Another free agency cycle has come and gone for the NFL with several marquee names finding new homes for the 2023 season. While this offseason hasn’t quite been as chaotic as its predecessor, there were still several major moves that shifted the landscape of the league. 

The NFL is the most popular sports league in the world due in large part to its parity; every team has the same salary cap, and you can turn your franchise around in a single offseason. Teams fluctuate year to year for better or for worse which adds a level of mystery to each season. While there are several notable players on the open market along with two former MVP quarterbacks whose future is still up in the air, I feel pretty comfortable with which teams won and lost this offseason.

Every year a few teams have a meteoric rise from their previous season which catches most fans off guard. If you have been following this offseason, you may not be surprised if these three teams take a huge leap in the fall. These teams all made significant improvements and should be early breakout candidates for the 2023 season.

Carolina Panthers:

Before I touch on any of the pieces Carolina added in free agency, I want to address the decision to trade up with Chicago for the number one overall pick. Many claimed that the Panthers got “fleeced,” which I don’t think is remotely accurate.

Yes, the Panthers gave up D.J. Moore along with three draft picks including their first round pick next year. While that is definitely a haul to give up for the first pick, it will be worth it if Carolina finds their next franchise quarterback. 

Scott Fitterer and Frank Reich now have their pick of the litter in a promising QB class and have the brightest future in the NFC South. While Bears fans should be ecstatic with what they got for the right to the top selection, Carolina by no means got the short end of the stick.

Even after losing Moore, Carolina isn’t lacking in talent at skill positions. Adding Adam Thielen and D.J. Chark will give its top selection legitimate WR talent, getting Hayden Hurst at tight end also doesn’t hurt. Whichever college QB ends up in Charlotte will also have Miles Sanders in the backfield.

Whether it’s Bryce Young, C.J. Stroud or Anthony Richardson, the Panthers’ new franchise QB won’t be thrown into the fire and can sit and develop behind Andy Dalton. While the Dalton signing won’t turn any heads, he quietly had a 95.2 passer rating with New Orleans last year and showed he can still be a capable starter.

I can’t ignore the Panthers’ defense which was a pesky unit in 2022. That unit adds Vonn Bell to an already promising young core that will look to push for a division title.

The NFC South is wide open with Tom Brady’s retirement, so who’s to say the Panthers can’t win their first division crown since 2015?

Chicago Bears:

 After an abysmal 2022 campaign, the Bears had the entire offseason in the palm of their hands. Boasting the most cap space in the NFL along with possessing the coveted first pick in the draft, Chicago was destined for a strong offseason.

After rumors surfaced of the Bears moving off of Justin Fields, Ryan Poles and the Chicago front office fortunately made the right decision and chose to build around their promising young signal caller. When talking about Chicago’s offseason, you have to start the conversation with the trade I previously mentioned with Carolina.

The Bears had plenty of suitors for the first pick as there were several QB desperate teams with top ten picks. Ultimately the Panthers won the first pick sweepstakes, and the Bears were handsomely compensated for it.

While we have to wait and see what Ryan Poles chooses to do with the haul of picks they now have, there is no question that Justin Fields will have a true number one receiver for the first time in his NFL career.

D.J. Moore recorded r over 1,000 yards three times with bad quarterback play and is entering his prime. Combined with Darnell Mooney and Chase Claypool, the Bears suddenly have one of the more intriguing WR rooms in football.

Chicago also went out and got Robert Tonyan from their arch rival to round out an improved group of pass catchers. The Bears had the worst record in the NFL largely because of poor defensive play. Chicago had to fill the void left by Roquan Smith at linebacker, and they did just that by signing Tremaine Edmunds to a long term deal.

We are entering a post-Aaron Rodgers NFC North, opening up the window for the Bears to go from worst to first in Justin Fields’ third season.

Detroit Lions:

If the Bears are unable to capitalize on Rodgers’ departure from the division, perhaps the Lions can capture their first division title since 1993. After a slow start, the Lions won eight of their last ten games and fell just short of a playoff spot.

Detroit already has one of the most complete offenses in the NFL, and they only improved upon it this offseason. The Lions picked up David Montgomerey from division rival Chicago to complement D’Andre Swift in a 1-2 backfield tandem. 

They also brought back a familiar face in Marvin Jones Jr., giving Jared Goff a trio of receivers that also includes Amon-Ra St.Brown and a healthy Jameson Williams.

What has many, including myself, so optimistic for the Lions in 2023 is their defensive improvements. It’s no secret that Detroit has struggled on that side of the ball for some time now. A weak secondary has been the main culprit for that, so Brad Holmes made sure to focus on improving their DB room this spring.

Adding C.J. Gardner-Johnson at safety is a major step towards being a formidable unit as was landing Pittsburgh’s top cornerback Cameron Sutton. The offense is potent enough for the Lions to be a playoff team with just a competent defense.

Unlike Carolina and Chicago, the Lions  already made a leap improving from 3-14 in 2021 to 9-8 a season ago. Expect Detroit to take the next step and compete for not only a division title, but possibly make a run in a weak NFC.