Power rankings are like mock drafts. People love to read them, get angry over them and otherwise overreact to them.
Especially when they come out way too early, like, say, in the middle of free agency, when so many moves are left to be made.
That being said, the landscape of the National Football League certainly has shifted over the past few days. Of course, when arguably the greatest quarterback of all time finds a new home — leaving a franchise holding six Super Bowl titles but questions at many roster spots behind — fortunes do seem to be changing. Given all the movement of the past week, what teams are trending up, and what teams are trending down. It’s time for Touchdown Wire’s updated (and still slightly too early) Power Rankings.
RELATED: Touchdown Wire’s pre-free agency power rankings
32. Jacksonville Jaguars
Previous ranking: 26
Key additions: ILB Joe Schobert, DE Rodney Gunter, G Tyler Shatley, DE Lerentee McCray
Change is certainly in the air down in Duval County. A few seasons removed from a run to the AFC Championship Game (and questions around whether Myles Jack’s knee was down) the Jacksonville Jaguars seem to be in rebuild mode. The story of their offseason can be told not through their acquisitions, but through the players who have left town — or might be on their way out. Nick Foles, acquired last offseason, was traded to the Chicago Bears for a fourth-round selection. Defensive end Calais Campbell was traded to the Baltimore Ravens for a fifth-round selection. Cornerback A.J. Bouye was traded to the Denver Broncos. Defensive end Yannick Ngakoue was given the franchise tag, but expectations are high that he will be traded at some point. Put these moves together, and you have a team looking toward the future, not the present.
31. Cincinnati Bengals
Previous ranking: 32
Key additions: DT D.J. Reader, CB Trae Waynes, G Xavier Sua’-Filo, CB Torry McTyer
The Bengals started slowly when the tampering period opened but made some interesting moves to position themselves as the draft approaches. They added D.J. Reader from the Houston Texans, a talented nose tackle who seems to be growing into a force on the interior defensive line. Pairing him with Geno Atkins seems like a defensive coordinator’s dream come true. They added Trae Waynes, who seems to be at his best in man coverage situations and could flourish if used properly. They also used the franchise tag on A.J. Green, working to keep him in the fold for the season ahead.
Oh, and they have the first overall selection and are likely drafting Joe Burrow.
If you take a step back, you can see an offense starting to take shape on paper.
30. Detroit Lions
Previous ranking: 29
Key additions: OT Halapoulivaati Vaitai, OLB Jamie Collins, QB Chase Daniel, S Duron Harmon, DT Danny Shelton
The Lions have made interesting moves this free agency period, and chances are if you have ever played for the New England Patriots, Matt Patricia and Bob Quinn at least gave you a call to gauge your interest in heading to the Motor City. But some of these moves are genuine head-scratchers. Halapoulivaati Vaitai has potential, but his strength is more as a run blocker and he might need help in pass protection designs. Jamie Collins flashed at times for New England but faded down the stretch, much like their defense did as a whole. Adding to the situation is the fact that Detroit traded away Darius Slay, and the cornerback shed light on a difficult relationship with Patricia on his way to the Philadelphia Eagles, making the seat under the head coach just a few degrees warmer as spring approaches.
29. Washington Redskins
Previous ranking: 30
Key additions: CB Kendall Fuller, G Wes Schweitzer, OLB Thomas Davis, RB J.D. McKissic, FS Sean Davis, QB Kyle Allen, TE Logan Thomas
Washington got involved in the free agency window early, releasing cornerback Josh Norman to free up over $12 million of cap space. Then, when the tampering period began, they were fairly active. Logan Thomas is a very interesting project at the tight end position, an area of need given that Washington released Jordan Reed. Thomas Davis is a veteran linebacker who can help shore up the second level of the defense, and trading for Kyle Allen gives them depth in the quarterback room. Also of note is the fact that Washington placed the franchise tag on guard Brandon Scherff, keeping one of the premier free agent options at that position for another season. Now they can look to the draft and potentially creating a devastating pass rush by pairing Chase Young with Ryan Kerrigan on the edges.
28. Carolina Panthers
Previous Ranking: 31
Key additions: QB Teddy Bridgewater, QB P.J. Walker, WR Robby Anderson, WR Pharoh Cooper, TE Seth DeValve, OLB Tahir Whitehead, OT Russell Okung
Quarterbacks move the needle, and the acquisition of Teddy Bridgewater gives the Carolina Panthers perhaps an answer at that position in the short term. Bridgewater now gets to play under offensive coordinator Joe Brady, reuniting the two; they spent time together in New Orleans when Brady was an offensive assistant with the Saints. His offensive system, deeply rooted in Sean Payton’s West Coast scheme, is an ideal fit for Bridgewater.
