The 1 Move Each NFL Team Would Be Most Wise to Make This Offseason
The NFL offseason is picking up steam as the combine comes into full view and free agency breaches the horizon.
Teams are already starting to make transactions, and rumors and speculation are beginning their annual spin into frenzy. Between cap management and free agency, there is plenty to talk about in the following weeks.
Let's take a look at one move each team should make in regard to freeing up cap space or bolstering a position on the roster.
Arizona Cardinals
1 of 32
The Wise Move: Trade Larry Fitzgerald
Ideally, the Arizona Cardinals should try to keep Larry Fitzgerald. But we don't live in an ideal world.
The talented wide receiver is scheduled to pummel Arizona's cap to the tune of $23.6 million this year. Considering the Cardinals are slated to hover around the Mendoza line—depending on where the salary cap actually lands—this is entirely unsustainable.
Fitzgerald could agree to a massive restructuring of his contract. He appears to be committed to Arizona, after all, and he just won the Art Rooney Award for sportsmanship, being a stand-up guy and all. But money talks, and he may not be willing to take an enormous pay cut.
So, barring a restructured deal in the coming weeks, the Cardinals must trade Fitzgerald. They may be hard-pressed to find a suitor given how much money he is still owed, but there is no denying he is one of the most talented receivers in the league still. At 31, he should still have plenty left in his tank, too.
It's better for Arizona to save $9.2 million and gain some draft picks than continue on in cap hell.
Atlanta Falcons
2 of 32
The Wise Move: Cut Steven Jackson
This is a no-brainer, right?
It seems like Steven Jackson has been in the league for 20 years. In reality, 11 years might have been more than enough.
The 31-year-old is past his prime at this point, having averaged 3.6 yards per carry over the past couple of seasons and clearly losing a gear or two in that span.
With youngster Devonta Freeman on board and a bevy of options in free agency and in the draft, Atlanta has little reason to keep Jackson and his $4.9 million cap figure around any longer.
Baltimore Ravens
3 of 32
The Wise Move: Extend Haloti Ngata
The Baltimore Ravens might be preparing to give Haloti Ngata an ultimatum—to take a pay cut or get cut, per The Baltimore Sun's Mike Preston—but releasing the big defensive tackle would be the nuclear option.
It's not as if the 31-year-old isn't valuable. He just isn't worth $16 million. If the Baltimore Ravens weren't strapped for cap space, it might not matter much. But he does need to lower that cap number, lest the Ravens part ways with their long-time defensive lineman.
The good news is that he should be motivated to sign an extension that would help reduce that number. Ngata has a few good years left in him, and Baltimore should be able to get him to sign that last contract so he can retire as a Raven.
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Buffalo Bills
4 of 32
The Wise Move: Sign Brian Hoyer
Who will play quarterback for the Buffalo Bills now that Kyle Orton is retired?
EJ Manuel is the easy answer to that question, but is that the answer at quarterback? Everything we have seen from him since he entered the league screams "no!"
Now, the alternatives aren't particularly palatable—Brian Hoyer and Mark Sanchez headline yet another lackluster free-agent class, and the draft class has two viable quarterbacks.
Hoyer doesn't come with the baggage Sanchez carries, though the latter shed some of that burden in Philadelphia with a quiet year and some quality play at times. Then there is the fact head coach Rex Ryan knows exactly what he will get—or, more importantly, won't get—with Sanchez.
He may not be the long-term solution, but Hoyer would be an upgrade at the position. With some talent around him and a potentially elite defense, he would just have to be a game manager.
Carolina Panthers
5 of 32
The Wise Move: Sign an offensive tackle
The Carolina Panthers lost a quality left tackle when Jordan Gross retired before last season. Without anyone to replace him, quarterback Cam Newton took a beating.
There aren't a ton of great options in free agency, but there are plenty of improvements over what the Panthers have right now. Byron Bell and Nate Chandler were among the worst offensive tackles rated by Pro Football Focus—Bell was second-worst.
If the Dallas Cowboys let him hit the market, Doug Free would be an excellent pickup here.
Chicago Bears
6 of 32
The Wise Move: Sign a safety
Once a feared unit, the Chicago Bears defense has been declawed in the past couple of seasons.
There are many reasons for its fall from grace, and the secondary is certainly one of them. Save for a great play here and there, Chris Conte has been one of the worst safeties in the league over the past few seasons.
Ryan Mundy and Brock Vereen have been halfway decent, but an upgrade at the position would go a long way toward solidifying a back line that needs help.
