Every NFL Team's Smartest 2025 Offseason Decision So Far

We’re about a week-and-a-half into the 2025 NFL free agency. While quite a few veteran players are still looking for work, dozens of veterans have either found new homes or stayed in their old ones.

Two players got new deals totaling over $100 million—defensive tackle Milton Williams and quarterback Sam Darnold. Four others landed deals north $75 million. And more than a dozen players landed deals worth at least $50 million.

There have been a handful of major trades, including one involving a quarterback. In just the past few weeks, Cleveland Browns edge-rusher Myles Garrett and then Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase became the highest-paid non-quarterbacks in the league.

That dizzying array of moves has shaken up the NFL in a big way.

However, just because a deal is big doesn’t make it wise. And all offseasons are not equal. For every team that’s killing it since the new league year began, there’s one that wishes it could reverse time.

But every team has made at least one good move this offseason, whether it’s an extension, a trade or a free-agent signing.

After all, even a broken clock is right twice a day.

Josh Sweat was a wrecking ball in Super Bowl LIX, logging 2.5 sacks in the Philadelphia Eagles’ blowout win over the Kansas City Chiefs. Now reunited with Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon in Arizona, Sweat told reporters that he intends to be a force on his new team.

"I want to be seen as the guy who can make a difference," Sweat said. "I really haven't had, I won't say the opportunity, but we've been very talented over (in Philly). Here I can definitely show, with an ascending team, how I'm helping. I'm excited, dog."

There is some risk involved in handing over $19 million per season to a player who has surpassed 10 sacks in a season only once in seven years. But while the Cardinals amassed a respectable 41 sacks last year, they struggled to generate consistent pressure on opposing quarterbacks.

If Sweat helps Arizona do that, he’ll be worth every bit of his new contract.

The Atlanta Falcons managed only 31 sacks in 2024, the fewest in the NFC. That was the second time in the past three seasons that they were 31st or worse in the league in that category. Meanwhile, their 20.0 percent pressure rate ranked 25th.

To address that glaring need, the Falcons signed veteran edge-rusher Leonard Floyd to a one-year, $10 million contract. The 32-year-old has racked up at least 8.5 sacks in each of the past five seasons. The Falcons haven't had a player amass that many sacks since 2017.

Floyd isn’t getting any younger, but the Falcons had to address the position. And if he puts together another similarly productive season, he’ll be a relative bargain at $10 million.

Sometimes an NFL team's best move is bringing back its own players, especially when that player is an offensive line cornerstone and the contract he signs is relatively team-friendly. That was the case with offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley’s three-year, $60 million pact.

The 31-year-old Stanley, who made his second Pro Bowl last year, told reporters that he was glad to remain with the only team he has ever played for—even if it meant making a little less money.

"I knew I was going to give Baltimore the best bargain that I would offer to any other team," Stanley said. "But that being said, I still wanted to be happy with what I'm making and make sure I'm getting the value that I feel like I deserve. I think it was a good balance that could help the team and something I'm still happy with."

Had Stanley tested free agency, he likely would have received significantly more money on the open market, and the Ravens could have been left with a glaring hole on Lamar Jackson’s blind side.

There’s no question that the Buffalo Bills are one of the AFC’s best teams, but they haven’t been able to get over the hump. In an effort to get past the Kansas City Chiefs and into the Super Bowl, the Bills brought in veteran edge-rusher Joey Bosa on a one-year, $12.6 million.

Bosa told reporters that he’s eager to both get the Bills into a Super Bowl and show that the injuries that have plagued him in recent years are behind him.

“I know winning is obviously a huge part of it,” Bosa said, “but I think I have a lot to prove to people, but mostly just myself. That I can prove to myself that I know the kind of player that I am, and I know I’ve had some good moments over the last few years, but it’s about putting it all together throughout the whole season and being available for my team.”

The Bills swung and missed the last time they went this route with Von Miller. But if Bosa can stay on the field, he and Gregory Rousseau could combine to be a formidable duo on the edge.

