New Look Teams Prior To Free Agency

We've reached the Two Day Negotiating Period in which NFL front offices can communicate with agents before the moratorium officially ends March 16.

One of the biggest trade weeks in NFL history took place as former Seahawks Quarterback Russell Wilson and other notable stars were shipped out to new teams. New faces in new places have ripple effects across the NFL with teams changing offseason strategies. Let's take a deeper look into the traded players and teams as we begin the new league year.

Russell Wilson is now officially the quarterback of the Denver Broncos. Since the beginning of the 2021 offseason, there were rumblings from within Wilson’s camp that he desired a trade; his agent Mark Rogers listed four potential suitors Wilson would waive his No-Trade Clause for. Neither of these four teams were the Broncos, but this signaled the start to a long and tumultuous season for Seattle’s front office. As the season progressed, reports surfaced the Broncos were one of the few teams Wilson would waive his clause for.

Strong offers from the Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Commanders were dismissed this offseason with packages centered around multiple first-round picks. The Commanders specifically had an offer on the table with their next three first-round picks. Hampered by the clause, Seattle was forced to work behind the scenes with the Broncos leading up to and during the combine.

Wilson was soon slated to receive top of the market money as his contract was nearing its end. With potentially over $50 Million tied to the quarterback position in the coming years, Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Schneider decided it was time to move on. This trade sets up the Denver Broncos as Super Bowl contenders in the ultra-competitive AFC West and further highlights Seattle entering a rebuild. Ultimately, the Seahawks receive a large amount of assets to kickstart the process and enter the offseason with over $45 Million in cap space for this year.

On the other side of the trade, the Broncos now have their franchise quarterback that looks to take its offense well beyond what has been seen in prior years. Wideouts Jerry Jeudy and Courtland Sutton headline an underrated receiving core, flanked by Melvin Gordon and Javonte Williams. Additionally the #3 ranked defensive unit of 2021 that shut out and hampered potent offenses all year truly meant that they were ‘a QB away’. It’s no surprise that Broncos general manager George Paton went all in on an elite quarterback. However, with reports that Denver was aiming for Aaron Rodgers, the quarterback he ultimately traded for was unexpected and shocked the rest of the League.

The Colts have been searching for their franchise QB after Andrew Luck’s retirement a few seasons ago. Hoping to find it in former Eagle Carson Wentz, the team shipped off multiple picks last offseason for the quarterback. In an up and down season that saw a monumental collapse in the final two weeks against the Raiders and Jaguars, the questions at the position were louder than ever. Very few words of support from Colts owner Jim Irsay signaled that a change could happen again this offseason. With an offense that featured the league’s leading rusher, Jonathan Taylor, and a defense commanded by All-Pro players, the trade is somewhat understandable.

The Colts needed to upgrade at the position but have found themselves in a very tough spot. The upcoming draft class has been pegged as underwhelming and the other quarterbacks on the market could be classified in a similar tier to Wentz. While recouping assets from the Eagles trade last offseason is helpful, the Colts are in an undesirable situation overall.

Looking at Washington, the team needed anything better than what they currently have on the roster and hope that Carson Wentz will be just that. Head coach Ron Rivera knew he had to make a quarterback change after seeing underwhelming offensive play demoralize his strong defensive unit. Two third round picks is not a steep price to pay, but it is highly unlikely to be a move that pushes the Commanders ahead of the Cowboys or Eagles in the race for the NFC East.

The Chicago Bears traded for Khalil Mack in hopes that he would be one of the final pieces to a Super Bowl run. After multiple disappointing seasons from former head coach Matt Nagy, the superstar pass-rusher was left on a perennially struggling team. Injuries over the last few seasons also hampered Mack's on-field performance and left the Bears hoping for a culture change. New general manager Ryan Poles decided it would be best to “bite the bullet” now and position the team better for the upcoming seasons. Sending Mack to the chargers and opening up over $100 Million in cap space the following year, the team showed its desire to build around Justin Fields and use assets to retool the entire offense.

In Los Angeles, the Chargers find themselves as a team poised for a deep playoff run with multiple stars on the defense. Making use of Justin Herbert’s rookie contract, the team is using valuable cap space and draft picks on proven assets to increase their Super Bowl chances. With the Broncos making a move for Russell Wilson, it is understandable that the Achilles heel of the Chargers would need to be addressed. With reports coming out that the team is also in on the J.C. Jackson sweepstakes, a team spearheaded on the defensive side by Derwin James, Joey Bosa, and Khalil Mack is sure to put NFL offenses on notice.

After cutting Odell Beckham Jr. early in the regular season, the Browns were in a position without an alpha WR1 on the roster. Accuracy, decision making, and injury struggles from Baker Mayfield were highlighted in a very disappointing and underwhelming season for the Browns. With an offensive line that touts multiple Pro Bowlers and All Pros, maximizing the current window for the team was crucial. Receiver Jarvis Landry voiced frustration with Cleveland’s front office and pushed them to search around the league for alternatives at the position.

In Dallas, reports of Amari Cooper’s frustration with Cowboys Quarterback Dak Prescott were starting to come out. Additional public disapproval of Amari Cooper from owner Jerry Jones also headlined offseason reports. The Cowboys had an offensive roster that featured a future star in CeeDee Lamb, and reliable but injured Michael Gallup. Jones had previously raved about the production and development of Lamb which brought into question Amari Cooper’s status on the team. While still a solid #1 option in the NFL, Cooper’s contract was starting to overshadow his on-field production. Confidence in CeeDee eventually was a huge driving point in the trade with the Browns. While nowhere near what Dallas had given up to acquire Cooper, clearing some cap space and receiving whatever draft picks they could recoup was the only alternative to a release.

It will be very interesting to see the trajectory of both teams as this offseason begins. While both underperformed in comparison to their early season projections, the spotlight will once again be on both teams to see where they land as the postseason following 2022 rolls around. Cooper, by all accounts, can have a resurgence year in Kevin Stefanski’s play action offense. But with Baker Mayfield suffering from accuracy struggles that result isn’t necessarily guaranteed.