With March drawing to a close and many of the game’s top free agents already inked to deals with their new teams, it’s time to take a look at the winners of free agency so far.
Entering the period, the focus was solely on Kirk Cousins and where the former Redskins signal-caller would sign and likely become the highest-paid player in the league. He expressed interest in wanting to win and followed through with his word, selecting the Vikings over a host of other suitors that included the Jets, Broncos and Cardinals. Landing a top quarterback on the open market is a rarity, which makes Minnesota easily one of the top beneficiaries of the early free-agent period. 
The team wasn’t done there, however, and added an impact defensive tackle in Sheldon Richardson to a defensive unit that was already arguably the best in the league. Coupling Richardson with Linval Joseph in the middle of the front four will make for one of the most impenetrable run defenses in the league. Minnesota also added Trevor Siemian to back up Cousins, re-signed kicker Kai Forbath and tabbed Kendall Wright to replace Jarius Wright, who the team released shortly after free agency opened.
Adding Cousins to an offense that already includes Stefon Diggs, Adam Thielen, Dalvin Cook and Kyle Rudolph, and slotting Richardson into the fray on the other side of the ball left the Vikings as one of the top Super Bowl favorites in 2018.
While the Vikings swung for the fences with a pair of big moves, no team has had a more active few weeks than the Rams. Just this week, the team added five-time Pro Bowl selection and 2010 Defensive Player of the Year Ndamukong Suh to a defensive front that already featured arguably the game’s most dominant defender in Aaron Donald. Needless to say, that pairing is sure to cause plenty of chaos for opposing offensive lines.
Despite losing Sammy Watkins to the Chiefs and trading Alec Ogletree to the Giants, the team did retain safety Lamarcus Joyner by placing the franchise tag on him. It also retained center John Sullivan to maintain some continuity up front on offense.
Where the Rams were the most active was not in signing players, but trading for them. In late February, the team traded for Chiefs cornerback Marcus Peters and then later dealt for Broncos star cornerback Aqib Talib. The pairing, coupled with the Suh signing, gives the Rams a defense that is just as good on paper as the team’s high-powered offense.
The Browns entered the free-agent period with tons of cap space and they didn’t wait long to get to work. In one day, the team traded for Tyrod Taylor from the Bills, dealt DeShone Kizer to the Packers for Damarious Randall and used another trade to snatch up Jarvis Landry. All those moves were accomplished with the team still holding onto a majority of their stockpiled draft assets. The move of Taylor provided the team with a more than capable quarterback who can serve as a bridge to the signal-caller the team is expected to draft with either the No. 1 or No. 4 pick in the upcoming draft.
Though the team did lose Joe Thomas to retirement and a big contributor in Isaiah Crowell, Cleveland did also secure the services of Carlos Hyde to serve as the team’s workhorse. After addressing the offense in free agency, the team is set up to pursue top defensive talent in the draft after it nabs its quarterback of the future. 
The Bears made it a point to surround 2017 first-round pick Mitch Trubisky with plenty of weapons in his second season under center. They did just that by tabbing Allen Robinson, Super Bowl-hero Trey Burton and Taylor Gabriel, giving the team a steady group of pass catchers for new head coach Matt Nagy’s dynamic offense. On defense, it retained the services of breakout cornerback Kyle Fuller, who the team had to match an offer for from the Packers.
One under-the-radar signing was the deal to bring in veteran quarterback Chase Daniel. A longtime backup in New Orleans, Kansas City and Philadelphia, the former Missouri gunslinger should help Trubisky in the film room while also serving as a capable fill-in if need be.
The Buccaneers invested heavily in their offense early in free agency, re-signing wide receiver Mike Evans and tight end Cameron Brate to long-term deals. Where they made the biggest splash, however, was the signing of center Ryan Jensen from the Ravens. After just one season at the position, Jensen signed the largest deal for a center in NFL history, a four-year deal for $42MM with $22M in guaranteed money.
Tampa Bay didn’t ignore the defense, however, bringing in the likes of Jason Pierre-Paul in a trade and signing Vinny Curry. If things fall right, the Buccaneers could even add the top defensive end in the draft in Bradley Chubb, should a run on quarterbacks happen early in the first round.
Among the other teams with notable additions include: The Texans (Tyrann Mathieu), 49ers (Richard Sherman), Raiders (Jordy Nelson), Jaguars (Andrew Norwell) and Giants (Nate Solder).
So who has had the best offseason so far? Is it a team that made a flurry of moves or one who made one notable addition? Take PFR’s latest poll and weigh in with your thoughts in the comments section.
Rams won the offseason on paper, while he Niners won the offseason for getting players based on fit
Yeah im sure Suh Talib and Peters just dont fit the Rams
It’s going to be a challenge to keep all those “egos” from creating some issues for the coaches. The Rams have only been back in Los Angeles a couple of years now and have to compete for fan dollars against both the Lakers and Dodgers which is not a walk in the park. They need to make these high profile type signings to improve their marketing potential as much as upgrade team positions.
Yea, and hopefully they get Beckham next. Whatever it takes to get him. Perfect fit for LA.
