The 2022 NFL free agency period isn’t over yet, but it’s never too early to grade teams’ progress after the end of the first wave. However, with so much movement coming from trades instead of free agency, those moves must also be accounted for in this process. Remember folks, “Cs get degrees.”
2022 NFL Free Agency Grades | NFC West
We’ll keep things simple here and go by conference and division. That way, your favorite team‘s division rivals are right where you can easily see them. Since the West Coast has been so active, we’ll switch things up and start there. The NFC West hasn’t been as active as its AFC counterparts, but there have still been big moves made by a few of the teams within the division.
Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals’ top additions included re-signing TE Zach Ertz and RB James Conner while signing CB Jeff Gladney. Their biggest losses were EDGE Chandler Jones, WR Christian Kirk, and RB Chase Edmonds.
It will be challenging to overcome the loss of Jones, but getting J.J. Watt back healthy, for however long that is, should help. Arizona also holds the 23rd pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, and the pass-rushing group is deep with talent. The Cardinals didn’t have a ton of money to work with and were never going to be super aggressive in free agency.
The addition of Gladney doesn’t excuse a possible need at cornerback. However, the former first-round pick had a lot of talent coming out of TCU. He hasn’t played since 2020, but he was an excellent high-upside signing. Hopefully, he can make the most of his second chance. Retaining Ertz was huge for Arizona. They have talent and depth at receiver, but Ertz came in and made an immediate impact in 2021.
Grade: C+
Los Angeles Rams
The Rams’ top additions in free agency were WR Allen Robinson, OT Joseph Noteboom, and C Brian Allen. Their biggest losses were EDGE Von Miller, CB Darious Williams, and DT Sebastian Joseph-Day.
The Rams’ losses have piled up a bit when we sit back and look at them. Their red ledger is much more comprehensive than their green. Losing Miller is a massive hit to the defense, but so is losing Williams and Joseph-Day. It was challenging to leave Robert Woods off the losses list, but they replaced him with Robinson. We’ll see if that was a net positive or negative next season.
There was almost a mass exodus from a Rams offensive line that struggled in the playoffs. They lost Austin Corbett and Andrew Whitworth retired. But Noteboom and Allen were also free agents. Losing them would have likely been unsustainable for a unit that needs continuity from season to season.
Grade: C
San Francisco 49ers
The 49ers’ top additions in free agency were CB Charvarius Ward, WR Ray-Ray McCloud, and S George Odom. Their biggest losses were DT D.J. Jones, G Laken Tomlinson, and OT Tom Compton.
49ers fans don’t seem too happy with John Lynch and the rest of the front office for how quiet things have been in the organization. Losing Jones is a massive hit to San Francisco’s defensive interior, but they have depth up and down the line. Also, Tomlinson will need to be replaced at left guard. There are other players who San Francisco might lose or retain that could affect their grade in the future.
The biggest weakness for the team last season was their cornerbacks. Ward isn’t J.C. Jackson, but he is a significant upgrade from anything they had in 2021. McCloud is one of the best returners in the NFL, and he provides depth at receiver.
Grade: C
Seattle Seahawks
The Seahawks’ top additions were S Quandre Diggs, DT Al Woods, and TE Noah Fant. Their biggest losses in free agency were QB Russell Wilson, CB D.J. Reed, and EDGE Carlos Dunlap.
The Wilson trade is one of the biggest moves of the last few offseasons. But with the NFL leaning into player movement, it already feels like it happened months ago. The Seahawks picked up two firsts, two seconds, a fifth, and two good players in Shelby Harris and Noah Fant. Reed is a tough loss, but the Seahawks are adding cornerbacks in large quantities to try and find quality.
Retaining Diggs was massive. He’s one of the best free safeties in the NFL. Picking up Fant was huge as part of the Wilson trade. He’s an athletic, playmaking tight end that should help whoever ends up under center for the Seahawks in 2022.
The Seahawks seem to be going through a quick retooling. They now have draft assets to help build in a division that would have been difficult to compete in this season. However, they could be back on track by 2023 if they play those cards right.
Grade: B-
2022 NFL Free Agency Grades | NFC East
The NFC East remains a competitor for the worst division in the NFL overall. But how have the teams handled the offseason thus far?
Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys’ top additions in free agency were WR Michael Gallup, S Malik Hooker, and S Jayron Kearse. Their biggest losses were EDGE Randy Gregory, WR Amari Cooper, and OT La’el Collins.
Just because a few of the losses were expected doesn’t mean they hurt any less for fans. Losing Gregory the way Dallas did put an even worse taste in the mouths of Cowboys fans. Dallas has gotten worse on the OL, WR, and EDGE. Outside of quarterback, there’s an argument those are the three most important position groups.
Retaining Gallup — and doing it on the contract they got him at — represented a good signing. Keeping Hooker and Kearse around was necessary. Hooker played well as a free safety, and Kearse was good in the box and matched up against tight ends in man coverage.
Grade: D
New York Giants
G Mark Glowinski, C Jon Feliciano, and QB Tyrod Taylor were the Giants’ biggest additions in free agency. Their biggest losses were TE Evan Engram, DT Austin Johnson, and LB Lorenzo Carter.
The Giants didn’t have a lot of money coming into free agency, and it shows in their overall lack of activity. Adding to the offensive line was an absolute necessity to try and cultivate an environment conducive to Daniel Jones’ success. However, they also used some of their available money to guarantee $8.5 million of it to Tyrod Taylor.
Johnson is a significant loss in the middle. Losing Carter may not feel awful, but the Giants already lacked talent at the position. Still, with little money to work with in the 2022 free agency period, this was probably the best they could do.
Grade: C
Philadelphia Eagles
Top additions for the Eagles included EDGE Haason Reddick, S Anthony Harris, WR Zach Pascal. Their biggest loss in free agency was DT Hassan Ridgeway.
There’s been some ridicule of Howie Roseman on social media so far during Philly’s offseason, but there shouldn’t be. The Eagles haven’t lost anybody of significance. They even cut and then re-signed Fletcher Cox.
The Eagles also don’t need to be super aggressive in free agency because they have five picks in the top 100 and three in the top 20. They haven’t gotten worse in free agency, and that’s a good bar to hit.
Grade: B
Washington Commanders
The Commanders’ top additions were QB Carson Wentz, G Andrew Norwell, and RB J.D. McKissic. Their biggest losses were G Brandon Scherff, DT Tim Settle, and TE Ricky Seals-Jones.
Right off the bat, it’s impossible for the Commanders to… command… a high free agency grade so far. Taylor Heinicke is not a good professional quarterback. But is he nearly $30 million worse than Wentz, who they spent two third-round picks to acquire? The idea that the 2017 Carson Wentz is locked inside himself somewhere is foolish.
They also downgraded at guard from a talent perspective and lost a few significant names on the defensive line. The one saving grace from Washington was that McKissic decided to return. In an offseason with so much QB turnover, to settle for Wentz is abhorrent.
Grade: F
2022 NFL Free Agency Grades | NFC South
The South has been active so far during the free agency period. But how has each franchise managed with their moves?
Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons’ top additions were CB Casey Hayward Jr., QB Marcus Mariota, and RB Cordarrelle Patterson. Their biggest losses were WR Calvin Ridley, QB Matt Ryan, and WR Russell Gage.
We can’t pin the Ridley loss on the franchise. However, allowing the Ryan trade for next to nothing while taking a $40 million cap hit is nauseating. This was already a four-win team masquerading as a seven-win team. Now, they’re without the best player in their franchise history (and with almost nothing to show for it).
The Hayward Jr. signing was fantastic. However, this team has gotten significantly worse since last season, largely due to their mishandling of Ryan’s contract and the previous regime’s poor roster management. Hopefully, for this tired fan base, greener pastures lie ahead.
Grade: D
Carolina Panthers
Top free agency additions for the Panthers were C/G Bradley Bozeman, DT Matt Ioannidis, and CB Donte Jackson. Their biggest losses were EDGE Haason Reddick and DT DaQuan Jones.
The Panthers have quietly had an alright offseason. They’re kind of stuck at quarterback, as they’re already paying Sam Darnold nearly $19 million in guaranteed money. Losing Reddick is a big hit because he is a good pass rusher, but they will probably look to find a better complement to Brian Burns through the draft.
