William Herman is a high school senior from Alexandria, Virginia covering the NFL for TWSN.
The player acquisition phase of the offseason is mostly complete, with the draft and free agency now in the rearview mirror.
Of course, general managers will continue exploring every avenue, from undrafted free agents to trades, to make their rosters as competitive as possible before teams cut down to 53 players this fall. With that being said, let’s break down which teams did the best job this offseason and which ones struggled.
WINNERS
Las Vegas Raiders
The Raiders addressed two critical components of a successful rebuild: hiring head coach Klint Kubiak and acquiring franchise quarterback Fernando Mendoza. Both are figures I trust to help stabilize the organization.
General manager John Spytek did an excellent job from top to bottom this spring, all things considered. The headline signing was Tyler Linderbaum on a three-year, $81 million deal. While it was an overpay, it was still a smart investment.
You cannot overstate the value a Pro Bowl center brings to a young rookie quarterback playing behind a struggling offensive line. Beyond that, Spytek raised the roster floor across the board by adding Nakobe Dean, Quay Walker, and Kwity Paye, while also re-signing Eric Stokes and bringing in Kirk Cousins as the ideal veteran mentor for Mendoza.
The draft class impressed me as well. Treydan Stukes has immediate starter potential, and the Raiders found tremendous value with Jermod McCoy in the fourth round—a smart, calculated gamble on a player who could become the best cornerback in the class if he stays healthy.
Keyron Crawford and Trey Zuhn were also prospects I was bullish on, and Las Vegas got appropriate value for both. For the first time in a while, the Raiders look competent and appear to be heading in the right direction.
New Orleans Saints
The Saints built their offseason around supporting second year quarterback Tyler Shough after a solid freshman campaign. They accomplished that by adding two of my favorite draft prospects, Jordyn Tyson and Oscar Delp, to strengthen the passing game.
In free agency, Travis Etienne Jr. gives the offense more balance and helps relieve pressure from the passing attack, while David Andrews solidifies the left guard position.
The Saints are a sneaky NFC South contender to watch next season. Christen Miller in Round 2 could be a Day 1 starter—a great run defender with untapped pass rush upside. Bryce Lance in Round 4 was also a nice dart throw at pick 136. If Tyler Shough continues to develop, the Saints seem to be trending upward in a competitive NFC South.
Carolina Panthers
General manager Dan Morgan and head coach Dave Canales did quality work this offseason. Jaelen Phillips at four years and $120 million is expensive, but the Panthers desperately needed pass rushing help, and Phillips provides exactly that.
My favorite signing of the entire offseason may have been Carolina landing Devin Lloyd on a three-year, $45 million deal after he came off a Defensive Player of the Year caliber season. Morgan continued his strong offseason with another bargain signing in Rasheed Walker on a one year, $4 million deal. It may not be flashy, but it is simply good business.
The momentum continued in the draft with Monroe Freeling, Lee Hunter, Chris Brazzel, Will Lee III, Sam Hecht, and Zakee Wheatley, all of whom possess starter potential either immediately or down the line.
It is a well-balanced mix of high upside and dependable floor players that fills roster holes while also building depth. The Panthers are clearly trending upward after making the playoffs and winning the NFC South last season—and they show no signs of slowing down.
LOSERS
Jacksonville Jaguars
After a historic first season under head coach Liam Coen and general manager James Gladstone in Duval, the Jaguars followed it up with a disappointing offseason that failed to build on their momentum. Losing Devin Lloyd and Travis Etienne Jr. hurts, and the roster did not improve across the board enough to make up for it. If anything, the draft compounded some of those issues instead of solving them.
Emanuel Pregeson at pick 88 was easily my favorite selection, but Nate Boekircher at 56 and Jalen Husky at 100 both felt like reaches. I like both players, but they were selected significantly earlier than consensus projections suggested—or earlier than I personally would have taken them.
The Jaguars didn’t have a ton of money to spend, but losing that level of talent, pairing it with a disappointing draft, and then adding Chris Rodriguez as the lone free agent signing is not an inspiring outcome.
Buffalo Bills
The Bills moved on from Sean McDermott after nine years and promoted their offensive coordinator while retaining general manager Brandon Beane. Those are both moves I disagree with.
Buffalo needed to seriously shake things up to get over the top, and instead they essentially chose to run it back. Trading for D.J. Moore gives Josh Allen another weapon, but it is fair to question whether the move truly changes the ceiling of this team.
Additions such as Bradley Chubb, Geno Stone, Dee Alford, and Chauncey Gardner Johnson add depth, but none of them are particularly game changing—and Bradley Chubb being your marquee addition is somewhat concerning.
Hiring Jim Leonard as defensive play caller was a solid move, yet the roster improvements still do not feel significant enough to push Buffalo over the top. The Bills continue to struggle with taking that next step.
The draft class did not impress me either. Buffalo stuck to its usual formula: high floor prospects with limited upside. T.J. Parker at 35 was fine, but Davison Igbinosun at 62 felt too high, and the remainder of the class was nothing to write home about.
I did like Kaleb Elarms Orr and Skylar Bell, but neither player is likely to move the needle in a meaningful way. Buffalo needs to break away from its current mold and reshape both its culture and roster identity if it wants to finally get over the hump.
Seattle Seahawks
The Seahawks are coming off a Super Bowl victory, so some degree of brain drain was inevitable. Even so, general manager John Schneider and head coach Mike Macdonald provide this organization with a consistently high floor, so I am not overly concerned about a collapse.
Still, there are a few concerning departures. Letting Kenneth Walker III walk after winning Super Bowl MVP is tough—I would have kept him.
Losing Riq Woolen, Coby Bryant, and Boye Mafe removes multiple impact starters from the defense, and the draft did not do enough to compensate for those losses. Jadarian Price in the first round felt too aggressive for my taste and came across as drafting for need over value.
I like Bud Clark, Julian Neal, and Beau Stephens, but none of those additions are likely to make major impacts in Year 1. Macdonald has proven he can maximize talent, so I trust him to make things work.
However, losing Klint Kubiak—the architect of the team’s offensive resurgence—is a major blow. Re-signing Jaxon Smith Njigba was a strong move, but Rasheed Shaheed on a three year, $51 million deal felt overpriced. I would have allocated that money differently.
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