Free Agency Winners and Losers (So FaR0
It’s been quite an eventful start to free agency in the NFL, with several teams making moves that have bolstered their chances of being contenders next season. The trade market has been a big factor to the offseason as well, but this will just focus on free agency. Here are my winners and losers of free agency so far.
Winners:
The Cincinnati Bengals. The big story line last year around the Bengals last year was wether or not their offensive line hold up enough for the Bengals to make a serious playoff run. Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase and company were able to largely overcome being protected by one of the league's worst O lines, and ultimately reached the Super Bowl. But that didn’t change the fact that there was still a glaring need.
The Bengals went out and got three legitimate starting offensive lineman by signing Center Ted Karras, guard Alex Cappa, and tackle La’el Collins. With these additions up front, the Bengals should remain a Super Bowl contender.
The Los Angeles Chargers
No matter how you slice it, the Chargers defense was one of the worst defenses in the NFL in 2021. They finished ranked 30th in team defense, 30th in run defense, and were the worst defense in the league on third down. Were there improvements on defense cheap? Not even a little bit. But they were necessary. The Chargers agreed to terms with J.C. Jackson on a five year 82.5 million dollar deal. Jackson finished second in the league with 8 interceptions last season, trailing only Trevon Diggs of the Cowboys. Jackson is a sure fire top ten NFL corner, and has a good case to be considered top 5.
The Chargers also agreed to terms with former Rams defensive tackle Sebastian Joseph-Day which should help both their third down and run defenses. On top of all this the Chargers got Khalil Mack in a trade with the Bears. They're going to have some expensive contracts on the books, but the Chargers are still a huge winner in NFL free agency.
Losers
The New England Patriots. The Patriots went on a huge spending spree last offseason, and had a successful season overall. Down the stretch however it was clear they had holes at outside linebacker, wide receiver, just to name a few. All this being said, they’ve done almost nothing to address team needs and get better. Aside from bringing a couple of their guys back (James White Trent Brown), the Patriots haven’t done much of anything. They agreed to terms with RB/WR Ty Montgomery, but he’s not even a lock to make the roster, and Terrance Mitchell will be a depth corner at best. Almost every team in the AFC has gotten better while the Patriots have gotten worse.
The Atlanta Falcons. The Falcons offseason has been nothing short of a disaster. They lost Russel Gage and Foyesade Oluokun to greener pastures, and seem to just have little to no direction. 2 years 18.75 mil is an overpayment for a 1A typeQuarterback in Marcus Mariota. They butchered the return package for Matt Ryan, and they butchered getting a cost effective replacement. Besides bringing back dynamic playmaker Cordarrelle Patterson, free agency has been a failure so far for the Falcons.
