The first phase of NFL free agency is coming to a close. Many teams have made significant splashes or at least given us a glimpse of the direction they are taking this offseason. Some of the moves have been expected. Others? Not so much.
Here are some developments that really stuck out to me at the beginning of a new league year.
Ben Johnson quickly puts stamp on Bears
It can take some time for a new head coach to make his mark on an organization. That's not the case in Chicago. Bears fans hoped the team would quickly turn over a new leaf with Ben Johnson at the helm, and it appears the franchise has done just that -- at least on paper. The new head man previously led a Lions offense that was built to flourish behind a top-tier offensive line, and general manager Ryan Poles has wasted zero time in attempting to put that blueprint into action in Chicago.
The trades for proven veteran guards Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson and the signing of center Drew Dalman show how urgently this organization wants to help Caleb Williams take a big leap in Year 2. Williams, who was sacked a league-high 68 times as a rookie (16 more than the next-closest quarterback, Houston's C.J. Stroud), is unbelievably gifted. The No. 1 overall pick in last year's draft has the pieces around him (D'Andre Swift, D.J. Moore and Rome Odunze, among others) to improve and help Chicago close the gap in the NFC North. The biggest thing missing last season was stability up front -- that and good, consistent play-calling, which Williams now has with Johnson.
There's plenty left to do in Chicago, but the early moves -- albeit unsexy -- signal to the rest of the NFC North that the Bears are coming to play in 2025.
Daniel Jones joins Colts' QB competition
Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard said last month that Anthony Richardson will have to compete for the starting job in 2025 after a 2024 campaign in which he completed just 47.7 percent percent of his pass attempts (the lowest mark among starting quarterbacks), was temporarily benched for Joe Flacco and missed time due to injury. We now know he'll be competing with Daniel Jones, who gets the opportunity to make the most of a one-year prove-it deal (much like Sam Darnold had with the Vikings heading into 2024). Jones spent six years with the Giants -- going 24-44-1 as the starter -- and was released midway through last season before signing with Minnesota, where he spent a majority of his time on the practice squad.
The Colts now have two quarterbacks who are in some ways mirror images of one another, though Jones has four more years as a pro under his belt than Richardson. Both players excel as rushers but struggle with inconsistency in the pass game due to their lack of feel and vision in the pocket. And both players have battled injuries.
Competition could bring out the best in Richardson and Jones, who have each shown flashes in the NFL. It'd be the ideal scenario for Indy, which is looking to boost an offense that ranked 13th overall and 17th in scoring last season. My concern is that the Colts' attack won't improve no matter which of these two quarterbacks is under center.
Jets flip script at QB with Justin Fields
Before last season even ended, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported that the New York Jets would be back in the quarterback market this offseason. And the franchise's history with a number of signal-callers on the QB carousel only heightened intrigue. In recent years, New York's had many passers flame out, only to leave and experience success elsewhere.
The first QB domino to fall earlier this month was Geno Smith, who was traded from the Seahawks to the Raiders. The veteran began his pro career in New York as the Jets' second-round draft pick in 2013 but lost the QB1 job after two inconsistent seasons and some injury woes. Geno eventually revitalized his career in Seattle, making a pair of Pro Bowls.
Meanwhile, Seattle's new quarterback, Sam Darnold -- who signed a three-year, $100.5 million deal with the Seahawks -- has a similar story, having entered the league as the No. 3 overall pick of the Jets in 2018. After three rough years with New York, Darnold made stops in Carolina and San Francisco before enjoying a breakout campaign in Minnesota this past fall, ultimately leading to the big payday as a free agent.
Now the football world is waiting to see where Aaron Rodgers, whose ill-fated tenure with the Jets has been well-documented, ends up. But Gang Green's charting a different course at quarterback in 2025 -- and there's reason to hope the team will finally enjoy some success at the game's most important position.
The franchise completely switched gears, going from a veteran pocket passer to a young, mobile quarterback in Justin Fields, who signed a two-year, $40 million pact. Having just turned 26, the former first-round pick gets a fresh start after three roller-coaster years in Chicago and a quick stop in Pittsburgh that saw him benched after helping the Steelers start last season at 4-2. Fields joins a team in New York with talented offensive weapons -- including receiver Garrett Wilson (his former teammate at Ohio State) and running back Breece Hall -- as well as a new offensive coordinator (Tanner Engstrand) and pass game coordinator (Scott Turner). Fields is at his best directing a simplified offense that showcases his athleticism with run-pass options/zone reads and his arm with shots downfield -- much like how the Philadelphia Eagles run their offense with Jalen Hurts. If Engstrand and Turner can design the attack around Fields' strengths, perhaps this is the quarterback move that finally sticks for the QB-starved franchise.
