Grading the offseason moves for all 32 NFL teams

A host of additions will join Kliff Kingsbury’s first Cardinals team. Terrell Suggs, Jordan Hicks and Robert Alford headline the defender group, with the addition of right tackle Marcus Gilbert an interesting move by a team that deployed some of the worst offensive line combinations in modern NFL history over the past two seasons. Although Hicks has an extensive injury past, the linebacker has shown impact ability when healthy. Defensive end Darius Philon is a nice under-the-radar signing. He should join Suggs, Hicks, Alford, Gilbert and guard J.R. Sweezy as new Cardinal starters. Oh, and Larry Fitzgerald is back. That helps.

Not much to see here, though the Falcons signed multiple seasoned guards and seem to be on track to extend Grady Jarrett . Both James Carpenter and Jamon Brown did not enter free agency with much momentum. The Falcons hitting on one of these blockers will stabilize their offensive line. Tevin Coleman left for a modest 49ers deal, perhaps showing that the Falcons believe Devonta Freeman can shake his knee trouble and Ito Smith can be a viable backup. Atlanta will need 2018 second-round cornerback Isaiah Oliver to deliver, having lost multiple veteran corners in free agency.

Although the Ravens may have a superior secondary after saving their offseason with the Earl Thomas signing, they lost talent in Terrell Suggs, Za’Darius Smith and C.J. Mosley. While big-ticket wide receivers might not be eager to join this run-based offense, the Ravens' project passer could use more help. Mark Ingram should assist Lamar Jackson, but Willie Snead resides as the Ravens’ only proven aerial weapon. They have big holes in the passing game and on their front seven, the latter a required strength to help an offense now fully committed to a rather bold experiment.

The Bills aggressively tried to repair their 30th-ranked offense. It will be better, but by how much? Mitch Morse, John Brown and Cole Beasley may be overpaid, but Buffalo had cap space to help Josh Allen. Beasley should be a steady option for Allen, whose skill set matches up with Brown’s. The deep threat was soaring before Lamar Jackson’s debut. Buffalo’s offensive line, which now includes underrated tackle Ty Nsekhe, may not be as good as 2017’s unit. But it should be better than last year’s. Plus, pairing All-Decade-caliber backs Frank Gore and LeSean McCoy will be fun.

Should Matt Paradis and Daryl Williams return to full strength after 2018 injuries, the Panthers will have done well to aid their offensive line. Although a broken leg ended Paradis' 2018 season, contributing to a salary discount at $9 million AAV, the 29-year-old has been a high-end center for years. Panther icons Thomas Davis and Julius Peppers are gone, but Shaq Thompson should be ready to step into a three-down role and Bruce Irvin, 31, likely has something left. It was surprising to see the recent backup-quarterback carousel not include the Panthers adding Cam Newton insurance, though.

Two key members of Chicago’s secondary, Bryce Callahan and Adrian Amos, are gone, but with the Bears having two veteran DB contracts (Kyle Fuller and Prince Amukamara) and an extension candidate (Eddie Jackson) in-house, the math became difficult. Buster Skrine is a step down from Callahan in the slot, but Chicago did well to land Ha Ha Clinton-Dix for $3 million in an offseason that saw the safety market overcorrect. Mike Davis (2018's No. 11 DVOA running back) replacing Jordan Howard (36th) may be a sneaky-decent bet. This turned into a low-key eventful offseason for a team expected to be fairly quiet.

This organization tests its fan base annually. The Bengals did not let prime talent walk this year, as they had in recent offseasons, but they entered free agency with cap space and did little. The conservative franchise has a quarterback on a low-cost veteran deal and could augment its roster with better support, but the Bengals' top outside add was nomad cornerback B.W. Webb. Tyler Eifert and Darqueze Dennard are back too, and so is embattled right tackle Bobby Hart. Perpetual suspension risk Vontaze Burfict is gone, however. This still looks like a low-ceiling team.

At the other corner of Ohio: a more interesting team. The Browns may be on the cusp of one of the NFL’s more remarkable turnarounds. Odell Beckham Jr. is one of the most talented players ever employed by the Browns. Not yet 27, Beckham now works with an ascending quarterback and the best WR2 of his NFL days in Jarvis Landry. And the Giants are eating $16 million of Beckham's contract. Cleveland will deploy Sheldon Richardson and Olivier Vernon alongside Myles Garrett. A case could have been made that the Browns were the AFC North favorites before Beckham; they definitely, unbelievably, are now.

