2022 NFL Free Agency Grades | AFC West
There may not be a more talented division in NFL history on paper. Talented teams have failed before, but the West has made some impressive moves so far.
Denver Broncos
The Broncos’ top additions were QB Russell Wilson, EDGE Randy Gregory, and DT D.J. Jones. Their biggest losses were QB Teddy Bridgewater, TE Noah Fant, and DT Shelby Harris.
The NFL decided that it was tired of hearing that basketball’s offseason was more exciting than its own. The Wilson trade was a massive home run swing to compete with the Chargers, who’d already been active in free agency and have a young and talented QB. Trying to keep up with the Chiefs goes without saying.
Adding Gregory and Jones was just icing on the cake. They also signed 49ers OT Tom Compton, who survived in a way that won’t breed confidence in him being a long-term answer at right tackle. He could fill in early on as the Broncos get a rookie up to speed if they go that direction in the draft.
Grade: A-
Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs’ top free agency additions were S Justin Reid and WR JuJu Smith-Schuster. Their biggest losses were S Tyrann Mathieu and CB Charvarius Ward.
The rest of the AFC West is improving on paper, but the Chiefs are hanging out in their ivory castle waiting for a worthy opponent to attack. The mute nature of Mathieu’s market is telling. Reid won’t be able to replicate the on-field impact of Mathieu, but he is less expensive.
Smith-Schuster is an outstanding schematic fit for Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes. He’s a player who can attack the intermediate areas of the field incredibly well, which was an area Pittsburgh could no longer attack.
Kansas City may not have necessarily gotten better, but they certainly didn’t get worse, either.
Grade: B
Las Vegas Raiders
The Raiders’ top additions were WR Davante Adams, EDGE Chandler Jones, and CB Rock Ya-Sin. Their biggest free agency losses were EDGE Yannick Ngakoue, CB Casey Hayward Jr., and WR Zay Jones.
The Raiders had a rough first few days of free agency. They watched as the rest of their division slapped twin-turbochargers onto their roster while they changed their oil. But then they made a move to acquire Jones to play opposite of Maxx Crosby. They also traded Ngakoue for the best name in the NFL (and a decent cornerback) in Ya-Sin.
They covered their bases before the Adams trade. Now, Derek Carr and Adams are reunited all these years later, and the weaponry in Las Vegas is military-grade at this point. And in the Wild Wild West, it needed to be.
Grade: A
Los Angeles Chargers
The Charger’s top additions were CB J.C. Jackson, EDGE Khalil Mack, and WR Mike Williams. Their biggest losses were EDGE Uchenna Nwosu and EDGE Kyler Fackrell.
The Chargers have been the offseason valedictorian. Signing Jackson at his price and trading just a second- and sixth-round pick for Mack was highway robbery. Williams’ deal looked like a bargain after what Jacksonville gave Christian Kirk.
But what was even better about their free agency so far is adding Sebastian Joseph-Day and Austin Johnson to the defensive interior and retaining Christian Covington, who will provide decent depth. They needed to fix the run defense, and they should be improved with their new talents.
Grade: A+
2022 NFL Free Agency Grades | AFC East
The East has possibly the best team in the NFL inside its division. Can the other teams put some pressure on them?
Buffalo Bills
The Bills’ top additions in free agency were EDGE Von Miller, G Rodger Saffold, and DT Tim Settle. Their biggest losses included DT Harrison Phillips, CB Levi Wallace, and RB J.D. McKissic.
McKissic is a loss only because it would have been fun seeing a legitimate pass-catching back with Josh Allen and that high-powered offense. The Bills have been active in free agency so far, both losing players and replacing them.
They tried getting stronger on the defensive interior through volume, and they attacked the edge like madmen. Miller is the difference-maker, but Shaq Lawson’s return is welcomed as well. They also are giving O.J. Howard a home to hopefully revitalize his career. Retaining Isaiah McKenzie and signing Jamison Crowder were also good moves.
Grade: A
Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins’ top free agency additions were OT Terron Armstead, OG Connor Williams, RB Raheem Mostert, and RB Chase Edmonds. Their biggest losses were QB Jacoby Brissett and WR Mack Hollins.
The Dolphins had been relatively quiet for the first fave of free agency, but they still had money to work with to continue attacking the offensive line. Adding Armstead is a massive upgrade to their line, as long as he can remain healthy. He’s one of the five best left tackles in the game. They are already attacking the run game, which is a massive part of what Mike McDaniel brings schematically. Mostert and Edmonds are great fits.
Williams was a great value signing as an offensive lineman who could move around to create the “best five.” And they could still sign a big-name free agent. Overall, Miami has improved thus far in free agency.
Grade: B
New England Patriots
The Patriots’ top additions were OT Trent Brown and S Devin McCourty. Their biggest losses were CB J.C. Jackson and G Shaq Mason.
It always seems a bit foolish to chastise the offseason moves of Bill Belichick. For the longest time, he’s allowed great players to walk and traded good players before they declined. But it’s still hard to see how this team has improved so far this offseason.
Mason is still one of the best interior blockers in the league, and Jackson is arguably the best cornerback in the NFL. However, keeping Brown around is big for their offensive line.
Grade: C-
New York Jets
The Jets’ top additions were G Laken Tomlinson, CB D.J. Reed, S Jordan Whitehead, and TE C.J. Ozumah. Their biggest losses were S Marcus Maye, DT Folorunso Fatukasi, and OT Morgan Moses.
Nobody has more losses over the past five seasons than the New York Jets. But over the past twelve or so months since the new regime took over, they finally appear on the right path for the first time since the Rex Ryan days.
