NFL Free Agency 2021: Which Teams Have Improved the Most So Far?

Winners and losers of NFL free agency are taking shape.

The signings have come fast and furious with some interesting developments. Trent Williams reset the tackle market, the Green Bay Packers kept Aaron Jones and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers retained several key cogs of their championship team.

The most interesting thing to track in free agency is who got better. While pundits can break down what contracts were good and who spent too much money, the core question in free agency is whether a team improved.

The following franchises have experienced the most improvement through free agency thus far. This isn't an evaluation of the contracts or the teams' new cap situations. We're determining who is in a better position to win football games based on who they've locked in to play next season.

5. Arizona Cardinals

Eric Christian Smith/Associated Press

Notable Additions: Edge J.J. Watt, WR A.J. Green, C Rodney Hudson (trade)

The Cardinals' moves over the past two seasons will make it impossible for Kyler Murray to say the team didn't give him enough to work with on his rookie contract.

Last season, they acquired DeAndre Hopkins, Jordan Phillips and De'Vondre Campbell. This offseason, they've brought in proven talents once again.

J.J. Watt was a surprise signing given how many teams were interested in him after he left Houston. The soon-to-be 32-year-old isn't the dominant force he once was as a pass-rusher, but Pro Football Focus still rated him as the seventh-best edge defender.

The Cards let Haason Reddick walk, so there was some loss in the pass rush, but Watt's presence as a leader and stability make him an upgrade.

A.J. Green looked like he was done last year in Cincinnati. But if he's going to see a bounce-back year and regain some of his form, Arizona is the place to do it. He'll get to play with an exciting young quarterback alongside DeAndre Hopkins.

Larry Fitzgerald is a free agent and has yet to decide if he'll retire or play one more season with the Cards. Green can either serve as his replacement or give them another sure set of hands in the red zone.

The true boost to the offense is the trade that brought in Rodney Hudson. The Raiders' puzzling decision to blow up their offensive line was the Cardinals' gain. They got PFF's eighth-ranked center for next to nothing and continue to give Murray what he needs to be successful.

The Cardinals added a top-10 player on each side of the ball by PFF's metrics. Even if Green doesn't pan out, that's a huge pair of moves for a team not expected to get significantly better during this period.

4. Jacksonville Jaguars

Elaine Thompson/Associated Press

Notable Additions: CB Shaquill Griffin, DT Roy Robertson-Harris, WR Marvin Jones Jr., WR Phillip Dorsett, RB Carlos Hyde, S Rayshawn Jenkins, TE Chris Manhertz, Edge Jihad Ward, DT Tyson Alualu, DT Malcom Brown (trade)

The Jaguars had a ton of cash to spend in free agency and wasted no time in shaping the roster under the watch of Urban Meyer.

The Jags are partially on this list because the influx of talent has to make them better. They have been the busiest team in free agency, which will impact both their offensive and defensive depth charts.

The biggest signing is Shaquill Griffin. The Jaguars had one of the NFL's worst pass defenses last season, giving up 34 passing touchdowns, tied for the third-most in the league. They get a cornerback in his prime years (Griffin turns 26 in July) who has 25 passes defended over the past two seasons.

Rayshawn Jenkins, meanwhile, gives them a box safety who can provide run support and cover in the slot.

But the best additions come along the defensive line where the Jags rebuilt a run defense that was sixth-worst in yards allowed per rush.

Roy Robertson-Harris, Tyson Alualu, Jihad Ward and Malcom Brown have two things in common: They come from franchises with good defenses, and they can play the run. Meyer clearly wants to upgrade in the trenches, and these additions are a good start.

Offensively, the Carlos Hyde signing doesn't do much (other than giving Meyer an Ohio State player he's familiar with), but there's a lot to like about adding Marvin Jones Jr. and Phillip Dorsett to the receiver group. They will bring a veteran steadiness to help presumed quarterback Trevor Lawrence while also allowing DJ Chark Jr. and Laviska Shenault Jr. to grow into their roles.

You don't have to love every signing Jacksonville made to see this batch of signings makes it a better team. The Jaguars are taking a clear direction in addressing issues on the roster.

3. Washington Football Team

Jeff Bottari/Associated Press

Notable Additions: QB Ryan Fitzpatrick, CB William Jackson III, WR Curtis Samuel, RB Lamar Miller

Taylor Heinecke's performance in the postseason and Washington's draft position at 19th overall left it with a cloudy quarterback situation. No. 19 is too late to guarantee one of the top quarterbacks in the draft class, yet rolling with Heinecke based on a small sample size is risky.