Frankly, the Panthers’ smartest move this offseason is also a rather risky one.

The Panthers didn’t exactly overpay safety Tre’von Moehrig. Had they not been willing to give him a three-year, $51 million deal, some other team likely would have. The 25-year-old broke out in his fourth season in Las Vegas, surpassing 100 total tackles for the first time.

It's risky to pay a player more than $15 million annually when he has managed only one big season. But the Panthers had to do something defensively.

Simply put, Carolina's defense was abysmal in 2024. Not only were the Panthers the only team in the NFL that surrendered more than 400 yards per game, but they became just the fourth team in NFL history to allow over 3,000 rushing yards in a season.

Moehrig is a solid safety in coverage. He's allowed a passer rating below 95 in three of his four NFL seasons.

But his stoutness against the run is what got Moehrig the big bucks in Charlotte.

No quarterback in the NFL was sacked more often last season than Chicago’s Caleb Williams, who was dropped a whopping 68 times. Some of that is on the young signal-caller, but there was no question that the Bears needed to upgrade their offensive line this offseason.

Over nine NFL seasons, Joe Thuney has blocked for a pair of future Hall of Famers in Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes. In each of the past three seasons, the 6’5”, 304-pounder has been a Pro Bowler. The past two years, Thuney has been a first-team All-Pro.

Thuney played more than 1,100 snaps last season, per Pro Football Focus. That included over 200 snaps at left tackle after injuries struck Kansas City’s line. In those 1,115 regular-season snaps, Thuney allowed zero sacks and ranked fifth among all guards in pass-blocking grade.

Thuney is an experienced lineman who's capable of playing guard and tackle at a high level and has missed only two games in nine seasons. And all he cost the Bears in a trade was a Day 3 pick.

A trade involving edge-rusher Trey Hendrickson could still happen. But NFL teams are reportedly bristling at Cincinnati’s asking price, and as Ari Meirov of the 33rd team reported on NFL Spotlight, that’s without also taking into account Hendrickson’s request for a contract extension and the big deals given to wideouts Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins.

"Tee Higgins and Ja'Marr Chase, they did get guarantees into year two, which is something the Bengals do not do historically unless you're a quarterback," Meirov said. "Because of that, Trey Hendrickson is looking for a new deal, he's also going to want to break precedent on his deal and also get guarantees into year two. So, if the Bengals want to renegotiate with him, that part of it is going to make a difference as well."

Having the 2024 NFL sack king playing out the final year of his contract in Cincinnati could be more than a little awkward. He would all but certainly hold out at first. But at some point, the 30-year-old would likely report to the team.

The Bengals finished last season ranked 25th in both yards and points allowed. As they try to rebound from a down 2024 campaign, the last thing they need to do is jettison their best player on defense.

As it turns out, nothing soothes hurt feelings quite like $40 million per season.

After requesting to be traded in February, Cleveland Browns edge-rusher Myles Garrett won’t be going anywhere. He inked a four-year, $160 million pact that briefly made him the highest-paid non-quarterback in the league.

While addressing the media, Garrett insisted that his trade demand was never a play for more cash. He just wants to win.

“I think I had some frustration. And you know, I feel like that helped us grow and have conversations that were difficult, but needed to be had,” Garrett said. “I think the fans will see that my heart is in the right place. It has never been about money. It’s always been about winning. That’s where my frustration lies.”

Whether Garrett will get that chance to win in Cleveland depends largely on what the Browns do at the quarterback position. But letting him leave would have been a disaster for a team that has mastered the art of the personnel catastrophe.

After splitting with veteran Demarcus Lawrence this offseason, the Cowboys had a significant need opposite star edge-rusher Micah Parsons. They filled that need by bringing back veteran Dante Fowler Jr. for a second stint with the team.

Fowler’s ninth season was one of his best, as he tallied 10.5 sacks last year with the Washington Commanders. He told reporters that he’s looking forward to joining Parsons and defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa on the Cowboys front.

