Some anticipated that the Indianapolis
Colts would be improved this season provided that Andrew Luck was
able to return healthy, that GM Chris Ballard found gems with their extra draft
picks and that Frank Reich would help everyone forget about the Josh McDaniels
pursuit. Little did we know how well all of those things (plus a few key
additions in free agency) would pan out.
We hereby re-grade every NFL team's 2018
offseason with the benefit of hindsight, using as a reference point the grades
league insiders helped shape back in June.
A GRADES
INDIANAPOLIS
COLTS
Re-grade: A+
Offseason grade: B-
Josh McDaniels' abrupt about-face could have set back the
organization for years. It now looks like a blessing.
From hiring Frank Reich as head coach to finding
linebacker Darius
Leonard in the second round to the trade that helped Indy
emerge with guard Quenton
Nelson, tackle Braden Smith and
pass-rusher Kemoko Turay,
general manager Chris Ballard hit home run after home run last offseason. Signing Eric Ebron
(67 receptions, 750 yards, 13 touchdowns) and Denico Autry (nine
sacks) added to the gap between Indy and other teams.
None of it would matter much if Andrew Luck had
not returned healthy following his shoulder scare. The Colts were betting on
him to make it back, and they were right on that one as well. Thanks to the
2018 offseason, the organization no longer needs its quarterback to do all the
heavy lifting.
CHICAGO BEARS
Re-grade: A-
Offseason grade: B-
Coach Matt Nagy was still unproven, and the Bears had not
yet added Khalil Mack when
the original grades were published.
Positive initial returns on Nagy and Mack drive up the grade
in combination with a 2018 draft class that netted linebacker Roquan Smith (122
tackles), guard James Daniels (10
starts) and receiver Anthony
Miller (33 receptions, 423 yards, seven touchdowns) among the
top 51 choices. The Bears' handling of the Kyle Fuller situation
-- using the transition tag and then matching Green Bay's offer -- offset a
questionable investment in receiver Taylor
Gabriel.
While the Mack move, made Sept. 1, changed
expectations for the Bears, that move alone does not account for the gains
Chicago made. Nagy's ability to make the offense respectable was a big part of
the turnaround.
LOS ANGELES
RAMS
Re-grade: A-
Offseason grade: A-
The Rams moved aggressively to add front-line players
without costing themselves in the comp-pick equation. They did this by using
the trade market for Brandin Cooks, Marcus Peters and Aqib Talib and
by picking up Ndamukong Suh as
a cut player, not an unrestricted free agent. They also re-signed a couple key
players in Aaron Donald and Todd Gurley,
getting that work finished after our original grades published.
Some execs from other teams questioned the thinking behind
giving Gurley so much money before there was any obligation to do so, but at
the time, the Rams were making a statement to the locker room -- and to Donald,
who did not yet have a deal -- that they would take care of their own. Some
also wondered where the Rams' outside pass rush would originate. The team
picked up Dante Fowler
Jr. via an in-season trade that doesn't affect the offseason
re-grade.
One concern stemmed from the thinking that bringing in so
many players from the outside could strain team chemistry, but with the Rams
earning the NFC's second seed and a berth in the conference championship game,
those concerns did not come to pass in a meaningful way.
The decisions to let Sammy Watkins and Trumaine
Johnson leave in free agency look like smart ones in
retrospect. Injuries slowed Watkins with Kansas City. Johnson's first season
with the Jets was a disappointment from a production standpoint. He was also
benched last month over what then-coach Todd Bowles called an "in-house
matter."
LOS ANGELES
CHARGERS
Re-grade: A-
Offseason grade: B
Derwin James'
addition with the 17th overall choice carried the original grade and the
re-grade for the Chargers. The do-everything safety instantly became a building
block for the present and future. The six other players Los Angeles drafted in
2018 held roster spots during the season and earned playing time for a
playoff-bound team, which pushes up the re-grade.
Injuries again derailed key contributors for the Chargers,
from tight end Hunter Henry to
defensive lineman Corey Liuget.
The team rebounded to some degree by bringing back Antonio Gates,
who revived his career.
The Chargers ideally would have done more to
stabilize their situation at right tackle, but quality offensive linemen are
hard to find, and it isn't like the team should have drafted, say, Isaiah Wynn or Austin
Corbett instead of James.
