You don't win championships in the offseason, they say. But is that true? Didn't the Buccaneers and Rams recently win Super Bowls in back-to-back seasons by spending big in the spring? Well, sure, but in the bigger picture, the biggest and boldest spenders don't always turn out to be the most balanced contenders. And there's no greater example than the 2023 offseason, which saw several clubs pull off big-name blockbusters, only to get sour results once the games begun.
Things can still change between now and the end of the season, but here's how we'd regrade some of this year's top veteran moves as the 2023 campaign draws to a close -- specifically, the 10 free agents who got the largest contracts to change teams, and five of the most notable veterans to be traded ahead of Week 1:
Aaron Rodgers to the Jets
Jets got: | QB Aaron Rodgers (Packers), 2023 first-round pick swap, fifth-round pick |
Jets gave: | 2023 first-round pick swap, second-round pick (x2), sixth-round pick |
"Incomplete" sounds better considering New York only got four snaps from the longtime Packers star before he went down with an injury, but then again, the Jets shouldn't necessarily be excused for betting on a nearly 40-year-old QB behind a visibly shoddy O-line. Rodgers still has the drive to rewrite his Jets legacy, but any hunt for a Lombardi will have to wait until 2024. And his celebrated arrival arguably deluded team brass into thinking their fallback options were sufficient.
Current grade: D-
Derek Carr to the Saints
Contract: 4 years, $150 million
Can the starting QB for a team knocking on the door of a playoff berth be flunked? We're not going that far with Carr, who's currently the 14th-highest-paid among QBs in terms of average annual earnings. But the production hasn't necessarily even justified that, delaying a full-on Saints rebuild for mostly conservative, inefficient results. His gutsy leadership could end up sneaking them into the postseason, but New Orleans' defense is doing most of the heavy lifting.
Current grade: D+
Jimmy Garoppolo to the Raiders
Contract: 3 years, $72.75M
There's not a whole lot to debate here. Garoppolo was a fine figurehead for Kyle Shanahan's 49ers offense, but he was always going to be a risky bet behind an iffy O-line in Vegas. Injuries reared their head early, but even when upright, he didn't appear to settle in under ex-Patriots pal Josh McDaniels, whose in-season firing all but saddled Garoppolo to the bench for good.
Current grade: F
D'Andre Swift to the Eagles
Eagles got: | RB D'Andre Swift (Lions), seventh-round pick |
Eagles gave: | Fourth-round pick, seventh-round pick |
Cast aside by Detroit after David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs arrived in Motown, Swift has rediscovered his burst as the Eagles' most dynamic ball carrier, ranking among the NFL's top-five rushers to blow his previous career marks out of the water. A bit more situational consistency might be nice, but he's been a successful gamble thus far. If only Philly established the ground game more.
Current grade: B+
D.J. Moore to the Bears
Bears got: | WR D.J. Moore (Panthers), first-round pick (x2), second-round pick (x2) |
Bears gave: | First-round pick |
Chicago's penchant for turnovers and last-second losses has slightly overshadowed Moore's star power, and even still, the ex-Panthers standout has eclipsed 1,000 yards for the fourth time in his NFL career, ranking among the league's top 10 in that category, while averaging more than 14 yards per reception. More than that, his arrival can't be separated from the trade package that's set to have Chicago possessing a pair of top-five picks in 2024.
Current grade: A
Darren Waller to the Giants
Giants got: | TE Darren Waller (Raiders) |
Giants gave: | Third-round pick |
New York flipped the pick acquired for Kadarius Toney to land Waller, who's proven more reliable as a safety valve but just as troubled by injury woes. Waller's addition would've been more appealing had the Giants done anything to properly address their accompanying holes at O-line and wide receiver, but asked to be the No. 1 on his own, he's once again struggled to stay active. When healthy, he's at least been involved, securing 40 catches for 424 yards in nine contests.