"I love this defensive line, the sky is the limit," Fowler said. "Shoutout to Osa [Odighizuwa], just being with him and seeing how hard he worked to where he's at now, I'm definitely excited to be with him again. I love playing with Micah [Parsons], I love him, he's one of my favorite players in the league. I'm definitely excited to be back in this defense and to help get this defense to be one of the top defenses in the league and to help the team get some wins."

Fowler was a reasonably priced signing for a team not exactly swimming in cap space, and he'll fill one of the Cowboys' biggest needs.

The Denver Broncos pillaged the San Francisco 49ers defense in free agency, signing both linebacker Dre Greenlaw and safety Talanoa Hufanga. Both players are immensely talented and impactful when healthy, but they also have fairly extensive injury histories.

Greenlaw got a three-year, $31.5 million deal from Denver. But as Bob Morris wrote at Sports Illustrated, the structure of the contract affords the Broncos some insurance if Greenlaw can’t stay on the field.

“On the surface, it appeared the Broncos might have gone a bit high for Greenlaw,” he wrote. “But the details matter—and those details show that the Broncos did such a good job with the contract, it could become a bargain if Greenlaw stays healthy and performs at a high level.”

If Greenlaw rebounds from his Achilles tear in Super Bowl LVIII, an already stout Denver defense should be that much better, especially against the run. But if his injury woes continue, the Broncos won't be on the hook for a significant long-term investment.

Low-risk, high-reward deals make NFL general managers look good.

The Detroit Lions are coming off the most successful regular season in team history. But there was at least one area where they struggled mightily: They were last in the NFC in pass defense.

They signed veteran cornerback D.J. Reed to a three-year, $48 million deal to fix that hole. Compared to what the New England Patriots gave former Lions cornerback Carlton Davis, Reed was a relative bargain.

"(Reed) has been consistently good at a volatile position, allowing less than 1.1 yards per coverage snap (the average for an outside corner) in four consecutive seasons, per NFL Next Gen Stats," ESPN’s Seth Walder wrote. "I also think he was the best corner in this free agency class, making him an upgrade over Carlton Davis III. The Patriots are now paying Davis $20 million per year, while the Lions are paying Reed only $16 million. So not only did the Lions get a great player to fill a crucial need, but they did it for a good value."

Landing arguably the best player available at a premium position and area of need is how winning teams keep winning. Doing so at a reasonable cost is just icing on the cake.

Many pundits were surprised to see Aaron Banks get over $19 million per season from the Packers. But not Tom Pelissero of NFL.com, who predicted that could happen before free agency even opened.

“After the Chiefs placed the franchise tag on Trey Smith, Banks became one of the top guards—if not the position's headliner—on the free-agent market,” Pelissero wrote. “A second-round pick (No. 48 overall) out of Notre Dame in 2021, Banks allowed just one sack on 471 pass-blocking snaps last season, according to Pro Football Focus' charting, while posting a career-high 67.2 PFF grade in 13 starts for the 49ers.

"Last March, the Panthers signed free-agent guard Robert Hunt to a whopping five-year, $100 million deal. If the market is right, Banks could land a contract in a similar range of $18 million to $20 million per season.”

Frankly, both of Green Bay’s big-ticket signings have been somewhat questionable. In Banks’ case, the Packers now have three starter-caliber guards but no center. But if Elgton Jenkins can kick inside and play well, a Green Bay offensive line already considered among the league’s best could be even more stout in 2025.

The Houston Texans have had an eventful offseason. They blew up their offensive line with a pair of trades that brought in a handful of draft picks and safety Chauncey Gardner-Johnson.

But another trade was Houston’s savviest offseason move to date.

For the draft-pick equivalent of a bag of Ruffles, the Texans obtained wide receiver Christian Kirk from the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Texans have already restructured Kirk’s contract to clear cap space, and after an injury-marred 2024 season, the 28-year-old said on social media that he plans to make 2025 his best season yet.