B GRADES
PITTSBURGH
STEELERS
Re-grade: B
Offseason grade: B-
Promoting Randy Fichtner to offensive coordinator was one of
the highest-profile moves the Steelers made during a quiet offseason. Their
offense produced small year-over-year improvements in points per game,
efficiency, QBR; third-down QBR, expected points added on passes, explosive
rushes and explosive touchdown passes.
The assumption was that running back Le'Veon Bell would
report and produce as usual in 2018. That did not happen. Could the Steelers
have massaged the situation more effectively? Many execs think the Rams'
expensive deal with Gurley doomed the Steelers' chances with Bell. Given that
the offense produced similarly anyway, it's tough to knock down the offseason
grade by much.
The Steelers got pretty good production from
first-round safety Terrell
Edmunds (15 starts, 78 tackles, one sack, one interception).
Fifth-round running back Jaylen
Samuels had a 142-yard rushing game against the Patriots.
Overall, the draft class' initial contribution was pretty average.
Getting a third-round pick from Oakland for receiver Martavis
Bryant helped bump up the grade slightly.
BALTIMORE
RAVENS
Re-grade: B+
Offseason grade: B+
The selection of quarterback Lamar Jackson and
the Ravens' succession plan at general manager showed that the team had a
workable plan for its long-term future. The Ravens' playoff run with Jackson in
the lineup was affirming.
No one could know last offseason whether Jackson's selection
with the 32nd overall choice would buoy the franchise for years to come. There
are still no guarantees, but Jackson represented good value at the time, and
his selection appears as smart now as it did then. Third-round pick Mark Andrews'
quick development into a productive tight end also helped.
Michael
Crabtree's signing a three-year, $21 million deal did not produce
the desired results, and fellow receiving addition John Brown seemed
to be a better fit with Joe Flacco.
But with the offense clearly in transition to a new quarterback with a new
style of play, growing pains were understandable.
SEATTLE
SEAHAWKS
Re-grade: B+
Offseason grade: C
Seattle won while rebuilding on the fly. The overhaul began
when Coach Pete Carroll replaced his coordinators on both sides of the ball
while hiring offensive line coach Mike Solari to overhaul the blocking scheme.
It continued when Carroll and GM John Schneider decided 2018 was the time to
separate from older core contributors.
Instead of regressing, the Seahawks improved upon their 2017
record and reached the playoffs. Most of their draft class contributed; with
fifth-round cornerback Tre Flowers emerging
as a potential future star. Fourth-round tight end Will Dissly was
a breakout player before suffering a torn Achilles tendon. Fifth-round
punter Michael
Dickson earned Pro Bowl honors and sixth-round defensive
end Jacob Martin earned
a spot in the pass-rush rotation.
This could be a successful draft even if
first-round running back Rashaad Penny
does not blossom.
DENVER
BRONCOS
Re-grade: B+
Offseason grade: B
A strong draft netted the Broncos pass-rusher Bradley Chubb (12
sacks), receiver Courtland
Sutton (42 catches, 704 yards, four touchdowns) and inside
linebacker Josey Jewell (nine
starts), but it was the addition of undrafted running back Phillip
Lindsay (1,037 yards rushing) that put Denver's rookie class
over the top.
There are still concerns about whether 2018
addition Case Keenum (29th
in QBR, one spot ahead of Blake Bortles)
can provide enough at quarterback for the Broncos to contend, especially if
statistical regression on defense indicates that Denver can no longer field an
elite unit on that side of the ball. But with the Broncos faring so well in the
draft, their grade inches upward.
NEW ENGLAND
PATRIOTS
Re-grade: B
Offseason grade: A-
The Patriots allowed Nate Solder, Malcolm
Butler and Danny Amendola to
leave in free agency for deals totaling more than $130 million. Those deals
will return to New England two third-round picks and a fifth-rounder in the
compensatory equation. The Patriots added more draft capital by trading Brandin
Cooks to the Rams. They also managed to keep offensive coordinator Josh
McDaniels, perhaps their biggest retention of the 2018 offseason.
New England replaced the players it lost with cheaper
alternatives and came out OK, even though the plan went awry. Solder's
replacement, first-round pick Isaiah Wynn,
suffered a torn Achilles tendon in the preseason. The Patriots missed
Amendola's work from the slot and were so desperate for a Cooks replacement
that they signed Josh Gordon,
who did not last. Jason
McCourty helped patch the secondary following Butler's departure.