He certainly would provide the Rams with a boost from a marketing perspective. He has the ego of a Hollywood celebrity so I think Los Angeles would be an attractive landing site to him if he has to leave New York.
The queens overpaying an average qb that isn’t much (if any) better than the one they had last year doesn’t make them winners of free agency.
cousins numbers have been pretty solid over the last few seasons. I liked case, but it was only one year. let’s see what he does in Denver before we say it was a bad move.
The Browns will be the most improved because of offseason additions, but the Vikings won.
Cousins will be an MVP candidate for what might be the best team in the NFL.
Cousins is overrated
People have high hopes for cousins . I personally think he is over paid . But hey that’s why I’m not a coach. I think browns and 49ers won personally
Not a Vikings fan, Bears fan actually, but how can you say Cousins is overpaid despite him putting up elite numbers the last 3 years, and then go on and say the 49ers might have won the offseason. They gave pretty much the same amount of money over the same timeframe to Jimmy Garoppolo…. a guy who has a total of 7 NFL starts under his belt. I mean Garoppolo is a $37… THIRTY SEVEN… million dollar cap hit this year for the 49ers. That drops to $20M in 2019, but bumps back up tot $26.6M in 2020. Cousins, who has started the last 3 years and owns a 97.5 passer rating and an average 66 QBR over that span, is a $24M cap hit this year, $29M cap hit next year, and a $31M cap hit in 2020. Cousins is a proven top tier QB regardless of what homers want to believe. Garoppolo, while I think he might be a solid QB in the future, is unproven as fu** and is getting paid pretty much the same money over the same timeframe. But somehow the 49ers are winners and Cousins is overpaid?
Now I’m not calling out you solely, but the logic (or lack there of) that sports fans use in their evaluation of players is so mind boggling to me on how they jump to their conclusions. If any one of you homers, I mean people, who think Cousins is an “average” QB who doesn’t deserve the money he got please rationalize your stance to me. I am dying to hear it on how a guy who has a similar passer rating and QBR to Aaron Rodgers over the last three years is “average.” Rodgers and Brady’s average passer rating and QBR over the last 3-4 years is just baaaaarely better than Cousins. Brady and Rodgers…. arguably the best two QBs in the game… and it isn’t much of an argument. In the last 3 years Brady has averaged about a 73 QBR and a 105 passer rating. Rodgers in 2014-2016 averaged a 102.8 passer rating and about a 69 QBR. Cousins the last 3 years…. 97.5 passer rating and a 60 QBR. For sh**s and giggles, Brees the last 3 years has averaged a 102.1 passer rating and a 65 QBR. But yeah…. Cousins is just a run of the mill, average QB. smdh.
Thank you! You took the time to write exactly what I’ve been thinking!
Ppl just don’t like cousins for some reason so they try to downplay how good he’s been (for a crap organization) over the last few seasons.
People will always have trouble calling a QB “elite” when the guy has only ever had 1 winning season, and got blown up in his 1 and only playoff game.
Miss calculated your numbers by a few on Cousins rating its only a 93.96 the last 3 years, while holding that QBR of a 62.76. I still wouldn’t put cousins into the Elite tier of QB’s like Brady or Rodgers or Brees, but he would definitely be in the tier directly under them. Let him start a few more seasons and see if the numbers stay consistent then theres a possibility. But i do think he his a good QB and will do good things this season.
It has to be my Browns. When you’re 0-16 anything is a huge improvement.
Browns did well. Bears did well. Cousins is going to back fire
Cousins has the potential to put up Keenum-like numbers for each year of his huge contract while keenum himself maxed out last year and is likely be due for a significant regression. Over paying for Cousins is much safer option than over paying for Keenum.
App option?
Vikings
Rams
Niners
Dead Last: Lions
No the Colts did worse than the lions. And Im guessing Browns are fourth
I would have the Lions rated near the top of the list. According to Spotrac only the Jets have been more aggressive. Jets have currently signed 14 at a cost of $183mil while Detroit has signed one less player but only spent $61mil. That sounds like smart value investing to me but we really won’t know who was the winner until games get played.
Quality / Quantity
In most cases a team’s uncertainty about a players quality is what motivates them to leave him unsigned. The FA market is very speculative, as you can never know just which players can rebound and which ones can’t.
