hard for me to be too excited about their offseason.

CAROLINA PANTHERS: C+

Firing a head coach after just one year isn’t great, but you could tell there was just no saving the relationship between Frank Reich and owner David Tepper. I am excited about what Dave Canales could be as a head coach, so I’ll remain positive there.

The Panthers lost some big-name players, such as Brian Burns and Frankie Luvu. They also said goodbye to Jeremy Chinn, Bradley Bozeman and Hayden Hurst.

It’s hard to see the fumbling of the Burns situation as anything other than an impactful net negative. However, they did stay aggressive to bring in some good players like Jadeveon Clowney, Robert Hunt, Damien Lewis and Diontae Johnson.

It was tough for the Panthers to make the big draft splash they needed without their original first-round pick, but I believe Xavier Legette and Jonathon Brooks can be early contributors, and Ja’Tavion Sanders could be TE1 at some point.

CHICAGO BEARS: A

Chicago re-signed star cornerback Jaylon Johnson, who felt like priority No. 1. They then signed a plethora of new players, including Kevin Byard, D’Andre Swift and Gerald Everett.

The Bears continued to shake things up by trading away Justin Fields and trading for Keenan Allen for just a fourth-round pick. They then drafted franchise-caliber players in Caleb Williams and Rome Odunze and added young talent teeming with potential in Kiran Amegadjie and Austin Booker.

It was just the offseason they needed.

CINCINNATI BENGALS: A

The Bengals didn’t totally lose Tee Higgins, which was a win, in my opinion. They also signed Geno Stone and Trent Brown as impact players.

Losing D.J. Reader was tough. But as for their other losses, Brown replaces Jonah Williams, while Zack Moss (along with Chase Brown from last year’s draft) replaces Joe Mixon.

Cincinnati also had an excellent start to their draft, selecting Amarius Mims, Kris Jenkins Jr. and Jermaine Burton.

The Bengals remain a top team.

CLEVELAND BROWNS: B-

Cleveland didn’t make a ton of splashes. They lost Anthony Walker and Sione Takitaki, but they are still fine at linebacker. Their big move was trading for Jerry Jeudy, who they hope can be a big contributor.

Their draft didn’t move the needle for me; they actually overdrafted a few players relative to my board. But this remains a near-complete roster, so execution is all that remains.

DALLAS COWBOYS: C+

Dallas was quiet this free agency, as their only addition was Eric Kendricks (who simply makes up for Leighton Vander Esch‘s retirement).

The Cowboys lost Tyron Smith, Tyler Biadasz, Tony Pollard and Dorance Armstrong. They signed Ezekiel Elliott to try to fill the Pollard void after not drafting a running back. Thankfully, they were able to hit the trenches hard in the draft, selecting Tyler Guyton, Marshawn Kneeland and Cooper Beebe with their first three picks.

The Cowboys were never going to be big spenders in free agency, but I don’t think they improved in the short term as the reigning division winner.

DENVER BRONCOS: B-

The Broncos’ biggest need was to somehow move on from Russell Wilson and, in doing so, put together an offseason where things don’t look totally hopeless with all his dead money.

I think they achieved that. Now, it’s hard to be too excited about what Denver did, because they also lost Justin Simmons, Jerry Jeudy and Lloyd Cushenberry III for next year’s team.

I liked their draft, as they brought in Bo Nix, Jonah Elliss and Troy Franklin, three players who I think could all contribute, with Nix as a potential early starter at the most important position. They don’t get all the credit for simply getting out of their previous bad moves, but for what they needed to do, I think they accomplished their goal.

DETROIT LIONS: A+

It was a stellar offseason for the Lions, as they made major additions with minimal subtractions. They no longer have C.J. Gardner-Johnson or Jonah Jackson, but they brought in D.J. Reader, Carlton Davis, Marcus Davenport and Kevin Zeitler in free agency.

They then drafted Terrion Arnold, Ennis Rakestraw Jr, Giovanni Manu, Sione Vaki, Mekhi Wingo and Christian Mahogany. They nailed it.

Plus, they re-signed Jared Goff, Amon-Ra St. Brown and Penei Sewell.

Their Super Bowl window is still open.

GREEN BAY PACKERS: B

It was an up-and-down free agency period for the Packers, but I ultimately think they came out slightly on top. They lost Jon Runyan, Darnell Savage and Aaron Jones but added Josh Jacobs (who is younger than Jones) and Xavier McKinney.

Draft picks Jordan Morgan, Edgerrin Cooper, Javon Bullard and Marshawn Lloyd can all be contributing players at positions of need.

HOUSTON TEXANS: B+

I was worried about the Texans losing Jonathan Greenard in free agency, which did happen. However, they replaced him with Danielle Hunter, a huge plus.

I also liked the addition of Azeez Al-Shaair and the decision to trade for Joe Mixon to replace Devin Singletary. Folorunso Fatukasi, Denico Autry and Jeff Okudah were all solid new players to get into the depth chart, too.

Houston followed it up with a solid draft of Kamari Lassiter, Blake Fisher and Calen Bullock. The team continues to trend in the right direction.