In addition to Bridgewater, the Panthers made a few more moves. They acquired Russell Okung in a trade with the Los Angeles Chargers, giving them a veteran option at the left tackle spot. Pharoh Cooper and Seth DeValve are interesting pieces on the offensive side of the football, and do not overlook P.J. Walker. The face of the XFL showed that he has the athletic ability and prowess outside of the pocket that fit in the modern NFL, and he should also be an ideal fit in Brady’s system. Finally, they added Robby Anderson, perhaps the best wide receiver remaining on the market at a rather reasonable deal for two years. Not a bad start to the Matt Rhule era.
27. New York Jets
Previous ranking: 27
Key additions: OT George Fant, C Connor McGovern, G Josh Andrews, G Greg Van Roten, CB Pierre Desir
Sam Darnold, above, probably feels a bit better about life as free agency continues. The Jets needed to address offensive line, and they threw a lot of spaghetti at the proverbial wall, adding an offensive tackle in George Fant as well as interior options such as Greg Van Roten and Connor McGovern. Fant has potential at the left tackle spot, but some of his best work last season with the Seattle Seahawks was as a tight end/sixth offensive lineman. Van Roten is a solid guard, and McGovern can start at center.
What holds the Jets back are questions about who Darnold will be throwing the football to. Robby Anderson, the Jets’ best offensive threat in 2019, now has a two-year deal with the Panthers. With the 11th overall selection, the Jets could find a receiver in the draft, but that might mean passing on more offensive line help to protect Darnold.
26. Miami Dolphins
Previous ranking: 28
Key additions: CB Byron Jones, OLB Kyle Van Noy, DE Shaq Lawson, DE Emmanuel Ogbah, C/G Ted Karras, FS Adrian Colbert, OLB Elandon Roberts, RB Jordan Howard
The Dolphins entered the offseason with draft capital and money to spend. General manager Chris Grier and head coach Brian Flores have done a solid job so far of spending some of that cap space, bringing in players ideal to run Flores’ man pressure defense. Byron Jones is a great man coverage cornerback, and now Flores has a highly talented duo on the outside with Jones and Xavien Howard. Kyle Van Noy is a Swiss army knife whom Flores knows exactly how to utilize. Howard is a nice complement to Miami’s current crop of running backs, and the duo of Lawson and Ogbah gives Miami pass-rushing help.
The biggest question the Dolphins face now is at quarterback. They still need to get that right before we can call them true winners of the offseason.
25. New York Giants
Previous ranking: 24
Key additions: ILB Blake Martinez, CB James Bradberry, QB Colt McCoy, T Cameron Fleming, WR Corey Coleman
The Joe Judge era began with the New York Giants making key moves on the defensive side of the football. With a need at cornerback, they added James Bradberry, a cornerback with a blend of man and zone coverage skills. Then they added Blake Martinez, a talented young linebacker with pass-rushing skills but perhaps a weakness against the run. That might make his fit in the Giants’ defense a bit of a reach if they are looking at him to be a forward-facing run stuffer. They still have needs as the draft approaches, and while Cameron Fleming is a nice swing tackle, you might expect them to address offensive tackle with the fourth overall selection.
24. Denver Broncos
Previous ranking: 25
Key additions: G Graham Glasgow, DT Jurrell Casey, RB Melvin Gordon, TE Nick Vannett, CB A.J. Bouye
The Broncos made a number of moves, both via the open market and through trades, and have the arrow trending in the right direction as spring approaches. First up was their use of the franchise tag on safety Justin Simmons, a talented player in the secondary who can be the cornerstone of their back third for the next few years, provided he and the team work out an extension. They also acquired cornerback A.J. Bouye via trade, easing the loss of Chris Harris Jr., in free agency. With Noah Fant in place as the No. 1 tight end, Vannett can serve ideally as a second option. Melvin Gordon is an interesting acquisition, and he gives the Broncos a pair of talented running backs with him and Phillip Lindsay. Finally, Graham Glasgow was perhaps the best interior offensive lineman available, and the Broncos likely view him as their starting center for 2020.