Offseason criticisms of New England's
picking up players with durability concerns appeared valid when first-round
picks Wynn and Sony Michel missed
games to injuries. Michel has been a productive player on the whole, however,
and Wynn still figures prominently in the long-term plans.
CLEVELAND
BROWNS
Re-grade: B
Offseason grade: B
The re-grade remains the same because quarterback Baker
Mayfield was everything the Browns hoped he might be -- and
then some -- but the baffling decision to retain head coach Hue Jackson and
pair him with coordinator Todd Haley was pretty much disastrous.
As the owner of the No. 1 pick in the 2018 draft, Cleveland
needed to emerge from its first draft under GM John Dorsey with the quarterback
position finally resolved. That was easier said than done in a draft that
featured several promising quarterbacks but no clear consensus as to which one
might have the brightest future.
Early indications suggest that Mayfield might
fit the description. The Browns would get an "A" on the re-grade if
they had paired Mayfield with the right head coach from the beginning.
KANSAS CITY
CHIEFS
Re-grade: B
Offseason grade: C+
The Chiefs were so incredibly correct on Patrick
Mahomes that their decision to move him into the starting
lineup at Alex Smith's
expense should arguably absolve any offseason sins.
Three moves dragged down the Chiefs' original offseason
grade: unloading top cornerback Marcus Peters, paying $16 million a year for
receiver Sammy Watkins and paying $9 million per year for linebacker Anthony
Hitchens amid some concerns about his third-down abilities.
Those criticisms were not necessarily wrong, but as the
original analysis noted, the Chiefs were betting they'd be able to outscore
opponents with Mahomes in the lineup. Thirteen times in 17 games this season,
the Chiefs have done exactly that.
The Chiefs are the second team since divisional realignment
in 2002 to reach the divisional round of the playoffs after allowing at least
420 points in the regular season. They allowed 421, five fewer than the 2008
Cardinals allowed. The 134 other divisional-round teams allowed fewer.
The grade rises for Kansas City on the
thinking that the Chiefs knew better than anyone just how good the offense
would become with Mahomes. The fact that they had no 2018 first-round pick
after trading up to acquire Mahomes a year earlier was a tiny price to pay.
NEW YORK JETS
Re-grade: B-
Offseason grade: B
What the Jets did last offseason wasn't enough to save Todd
Bowles' job as head coach, but if Sam Darnold becomes
what the team hopes he will become, future re-grades of the 2018 offseason will
trend upward.
Evaluators generally think Darnold will fulfill his promise
after he led the NFL in QBR (80.7) in the season's final four games. The knock
against Darnold entering the draft -- too many turnovers -- proved justified
for much of the season. Darnold's 3.6 percent interception rate was by far the
highest among the 23 quarterbacks with at least 400 pass attempts, but that
figure plummeted to less than 1 percent in the final four games.
The Jets did not get favorable return on
investment -- at least not yet -- from their signing of cornerback Trumaine
Johnson (five years, $72.5 million). But with Darnold coming on strong late and
working well with fourth-round rookie tight end Chris Herndon (39
receptions, 502 yards, four touchdowns), the offseason grade does not tumble.
MINNESOTA
VIKINGS
Re-grade: B-
Offseason grade: B
Only in today's statistically inflated NFL could the Vikings
look bad for signing a quarterback who finished his first season on the roster
with 30 touchdown passes, 10 interceptions and a passer rating approaching
triple digits.
The Kirk Cousins signing
looked like a flop when Minnesota missed the playoffs, but his 62.0 QBR in his
first season with the Vikings was nearly identical to his 61.9 QBR as a starter
for the Redskins. Were people expecting him to become Tom Brady?
Cousins was who Minnesota thought he was, at least statistically, but the team
results disappointed.
Cousins' addition demonstrated that a Tier 2-3 quarterback
parachuting in from another roster doesn't instantly galvanize a team, no
matter how much he might be earning ($84 million guaranteed over three years,
in Cousins' case). The Cousins signing can still work out long-term, however,
and it did not doom Minnesota. The Vikings were able to re-sign the core
players they wanted to re-sign even after budgeting for Cousins.
One big question last offseason was whether
the Vikings had done enough to improve their offensive line. They were counting
on line coach Tony Sparano to make the most of a shaky situation. Sparano's
unexpected passing before the season surely hurt the on-field product while
dealing a devastating emotional blow. That tragedy obviously does not count
against the Vikings on the re-grade.
