The first wave of the 2019 NFL free agency is over. The biggest names in free agency have signed contracts and are preparing for the 2019 NFL season. But with each signing, teams either helped themselves or got worse. That makes it a perfect opportunity to review and alter our power rankings accordingly.
Here’s the 2019 NFL power rankings following free agency:
32) New York Giants
The Giants already had tons of questions on both offense and defense. But core young players gave them hope. Gone is safety Landon Collins and wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., leaving New York with very little talent outside of running back Saquon Barkley.
31) Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins were a 7-9 team last year with a franchise quarterback. With all the big free agent quarterbacks signing elsewhere, Miami settled for retread Ryan Fitzpatrick. In an AFC East division that has used free agency to improve, the Dolphins are trending in the opposite direction.
30) Arizona Cardinals
There are still questions as to whether Josh Rosen will be their quarterback in just a few months or not. The Cardinals were already one of the worst teams in 2018 and they’ve done very little to improve their standing.
29) Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Buccaneers re-signed a bunch of their players but lost key ones in free agency. With the loss of wide receivers Adam Humphries and DeSean Jackson, Tampa Bay’s offense doesn’t have a lot surrounding inconsistent quarterback Jameis Winston.
28) Buffalo Bills
The Bills’ offense in 2018 was abysmal but they took to free agency to resolve the matter. Signing running back Frank Gore, wide receivers Cole Beasley and John Brown should immediately upgrade the weapons around young quarterback Josh Allen. With an already stout defense, Buffalo is trending upwards.
27) Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals didn’t do anything to help out their biggest problem: the offensive line. Though they’ll get quarterback Andy Dalton and wide receiver A.J. Green back healthy for the start of the season, not finding better blockers puts them in the same situation as last year.
26) Washington Redskins
The Redskins’ biggest move was finding another quarterback to potentially start if Alex Smith isn’t ready. But few should be excited about Case Keenum, especially with the limited talent around him on offense. Defensively, the addition of safety Landon Collins helps.
25) New York Jets
The Jets were big spenders in free agency, signing linebacker C.J. Mosley and running back Le’Veon Bell, while trading for offensive lineman Kelechi Osemele. The question is just how much those players will improve a 4-12 team from last season.
24) Denver Broncos
The Broncos have upgraded at quarterback, trading with the Ravens for Joe Flacco. But how much of an upgrade is Flacco over Keenum and is it enough to really change their offense?
23) Pittsburgh Steelers
Gone are two of the Steelers’ most dynamic players as Le’Veon Bell signed with the Jets and wide receiver Antonio Brown forced a trade to the Raiders. With a defense that has struggled in recent years, can the offense continue to keep them in games?
22) Detroit Lions
The Lions were one of the big spenders in free agency, bringing in defensive end Trey Flowers on a five-year, $90 million deal. They also added cornerback Justin Coleman, tight end Jesse James and wide receiver Danny Amendola. It’s not enough to completely change their fortunes overnight but it helps in key places they needed it.
21) Baltimore Ravens
So much lost leadership in free agency. Linebackers C.J. Mosley, Terrell Suggs, Za’Darius Smith all signed elsewhere. Safety Earl Thomas is an upgrade over Eric Weddle, which should improve the secondary. But there is still no help in the passing game for young quarterback Lamar Jackson and the defense took a hit.
20) Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings were seen as a Super Bowl team last year but underwhelmed. They didn’t do much in free agency, likely keeping the status quo of a team that went 8-7-1 last season but looked primed for better.
19) Carolina Panthers
The Panthers added the best center in free agency in Matt Paradis but little else. With a strong running game and a stout defense, improving the offensive line is always a solid idea.
18) San Francisco 49ers
The 49ers added a big-play running back in Tevin Coleman while bolstering their defense with cornerback Jason Verrett and linebackers Dee Ford and Kwon Alexander. If they can stay healthy in 2019, they’re heading in the right direction.
17) Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jaguars already had one of the best defenses in the league last season. But with the addition of quarterback Nick Foles, they bring some legitimacy to their offense finally. It’s now a question if Foles can make a rather anemic wide receiver corps look even average.
16) Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons looked to improve their terrible offensive line, adding guards Jamon Brown and James Carpenter. But the bigger questions were on defense and Atlanta did nothing to improve that.
15) Green Bay Packers
Green Bay brought in two pass rushers in Za’Darius Smith and Preston Smith along with safety Adrian Amos to help one of the worst defenses last season. With Aaron Rodgers under center and healthy again, improving the defense is all it might take to make the Packers a playoff contender in 2019.
14) Oakland Raiders
Raiders coach Jon Gruden clearly had a vision and put it in place this offseason. The offense looks dramatically different with wide receivers Antonio Brown, Tyrell Williams and J.J. Nelson to go along with left tackle Trent Brown. The defense got a little jolt with safety Lamarcus Joyner. On paper, Oakland might be one of the most improved teams thanks to free agency.
13) Tennessee Titans
The Titans bolstered their offense with guard Rodge Saffold and wide receiver Adam Humphries. They also added defensive end Cameron Wake, which should help their eighth-ranked defense. Having just missed the postseason last season, these moves should have them in the mix in 2019.
12) Seattle Seahawks
The Seahawks lost more defensive talent this offseason. Safety Earl Thomas and cornerback Justin Coleman left in free agency. Meanwhile, Seattle added kicker Jason Myers and guard Mike Iupati. Solid moves but not an improvement with their losses either.
11) Cleveland Browns
Cleveland continues to add talent to their roster. Linebacker Olivier Vernon and defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson add much-needed production up front. But the real work was on offense, where the Browns traded with the Giants for wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., making perhaps one of the most talented offenses in the league on paper.
10) Houston Texans
Houston lost safety Tyrann Mathieu and cornerback Kareem Jackson. But the Texans tried to make up for it with the additions of safety Tashaun Gipson and cornerback Bradley Roby.
9) Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs defense was abysmal last season. By trading Dee Ford and cutting Justin Houston, Kansas City loses 22 of their 52 sacks from last season. But worse might be the loss of production from Kareem Hunt and the potential loss of Tyreek Hill to a suspension.
8) Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys didn’t really dip into free agency. Instead, they lost their second-most productive wide receiver in Cole Beasley. But with Amari Cooper traded for later in the season and a run-heavy offense, it might not be as huge of a loss.
7) Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles were solid already last season but strengthened their roster with big additions. Wide receiver DeSean Jackson comes back and defensive tackle Malik Jackson is a huge addition up front. With Nick Foles gone, there has to be some unease around Carson Wentz’s injury-plagued seasons.
6) Indianapolis Colts
In spite of having tons of money, the Colts didn’t really spend much of it. They added wide receiver Devin Funchess to help round out their wide receiver corps. But Indianapolis — a playoff team last season — seems happy to not overpay for early free agents.
5) Chicago Bears
Chicago didn’t make any splashes but were pretty active early in free agency. They added depth with cornerback Buster Skrine, wide receiver Cordarelle Patterson, running back Mike Davis and guard Ted Larsen. With how big of a jump the Bears made last season, these additions are all little jabs that will add up.
4) Los Angeles Chargers
The loss of wide receiver Tyrell Williams stings a bit but he wasn’t the offense’s top option. The addition of linebacker Thomas Davis is a nice pickup to help lead their young core on defense.
3) Los Angeles Rams
Making it to the Super Bowl is a feat but the Rams looked lost when they got there. They largely stayed the same, signing safety Eric Weddle to take over for Lamarcus Joyner, who left to the Raiders. They seemed to be just fine with guard Rodger Saffold leaving in free agency.
2) New Orleans Saints
New Orleans let running back Mark Ingram leave in free agency but spent less money to sign Latavius Murray to replace him in their two-headed rushing attack. Locking up kicker Wil Lutz doesn’t sound like a huge move, but his 93.3 percent success rate on field goal attempts helps an already prolific offense.
1) New England Patriots
When you’re the Super Bowl champions, someone has to dethrone you and I’ll wait until the teams hit the football field before moving the Patriots from their top spot. Largely, New England kept up with the departure of defensive end Trey Flowers by trading for Michael Bennett. The loss of tackle Trent Brown could be felt though.