Their most significant need was on the OL, and they addressed that with Bozeman. They’ll still need an upgrade at left tackle, but with the No. 6 pick and a great class in front of them, that should be a pick written in pen at this point.
Grade: B
New Orleans Saints
The Saints’ top additions were QB Jameis Winston, S Marcus Maye, and DT Shy Tuttle. Their biggest losses were S Marcus Williams and RB Ty Montgomery.
The Saints’ biggest accomplishment this offseason once again comes in the form of Mickey Loomis’ cap gymnastics. When they tell him to jump, he simply asks, “How high?” This season, he created about $90 million in cap space without ever outright cutting a player. Yes, that means New Orleans will overpay some older players that aren’t contributing as much. But it also means they still have mobility, which is astounding.
Bringing Winston back was an easy call after missing out on the Deshaun Watson sweepstakes. Signing Maye at an Achilles tear discount was a savvy move. If he recovers to be even 80% of what he was, they’ve done a good job of softening the blow from the loss of Williams.
Grade: B+
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Buccaneers’ top additions were QB Tom Brady, C Ryan Jensen, WR Chris Godwin, and CB Carlton Davis. Their biggest losses were G Ali Marpet, G Alex Cappa, and S Jordan Whitehead.
The Brady news obviously affected how other possible losses turned into gains for the Buccaneers heading into next season. When one considers this team was on the verge of irrelevancy, they’ve absolutely demolished this free agency period so far.
Losing Marpet and Cappa hurts the line, as does losing Whitehead in the secondary. But while they’re not necessarily as talented as last season, it was almost much, much worse.
Grade: A-
2022 NFL Free Agency Grades | NFC North
The NFC North is a weird division to follow. There has been movement, but have any of the teams improved from last season?
Chicago Bears
Top additions for the Bears were WR Equanimeous St. Brown, EDGE Al-Quadin Muhammad, and G Lucas Patrick. Their biggest losses in free agency were WR Allen Robinson, EDGE Khalil Mack, and G James Daniels.
Look at that list of additions and subtractions, sports fans! That’s not the prettiest list in the world. The Bears have a ton of space to work with relative to the rest of the league. They must get aggressive in trying to improve the offensive side of the ball. Nothing matters if your young QB isn’t afforded the opportunity to get a fair shot at success.
If they’re aiming to rebuild, they better get started!
Grade: D
Detroit Lions
Top additions for the Lions included WR DJ Chark, EDGE Charles Harris, and S Tracy Walker. Their biggest free agency losses were EDGE Trey Flowers and LB Jalen Reeves-Maybin.
The Lions are essentially just running it back in 2022 with a similar roster to last season. For a team not looking to compete yet, that’s just fine. The Chark signing is a nice prove-it deal, and it addressed one of the biggest positional needs in the NFL.
They also did a good job keeping their own around, which could be correlated to the culture Dan Campbell has built. With Jared Goff’s contract making things difficult for Detroit, this has been a fine offseason thus far.
Grade: B
Green Bay Packers
Top additions for the Packers were LB De’Vondre Campbell, CB Rasul Douglas, and TE Robert Tonyan. Their biggest losses were Davante Adams, Davante Adams, and yes, Davante Adams.
It’s easy to hate that the Packers lost arguably the best receiver in the NFL this offseason. However, it was clear that the relationship was over, and getting compensation for him saves them from the embarrassment of his loss.
Also, despite cap issues, they retained Campbell and Douglas, which should help keep a talented back end of the defense afloat. The Jarran Reed acquisition doesn’t move the needle much at this point in his career, but he does bring a pass rush element beside Kenny Clark.
Grade: C+
Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings’ top additions in free agency were DT Harrison Phillips, LB Jordan Hicks, and EDGE Za’Darius Smith. Their biggest losses were C Mason Cole and TE Tyler Conklin.
It’s been a boring offseason for Vikings fans. Minnesota hasn’t done much at all of note in free agency. Although adding Phillips and Hicks helps the middle of a defense that struggled mightily to stand up against the run last season.
The Vikings also added Smith to their pass-rush arsenal, which could be impressive if the veteran remains healthy.
Grade: B-
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