For a Cowboys offseason geared mostly around working out extensions with their own young stars, they have managed to bring in some big names. While those players — Randall Cobb, Robert Quinn and Jason Witten — are past their peaks, they still should contribute as complementary components in 2019. Dallas has run into trouble with franchise-tagged DeMarcus Lawrence, though. Known for taking care of their own, the Cowboys could face a difficult choice if this impasse — which involves a surgery being delayed as leverage — drags on much longer.

If the Broncos indeed bypass a first-round quarterback again, their Joe Flacco investment must feature a strong roster to contend. Denver filled three holes with Kareem Jackson, Bryce Callahan and Ja’Wuan James. The latter’s $12.75 million-AAV contract is ludicrous, but the Broncos have failed to staff right tackle for years. John Elway paid up for cornerbacks after seeing his 2018 depth falter. However, Denver lost high-end center Matt Paradis and is a bit understaffed for Flacco weaponry. Counting on Flacco to recapture his 2014 form (and eating $7M in Case Keenum dead money) still overshadows the roster upgrades.

Detroit desperately needed an impact pass rusher. Trey Flowers is now a Lion. Players who built their value under Bill Belichick are risks, with lesser coaches everywhere else, but Flowers — an indispensable part of the Patriots' recent Super Bowl teams — should be entering his prime. C.J. Anderson, who may be needed often to spell Kerryon Johnson (six missed games in 2018), could be an April steal. Detroit giving slot corner Justin Coleman $9 million a year looks like a slight overpay, and Danny Amendola is the NFL's second-oldest wideout. Still not in a great spot, the Lions look better in April than they did in March.

One stance regarding the Packers’ long-awaited free-agency participation: They’re adding young veterans. Counterpoint: General manager Brian Gutekunst spent a lot for second-tier names. Za’Darius Smith (18.5 sacks) has never been a full-time starter. Preston Smith (24.5) supplies more versatility than sack mastery. The Packers now have the NFL's third- and fifth-highest-paid 3-4 outside linebackers. The Smiths may struggle to live up to that. The Packers' Adrian Amos bet ($9 million per year for the ex-Bears safety) appears safer than Gutekunst’s edge investments. Finally, a fun Green Bay offseason.

After yielding 54 sacks in 2017, the second-most that year, the Texans gave up an NFL-high 62 last season. They entered free agency holding more than $75 million in cap space. Their only notable offensive line addition: Matt Kalil, whom the Panthers are paying handsomely not to play for them. Not good. Houston also lost Tyrann Mathieu and Pro Bowl snub Kareem Jackson. Bradley Roby and Tashaun Gipson are not as accomplished. Tagging Jadeveon Clowney helps Houston, but a division champion that employs DeAndre Hopkins and J.J. Watt should be in better shape than it is.

Reigning Executive of the Year Chris Ballard deserves the benefit of the doubt. He has quickly revitalized the Colts and has been patient each March, doing so this year despite the Colts’ gargantuan NFL cap-space lead. The team that saw something in Eric Ebron added Devin Funchess, who will make $10 million in 2019. Ballard reuniting with Justin Houston will make a difference. The Colts re-signing Pierre Desir and Mark Glowinski helped the roster too. But it’s hard not to think they could have done a bit more to bolster their 2019 team in a year when they profile as a Super Bowl contender.

The pro-Jaguars argument: They have a Super Bowl MVP quarterback who can help maximize a veteran defense more than Blake Bortles. The prosecution: Bidding perhaps against themselves, the Jags gave Nick Foles an outlandish deal and his non-Eagles work is worth nowhere near $50 million guaranteed. Foles’ accord and Bortles’ dead money ($16M-plus) coincided with the Jags cutting Malik Jackson, Tashaun Gipson and Jermey Parnell. Jacksonville's skill-position depth chart will put a lot on Foles too. This is a gamble, but good QB options did not exist for a team running out of time with its defense-based window.

In a bold offseason, the Chiefs jettisoned three top defenders. Penciled into Dee Ford and Justin Houston’s places: inconsistent supplementary rushers Alex Okafor and Emmanuel Ogbah. More help may be coming, but that’s obviously a downgrade from Kansas City’s previous edge setup. Tyrann Mathieu should become K.C.’s secondary linchpin. However, the last team that gave him a top-market contract regretted it . Mitch Morse's exit stings, but that was expected. Any Tyreek Hill news overshadows all of this. For a Super Bowl contender blessed with an MVP on a rookie contract, a lot of uncertainty exists.