23. Los Angeles Rams
Previous ranking: 21
Key additions: DT A’Shawn Robinson, OLB Leonard Floyd
A few years ago, the Rams went all in on their pursuit of a Super Bowl. They loaded up around Jared Goff while he was on his rookie contract, acquiring players such as Aqib Talib, Brandin Cooks and Marcus Peters. They also handed Todd Gurley a big contract extension and gave Aaron Donald a well-deserved contract. They made it to a Super Bowl, but when they lost, they doubled down on some of the risky decisions. They traded for Jalen Ramsey and handed Goff a big contract extension. Now, after missing the playoffs last season, the bill is due.
Gurley is now with the Atlanta Falcons, they have minimal draft capital thanks to some of the trades they have made, and they have made scant few acquisitions in this free agency period. Add these moves up — along with what is happening around them in the NFC — and you see a team trending in the wrong direction.
22. Atlanta Falcons
Previous ranking: 19
Key additions: RB Todd Gurley, WR Laquon Treadwell, TE Hayden Hurst
The Falcons entered free agency with minimal cap space and difficult decisions to make with a few players. One of the first they made was to trade tight end Austin Hooper to the Cleveland Browns; players they lost in free agency include Vic Beasley and De’Vondre Campbell.
They looked to shore up the tight end position via trade, acquiring Hayden Hurst from the Baltimore Ravens (along with a fourth-round selection) in exchange for a second-round selection and a fifth-round selection. They signed Dante Fowler Jr., to replace Beasley. They also took a flier on Todd Gurley, giving him a one-year, $5 million deal in the hopes that his surgically repaired knee is healed enough.
They still need to address some areas, such as cornerback (in the wake of releasing Desmond Trufant) as well as the offensive line. Those needs, coupled with other action around the league and in the NFC South, drop the Falcons a few notches in this list.
21. Las Vegas Raiders
Previous ranking: 22
Key additions: QB Marcus Mariota, DE Carl Nassib, DT Maliek Collins, ILB Cory Littleton, ILB Nick Kwiatkoski, CB Eli Apple, WR Nelson Agholor, S Jeff Heath
The Raiders were one of the most active teams over the past few weeks, adding a number of players at key positions. Cory Littleton might be the star of this group as one of the league’s top coverage linebackers and a true three-down LB in today’s NFL. Maliek Collins is a nice acquisition as well, as he can push the pocket from the interior. Carl Nassib might have been given a big contract (a three-year, $25 million deal) but you can never have enough pass rushers in today’s NFL.
Mariota is a very interesting signing. He was given a two-year, $17.6 million contract that is actually less team-friendly than Derek Carr’s next season, so the Raiders might face an interesting decision in the next year or so about the quarterback position. Nelson Agholor had his issues with drops over the past few years — becoming an internet meme along the way — but he is an ideal fit for Gruden’s West Coast system.
20. Cleveland Browns
Previous ranking: 23
Key additions: TE Austin Hooper, T Jack Conklin, CB Kevin Johnson, S Karl Joseph, S Andrew Sendejo, DT Andrew Billings, LB B.J. Goodson, FB Andy Janovich, QB Case Keenum
Like the Raiders, the Browns were one of the busiest teams over the past few days. They brought in a ton of new talent, and the acquisitions paint a picture of how their offense in particular will operate in the new season. New head coach Kevin Stefanski relied heavily on 12 offensive personnel (one running back and two tight ends) last season with the Minnesota Vikings, and that makes their acquisition of Hooper a big move. Pairing him with perhaps David Njoku at the tight end spot, with Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry on the outside, gives the Browns an ideal 12 personnel package.
They also acquired Andy Janovich from the Denver Broncos via trade. Last year Stefanski also relied heavily on the fullback position, and Janovich will see an increased role in this new offense.
Beyond those two players, Case Keenum and Jack Conklin are also big acquisitions. Keenum gives the Browns a veteran backup and potential mentor for Baker Mayfield. Conklin also gives Cleveland a cornerstone tackle on the right side of the line, and with the 10th overall selection, the Browns are in position to grab the bookend for the left side of the OL.
19. Pittsburgh Steelers
Previous ranking: 18
Key additions: TE Eric Ebron, DE Chris Wormley, C Stefen Wisniewski, FB Derek Watt
The Steelers were in cap hell prior to free agency, and that forced them to make difficult decisions regarding some of their own free agents. As a result, nose tackle Javon Hargrave is headed across the state, having signed with the Philadelphia Eagles.
