One offseason move for each NFC team: Seahawks should extend Geno Smith; Cowboys need RB help

• Replenish the defensive line.

The Cardinals' list of needs starts with the defensive line, even before considering the glut of players heading to free agency: Dennis Gardeck, Roy Lopez, L.J. Collier, Baron Browning and Khyiris Tonga. Arizona lacks a potent pass rush and a proven one-on-one winner. Zaven Collins led the club with 31 QB pressures, per Pro Football Focus, ranking No. 57 among all edge rushers. Jonathan Gannon's team needed to get creative to get after the quarterback, and even then, it wasn't enough. For years, upgrading the defensive front has been a need. It remains the biggest concern in the desert. The hope is that 2024 first-round pick Darius Robinson will become a cornerstone after playing in just six games as a rookie. The Cards need more than hope. Arizona should chase impending free agent Josh Sweat, who had his best seasons under Gannon in Philadelphia.

• Draft a defensive player in the first round.

The Falcons have famously selected offensive players in the first round in the past four drafts and have only used a first-rounder on a defensive player (CB A.J. Terrell) once in the past seven years. It's time to end that run by snagging a young playmaker for Raheem Morris' D. Adding veterans last offseason -- pass rusher Matthew Judon and safety Justin Simmons -- didn't work out. Let's try a first-round youngster. As it has been for years in Atlanta, edge rusher remains a need. Despite a surge of QB takedowns following its Week 12 bye (21), the Falcons still finished 31st in sacks for the season with 31. Whether the Falcons stick at No. 15 or move around, GM Terry Fontenot must replenish the defense with youth.

• Spend the bulk of the offseason upgrading the defense.

Yes, adding another piece or two for Bryce Young is important, but the biggest issue in Carolina by the end of the season wasn't the quarterback. The Panthers' defense was a sieve with 7-yard holes. The defensive front got bullied, allowing 179.8 rushing yards per game, most in the league. Not having Pro Bowler Derrick Brown hurt, but it's preposterous to allow nearly 200 yards rushing every game. Does Brown alone save 100 rushing yards per week? Worse still, the interior likely isn't even the biggest need this offseason. Carolina desperately needs to add pass-rush aid. A 31-year-old Jadeveon Clowney led Carolina edge rushers with 5.5 sacks. The 2024 Panthers defense was a toothless operation from front to back. It must be revamped in 2025.

• Stock up on offensive linemen.

After Chicago spent last offseason stockpiling weapons, it's time for Ryan Poles to upgrade the trenches on both sides of the ball. I don't think there is a single Bears fan alive who wouldn't say the offensive line is Priority No. 1. Frankly, it should be Priority Nos. 1, 2, 3 and 4. Chicago had 27 different O-line combinations -- the most in the NFL -- in front of Caleb Williams. The lack of continuity would have doomed most any young QB. Right tackle Darnell Wright is the only sure starter entering the offseason. The interior is made up of three pending free agents -- Teven Jenkins, Coleman Shelton and Matt Pryor. Upgrading those spots is required. Replacing left tackle Braxton Jones, who struggles against power rushers, should also be on the docket. Poles must mine free agency, a tricky proposition given that most good O-linemen are locked up before ever hitting the market. A combination of veterans and rookies will be key. We know what Ben Johnson's offense looked like with one of the best lines in football. Will it run as pretty without that stabilizing force?

• Go double-barrel at the RB position.

The offense stabilized last season once the Cowboys let Rico Dowdle handle the load. With the incumbent heading toward free agency, the backfield has a glaring hole. I presume Brian Schottenheimer isn't taking over to throw the ball 60 times a game, so that cavity will need to be filled. It's a woefully thin RB market in free agency this offseason, so working on bringing back Dowdle would be a solid first step. Step 2? Pairing Dowdle with an explosive runner in the draft. Luckily it's a deep draft at the position. Of the eleventy-billion mock drafts done this offseason, about 10.9999 billion will peg Ashton Jeanty to the Cowboys. I'm not going to demand Dallas take an RB in the first round, but replacing the explosiveness it lost with last offseason's departure of Tony Pollard is a must.

• Find DE Aidan Hutchinson a running mate.