ATLANTA
FALCONS
Re-grade: B-
Offseason grade: B-
Key injuries appeared more responsible for the Falcons'
disappointing 2018 than the work Atlanta put in last offseason.
As hoped, first-round receiver Calvin Ridley (64
receptions, 821 yards, 10 touchdowns) delivered. As feared, the Falcons did not
do enough to fortify their defensive front. In a surprise, sixth-round
linebacker Foye Oluokun became
a productive starter and challenged for the team lead in tackles.
The decision to keep Steve Sarkisian as
offensive coordinator last offseason could be seen as a mistake from afar. The
Falcons fired Sarkisian after the 2018 season, after all. However, the numbers
say the offense wasn't a problem. Atlanta finished ninth in offensive points
per game, seventh in ESPN's efficiency metric, seventh in QBR and in the top 10
in other categories, making the offseason firing of all three coordinators look
reactionary following a rough season.
NEW ORLEANS
SAINTS
Re-grade: B-
Offseason grade: B-
Re-signing quarterback Drew Brees to
a contract that currently ranks seventh among quarterbacks in annual average
value was the best move New Orleans made last offseason.
That move made it easier for the Saints to
land linebacker Demario Davis (110
tackles, 5.0 sacks) on a three-year, $24 million contract in free agency. New
Orleans also signed nickel cornerback Patrick
Robinson (four years, $20 million), but a broken ankle limited
him to three games.
The Saints' decision to trade their 2019 first-round pick so
they could select defensive end Marcus
Davenport was the big gamble. Davenport (4.5 sacks) has been a
rotational player (zero starts) on the right side of the Saints' line to this
point.
PHILADELPHIA
EAGLES
Re-grade: B-
Offseason grade: C+
The decision to keep backup quarterback Nick Foles for
the 2018 season instead of trading him worked well for the Eagles, who wound up
needing Foles -- and winning in the postseason with him -- for a second season.
The Eagles' original grade reflected concerns that team
chemistry could suffer after Philadelphia moved on from players such as Vinny Curry,
Brent Celek and Mychal
Kendricks while welcoming veteran outsiders such as Michael
Bennett and Haloti Ngata.
Those concerns seemed justified when center Jason Kelceex
pounded on the subject following the Eagles' slow start, but Philly righted
itself and still won a playoff game.
Bennett became a key contributor. Cornerback
trade addition Daryl Worley,
released following his offseason DUI arrest, did not.
With second-round tight end Dallas
Goedert (33 catches, 334 yards, four touchdowns) contributing,
the Eagles did not suffer from trading their first-round pick to Baltimore.
That move also helped the Eagles net fourth-round corner Avonte Maddox,
plus a 2019 second-round choice.
NEW YORK
GIANTS
Re-grade: B-
Offseason grade: C
The grade remains a middling one because the Giants had a
chance to address their quarterback future and punted, for better or
worse. Eli Manning's
increased effectiveness over the season's second half was not enough for GM
Dave Gettleman to publicly commit to him for 2019.
The grade does rise slightly because the Giants' draft looks
strong and their decision to bypass quarterbacks Sam Darnold, Josh Allen and Josh Rosen with
the second overall pick has not yet proved to be as disastrous as critics think
it could become.
While none of those quarterbacks has proved himself
yet, Saquon
Barkley instantly became a star for the Giants, overshadowing
third-round picks B.J. Hill and Lorenzo
Carter, who both ranked among the top 10 among rookies in sacks. Barkley
led the league in yards from scrimmage and became the fourth player in league
history with at least 1,300 yards rushing and 90 receptions.
The money New York spent for left tackle
Nate Solder was over the top, but at least he's a legitimate starter, something
the Giants were sorely lacking at the position. Second-round guard Will
Hernandez should also help stabilize the line in the future.
HOUSTON
TEXANS
Re-grade: B-
Offseason grade: C+
The Texans could do only so much after trading their first-
and second-round picks in quarterback-related moves two years ago.
Houston did not adequately address its offensive line, but
by selecting safety Justin Reid in
the third round and signing veteran defensive back Tyrann
Mathieu to a prove-it deal, the Texans did restore their
defense (getting key contributors back from injury also helped).
An ankle injury prevented the Texans from
getting full return on their four-year, $34 million investment in corner Aaron Colvin.
