The new league year of the NFL has been off to a wild start. There have been league-altering trades and some more unexpected moves that I will dive into further down into the article. A lot of teams have become more competitive, and some have failed to make any moves. Here are my winners and losers of the 2023 offseason so far.
Winners
Chicago Bears:
The job that Ryan Poles has done, so far, to help out his young, talented quarterback has been exceptional, to say the least. He acquired a ton of draft capital, got a number 1 receiver, and strengthened the linebacker position which was in desperate need of an upgrade. They didn’t just add star power, they added depth which for below-average teams has been proven to be the start of a turnaround. The Jacksonville Jaguars did just that in the last offseason by making a splash in free agency to provide the depth which helped further the development of the young players on their team. I’m not saying the Bears are going to be great. But, it is a huge step in the right direction. The city of Chicago should begin to get excited about the future of its franchise.
Best move:
- Trading down from the 1st overall pick
Most underrated move:
- Signing RB Travis Homer as the pass protection back and giving Khalil Herbert the status of RB1
Worst move:
- None yet
Denver Broncos:
All I can say is that Russel Wilson doesn’t have any excuses for this upcoming season. The Broncos first kicked off their offseason by hiring Super Bowl-winning coach Sean Payton to become the next head coach of the team. Additionally, Payton was able to bring in a new group of staff to the organization as well. They upgraded their offensive line by signing two good linemen, Ben Powers and Mike McGlinchey. Also, they replaced the departure of defensive tackle Dre’Mont Jones with defensive end Zach Allen. The team is already extremely talented and they have just made sure to compensate for their losses and by doing everything in their power to set up Russel Wilson and the rest of the offense for success.
Best move:
- Hiring Sean Payton as the head coach
Most underrated move:
- Signing OL Mike McGlinchey
Worst move:
- Letting Dre’Mont Jones walk (they compensated for his loss, but he still had a huge impact on this defense last season)
Honorable Mentions:
- New York Giants, Cleveland Browns, Seattle Seahawks
Losers:
Baltimore Ravens:
What a mess the Lamar Jackson situation is. I really don’t understand the contemplation about whether or not to sign an MVP QB to a contract that would pay him and keep him in town for the long term. They also just haven’t signed any free agents. I think in a competitive conference like the AFC, it is vital to make moves because other teams are constantly upgrading and they’re still stuck on deciding whether or not to extend an MVP-caliber player's contract. They still have to address the wide receiver group and obtain some depth because they’ve been known to be a very injury-prone team. This team is undoubtedly a top-tier team in the AFC, but they need to keep up with the teams around them or they won’t be able to compete with teams like the Kansas City Chiefs, Cincinnati Bengals, or Buffalo Bills in my opinion.
Best move:
- Hiring Todd Monken as Offensive Coordinator
Most underrated move:
- Trading S Chuck Clark for a late-round pick to the Jets (could’ve just released him but they received some sort of compensation)
Worst move:
- Not extending Lamar Jackson to a multi-year contract
Las Angeles Rams:
Everything that could go wrong has gone wrong for the Super Bowl champions from a season ago. A once talent-loaded roster has truly fallen apart after the end of a disappointing season. The once-star-studded defense is now lacking that talent due to the moves made by the Rams this offseason. They released Leonard Floyd and Bobby Wagner, then traded away Jalen Ramsey for a backup tight end and a third-round pick. Each of the three has been some of the best at their position for the past couple of years and the Rams have no way to replace these players. Not to mention, they let key role players walk in free agency, like S Nick Scott and DT Phillip Gaines. They don’t have much cap space or draft capital to work with either. Although everything building a team full of stars has blown up in the Rams’ faces, they were still able to at least win a Super Bowl before everything went downhill.
Best move:
- None
Most underrated move:
- Releasing these players to gain some cap space
Worst move:
- Trading away All-Pro CB Jalen Ramsey to the Miami Dolphins for a third-round pick and TE Hunter Long
Honorable mentions:
- Las Vegas Raiders, Arizona Cardinals
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