Winners and Losers of NFL's Early Tampering Period

The start of the NFL's legal tampering period is always one of the calendar's most exciting events because of what might be.

Much like the draft a month later, the unofficial start of free agency provides hope. Established players jump to and fro as the league's landscape shifts. No team remains the same.

The most successful franchises tend to be hit the hardest, as other squads poach talent in hopes of closing the gap and becoming legitimate contenders.

The Chicago Bears serve as the prime example as they await their agreed-upon moves to become official at 4 p.m. ET on Wednesday. General manager Ryan Poles and new head coach Ben Johnson are doing their best to significantly upgrade the trenches on both sides of the ball. Quarterback Caleb Williams should benefit greatly, hence his name coming up again shortly.

Offseason winners don't always translate to the field. Sometimes, moves look better on paper than they are in execution. But the right signing or trade can make a difference. Just ask the reigning Super Bowl champs, the Philadelphia Eagles, after adding running back Saquon Barkley.

With the official start of the new league year looming, certain acquisitions or departures benefited or impeded multiple individuals and squads across the NFL.

Winner: NFC North QBs (except Jared Goff)

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Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams

An arms race is ongoing among the NFC North organizations, and those arms mostly belong to big beefy men who play in the trenches.

Each year, the market says the same thing, yet people tend to forget. The value of proven blockers will always be higher in league circles than the general public.

The NFL's offensive linemen problem hasn't quite reached a crisis moment, but it's not far away from becoming one. The lack of development and overall quality of linemen is obvious based on how teams are often seen scrambling to find competent options to build a dependable front five.

So it comes as no surprise that the offensive line is often the focus of teams trying to make a leap.

In the case of the Chicago Bears, defenses sacked rookie Caleb Williams a league-leading 68 times last season. The quarterback must be more consistent working within the rhythm of the offense and not hold the ball too long despite his abilities to create outside of structure. Still, Chicago's brass saw an issue and addressed it.

Prior to the opening of the league's legal tampering period, the Bears agreed to parameters of trades for guards Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson. They sent fourth- and sixth-round picks to the Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Rams, respectively. But general manager Ryan Poles didn't stop there.

Center Drew Dalman also agreed to three-year, $42 million free-agent deal to complete the renovation of Chicago's offensive interior.

Now, the Bears' offensive line is complete—as long as left tackle Braxton Jones returns healthy from a fractured ankle—with the potential to field the league's best pass-blocking interior thanks to the team's upgrades.

The Minnesota Vikings didn't blink despite the Bears' success in addressing a major need area, because they took a similar approach by bringing in veteran center Ryan Kelly and right guard Will Fries. Interestingly, both come from the Indianapolis Colts and will have a strong rapport playing next to one another once again.

With J.J. McCarthy set to take over the offense in what should be viewed as a de facto rookie campaign, the Vikings are making sure their offensive line is sturdy to help in the young signal-caller's development. Kelly and Fries will provide a strong presence in the run game to offset any growing pains in McCarthy's maturation as an NFL passer.

Even the Green Bay Packers got in on the act. The Pack only brought in one blocker, yet the team improved in two areas up front. Aaron Banks will join the squad after agreeing to a four-year, $77 million free-agent deal.

With Banks coming in to play guard, Elgton Jenkins will finally make the full-time transition to center. As a result, Green Bay should be more stout at both spots.

To be fair, the Detroit Lions already featured an elite offensive line, so they were good. However, these teams must counter defensive linemen Grady Jarrett, Dayo Odeyingbo, Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave—each of whom is a newly added piece to the division.

Offensive linemen are never sexy additions, but they should be viewed for how important they really area. The NFC North understands.

Loser: San Francisco 49ers

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Former San Francisco 49ers linebacker Dre Greenlaw

When designated as a "loser" in this particular piece, the San Francisco 49ers literally lost a huge swath of talent, giving the roster a distinctly different look in 2025.

The Niners have once again been viewed as an elite organization under the direction of general manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan, with two Super Bowl appearances and two added NFC Championship Games throw into the mix.

But the roster they had built is going through a transition. As the Bay Area News Group's Cam Inman noted, 11 of San Francisco's 22 starters in Super Bowl LVII are no longer with the team just 13 months later.

The transition began this offseason when the Niners chose to trade wide receiver Deebo Samuel to the Washington Commanders. Linebacker Dre Greenlaw, safety Talanoa Hufanga, cornerback Charvarius Ward, running back Elijah Mitchell and offensive tackle Jaylon Moore signed elsewhere as free agents. The team also released defensive tackle Javon Hargrave and edge-rusher Leonard Floyd.

In the biggest surprise, the 49ers cut nine-time Pro Bowl fullback Kyle Juszczyk on Monday.

