Good things don’t always come to those who wait in the NFL. Status quo isn’t a thing.
Teams that don’t try to get better are only getting worse as others around them improve. The NFL is far too competitive to assume what worked a year ago will do so the following season.
Aside from the back-to-back Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs, every other team fell short of their goal over the past two seasons. Now, they’re actively trying to figure out how to dethrone Patrick Mahomes and Co.
Some are closer than others to achieving that goal. Others are further away from doing so than they were last season. But the 31 other teams must put the proper pieces together in hopes of making it happen.
In the end, someone benefited from these moves. The standing of others had been hurt. It’s a delicate balance that creates ripple effects throughout a roster. But the biggest moves always start or stop at quarterback.
The Atlanta Falcons, who finished 7-10 in each of the last three seasons, have been largely held back by the quarterback position since the start of the 2022 campaign. That cost head coach Arthur Smith his job and forced them to go in a completely different direction.
Unfortunately, 2022 third-round pick Desmond Ridder was thrust into a position he shouldn’t have been in. He eventually became the starter after the Falcons unsuccessfully pursued Deshaun Watson, which created a rift between the front office and quarterback Matt Ryan. The team subsequently traded its all-time leading passer to the Indianapolis Colts.
Ryan was on the downside of his career, but Ridder wasn’t ready to handle an NFL offense once Marcus Mariota proved ineffective. In 19 games, he threw only 14 touchdowns and 12 interceptions despite playing behind a good O-line and throwing to the likes of tight end Kyle Pitts, wide receiver Drake London and running back Bijan Robinson.
This offseason, the Falcons signed the top available free-agent quarterback, Kirk Cousins, to a four-year, $180 million contract.
“He’s proven he can be elite,” an anonymous offensive coach told ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. “From ’21 to now he’s basically been that. The [Minnesota Vikings] had no chance without him last year.”
Over the past three seasons, Cousins threw 80 touchdowns to only 26 interceptions, although he is coming off an ruptured Achilles tendon.
The Falcons planned for all contingencies by drafting Washington’s Michael Penix Jr. with the No. 8 overall pick. They now have a succession plan in place, so they shouldn’t find themselves in a predicament where poor quarterback play plagues the entire roster.
Pitts, London and Robinson can now be featured to the level that their talent dictates.
Jerry Jones’ insistence that his Dallas Cowboys were “all-in” this offseason became a running joke, as the franchise did little to prove the owner’s point.
In January, Jones highlighted few specific areas where he’d like to see improvement.
“We need to stop the run better, we need to be more physical, and we need to run better, to be specific,” he said. “We need to do those kinds of things.”
How did the organization go about addressing those specific areas?
Well, left tackle Tyron Smith and center Tyler Biadasz both left in free agency. Dallas may rely on a pair of rookies, Tyler Guyton and Cooper Beebe, to replace them.
To offset the free-agent loss of running back Tony Pollard, the Cowboys also brought back Ezekiel Elliott, who turns 29 in late July after posting career-lows last season in carries, rushing yardage, average yards per carry and total touchdowns.
On defense, the Cowboys didn’t make any significant changes to their front. The signing of veteran Eric Kendricks and the third-round selection of Marist Liufau should help the linebackers. Still, they didn’t do much overall.
To make matters worse, quarterback Dak Prescott, wide receiver CeeDee Lamb and edge-rusher have yet to sign contract extensions. New contracts for Trevor Lawrence and Justin Jefferson have only pushed the market up further for quarterbacks and wideouts, too.
From almost every angle, the Cowboys’ offseason has been a failure.
Will Levis was the fourth quarterback selected in the 2023 NFL draft. He unexpectedly slid out of the first round before the Tennessee Titans traded up to take him with the 33rd overall pick.
Among those top four quarterbacks, Levis experienced the most improvement around him this offseason.
The Houston Texans’ C.J. Stroud is coming off an NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year campaign. He already finds himself among the league’s top 10 quarterbacks and will have the added pleasure of throwing to Stefon Diggs this fall. The Indianapolis Colts’ Anthony Richardson looked like a future superstar in a small sample size, but injuries derailed his rookie season. The Carolina Panthers’ Bryce Young, who was the No. 1 overall pick, should be happy with new wideouts Diontae Johnson and first-round rookie Xavier Legette.