Ron Rivera and Co. found the perfect compromise in signing Ryan Fitzpatrick. With Fitzmagic on the roster, they have a floor for quarterback play that will allow them to win games. Fitzpatrick was 4-3 as the Dolphins' starter in 2020 and will join an offense with arguably better weapons in D.C.

Fitzpatrick completed 68.5 percent of his passes last year for 2,091 yards, 13 touchdowns and eight interceptions in nine games. He did that behind a Dolphins offensive line with multiple rookies, little run game and DeVante Parker as his No. 1 receiver.

Stepping in for an offense with Terry McLaurin, the newly signed Curtis Samuel, Antonio Gibson and Logan Thomas is a better situation for both Fitzpatrick and the WFT.

Samuel is coming off his best season with over 1,000 scrimmage yards and is a versatile weapon to pair with McLaurin.

On defense, Ronald Darby is gone, but the team upgraded at cornerback with William Jackson III. Jackson allowed a 51.4 completion percentage when targeted last season and has 11 or more passes defended in three of his four seasons.

He'll join a team that makes his job easier with the devastating pass-rush duo of Chase Young and Montez Sweat. Washington has a good thing going this offseason and could be a threat to repeat in the NFC East.

2. New York Jets

Daniel Kucin Jr./Associated Press

Notable Additions: Edge Carl Lawson, WR Corey Davis, LB Jarrad Davis

The Jets don't make this list just because they had one of the biggest budgets. They got better while showing restraint. They didn't blow their entire budget but have acquired difference-makers in areas of need.

It starts with Carl Lawson. The former Cincinnati Bengal is coming off his best season and is hitting his prime, turning 26 years old in June. His 44 combined hurries, hits and sacks are almost double the Jets' leaders from last season, Tarell Basham and John Franklin-Myers.

Lawson's sack totals aren't gaudy. He had 5.5 last season and 5.0 in 2019, but he's a disruptive force who isn't likely to disappoint as a signing.

Corey Davis might not be the big-name receiver Jets fans hoped for, but he's a strong addition to a lackluster receiving corps. The 2017 fifth overall pick put things together in Tennessee last season with 65 catches for 984 yards and five touchdowns.

He would have led the Jets in both catches and yards last season with around the same volume as Jamison Crowder.

Jarrad Davis isn't an automatic upgrade, but the 2017 first-round pick has been stuck in Detroit for his first four years. It's possible he sees big growth with a change of scenery. If he plays like he did in his second season when he had 100 tackles and six sacks, the Jets will have gotten a steal.

General manager Joe Douglas walked into free agency with a ton of money. His signings have been calculated and concentrated on making the team better in key areas. It's hard not to like what he's doing and his patient approach in free agency.

1. New England Patriots

Isaac Brekken/Associated Press

Key Additions: Edge Matthew Judon, OT Trent Brown (trade), TE Jonnu Smith, TE Hunter Henry, DT Davon Godchaux, DB Jalen Mills, WR Nelson Agholor, WR Kendrick Bourne, DT Henry Anderson

Whether these signings were the best way for the Patriots to spend their vast amount of cash is a different discussion. They got better through being the biggest spenders in the offseason thus far.

This is a departure for the Bill Belichick-era Patriots. As Warren Sharp of Sharp Football noted, the Patriots spent $227.5 million in the first two days of free agency after spending $359.9 million under the coach/general manager over the previous 10 years.

Quibbles over value aside, there's no denying Cam Newton is more set up for success than in 2020. He's back on a one-year deal, and the Patriots have given him the two best tight ends available in Jonnu Smith and Hunter Henry.

Smith's 238 yards after the catch last season was better than anyone on the Pats roster outside of James White. Henry will be a facsimile of Greg Olsen, who Newton had a lot of success with in Carolina.

Nelson Agholor and Kenrick Bourne weren't the flashiest names available, but they are upgrades for an offense previously led by Jakobi Meyers and Damiere Byrd.

Defensively, the Patriots spent big bucks to bring in Matthew Judon and supported the pickup with important contributors in Davon Godchaux and Henry Anderson. Godchaux missed much of last season with a biceps injury, but he could be the kind of nose tackle Belichick covets if healthy. Anderson is a good fit as an end in the Patriots' base 3-4.

Add in the fact that the Pats got a capable starting tackle in Trent Brown, and this class will give New England a better football team. They didn't usurp the Buffalo Bills or the Miami Dolphins in the AFC East hierarchy, but the gap has closed.

All reported moves via NFL.com's free-agency tracker unless otherwise noted. Cap info via Spotrac.