Churning through a quiet offseason, the Chargers remain in good shape. They are deeper at linebacker, making the smart decision to see if injury-prone Denzel Perryman can become the quality off-ball ‘backer he has resembled when healthy. At 36, Thomas Davis may have one more good year left. Hybrid performer Adrian Phillips profiles as a nice piece for an upper-echelon defense. The Bolts’ Mike Williams draft choice meant Tyrell Williams would have to seek his money elsewhere. Some needs exist, but not many.

The Rams will likely see high-value compensatory picks in 2020. Last year’s splurge led to them letting Rodger Saffold and Lamarcus Joyner walk, and Ndamukong Suh is also expected to depart. Los Angeles did well to fill Joyner’s spot with Eric Weddle but does not employ surefire Suh or Saffold successors. Clay Matthews’ Pro Bowl stretch stopped in 2015, but Wade Phillips has done well to maximize pass rushers. Matthews and the re-signed Dante Fowler Jr. pose an intriguing edge tandem, and the Rams, like it or not, probably upgraded at backup quarterback with Blake Bortles.

One of free agency’s usual headliners, the Dolphins radically reversed course. The rebuilding team spent minimally and may have the NFL’s worst roster. Gone are Ryan Tannehill, Ja’Wuan James and numerous defensive linemen. Miami sits at $99 million in projected 2020 cap space and should be in good position for the Tua Tagovailoa/Justin Herbert sweepstakes . In the meantime? Yikes. Ryan Fitzpatrick’s postgame interviews might be a bit more somber than during his peak #Fitzmagic days. But Miami appears to have a plan now. It just won't look pretty for Brian Flores' team in 2019.

The Vikings sure think highly of their defensive core. After seemingly every starting defender but Anthony Barr signed an extension between 2016-18, Minnesota paid its homegrown outside linebacker at the 11th hour. An uneven performer, Barr is now the NFL’s highest-paid 4-3 ‘backer. A large number of veterans reside on a team with a quarterback earning a guaranteed $28 million annually. Sheldon Richardson, predictably, received a better deal elsewhere. Latavius Murray was a luxury this pot-committed team could not afford. The Vikings' offensive line need still looms, though the Josh Kline signing will help.

If it were any other team, this offseason would be cause for concern. Rob Gronkowski retired, leaving the Patriots as barren at their pass-catching spots since the pre-Gronk/pre-Randy Moss days . Tom Brady’s numbers are… different without Gronk . Michael Bennett represents the Patriots' only impact outside addition, and he’s 33. But Bill Belichick provides an incalculable advantage, raising the Pats' floor annually. Trades are almost certainly coming, with adding aerial support likely the mission. As of now, the Pats, who again let their top pass rusher leave, have key issues. But they generally figure out solutions.

Holding just one pick in the draft's top four rounds, the Saints restocked their roster in free agency. Becoming an all-time tight end mercenary, Jared Cook stands to be vital in what was a top-heavy Saints passing game. Nick Easton secured a nice $5 million-plus-AAV contract to replace the retiring Max Unger. Latavius Murray-for-Mark Ingram may be a slight step down (to the delight of Alvin Kamara fantasy owners). Teddy Bridgewater opted to continue his career reset behind Drew Brees rather than pilot a stripped-down Dolphins team. That may prove savvy, with Brees now 40.

What shouldn’t be dismissed in the Giants’ Odell Beckham Jr. trade: Kevin Zeitler is one of the NFL’s best guards. That will help. But Eli Manning’s splits with and without Beckham are striking. Trading away a top-five all-time Giants talent (and eating $16 million in dead money to do it) in his prime is bad business. So is rebuffing Landon Collins trade offers only to let him leave a reeling defense. Needs exist everywhere on Big Blue's defense. On offense, will a 38-year-old quarterback — even behind a better offensive line — have enough places to go now that Beckham is gone? 

Another action-packed Jets offseason. They predictably became Le’Veon Bell’s destination, reshaped the off-ball linebacker market with C.J. Mosley’s stratospheric $17 million-AAV deal and were ready to pay a non-pass rusher $14M per year to be a pass rusher . Overpays aside, their best move may be acquiring All-Pro guard Kelechi Osemele for basically nothing. Jamison Crowder should help Sam Darnold, whose weaponry was weak last season. New York still has gaping edge rusher holes and was oddly restrained in chasing free-agent offensive linemen. But the Jets are far more talented compared to 2018.