It wouldn't make much sense for the New England Patriots to let stud safety Devin McCourty go, but he would certainly be a major improvement for the Bears if he comes available.
Cincinnati Bengals
7 of 32
The Wise Move: Sign a pass-rusher
The Cincinnati Bengals went from a top-10 pass-rushing defense to dead last in sacks last season. Perhaps the fact they let Michael Johnson go in free agency had something to do with that.
They will need to shore up the pass rush this offseason, and they might have plenty to choose from come March. With Jason Pierre-Paul at the top of the heap, a ton of defensive ends are set to hit free agency.
Of course, they'll have to get there before their own teams snap them up, but anything could happen in the next few weeks.
Cleveland Browns
8 of 32
The Wise Move: Sign a wide receiver or three
The Cleveland Browns should have done something about the wide receiver position last year, particularly in a deep draft.
Instead, they watched as other teams scooped up talented wideouts, trusting their corps led by a suspended Josh Gordon and a bunch of castoffs.
Gordon is suspended yet again—this time for an entire season—and the Browns are left with Larry, Moe and Curly at wide receiver. The market is going to be flooded with some big names at the position if some teams don't lock down their own free agents before March 10.
It's time Cleveland gave its starting quarterback—whoever that might be—some bona fide weapons at receiver.
Dallas Cowboys
9 of 32
The Wise Move: Let DeMarco Murray go
The Dallas Cowboys had a magical season, one that was all but cut short by a controversial officiating call at the end of their divisional matchup against the Green Bay Packers.
Part of the magic was the emergence of running back DeMarco Murray, who bucked concerns about durability to lead the league in touches and rushing yardage and make the Cowboys offense one of the most dangerous in the league.
Now the Cowboys need to do the hard thing and let him go.
That is not to say Murray wouldn't be valuable going forward, but right now his leverage is as high as it might ever be. He is 27 years old and coming off a career year. Even with declining prices at running back, he is going to command a good chunk of change in free agency.
Unfortunately, Dallas is running low on cap space. With receiver Dez Bryant and offensive tackle Doug Free up for new contracts as well, squeezing Murray in might be a cap-killer.
There's also the risk the Cowboys would incur by signing Murray to a big contract. They all but ran him into the ground with 500 total touches including the playoffs last season, and his price tag will probably be too much for his position.
Good teams pay for future performance, not what's in the past.
Denver Broncos
10 of 32
The Wise Move: Re-sign Demaryius Thomas
Whatever happens with quarterback Peyton Manning, the Denver Broncos must retain Demaryius Thomas for the long haul—at least if they are going to have a halfway decent offense once Manning is gone, anyway.
Thomas has been great for the Broncos even before Manning came to town. He made Tim Tebow a playoff legend with an 80-yard touchdown catch-and-run to beat the Pittsburgh Steelers in a 2012 Wild Card Round matchup.
In truth, it would be a surprise to see Manning hang up his cleats. Thomas has been a huge part of a powerful offense in recent years, and the Broncos need him back if they want to keep that championship window open as wide as possible.
Detroit Lions
11 of 32
The Wise Move: Let Ndamukong Suh go
The Detroit Lions have a tough choice when it comes to Ndamukong Suh.
He is the most dominant defensive player in the league this side of J.J. Watt, a huge asset for a tough defensive line in recent years. But he is going to command a ton of money.
The Lions are in the bottom half of the league when it comes to cap space. Depending on the final salary cap, they may have less than $20 million to deal with, and they still have big cap numbers coming for quarterback Matthew Stafford and receiver Calvin Johnson coming.
Those two will combine for $46.5 million on the 2016 cap alone if nothing changes.
As much as the Lions may want to keep their former first-round draft pick, Suh is probably going to be too rich for their blood.
Green Bay Packers
12 of 32
The Wise Move: Re-sign Randall Cobb
The Green Bay Packers have enjoyed a bevy of offensive weapons over the years. They have been wise with money in keeping the right ones while letting others go in free agency.
They would be wise to keep Randall Cobb.
The talented receiver is a versatile weapon who just began hitting his stride in 2014. His first fully healthy season saw him go over 1,300 total yards and double-digit touchdowns, and his ability to line up anywhere on the field and inflict pain upon opposing defenses will be invaluable for Aaron Rodgers for years to come.
Houston Texans
13 of 32
The Wise Move: Trade Andre Johnson
The Houston Texans need to create cap space, and wide receiver Andre Johnson is slated to hit the cap at $16.1 million this season.
Johnson hasn't exactly been happy with the Texans, though that doesn't seem to have affected his play on the field. At 33 years of age, he may be getting long in the tooth for that kind of money.