I think the niners did the best in free agency and now they know exactly what they need going into the draft
The level of horrible evaluation on Kirk Cousins is astonishing in this thread. I by no means am a Redskins or Vikings fan – but a lowly Bears fan. I just fail to see how someone who averages a 97.5 passer rating and about a 60 QBR the last 3 seasons is deemed “overrated” or “average” when in reality those are elite, upper echelon numbers for a QB. As for him “not being clutch” he averages just as many 4th quarter comebacks and game winning drives as Tom Brady… WAY more than Rodgers who has actually very few of each. If you think he “throws too many INTs” his INT% is 2.1%…. that’s pretty good. I mean Rodgers and Brady are the only guys I can think of with sub 2% INT percentages. Russell Wilson is right at 2%. Drew Brees is at 2.5% for his career. So it’s not like Cousins is coughing the ball up all the time. So he has elite level passer rating, QBR, and a solid INT%. Oh, and his comp% is 67% over the last 3 years….. ELITE. So can someone please tell me exactly how Kirk Cousins is an “average” or “overrated” quarterback. I’d LOVE to hear this rationalization… I need a good laugh because I have a feeling no one can objectively say why he’s “overrated” without resorting to saying “I just feel that way” which isn’t a logical reasoning. I mean is it because he hasn’t won a ring….. I bet it’s because he hasn’t won a ring isn’t it. The LAMEST reasoning people use in evaluating QBs. It’s like people forget there are 52 other guys on the roster who also have to do their part in order to win. You could throw for 5,000 yards, 40 TDs, 0 INTs, and have a 75% comp% and still not win sh** if your defense is crap and allows 30+ points a game. Ask Drew Brees and the Saints. Brees is still one of the best QBs in the game and I think most can agree with that assessment. He hasn’t slowed down any either over the last 6 years either. But in those 6 years he has an overall record of 50-45. WHAT A BUM. HE’S SO OVERRATED!!!! And before last year he was 39-40 in the previous 5 years…. yet no one trashes him. Why? It’s this blatant lapse in logic that makes my baffled as to how people crap all over certain QBs but praise others with similar and in some cases WORSE numbers. Like everyone thought Eli Manning was one of the greatest QBs to ever play a few years ago. His numbers really haven’t deviated from his career averages the last few years but all of a sudden people are saying “he’s losing it.” What? Thing is he’s always been just a slightly above average QB. He just had better TEAMS surrounding him when he won a super bowl twice. Then there is the fact that winning a super bowl not only requires a stellar TEAM of players but also a decent amount of luck. I mean in 2012 the Giants won the Super Bowl. They were a pathetic 9-7 that year. Them winning it all was as much about luck as it was skill. So if your reasoning for Cousins being “overrated” or “average” is because he hasn’t won a super bowl yet – realize that’s a dumb a** reasoning. Also, the dude has been starting NFL games for only 3 years. Get some friggin patience for fu**s sake. And let’s quit acting like Cousins squandered chances with “good” Redskins teams. The Redskins are a joke. In the 3 years with Cousins that team allowed an average of 24-25 points to opponents. How is that Cousins’ fault? Kind of hard to win games when you need to score at least 4 TDs a game. Or do you expect Cousins to sling 64 TD passes a year in order to be considered great, haha.
Maybe it’s because he sucks in the playoffs. Well, he has 1 start in the playoffs. He managed 326 passing yards, a 63% comp%, 0 INTs, 1 TD, a 91.7 passer rating, and rushed in for a TD that game….. but he was sacked SIX times and lost a fumble once…. AHHHH WHAT A PIECE OF SH**!!!! Clearly that’s all his fault and not a crappy O-line’s fault.
seriously people. This is the logic I am pretty sure most of you are using.
Oh… wait. It must be the fumbles. He had 5… yes FIVE lost fumbles last year (Brady had 4). What a POS. Cousins had 3 lost fumbles in 2016 (Rodgers and Brees each had 4). In 2015 he had 4 lost fumbles…. (Rodgers did as well).
Yeah. I can’t really find this elusive thing that makes Cousins an “overrated/average” quarterback. Please help me out, because as a Bears fan I need something to use to trash talk the Vikings with. But if you say something moronic in regards to lack of super bowl rings, intangibles, or because it’s “just how you feel about him” realize those are baseless, dumb reasons.
Wow! Impressive. Bears fan too but I am with you on this one
How many winning teams has Cousins led? How’d he do in his one and only playoff start?
That’s exactly why people don’t see him as a “proven asset”.
Hey KB, we Bear fans don’t need to waste any effort trash talking those Viking fans. George Halas created the league for starters. Chicago has 8 league championships and more players in the HOF than anyone else.
Dude! You should switch to decaf !
Hard to say this, but the Browns.
And maybe the Browns can cap it off by trading for Beckham reuniting him with Landry. If the Rams don’t acquire him.
Then they could sign Mettenburg to throw to them. Honestly, coming from a huge LSU fan. I’ve never been that big on Beckham. He’s an injury prone head case. No doubt that he’s extremely talented, but I wouldn’t want him on my team. I like the Browns WR’s. Landry, Gordon, and Coleman might be the best group of wideouts in the league if they can get someone who can throw to them.
Yes, Cousins is overpaid, for the moment. That contract sets new standards. He will be fine. He is not the best in the game, but he is a great fit. He will move the chains!
$84 mill gets you someone who can move chains. I would be willing to do that, paint the goal uprights and keep the Gatorade drums filled for half that amount. All league owners need to ACT NOW because this is a limited time offer!
I would have to say the Colts won when McDaniel backed out on coaching them. He would have ruined the organization for years to come. I think Reich will.be named coach of the year within 3 years. McDaniel will never take a team to the playoff
Aaron Rogers win win win Kirk lose lose lose
Bears did pretty good