But as they hope for Ben Roethlisberger to return from his season-ending elbow injury from last year, they managed to add a weapon for him in the form of Ebron. The former Indianapolis Colts tight end was used extremely well by Frank Reich over the past few years, and he gives a healthy Roethlisberger a very nice security blanket with the potential to be a vertical threat out of multiple-tight end packages. Ultimately, however, the fate of Pittsburgh in 2020 rests on the status of Roethlisberger’s right elbow.
18. Chicago Bears
Previous ranking: 16
Key additions: QB Nick Foles, DE Robert Quinn, TE Jimmy Graham, OLB Barkevious Mingo, CB Artie Burns
The biggest question facing the Bears this offseason was how to handle the quarterback position. After general manager Ryan Pace traded up in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft to select Mitchell Trubisky, that gambit seems to have failed. Trubisky regressed last season, and Bears fans have been clamoring for someone to at least push Trubisky for the job next year.
That player might just be Nick Foles, who is a good schematic fit given his experience in West Coast systems such as Matt Nagy’s. The Bears needed to trade for him and take on his contract, so it is clear that Pace knows he has just a few cards to play as the pressure builds around him.
Pace seemed to make a similar decision about the tight end position, which also let the Bears down over the past season or so. With Trey Burton struggling with injuries and Adam Shaheen not living up to his pre-draft hype, they acquired an aging Jimmy Graham and gave him guaranteed money.
Yeah, that seat is definitely hot under the GM in Chicago.
17. Houston Texans
Previous ranking: 11
Key additions: WR Randall Cobb, FS Vernon Hargreaves, FS Eric Murray, RB David Johnson
There is that picture again …
I was reminded the other day of the series finale of “Seinfeld.” The show’s main characters are on trial in Massachusetts for violating the state’s “Good Samaritan Law,” a nod to how self-absorbed the four main characters were through the run of the series. The eventual trial gave the creator of “Seinfeld” a chance to bring back beloved minor characters to testify against Jerry and company, among them the show’s version of George Steinbrenner.
As the owner of the New York Yankees was on the stand, an infuriated Frank Costanza arose in the back of the courtroom, bellowing out at the owner “How could you give 12 million dollars to Hideki Irabu!?”
You could almost imagine a beleaguered Texans fan yelling something similar at Bill O’Brien about trading away DeAndre Hopkins. And if the Twitter ratios on the Texans’ main account are any indication, the ire felt by that fan base will not go away anytime soon.
Compounding matters are recent, lyrical yet cryptic tweets from quarterback Deshaun Watson:
Things seem fine …
16. Minnesota Vikings
Previous ranking: 10
Key additions: DT Michael Pierce, 22nd overall selection
Similar to the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Vikings were in a very difficult position with respect to the salary cap. That made it very difficult for the Vikings to manuever in free agency, and most of the moves related to Minnesota involved players leaving town. Both Xavier Rhodes and Trae Waynes are no longer with the organization, as is likely the case with Everson Griffen, who recently broke off contract negotiations.
Then there is the trade the Vikings executed, sending Stefon Diggs to the Buffalo Bills along with a seventh-round pick in exchange for four selections, including the 22nd overall selection in this year’s draft. Given the depth there is at the wide receiver group in the incoming rookie class, Minnesota should be able to draft a wide receiver at that spot. Or, given the loss of both starting cornerbacks from a season ago, they might need to address that position at No. 22, given how the talent wanes at that defensive spot in this draft.
Oh, but they did give Kirk Cousins a two-year, $66 million extension. So they’ve got that going for them, which is nice.
15. Dallas Cowboys
Previous ranking: 14
Key additions: S Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, CB Anthony Brown, DE Gerald McCoy
Jerry Jones and company faced three huge decisions this offseason. First, what to do with Dak Prescott; second, how to handle Amari Cooper; third, what about cornerback Byron Jones?
The third question was actually answered by the Miami Dolphins, who gave Jones a big offer on the open market that enabled his move to South Beach. The Cowboys focused their attention on the two offensive players, putting the franchise tag on Prescott and signing Cooper to a five-year, $100 million extension. That will certainly help their passing game as they look to work out a long-term deal with their QB. But the retirement this week of Travis Frederick, their very solid center, is going to be tough to handle.
