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NFL Free Agency Report Card: Grading Every Team's Free Agent Signings
With the offseason in full swing, it is time to hand out grades for each team’s free agent signings. Read ahead to see the grades for all 32 teams during free agency.
Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals made a big splash in signing linebacker Josh Sweat to a three-year contract worth $76.4 million. Sweat is coming off a Super Bowl campaign with the Eagles where he tallied eight sacks with 41 tackles. Since 2020, he has tallied at least six sacks in each campaign with a high of 11 during the 2022 season. He will bolster a Cardinals defensive line that tallied the 13th-most sacks in 2024.
Grade: B+
Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons have not made any significant signings outside of linebacker Devine Diablo. Last season, the Falcons finished just short of the postseason and have yet to make a substantial move to push them into the playoff picture. In 2024, the Falcons allowed the 10th-most points per game and are on pace to finish in a similar spot in 2025.
Grade: F
Baltimore Ravens
Baltimore’s top left tackle, Ronnie Stanley, was set to enter free agency and be one of the top available players. However, the Ravens were able to lock up their offensive lineman to a three-year $60 million contract. Stanley will stay with the team as they remain in their Super Bowl window. Last season, Baltimore boasted the best overall rushing attack in the league, averaging 187.9 rushing yards per game, the most in football.
Grade: A
Buffalo Bills
In addition to extending their top wideout Khalil Shakir, the Bills brought in Joshua Palmer to compete for the No. 2 role in the offense alongside Keon Coleman. Even though Palmer has yet to take the next step in the league, he is just 25 years old and could flourish with Josh Allen under center. The Bills also brought in depth defensive end Michael Hoecht to build their line.
Grade: A-
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers have been one of the busiest teams in the league. They have signed nine contracts with most of their money going to their defense. They are bringing in defensive tackle Tershawn Wharton to a three-year $54 million contract and safety Tre’von Moehrig to a three-year $51 million contract. Both players will look to turn the Carolina defense around, which allowed the most PPG (31.4) in 2024.
Grade: A
Chicago Bears
Even after trading for Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson, the Chicago Bears signed center Drew Dalman to continue to rebuild their offensive line. Last season, rookie quarterback Caleb Williams was sacked the most times in football (68 times). With newly-hired head coach Ben Johnson, expect the Bears to lean heavily on a revised rushing attack. They also locked up two defensive linemen, Dayo Odeyingbo and Grady Jarrett.
Grade: A+
Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals spent most of their money on two contracts, first bringing back tight end Mike Gesicki (three years, $25 million) and defensive tackle B.J. Hill (three years, $33 million). Both players had a significant role in the 2024 season and will look to bring the Bengals back to the postseason after a disappointing 2024. However, the defense still has several glaring issues that allowed the seventh-most PPG.
Grade: C
Cleveland Browns
The Browns made only one signing during the first two days as they brought in left tackle Cornelius Lucas. Lucas will help solidify an offensive line that allowed the second-most sacks during the 2024 season. However, the Browns still need a proven quarterback (which they address during the draft) and depth in their backfield.
Grade: D
Dallas Cowboys
In addition to several depth defensive signings, their main “swing” in free agency was signing Osa Odighizuwa to a four-year extension. This contract is worth $80 million and is the second-highest contract signed by a defender during the free agency period as of Tuesday afternoon. In addition, the Cowboys brought in running back Javonte Williams on a one-year deal to likely operate as a 1B in their backfield.
Grade: B
Denver Broncos
The Broncos made several moves to bolster their already elite defense. They signed safety Talanoa Hufanga to a three-year contract worth $45 million. They also brought in linebacker Dre Greenlaw (three-year deal) and re-signed defensive tackle D.J. Jones. However, they would have gotten a perfect grade if they provided Bo Nix with more offensive weapons, especially a tight end.
Grade: B+
Detroit Lions
Even though the Lions held the best record in the NFC last season, one significant issue was their secondary. However, the Lions spent most of their salary on that position as they brought in defensive back D.J. Reed. Over his previous five seasons, Reed has only allowed a QBR of 70 or higher once. Last season, he tallied 64 tackles with 11 deflections. He will bolster the secondary that allowed the third-most passing yards against.
