Staff Writer: Aidan Danforth

Email: adanforth@umassd.edu 

The NFL has finally reawakened from their slumber into the mainstream sports world. The past two weeks saw several big name NFL players change teams during another unpredictable free agency. 

Although not as mind blowing as previous offseasons, there are still many big signings and trades that will shape the league. Some teams have upgraded and got a lot better, some stayed the same, and some painfully regressed.  

Here are the teams that gained the most in this offseason as well as a few who received the short end during the month of March.

Winner: New England Patriots

The Patriots actually doing something? After two horrendous 4-13 seasons, the Patriots have decided to address their biggest weaknesses and go all-in with their ridiculous amount of cap space. 

The Patriots got right to work by addressing their awful defense. They signed Harold Landry III, Carlton Davis III, and Robert Spillane. They even convinced top free agent Milton Williams to sign with them instead of Carolina. 

New England also upgraded their offensive line by moving on from David Andrews while signing tackle Morgan Moses and center Garrett Bradbury. 

The only need they didn’t address is wide receiver. They have tried signing Chris Godwin and might pursue Stefon Diggs, but they may need to wait until the draft. For New England, anything better than for 4-13 will be viewed as a success in 2025. 

Loser: Dallas Cowboys

Does Dallas always forget that free agency starts in March? Once again, Jerry Jones and the front office do nothing to improve a team that’s coming off a very disappointing season. 

With many holes on the roster, Dallas either did the bare minimum or nothing to address them. They were able to extend standout DT Osa Odighizuma but lost veteran defensive tackle Demarcus Lawrence, running back Rico Dowdle as well as all-pro guard Zack Martin. 

Dallas has yet to replace both of those players. Instead, they have signed some mediocre players like defense players like Kenneth Murray and Solomon Thomas and running backs Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders. 

If this is Jones’s definition of going all-in, then this team is going to have a dark future as they are ignoring obvious issues, including paying their star defender Micah Parsons, who is being linked to trade rumors. 

Winner: Denver Broncos

No one expected Denver to go from the disastrous Russell Wilson experiment to a playoff team into a span of a year. And it appears Denver is going to keep this momentum up after a big free agency. 

That elite defense got even better with the signing of former 49ers Dre Greenlaw and Talanoa Hufanga. They also provided rising QB Bo Nix, another weapon in tight end Evan Engram, as well as moving on from a few mediocre pieces. 

Even when Denver had their reassurance, nobody took them seriously. Perhaps this strong free agent class as well as a good draft will cause the NFL world to take this team seriously as an uprising contender.   

Loser: San Francisco 49ers 

How the mighty have fallen. It only took a year for San Francisco to go from contenders to a total disaster. Everything has gone wrong since their Super Bowl loss. Injuries, trades, and that’s not even considering how bad this offseason is. 

Aside from trading Deebo Samuel, the 49ers lost Dre Greenlaw, Talanoa Hufanga, Aaron Banks, Jordan Mason, and many more. The team couldn’t do much to address these concerns due to cap space and soon having to pay quarterback Brock Purdy. 

Super Bowl windows don’t stay open forever, and based on this offseason as well as injuries to star players Christian McCaffrey and Brandon Aiyuk, there might soon be a long rebuild to come in the Golden City. 

Winner: Minnesota Vikings

Like the Broncos, the Vikings were another team to have a rather surprising 2024 season. No one saw QB Sam Darnold having a breakout season as well as the team finding with a 14-3 season. Although their season ended in disappointment, this offseason gives fans optimism. 

They started with the right thing by moving on from Sam Darnold and rolling with second year QB JJ McCarthy. Minnesota continued by re-signing running back Aaron Jones. Also, the additions of Will Fries and Ryan Kelly will add a huge upgrade to their offensive line. 

The defense added to their defensive line by signing Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave. Minnesota also retained cornerback Byron Murphy Jr and went after CB Isaiah Rodgers. 

Minnesota saw what happened last year with Detroit and decided it was time to challenge them for the title for King of the North and prove themselves as a force to be reckoned with. 

Loser: Houston Texans

Texans fans may be getting a little 2020 deja vu after some of the moves the front office decided to partake in this offseason. 

To start, they traded away their best offensive lineman in Laremy Tunsil as well as former first round pick Kenyon Green. They attempted to fill Tunsil’s hole by adding Cam Robinson as well as a few guards, but it’s tough to fill in the shoes of a former all-pro. 

Their other needs included receiver, which they addressed with trading for Christian Kirk and signing Braxton Berrios. They also received safety CJ Gardner-Johnson from the Green trade. 

None of these moves are necessarily bad. They are more underwhelming for a team looking to take the next step and compete for a Super Bowl title.