Defensively, the loss of Jones weakens their secondary, and additions like Brown or fellow cornerback C.J. Goodwin are not going to immediately replace what Jones meant to this secondary. The loss of defensive tackle Maliek Collins, as well as defensive end Robert Quinn, has weakened their defensive front. Gerald McCoy will help, but they are likely looking at drafting a pass rusher with their first-round pick.
14. New England Patriots
Previous ranking: 8
Key additions: WR Damiere Byrd, DT Beau Allen, S Adrian Phillips, QB Brian Hoyer, FB Dan Vitale, S Cody Davis
You read that correctly.
The loss of Tom Brady obviously garners the bulk of the headlines, but the Patriots are undergoing major changes on their roster before our very eyes. Defensively, they are losing Elandon Roberts, Kyle Van Noy and Jamie Collins at the linebacker spots, Duron Harmon in the secondary and Danny Shelton up front. They just released kicker Stephen Gostkowski. On the offensive line, they lost Ted Karras, who performed well in place of center David Andrews last season.
And yes, they lost the greatest quarterback of all time.
Now the Patriots still have Bill Belichick on the sideline, and they have 12 picks to play with in the upcoming draft. The moves they have made to date did free up come cap space, but they have a huge dead cap number to deal with:
That … is not good.
Given the financial constraints, it is tough to see them acquiring one of the big-name QB targets in free agency given the other needs they have to address. Meaning second-year passer Jarrett Stidham is likely tasked with replacing Brady under center next season. The organization does like what Stidham showed last season, and veteran safety Devin McCourty gave him a glowing review recently, but those are massive, massive cleats to fill.
13. Los Angeles Chargers
Previous ranking: 17
Key additions: DT Linval Joseph, CB Chris Harris Jr., RT Bryan Bulaga, G Trai Turner
The Chargers made some very intriguing moves over the past few weeks, but one huge question mark remains.
We can start with the additions. Bryan Bulaga gives them a very solid right tackle. Trai Turner is a young guard, acquired via a trade with the Carolina Panthers, who gives a big boost to the interior of the offensive line, which was a big issue for the Chargers a season ago. Chris Harris Jr. gives the Chargers a very solid slot cornerback who also has the ability to play along the boundary, although he did struggle there a season ago. Linval Joseph is a very nice piece on the inside who can occupy bodies, freeing up players like Isaac Rochell and Joey Bosa to get after the passer.
All very good moves, but the question mark is at quarterback. The team has indicated that they are willing to roll with Tyrod Taylor next season, but with players like Cam Newton, Andy Dalton and Jameis Winston available, will they stick to that script? Also, with the sixth overall selection in the draft, will they pass on a rookie quarterback or not? Until they figure out the quarterback piece, it is hard to move them higher up the board.
12. Arizona Cardinals
Previous ranking: 15
Key additions: WR DeAndre Hopkins, DT Jordan Phillips, OLB De’Vondre Campbell, OLB Devon Kennard
It is hard to overstate how important the acquisition of Hopkins is for this offense and the trickle-down impact it might have on Arizona’s plans. The Cardinals ran 10 offensive personnel (four wide receivers, one running back, no tight end) more than any other team in the league a season ago, so acquiring a premier wide receiver like Hopkins is a massive move. As it stands, the Cardinals have a top three of Hopkins, Christian Kirk and Larry Fitzgerald, with players like Trent Sherfield, KeeSean Johnson, Hakeem Butler and Andy Isabella battling for that fourth spot.
Or, with the eighth overall pick in the draft, they could reunite quarterback Kyler Murray with one of his collegiate targets, CeeDee Lamb.
The acquisitions on the defensive side of the football are also very good additions. Phillips tallied nearly 10 sacks a season ago and gives them interior push on the inside with Chandler Jones still prowling on the outside. Campbell and Kennard are solid additions to the linebacker group.
Things are definitely trending up in the desert.
11. Seattle Seahawks
Previous ranking: 6
Key additions: OLB Bruce Irvin, CB Quinton Dunbar, G B.J. Finney, TE Greg Olsen
The biggest question right now is where Jadeveon Clowney winds up. If he returns to the Seahawks, that would definitely boost their stock. Adding Irvin is a nice acquisition, as the Seahawks struggled to generate consistent pressure last year and Irvin tallied 8.5 sacks a season ago, his career high. Seattle also absolutely stole cornerback Quinton Dunbar, one of the most effective players at his position in 2019, for a fifth-round pick.
