NFL Teams That Crushed It in 2019 Free Agency

The clear-cut winners of the NFL's free-agency period put themselves in strong standing going into April's draft.

Spending lots of money isn't the only element of winning free agency. Filling needs at good values and using the market for what it is—a way to flesh out a foundation while building through the draft—are what craft a winner.

The following franchises navigated the temptations of free-agent waters well, securing their status as the teams that got it right. They should reap the on-field rewards sooner than later.

Detroit Lions

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Trey Flowers

Coming off a dip in performance last season with only six wins, the Detroit Lions needed to implement some big free-agency spending.

The front office and head coach Matt Patricia did just that to solve a pair of problem areas.

One, they signed Trey Flowers, a defender Patricia was familiar with thanks to their time together in New England. Flowers is a versatile powerhouse who will boost a defense that could only register 43 sacks a season ago.

The Flowers move also helped Detroit avoid the pitfall of bringing back Ezekiel Ansah. He's talented but often hurt, hence his still sitting on the open market as of this writing.

Two, the Lions added cornerback Justin Coleman to man the nickel spot. He found success in Seattle and shores up an obvious need in a division that features heavyweight receivers like Davante Adams, Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs.

The Lions are now in a position to crush the draft after addressing a pair of big roster issues.

San Francisco 49ers

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From left: John Lynch, Kwon Alexander, Dee Ford and Kyle Shanahan

The San Francisco 49ers continue to build around the idea they already have a franchise passer in Jimmy Garoppolo.

Needing to fill a void at linebacker after releasing Reuben Foster last season, the 49ers spent big on the position, signing Kwon Alexander to a $54 million contract. He's a top talent, though he's missed 14 games of his last two campaigns.

The upside is more than worth the risk. Likewise with cornerback Jason Verrett, an elite player when he's on the field. He's only been able to appear in five games over his last three seasons.

Value moves have been in play too, though understandably they fall behind the Alexander transaction. Tevin Coleman is a good get at 25 years old who should pair well with Jerick McKinnon. The 49ers got defensive back Jimmie Ward back under contract as well.

The front office also acquired Dee Ford from the Kansas City Chiefs and then signed him to a five-year deal. Ford, a top-15 pass-rusher coming off a 13-sack campaign, joins a defense that only mustered 37 a season ago.

Landing the 28-year-old Ford in the middle of his prime instead of gambling on some of the market's top names and entering bidding wars was a stroke of brilliance. Keep in mind the 49ers could bolster the pass rush even further at No. 2 overall in the draft. However, the addition of Ford and others could mean any position, or even a trade down, is on the table.

Oakland Raiders

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Jon Gruden

Within free agency and outside it, the Oakland Raiders crushed this offseason.

Jon Gruden won't be able to escape talk about how Khalil Mack and Amari Cooper helped spur two different teams to the playoffs last year. But he can counter that trading them away gave the Raiders three selections in the first round.

He can also boast about adding receiver Antonio Brown. Love him or hate him, Brown plus the Dallas Cowboys' first-round pick instead of Cooper walks a nice line between helping quarterback Derek Carr now and building for the future.

As for free agency, the Raiders grabbed a starting left tackle with Trent Brown. He's a bit of a risk with only one great season to his name, but he's a possible solution at a position that teams spend years trying to address.

Receiver Tyrell Williams is a nice get to complement Brown and boost the passing game. Lamarcus Joyner is a versatile defensive back who can play wherever the team wants him. Low-risk depth signings like Vontaze Burfict, Isaiah Crowell, Brandon Marshall and Luke Willson provide an immediate boost at various spots.

While the cost was high, the Raiders smartly tackled Phase 2 of Gruden's 10-year plan. Phase 3 is using those three first-round picks and four in the top 35 on the best talent on the board.

New York Jets

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C.J. Mosley

The New York Jets spent a boatload of money.

That is fine. Boasting plenty of cap space and working through a massive rebuild around a talented young passer calls for such an approach.

It's the way the Jets spent the money that should impress. Le'Veon Bell comes to the Big Apple after a year away from football and will immediately carry the offense. He's one of the most versatile running backs in the league and only 27 years old, so this isn't a one-year add. In an age of committees, Bell can do it on his own, unlike most others.

Paying up for C.J. Mosley is just fine too. While he's not a trendy, light linebacker who can stick with shifty slot receivers and the like, he's a superstar of a leader in the heart of the defense and a known commodity. He's missed three games over five years and bullied opposing offenses on his way to nearly 600 combined tackles.

The Jets also made other moves that will help Sam Darnold, like assigning a second-round tender to restricted free agent Robby Anderson and bringing aboard deep threat Jamison Crowder. A superb performance all around before the Jets add a top-three talent to the mix in the draft.

Indianapolis Colts

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Pierre Desir

The Indianapolis Colts probably irritated some fans with their approach to free agency.

They largely stood still despite entering the open market with the most cap space.

However, that makes sense when viewing things through a wide lens. Cap space is nice, but using it wisely is even better. The Colts could have chased Le'Veon Bell or entered a bidding war for Trey Flowers. But throwing so much cap room at one position wouldn't be the smartest move.

The Colts likely learned a lot from last year's basic approach in the draft, attacking the offensive line multiple times and fixing a big problem area. This offseason, the front office made a point to bring back quality in-house players like cornerback Pierre Desir.

When they did enter the market, the Colts got a steal with Devin Funchess, an ideal big target for Andrew Luck. They were also rewarded for their patience with pass-rusher Justin Houston. A cap casualty in Kansas City, the 30-year-old veteran has nine or more sacks in each of his last two seasons.

Expectations painted on the Colts by outsiders suggested big things. But they stayed true to the plan and should be better for it, now and a long time down the road.

Baltimore Ravens

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Earl Thomas

Free agency looked brutal for the Baltimore Ravens—to start.

Losing core pieces C.J. Mosley, Eric Weddle, Terrell Suggs and Za'Darius Smith looked bad. Unless Baltimore could pull a Seattle-esque transition and still play well after losing key defensive names, this offseason was going to look like a loss.

But the Ravens were smart to avoid overpaying to keep guys like Mosley and Smith. And team legend or not, Suggs is 36 years old.

Patient in the chaos, the Ravens came out of nowhere to land Earl Thomas, one of the league's best, rangiest safeties. He's an upgrade in the secondary, and his rare skill set mitigates some of the pass-rushing effectiveness lost in free agency.

The Ravens were also focused on helping second-year passer Lamar Jackson. To that end, they got a big win by signing running back Mark Ingram, who has averaged north of 4.3 yards per carry in each of his last six seasons.

It wasn't an instant-gratification trip to market by any means. But a solid showing, if not securing two outright upgrades, has the Ravens in a great situation with the draft on deck.