C GRADES
BUFFALO BILLS
Re-grade: C
Offseason grade: C
Buffalo, like Baltimore, used a first-round pick for a
quarterback who was heavily dependent on running the ball for his value.
Josh Allen cost the Bills much more than Lamar Jackson cost
the Ravens. Allen also relied upon rushing for a considerably higher percentage
of his rushing and passing production, as measured by expected points. The
percentage (65.3) is unprecedented among regular quarterbacks since at least
2006, with only Vince Young (2006), DeShone Kizer (2017)
and Michael Vick (2006) exceeding 50 percent.
If Allen develops into a sufficiently
productive passer, the Bills will come out just fine. Until then, the price
they paid for Allen prevents his selection from improving Buffalo's offseason
grade. The Bills' bigger forays into free agency brought them run-stuffer Star
Lotulelei (five years, $50 million) and pass-rusher Trent Murphy (three
years, $22.5 million)
Vontae Davis' halftime retirement in Week 2 was
embarrassing, but he was a bargain pickup, not a centerpiece.
DALLAS
COWBOYS
Re-grade: C
Offseason grade: C
The Cowboys tried to address their receiver situation in the
offseason and might have been better off not winning a bidding war for Sammy
Watkins. However, the team's failure to address the position adequately during
the offseason proved costly during the season when Dallas, desperate for an
offensive spark, acquired Amari Cooper from
Oakland for a first-round pick.
Cooper helped the offense, but his upcoming
contract demands could create challenges for a Dallas team with several young
players in line for new deals.
Dallas' grade holds firm, however, because the team fared
well with first-round pick Leighton
Vander Esch. Other early draft choices also showed promise.
DETROIT LIONS
Re-grade: C
Offseason grade: D
The moves Detroit made helped them become a better rushing team,
but the Lions regressed on defense early and in the passing game late, which is
why they slipped to 6-10, three games worse than their 2017 record.
Despite the regression in coach Matt Patricia's debut
season, some of the moves Detroit made were positive ones.
Deciding against signing franchise player Ezekiel Ansah to
a long-term deal appears wise after the pass-rusher missed nine games, started
only two and finished with four sacks.
The first four players Detroit selected in
the draft -- center Frank Ragnow,
running back Kerryon Johnson,
safety Tracy Walker and
defensive lineman Da'Shawn Hand --
all contributed.
Patricia still must prove ownership made the right move in
hiring him to replace Jim Caldwell, who went 25-23 over three seasons.
CAROLINA
PANTHERS
Re-grade: C
Offseason grade: D
Outgoing owner Jerry Richardson's indiscretions with
employees made headlines during the offseason, dragging down the grade.
The grade rises now that Carolina has gotten solid
contributions from 2018 draft choices DJ Moore, Donte Jackson and Ian Thomas.
The fact that Norv Turner was a good fit as offensive
coordinator also helps elevate the grade. Turner was well-established as a
coordinator, but it was unclear during the offseason how well he would adapt
his scheme for quarterback Cam Newton.
The offense flourished until Newton suffered a shoulder injury. Even with the
injury, Carolina ranked ninth in ESPN's offensive efficiency metric.
Carolina's handling of the defensive staff
following Steve Wilks' departure as coordinator did not go as well. Entering
into a contract extension with Greg Olsen also
did not pay off.
SAN FRANCISCO
49ERS
Re-grade: C+
Offseason grade: B-
A solid 2018 draft class led by tackle Mike
McGlinchey combines with Richard
Sherman's strong initial season in San Francisco to keep the 49ers'
grade from falling much. Second-round receiver Dante Pettis averaged
17.3 yards per catch and scored five touchdowns, coming on strong late in the
season.
Last spring, some execs questioned whether outlays for
quarterback Jimmy
Garoppolo and running back Jerick
McKinnon were over the top in light of those players' past
production. Those questions linger while both players rehab from torn ACLs.
The decision to trade homegrown center Daniel
Kilgore shortly after re-signing him cleared the way for a
five-year, $47.5 million agreement with free agent Weston
Richburg, who played through a knee injury that might have prevented
him from providing the expected upgrade.
WASHINGTON
REDSKINS
Re-grade: C+
Offseason grade: B
The original grade did not cover the period years ago when Washington
botched the Cousins negotiations. On the re-grade, we cannot hold Alex Smith's
career-threatening injury against the Redskins. Their decision to sign Smith
made sense under the circumstances.
