We're at the halfway point of the NFL season, an opportune time to grade each team's offseason.
Did the Dallas Cowboys do enough? How about the Chicago Bears, who had the No. 1 overall pick, and the Lions, who signed key players to contract extensions?
Ahead of Week 10 games, here are evaluations of all 16 NFC teams (season record in parentheses).
DALLAS COWBOYS (3-5) | Grade: D | Free-agent linebacker Eric Kendricks leads the team with 70 tackles and first-round pick Tyler Guyton has shown promise at left tackle, but the Cowboys’ unwillingness to add a quality running back is a big reason for the disappointing record. Offseason contract extensions for wide receiver CeeDee Lamb and quarterback Dak Prescott were noteworthy, but not enough to overcome the NFL’s 31st-ranked running game.
NEW YORK GIANTS (2-7) | Grade: B- | New York got an A+ wide receiver in Malik Nabers with the sixth pick in the draft, but how good would Denver quarterback Bo Nix (pick No. 12) look in a Giants uniform? Former Panthers LB Brian Burns has looked great (four sacks and 23 tackles in his past five games) but not as good as RB Saquon Barkley looked in Week 7 with 176 yards rushing and a TD against his former team. That was 158 more yards than his replacement, Devin Singletary, had in what appears to be his last game as Giants lead back.
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (6-2) | Grade: B | The Eagles did well by taking top cornerbacks Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean in the first and second rounds of the draft, but they have gotten almost nothing from rookie receivers Ainias Smith and Johnny Wilson. Running back Saquon Barkley, the NFL’s second-leading rusher (925 yards), is among the year’s best free-agent signings, but former Jets defensive end Bryce Huff has just 1.5 sacks in 199 snaps and Devin White, once a Pro Bowl linebacker in Tampa Bay, was released in early October.
WASHINGTON COMMANDERS (7-2) | Grade: A+ | Thanks to new head coach Dan Quinn, rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels and the addition of the NFL's 2023 leading tackler, linebacker Bobby Wagner, the Commanders lead the NFC East. Daniels has thrown for 1,945 yards, nine touchdowns (and just two interceptions) and sports the third-highest QBR rating (76.2). He almost single-handedly raised Washington’s offseason grade for new GM Adam Peters. — Bruce Ewing
ARIZONA CARDINALS (5-4) | Grade: B- | The driving factor behind this grade comes from the draft class, which included first-round pick Marvin Harrison Jr. (445 yards receiving, five TDs), a rising star at wide receiver, and cornerback Max Melton. Free agents Mack Wilson, a linebacker, and Sean Murphy-Bunting, a cornerback, have played solidly, but neither has made a huge impact.
LOS ANGELES RAMS (4-4) | Grade: B | Some of their free-agent signings, including cornerback Tre’Davious White (since traded to Baltimore), were not the home runs they thought they would be. But you can't ignore the impact of the draft class, including DE Braden Fiske (three sacks) and LB Jared Verse (3.5 sacks), have had on the defense.
SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (4-4) | Grade: C- | The 49ers invested heavily in rebuilding their defensive line and pass-rush (DL Leonard Floyd and LB De'Vondre Campbell), but the early results are mixed to downright disappointing. Keeping their skill-position group together, including WR Brandon Aiyuk (out for season with ACL/MCL injuries), was a win, but the decline on defense and lack of impact from their additions on that side of the ball bring the overall grade down.
SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (4-5) | Grade: D | The biggest weaknesses the past few seasons have been on defense and their offensive line. Those two areas remain their biggest weaknesses at the halfway point of the 2024 season. Nothing slumping Seattle, which has lost five of its past six games, did over the offseason has meaningfully addressed its key issues. — Adam Gretz
CHICAGO BEARS (4-4) | Grade: D+ | Chicago took the veteran approach in free agency by signing 32-year-old WR Keenan Allen, 31-year-old safety Kevin Byard, 30-year-old TE Gerald Everett and several others. Almost all have proved to be well past their primes. Outside of QB Caleb Williams, the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft, no offseason addition has provided more than a sliver of hope for the team that is improved over last season but last in the division.