“My preparation for the upcoming season is already under way,” Kirk said, “and the only way from here is up. I’ll be back stronger than ever, and I’m excited for this next chapter with the Texans. I promise it’ll be my best one yet.”

With Stefon Diggs looking unlikely to return to Houston and Tank Dell’s 2025 status very much in doubt after he tore multiple ligaments in his knee, the Texans badly needed a No. 2 receiver to pair with Nico Collins. Kirk affords them a proven option for a low cost in terms of pick compensation.

The Indianapolis Colts are in a tricky spot. After only two seasons, it’s still too early to completely give up on quarterback Anthony Richardson. But there’s no denying that the first two NFL seasons for the 2023 No. 4 overall pick have been bumpy.

The Colts inked Daniel Jones to a one-year, $14 million contract to compete with Richardson for the starting job, and Jones told reporters that multiple factors attracted him to Indianapolis.

“You look at the team and you look at the success they’ve had. I think offensively (they’re) doing a lot of really good things,” he said. “Coaching staff wise, I’ve always had a lot of respect for coach (Shane) Steichen. He’s been successful in a number of places as an offensive coach, and I think he’s built a really good staff. Alex Tanney is pass game coordinator, a guy I played with for a couple years early in my career and I’ve been close with. I think there’s a lot of really good things here.”

Had the Colts signed a bigger name under center, it would essentially mean throwing in the towel on Richardson. But they could compete for an AFC South title with even average quarterback play.

There are (sadly) no assurances that Richardson can provide that.

Improving the offensive line was a priority for the Jacksonville Jaguars this offseason. They were 26th in the league in rushing in 2024 and 25th in total offense.

The Jaguars made a major investment in that regard by signing guard Patrick Mekari to a three-year, $37.5 million contract.

Mekari saw the most extensive playing time of his career last year, starting all 17 games for the Ravens. He has also played at least 250 career snaps at all five positions on the offensive line, per PFF.

New Jacksonville general manager James Gladstone told reporters that Mekari's versatility is one of the things that attracted the Jaguars to him.

“That was insanely rare,” Gladstone said. “I don’t know that that’s something that typically comes up on the market at a cost point that’s affordable enough to pursue.”

Per ESPN, Mekari’s pass-rush win rate ranked fifth among all guards last year. If he can come anywhere close to replicating that, he’ll be a bargain at his new salary.

The offensive line was easily the Chiefs’ biggest area of need this offseason, and it still is. They franchise-tagged guard Trey Smith, but Joe Thuney is gone, and new left tackle Jaylon Moore is far from proven as a full-time starter.

There’s not much to be done about that now until the 2025 draft. But the Chiefs were able to procure a potential upgrade in the secondary at a reasonable cost.

In 15 games (including 14 starts) last year for the Los Angeles Chargers, Kristian Fulton recorded a career-high 51 total tackles. His passer rating against topped 100 for the second consecutive season, but his 11.5 yards allowed per completion was a career-best.

The best thing about Fulton’s arrival may be what it means for the rest of the Kansas City secondary. Fulton is a versatile young player who can play inside or out, which should allow the Chiefs to move Trent McDuffie back into the slot.

With average annual salaries for cornerbacks soaring past $25 million per year, getting a solid starter on a two-year, $20 million deal is a smart usage of Kansas City’s limited cap space this offseason.

The Las Vegas Raiders entered the offseason with multiple needs on both sides of the ball. But one hole on the roster towered over the rest: The Raiders didn’t have a quarterback.

Now they do.

The Raiders sent a third-round pick to Seattle for quarterback Geno Smith before free agency opened. In the opinion of Ted Nguyen of The Athletic, the Raiders may have landed the best veteran signal-caller who changed teams in 2025.

