With free agency and the draft behind us, rosters are set to take shape and teams are preparing to begin the new season.
Some teams have put themselves in position for contention, while others have made decisions that could be questioned throughout the season.
Let’s take a look at which teams had the best and worst offseason.
The Best
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Buccaneers made the two biggest splashes this offseason with the signing of Tom Brady and the trade for Rob Gronkowski. Those additions to a team that already led the league in passing offense make the Buccaneers even more lethal.
In addition, they were able to retain Ndamukong Suh, Shaq Barrett, ae4nd Jason Pierre-Paul on the defensive side.
The race between the Saints and Buccaneers will be one of the most fun storylines to watch this season.
Miami Dolphins
Tank for Tua was a success, and they didn’t even have to trade up for him. In addition, they were able to add one of the best corners in the game in Byron Jones in free agency. They also bolstered the defense by adding Kyle Van Noy and Shaq Lawson.
While Buffalo is the probable favorite to win the AFC East, Miami could make a run for a playoff spot if Tagovailoa lives up to expectations and the defense gels.
Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals made a huge splash in the DeAndre Hopkins trade, and made it even better by shedding David Johnson’s contract.
While that move was a massive improvement, the real improvement came on the defensive side of the football. The Cardinals were able to snag Isaiah Simmons at number eight overall, and they added multiple other free-agent signings, including Jordan Phillips, Devon Kennard, and De’Vondre Campbell.
The Worst
Houston Texans
The Texans shocked everyone by sending DeAndre Hopkins to Arizona, especially after not even getting a first-round pick in return and taking on David Johnson’s contract.
In addition to the puzzling trade, the Texans also handed out perplexingly large contracts. $36 million for Randall Cobb, $27 million for Bradley Roby, and $18 million for Eric Murray show that the Texans misread the market.
Given the state of the AFC South, the Texans will still compete with Deshaun Watson at QB, but Bill O’Brien is starting to feel the hot seat.
New England Patriots
Losing Brady already put the Patriots on the wrong end of this list, but other decisions led to them making it.
Placing the franchise tag on Joe Thuney took up meaningful cap space that could’ve been used on both Danny Shelton and Kyle Van Noy, who both walked in free agency. They also didn’t add to a QB room that only has Jarrett Stidham.
While Belichick has his work cut out for him in 2020, if anybody will make the Patriots a contender, it’ll be him.
Chicago Bears
The Bears were potentially in the market for a QB, but instead of potentially waiting for an Andy Dalton or Cam Newton, they absorbed Nick Foles’ massive contract.
Chicago also handed out a massive contract to Robert Quinn and a two-year deal to Jimmy Graham. With Graham and second-round pick Cole Kmet, the Bears now have 10 TEs.
The biggest miss of the offseason was regarding a decision made three years ago. Declining Mitch Trubisky’s fifth-year option shows that they are ready to move on from him, unless he has a stellar 2020.