Counting on Marcus Davenport to stay healthy was always a massive gamble. Predictably, it didn't work out. Then other injuries decimated the core. Detroit can't go into next season without significant improvements up front. Za'Darius Smith is a fine player, but the 32-year-old should be a rotational piece, not an every-downer. The assumption is that Hutchinson immediately returns to form after October's brutal leg break. Perhaps he does, but GM Brad Holmes can't operate under assumptions. What if it takes time for Hutchinson to return to his disruptive ways? What if it takes an entire season? The lack of a pass rush ultimately did in Detroit. Given that the D-line's top two players, Hutch and DT Alim McNeill, are both coming off season-ending injuries, heavy investments in free agency and the draft must be made. Holmes should also call Duke Tobin in Cincinnati to see what it would take to pry 2024 NFL sack leader Trey Hendrickson away and use a chunk of cap space to make the 30-year-old happy. Drafting and developing home-grown talent keeps playoff windows open, but to finally break through, sometimes a bold move is needed. This is the offseason for that sort of move in Detroit.

• Add a veteran pass rusher. 

At this point, I feel bad for Packers writers and bloggers. They spend entire offseasons concocting new ways for Green Bay to upgrade the roster. Most of it is smart, fun and interesting content, even if sometimes overboard. I picture GM Brian Gutekunst sitting in his office perusing some of the well-thought-out "plans," and with a wry smile that yawns into full smirk, he mutters aloud, "Yeah, we're not gonna do that."

Here's another idea that Gutey probably will ignore: Upgrade the pass rush. The Packers likely will insist on giving former first-rounder Lukas Van Ness more rope to turn into the every-down player they envisioned. But if it were me -- I am fully aware that it's not -- I'd add an experienced edge presence to the crew. The pass rush simply wasn't good enough down the stretch, and the rest of the defense suffered for it. It's probably a pipe dream to suggest Khalil Mack would look good opposite Rashan Gary. If the Packers are going to replay some of their greatest hits -- with Jordan Love playing Aaron Rodgers, Xavier McKinney the Charles Woodson replica -- maybe signing a 34-year-old Mack can be like the Pack once adding a 34-year-old Julius Peppers. Just an ignorable suggestion.

• Re-sign OT Alaric Jackson.

With Cooper Kupp apparently on the trade block and Matthew Stafford presumably still in limbo, it could be an eventful offseason in Los Angeles. One crucial position that shouldn't be overlooked, though: left tackle. Bringing back Jackson should be a priority for Les Snead and Sean McVay. Given his age and development, the 26-year-old projects as the best young tackle hitting the market. The Rams shouldn't let him get there. Among OTs who played at least 900 snaps last season, Jackson ranked tied for ninth with 25 QB pressures allowed, per Pro Football Focus. Those sorts of blockers don't often reach free agency. Los Angeles has heavily invested in its line in recent seasons -- trading for Kevin Dotson, signing Jonah Jackson and drafting Steve Avila. Snead should continue that trend by re-upping Alaric Jackson. The former undrafted free agent working his way into a payday in L.A. would be one of the better stories of the offseason.

• Re-sign CB Byron Murphy. 

If your priority is to bring back Aaron Jones, given the nature of the RB market and the need for a solid backfield foundation for J.J. McCarthy, I wouldn't hate it. However, if I'm cosplaying general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, I'm more concerned with the defensive backfield. Murphy, Stephon Gilmore, Cam Bynum, Shaq Griffin and Fabian Moreau are all free agents, and Harrison Smith's future remains in question. Brian Flores' defense doesn't work without a corner crew that can handle the matchups. The expectation that Mekhi Blackmon will recover from a knee tear is a positive, and undrafted rookie Dwight McGlothern could play a larger role. However, the offseason moves last year underscored the corner concern in Minnesota, and that was with Murphy under contract. The 27-year-old found stability under Flores and earned his first Pro Bowl selection. Recent scuttle suggests that Murphy is seeking a significant payday in free agency. Minnesota will likely be spending on DBs this offseason. Why not do so on one it knows works in the system?

• Find young replacements on defense.

Full disclosure: I struggled with where to go in New Orleans, primarily because you could pick essentially any area of the roster to clean up, and you'd be correct. Trade/release/restructure Derek Carr? Yes. Add a wideout? Yup. Continue working on the O-line? No doubt. Need a pass rusher? Most def. Find a corner after the Marshon Lattimore trade? Don't hate it. I'm not going to yell and scream about the Saints' cap situation. That's tired and fruitless. They'll do the same things they've done every year to dig out before the new league year opens. Can-kicking is a hell of a drug. The key to eventually coming out clean on the other side will be getting production from young (i.e., cheap) replacements. Hitting on an early-round pass rusher and adding an eventual linebacker to take over for Demario Davis is a good place to start.