They lost George Fant to the New York Jets, but adding pieces such as Finney will help the offensive line somewhat. Plus, having a mobile quarterback such as Russell Wilson works to mitigate any mistakes or deficiencies up front. Olson is a solid tight end, provided he remains healthy, but the organizations hedged their bets at that position by assigning a second-round tender on Jacob Hollister and inking Luke Willson to a contract extension.
10. Philadelphia Eagles
Previous ranking: 13
Key additions: DT Javon Hargrave, CB Darius Slay
The acquisition of Slay likely gets the most attention in and around Philadelphia, given the Eagles’ struggles in the secondary a season ago. Slay’s ability to play off alignments and in zone coverage will make him a perfect fit for Jim Schwartz’s penchant for having his corners on an island using off technique. Slay can click-and-close with the best of them and is a disruptive force at the catch point.
But do not sleep on the acquisition of Hargrave. He gives the Eagles tremendous talent on the interior of their defensive line, and pairing him on the inside with Fletcher Cox gives Philadelphia serious ability on the inside against both the run and the pass. With those two on the inside, Derek Barnett and Brandon Graham are going to see favorable matchups on the outside.
They still need to address wide receiver, and safety might be an issue with the departure of Malcolm Jenkins, but those are positions they can address early in the draft.
9. Indianapolis Colts
Previous ranking: 12
Key additions: QB Philip Rivers, DT DeForest Buckner
In Philip Rivers, the Indianapolis Colts now have a quarterback who might be an ideal fit for what Frank Reich is running schematically. Rivers is certainly on the tail end of his career, but if you look at how Reich handled Andrew Luck’s return from injury, and Jacoby Brissett, you will see how this can work. Reich’s West Coast system relied heavily on quick passes and throwing out of bigger personnel packages, so Rivers should be in a position to avoid pressure and get the ball out quickly. He struggled against pressure a bit last year but in 2018 his Adjusted Completion Percentage of 71.6 when pressured was fifth-best in the league. With Quinton Nelson and the returning Anthony Castonzo helping to protect him, Rivers should return to that 2018 form. The acquisition of Buckner gives this solid defense another stout player in the interior.
Oh, and the Cols still have the 34th and 44th overall picks in the draft, even after the trade of Buckner. So they could grab two high quality players there, or package those picks to move up into the first if a player they like falls to them.
8. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Previous ranking: 20
Key additions: QB Tom Brady
Yes, he moves the needle that much. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers make the biggest jump in these rankings, with the acquisition of the G.O.A.T.
Brady now gets to play with an array of weapons the likes of which he has not seen in a while. Mike Evans gives him a downfield target while Chris Godwin gives him his go-to slot receiver. O.J. Howard and Cameron Brate are great options at the tight end spot.
Furthermore, the Buccaneers defense gets a big boost. Unless Brady somehow matches the 30 interceptions thrown by Jameis Winston a season ago, no more short fields to defend, and perhaps longer stretches on the sideline watching and resting.
Finally, now Brady has something left to prove: that Bill Belichick was wrong for parting ways. Yeah, Tampa Bay fans should be excited.
7. Buffalo Bills
Previous ranking: 9
Key additions: WR Stefon Diggs, OLB A.J. Klein, ILB Tyler Matakevich, DE Quinton Jefferson, DT Vernon Butler, CB Josh Norman
Think back to Josh Allen, quarterback prospect out of the University of Wyoming. Close your eyes for a second and try and picture who he was back then. You’re probably seeing images of his big arm, making downfield throws, and flashing the elite velocity and arm strength ideal for a vertical-based passer.
That part of Allen’s game was missing a season ago. He was woeful throwing downfield, ranking 23rd out of 24 qualified passers in adjusted completion percentage on throws 20 yards or more downfield. But that can change with the trade for Diggs. While not a prototypical X receiver, Diggs is a game-changer in the vertical passing game. He led the league in touchdowns on vertical targets a season ago (six).
But the butterfly effect is real on what this means for the Bills offense. Having Diggs might mean more defenses play Cover-2 against them, making the box lighter and making the running game a bit easier. It also creates space for players like John Brown and Cole Beasley underneath.
Defensively, Jefferson and Butler are very solid acquisitions that will ease the loss of Shaq Lawson and Jordan Phillips, and reuniting Norman with Sean McDermott puts the veteran corner in a familiar defensive scheme.