Rebuilding the offensive line was a must — Tomlinson is a great start. They also made a few underrated signings, like EDGE Jacob Martin. But Reed, Whitehead, and Ozumah are all players signed to address massive needs.
Grade: A-
2022 NFL Free Agency Grades | AFC South
The AFC South and the NFC East looked like they could be fighting for divisional mediocrity. But things have recently changed that outlook.
Houston Texans
The Texans’ top additions were draft picks, DT Maliek Collins, and EDGE Ogbonnia Okoronkwo. Their biggest losses were off-field distractions, QB Tyrod Taylor, and S Justin Reid.
The Texans were always going to be a multi-year rebuild. Now, they have the ammo for it. With five picks in the top 100, they can start rebuilding with young talent. They won’t compete this season, but they can try and see what they have with Davis Mills and gear up for a better QB draft with extra ammo in 2023 in a better QB class and more clarity on Mills.
Grade: B
Indianapolis Colts
The Colts’ top additions were QB Matt Ryan, EDGE Yannick Ngakoue, and TE Mo Alie-Cox. Their biggest losses were CB Rock Ya-Sin, G Mark Glowinski, and EDGE Al-Quadin Muhammad.
The Colts absolutely needed to improve at quarterback, and they did just that. In the end, that is the biggest positive that could have come from the offseason for Chris Ballard and Frank Reich. Most are probably annoyed with how conservative Ballard is with free agency.
Hopefully, now that there’s clarity on the quarterback situation, they process moves with a bit more pace for Indianapolis fans. They still have space to make moves. In the end, they netted a third-round pick in what was essentially a three-team swap involving Ryan and Wentz.
Grade: B
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jaguars’ top free agency additions were WR Christian Kirk, G Brandon Scherff, and DT Folorunso Fatukasi. Their biggest losses were WR DJ Chark, LB Myles Jack, and G Andrew Norwell.
The Jaguars have certainly been busy this NFL offseason, but they’re not the kings of the 2022 free agency grades. They’ve struggled since 2017, so to get free agents in the door, they had to overpay a bit for a few of them. In the end, though, they made the situation surrounding Trevor Lawrence better, which is all that matters in the end. His success is the Jaguars’ success. They haven’t gotten great value on many guys, but they improved their roster.
Grade: B-
Tennessee Titans
The Titans’ top additions were WR Robert Woods, C Ben Jones, and EDGE Harold Landry. Their biggest losses were WR Julio Jones, G Rodger Saffold, and RB Darrynton Evans.
Woods, at this point in his career, is a better player than Jones. If he can return back to form after injury, that is a net positive. Otherwise, the Titans have been neutral amid a crazy offseason. But with effectively no money to work with, that’s not necessarily a surprise.
They’ve done well for the hand they’ve been dealt. However, it’s tough to watch them fall behind the pack as the entire West gears up with their on-paper talent.
Grade: C
2022 NFL Free Agency Grades | AFC North
It may not be the best division in football, but it’s right up there with the Wild Wild West as the most exciting.
Baltimore Ravens
The Ravens’ top additions in free agency were S Marcus Williams, OT Morgan Moses, and DT Michael Pierce. Their biggest losses were C/G Bradley Bozeman and CB Tavon Young.
The Ravens putting an elite free safety back in the black and purple is exciting enough to give anybody the James May “fizz.” After last season, it was evident they needed to upgrade at offensive tackle.
Retaining Patrick Ricard is a bigger signing than most realize. The Ravens want to run the ball, and he’s a big component in that area.
Grade: C+
Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals’ top additions were OT La’el Collins, G Alex Cappa, and C Ted Karras. Their biggest loss was TE C.J. Ozumah.
The Bengals had one mission this offseason. They needed to spend resources to ensure the upright nature of Joe Burrow in the pocket. It appears they’ve accomplished that mission. Losing Ozumah is tough because he showed so much potential coming off the Achilles tear. However, adding Hayden Hurst is a nice way to soften the blow.
Keeping B.J. Hill around and tagging Jessie Bates ensures their defensive talent stays intact. They also retained Eli Apple, who outperformed expectations last season.
Grade: A-
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns’ top additions were QB Deshaun Watson, WR Amari Cooper, and QB Jacoby Brissett. Their biggest losses were QB Baker Mayfield and WR Rashard Higgins.
It’s impossible to separate the football side of the Watson trade and the legal processes he’s still caught up in. From a pure football perspective, there’s no denying he’s a massive upgrade over 2021 Mayfield. Adding Brissett is a decent backup plan for if/when the Browns lose Watson to suspension.
That ordeal is far from over.
Adding Cooper to a floundering receiving corps was a massive shot in the arm. Cooper’s health may not remain well into his 30s, but he has multiple high-level seasons remaining under his belt. They also took shots on Taven Bryan and Chase Winovich on the defensive line, where they desperately needed depth.
Grade: B
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers’ top additions were G James Daniels, CB Levi Wallace, and LB Myles Jack. Their biggest losses were WR JuJu Smith-Schuster and LB Joe Schobert.
The Steelers might not be valedictorian, but they have done a good job finding value in free agency. That is something you don’t often achieve during the first wave. Daniels is incredibly young and already a massive upgrade to a poor Steelers offensive line. They desperately needed help at cornerback, and they got it with Wallace.
Jack had a down season in 2021, but it’s difficult to imagine him being more underwhelming than what Pittsburgh fielded at linebacker last season. They also upgraded from their current quarterback situation with Mitchell Trubisky, although they will probably address that position long-term in the draft.
Grade: A-