Grade: A
Green Bay Packers
The Packers signed one of the top offensive linemen available in Aaron Banks to a four-year $77 million contract. He will look to bolster an offensive line that leaned heavily on their rushing attack in 2024. Their other significant move was signing defensive back Nate Hobbs to a $48 million, four-year deal. Last season, Hobbs posted a stellar 47.1 QBR against.
Grade: A
Houston Texans
The Texans made several moves, including trading their starting left tackle, Laremy Tunsil, to the Washington Commanders. They also moved offensive guard Kenyon Green to the Eagles in exchange for defensive back C.J. Gardner Johnson. The Texans also did not make any significant moves in adding playmakers (outside of signing Christian Kirk), which could hurt their offense as Tank Dell (knee) is expected to miss most of the 2025 season.
Grade: D
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts spent a majority of their cap space on improving their defense that allowed the ninth-most PPG last season (25.1). They signed safety Camryn Bynum to a four-year $60 million contract and cornerback Charvarius Ward to a three-year $60 million contract. Bynum tallied at least 96 tackles in each of his past two seasons while Ward has tallied six interceptions with 41 deflections over his last three campaigns.
Grade: B
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jaguars’ biggest offensive signing was bringing in guard Patrick Mekari on a three-year, $37.5 million contract. Mekari has been a key starter on the Baltimore line during each of the past three seasons. During this span he only missed one game. On defense, the Jaguars brought in Jourdan Lewis to a three-year deal. Lewis tallied a career-high 72 tackles with Dallas last season.
Grade: B+
Kansas City Chiefs
With Rashee Rice’s injury and suspension looming, the team decided to bring back Marquise Brown on a one-year deal. Brown was expected to have a significant role in this offense but missed almost the entire regular season. In addition, they added a new left tackle, Jaylon Moore, who has spent his entire career with the 49ers. On defense, they re-signed linebacker Nick Bolton who is coming off a 106-tackle campaign.
Grade: B+
Las Vegas Raiders
The Raiders spent most of their cap space extending superstar defensive lineman Max Crosby. In addition to Crosby, they also re-signed defensive tackle Adam Buter to a three-year deal. As a result, the team decided to be more cautious during free agency. They signed several one-year contracts that could become quite valuable later in the season. One of them was to safety Jeremy Chinn who enjoyed a productive 2024 with the Commanders.
Grade: B
Los Angeles Chargers
The Chargers brought in Najee Harris on a one-year deal to lead their backfield. Harris should be poised to enjoy a career-season running behind a strong Charger offensive line. On defense, the Chargers signed Elijah Molden to a three-year, $18.5 million contract and Khalil Mack to a one-year $18 million contract. The Chargers allowed the fewest PPG last season and should finish near the top again in the 2025.
Grade: A
Los Angeles Rams
After restructuring their contract with Matthew Stafford, the Rams bolstered both sides of the ball to put themselves in Super Bowl conversation. On offense, they brought in Davante Adams on a two-year deal to play alongside superstar Puka Nacua. On defense, the Rams signed defensive tackle Poona Ford who tied a career-high in sacks last season with the Chargers.
Grade: A+
Miami Dolphins
After allowing the 15th most sacks last season, the Dolphins emphasized improving their offensive line during free agency. Their largest contract went to guard James Daniels (three-year, $24 million). Daniels suffered a torn Achilles early in the 2024 season but should be cleared by training camp. They also brought in depth options including Larry Borom and Rob Jones.
Grade: B
Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings focused on improving both sides of their line as they signed offensive linemen Will Fries (highest deal to an offensive lineman during this free agency period) and Ryan Kelly. On the defensive line, they brought in Jonathan Allen. In addition to bolstering their roster, Minnesota also retained starting running back Aaron Jones and defensive back Byron Murphy Jr.