6. Tennessee Titans
Previous ranking: 7
Key additions: DE Vic Beasley
The Titans are largely looking to just run it back from a season ago. They signed quarterback Ryan Tannehill to a four-year, $118 million extension, which freed up the franchise tag to be used on Derrick Henry, their workhorse running back. They also signed another contract extension with Dennis Kelly, who likely slides into the right tackle spot vacated by Jack Conklin.
They made the decision to release Cameron Wake defensively, but adding Vic Beasley was a nice move to replace what they lost off the edge. Beasley might be a few seasons away from his career-high 16.5 sacks in 2016, but he still had 36 total pressures a season ago and nine sacks, his highest output since that 2016 campaign. Pairing him with Harold Landry is likely an upgrade to their pass rush unit.
5. Green Bay Packers
Previous ranking: 5
Key additions: RT Rick Wagner, LB Christian Kirksey, TE Marcedes Lewis
A season ago, the Packers relied heavily on their dime defensive package. As pointed out by Doug Farrar in our free agency grade article, that requires a linebacker who can make plays against the pass but still stick his nose in down at the line of scrimmage against the run. They now have that player in Christian Kirksey, who played under defensive coordinator Mike Pettine in Cleveland. They lost right tackle Bryan Bulaga in free agency but can slide Rick Wagner into his spot immediately.
They still need another running mate for Davante Adams in the wide receiver room, but with the depth in this WR class they should be able to do that even picking at the end of the first round. Names to watch for are Denzel Mims from Baylor, Justin Jefferson from LSU, Brandon Aiyuk from Arizona State, Jalen Reagor from TCU and Tee Higgins from Clemson.
4. San Francisco 49ers
Previous ranking: 3
Key additions: ILB Joe Walker, 13th overall selection
Without any huge needs and lacking draft capital, the 49ers’ biggest move this free agency period has been to address the lack of picks. With a glut of talent along the defensive line, they sent DeForest Buckner to the Indianapolis Colts in exchange for the 13th overall selection in the 2020 NFL Draft. That, coupled with the loss of Emmanuel Sanders in free agency, makes it very likely that the 49ers secure one of the top wide receivers in this draft class. It would be surprising if one of the Alabama wideouts, either Henry Ruggs or Jerry Jeudy, gets past them at that spot. After their selection at No. 31 overall, they are not on the clock again until the fifth round, so look for them to move that second first-rounder in exchange for a pick or two on Day 2.
3. New Orleans Saints
Previous ranking: 4
Key additions: WR Emmanuel Sanders, S Malcolm Jenkins
The Saints badly needed to get Michael Thomas a running mate, and they did just that, adding Emmanuel Sanders to bolster their wide receiver group. Both Thomas and Sanders are versatile targets, with both being used last season in the slot and on the boundary. With Sanders in the fold, New Orleans can use their first-round selection to help the defense, perhaps with Zach Baun from Wisconsin, or they could trade down as they currently last a second-round pick.
Speaking of the defense, adding Jenkins into the secondary gives them a proven veteran safety with the ability to play both as a single high free safety or down in the box if needed. He can also serve as a strong mentor for Marcus Williams at the opposite safety spot and be a leader in the locker room.
But the main reason for their modest jump is the Sanders acquisition. This is going to be a very hard passing game to slow down.
2. Baltimore Ravens
Previous ranking: 2
Key additions: DE Calais Campbell, DT Michael Brockers, DT Jihad Ward
It is always fascinating to see a team take stock of how their season ended and make moves to counteract what did them in. In this case, you can see the Ravens adding reinforcements along their defensive front for one reason: stopping Derrick Henry and the running game. Henry tagged them for just under 200 yards rushing in the Tennessee Titans’ upset victory over the Ravens in the divisional round, and adding Campbell and Brockers on the inside makes this already solid defense even better up front. Now obviously Campbell can also get after the passer, so pairing him with Matthew Judon, who they used the franchise tag on, will enable Baltimore to continue pressuring passers while perhaps relying less on the blitz than they did a season ago.
They also took advantage of a deep tight end room, sending Hayden Hurst to the Atlanta Falcons and getting a second-round pick in return.
1. Kansas City Chiefs
Previous ranking: 1
Key additions: QB Jordan Ta’amu
They have Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes. Thirty-one other franchises do not. Enough said.
