The frenzy of NFL free agency finally has settled down, leaving us to ponder what's next to come in the league's relentless news cycle. There will still be stories that move the meter dramatically, like the Bengals signing wide receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins to massive extensions. There will be the endless debates about the ongoing quarterback carousel, including what older veterans like Aaron Rodgers and Russell Wilson will ultimately decide about their next career moves. There also will be less-heralded acquisitions of players who didn't find big paydays in the first few days of the new league year.
This is also the perfect time to talk about what's already transpired since the end of the 2024 season. It wasn't just free agency that kept us buzzing. There were also a handful of blockbuster trades, a number of high-profile players agreeing to new deals with their current teams and, if you go back a little farther, seven head-coach hirings. As fun as it is to focus on what's coming in next month's NFL draft, it's also worth taking a breath to think about how the action of the past 10 weeks could ultimately impact what happens next fall. This edition of The First Read does just that ...
Here are the 10 best offseason decisions made around the NFL so far this year.
1) Chicago Bears hire Ben Johnson. The Bears needed to hit two home runs when the offseason started, and they nailed the first one with the hiring of Johnson, who had been the hottest name in the coaching cycle. Johnson created the most creative and prolific offense in the league during his time as the Detroit Lions' offensive coordinator. His job now is to produce similar results with a team that watched quarterback Caleb Williams, the top pick in the 2024 draft, underwhelm in his first season. It wasn't that Williams didn't show promise, as his rookie numbers (3,541 yards, 20 touchdowns and six interceptions) were much better than most signal-callers generate in their initial exposure to the league. It's just that his warts became more glaring (specifically holding the ball too long) behind an offensive line that couldn't protect him (the Bears surrendered a league-high 68 sacks). Johnson's offense in Detroit was built behind great protection for quarterback Jared Goff, a strong running game to set up play action and an aggressive mindset when it came to pushing the ball downfield. This is what the Bears need to bring to their offense. They learned how much of a mistake it was to pair a young, gifted quarterback with a defensive-minded head coach like Matt Eberflus. Hiring Johnson gives Williams a real chance to be as special as many people imagined he would be coming out of college.
2) Cincinnati Bengals extend Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. Give credit to the Bengals. They've been saying for months that they want to keep their star wide receivers together, and that's exactly what they did. You can debate the logic in paying big money to a couple wideouts -- Chase received a four-year deal worth $161 million while Higgins agreed to a four-year, $115 million package -- but this is the best way for this team to remain relevant when it comes to championship contention. The first thing to remember here is that quarterback Joe Burrow wanted this done. He campaigned for it publicly, which meant Bengals ownership had to think long and hard about upsetting its franchise quarterback. It's also important to note that this trio led the team to a Super Bowl four years ago and the AFC Championship Game three years ago. As much as the Bengals need to figure out their defensive problems -- and it's hard to see where the money is going to be available to do that in the near future -- this decision indicates that this franchise isn't going to lose by playing it safe. This likely ends all questions about whether Cincinnati can appease defensive end Trey Hendrickson's demands for a new contract, but nobody can call this franchise cheap anymore.
3) Los Angeles Rams sign Davante Adams. The Rams couldn't have played this one any better. They started the offseason by shopping wide receiver Cooper Kupp, a franchise favorite who had become too expensive for a player plagued by injuries in recent years. Before they could even attract an interested party, they found Adams looking for his own new home after the Jets released him. It's always fair to be concerned about what you're going to get from a 32-year-old wide receiver, especially considering Kupp was struggling to stay on the field at age 31. However, Adams has produced five consecutive 1,000-yard seasons (Kupp hasn't reached that mark since 2021), and he's only missed three games in the last three years (compared to 18 for Kupp). This was simply a case of the Rams upgrading a position at a time when they feel like viable championship contenders again. They worked out a deal to keep Matthew Stafford under center. Now they're adding Adams to a team that already has a Pro Bowl-caliber receiver in Puka Nacua, an underrated running back in Kyren Williams and a defense flush with young, athletic playmakers up front. Adams spent the last few years playing for teams going nowhere in Las Vegas and New York. He suddenly has the chance to be the missing piece for a Los Angeles team that nearly beat the eventual Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles in the Divisional Round.
4) Washington Commanders trade for Deebo Samuel. Commanders general manager Adam Peters has made a flurry of moves over the last few weeks -- including the trade that delivered left tackle Laremy Tunsil -- but Samuel is the one that should generate the most excitement around D.C. Even though the 29-year-old wide receiver is coming off one of his worst seasons (51 reception for 670 yards and three touchdowns), he also was playing on a 49ers team that struggled through an assortment of health problems, including a season-ending knee injury to wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk. This trade now pairs Samuel with a rising star quarterback (Jayden Daniels) in an offense that already has a No. 1 receiver (Terry McLaurin). It's not hard to see Samuel thriving with that type of talent, as well as a rushing attack that ranked third in the league last season. These are basically the same variables that were in play during his peak years in San Francisco and you saw the production that came as a result. Samuel is a physical receiver who also brings added versatility as a runner and gadget-play option. You have to assume offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury already has spent ample time contemplating all the ways he can utilize that skill set next season.