Grade: A+
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots won just four games during the 2024 season and have made significant strides during free agency to turn their franchise around. They brought in offensive tackle Morgan Moses on a three-year deal to protect Drake Maye. Most of their salary went to defense as they brought in Milton Williams on a $104 million contract and Carlton Davis on a $60 million contract.
Grade: A
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints prioritized resigning several key players. They extended tight end Juwan Johnson to a $30.75 million contract (three years) and defensive lineman Chase Young to a $57 million (three years). While both players are set to have significant roles on their roster for years to come, they could not sign several of the top free agents due to cap constraints. The Saints also brought in safety Justin Reid to bolster their secondary.
Grade: B+
New York Giants
New York’s top offensive move was re-signing wide receiver Darius Slayton to a three-year $36 million contract. Slayton is slated to serve as the team’s No. 2 option opposite of Malik Nabers. However, most of their moves were on defense. The Giants brought in defensive back Paulson Adebo on a $54 million deal and safety Jevon Holland to a $45.3 million contract. They will look to improve a New York secondary that allowed the 12th-most PPG last season.
Grade: B+
New York Jets
Their marquee move was finding their new QB1 in Justin Fields. They signed for the former first-round pick to a two-year $40 million contract. However, they were unable to re-sign offensive tackle Morgan Moses. On defense, they extended linebacker Jamien Sherwood to a three-year deal and brought in defensive back Brandon Stephens, who will replace DJ Reed, whom they lost to the Lions.
Grade: B
Philadelphia Eagles
The only contract the reigning Super Bowl Champions signed was to extend breakout linebacker Zach Baun. Last season, the 28-year-old tallied 151 tackles with 3.5 sacks and four deflections. Their other moves came via trade. They swapped No. 2 QBs as they sent Kenny Pickett to Cleveland in exchange for Dorian Thompson-Robinson and sent C.J. Gardner-Johnson to Houston in exchange for lineman Kenyon Green.
Grade: A
Pittsburgh Steelers
At the time of writing, the only player the Steelers signed was linebacker Malik Harrison. The linebacker signed a two-year, $10 million contract and will likely play a depth role in the defense. However, they are still without a quarterback, but they have been linked to several options, including Aaron Rodgers. In the backfield, they lost Najee Harris who ran for at least 1,000 yards in each of his four NFL seasons.
Grade: F
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers have focused on clearing salary cap during the offseason and have done well in accomplishing that. They traded wide receiver Deebo Samuel to the Commanders and did not re-sign players like Dre Greenlaw. However, by doing this, the 49ers will have a much tougher task to return to the postseason, following a disappointing 2024 campaign.
Grade: D
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks signed the largest contract in free agency as they found their new franchise quarterback in Sam Darnold. Coming off a career-year in Minnesota, Darnold inked a $100.5 million, three-year contract with Seattle. On defense, the Seahawks also extended linebacker Ernest Jones to a three-year contract. They did not earn a perfect grade as their wide receiver room still has several questions after they traded DK Metcalf to Pittsburgh.
Grade: A-
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Buccaneers captured their fourth-straight NFC South title in 2024 and brought back several key pieces in hopes of claiming this title again. They signed wide receiver Chris Godwin to a three-year extension ($66 million) and offensive guard Ben Bredeson to a three-year deal. On defense, they took a one-year flier on Haason Reddick who is coming off a down season with the Jets.
Grade: A
Tennessee Titans
After allowing the sixth-most sacks during the 2024 season, the Titans spent heavily on improving their offensive line. They brought in Dan Moore on a massive four-year, $82 million contract. On defense, their largest signing was linebacker Cody Barton (three years, $21 million). Barton has tallied at least 100+ tackles in each of his previous three seasons.
Grade: B+
Washington Commanders
The Washington Commanders made their most significant moves via trades. They acquired wide receiver Deebo Samuel from the 49ers and left tackle Laremy Tunsil from the Houston Texans. In free agency, the focus was on re-signing several key players from 2024, including linebacker Bobby Wagner and tight end Zach Ertz. Their lone signing was defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw, who they brought in on a three-year contract.
Grade: B