But the Titans offensive overhaul this offseason after head coach Brian Callahan joined the organization is staggering. The group isn’t completely different from the one that finished in the bottom five of total offense last season, but it sure feels like it.
To start, the league’s worst offensive line added experienced center Lloyd Cushenberry III in free agency. JC Latham will take over left tackle duties after being this year’s seventh overall pick. Most importantly, arguably the league’s best O-line coach, Bill Callahan, joined his son’s staff to rectify this group.
The skill positions are also dramatically better. The offense isn’t all about Derrick Henry anymore. Henry is now a member of the Baltimore Ravens. Tony Pollard is replacing him as a dual-threat out of the backfield. At wide receiver, the Titans coaxed Calvin Ridley to sign in free agency before bringing in Tyler Boyd nearly two months later. Ridley, Boyd and DeAndre Hopkins is a tremendous trio for Levis to utilize.
As a result, Levis is primed for a breakout sophomore season.
When this year’s rendition of musical chairs stopped at quarterback, the Las Vegas Raiders were left without a seat. The organization desperately wanted to make a move for one of this year’s top quarterback prospects, but nothing materialized.
The Raiders are heading into training camp with sophomore signal-caller Aidan O’Connell and free-agent signing Gardner Minshew. Some within the Raiders’ fanbase are enamored with the flashes O’Connell showed as a rookie, and Minshew “earned” a Pro Bowl berth last season. But let’s not kid ourselves here.
O’Connell lacks functional mobility, and Minshew has terrible pocket presence and marginal arm talent. They’re both overachievers relative to their draft slots—they were fourth- and sixth-round picks, respectively—but good stories don’t make quality starting options.
Because of their current quarterback situation, the Raiders tried to do the smart thing by reinforcing their defense and placing more talent around the game’s most important position. They signed defensive tackle Christian Wilkins to a four-year, $110 million to provide a legitimate interior presence. That should significantly help Maxx Crosby as the two attempt to collapse the pocket.
On offense, the Raiders spent the No. 13 overall pick on Brock Bowers, who was arguably the best tight end prospect of all time. The second-round selection of interior blocker Jackson Powers-Johnson should also provide the team with some attitude in the trenches.
The Raiders’ quarterback situation is what it is. It’s going to hold them back to some degree. They just need to do the best they can around that position to stay competitive, and then look to address it again next offseason.
The Chicago Bears’ decision to restart the clock at quarterback should give embattled head coach Matt Eberflus significant leeway.
The Bears did improve by four wins last season, but they’re still 10-24 during Eberflus’ two-year tenure. Their offseason influx of talent should go a long way to cool any flames on a potential Eberflus hot seat.
No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams is the key to that.
After three seasons of Justin Fields not developing as expected, the Bears found themselves in a unique position. They held the No. 1 overall pick thanks to the Carolina Panthers’ trade for Bryce Young last offseason. As talented of an athlete as Fields is, Williams was viewed as a superior prospect.
Since neither Eberflus nor general manager Ryan Poles drafted Fields, their investment in his development didn’t run deep. Chicago traded Fields to the Pittsburgh Steelers six weeks before the NFL draft.
Meanwhile, Williams has already impressed.
“You definitely see some things that you don’t really expect a rookie to do,” linebacker T.J. Edwards told reporters three weeks ago. “You know, he moved us a couple times with his eyes. The first day it had me and [linebacker] Tremaine [Edmunds] hot about it, but he’s impressive for sure.”
For a squad that’s struggled offensively, the Bears were finally proactive in bringing in significant talent.
Poles traded for Keenan Allen, who remains one of the league’s most reliable targets and route-runners. He then selected Washington’s Rome Odunze with the ninth overall pick to provide an intimidating presence outside the numbers. DJ Moore is still in place. Running back D’Andre Swift joins the ranks to provide a more explosive threat out of the backfield. Plus, the free-agent addition of Coleman Shelton should be viewed as an upgrade at center.
Even Eberflus’ defense received a slight boost, with free safety Kevin Byard joining the squad.