He is still a quality big receiver, though you wouldn't know it with the quarterback play he has gotten. Surely a team with cap space would be interested in trading for Johnson, right?
With the emergence of DeAndre Hopkins in Houston, Johnson is even more expendable.
Indianapolis Colts
14 of 32
The Wise Move: Sign Ndamukong Suh
If you watched the Indianapolis Colts play the New England Patriots this season, you may have noticed a problem defending the run.
The Colts need an upgrade along their defensive line, particularly in the middle. What better upgrade could there be than Ndamukong Suh?
The big defensive tackle is one of the most dominant players in the league, and there's a good chance he will hit free agency. Gregg Doyel of The Indianapolis Star makes the case for Indianapolis signing him:
"The Colts are 12-to-1.
Sign Suh, and that number could be – should be – cut in half. He's that good, and that perfect for what ails the Colts. And you know what ails the Colts? It's more than a lack of disruptive talent on defense.
It's nastiness.
Quick, name one nasty player for the Colts. Just one. Name one guy who strikes fear into the other team, not fear from talent but fear from volatility. Name one Colt who plays with such a ferocious edge that he's in the opponent's head before the game even starts.
"
The Colts have enough space to fit him in, though they will also have to fit Andrew Luck's contract in there sometime in the future.
Jacksonville Jaguars
15 of 32
The Wise Move: Sign DeMarco Murray
This might seem a bit out of left field, but the Jacksonville Jaguars don't exactly have a wealth of talent at running back.
They signed Toby Gerhart to a three-year deal last offseason, but he was predictably average when he was healthy. He rushed for 326 yards and two touchdowns, averaging a horrific 3.2 yards per carry in the process.
The offensive line didn't help much, but how much better would that offense be with a bona fide running back? Given the Jaguars have the most cap space in the league, fitting a guy like DeMarco Murray—last year's rushing champion—should be doable without affecting other signings.
Signing Murray would also allow the Jaguars to focus elsewhere in the draft. Of course, the Dallas Cowboys will have to let Murray go first, but that is a distinct possibility given the cap implications in Dallas.
Kansas City Chiefs
16 of 32
The Wise Move: Cut Dwayne Bowe
The Kansas City Chiefs aren't exactly loaded at wide receiver. So why cut Dwayne Bowe, whom they just signed to a lucrative extension two years ago?
Well, Bowe hasn't exactly been worth the $56 million deal he signed, totaling 1,427 receiving yards and five touchdowns over the past two seasons. Several receivers have had better numbers in a single season during that span.
Granted, quarterback Alex Smith isn't exactly well-suited to maximize Bowe's skills, but that may not be a factor when the Chiefs are hovering near the projected cap for 2015. Bowe's $14 million cap hit is just not worth it.
Unfortunately, it's going to be tough to trade him and that massive contract. He doesn't bring the same value on the field as guys like Andre Johnson and Larry Fitzgerald do, though perhaps the Chiefs can get a lower draft pick for Bowe if they find a trade partner.
Cutting him seems like their best bet.
Miami Dolphins
17 of 32
The Wise Move: Trade Mike Wallace
Another team, another receiver that needs to go.
Mike Wallace has been far better than Dwayne Bowe since signing that $60 million contract with the Miami Dolphins two years ago, but he has fallen far short of expectations or value.
True, he had 10 touchdowns in 2015, but he hasn't been the No. 1 receiver Miami paid for, and it doesn't seem like he is hitting it off with quarterback Ryan Tannehill.
The Dolphins don't have much cap space either, and rumors have begun to swirl they might be signing Tannehill to a massive extension soon, per the South Florida Sun-Sentinel's Dave Hyde.
Wallace can be a valuable asset to another team, and the Dolphins have experience trading expensive receivers—they gave away Brandon Marshall for two third-round picks just a few years ago, though under another regime.
Trading him would save $5.5 million on this year's cap. While he would still carry $6.5 million in dead money, the Dolphins wouldn't have to deal with that cap hit in future years.
Minnesota Vikings
18 of 32
The Wise Move: Cut Adrian Peterson
Adrian Peterson wants to return to the Minnesota Vikings. But how willing is he to take a massive pay cut?
Surely, the Vikings would want him to agree to one, given his cap hit is $15.4 million for 2015. Cutting him would save Minnesota $13 million, but it would also free the team of the baggage he is sure to carry going forward.
The talented running back pleaded no contest to charges of child abuse, which got him officially suspended for the 2014 season. He hasn't even been reinstated yet—Peterson just got past his reinstatement hearing, per Tom Pelissero of USA Today.
