The offseason is always a time of hope for most of the NFL’s 32 fan bases. For some, this is when the season’s struggles before turn into a better future. All but one franchise on this list experienced a change at head coach, but all had plenty of cap flexibility and high picks in April’s draft. With teams going worst to first every year, could one of these five teams be the next to do it?
Hope springs eternal when games aren’t being played, and that’s part of what makes the other 7 months of the league year so much fun. While we still have a few months until regular season games will be played, here are five teams with the best offseasons on paper and are primed for a turnaround in 2025.
Key Free Agent Period Additions: S Trevon Moehrig, DE Patrick Jones, DT Tershawn Wharton, DT Bobby Brown, and RB Rico Dowdle
Key Draft Picks: WR Tetairoa McMillan (Arizona), DE Nic Scourton (Texas A&M), DE Princely Umanmielen (Ole Miss), and S Lathan Ransom (Ohio State)
Quarterback Bryce Young’s rookie season was a disaster. After giving up the future No. 1 overall pick in 2024, receiver DJ Moore, and two second-round picks, it seemed like the Panthers had made a significant mistake that they wouldn’t be able to survive. After being benched early last season, Young’s final stretch of the season provided plenty of hope for Carolina heading into the offseason. They went from an easy win to a team nobody wanted to face down the stretch.
Receiver and improving the defensive line were top priorities heading into the offseason, and they could do that. The Jones, Wharton, and Brown additions will complement the high-round selections of Scourton and Umanmielen. Add in Moehrig and Ransom on the back end, and that should be enough to help get the Panthers’ defense closer to league average. Offensively, they retained Adam Thielen while adding McMillan at No. 8 overall. Dowdle should complement Chubba Hubbard well in the backfield. Assuming the Panthers’ offensive line can stay healthy, the offense has a quality ceiling.
Although this is still a flawed roster, head coach Dave Canales showed this team was in good hands over the final eight games of last season. In a division with multiple deeply flawed teams, there’s reason to believe that a (tied for) worst-to-first finish is not out of the question. Especially if Young takes the next step in Year 3, this season will likely come down to how much the defense can improve. Still, with more offensive firepower and a better year from Xavier Leggette, there’s no reason Carolina can’t be close to, or above .500 in 2025.
Key Free Agent Period Additions: iOL Joe Thuney, iOL Drew Dalman, iOL Jonah Jackson, DE Dayo Odeyinbo, and DT Grady Jarrett
Key Draft Picks: TE Colston Loveland (Michigan), WR Luther Burden III (Missouri), OT Ozzy Trapilo (Boston College), and DT Shemar Turner (Texas A&M)
Last year felt like a moment the Bears and their fans had been waiting for, yet it went sideways right after a 4-2 start. Despite having the league’s most cap space and a pair of Top 10 picks, they ended the season losing 10 of their final 11 games. Amid their collapse, they fired offensive coordinator Shane Waldron halfway into the season, and then made history when they fired head coach Matt Eberflus for the first time in their franchise’s 100-plus year existence.
For a third straight offseason, Chicago is vying to become the NFL’s offseason “winners”. While it’s fun to make jokes about it, there’s reason to believe things could be different this time around. Despite feeling “too obvious” a choice, they landed Ben Johnson as their head coach. He surrounded himself with an outstanding coaching staff and made good on his promise to fortify the trenches. They started by adding three-plus starters on the interior offensive line within a week of each other, while also adding a pair of difference-makers on the defensive line.
Even if the draft didn’t go how they wanted it to, they came away with four players in the opening two rounds that should all have prominent roles in 2025. Loveland gives Johnson his Sam LaPorta-type tight end, and even if Burden was a luxury pick, it’s hard not to look at the Bears’ pass catchers and not be excited. They added more talent to the trenches with Trapilo, Turner, and Luke Newman. General manager Ryan Poles doubled down on the core built over the previous three years in many ways. With their cap flexibility significantly diminished moving forward, this will either be a team on the rise or a disaster with no “out” for years to come. Hang tight, Bears fans… Things are either about to get a lot better, or it’ll be more of the same.
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Key Free Agent Period Additions: OL Patrick Mekari, iOL Robert Hainsey, CB Jourdan Lewis, WR Dyami Brown, and S Eric Murray
Key Draft Picks: CB/WR Travis Hunter (Colorado), CB Caleb Ransaw (Tulane), iOL Wyatt Milum (West Virginia), and RB Bhayshul Tuten (Virginia Tech)
Jacksonville has had quite the entertaining offseason. It started with the firing of Doug Pederson while holding onto former general manager Trent Baalke. After a rough start to the interview process, including Liam Coen turning them down following his interview, they reversed course and fired Baalke. Shortly after, Coen spurned the Buccaneers, burned every bridge from that organization, and took the Jaguars’ job. Despite an unconventional process, fans must be happy with the end result with Coen as head coach and James Gladstone as the team’s general manager.
