Grading NFL's Biggest Moves Of 2025 Offseason

Titans Sign LT Dan Moore Jr. To Huge Deal (4 Years, $82M)

Grade: C-

Free agency is not the place to go if you need quality offensive line help, especially at left tackle. NFL Teams do not let quality offensive linemen leave their respective buildings. So, nearly every offensive tackle on the market ends up being overpaid because of the lack of talent and the overall need.

The player who was able to cash in the most from that desperation was Dan Moore Jr., a four-year starter for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Moore is a very average NFL left tackle, but he is extremely durable and can play both tackle spots.

The Titans needed to move J.C. Latham, their first-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, back to right tackle, which opened up a huge need on the left side. Moore is now one of the league’s highest-paid tackles despite never being close to a Pro Bowl player. But the Titans needed to add more solid starters to their offensive line, and Moore’s presence will allow Latham to play his natural spot.

The move could end up being a big one for the Titans, as they’ve now found five capable starters on the offensive line. However, paying Moore $20 million a season is a steep price, regardless of how it impacts the offensive line. This one has a chance to look pretty rough for Tennessee in the near future.

Davante Adams Signs With Los Angeles Rams (2 years, $46 Million)

Grade: B+

One of the biggest mistakes organizations make is being too emotionally invested in aging players. More often than not, teams would benefit from moving on from a player a year too early rather than a year too late. The Rams aren’t one of those teams.

They released Cooper Kupp this offseason despite an incredible career and a Super Bowl win. He was their best player on offense during the 2021 season and caught the game-winning touchdown against the Bengals. He was also one of Matthew Stafford’s best friends, but the Rams moved on because they thought he was a declining player who couldn’t stay on the field.

Clearly, they had a plan to replace him by signing Davante Adams to a big deal this offseason to play alongside Puka Nacua. The good news for the Rams is that it’s only a two-year deal, and Adams can still play at a high level. He might not be a dominating No. 1 receiver at this stage of his career, but he is still one of the best route runners in the league and fits well into a Sean McVay offense that prioritizes the short to intermediate passing game.

Adams should put up huge numbers in Los Angeles, which will be a massive upgrade over Kupp. The Rams took on a lot of dead money to make this move, but their roster and offense will be much better because of it in 2025 and beyond.

Raiders Acquire QB Geno Smith From Seahawks

Grade: C+

The Raiders were in a really tough spot this offseason regarding their quarterback situation. Picking at No. 6, they were never going to be in range for Cam Ward, and it doesn’t appear they are all that interested in Shedeur Sanders. They also weren’t an attractive landing spot for Sam Darnold, Aaron Rodgers, or Justin Fields, the top quarterbacks on the free-agent market.

Instead, they opted to make a trade, sending a third-round pick for Geno Smith. Pete Carroll’s relationship with Smith was an obvious factor here, and that should give us hope that it will work out in Las Vegas. It remains to be seen how Smith fits into Chip Kelly’s offense, but he is one of the better quarterbacks in the league despite his age (34).

Smith isn’t a long-term option for the Raiders despite signing a new contract extension last week. And in a division with Patrick Mahomes, Justin Herbert, and Bo Nix, the Raiders need to find a young quarterback who can go toe-to-toe with those passers.

However, Smith is a huge upgrade over the likes of Gardner Minshew, Aidan O’Connell, Jimmy Garappolo, Brian Hoyer, etc., and will provide competent quarterback play in Las Vegas. And that’s really what the Raiders needed to find this offseason.

Commanders Acquire LT Laremy Tunsil from Texans

Grade: B

The Commanders are in win-now mode and have opted to acquire several older veterans to keep them competitive during Jayden Daniels’ rookie contract. It’s an interesting strategy as they have re-signed players like Zach Ertz and Bobby Wagner while bringing in Deebo Samuel, Eddie Goldman, and Michael Gallup.

However, the best move they made this offseason was trading for Laremy Tunsil, the five-time Pro Bowl left tackle. Tunsil will turn 31 this offseason, but he is still among the best pass-blocking tackles in the NFL. Left tackle was an area of concern for the Commanders last year, and Tunsil will instantly be their best starter.

Tunsil isn’t without flaws, as he was one of the league’s most penalized players in 2024. However, it’s worth the trade-off to get a dominant left tackle, especially in a division full of elite EDGE rushers.

Steelers Acquire DK Metcalf from Seahawks

Grade: B

It’s usually not a good idea to give up significant draft capital for a wide receiver when there isn’t a single quarterback on the roster, but that’s what Pittsburgh decided to do this offseason.

They’ve been hunting a No. 1 wide receiver for over a year now and were close to acquiring Brandon Aiyuk last summer. Metcalf makes more sense in Pittsburgh, and he can be everything Pittsburgh had hoped George Pickens would be.

However, it’s usually not good business to give up high draft capital (a second-round pick) for the right to give a player a new contract. But that’s what Pittsburgh had to do with Metcalf, and they inked him to a new deal worth $30 million a year for the next five seasons. That isn’t an egregious contract by any stretch, and the Steelers had the cap space, but there are some obvious problems when it comes to making these types of deals.

Metcalf is a massive upgrade for the Steelers, and it’ll greatly help whoever ends up starting at quarterback. Overall, this was a good move by Pittsburgh, as it is clearly stuck in the worst spot in the NFL, the middle.

Patriots Sign Milton Williams, DT (4 years, $104 million)

Grade: A

Just a few days before free agency started, the Dallas Cowboys re-signed Osa Odighizuwa to a massive contract extension, leaving Milton Williams as the only top-tier defensive tackle on the market. And coming off a dominant Super Bowl performance only made the market for Williams stronger.

Of course, he cashed in, signing a four-year, $104 million contract that made him one of the highest-paid defensive tackles in the league despite just 19 career starts.

However, this was a fantastic move by the Patriots, as they had plenty of cap space to spend and were able to reel in arguably the best defensive player on the market.

New England’s roster desperately needed an influx of talent, and adding a pass rusher like Williams is a step in the right direction. They still need more playmakers on the defensive line, but Williams can be a force as a pass rusher in the right scheme.

The Patriots gave Williams a big-time deal, but it’s worth it, especially considering how much money they had available to spend.

Seahawks Sign Sam Darnold (3 years, $100 million)

Grade: A-

The Seahawks decided to move on from Geno Smith this offseason, sending him to the Raiders for a third-round pick and replacing him with another former Jets quarterback, Sam Darnold, for similar money.

Did the Seahawks improve their quarterback position? It’s tough to know for sure, but they got a whole lot younger and did grab a passer with more physical upside. Smith has played really well in Seattle during the past few seasons, but it was time for the Seahawks to take a swing on someone else.

Darnold is a better fit in Klint Kubiak’s offense and is coming off the best season of his career. His arrow is trending up, while Smith’s clearly is not.

Cardinals Sign Josh Sweat, EDGE (4 years, $76 million)

Grade: A+

No team in the NFL had a worse pass rush on a week-by-week basis than the Arizona Cardinals. In fact, if you asked even the most die-hard NFL fans, they probably couldn’t name a single pass rusher for the Cardinals last season. Arizona knew they had a massive need on the edge and signed the top rusher on the market right away.

Sweat has been incredibly durable for the Eagles, playing in at least 16 games in each of the last four seasons. During that time, he racked up 33 sacks to go along with 78 QB hits. While he isn’t in the elite pass-rushing tier, he is a much-needed addition for the Cardinals as they look to rebuild their defense.

Arizona paid a lot to get Sweat, but its defense is much better now that he is on the roster. The Cardinals' front office did a good job locking down one of the best available players on the market.