With him one year out of football and hitting 30 in March, we just don't know what we'll see from him going forward.
New England Patriots
19 of 32
The Wise Move: Extend Darrelle Revis
Fresh off their Super Bowl win, the New England Patriots have a potential salary-cap crisis on their hands. But it's one they can easily solve.
Darrelle Revis has a salary-cap hit of $25 million for 2015, assuming the Patriots pick up his option. There is little reason to think they won't keep him, but that cap number is way too high considering it would put them near the 2015 cap.
Considering Revis helped that defense improve enough to win the Super Bowl, it's an easy call that the Patriots should keep him. The question is whether he will chase every last dollar and cross head coach Bill Belichick, who has had no problems letting free agents go who do so.
New Orleans Saints
20 of 32
The Wise Move: Cut Jahri Evans
It's an unfortunate reality in New Orleans as the Saints are going to have to make steep cuts on their roster. Those cuts will come from all over, but offensive guard Jahri Evans should definitely be on the list.
Evans has been an integral part of the offensive line in New Orleans for years now, making the Pro Bowl just a season ago. But the big guard fell off a bit in 2014, and he has an $11 million cap number for 2015. Cutting him with a post-June 1 designation would save New Orleans $8.7 million for this season.
Shedding that much salary in one fell swoop could save the Saints elsewhere.
New York Giants
21 of 32
The Wise Move: Re-sign Jason Pierre-Paul
The New York Giants must retain Jason Pierre-Paul before free agency hits. There are too many needy teams who would pick him up in a heartbeat.
Pierre-Paul has had his health issues in recent years, dealing with a litany of injuries that have short-circuited a promising start to his career. The 26-year-old finally had a relatively healthy 2014 season, however, amassing double-digit sacks for the first time since his breakout sophomore season.
One good season doesn't erase the past few, but Pierre-Paul has so much potential that he is worth the risk. He is still heading into his prime, to boot.
The Giants had the fourth-most sacks in the league last season thanks in large part to their big defensive end. They would be remiss to just let him go.
New York Jets
22 of 32
The Wise Move: Cut Percy Harvin
It hasn't exactly been smooth sailing for Percy Harvin in the NFL.
On his third team in as many years, he may be on his way out yet again. And the New York Jets would be wise to dump him.
Quite simply, Harvin has come nowhere near worth his contract, one that puts his cap hit at $10.5 million for 2015. He scored exactly one receiving touchdown last season—though he was robbed of three while he was still with the Seattle Seahawks—and injuries have plagued him almost as much as his personality has plagued his teams.
Oakland Raiders
23 of 32
The Wise Move: Sign a defensive end
The Oakland Raiders need to sign a lot of players, but the pass rush needs some tender loving care.
Despite drafting stud rookie Khalil Mack—who plays outside linebacker—and signing Justin Tuck and LaMarr Woodley last offseason, the Raiders tied for second-worst in sacks last season. That needs to improve if the rest of the defense is going to be competitive in the AFC West.
Philadelphia Eagles
24 of 32
The Wise Move: Re-sign Jeremy Maclin
A year ago, Jeremy Maclin took a chance and signed a one-year contract to stay with the Philadelphia Eagles despite coming back from an injury. Granted, he may not have gotten much more elsewhere considering his torn ACL, but he could have sought some more guarantees.
Maclin delivered on his promise, totaling 1,318 yards and 13 touchdowns last season. Now it's time for the Eagles to deliver with a lucrative contract extension and reward Maclin's good faith.
Of course, this goes beyond goodwill—Maclin is actually a good player, and the Eagles fell off a bit in the passing game after letting their previous receiving leader go.
Losing DeSean Jackson wasn't the only reason the passing game took a hit—Nick Foles regressed and Mark Sanchez is, well, Mark Sanchez—but the Eagles can ill-afford to let their 2014 leader go, too.
Pittsburgh Steelers
25 of 32
The Wise Move: Cut Troy Polamalu
All great careers must come to an end. Perhaps it's time for Troy Polamalu to ride off into the sunset.
Well, the stalwart Steelers safety may not be ready to retire, but Pittsburgh needs to do something to free up cap space and improve the secondary. Polamalu is slated for an $8.25 million cap hit in 2015, and the Steelers may need to move on from their longtime starter.
An extension might make sense to reduce that cap number, but it wouldn't just be cap savings for the Steelers, either. Polamalu was the 48th-best safety in the league, according to Pro Football Focus last season.
