Oftentimes, the teams that spend the most in free agency end up getting disastrous results. But that rarely happens for the teams with proven coaches, which was the case last year with coach Mike Vrabel and the Patriots.
New England let the dollars fly last March, including handing defensive tackle Milton Williams a four-year, $104 million contract. It used the spending frenzy as a stepping stone for a memorable 2025 season that ended in Super Bowl LX.
Teams coming off a losing season often have no choice but to spend money on top free agents, especially if the goal is to return to relevancy right away. It worked out for the Patriots, but teams in similar situations need savvy decision-makers who don’t spend just to spend.
With that in mind, here are the eight teams that improved the most after the first wave of free agency as we head into draft season.
8. New Orleans Saints
Notable additions: G David Edwards, LB Kaden Elliss, RB Travis Etienne Jr., TE Noah Fant
It must be strange for Saints fans to see a healthy salary cap and a younger roster.
For years, the team put off paying the tab on the salary cap mess it created for itself, missing the postseason for five consecutive seasons with veteran-heavy rosters. However, the team recently said goodbye to longtime linebacker Demario Davis, and Cameron Jordan remains unsigned. Now, there are rumors that running back Alvin Kamara could be traded after the signing of Etienne.
Not only did the Saints get younger, gain talent, and fill needs, but there also seems to finally be a plan for this organization to head in the right direction after five years of mostly negative results.
7. Buffalo Bills
Notable additions: CB Dee Alford, edge Bradley Chubb, S C.J. Gardner-Johnson, WR DJ Moore
The Bills got risky with paying older players plenty of guaranteed money. Still, they addressed most of their needs and now have a formidable Super Bowl roster, one that doesn’t need Josh Allen to be Superman every week.
Buffalo committing guaranteed money to Moore for multiple seasons was certainly a gamble, but paying for the extra year will be O.K. if Moore continues to make clutch plays, as he did for Caleb Williams down the stretch last season in Chicago. Allen needed more playmakers who can step up when it matters most—let’s not forget that he threw the most important pass of last season to a 32-year-old Brandin Cooks.
It’s hard to justify the three-year, $43.5 million contract the team handed Chubb, but this move could look a lot better if the Bills land a top edge rusher in the draft to form a stout rotation.
6. Carolina Panthers
Notable additions: C Luke Fortner, LB Devin Lloyd, edge Jaelan Phillips, OT Rasheed Walker
There’s no doubt that the Panthers got better with the splash moves they made on defense.
There were defensive improvements last season, but the unit was still near the bottom in stopping the run and rushing the passer. Lloyd’s presence will likely help the team improve in both areas based on what he did for the Jaguars last season as a second-team All-Pro. Defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero now also has a top edge rusher in Phillips to call more aggressive plays.
The Panthers responded well to the hits they took on the offensive line, including the departure of center Cade Mays and left tackle Ikem Ekwonu, who sustained a significant knee injury in the playoffs. It wouldn’t be a stretch to say that Walker can match the production the team got from Ekwonu last season.
5. Washington Commanders
Notable additions: WR Dyami Brown, edge K’Lavon Chaisson, LB Leo Chenal, S Nick Cross, RB Jerome Ford, TE Chigoziem Okonkwo, edge Odafe Oweh, CB Amik Robertson, DT Tim Settle Jr., RB Rachaad White
GM Adam Peters moved away from trading for veteran players and returned to betting on underrated players, which he did in his first season in Washington before the team made a surprise run to the NFC title game.
It’s not a given that Oweh will continue to do what he did for the Chargers over two dominant months after being traded by the Ravens, but coach Dan Quinn has a track record of getting the most from pass rushers. Still, it wouldn’t be a bad idea for the Commanders to draft an edge rusher in the first round, even after adding Oweh and Chaisson.
This could be a vastly improved defense with new playmakers in all three phases.
Michael Pittman Jr. joins a revamped Steelers squad helmed by Mike McCarthy. | Travis Register-Imagn Images
4. Pittsburgh Steelers
Notable additions: S Jaquan Brisker, CB Jamel Dean, RB Rico Dowdle, WR Michael Pittman Jr.
The Steelers have concerns at quarterback, but it seems they’re expecting Aaron Rodgers to return for his age-43 season and his second with the team.
Pittsburgh likely doesn’t trade for Pittman and splurge for Dean without some kind of reassurance from Rodgers. Clearly, the Steelers want to win now rather than head into a rebuild in their first season without coach Mike Tomlin, who stepped down this offseason after 19 years with the organization.
If Rodgers returns, this offense could get a boost from the arrivals of Pittman and Dowdle, and new coach Mike McCarthy has a reputation for producing prolific offenses. And don’t overlook the addition of Brisker, who gives the defense a versatile playmaker, something it didn’t have a year ago.
3. Tennessee Titans
Notable additions: TE Daniel Bellinger, DT Jordan Elliott, CB Cor’Dale Flott, DL John Franklin-Myers, edge Jermaine Johnson II, LB Jacob Martin, WR Wan’Dale Robinson, C Austin Schlottmann, CB Alontae Taylor, DT Solomon Thomas
There was nowhere to go but up after a disastrous past few seasons.
Two years ago, the Titans were big spenders in free agency and still ended up with the No. 1 pick in the 2025 draft, which they used on quarterback Cam Ward. However, it’s hard to doubt this latest spending frenzy, given that new coach Robert Saleh has a track record of building formidable defenses and has reunited with many of his reliable players from previous stops.
On offense, Ward got an intriguing playmaker in Robinson, who’s coming off a breakout 2025 season with the Giants. The arrow is finally pointing up in Tennessee.
2. San Francisco 49ers
Notable additions: WR Mike Evans, LB Dre Greenlaw, CB Nate Hobbs, OT Vederian Lowe, DT Osa Odighizuwa, G Brett Toth
The 49ers overachieved last season despite an inexperienced defense and a roster gutted by injuries.
Now, with the moves they’ve made this month, it seems the 49ers are real players in the loaded NFC West. Evans’s presence will give coach Kyle Shanahan endless possibilities with his play calls, and his knack for coming down with contested catches could lead to a memorable season for Brock Purdy.
But there were more upgrades on the defensive side. The front got a third proven playmaker with Odighizuwa’s arrival, joining Fred Warner and Nick Bosa. And perhaps Hobbs has a bounce-back season after how poorly things went in his lone season in Green Bay.
1. Las Vegas Raiders
Notable additions: LB Nakobe Dean, FB Connor Heyward, CB Taron Johnson, C Tyler Linderbaum, WR Jalen Nailor, edge Kwity Paye, LB Quay Walker
In the short term, the Raiders will be better with Maxx Crosby—if the team doesn’t decide to trade him again—based on all the acquisitions they’ve made this month.
If the Ravens had never backed out of the Crosby trade, the Raiders’ offseason outlook would have been mostly about building this team for the future. Now, there’s a chance they turn into a fringe wild-card contender with Crosby back and all the new faces at various positions.
Maybe it’s a little absurd to say this team can win now with all the dysfunction in the building over the years. Still, it’s difficult to overlook the addition of a top center, two excellent sideline-to-sideline playmakers, a quality nickel cornerback and a few rotational players on both sides of the ball.
Obviously, the Raiders can’t count Fernando Mendoza as a notable addition just yet, but there’s no denying that the surroundings got better for whoever starts at quarterback this season. There’s a chance this team competes in 2026.
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