NFL offseason winners and losers: Which teams actually improved?

Following all of the coaching and front-office hires, free-agent moves, draft selections, major trades and mandatory minicamps, the busiest and most meaningful portion of the NFL offseason has drawn to a close.

Plenty of on-field work remains. In a few short weeks, NFL coaches and players will dive headfirst into their training camps. Offensive and defensive systems will take shape, position battles will work themselves out, and players will lock up highly coveted roster spots.

Every team enters the offseason intending to make moves that will position it for improvement. Some hit their mark, while others fall terribly short and thus brace for years of regression or rebuilding.

Here’s a look at the biggest winners and losers of the NFL offseason.

Winners

Los Angeles Rams

General manager Les Snead made the biggest splash of the offseason when he traded for Myles Garrett, the reigning defensive player of the year. That acquisition, coupled with the additions of Chiefs cornerbacks Trent McDuffie in another trade and Jaylen Watson in free agency, could put defensive coordinator Chris Shula’s unit over the top. With a defense like that, Sean McVay’s potent offense could further torment opponents, and the Rams could win another Super Bowl in their stadium this winter.

Additionally, Snead raised eyebrows by drafting quarterback Ty Simpson in the first round, but picking Matthew Stafford’s understudy now could position Los Angeles for a smoother transition down the line while giving the Alabama product adequate time to develop before taking the field. The Rams have fortified themselves for both the short and long term.

Baltimore Ravens

The Ravens’ road to the AFC North title got a bit less treacherous this offseason. Baltimore signed top-flight pass rusher Trey Hendrickson away from divisional foe Cincinnati, and an even better pass rusher (Garrett) was traded outside the division. General manager Eric DeCosta also drafted rookie offensive guard Vega Ioane and signed veteran offensive lineman John Simpson, defensive lineman Calais Campbell and safety Jaylinn Hawkins, who should bolster the offensive and defensive fronts and secondary.

Meanwhile, the Ravens have hitched their future to two intriguing, young coaches — coach Jesse Minter and 30-year-old offensive coordinator Declan Doyle — which should infuse the franchise with life. If Minter can inspire an organization that owner Steve Bisciotti believed had grown stale on John Harbaugh’s watch, and if Doyle can help quarterback Lamar Jackson and his supporting cast reach another level, the Ravens could return to the postseason after a year’s hiatus and have a good chance to get over the hump.

Cleveland Browns

The Browns had to settle for a backup option (Todd Monken) as coach, and they remain handcuffed to quarterback Deshaun Watson and his awful contract. But the Browns did get a lot done this offseason, and those efforts give the franchise a chance to take a step forward over the next couple of offseasons. The Browns hated to trade Garrett, one of the best and most beloved players in franchise history, but they did receive salary-cap relief, a talented pass rusher in Jared Verse and additional building blocks in the form of draft picks. That move, coupled with a much-needed offensive line overhaul and a promising draft, should land the Browns in a better place.

It remains to be seen whether Monken can help revive Watson’s career or position Shedeur Sanders for growth if Watson falls short or gets hurt again. But veteran offensive linemen Tytus Howard, Elgton Jenkins and Zion Johnson, rookie wide receivers KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston, and safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren — along with Verse — give the Browns a strong core of new contributors to build around.

Dallas Cowboys

The work began last season when they traded Micah Parsons to Green Bay and acquired Quinnen Williams from the Jets. Then this offseason, the Cowboys continued to reshape their defense by trading for pass rusher Rashan Gary and adding free-agent defensive backs Cobie Durant, Jalen Thompson and P.J. Locke. Then they drafted safety Caleb Downs and edge rusher Malachi Lawrence in the first round and promising linebacker Jaishawn Barham in the third round. That should help improve a defense that surrendered a league-high 30.1 points per game last season and 377 yards (third most) per outing.

Retaining George Pickens on the franchise tag also ensures the Cowboys have a potent pass-catching duo for Dak Prescott to lean on. If the defensive moves pay off and Dallas can put a more balanced product on the field, coach Brian Schottenheimer’s squad could contend in the division and beyond.

Las Vegas Raiders

The Raiders landed one of the brightest offensive minds on the market in Klint Kubiak, who helped guide Sam Darnold and the Seahawks to Super Bowl glory. They used the top pick of the NFL Draft on Fernando Mendoza and will pair him with veteran Kirk Cousins, who will serve as the perfect mentor while also buying the Indiana product time to develop.

The Raiders spent big to give their offensive line the top anchor available (center Tyler Linderbaum), and from there, they worked hard to upgrade a defense that had lacked difference-makers outside of Maxx Crosby. Speaking of Crosby, the Raiders thought they had a deal to ship him to Baltimore before things fell apart when the Ravens’ doctors had concerns about his surgically repaired knee. A surprise reconciliation with their best defensive player feels like an unexpected blessing.

Losers

Jacksonville Jaguars

The approach James Gladstone took this offseason would be best described as unconventional, and that’s putting it kindly. The Jaguars’ second-year GM let top contributors such as running back Travis Etienne, Greg Newsome II, Devin Lloyd and Andrew Wingard depart in free agency. Then, the team appeared to reach on several draft picks, leaving serious questions about whether Jacksonville can repeat as AFC South champions and make back-to-back playoff appearances for the first time since 1998-99.

Arizona Cardinals

At 3-14, the Cardinals already had a low floor, but they actually might be worse after this offseason. The team has several big question marks hanging over the coaching staff after taking a large gamble on first-time head coach Mike LaFleur, who struggled in his lone stint as a play caller with the Jets and revived his reputation by working under McVay for three seasons with the Rams. LaFleur hired Nathaniel Hackett as his offensive coordinator, despite Hackett’s struggles as head coach with the Broncos and as offensive coordinator with the Jets.

Arizona parted with the talented yet oft-injured Kyler Murray and opted against upgrading its quarterback position. Veteran Jacoby Brissett, who went 1-11 as the Cardinals’ starter last season, held out for much of the offseason. Rookie running back Jeremiyah Love, the No. 3 pick in the draft, represents the main bright spot in an offseason of conservative moves.

Green Bay Packers

For a team coming off back-to-back wild-card-round exits and that hasn’t reached the conference championship game since the 2020 season, the Packers had a rather blah offseason. They lost top wide receiver Romeo Doubs, left tackle Rasheed Walker and linebacker Quay Walker, and they also saw cornerback Nate Hobbs and versatile offensive lineman Elgton Jenkins depart. On top of that, they’re dealing with the uncertainty swirling around Josh Jacobs’ domestic violence charges.

The Bears won the NFC North last season, and the Vikings and Lions are also both threats, so the Packers will need several young players to assume larger roles if they hope to reach the playoffs this fall.

Miami Dolphins

Dolphins owner Stephen Ross decided that the Chris Grier-Mike McDaniel experiment had run its course and fired both the general manager and coach. Hitting the reset button again also included cutting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa two years after signing him to a big extension, even though it meant taking a $99 million dead-cap hit.

Ross now wants Miami to resemble Green Bay South, hiring former Packers vice president of player personnel Jon-Eric Sullivan as general manager, adding defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley as coach and signing former Packers backup quarterback Malik Willis to be the Dolphins’ starter. Willis has potential, but he remains a project. He will have to play behind an offensive line in the midst of an overhaul and throw to a wide receiver corps that lost both Jaylen Waddle and Tyreek Hill this offseason.

The Dolphins went 7-10 last season and appear destined to exceed last year’s loss total in 2026.