“While teams were bidding for (Sam) Darnold, Justin Fields, Aaron Rodgers and Daniel Jones, the Raiders had already acquired the best available veteran quarterback for a third-round pick before free agency,” he said. “Smith is 34, but his arm talent jumps off the film and he was able to keep the Seahawks’ offense afloat with two failed play-callers and one of the league’s worst offensive lines. If the Raiders can protect Smith and complement him with an efficient running game, there could still be another level of his game to be unlocked.”

The Raiders were headed nowhere without someone to lead the offense. Now new head coach Pete Carroll and offensive coordinator Chip Kelly have that leader, and they still possess the sixth overall pick in the upcoming draft.

Fans may love splash signings, but the quieter deals often wind up having the bigger impact. The Los Angeles Chargers found that out last year with the likes of cornerback Kristian Fulton and running back JK Dobbins.

They might have found another such bargain this offseason in defensive tackle Da’Shawn Hand.

Hand doesn’t have a ton of starting experience. After starting eight games as a rookie with the Detroit Lions in 2018, he has made only five starts over the past six seasons. He also doesn’t offer a lot as a pass-rusher. Three of his five career sacks came during his debut campaign with the Lions.

However, the 6’3”, 302-pounder is a solid run stuffer who had a career-high 31 total tackles in a career-high 563 snaps with the Miami Dolphins last season.

It’s hardly a surprise that Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh puts a premium on the offensive and defensive lines. Hand is now arguably the team’s best interior lineman, and a one-year deal for less than $3 million makes this essentially a no-risk transaction.

Before free agency began, PFF's Bradley Locker singled out Los Angeles Rams tackle Alaric Jackson as a player who was fixing to get paid in 2025.

“In a class littered with solid offensive linemen, Jackson feels like the sleeping giant,” he said. “His 78.4 PFF overall grade ranks fifth among all offensive players set to become free agents, and Jackson was one of only 13 qualified tackles with a 75.0-plus PFF grade in both pass blocking and run blocking this season.

"Just 26, Jackson has played 1,000 or more snaps in each of the past two years but given up only four sacks. The former Iowa Hawkeye feels like the perfect example of a player destined to get paid more than most anticipate.”

Sure enough, Jackson got his payday, albeit from his incumbent team. While his three-year, $57 million deal certainly isn’t chump change, it’s also not an overpay by any stretch—not for a capable blindside starter who's just now entering the prime of his career.

Smart NFL general managers don’t let players like Jackson hit the open market. Rams GM Les Snead appears to know what he’s doing.

The Miami Dolphins badly needed to upgrade the offensive line this offseason. Per Ben Rolfe of Pro Football Network, Miami’s offensive line was 27th in the league in 2024, and things got worse as the season progressed.

Even if James Daniels was a slam-dunk, can’t-miss signing, he wouldn’t single-handedly fix that line. And the 27-year-old isn’t a sure bet after tearing his Achilles with the Steelers in 2024. But as Brian Miller wrote for Phin Phanatic, a healthy Daniels would be a massive upgrade inside for the team.

“Daniels has power and good foot speed,” he said. “He is a physical player at the point of contact and doesn't make a lot of mistakes. The only question about Daniels right now is his recovery. The Dolphins needed to improve the line, and they did.”

Years of poor cap management have limited what they Dolphins could do in free agency. Daniels’ injury enabled them to get him at a steep discount. If he can come anywhere close to his past form in 2025, he could be one of the biggest values of this free-agent class along the offensive line.

The Vikings’ 2024 season ended in disappointment, but they won 14 games last year. As they prepare to transition to J.J. McCarthy at quarterback, this offseason needed to be about fixing a defense that was soft up the middle and bad against the pass.

The secondary remains a question mark, but Minnesota attacked the defensive interior in free agency by adding a pair of former Pro Bowl tackles in Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave.

Per Jared Dubin of CBS Sports, that pair of signings could pay off in a big way.