A potential star quarterback, with a much-improved surrounding cast, and thriving defense is all Eberflus could have hoped for to compete in the NFC North.
On the flip side of the coin, Justin Fields now finds himself in the Steel City with a fresh start. He needed one desperately after how things ended in Chicago.
Like any bad breakup, some airing of grievances occurred.
“There were several arguments amongst the QBs,” Go Long’s Tyler Dunne wrote. “Once, per one source, [Nick] Foles was trying to teach something to Fields in the QB room and—upon turning toward the rookie—Foles realized Fields wasn’t even paying attention. His head was down. At that point, Foles was done trying to play mentor. The two could not stand each other.”
As a performer, Fields simply hasn’t progressed as a passer.
“Watch his eyes,” an unnamed Chicago coach told Dunne. “He tries to see the whole thing and doesn’t see anything. His eyes are all over the place and it’s just really hard to watch. It’s just bad football.”
Fields’ current setup in Pittsburgh could be viewed as a positive after he was asked to shoulder an inferior offensive supporting cast in Chicago. However, the 25-year-old isn’t guaranteed to receive another chance to start. He’s currently second on the depth chart behind Russell Wilson, whom the Steelers signed after the Denver Broncos released him.
Fields still has the athletic profile to be special. After all, he was one of the league’s most creative quarterbacks while running for 1,800 yards over the last two seasons. However, his inconsistency from the pocket took from being the future of the Bears to a backup for the Steelers, who didn’t even pick up his fifth-year option.
Fields is no longer considered the future anywhere. He’ll have to earn his next contract, which is a rather significant fall from grace after being the No. 11 overall pick and starting for the past three seasons.
The NFL wanted to make kickoffs matter again. It did so with a drastic change to the play.
For those who never watched the second iteration of the XFL, the tee will be lined up at the kicking team’s 35-yard line. Everyone else on the kicking team will line up at the opposing 40-yard line. They can’t release until the ball lands or is caught by the opponent.
The opposing squad will line up its players at its own 30- and 35-yard line. At least seven of them (blockers) need to have one foot on the 35-yard line. They also can’t move until the ball is caught or hits the ground. A team can have a maximum of two returners on the field. Any ball caught in the field of play must be returned.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter shared an example of how the play looks:
According to the NFL, 1,970 touchbacks occurred last season. This change now opens up so many possibilities for special teams to be, well, special. Specifically, kick returners will once again be an important part of a roster as teams devise ways to create opportunities for better field position and possible scoring situations.
“The kickoff returners’ value is gonna skyrocket,” Cowboys special teams coach John Fassel told reporters.
Excitement will be brought back to what became a mundane and largely procedural play. Fans can look forward to the potential emergence of the next Dante Hall, Josh Cribbs or Devin Hester.
Some players will make NFL rosters purely based on their ability to provide an impact on kickoff returns. The change and subsequent ripple effects should prove beneficial for many players and coaches around the league.
Free agency stagnated for the safety market.
Justin Simmons is a four-time second-team All-Pro, including last season. It’s mid-July and he remains unsigned. The 30-year old Eddie Jackson is a two-time Pro Bowler. Quandre Diggs, who started 104 contests over the last seven seasons, including every game over the last four, has yet to catch on anywhere.
Micah Hyde, Tracy Walker and Jayron Kearse are all accomplished starters. They’re still looking for deals as well. There’s been no movement for weeks.
The safety market did reset this offseason, which shouldn’t be overlooked. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers agreed to a four-year, $84.1 million contract extension with Antoine Winfield Jr. But he’s considered the game’s best and looks more like an outlier than a new trend.
Of the free-agent safeties who changed teams, Xavier McKinney signed the biggest deal (four year, $67 million). He didn’t crack the top three safeties in total salary or average annual salary, though. No one else agreed to a new contract that exceeded $9 million annually, which doesn’t even break into the top 13 at the position.
Despite the NFL’s increased emphasis on the passing game and wide receivers getting treated like a premium position, the back end of defenses isn’t seeing the same return yet.
As the summer goes on, a few teams will get great value by adding a veteran safety who can legitimately help at a deep discount. But the time of signing any deal of major significance is long gone. That money is mostly spent.
A few highly recognizable safeties have been left out in the cold.