2022 NFL Offseason Winners

The peak of the NFL offseason has come and gone, and the landscape of the league has changed drastically. This year’s batch of free agents was one of the deepest in recent history along with several notable players being on the move via trades. While there still are several notable players on the open market, we have a general idea of which teams got better and which got worse this offseason. The biggest takeaway from the offseason so far is the growing imbalance between the two conferences.

The NFL is a league of great parity and unlike college football, the conferences are usually balanced. That no longer appears to be the case after this offseason which has strongly favored the AFC and has expanded the talent gap between the teams in the AFC to those in the NFC. The AFC was significantly deeper last season however the NFC was at least better at the top. That appears to have changed as the contenders in the AFC have been stockpiling talent while the few elite NFC teams have all lost key pieces.

There is no clear reason for this disparity between the conferences, this isn’t college football where some conferences just have better resources and can recruit better than others. The most logical explanation is the influx of talented young quarterbacks in the AFC which has put pressure on teams to surround their young signal caller with a better supporting cast than his peers. This arms race for talent is best shown in the AFC West which may very well be the first division in NFL history to have all its teams make the playoffs.

When you’re in a division with Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs, you need to be aggressive in the offseason to build a roster that can compete with Kansas City. The rest of the AFC West got that memo and loaded up their respective squads with blue chip players. The Raiders and Chargers already have Pro Bowl caliber quarterbacks, they just needed to bridge the personnel gap between them and Kansas City which they did. Denver on the other hand had a roster that was comparable to the Chiefs but were severely lacking under center. GM George Paton fixed that by making the move of the offseason in a blockbuster trade for Russell Wilson. Just a couple of years ago, we thought the Chiefs were in a tier of their own in the AFC however the conference is now as deep as ever.

Free agency has become a critical aspect of the roster building process over the past couple of decades. Spending big money or draft capital is a risky move that can either elevate your franchise to new heights or leave them trapped in mediocrity. While the big-name signings and trades dominate the headlines, the key to winning the offseason is getting good value out of under the radar veterans that fill holes on your roster.

While free agency isn’t officially over, the past week has painted a clear picture to which teams have breakout potential in 2022 and which ones will regress. For this list I will be looking at both trades and free agent signings along with franchise tags. It is worth noting that I will not be including quarterback acquisitions for this list, that would be too easy, and we all know that the likes of Denver and Cleveland had great offseasons due to adding their respective star signal callers. With all that being said, here are the winners and losers of the 2022 NFL offseason.

Winners

Las Vegas Raiders

The Raiders overcame a tumultuous regular season and snuck into the playoffs last year and are looking to show that wasn’t a fluke. Las Vegas was perceived to have the weakest roster in the AFC West; however I wouldn’t be so sure of that anymore. Vegas landed two of the biggest prizes in free agency, one on each side of the ball.

Of course, I have to start off with Davante Adams, who will be reunited with his college quarterback along with being made the second highest paid receiver in football. Trading for Adams was a huge win for the Raiders who already had a talented group of pass catchers but needed a true number one option. Adams is the best receiver in football and has great chemistry with Derek Carr. In a division full of dynamic and explosive offenses, Las Vegas added one of the best skill players in the NFL and will be a serious threat in the AFC West.

The Raiders didn’t settle with just one top-level free agent, Vegas added another First-team All-Pro in Chandler Jones on the defensive side of the ball. Jones has been one of the best pass rushers over the past decade and still has a lot of good football left in him. The Raiders have struggled defensively for several years now, and Jones will make an immediate impact. Las Vegas also locked up DE Maxx Crosby on a four-year deal that will give the Raiders a terrifying pass rushing duo for the foreseeable future. Facing Patrick Mahomes, Justin Herbert and Russell Wilson twice a year isn’t easy, but having Jones and Crosby wreak havoc in the pocket certainly helps.

Los Angeles Chargers

After missing out on the playoffs in the final seconds of overtime in the final game of the season, LA is out for redemption. The Chargers made major strides under first year coach Brandon Staley along with second year phenom Justin Herbert and are looking to take the next step. A pair of elite defensive acquisitions should help the Chargers reach playoff football in 2022.

After losing Casey Hayward last offseason and having Chris Harris Jr. hit free agency this year, Los Angeles had a major need at corner. To say they upgraded would be an understatement after landing J.C. Jackson, who emerged as a top five cornerback in New England. Jackson has elite ball skills and is a player you will want covering Davante Adams, Tyreek Hill and Courtland Sutton twice a year.

Just like the Raiders, Los Angeles acquired an elite veteran pass rusher by trading for four-time All-Pro Khalil Mack. Mack returns to the AFC West and will make a scary duo with Joey Bosa. LA only had to give up a second rounder this year and a sixth next year to land the 2016 Defensive Player of the Year. I gotta feel for Patrick Mahomes who now must face three elite pass rushing duos in his division.

Los Angeles also retains WR Mike Williams on a long-term deal paying Williams $20 million per year. While the price is a little high for my taste, Herbert is still on a rookie contract so overpaying for a valuable weapon on offense is understandable.  I also need to point out Pro Bowl long snapper Josh Harris who the Chargers are bringing in on a four-year deal, long snappers are people too and this signing should not go without mention.

Miami Dolphins

The future of the Dolphins was in serious question after the unexpected firing of Brian Flores; however Mike McDaniel appears to be a viable replacement. McDaniel’s main objective is to get the most out of former top five pick Tua Tagovailoa who has been underwhelming in his first two seasons. Miami used their abundance of cap space to give McDaniel the right personnel to succeed immediately.

Perhaps the most valuable non-quarterback acquisition this offseason was the Dolphins landing star LT Terron Armstead on a five-year deal worth $87.5 million. The offensive line did Tua no favors in 2021 as it was among the worst in football but that will change with Armstead.

The Dolphins also brought in Connor Williams from Dallas who will provide a much-needed upgrade on the interior offensive line. While Williams has issues with holding penalties, he is a solid guard who will help keep Tagovailoa upright. Miami’s offensive line improved more than any outside of Cincinnati this offseason and they still have plenty of draft capital to improve their biggest weakness from a year ago.

Miami doubled down on adding elite offensive personnel by making a historic trade for WR Tyreek Hill, sending 5 draft picks including their first rounder this year to Kansas City in return for Hill. The Dolphins also made Hill the highest paid WR in NFL history on a four-year deal worth $120 million. The combination of Hill and Jaylen Waddle gives Miami the most dangerous duo of downfield threats in all of football.

McDaniel will also have a pair of good running backs to work with in Chase Edmonds and Raheem Mostert who McDaniel is very familiar with from San Francisco. Miami had one of the worst rushing attacks in football last year but between a pair of new backs and a revamped offensive line, expect Miami to have one of the better rushing offenses in 2022.

The Dolphins also used free agency to land WR Cedrick Wilson from the Cowboys who is an emerging pass catcher that joins an already talented receiving core. Miami also retains key players in tight end Mike Gesicki on the franchise tag and edge rusher Emmanuel Ogbah on a long-term deal.

This offseason was all about giving Tua the best supporting cast possible. While fans in south Florida are pretty split on whether Tua is the long-term answer at QB, there is no denying that Tagovailoa will finally have the supporting cast around him to develop into a franchise quarterback. Miami has a smart offensive coach, great weapons, a pair of good backs and a vastly improved offensive line. This season will show us if Tua is the first franchise quarterback Miami has had since Dan Marino or if the Dolphins need to go in another direction.