“On runs up the middle, according to Tru Media, the Vikings allowed 1.73 yards before contact per attempt—a mark that ranked 26th in the NFL,” Dubin said. “Their interior defensive linemen combined for only 75 pressures, according to Pro Football Focus. Neither Allen nor Hargrave was fully healthy in 2024, but when they were in 2023, Allen had 49 pressures on his own and Hargrave had 52. If these two can stay on the field, it will be a massive upgrade.”

The pair cost the Vikings over $30 million per season. But if they can come close to their respective heydays, a weakness of the Minnesota defense in 2024 will be a strength in 2025.

Entering his 12th season, Morgan Moses is now the most experienced player on the New England Patriots revamped roster. He told reporters that his longevity in the NFL has come with the help of coaches and teammates at every step along the way.

“The biggest thing is just not staying complacent, being able to come in and learn different techniques, being willing to learn different techniques,” he said. Obviously over my career I’ve had great coaches; I had Bill Callahan when I was young in the league and obviously he taught me a lot and his name rings bells throughout the league as an offensive line, but also having veterans.

"Last year I was with Tyron Smith, so I got to learn a lot of things from him, future Hall of Famer. I was with Trent Williams. I was with Donald [Penn]. So, when you get to take a little bit of knowledge from everybody else and mix it in your own mixing bowl and come out with your own recipe, that’s what you get: you get longevity in the NFL and just being able to take care of your body, just knowing what you need.”

At 34, Moses’ best football is likely behind him. After eight straight seasons without missing a game, he has missed three games in each of the past two seasons. But the Patriots were in desperate need of both improvement and veteran leadership on an offensive line that may have been the NFL’s worst last year.

Moses provides both, and $8 million per season for a starting tackle is a bargain even if his birthday cake is covered in candles.

While the Patriots entered free agency with more cap space than any team in the NFL, they could use a bargain deal or two given how freely they've otherwise been spending.

The Saints entered free agency with the worst salary-cap situation in the NFL. Given that lack of cap space, they weren’t able to take many big swings on the open market.

However, New Orleans was able to bolster its defensive interior by acquiring veteran tackle Davon Godchaux from the New England Patriots for a seventh-round pick.

The Saints were one of the worst teams in the league last year against the run. Godchaux told reporters that he intends to put a stop to that in 2025.

"I'm just a dominant run player," Godchaux said. "... Whatever it takes, if I've got to take the double-team up on that play so someone else can come free and make a play, I'll do it. It's all about team defense. I'm excited about that. I'm excited to join this group."

Godchaux doesn’t bring a lot to the Saints’ pass rush, but his 67 total tackles last year ranked fourth among all defensive tackles.

New Saints defensive coordinator Brandon Staley needed a zero-technique to plug the middle of the Saints D. Now he has a proven one in Godchaux.

Before a broken leg prematurely ended his 2024 season, cornerback Paulson Adebo appeared to be on the verge of breaking out. The 25-year-old had 52 total tackles and three interceptions in just seven games.

That partial season (and the three years that came before it) showed the Giants enough that they gave Adebo a three-year, $54 million contract with $38.5 million in guarantees. Now, the fifth-year pro told reporters he just wants to help his new team however he can.

"I feel like I can play man or zone," Adebo said. "In New Orleans we did play a lot of man, bump-and-run coverage. But I feel comfortable playing in a zone scheme. Did that in college a lot. I really feel good either way."

The Giants were quietly eighth in the league against the pass last year, but the departure of Adoree' Jackson to Philadelphia left them with a hole at a position where they don’t have a ton of depth.

Adebo should fill that hole and then some.

There’s no sugarcoating it: The Aaron Rodgers era with the Jets was an unmitigated disaster. However, that didn't stop the Jets from going the veteran route at quarterback again—albeit with a less expensive option.

The two-year, $40 million deal that Fields signed with the Jets is cheap by NFL standards for a quarterback. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler said Fields might have turned down more money to join Gang Green, per Nick Farabaugh of Penn Live.