San Diego Chargers
26 of 32
The Wise Move: Sign a pass-rusher
The San Diego Chargers had the fourth-worst pass rush in the league last season, amassing just 26 sacks. That was with Dwight Freeney and Jarret Johnson, who might not be back.
Freeney might retire at 34, and Johnson just isn't very good.
With over $25 million in cap space, San Diego has plenty of cheddar to spend in free agency. If Justin Houston hits the market by some miracle, he would be a perfect pickup for the sack-deficient Chargers.
San Francisco 49ers
27 of 32
The Wise Move: Let Michael Crabtree go
The San Francisco 49ers haven't been lights out in the passing game in recent years, but they may have to retool at the wide receiver position.
Michael Crabtree hasn't been himself since injuring his Achilles nearly two years ago. After making an early comeback from the injury in 2014, but he had just 698 yards and four touchdowns in a fully healthy 2014 season.
With no cap space to begin with and little reason to keep him, the 49ers should make other arrangements at the position this offseason.
Seattle Seahawks
28 of 32
The Wise Move: Extend Russell Wilson early
The Seattle Seahawks enter the offseason in great shape when it comes to cap space.
According to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report, there have been rumors that Ndamukong Suh is interested in joining that ridiculously good defense, which wouldn't be fair for the rest of the league. The trouble with that would be the price tag—even at a discount, Suh would command a ton of money.
While that would be a sweet addition, it could handcuff the Seahawks when it comes to keeping some of their own. With quarterback Russell Wilson slated to hit free agency in 2016, it might be a good idea to focus on the future of their own players in Seattle.
Wilson is going to be expensive—there is no way around that. He might give some sort of hometown discount given the culture Pete Carroll has cultivated within that franchise, but it's difficult to believe Wilson won't be one of the top earners at his position once he signs an extension.
Getting him re-signed early would give the Seahawks the ability to utilize some of that cap space for his new contract, perhaps protecting them from a massive cap number in a few years that could hamstring their ability to retain other important players or bring in new free agents.
St. Louis Rams
29 of 32
The Wise Move: Cut Sam Bradford
It seems like quarterback Sam Bradford has been under contract for a decade.
The St. Louis Rams have gotten exactly seven regular-season games out of their former No. 1 pick over the past two seasons, and he has never come close to living up to that massive rookie deal. That deal has Bradford smacking the salary cap with a $16.6 million number this season.
That deal bites not only because Bradford hasn't lived up to it, but because the Rams have almost no cap space to boot.
He is attempting yet another comeback from injury this year, but the Rams would be wise to cut bait and start looking for their quarterback of the future now.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
30 of 32
The Wise Move: Draft a quarterback
There isn't much in the way of draft advice in this column, mainly because there is too much uncertainty about the availability of players come draft day.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have no such problem, owning the No. 1 pick.
Josh McCown and Mike Glennon are not the answers for Tampa Bay, and the Buccaneers may not get another chance to address the position in the draft for years.
Neither Jameis Winston nor Marcus Mariota is a slam-dunk No. 1 pick like Andrew Luck, but being stuck in quarterback purgatory is no fun either. Fortune favors the bold, and the Buccaneers better be smart about it too.
Tennessee Titans
31 of 32
The Wise Move: Draft a quarterback
Much like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Tennessee Titans will have a chance to upgrade at quarterback with the No. 2 pick. Even if the Buccaneers select one of Jameis Winston or Marcus Mariota, the other will be available.
(Thank you, Captain Obvious.)
Of course, draftniks and scouts are already busy dissecting those two, and teams might not see fit to draft those two highly. But the Titans need a quarterback worse than the Buccaneers or most other teams do—Zach Mettenberger is no Tom Brady—and neither of these two signal-callers is likely to make it to the second round.
Washington
32 of 32
The Wise Move: Sign a right tackle
It would be easy to say the wise move in Washington would be to finally relent on the team nickname, but that would be too obvious.
Washington had a real problem protecting the quarterback in 2014. Quarterback Robert Griffin III was sacked 33 times on just 472 offensive snaps last season per PFF.
Offensive tackle Trent Williams was his usual good self last season, but Tyler Polumbus was awful. He was one of the worst offensive tackles in the league, according to Pro Football Focus—bad enough to get benched midway through the season.
If Washington is going to fix the offense and divert attention from a volatile quarterback situation, it needs to start in the trenches. It would be sweet victory in the capital city if new general manager Scot McCloughan could steal Doug Free from the Dallas Cowboys in free agency.
All salary-cap and free-agent information courtesy of Spotrac.
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