It is now the midst of the summer, and training camp is set to begin soon for rookies and veterans. It has certainly been a hot minute since Aaron and I have put out an article, but here I decided to analyze every single NFL offseason and give my consensus on the top five. It was harder than I thought to decide who deserves these spots. One or two surprises may be on this list, depending on who you ask. Nonetheless, here are my top five.
No. 5 – Seattle Seahawks
Now, I’m not in any way saying that Seattle had a poor offseason. In my eyes, they could have done more with what they had. Their free agency additions could not have been better. They hit everything Aaron and I wanted to see from them and more. Putting ink to paper for Geno Smith in a contract was all I wanted. He works so well there, and we saw him flourish in a system that appreciated him more than a backup. Bringing back Bobby Wagner was just a little cherry on top. Granted, he will never be the same and is out of his prime, but a veteran presence in the locker room can be just as helpful. Now throw in Julian Love and Dre’Mont Jones, who is a top five defensive tackle in this league. I do have bone to pick with their draft class. They decided to go a different route than we thought they would with the number five overall pick in Devon Witherspoon. I think they went with a safe player rather than the best player. Using our Big Board, at that point in the draft, Witherspoon would’ve ranked seventh and there were three players we had ranked higher that were available. Jaxon Smith-Njigba at 20th overall was a decent pick, but I still think they could’ve gone in a different direction. I would’ve much rather liked to see someone like Drew Sanders or even Michael Mayer at 20. The rest of the draft class was quite lackluster, given the amount of capital they obtained. Certainly a head-scratcher for me; however, it deserved the number five spot.
No. 4 – Carolina Panthers
Drafting a quality quarterback isn’t always easy. And it certainly will cost you something. It cost the Panthers the ninth overall pick, a second-round selection, a first-round pick in 2024, a second-round pick in 2025, and one of the best wideouts in the league, D.J. Moore. I think this is justifiable given the lack of talent the Panthers have had at the quarterback position in recent years. Ever since Cam Newton received the MVP trophy in 2015, this team never was viewed as a true contender. Bryce Young has already received high praise through the first few practices in a Panthers uniform. His athleticism doesn’t wow me, but his IQ is off the charts. The fit is there, and if they develop him for a few years, Young has the potential to bring Carolina their first championship. There is a reason Frank Reich thought he was worthy of being the first overall selection. Beyond that fiasco, the Panthers were able to make some half-decent moves. Jonathan Mingo was one of the most underrated receivers in the entire draft process, and for him to land in Carolina was a huge win. Everyone they drafted could eventually be a starter within one or two years. In free agency the Panthers addressed positions of need and filled some holes. Watching Miles Sanders in a Panthers uniform on Sundays is going to be very weird, but I’ll get used to it eventually. With what they had (and considering what they accomplished while adding a franchise quarterback), I thought this was fitting for the number four spot.
No. 3 – Las Vegas Raiders
This is not a typo. I already know for a fact that Aaron will laugh at me for this. I understand why most are skeptical of putting the Raiders this high because of recent years, but the truth is they did an excellent job with their free agents’ contracts as well as drafting. Josh Jacobs is still holding out for the foreseeable future, though both sides are still seeking to get a deal done. I don’t see Jimmy Garoppolo as a massive downgrade from Derek Carr. Garoppolo also knows the system from his days in New England, which some seem to forget. I think Las Vegas will hit the ground running right out of the gate. A super underrated signing was Jermaine Eluemunor on a contract for only $3 million. To pair with this free agent class, the Raiders had an even better draft class. Aaron and I were going bananas when they drafted Tyree Wilson. On top of that, they managed to get the best tight end in the class - Michael Mayer - on Day 2. They got some good depth in the later rounds, but I could see a few quick impact players or even starters a year from now, like Christopher Smith II. If Tre’von Moehrig doesn’t pan out like most thought he would, I think Smith gets his shot to start by midseason. I’m not saying this team will make a Super Bowl run, but they got a whole lot better this offseason. Dave Ziegler did his job. Now it is on Josh McDaniels and the coaching staff to win some games.
No. 2 – Pittsburgh Steelers
It genuinely pains me to see the Steelers on this list. As an unbiased writer you must face the facts sometimes. Patrick Peterson wasn’t cheap by any means, but he can hold his own even at age 33. Stealing Isaac Seumalo from the Eagles was a massive upgrade and will give Kenny Pickett a clean pocket. The rest of their signings would be viewed as low-risk and high-reward in my opinion. The Steelers’ draft was a grand slam! Managing to get Broderick Jones, Joey Porter Jr. Keeanu Benton, and Darnell Washington in the first three rounds was insane. Every single one of those players will be looking to start on day one. I raved about Darnell Washington during the pre-draft process because I love myself a big tight end who can act as a redzone threat as well as a blocker. Beyond a few positions that could’ve been addressed more, this was a phenomenal job by Pittsburgh. Steelers fans should be excited for the future of this franchise.
No. 1 – Philadelphia Eagles
I’ll keep it short and sweet here. The Eagles had the best offseason of any team in the NFL. They brought in new coordinators: Brian Johnson to run the offense and Sean Desai to take command of the defense. Letting Miles Sanders, Isaac Seumalo, Javon Hargrave, and Chauncey Gardner-Johnson walk in free agency hurt significantly. The sole fact that they were able to retain James Bradberry and Darius Slay when it was once thought both would leave was truly magical. Roseman didn’t stop there. He managed to sign Terrell Edmunds, Nicholas Morrow, Marcus Mariota, and Greedy Williams. Roseman also was able to re-sign Fletcher Cox, Jason Kelce, Boston Scott, and Brandon Graham. They then shifted gears and drafted Jalen Carter and Nolan Smith with their pair of first-round picks. Teams will soon regret letting both slide to them. They were able to obtain some great depth in the following days that will become a solid core in the future. During Day 3 of the 2023 NFL Draft, the Eagles traded for Philadelphia native D’Andre Swift to pair with Rashaad Penny. This truly was impressive. With how little cap space they had to work with, the Eagles’ ability to retain their key players was masterful. Howie Roseman deserves an award for general manager of the year.
Comments