Many NFL teams will have a different look to them in 2020. Which teams made the best moves?
If you follow the NFL offseason regularly, you know that most of the winter months are dedicated to preparing for the draft. However, this offseason has been quite different. Rather than news stories about the top draft prospects, NFL fans were thrown into an NBA-esque offseason where big names swapped teams at an alarming rate.
Players like Todd Gurley, Stefon Diggs, and, of course, Tom Brady will all have new homes next season, but which teams made the best moves? Here are the five teams that made the best moves so far:
Los Angeles Chargers (5-11 in 2019)
Before the 2019 season, the LA Chargers were one of the teams to keep your eye on. They had just come off a 12-4 season and were led by a veteran quarterback, an excellent core of running backs and wide receivers, and the defense was set up for a fantastic year with Melvin Ingram, Joey Bosa, and Derwin James.
But then the Chargers did their thing, and injuries led to losses and more disappointment for a dwindling fanbase.
Following the departure of franchise quarterback Philip Rivers this offseason, the Chargers bolstered the offensive line by signing Brian Bulaga from Green Bay and trading Russell Okung to Carolina for Trai Turner. Offensive line depth and dependability are issues that have plagued the Chargers for years, and Los Angeles hopes these guys can help put those issues to rest.
On defense, the Chargers swooped up defensive back Chris Harris Jr. from an AFC West rival, the Denver Broncos. Harris will line up nicely with a secondary that features Derwin James, Casey Hayward Jr., and Desmond King II.
The Chargers finished 5-11 last season, and lost nine of those games by seven points or less. If they can get consistent play from their quarterback, which still remains a big question mark, they should be in the hunt for a wild card spot in the 2020 playoffs.
Chicago Bears (8-8 in 2019)
In 2018, the Bears looked primed for a Super Bowl run. However, that came to a crashing halt due to the infamous “Double-Doink” in the Wild Card round. After taking a step back in 2019, the Bears looked to revamp their quarterback play.
Cut to Nick Foles, the journeyman Super Bowl-winning quarterback. After two separate stints in Philadelphia, Foles signed a four year $88 million contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars, which was a disaster. Foles only played in four games and was benched for sixth-round pick Gardner Minshew.
Now, Foles heads to Chicago to compete with fourth-year starter Mitch Trubisky. Chances are, Foles will gain the starting nod for the season, and the Bears should bounce back this season under his leadership. Foles will have a new target in Jimmy Graham, who spent the last two seasons in Green Bay. Although he did not produce in the way that the Packers had hoped, Graham is an extremely talented tight end and will look to regain the form he had once upon a time in New Orleans.
On defense, the Bears picked up pass-rusher Robert Quinn, who will likely post up opposite Khalil Mack for a game-wrecking pass rush. The Bears also re-signed linebacker Danny Trevathan and acquired cornerback Artie Burns to sure up all levels of their defense, which ranked top-10 in the NFL last season.
If Foles makes an immediate impact, the Bears could push for the top spot in the NFC North and possibly make a deep run in the playoffs.
Arizona Cardinals (5-10-1 in 2019)
The Cardinals knew they were building for the future when they drafted Kyler Murray first overall in 2019. Despite the questions surrounding his height and potential baseball career, Murray impressed on the field and came away with the 2019 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award.
Arizona capitalized on Murray’s potential by bringing in one of the league’s best receivers, DeAndre Hopkins, who was the most dangerous weapon for quarterback DeShaun Watson in Houston. Having played with a mobile quarterback in Watson, Hopkins should be able to help Murray on plays when he needs to escape the pocket and find a man down the field.
The Cardinals did have to give away former star running back David Johnson. However, at the moment, it seems as though Kenyan Drake will be the starter next season. While this is a downgrade at the position, Drake has shown that he can still be useful out of the backfield and should find some room to run with the threat of DeAndre Hopkins and Larry Fitzgerald on the outside.
Arizona should experience a nice boost from the signing of Hopkins, and with a couple other moves on defense have landed themselves in Wild Card round contention. Although the NFC West is loaded, the Cardinals played very well against the 49ers and even pulled out a win on the road in Seattle. Look for the Cardinals to pull out a few more shocking wins this season with their revamped offense, which could be the best they’ve had since Kurt Warner was throwing to Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin.
Buffalo Bills (10-6 in 2019)
The Buffalo Bills probably have the second-happiest fanbase in the NFL right now, behind Tampa Bay who signed Tom Brady. The Bills went 10-6 in 2019 and still look as if they are on the rise. Then they went out and traded for Stefon Diggs from Minnesota, and now Tom Brady is gone. Needless to say, the offseason has been good to the top team in New York.
Diggs fits right in with the Bills’ receiving core, which also features John Brown and Cole Beasley. All three of them are speedy and fantastic route runners, and should give quarterback Josh Allen one of the best receiving corps in the league.
If Allen is able to continue upon his success in 2019, the Bills should have no problem winning the AFC East and making a push for a deep playoff run.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-9 in 2019)
TB is in TB.
Somehow the Tampa Bay Buccaneers landed arguably the best quarterback of all-time in free agency after Tom Brady decided to leave New England. On the surface, this seemed like an odd move for the six-time Super Bowl champion. I mean, how often does Tampa Bay make a splash in free agency?
However, upon further inspection, this move makes sense. In recent years, Brady has had pretty mediocre receivers and was often accused of just dumping the ball off to shorter routes rather than taking chances down the field. This year, Brady will be throwing to Chris Goodwin and Mike Evans. Add tight ends O.J. Howard and Cameron Brate to the equation, and now Brady has four quality receiving threats.
If Jameis Winston could throw for 33 touchdowns with this squad, I can’t wait to see what Brady will do next season.
Tampa Bay just needs to step up their passing defense, which gave up about 270 yards per game, and they will be on the road to a playoff spot in no time. The Bucs will have to beat Drew Brees and the Saints if they want to win the NFC South, but regardless of the results, those will be great games to watch.