“They (the Pittsburgh Steelers) put together an offer for Justin Fields that I was told was very competitive with what the Jets offered him,” Fowler said. “Something went off where he chose the Jets, and he must’ve felt the love more from the Jets than he did the Steelers.”

Fields’ passing numbers in Pittsburgh last year weren’t especially impressive, but he remains one of the NFL’s better rushing quarterbacks. In New York, he’ll be reunited with former Ohio State teammate Garrett Wilson.

Even in the worst-case scenario, Fields likely won't be worse than Rodgers was. The best-case scenario is that Fields improves as a passer and emerges as a legitimate long-term option under center.

Either way, Fields comes at a fraction of Rodgers’ cost—and without the other nonsense that appears to follow Rodgers around nowadays.

With Josh Sweat heading to Arizona and Brandon Graham calling it a career, edge-rusher shot to the top of the list of offseason needs for the Eagles. The defending Super Bowl champs have made multiple signings at the position, including one that could potentially be the biggest bargain in all of free agency.

Back in 2022, Josh Uche appeared to be on the verge of stardom, erupting for 11.5 sacks in an eight-game span. His two seasons since have been underwhelming, but the 26-year-old told reporters he remains confident that he can again be a highly productive pass-rusher.

“I was getting some pressures in and things like that (early in the season), but the sacks weren’t falling,” Uche said. “But you just continue to swing and eventually they come in bunches. Continuing to do your job even though you’re not getting the results you want. You can’t be a selfish player in this game. You gotta do your job and the stars will align and eventually your time will come.”

Even if Uche only produces four or five sacks as a rotational player, he’ll be a bargain at less than $2 million this season. If he can recapture his 2022 level of production, there won’t be a bigger free-agent steal in the NFL this year.

Free agency has not been kind to the Pittsburgh Steelers so far. They're twisting in the wind while waiting for Aaron Rodgers to make a decision, to the point that at least one veteran is over it. The Steelers have lost multiple starters, and their biggest acquisition has been a 34-year-old cornerback on a one-year deal.

Mason Rudolph’s return to Pittsburgh being the highlight of the Steelers' moves so far speaks to how not ideal the offseason has been. But with each passing day, Pittsburgh’s chances of entering the season with Rudolph as its starting quarterback increase.

That isn’t anyone’s idea of a great plan, from pundits to fans to the Steelers themselves. But while Rudolph was just 1-4 as the starter in Tennessee last year, he did win eight of his 13 career starts in black and gold, including all three of his starts in 2023.

The world won’t end if Rodgers winds up in Minnesota or New York, although Mike Tomlin will have to work to keep his streak of non-losing seasons going.

When the San Francisco 49ers released fullback Kyle Juszczyk, it appeared to signify the end of an era. Juszczyk has long been the gold standard at his position, but that position is going extinct in the NFL.

However, after a brief stint on the open market, Juszczyk is back in the Bay Area. He told SiriusXM NFL Radio that his time without a team quickly spurred him to get a new deal done so he could remain in San Francisco.

“They put it in my court, whether I wanted to be released or continue to negotiate a pay cut,” Juszczyk said. “I think it’s good to see what your market is, so they gave me the opportunity to do that. Me and my agent, we went to work, and we had some interested teams, we explored those possibilities. It was too much to leave home. I wanted to be a Niner and we were able to get to a number I was comfortable with, and we made a deal and I couldn’t be happier.”

The 49ers aren’t spending much this offseason as they gear up for extension talks with quarterback Brock Purdy. They traded wide receiver Deebo Samuel to the Washington Commanders, and multiple defensive starters have signed elsewhere.

But bringing Juszczyk back at the right price was always the plan. Kyle Shanahan’s offense still uses a fullback significantly, and there isn’t a better one in the game than the 33-year-old.

Signing QB Sam Darnold

This one comes with an asterisk. There’s a caveat as to why signing Sam Darnold to a three-year, $100.5 million contract became the Seahawks' best course of action as soon as they traded Geno Smith to the Las Vegas Raiders.