San Francisco is bringing in tight end Luke Farrell, who may serve in a similar role to the one Juszczyk just vacated. The team is set to sign safety Richie Grant and wide receiver Demarcus Robinson as well.

All of these moves feel like a space-clearing tactic to sign quarterback Brock Purdy to a massive contract extension.

The 49ers own $20.8 million in available salary-cap space, according to Spotrac. When an expected large rookie class is thrown into the mix, San Francisco's front office doesn't have significant financial wiggle room. It had to make tough decisions because the quarterback position trumps all.

The question from this point forward is whether Purdy on a market-representative contract is good enough to elevate the roster.

Winner: Jayden Daniels

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Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels

The Washington Commanders find themselves in the exact opposite spot as the previously mentioned San Francisco 49ers. The former now has its franchise quarterback in place at the start of his rookie contract. Thus, the team can invest heavily in the surrounding cast to improve the roster as a whole.

The Commanders have done just that, specifically through two huge trades.

As mentioned earlier, Washington acquired wide receiver Deebo Samuel from the 49ers in exchange for a fifth-round draft pick. Samuel brings an entirely different skill set to the Commanders' passing game.

Early in Jayden Daniels' rookie campaign, offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury eased his quarterback into the NFL by giving him a lot of quick, short reads. As the season progressed, Daniels became more and more confident pushing the ball down the field.

But Samuel provides the type of weapon who can thrive in that quick passing game and create significant production after the catch. He'll pair nicely with Terry McLaurin, whose game is predicated on route running and serving as a downfield threat.

Furthermore, Daniels should be better protected in Year 2 after the Commanders acquired five-time Pro Bowl left tackle Laremy Tunsil from the Houston Texans for 2025 third- and seventh-round draft picks, as well as '26 second- and fourth-round selections.

Brandon Coleman still presents significant upside at tackle, and the Commanders couldn't pass on a high-end starter at a premium position. Coleman can be used in a variety of spots, though he may ultimately end up at guard.

Everything the Commanders do revolves around Daniels' continued development. A second legitimate weapon at wide receiver and a legit left tackle are two massive additions to help in the matter.

Loser: C.J. Stroud

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Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud

A year ago, the Houston Texans appeared to be rocketing toward the NFL's upper echelon. Instead, they flew too close to the sun in 2023 and started a descent the following campaign.

Yes, C.J. Stroud looks every bit the part of a franchise quarterback and DeMeco Ryans is a quality head coach. Also, the Texans won back-to-back division titles despite taking a slight step back in 2024.

As the common theme of the offseason continues, the Texans are one of the teams that haven't done enough to protect their quarterback.

Houston's offensive line ranked among the league's bottom four last season, according to Pro Football Focus. The Texans have done nothing to significantly improve the unit so far this offseason. Instead, the organization decided to trade its best blocker, Laremy Tunsil, to the Washington Commanders.

Veteran guard Laken Tomlinson did agree to a one-year, $4.25 million free-agent deal. Tomlinson does have 155 starts over his 10-year career. He can provide a stabilizing presence. But the 33-year-old is on his third team in three years because he's on the downside of his career.

Otherwise, a left tackle should be earmarked as the Texans' top priority in the draft, which means whatever rookie takes over Stroud's blind side will be a downgrade from Tunsil. Maybe Blake Fisher shows significant process in Year 2. [shrug emoji]

All in all, the Texans' front five is just as suspect today, if not more so, than when Houston entered the offseason, which is a never a good sign for a quarterback.

Winner: Safety Market

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New Carolina Panthers safety Tre'von Moehrig

A year ago, the safety market needed weeks before it really even started to fall into place. Only one, Xavier McKinney, landed a deal worth more than $10 million in average annual salary.

Before the claxon sounds to announce the start of the new league year, the current crop of safeties is doing quite well for itself.

Former Las Vegas Raiders second-round draft pick Tre'von Moehrig headlines this year group after agreeing to a three-year, $51 million contract to join the Carolina Panthers. For comparison, Moehrig's average annual salary eclipses McKinney's by $250,000.

McKinney went on to become a first-team All-Pro performer. The Panthers simply need Moehrig to be a quality backend defender. Along with Jaycee Horn's contract extension, the Panthers clearly prioritized secondary security.

From there, three more safeties—Jevon Holland, Camryn Bynum and Talanoa Hafunga—each cleared $15 million annually. In fact, six different safeties have agreed to deals where they'll average $10 million per season.

Quite the change to the market from one year to the next.

Loser: Anthony Richardson

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Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson

The theme of young quarterbacks being set up to succeed or fail continues with the Indianapolis Colts' Anthony Richardson.