• Double-dip at quarterback.

How many Our Fathers, Hail Marys and Glory Bes will it take from Giants fans for one of the top two QBs -- Miami's Cam Ward or Colorado's Shedeur Sanders -- to fall to No. 3? With no quarterback under contract, Big Blue must revamp the entire room. It's a tricky proposition to need to hit on the most important/difficult position in sports when your head coach and general manager are sitting squarely on the hot seat. There can be no more swings and misses. Following Minnesota's 2024 model, New York must sign a veteran who can start -- i.e., Sam Darnold, Russell Wilson, etc. -- then back that up with a rookie. Every year, quarterbacks are pushed higher and higher into the top 10 as the draft process continues. If Ward and Sanders are off the board by No. 3, it could put Joe Schoen in a tough spot: Reach for someone like Mississippi's Jaxson Dart or pray a developmental QB falls to the second round? If the Titans and/or Browns are willing to deal, it's probably worth it for the G-Men to jump up a spot or two to ensure they get a QB.

• Bring back LB Dre Greenlaw.

In one half of football, Greenlaw proved his importance to San Francisco's defense. The Niners collapsed in the second half against the L.A. Rams in Week 15 and lost out the rest of the way, including getting run over by Jahmyr Gibbs in Week 17. Why do I have the feeling that wouldn't have happened the same way if Greenlaw had been on the field? His sideline-to-sideline ability is so vital next to Fred Warner that it elevates the entire operation. The linebacker was just coming into his own the last time Robert Saleh was on the sideline in the Bay Area. A one-year contract makes sense for both sides. Greenlaw can prove he's healthy before truly hitting the open market in 2026 at 28 years old, and the LB can help the Niners go from worst to first in the NFC West.

• Extend QB Geno Smith.

Leave the "Should the Seahawks trade Geno to Pete Carroll's Raiders?" pontification alone. Trade Smith and turn to whom under center? Sam Howell? Sam Darnold for a similar price to Geno? A rookie in a draft class most analysts believe is shallow? Unless Seattle is willing to go into a full-on rebuild after a 10-win season, parting with Smith makes little sense, in my opinion. Yes, the red-zone interceptions stung, but Smith's play was a massive reason the Seahawks even had a shot at the postseason. Few were better at delivering while getting blasted repeatedly behind an offensive interior that struggled. Smith isn't the problem. Forget about trading him. He's earned another extension that will provide guaranteed dollars and a few more years while lowering his cap number.

• Bolster the pass rush.

Tampa's signing of Shaq Barrett after his December release from Miami spoke volumes of what the Bucs thought of their edge-rushing crew. They need help. Calijah Kancey (7.5) and Vita Vea (7) led Tampa in sacks in 2024. They're both interior players -- very good ones, but not your customary edge sack leaders. Yaya Diaby led the Bucs with 65 QB pressures, per PFF, but he needs a running mate. Former first-rounder Joe Tryon-Shoyinka never panned out and is a free agent. Barrett hits the market again at 32 after retiring for half of last year. Anthony Nelson, No. 2 among Tampa edge players with 32 QB pressures, is also a free agent.

• Re-sign TE Zach Ertz, but don't stop there. 

Year 2 is no time to take away Jayden Daniels' binky. Ertz proved he still has some spry years left, catching 66 passes for 654 yards and seven touchdowns. No one is confusing the 34-year-old with Brock Bowers, but Ertz's ability to get open against linebackers and be precisely where Daniels needs him, especially in the red zone and on key downs, is priceless. He fits Kliff Kingsbury's offense like a glove. Ertz said he has no plans to retire. The Commanders should have no plans on letting him play elsewhere -- and they shouldn't stop there when it comes to upgrading the offense around Daniels. Adding another weapon alongside Terry McLaurin is necessary. The only wideouts signed in D.C. in 2025 are McLaurin and Luke McCaffrey. Washington has a ton of key free agents heading into the offseason on both sides of the ball. Ensuring those most vital to Daniels' continued development return is operative numero uno.