The 25 best moves NFL teams made in 2021

Not satisfied with Jared Goff, the Rams trade Goff and two first-round picks to the Lions for Stafford in March. It was a risky move that's already paid off for LA, as Stafford jumpstarted the offense to throw for over 4,800 yards and 41 touchdowns. To make the investment truly pay off, the Rams will need to win a Super Bowl, but the move did return them to the elite in the NFC.

The Bengals were heavily criticized for selecting Chase over offensive tackle Penei Sewell with the fifth overall pick in the draft. The offensive line remains an issue for Cincy, but it's hard to believe they'd be better off going another way with this pick. Chase had a historic rookie season, finishing with 81 catches for 1,455 yards and 13 touchdowns to help the Bengals reach the playoffs.

Jones seemed to be an afterthought in the draft, going 15th overall to the Patriots behind fellow quarterbacks Trevor Lawrence, Zach Wilson, Trey Lance, and Justin Fields. As usual, Bill Belichick won. Jones had a terrific rookie season, leading the Patriots to the playoffs and causing the Jaguars, Jets, 49ers, and Bears some regrets.

No unit in football had a bigger turnaround this season than the Dallas defense, and Quinn was a big reason. The defensive coordinator helped the Cowboys improve from 28th in points allowed in 2020 to seventh in 2021.

It looks like the Cowboys added a historic defensive talent in Parsons, an All-Pro in his rookie season. He finished the year with 84 tackles and 13 sacks, helping transform a formerly futile defense. Not bad for the 12th overall pick.

Slater closed the revolving door at left tackle for the Chargers, putting together an elite season as a rookie. It's rare to find a rookie tackle who performed as well as Slater with the 13th overall pick.

Cincinnati's signing of Awuzie to a three-year, $21.8 million contract looks like a bargain at this point. The former Cowboy helped shore up the Bengals secondary with elite performance in 14 games, helping boost the team to the playoffs.

Pass rushers go for a premium in free agency, as Judon did with a four-year deal worth as much as $54.5 million. He seems worth the money now after recording a career-high 12.5 sacks for the revitalized Patriots defense.

The Sirianni hiring didn't exactly get rave reviews, but the former Colts offensive coordinator has turned out to be a great hire. He's gotten the most out of his team's talent, transitioning to a run-heavy offense at midseason with Jalen Hurts and a bevy of talented running backs. The adjustment helped Philly return to the playoffs.

With the pending trade of Julio Jones, Atlanta's drafting of Pitts fourth overall seemed like a no-brainer. He was able to match the hype in his rookie season with over 1,000 yards as the team's No. 1 receiver and should be a great weapon for years to come.

Conner effectively replaced Kenyan Drake at running back for the Cardinals, and he was much more valuable than expected. Joining with Chase Edmonds, Conner finished the season with over 1,100 yards from scrimmage and 18 touchdowns as a key Red Zone piece for the ascending Cardinals offense. Conner is set to make much more money as he enters free agency again.

After Waddle missed most of his final season at Alabama due to a leg injury, the Dolphins were taking on some risk by taking him sixth overall. He turned out to be Tua Tagovailoa's most reliable receiver with 104 catches and gives the offense hope for the future.

The Hendrickson signing was the main headliner of Cincinnati's offseason, and it worked out quite well. He performed well in the first season of a four-year, $60 million contract with a career-high 14 sacks and his first Pro Bowl

Finding a starting quarterback after the first round of the draft isn't easy, but the Texans might have found a needle in a haystack. Mills fell to the third round and turned it on late in the year, allowing the team to focus on their other many needs this offseason.

If there was any doubt the Rams were all-in this year, it was erased when they acquired Miller in November for a second and third-round pick. The veteran pass rusher went on a rampage after being acquired, with five sacks and 31 tackles in only eight regular-season games.

Holland performed like an elite safety in his rookie season, which was surprising considering he was a second-round rookie. He finished the season with 69 tackles, two picks, and 2.5 sacks.

Needing help stopping the run, Cleveland had quite a find with Owusu-Koramoah falling to them in the second round of the draft. He did a great job in his rookie season, appearing in 14 games with 76 tackles and 1.5 sacks.

The Chiefs totally revamped their offensive line after struggling in the Super Bowl, and sixth-round pick Trey Smith was their best value addition. The former top recruit at Tennessee missed much of his college career due to blood clot issues but was a healthy, dominant guard for the Chiefs in 2021. KC had an elite offensive line with his addition, along with Orlando Brown, Joe Thuney, and Creed Humphrey.

It was a forgettable season in Carolina, but the Reddick signing worked out just fine. He backed up his breakout 2020 season by recording 11 sacks and 68 tackles with the Panthers.

Ertz showed that he has plenty left after he was traded by the Eagles to Arizona in October. He had 56 catches for 574 yards and three touchdowns in 11 games with the Cardinals.

Great additions can come from the unlikeliest places. Green Bay signed Douglas in October to fill in with an injury-plagued secondary, but he was much more than a role player. Douglas contributed two pick-sixes and five interceptions in 12 games at cornerback.

A role player as a kick returner, wideout, and occasional running for most of his eight-year career prior to 2021, Patterson became a key part of the Falcons offense. He primarily served as the team's running back, finishing the year with 1,166 yards from scrimmage.

Ingram wasn't a great fit for the Steelers, but he's helped total revitalize the Chiefs defense after he was traded for a sixth-round pick in early November. The Chiefs defense has been well above average since his addition, and Ingram has added pressure along with Chris Jones and Frank Clark.

The Chargers finished Staley's first season at 9-8, just seconds away from winning a Wild Card spot in Week 18. It was ultimately a disappointing result, and Staley has been a whipping boy in the media for his aggressive decision-making. Like other sports, the first coach to take true risks based on data will be criticized until the rest of the league inevitably follows. With a two-win improvement from 2020, Staley has the Chargers on the right track even if some of his risky decisions didn't pay off yet.

Cobb didn't do much to help the Packers this season after he was acquired in training camp from Houston. However, his addition is symbolic of Green Bay's effort to appease Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers returned to the Packers for one season despite disagreement with the front office, and the payoff was the No. 1 seed in the NFC and possibly more.