Once they finally arrived at the acquisition period, a clear plan was in place. They started by fortifying the offensive line and added a few defensive pieces. Once it came to the draft, Gladstone got aggressive. He traded up from No. 5 to No. 2 overall to select Hunter. With the former Heisman Trophy winner expected to play both sides, it’s quite possible that Jacksonville landed a star on both sides of the ball in one player. Ransaw was another quality pick, helping rebuild a secondary that was torched last year. Milum and Tuten are both good depth on the offense. Milum should push for a starting job soon, while Tuten provides a long-term answer in a committee with Travis Etienne in the final year of his rookie deal.
Being in one of the softer divisions in football will help, but getting a better coaching staff in the building was the biggest thing they could’ve done this offseason. There’s talent on this roster, including a pair of former No.1 overall picks with quarterback Trevor Lawrence and defensive end Travon Walker. Jaguars fans should be excited to see if Coen can take Lawrence to the next level. If they can do that and fix the defense, they could easily win the AFC South in 2025.
Key Free Agent Period Additions: QB Geno Smith, S Jeremy Chinn, iOL Alex Cappa, CB Eric Stokes, and LB Elandon Roberts
Key Draft Picks: RB Ashton Jeanty (Boise State), WR Jack Bech (TCU), CB Darien Porter (Iowa State), and OT Charles Grant (William and Mary)
Noticing a trend yet? Other than the Panthers, the remaining four teams on this list all have one thing in common: A new head coach. In Vegas, the offseason started with many “almosts”. They almost landed Ben Johnson (not really). They almost traded for Matthew Stafford. It felt like the Raiders were striking out everywhere they turned. Once they finally got general manager John Spytek and veteran head coach Pete Carroll in the building, the plan started to come together.
It started with the surprise trade of Smith. Seattle was a team that came into the offseason with questions, and they responded by trading two of their best offensive players. Las Vegas received one of those moves, which helped propel their offseason in the right direction. As expected, Carroll did a nice job filling out his coaching staff. They added Chinn, Stokes, and Roberts in free agency, along with an upside gamble on Cappa. There’s plenty of risk involved in counting on Cappa after his time in Cincinnati. Still, it’s best to remember that Spytek was in Tampa Bay when they drafted the veteran offensive lineman.
Heading into the draft, there were plenty of questions to be answered. The first was simple: Is the selection of Jeanty too obvious? Apparently not. I’ve got some thoughts on that move (considering the current state of their offensive line), but the new offensive coordinator, Chip Kelly, has been good at scheming away from weaknesses on the depth chart. Bech and Grant were also quality picks, with Porter having plenty of upside and some risk involved. The top portion of their draft class should get opportunities to start immediately. The Raiders are in one of the toughest divisions in football, but they gained immediate credibility when they hired Carroll. Their ceiling might not be super high, but their floor was raised tremendously. If all goes well, don’t be surprised to see them competing for a Wild Card spot.
Key Free Agent Period Additions: DT Milton Williams, DE Harold Landry, WR Stefon Diggs, LB Robert Spillane, CB Carlton Davis, and OT Morgan Moses
Key Draft Picks: OT Will Campbell (LSU), RB TreVeyon Henderson (Ohio State), WR Kyle Williams (Washington State), and iOL Jared Wilson (Georgia)
Earlier, I commented about the Bears vying for back-to-back-to-back offseason champions, and they haven’t been crowned yet because of the Patriots. Both teams were regarded as the two most attractive head coaching destinations, and at least on paper, it played out that way. Both teams interviewed Mike Vrabel and Johnson. Patriots owner Robert Kraft moved quickly to fire Jarod Mayo after one season as head coach, and immediately put the full-court press on for the long-time Patriot in Vrabel. Despite being the first team to hire a new head coach for the second straight season, the one-time Titans head coach took his time assembling his coaching staff. Ultimately, it consisted of many familiar names from the Titans and Patriots organizations.
Surrounding second-year quarterback Drake Maye with the proper amount of offensive talent was priority No. 1. The good news is that New England went into free agency with an unbelievable amount of cap space. At one point, their total came close to $130 million in free space, so they needed to put it to good use, and could do that on both sides of the football. Landry was signed shortly before the legal negotiation period began, but Williams was the crown jewel of their winnings. They were able to pry the former Eagle away from the Panthers in a last-minute swing of fate. Most of their big-money deals were spent on the defensive side of the ball, but they added two quality veterans with Diggs and Moses. Both are likely on the back nine of their careers, but should still have more than enough in the tank to be considered upgrades.
Following a defensive-heavy free agency approach, the Patriots shifted their focus to building the offensive depth chart around their young quarterback. First came Campbell with the No. 4 overall selection. Next, they sniped Henderson one slot before the Bears would likely take him. Then, they returned with another fun addition to the receiving room with Williams. Finally, they capped off the draft by bringing the best true center in the class in Wilson. Although New England added some quality Day 3 talent on the defensive side of the ball, their focus on special teams is worth mentioning. In the fifth round, they took the top kicker, Andres Borregales, and then drafted Julian Ashby, a long snapper, in the seventh round. In total, the Patriots walked away with an 11-man draft class. Even better: They are set to roll close to $50 million into next year’s cap figure, giving them additional flexibility to add more talent. The AFC East is not what it once was, especially with one team rebuilding and another that might be forced into that situation next year. Nobody should be surprised if the Patriots push for a second-place finish, and I would even go as far as labeling them a dark horse for a Wild Card spot.