While the Houston Texans, Denver Broncos, Washington Commanders, New England Patriots and Chicago Bears found their franchise signal-callers in the last two draft classes, the Colts are still clueless with what they have in Richardson, hence the decision to sign Daniel Jones to a one-year, $14 million free-agent contract.

"It's got to be the right guy to create real competition," general manager Chris Ballard told reporters. "But we want to create real competition. I think it's good for the team. I think it's good for Anthony.

"We drafted Anthony [early], knowing it was going to take some time, and we knew there's going to be some hiccups along the way. And I know we all want a finished product right now. I do. You do. Fans do. We all do. But I think as he continues to progress in his young career, us adding competition, I think, will help up everybody's game."

Richardson's representation responded, “AR will be ready to roll."

A recent fourth overall draft pick shouldn't find himself in this position, though. Clearly, the Colts' faith in Richardson has wavered.

The 22-year-old's lack of development of a passer is only part of the equation, though. His injury history, including a back issue that ended his second season, and lack of understanding in how to prepare as a professional quarterback are contributing factors as well.

Jones isn't coming to Indianapolis just to step aside and let Richardson keep the job. He left a good setup with the Minnesota Vikings based on getting an opportunity. Richardson has the talent, but he now has to prove beyond any doubt that he can be a starting NFL quarterback, or he won't be in the league for much longer.

Winner: New England Patriots

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Defensive lineman Milton Williams

The New England Patriots are a better team today than they were at the start of the offseason.

The Patriots' rebuild now starts in earnest, with Drake Maye in place as the franchise quarterback. The league's most salary-cap space entering free agency certainly helped matters.

New England didn't land every target. Notably, wide receiver Chris Godwin reportedly turned down a big offer to re-sign with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

While the Patriots still need offensive weapons (beyond Mack Hollins' addition) and a left tackle (Will Campbell, anyone?), Mike Vrabel's defense looks significantly better on paper.

A season ago, the Patriots finished among the bottom 11 in total defense. New England has already added defensive lineman Milton Williams, edge-rusher Harold Landry Jr., linebacker Robert Spillane and cornerback Carlton Davis.

Williams is the crown jewel of this free-agent class, not for the Patriots but the entire NFL. His agreed-upon contract is the most expensive with a total value of $104 million.

During Vrabel's time as the Tennessee Titans head coach, defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons served as the tone-setter for the entire defense. The 25-year-old Williams has those type of capabilities, as seen in Super Bowl LIX with his two-sack performance.

Williams may be the spearhead, but all three levels of the Patriots defense improved. Vrabel will have this group well-coached and playing fundamentally sound football, which they weren't a season ago.

Loser: Teams in Search of Veteran QBs

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Free-agent quarterback Aaron Rodgers

Quarterback-needy franchise are in bad shape as the new league year looms.

The Pittsburgh Steelers, New York Giants and Cleveland Browns are essentially in a holding pattern at the game's most important position, waiting for options who are no longer difference-makers.

The Las Vegas Raiders made the smartest move at quarterback by acquiring Geno Smith from the Seattle Seahawks in a trade. Smith is still a Pro Bowl-caliber performer, though his ceiling falls well short of elite. Still, that setup is far better than the remaining options.

With the Seahawks investing in Sam Darnold despite a deconstructed supporting cast, quality options are essentially off the board. Teams could be waiting for the draft, but only two options—Miami's Cam Ward and Colorado's Shedeur Sanders—are considered surefire first-round talents, and they're expected to be off the board early in April's draft.

Two of the teams previously mentioned are in play for one of those two incoming talents. While the Giants flirt with Aaron Rogers, the possibility of taking Sanders with the third overall pick (if the Titans do chose Ward at the top of the draft) remains strong.

Cleveland is the wild card. The front office coerced Myles Garrett to stay with the largest non-quarterback contract in NFL history. But the team likely sold Garrett on being able to compete instead of starting another rebuild. Kirk Cousins makes a lot of sense considering his previous history working with Kevin Stefanski during their time together in Minnesota.

The Browns continue to wait on the Atlanta Falcons and their decision regarding Cousins. While the Falcons have publicly said they want to keep the veteran signal-caller and help in Michael Penix Jr.'s development, the financial realities portend an upcoming release. Atlanta can release Cousins, designate him at a June 1 release and save a little bit of money ($2.5 million).

In Pittsburgh, the Steelers seemingly prefer Rodgers over last year's starter, Russell Wilson. Both of them are clearly on the downside of their careers and shadows of their former selves. Also, both are question marks as locker room leaders. The Steelers believe their long-established culture can overcome all. What it can't overcome is declining play.

Let's be real for a moment: All of the veterans mentioned are Band-Aids, and they're crusty, aging Band-Aids that are barely holding on as is. None of them are going to change the fortunes of the franchises in these discussions.