A lot went on in Oakland. The Raiders treated their cap space a bit differently than the Colts, being the only team willing to redo Antonio Brown’s deal and throwing record money at contract-year wonder Trent Brown. Lamarcus Joyner should help in the secondary, and Tyrell Williams on basically a one-year deal is a great WR2 investment. Antonio Brown for third- and fifth-round picks is a steal, if the superstar shelves enough of his diva persona. Dicey bet. Oakland’s Kelechi Osemele trade made little sense; he’s better than all its non-AB signings. The Raiders took big swings as a pivotal draft nears.

Residing in the red for multiple months leading up to the new league year, the Eagles again managed an impact offseason. DeSean Jackson, Brandon Graham and Vinny Curry are back, and Malik Jackson adds a proven interior presence to an already deep defensive line. Jordan Howard also joined the Eagles’ running back room for the price of a conditional draft pick. The Eagles lost their Carson Wentz insurance, but it's safe to say they maximized the Nick Foles investment. Jordan Hicks’ exit also leaves a void, but Philly did win a Super Bowl without him. Howie Roseman continues his run as a top-tier GM.

A strong yet underachieving Steelers era gives way to some of the worst fallout a team has faced in recent memory. While Le’Veon Bell’s ill-advised decision to turn down Pittsburgh’s 2018 offer freed up funding for Steven Nelson and Mark Barron, the Steelers are reeling. The Antonio Brown debacle tagged them with historic dead money. The Bell-Brown run ending so badly does not reflect well on Kevin Colbert and Mike Tomlin. The Steelers are unrivaled at finding wide receiver help, and Donte Moncrief is aboard as a stopgap. But Brown is an all-time great. Fetching only third- and fifth-round picks for him is a disaster.

With a possible Nick Bosa pick coming, the 49ers poured more into a defensive line that already houses three first-rounders. Coming off a 13.5-sack season, Dee Ford stands to provide a significant boost to a 49ers team that has not seen an edge player post a seven-sack season since 2013. Ford’s tag-and-trade contract also gives the 49ers interesting protection . San Francisco also made one of free agency's best deals, signing Tevin Coleman for barely $4 million a year. The 49ers must really like Kwon Alexander ($14M AAV) and could still use receiving help after balking at the Giants' Odell Beckham Jr. price.

Despite the Seahawks disbanding the first and third levels of their Super Bowl defenses, they retained their linebacking corps. K.J. Wright is back to preserve Seattle's elite second-level tandem, along with Bobby Wagner, intact. Mychal Kendricks’ possible prison sentence did not dissuade the Seahawks from re-signing him (with no guarantees). The team smartly tagged Frank Clark, whose contract-year production was less fluky than Dee Ford’s considering Clark’s past Seattle work. Mike Iupati is, in theory, a guard upgrade on J.R. Sweezy, but he hasn’t stayed healthy in three years.

Pro Football Focus continually views Donovan Smith as a middling tackle. The Buccaneers think much higher of him. His $13.75 million-per-year deal is top-five tackle money. This contract served as an outlier this year, with the Bucs passing on paying up for Kwon Alexander and Adam Humphries, and trading DeSean Jackson to the Eagles. All indications point to Gerald McCoy departing, too. Bargain buys Shaq Barrett and Deone Bucannon headlined reinforcements for a bottom-tier Bucs defense. Blaine Gabbert’s history with Bruce Arians aside, is he a suitable backup for a starter as shaky as Jameis Winston?

The Titans did well on the market, outgunning the Patriots for Adam Humphries and adding a key offensive line piece in Rodger Saffold. The former equips Marcus Mariota with a much-needed auxiliary weapon, and the latter represents a guard upgrade for a still-run-oriented offense. Ryan Tannehill should be a high-end backup — essential for a team that has seen its quarterback struggle with injuries and performance. Even at 37, Cameron Wake may be an improvement at outside linebacker. The Titans also did right by Kenny Vaccaro, and his $6 million-per-year deal is a value buy on the new safety market.

Carrying Alex Smith’s salary but lacking a 2019 starting quarterback and much money, Washington was in a tough spot. The Redskins still managed to add Landon Collins. The six-year, $84 million deal is a tad excessive, but Collins should at least help stabilize an in-flux position. Acquiring Case Keenum for a 2020 sixth-round pick is a bargain for the Redskins, but the team lost Jamison Crowder. While Reuben Foster and Ryan Anderson may make up for the exits of Zach Brown and Preston Smith, Washington features a scary wideout situation. Adrian Peterson’s re-up notwithstanding, this offense will likely struggle.