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Houston took a two-track approach this offseason, trying to balance a championship window while maintaining future flexibility. after a unexpected playoff runWith the league’s two best rookies, plenty of cap space, and no first-round pick, it would have been easy to waste money on a nepo baby in Cabo.
But the Texans showed restraint. They didn’t waste their cap space tying expensive veterans to long-term deals. Instead, they traded for shooting stars, picked up a pair of ring-seeking veterans and gambled on fallen blue-chip prospects. They traded for Stefon Diggs to bolster his receiving corps and made another deal for running back Joe Mixon. In free agency, they signed running back Danielle Hunter, defensive lineman Denico Autry, linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair and cornerback Jeff Okudah, a former first-round pick.
Houston recognizes that it is in a win-now window. They have the most valuable asset in the league: a top-10 quarterback on a (cheap) rookie contract. But they’re approaching that window cautiously, protecting themselves in case things go south: They reworked the Diggs deal, making it a one-year trial; Hunter’s contract has a two-year buyout option if the injury bug hits again; Autry’s deal effectively works as a one-year contract; Mixon and Al-Shaair were given multi-year contracts that are reduced each season.
Diggs steals the headlines, but signing Hunter, Autry and Al-Shaair may be what puts Houston over the top. No defense relies as much on a true four-man rush as Houston’s. Adding Hunter and Autry alongside Will Anderson and Derek Barnett should breathe life into a group that finished third in pass-rushing win rate last season.
Related: 2024 NFL draft winners and losers: Chicago shines as Denver disappoints
The addition of Al-Shaair could be the most impactful move of all. DeMeco Ryans’ defense demands a linebacker who is comfortable in coverage. In an era where the lines are blurred in coverage assignments, Ryans runs a rigid system. There are clear delineations between the defensive line, linebackers and secondary. In his first year in Houston, Ryans was without an essential linebacker for the team’s defensive system. This led to a hockey-style rotation, with opposing offenses able to figure out what Houston was running based on the personnel on the field. Al-Shaair, who played for Ryans in San Francisco, should help solve the problem.
Houston is ahead of schedule. But they will enter 2024 with playmakers on offense, a talented offensive line, a loaded secondary, a ferocious defensive front and one of the best young quarterbacks in the league. It’s as good a cocktail for the postseason as any in the AFC.
chicago bears
How many cigarettes do you think Chicago general manager Ryan Poles has consumed this offseason? What about champagne glasses?
It hasn’t been a perfect offseason for the Bears, but it’s been close enough that it doesn’t make any difference. Caleb Williams No. 1 Overall Pick He was the gem of the offseason, but the Bears have done a lot to help him.
Coming into the offseason, Chicago decided to stick with head coach Matt Eberflus (a defensive-minded coach) and spent most of its resources addressing the offense’s concerns. When a team has a young, talented quarterback, there is usually a race to surround him with talent. The Eagles acquired AJ Brown to help take Jalen Hurts to a new level. The Dolphins traded Tyreek Hill to find out what they had in Tua Tagovailoa. The Bengals reunited Joe Burrow with Ja’Marr Chase during the draft.
In Chicago, the infrastructure is already in place. The offensive line is loaded with young talent. They added Shane Waldron as offensive coordinator this offseason, one of the league’s underrated warlocks. In free agency, they signed running back D’Andre Swift and tight end Gerald Everett, two solid veterans. Crucially, they stole wide receiver Keenan Allen from the Chargers in exchange for a fourth-round pick.
Throwing cash and picks at veterans can be risky. But the Bears have built their offense piece by piece. The receivers’ skills line up: Allen is a smart veteran who increases a quarterback’s margin for error; DJ Moore is the burner, a one-man offense that can create after the catch or separate from anyone, anywhere on the field; Rome Odunze is a 6-foot-3, 212-pound jar of polish. If you’re putting together a list of the most talented starting receiver trios, the Bears are probably in the top five.