Losing second-round running back Derrius Guice to
a season-ending injury before Week 1 dealt another serious blow without
reflecting negatively on the decision-making process.
The re-grade falls some because critics who said the
Redskins should have drafted the more dynamic Derwin James over Daron Payne could
be correct, even though Payne looks like a good player, and because free-agent
receiving addition Paul
Richardson (five years, $40 million) failed to produce before
suffering his own season-ending injury in his first season with the team.
While Washington could have done more to
develop depth along the interior offensive line, Adrian
Peterson's late signing produced a 1,000-yard rushing season that exceeded
all realistic expectations.
GREEN BAY
PACKERS
Re-grade: C+
Offseason grade: C+
The Packers' two primary signings in free agency netted
tight end Jimmy Graham and
defensive lineman Muhammad
Wilkerson. Those decisions worked against the Packers' grade from
the offseason, offset by a promising draft featuring first-round corner Jaire
Alexander, second-round corner Josh Jackson and
fifth-round receiving deep threat Marquez
Valdes-Scantling.
As the Packers moved on from longtime GM Ted Thompson, who
was frequently criticized for inactivity in free agency, it was natural to
wonder which moves involving veteran players Green Bay made that Thompson might
have avoided. The Graham and Wilkerson signings were the bigger-ticket items.
Perhaps Thompson would have avoided them. He probably would not have signed
Bears corner Kyle Fuller to an offer sheet (the Packers did, but Chicago
matched, keeping Fuller).
Some of the other moves -- signing Tramon
Williams and Marcedes
Lewis, or parting with Jordy Nelson, Damarious
Randall and Morgan
Burnett -- seemed like things Thompson or any GM might have
done. Keeping Nelson arguably would have been better than signing Graham, given
Nelson's rapport with Aaron Rodgers.
TENNESSEE
TITANS
Re-grade: C+
Offseason grade: C+
The original offseason grade lagged because it wasn't clear whether
the Titans had upgraded their coaching staff or overall roster after firing
Mike Mularkey, drafting only four players and spending big for cornerback
Malcolm Butler in free agency.
The re-grade remains the same because it's
still not clear how much better the moves made Tennessee. Butler finished
strong. Running back Dion Lewis,
another free-agent addition with New England ties, did not. Lewis set a career
high with 59 receptions and a career low with a 3.3-yard rushing average,
ceding to Derrick Henry late
in the season.
TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS
Re-grade: C-
Offseason grade: B
The Buccaneers made moves designed to improve their defense,
only to play so poorly on that side of the ball that coordinator Mike Smith
lost his job after five games. The defense improved statistically over the final
11 games, but not enough for the Buccaneers to do better than 5-11.
Key moves Tampa Bay made -- re-signing Mike Evans and Cameron Brate,
adding Jason
Pierre-Paul and drafting Vita Vea --
were not disastrous. They simply were not enough, and in some cases, they were
moves designed to address short-term problems more than fulfill a long-term
vision.
The Bucs heard about not drafting Derwin James on draft day
and will likely continue to hear about it. In trading down from the seventh to
12th overall slot, the Buccaneers watched Minkah
Fitzpatrick come off the board while adding picks that helped
them land cornerback M.J. Stewart,
cornerback Carlton Davisand
safety Jordan
Whitehead.
The decision to bring back Brent Grimes on
a one-year, $7 million deal backfired. Vea emerged as a solid player, and
Whitehead showed promise, but a team that needed immediate impact from
defensive newcomers didn't get enough of it. Getting more from second-round
running back Ronald Jones also
would have helped.
CINCINNATI
BENGALS
Re-grade: C-
Offseason grade: C
The Bengals' offseason included bringing back Marvin Lewis
for a potential lame-duck season as head coach and then drafting a center in
the first round. There was not much sizzle to what the Bengals did, and there
wasn't immediately a great deal of substance, either.
First-rounder Billy Price got
hurt early in the season. Lewis could not stop the defense from unraveling to
the point that first-year coordinator Teryl Austin lost his job after nine
games. Trade acquisition Cordy Glenn was
a welcome addition at left tackle when healthy, but he missed three games.
Second-round safety Jessie Bates (16
starts, three interceptions) was the star of the draft class, allowing the
Bengals to release George Iloka.