DETROIT LIONS (7-1) | Grade: A- | Rather than reflecting the play of free-agency and draft additions, Detroit’s offseason grade comes because of the talent it retained. The Lions signed OT Penei Sewell, WR Amon-Ra St. Brown and QB Jared Goff to four-year extensions, and each is playing at an All-Pro level, fueling the league’s highest-scoring offense (32.3 points per game).
GREEN BAY PACKERS (6-3) | Grade: A | Green Bay formed one of the league’s scariest safety duos over the offseason, pairing second-round selection Javon Bullard, who is third on the team in tackles (51), with free-agency signee Xavier McKinney, whose six interceptions are tied with Lions safety Kerby Joseph for the league lead. The additions of LB Edgerrin Cooper through the draft and RB Josh Jacobs via free agency have also proved to be game-changers and provided Green Bay with a serious shot to make a deep playoff run.
MINNESOTA VIKINGS (6-2) | Grade: B | Free-agency acquisitions QB Sam Darnold, who was in early consideration for MVP honors, and RB Aaron Jones, who is on pace for career highs in rushing yards (1,201 pace) and receiving yards (521), have thrived in HC Kevin O’Connell’s offense. Minnesota’s biggest offseason accomplishment, however, was signing superstar WR Justin Jefferson to a four-year, $140M extension that will keep him on the Vikings for the entirety of QB J.J. McCarthy’s rookie contract. — Josh Eaton
ATLANTA FALCONS (6-3) | A | From adding new HC Raheem Morris to signing QB Kirk Cousins (2,328 yards passing, 17 TD passes) in free agency, Atlanta’s offseason was a hit. The Falcons, who are first in the NFC South by two games, are in position to run away with the division after winning their first four division games.
CAROLINA PANTHERS (2-7) | F | First-year head coach Dave Canales failed to make things work with QB Bryce Young. Meanwhile, the decision to trade edge-rusher Brian Burns, who has 32 total pressures this season (h/t Pro Football Focus), to the Giants for 2024 second- and fifth-round picks is as bad in hindsight as when it happened. The Diontae Johnson acquisition didn’t work either — Carolina traded the wide receiver and a 2025 sixth-round pick to the Ravens for a 2025 fifth-rounder.
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (2-7) | D- | Limited by its expensive roster, New Orleans wasn’t a significant player in free agency, and the moves it made — including signing defensive end Chase Young and linebacker Willie Gay Jr. — haven’t translated on the field, with the Saints ranking 26th in scoring defense (25.4 points allowed per game). Hiring offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak was a short-lived success, and after head coach Dennis Allen’s firing, he’ll likely be a one-year rental.
TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (4-5) | C+ | Tampa prioritized re-signing its free agents during the offseason, keeping quarterback Baker Mayfield (three years, $100M), wide receiver Mike Evans (five years, $82.5M) and safety Antoine Winfield Jr. (four years, $84.1M). Injuries have limited Evans and Winfield, but Mayfield leads the league in passing touchdowns (23) and has a career-high completion percentage (71.4 percent). — Eric Smithling
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After being unable to find an NFL opportunity in 2024, Latavius Murray is hanging up his cleats. The veteran running back announced on Thursday that he is retiring at the age of 35 (video link via NFL insider Jordan Schultz). A sixth-round pick of the Raiders in 2013, Murray played on a rotational basis the following year before taking on starting duties. He recorded his first and only 1,000-yard campaign in 2015 and secured a Pro Bowl nod in the process. A career-best 12 rushing touchdowns during his final Raiders season set Murray up for a strong free agent market. The UCF product landed a three-year, $15M Vikings pact on the open market. Murray ended up spending a pair of seasons in Minnesota, where he operated as part of a backfield tandem with Dalvin Cook. A similar setup was in place with New Orleans when Murray paired with Alvin Kamara for the 2019 and ’20 campaigns, during which he remained a consistent producer on the ground. Murray caught on with the Ravens in 2021 shortly after being cut. As part of a Baltimore backfield ravaged by preseason injuries, he managed to handle a notable workload before finding himself on the move once again the following season. In 2022, Murray briefly returned to the Saints before signing from the practice squad to the Broncos’ active roster midway through the campaign. That decision set up a starting role to close out the season and helped earn him a Bills pact for 2023. Logging a 32% snap share with Buffalo, Murray remained healthy but saw his yards per attempt average dip below 4.1 for the first time since 2017. That was a key factor in the Bills’ decision not to retain him, even though Murray was open to an extended stay with the team. After spending last season without a deal, today will mark the end of the line after 10 NFL seasons. In all, Murray played 158 combined regular and postseason games throughout his NFL tenure, totaling over 8,000 scrimmage yards and 61 touchdowns. He amassed more than $21M in career earnings.
PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates traded one of their long-tenured players to one of the better teams in the American League. Jeff Passan of ESPN reported that the Pirates traded right-handed relief pitcher David Bednar to the New York Yankees and that the deal is pending a physical. Bednar struggled at the beginning of this season, with a 27.00 ERA in three appearances against the Miami Marlins over the first series of 2025. This came after he struggled in 2024, blowing seven saves in 30 opportunities and posting a 5.77 ERA, as he lost the closer role at the end of August. The Pirates sent Bednar down to Triple-A Indianapolis on April 1 and brought him back up on April 19, where he returned and found his best form once again. He has allowed just seven earned runs allowed over 37.0 innings pitched in 39 appearances for a 1.70 ERA, with 50 strikeouts to eight walks. Bednar also went a perfect, 17-for-17 on save opportunities and had 23 consecutive outings from May 24 to July 26 that he didn't give up an earned run. He won NL Reliever of the Month honors for June, with a 2-1 record in 10 appearances, five saves in five opportunities, no earned runs allowed over 10.0 innings pitched, allowing four hits, three walks, one intentional walk and a run, but no earned runs and posting 16 strikeouts over 36 batters faced. Bednar has one more year of team control with his third year of arbitration before hitting free agency after the 2026 season, which made his value higher than normal. Bednar hails from the Pittsburgh area, playing for Mars High School in Mars, PA. and then pitched for Lafayette. The Padres selected him in the 35th round, the 1,044 overall pick in the 2016 MLB Draft. He pitched in the Padres minor league system for three years before earning a call-up to the Padres on Sept. 1, 2019. He also pitched for the Padres in the 2020 season with a 7.11 ERA and five strikeouts in 6.1 innings of work. Pittsburgh landed Bednar in a three-team trade back on Jan. 19, 2021, sending starting pitcher Joe Musgrove to the San Diego Padres for left-handed pitcher Omar Cruz, right-handed pitcher Drake Fellows and outfielder Hudson Head and got catcher Endy Rodríguez from the New York Mets Bednar would star for the Pirates, earning back-to-back All-Star nods in 2022 and 2023. He also led the National League in saves in 2023 with 39. He also pitched for Team USA at the 2023 World Baseball Classic, finishing with the silver medal. He earned his 100th save with the Pirates in his final outing at PNC Park against the Arizona Diamondbacks on July 26, as the home fans praised him for his great performance. Bednar is one of six Pirates pitchers all-time that have at least 100 saves. This includes Roy Face (1953, 1955-68) with the franchise record of 188, Kent Tekulve (1974-85) in second with 158, Mike Williams (1998-2001, 2002-03) in third with 140, Dave Gusti (1970-76) in fourth with 133 and Mark Melancon (2013-16) in fifth with 130. His final game came against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park on July 28, as he allowed an earned run, but got the save in the 6-5 win. Bednar finishes his time with the Pirates with a 14-21 record in 276 appearances, a 3.01 ERA over 275.1 innings pitched, 335 strikeouts to 94 walks and a 1.44 WHIP. The Pirates have also traded third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes to the Cincinnati Reds and left-handed relief pitcher Caleb Ferguson to the Seattle Mariners ahead of the deadline.