On defense, they retained star cornerback Jaylon Johnson a couple of months after signing running back Montez Sweat to a long-term extension. This last move is particularly important: After failing – again – early last season, Chicago’s defense caught fire after the team acquired Sweat at the trade deadline. Over the final nine weeks of the season, the Bears finished fourth in EPA/play, a bottom-to-bottom measure of effectiveness. The pieces are in place for the Bears to field a top-10 unit in 2024.
Williams finds himself in an unusual situation. He is the No. 1 overall pick at quarterback and enters a playoff-caliber roster that has a postseason run. Expectations instead of hopes. No pressure, tower.
New York Jets
If you can tune out the fact that the Jets’ star quarterback seems to spend an inordinate amount of time on the r/conspiracy page, the Jets have done a good job this offseason.
(A side note: Aaron Rodgers’ predilection for surfing the Internet has a football angle. Rodgers and his friend/Jets OC Nathaniel Hackett run one of the more sophisticated crimes in the NFL. It’s unusually complex even by professional standards. Installation requires time, representatives and intelligence. It would be better for the Jets if Rodgers attended Zoom calls with his teammates instead of cutting it with podcasters.)
Addressing the offensive line was the most pressing concern for New York. The Jets gave up pressure on 50% of their dropbacks last season and allowed 64 sacks, partly because the ball didn’t come out quickly enough and partly because of a lack of talent along the offensive line. One of those sacks was enough to cost Rodgers his season.
General manager Joe Douglas spared no expense seeking improvements along the line. The Jets signed aging (but excellent) left tackle Tyron Smith in free agency along with guard John Simpson, and traded for right tackle Morgan Moses. In the draft, they ignored calls to pick another weapon for Rodgers and settled on tackle Olu Fashanu with the 11th overall pick.
There were smart moves elsewhere. Receiver Mike Williams was picked up in the Chargers’ trade sale, and running back Haason Reddick was added in a trade with the Eagles. They also signed interior lineman Javon Kinlaw, who will add some oomph to the team’s pass rush. Most notably, they added Tyrod Taylor as a backup quarterback, who should bring some maturity to the quarterback room and will be a viable replacement if Rodgers, who turns 41 in December, is ever lost. In the middle rounds of the draft, they added some spark, selecting cornerback Qwan’tez Stiggers, running back Braelon Allen and receiver Malachi Corley, who went by ‘YAC King’ during an explosive college career.
On paper, the Jets have a deep and talented defense. And there’s a chance for some offensive fireworks if the group can stay healthy. Hang up the banner, Jets fans. It’s another off-season championship – their fans will hope that, for once, the team can maintain that success once the real games begin.
Green Bay Packers
The Packers didn’t make a big effort to add talent around Jordan Love, instead banking on the growth of their young players on offense. But they deserve credit for being aggressive in trying to improve their biggest need: security.
Safeties are vital in the modern NFL, and last year Green Bay’s group at that position was a disaster. They renewed this offseason, dishing out cash and spending draft picks on four new insurance. They signed Xavier McKinney in free agency, one of the most malleable safeties in the NFL. Spending $68 million on a safety isn’t typical of the frugal Packers, but getting a top-tier player at the position was a necessity. That was A signature move for a team that loves to develop young talent and stock up on needed positions was signing three additional safeties in the draft: Javon Bullard, Evan Williams and Kitan Oladapo.
Safeties increase what a defense can do. The NFL is past the point of having safeties with individual roles: a ball hawk who plays deep and a masher who plays closer to the line of scrimmage. In the past, teams typically carried two of each. But as the game has evolved, having role-specific safeties means locking yourself into a structure that is incompatible with modern gaming. Nowadays, all security measures needs to be versatile. The four additions in Green Bay meet that requirement. They can play deep in the defensive backfield, line up in the slot, blitz or stand in the box.
Adding new defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley is also a big plus. Green Bay finished 23rd in EPA/play last season. Over the second half of the season, that worsened to 26th. If the Packers can reach league average, they will close in on the Lions in the NFC North.