Commanders again look to win offseason
At this time last year, the Washington Commanders had just hired new head coach Dan Quinn and were in the midst of a spending spree that made them one of the free agency winners in 2024. Soon after, Washington struck gold in the draft with quarterback Jayden Daniels, who would go on to lead the team to the NFC Championship Game in Year 1, running away with Offensive Rookie of the Year honors in the process.
Nowadays, general manager Adam Peters and Quinn are understandably in win-now mode, putting them in the conversation to win the offseason for a second straight year, despite having less money to spend this time around. Washington began by bolstering an offense that ranked seventh in yards and fifth in scoring last season, trading for Laremy Tunsil (acquired from the Texans) and Deebo Samuel (49ers). Tunsil is one of the best left tackles in the NFL, having recorded the highest Pro Football Focus pass-blocking grade (92.0) among tackles since 2018 (min. 2,500 pass block snaps). Samuel is a do-it-all playmaker who can elevate Kliff Kingsbury's offense. Washington also gave veteran defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw a lucrative deal after releasing longtime staple Jonathan Allen (now in Minnesota).
In addition to those splashy moves, the Commanders have smartly re-signed pieces on both sides of the ball. The offense returns backup QB Marcus Mariota, RB Jeremy McNichols and tight ends John Bates and Zach Ertz, the latter of whom finished second on the team in targets (91), catches (66), receiving yards (654) and receiving TDs (seven) last season. Pro Bowl linebacker Bobby Wagner is back for Quinn's defense. In addition, the re-signings of kicker Zane Gonzalez and punter Tress Way were crucial under-the-radar moves.
Other moves that grabbed my attention
A handful of additional moves didn't necessarily follow the themes above, but they still caught my eye. Let's quickly go through them:
- Chris Godwin signing a three-year, $66 million deal with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers was striking. It wasn't that the wide receiver decided to stay with the organization that drafted him back in 2017. Rather, it was that he elected to take far less money -- roughly $20 million less than he could have had elsewhere -- to stay home. We know how much the franchise values Godwin and his services; the fact that the receiver chose Tampa over his bank account speaks just as loudly.
- I was quite surprised seeing the Eagles trade C.J. Gardner-Johnson to the Texans. The veteran safety played an instrumental role in Philadelphia's Super Bowl-winning season, recording a team-high six interceptions. A youth movement on the roster likely sparked the move, but CJGJ was a valued playmaker for Philly's secondary in both of his stints there.
- The Joe Thuney trade, which I referenced above, also raised an eyebrow. Don't get me wrong, I love the move for Chicago. But while it makes sense financially for Kansas City (the team saves $16 million in cap space), it's tough to see the Chiefs part with one of the top guards in the league after a season in which they struggled mightily to protect the best QB in the NFL. Thuney played admirably at guard and left tackle in the Chiefs' third straight Super Bowl run, further underscoring the accomplished lineman's value. Now moving forward without the three-time Pro Bowler, the Chiefs have made a few moves up front, tagging Trey Smith and signing free agent Jaylon Moore, but there's plenty of work to do in that area.
- The Bills' addition of Joey Bosa could prove to be one of the best offseason signings of 2025 -- if he can stay healthy. The former Charger signed a one-year, $12.6 million pact with a max value of $15.6 million. He's missed time in all but two seasons of his nine-year career and is coming off a 2024 campaign in which he recorded just five sacks in 14 games. But the Bills know Bosa, who has 72 career sacks, provides some major upside opposite Gregory Rousseau if his body cooperates.
- Finally, the Patriots making Milton Williams the third-highest-paid interior defender in the NFL ($26 million per year) was the splash signing we've all been wanting that franchise to make. A 2021 third-round pick in Philadelphia, Williams steadily improved during his four seasons with the Eagles, culminating his tenure with an impressive showing in last year's postseason. The Patriots needed to overhaul their roster this offseason, and signing Williams was a great place to start.