The Los Angeles Dodgers have a few hours left until the trade deadline. After landing a few prospects in a three-team deal with the Cincinnati Reds and Tampa Bay Rays, and reuniting with Brock Stewart by way of the Minnesota Twins, there is still chatter among the baseball world as to what the Dodgers will do next. Recently graduated top prospect Dalton Rushing has established himself as the new backup catcher for the defending champions after being called up in May, and LA parting ways with longtime backstop Austin Barnes. With the rumor mill churning like never before, the 24-year-old catcher was linked to a few contenders ahead of this exciting deadline. Manager Dave Roberts recently spoke on Rushing being involved in these rumors and what he thinks will happen to the backstop. "I just don’t see a world in which he’s moved anyway and I think he’s smart enough to realize that," Roberts said. Rushing was raking in Triple-A Oklahoma City this year, batting .308/.424/.514 with a .938 OPS across 31 games. He added five home runs and 17 RBIs during this time. With a clear need to bring up another strong bat, Barnes was designated for assignment and Rushing was called up. So far in his MLB debut, Rushing is hitting .200 with a .545 OPS through 29 games. Although his early struggles are common for recently called up prospects given the expectations and pressure on the young man, it is certainly not a sign that the Dodgers would look to trade him. Catching prospect Hunter Feduccia was flipped on Wednesday as a result of the Reds and Rays deal, further shrinking the catching depth in the Dodgers organization. Parting ways with Rushing before he has shown his fullest potential in the majors makes less sense as the days go on, and it doesn't look he will be in a different uniform beyond Aug 1.
The Chicago Cubs made two moves already ahead of the MLB trade deadline to bolster their pitching staff, acquiring the versatile Michael Soroka from the Washington Nationals. and veteran Andrew Kittredge from the Baltimore Orioles. They would love to add another starting pitcher to the mix, preferably a front line arm, or some more depth to the backend of their bullpen, but to acquire a player of that caliber, it will be pricy. To this point, the Cubs haven’t been willing to meet that price, as they are not willing to currently including one of their top prospects, catcher Moises Ballesteros, in any trade negotiations. As shared by Mark Feinsand of MLB.com, Chicago is attempting to make moves without including their No. 2 ranked prospect, who is No. 47 in the top 100 of the sport. That could certainly be why the Cubs haven’t made the kind of splash many people are expecting them to with just a few hours until the deadline comes. Chicago does have one of the most talented and deep farm systems in baseball, so they could look to build a deal around some of their other prospects, such as outfielders Owen Caissie and Kevin Alcantara or infielder Jefferson Rojas. Ballesteros made his MLB debut earlier this year on May 13 at only 21 years old. He was back in the minor leagues within the week, but made another Big League appearance on July 30, going 1-for-2 against the Milwaukee Brewers as the designated hitter, knocking in three runs. It is easy to see why the Cubs wouldn’t want to part with the talented slugger, as he looks ready for regular Big League action. His defense might need some work behind the plate, but the bat can certainly play. In 86 games with Triple-A Iowa in 2025, Ballesteros has a .332/.393/.496 slash line with nine home runs, 26 doubles and one triple to go along with 57 RBI in 379 plate appearances. He has mashed at every level of the minor leagues and despite his youth, and looks ready for a chance to prove himself at the Major League level. The Latest Chicago Cubs News Cubs Reveal Special Ryne Sandberg Tribute Jerseys To Be Worn Saturday Long-Rumored Cubs Bullpen Trade Target Gets Shipped To Tigers Cubs Among Teams Still Attempting To Acquire Nationals Pitcher Cubs Send Promising Prospect To Orioles In Andrew Kittredge Trade