Seattle first traded Smith and wide receiver DK Metcalf, ostensibly for financial reasons. Then the Seahawks turned around and signed Darnold and veteran wideout Cooper Kupp, because who doesn’t love treading water?

It’s an odd set of moves. But unless a team that won 10 games last year wanted to embrace a full-on rebuild, it needed replacements for Smith and Metcalf.

Per Mike Sando of The Athletic, an NFL executive indicated that Seattle will be a good fit for Darnold, who resurrected his career last season in Minnesota.

"That city (Seattle) is right for Darnold, far away from everything he dealt with on the Jets," the exec said. "It will be similar to Minnesota with the run and play-action stuff, but they won’t have a Justin Jefferson. You still have to throw it on third down when you are behind or in two-minute, which could be up and down for him."

Even if you believe that Darnold’s success last season was a fluke, it’s hard to fault Seattle too much here. The Seahawks have an out in his contract that would enable them to move on after one year and $37.5 million.

Haason Reddick would likely prefer a do-over on his 2024 campaign.

From 2020-2023, Reddick recorded at least 11 sacks each season. But after holding out well into last season with the New York Jets, Reddick finished with only one sack in 10 games. Not great in a contract year.

Now, Reddick finds himself in Tampa on a one-year, $14 million deal. While speaking to reporters, the 30-year-old said he’s eager to put last year’s debacle behind him—and show that he remains one of the league’s most dangerous pass-rushers.

"It's a fresh start," Reddick said. "I know everybody's worried about last year, but last year was last year. I'm here now, different mindset, different space. I'm just ready to put the past behind me and continue to move forward. And what better place to do that than right here?"

The Buccaneers badly needed help on the edge. They didn’t have an edge-rusher hit the five-sack mark last season. Reddick should be highly motivated to show that he has still has something left in the tank.

And the one-year nature of the pact makes the risk for the Buccaneers minimal.

If the Tennessee Titans do add a quarterback with the first overall pick in this year’s draft, they will do so after investing over $90 million in improving the protection in front of him.

They spent the majority of that money on tackle Dan Moore, who got a four-year, $82 million contract. That's an example of why it's tricky to address the offensive line in free agency—it often leads to panic-buys of average talents by teams that are desperate to upgrade their leaky lines.

However, Tennessee also added veteran guard Kevin Zeitler on a one-year, $9 million deal. That contract makes a lot more sense.

Although Zeitler turned 35 earlier this month, he was a Pro Bowler in 2023 with the Baltimore Ravens. Last season with the Detroit Lions, he finished with the fifth-highest grade among 135 guards leaguewide, per Pro Football Focus.

Zeitler remains a quality interior lineman. His experience and success should be valuable to a Titans team lacking in both right now.

After advancing to the NFC Championship Game last year, the Washington Commanders are all-in in 2025. They entered free agency with cap space galore and a two-year window before quarterback Jayden Daniels becomes eligible for an extension.

The Commanders haven't been shy about pushing their chips into the middle of the table, either. They made a pair of big-name trades, including obtaining veteran wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. from the San Francisco 49ers for a Day 3 pick.

The only real cost to the Commanders is Samuel’s beefy contract, which they can afford at present. Washington running back Jeremy McNichols played with Samuel in San Francisco, and he told reporters that he expects the versatile 29-year-old to make an immediate impact.

“You could see the attitude he plays with just that fire that he plays with and it's that passion (to) just run through defenders, just how hard he runs when he catch the ball, he trying to score every single play,” he said. “Just having that mindset when he touches that ball, he can take it from any distance is really going to be a great addition for us."

Samuel’s 2024 numbers were relatively disappointing, but he didn’t forget how to play football. With Terry McLaurin opposite him and an offensive coordinator in Kliff Kingsbury who will undoubtedly scheme ways to get the rock in Samuel’s hands, a big-time bounce-back could be forthcoming.