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS: B+

Indianapolis spent most of its time and money this offseason bringing back their own guys. They re-signed Michael Pittman Jr, Kenny Moore II, Grover Stewart and Zaire Franklin before having a fantastic draft, grabbing Laiatu Latu and Adonai Mitchell with their first two picks and some offensive line depth in Tanor Bortolini and Matt Goncalves.

Latu is the perfect player to help the Colts turn their defensive line with a top-10 pressure rate into a defensive line with a top-10 sack total, and Mitchell’s talents can help him gain a WR2 role.

JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS: C+

The Jaguars made some splashes this offseason, but just how impactful will they be? They signed Gabe Davis to a decent contract after Davis had a down year but then let Calvin Ridley go to a division rival.

Jacksonville also lost Darious Williams, the team’s highest-graded cornerback last season. But they did add Arik Armstead and Mitch Morse, two impact players. I like the Brian Thomas Jr. selection in the draft after losing Ridley, but Maason Smith is a boom-or-bust pick in Round 2 and slot cornerback Jarrian Jones doesn’t fill a pressing positional need.

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS: A

The Chiefs didn’t lose Chris Jones and signed Travis Kelce to an extension. Those are two huge offseason wins.

Kansas City also brought in Marquise Brown to up their vertical passing efficiency. They traded away cornerback L’Jarius Sneed, which hurts, but have some young cornerback depth to mitigate that. They also lost Willie Gay.

I loved the Chiefs’ draft, as they were able to select players in Rounds 1-5 who can be starters or contributors.

Despite some of the losses, I think Kansas City came out on top this offseason.

LAS VEGAS RAIDERS: B

The Raiders made a big splash by signing Christian Wilkins, as well as bringing in Gardner Minshew to add to the quarterback competition. They did, however, lose Jermaine Eluemunor and Josh Jacobs.

Las Vegas went with a “best player available” draft approach in selecting Brock Bowers and drafted Jackson Powers-Johnson in the second. Those two should make an impact early on. Cornerback does remain a question mark.

LOS ANGELES CHARGERS: A-

I am taking into account Los Angeles landing Jim Harbaugh, who I believe was the best head coach option this offseason. But there is no denying the Chargers lost some talent, including Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, Austin Ekeler and Eric Kendricks.

The team was able to retain both Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack, which was not a certainty entering the offseason. I also loved the Chargers’ draft of Joe Alt, Ladd McConkey and Junior Colson — all future starters, in my opinion.

LOS ANGELES RAMS: A-

Aaron Donald’s retirement makes the Rams’ roster look worse, but they don’t get dinged for it in this offseason grade. Instead, let’s look at who they brought in.

Darious Williams, Jonah Jackson and Kamren Curl are all impactful signings. They also brought back Kevin Dotson. In the draft, they selected potential starters in Jared Verse, Braden Fiske, Blake Corum and Kamren Kinchens. Plus, they might have had my favorite Day 3 draft haul of any team.

It was a positive offseason for the Rams, even with the Donald loss.

MIAMI DOLPHINS: B-

The Dolphins losing Robert Hunt, Christian Wilkins and Andrew Van Ginkel was not ideal, but they did bring in Jordan Poyer, Kendall Fuller, Jonnu Smith, Jordyn Brooks and Shaq Barrett, among others.

The late Odell Beckham Jr. signing helps their receiver room look deeper than a two-man show. I didn’t mind Miami’s draft, but they overdrafted early compared to my board. I do applaud their Day 3 haul of Jaylen Wright, Malik Washington and Mohamed Kamara.

MINNESOTA VIKINGS: B-

The Vikings were busy this offseason. They waved goodbye to Kirk Cousins but signed Sam Darnold as a short-term option. They lost Danielle Hunter but went after Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel at edge rusher.

Being able to draft J.J. McCarthy at No. 10 instead of trading into the top five, as some mock drafts suggested, was a big win. Dallas Turner, Khyree Jackson and Walter Rouse were good draft picks, though the Vikings gave up a lot of next year’s draft capital to trade up for Turner.

It’s always tough to judge a team that swaps a proven quarterback for a rookie, especially since Minnesota would have liked to keep Cousins, but this offseason could result in long-term success.

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS: B-

New England moved on from head coach Bill Belichick this offseason, likely a good decision. They didn’t have any major free-agent losses but also didn’t have many impactful free-agent additions.

Jacoby Brissett could start for them at quarterback in Week 1, and then there was Antonio Gibson, K.J. Osborn, Sione Takitaki, Chukwuma Okorafor and Austin Hooper.

The Patriots’ main goal was to re-sign Mike Onwenu, Hunter Henry and Kyle Dugger, and they accomplished that. Drafting Drake Maye at No. 3 was the right move, and I like the receiver additions of Ja’Lynn Polk and Javon Baker. Their offensive line could spell trouble, but ultimately, a new head coach and new quarterback was the top priority. They got both.

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS: B+

The Saints no longer have Michael Thomas, Jameis Winston and Andrus Peat from last year’s team, but those losses don’t hurt their overall outlook. On the flip side, they added Chase Young and Willie Gay while extending Tyrann Mathieu.