Current grade: C-
Mike McGlinchey to the Broncos
Contract: 5 years, $87.5M
Sean Payton's first order of business as Broncos head coach was retooling the trenches, and McGlinchey was the biggest beneficiary. A knee sprain preceded a rough start to the year, but he's overall been passable, helping Denver rebound from a 1-5 stretch. Still, the jury is out on whether the ex-49ers veteran can justify his $17.5M annual price tag, ranked sixth among RTs.
Current grade: C-
Jawaan Taylor to the Chiefs
Contract: 4 years, $80M
Only Eagles All-Pro Lane Johnson earns more at RT, but Taylor has been a liability more than an asset for Kansas City after leaving the Jaguars. He made headlines for avoiding "egregious" penalties in his Week 1 debut, was briefly benched in Week 2, and months later, the Chiefs are still occasionally seen giving both their tackles extra help to keep Patrick Mahomes upright.
Current grade: D-
Orlando Brown Jr. to the Bengals
Contract: 4 years, $64M
The former Chiefs LT is grading out as just a passable blocker in his Bengals debut, per Pro Football Focus, but few edge rushers have actually beaten his pass protection for both Joe Burrow and surprisingly efficient fill-in Jake Browning. That's doubly impressive considering how often Cincinnati has thrown it, and how limited Burrow was as a runner and play-extender during his early-season calf injury.
Current grade: B+
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Javon Hargrave to the 49ers
Contract: 4 years, $84M
The 49ers were hailed as potential world-beaters when they added Hargrave to their already-feared defensive front, but the ex-Eagles standout started relatively quiet even while working next to Nick Bosa. He's also battling an injury now. When on the field, however, he's been more active with Chase Young also in the lineup, with 13 QB hits and seven tackles for loss in 13 games.
Midseason grade: B-
Dre'Mont Jones to the Seahawks
Contract: 3 years, $51.5M
Seattle's defense hasn't taken the consistent leap its offseason investments might've foretold. Jones has been part of that, logging 10 QB hits but just 3.5 sacks -- tied for the lowest mark of his career after four promising years in Denver -- before Week 15's Monday night matchup with the Eagles. He's also grading out as just a middling defender in the trenches, per PFF.
Midseason grade: C-
Dalvin Tomlinson to the Browns
Contract: 4 years, $57M
The former Giants and Vikings veteran has slowed a bit since a hot start to 2023, during which he's already matched a career high in QB hits (10). But alongside Myles Garrett and Co., his big-bodied push has helped Cleveland consistently field one of the league's stingiest defenses of 2023; the team enters Week 16 surrendering the fewest yards of any club.
Midseason grade: B
Tremaine Edmunds to the Bears
Contract: 4 years, $72M
Edmunds has always been an athletic freak, and some of that has shown through at the heart of Chicago's "D," where the former Bills starter has been a part of five different takeaways. As one of the four highest-paid off-ball LBs in the NFL, his impact couldn't stop the Bears from flailing early in the year, but he's had a big hand in Matt Eberflus' unit showing life down the stretch.
Midseason grade: B
Jalen Ramsey to the Dolphins
Dolphins got: | CB Jalen Ramsey (Rams) |
Dolphins gave: | TE Hunter Long, third-round pick |
Ramsey's anticipated Miami debut was delayed due to injury, but he's been a clear difference-maker for their secondary since stepping foot on the field. With four pass deflections and three picks in seven games, the former Rams star appears to have rediscovered some of his L.A. swagger, and as long as he stays healthy, he'll be critical to the Dolphins' postseason push as well.
Current grade: B+
Jessie Bates III to the Falcons
Contract: 4 years, $64M
Atlanta still hasn't figured things out offensively. But its defense has quietly shown improvement all year, and Bates has stayed around the ball to back up the cornerbacks. With nine pass deflections, three forced fumbles and a career-high five picks, he's been a big-play machine. It's just a shame Arthur Smith's actual offense can't support him on the other side.
Midseason grade: A