5) Chicago Bears rebuild offensive line. There's no rule that says you can't mention the same team twice in an exercise like this, but that's how impressive the Bears have been with their personnel moves. This was the other home run general manager Ryan Poles needed to hit this offseason, the one that kept his quarterback feeling better about his safety when this team starts playing real games again in the fall. Instead of focusing on just one move here, you must take all three major acquisitions into consideration. Poles started the process by making trades that delivered two guards, former Chief Joe Thuney (a first-team All-Pro in each of the past two seasons) and former Ram Jonah Jackson. Poles then snared former Falcon Drew Dalman, who was the best center on the free-agent market. It shouldn't be overlooked here that the Bears have the 10th overall pick in this year's draft, which puts them in a nice position to find a left tackle to round out this overhaul.
You have to love how aggressively Poles pursued this task. He had plenty of money to throw around in free agency, but he also sought familiar talents: Poles was in the Chiefs' front office when Thuney joined that franchise in 2021, while Jackson spent four years with Johnson in Detroit. Those are smart plays for an executive who can't afford any more missteps. Poles targeted skill players for Williams last year. This season, his quarterback should have plenty more time to utilize all those weapons.
6) Seattle Seahawks sign Sam Darnold. It was time for the Seahawks to shake things up with their offense. They were treading water with Geno Smith at quarterback, so the decision to trade him and sign Darnold -- the best free-agent quarterback on the market -- made sense in so many ways. First off, the 27-year-old Darnold is seven years younger than Smith. Darnold also enjoyed a breakout season in Minnesota after spending most of his career hearing how disappointing he'd been since entering the league as the third overall pick in the 2018 draft. The Seahawks clearly have a plan for Darnold, which starts with pairing him with offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak. Those two worked together when Darnold was a backup with the 49ers in 2023 and Kubiak was the team's passing game coordinator. That history tells you Kubiak has the potential to get the best out of Darnold, just as Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell did last year. The supporting cast Darnold had in Minnesota was as critical to his success as his maturation, which is why general manager John Schneider needs to improve the skill positions -- Seattle has already signed Cooper Kupp -- and the offensive line. However, what makes this marriage even better is the contract. Darnold agreed to a reasonable three-year deal worth $100.5 million, and there are reports that it's structured in a way that allows the Seahawks to walk without major financial consequences after a year. That's insurance in case Darnold implodes like he did in his final two starts of last season. If things go according to plan in Seattle, the 'Hawks shouldn't need to use it.
7) Denver Broncos sign Dre Greenlaw. We get it -- Greenlaw sustained a torn Achilles while playing for the 49ers in Super Bowl LVIII, and he only played 34 snaps last season after returning. It's also important to note this part: He turns 27 years old in May and is one of the best linebackers in the league when he's healthy. The Broncos gave Greenlaw a three-year, $35 million deal because they can envision what he can do for a defense that turned elite last season. Denver led the league with 63 sacks in 2024 and ranked third in points allowed, and Greenlaw could be the piece that makes the group even better. Defensive coordinator Vance Joseph has a unit blessed with dynamic edge rushers (Jonathon Cooper and Nik Bonitto), one of the game's most disruptive interior players (defensive end Zach Allen) and arguably the league's best cornerback duo (2024 Defensive Player of the Year Patrick Surtain II and Riley Moss). You throw Greenlaw in the middle of that and it's hard to see any offense gaining much traction against this bunch.
8) Philadelphia Eagles re-sign Zack Baun. Philadelphia has never been crazy about paying big money to off-ball linebackers, which tells you how important Baun is to this team's success. In giving Baun a three-year, $51 million deal (with $34 million guaranteed), general manager Howie Roseman sent the message that he's once again not afraid to break trends. Roseman went out and signed running back Saquon Barkley last offseason after years of not placing high value on that position (and gave Barkley a raise this offseason). The Eagles clearly couldn't have known what they had in Baun when he arrived on a one-year, $3.5 million deal last year -- especially since he had been a rotational pass rusher in New Orleans for the previous four seasons -- but he turned out to be the steal of free agency. Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio turned Baun into a star in the middle of the league's top defense. The 28-year-old Baun finished with 151 tackles, 11 tackles for loss and five forced fumbles. He could've found a nice market in free agency, but it's hard to walk away from a team that made your career. Baun saw the value in staying put, and Roseman made that decision an easy one.
9) Minnesota Vikings sign Jonathan Allen. The Vikings have been searching for a legitimate interior presence on their defensive line, which is exactly what Allen will provide. The 30-year-old defensive end has averaged 45 pressures over the past six seasons. He's made two Pro Bowls (2021 and '22) and he's joining a defense that already excelled at pressuring quarterbacks (Minnesota tied for fourth in the league with 49 sacks). Defensive coordinator Brian Flores did some tremendous things with this unit after the team signed edge rushers Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel last year. Wait until you see how this D functions with Allen working in the middle.
10) Tampa Bay Buccaneers re-sign Chris Godwin. Tampa Bay general manager Jason Licht has enjoyed a productive offseason thus far, with the return of Godwin ranking high on the list of accomplishments. This is the second straight year that the Bucs have been in position to lose a star wide receiver to free agency, as Mike Evans was on the verge of leaving last year. Licht found the money to appease Evans, and he did the exact same thing with Godwin, signing him to a three-year, $66 million deal with $44 million in guaranteed money. There was going to be a strong market for Godwin if he hit free agency, even though his 2024 season ended with a dislocated left ankle in Week 7. This receiver class wasn't filled with great options and several teams are searching for help at that position. However, Godwin chose to remain with a Tampa Bay team that has been rolling offensively -- the last two coordinators, Dave Canales and Liam Coen, have landed head-coaching jobs over the last two years -- and should continue to excel with most of its key players returning.