Third-rounder Sam Hubbard (six
sacks) also looks like a keeper.
MIAMI
DOLPHINS
Re-grade: C-
Offseason grade: C-
The plan Miami enacted last offseason marked the latest in a
series of disconnected shifts from one year to the next.
The Dolphins dumped some of their more talented players in
an attempt to remake their culture. Then, when injuries struck at key
positions, including quarterback, there wasn't enough talent for the Dolphins
to win. The team eked out a 7-9 record despite losing by 17 or more points five
times, something only Arizona did more frequently (six times).
Offseason moves to acquire veterans Albert Wilson,
Danny Amendola, Frank Gore, Josh Sitton and Robert Quinn produced
mixed results. First-round hybrid defensive back Minkah
Fitzpatrick and third-round linebacker Jerome Baker
stood out from the 2018 draft class. Both had pick-six interceptions. Baker had
three sacks.
D GRADES
ARIZONA
CARDINALS
Re-grade: D
Offseason grade: B+
The Cardinals were the only team last offseason to lose both
their head coach and starting quarterback. They rebounded by hiring Steve
Wilks, who seemed highly qualified, and by maneuvering in the draft to
select Josh Rosen without
giving up much in draft compensation. There were obviously other issues with
the roster, but those two moves seemed to lay a pretty good foundation for the
long term.
Less than one year later, there are smoldering ruins.
The re-grade takes a huge hit for a range of reasons,
starting with the summer DUI arrest and suspension involving general manager
Steve Keim. The midseason firing of offensive coordinator Mike McCoy and
postseason firing of Wilks meant that much of the Cardinals' 2018 offseason
foundation laying was for nothing.
Rosen still could be the answer at
quarterback, which prevents the re-grade from sinking into the failing range.
Many of the other moves, including Sam Bradford's expensive signing, dragged
down the grade in retrospect.
OAKLAND
RAIDERS
Re-grade: D-
Offseason grade: C+
Would you trade Khalil Mack, a second-round pick, a
third-round pick and a conditional fifth-round pick for Martavis Bryant, two
first-round picks, a third-round pick and a sixth-round pick? That was the net
exchange the Raiders made during two trades that helped define their offseason.
While Oakland commanded two first-round picks in return for
Mack, the Raiders subtracted a great defensive player on their way from bad to
worse on that side of the ball. Oakland ranked 410th out of 416 teams since
2006 in ESPN's defensive efficiency metric, lower than any Raiders defense over
those 13 seasons. The team also sent a second-round choice and a conditional
fifth-rounder to Chicago as part of the deal.
The Raiders also traded a third-round pick to Pittsburgh for
Bryant, who they released, re-signed and then lost to indefinite suspension.
It was all part of a wild offseason that
began with Oakland landing Jon Gruden, then using free agency to add veteran
leadership -- but not always consistent production -- via Jordy Nelson, Doug Martin, Leon Hall,
Derrick Johnson and others.
The Raiders are flush with draft capital to build for the
future. They'll need those picks to restock an increasingly barren roster.
JACKSONVILLE
JAGUARS
Re-grade: D-
Offseason grade: B-
The Jaguars, like the Vikings, finished the 2017 season in a
conference championship game. Both had decisions to make at quarterback after
their Tier 3-4 starters produced at Tier 2-3 levels. Jacksonville stayed the
course with Blake Bortles. Minnesota moved aggressively for Kirk Cousins.
Neither team enjoyed the anticipated results. Were they both wrong?
That answer deserves its own separate analysis. For the
offseason re-grade, it's difficult to find a significant offseason move that
worked well for the Jaguars.
They extended Bortles' contract for less than it would have
cost to add a top free agent. His QBR plummeted from a career-best 59.7 in 2018
to 45.7, which is right near his 45.5 career average.
They signed guard Andrew
Norwell for five years and $66.5 million to stabilize the left
side of the line. Left tackle Cam Robinson suffered
a season-ending injury in Week 2, and Norwell joined him on injured reserve
after 11 games.
They signed receiver Donte
Moncrief for one year and $9.6 million. They signed tight
end Austin
Seferian-Jenkins for two years and $10 million. Those moves
also did not produce the desired results.
One season isn't enough time to assess a draft class, but
the Jaguars aren't looking great on that front, either. Seventh-round
punter Logan Cooke might
have been their best producer from the 2018 class.
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