New Orleans’ top two draft picks, Taliese Fuaga and Kool-Aid McKinstry, can make an impact in Year 1, and I like the flier on Spencer Rattler in the fifth round as a developmental quarterback behind Derek Carr.

NEW YORK GIANTS: B+

New York’s best move this offseason was trading for Brian Burns, forming a legit defensive line trio with Kayvon Thibodeaux and Dexter Lawrence.

They lost Xavier McKinney and Saquon Barkley but reunited head coach Brian Daboll with running back Devin Singletary to quell the sting of Barkley’s departure. They also added a handful of offensive linemen in a much-needed overhaul.

I was a big fan of the Giants draft, as Malik Nabers, Tyler Nubin and Andru Phillips are impact players. They weren’t able to change their quarterback situation, but that wasn’t totally in their control.

NEW YORK JETS: B

Getting new life on the offensive line was priority No. 1 for the Jets. They acquired Tyron Smith, Morgan Moses and John Simpson, which, while older options, were needed moves.

The offseason wasn’t without losses for the Jets, as they saw Bryce Huff, Quinton Jefferson and Jordan Whitehead sign elsewhere. Their draft additions of Olu Fashanu and Malachi Corley were big boosts to the roster in the right spots. All signals point to New York being a playoff team if the roster can stay healthy.

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES: A

I don’t know how the Eagles continue to do it.

They lost Kevin Byard and D’Andre Swift this offseason, but Byard wasn’t as impactful as they hoped he would be and they replaced Swift with Saquon Barkley. They also added C.J. Gardner-Johnson, Bryce Huff, Devin White and DeVante Parker. Adding to the significant departures were Fletcher Cox and Jason Kelce retiring.

Then the Eagles dominated the draft again, grabbing Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean to attack their biggest roster need.

Philadelphia spiraled at the end of the 2023 season but has its foot on the gas for 2024.

PITTSBURGH STEELERS: B+

The Steelers needed to improve their quarterback room for 2024, but I didn’t see that change coming in the way it did. They signed Russell Wilson, traded Kenny Pickett to the Eagles, released Mason Rudolph and Mitch Trubisky and traded for Justin Fields.

They also traded away Diontae Johnson and added Patrick Queen. Offensive line was a big area of need for Pittsburgh, and they made three key draft picks there, all of whom could turn into starters.

While a results-based analysis will have to wait, it’s hard to knock the Steelers’ aggressiveness in reshaping their quarterback room and offensive line.

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS: C+

The Niners didn’t make a huge splash in free agency but signed some core players in Leonard Floyd, Yetur Gross-Matos and Jordan Elliott. They lost Arik Armstead and Javon Kinlaw from their defensive line but have the aforementioned new bodies to try to make up for it.

Ultimately, San Francisco needs better offensive line play in 2024, and the only significant addition the team made there was third-round pick Dominick Puni.

It doesn’t feel like San Francisco got better this offseason.

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS: B+

The Seahawks moving on from head coach Pete Carroll was a shock. However, replacing him with Mike Macdonald, one of the best defensive minds in the game, was one of the few ways they could come out on top.

They lost bigger names than they added, as Bobby Wagner, Jordyn Brooks and Damien Lewis are all elsewhere, but they did re-sign Leonard Williams.

Seattle in the draft secured needed impact players in the trenches, selecting Byron Murphy II and Christian Haynes, though their lack of edge defender additions could be an oversight.

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS: A

Tampa Bay managed to re-sign Baker Mayfield, Mike Evans, Lavonte David and Antoine Winfield Jr. this offseason while opting to not re-sign Shaq Barrett and Devin White and trading away Carlton Davis. In other words, they kept who they wanted to keep.

The Buccaneers went on to have a very nice draft, which included an instant potential starter in Graham Barton followed by good depth players.

TENNESSEE TITANS: B

Tennessee moving on from Mike Vrabel was a surprise, but I like Brian Callahan as his replacement.

The Titans made big splashes in free agency, signing Calvin Ridley and trading for L’Jarius Sneed. They also signed Lloyd Cushenberry III and Tony Pollard. Their offseason losses include Derrick Henry, Azeez Al-Shaair and Denico Autry.

In the draft, Tennessee emphasized the trenches, bringing in JC Latham and T’Vondre Sweat. If Latham and Sweat pan out, those are big steps in the right direction for turning the page from the Vrabel Era.

WASHINGTON COMMANDERS: A

With new ownership, a new front office and a new coaching staff, the Commanders have done everything right this offseason.

They made a multitude of new additions, including but not limited to Zach Ertz, Dorance Armstrong, Dante Fowler Jr, Tyler Biadasz, Frankie Luvu, Austin Ekeler, Clelin Ferrell, Marcus Mariota and Jeremy Chinn. They then had a huge draft class, led by quarterback Jayden Daniels at No. 2 overall and followed by second-round steals in Johnny Newton and Mike Sainristil.

This was a home-run offseason for the Commanders to turn the page.