Now that the hiring cycle, free agency, and the draft have all come and gone, we can look back and evaluate how each team’s offseason went. Different franchises have different priorities and needs each offseason, but you can still compare them relative to expectations. Did a rebuilding team make a good hire and improve the young talent on their roster? Did a contending team successfully reload?
Today, I’m taking a look at my three favorite 2025 offseasons. These aren’t in order, but I thought these three teams stood above the rest when it came to how they handled business. That doesn’t mean every move they made will work, or even that we’ll all look back in a year and feel the same way about their offseasons. But on paper at least, these teams did the best of the bunch.
New England Patriots
After the 2024 season concluded, the Patriots had several priorities. The No. 3 pick, rookie QB Drake Maye, was sensational. His emergence changed the franchise’s future outlook, but offensive infrastructure around him was arguably the worst in the league. Major upgrades were needed across the board, as the cupboard was pretty bare at receiver and the offensive line was a liability.
Additionally, first-year head coach Jerod Mayo underwhelmed. He was New England legend Bill Belichick’s hand-picked successor, but he didn’t inspire confidence in his performance, with a general sentiment that he wasn’t ready for the role. The decision-makers for the Patriots felt they couldn’t wait around for Mayo to learn on the job and waste the rookie contract window with Maye, so they fired Mayo and began a head coaching search.
New hire Mike Vrabel was the obvious choice. A multi-Super Bowl winner at linebacker for the Patriots during his playing days, he was inducted into the Patriots’ Ring of Honor in 2023 while serving as the head coach of the Tennessee Titans. Vrabel was let go by the Titans in a surprising move following the 2023 season, and he spent the 2024 season as an assistant with the Browns. While in Tennessee, he led the Titans to back-to-back No. 1 seeds in the AFC playoffs, putting together the franchise’s best run in a long time. Between his pedigree as a head coach and his playing history with the Patriots’ organization, hiring him was both the obvious choice and a slam-dunk move.
While Maye’s breakout is great news for New England, they were still likely two offseasons away from true contention. They didn’t try and fix everything in one go. Instead, they spent money fortifying their defense, bringing in guys like CB Carlton Davis, DT Milton Williams, ED Harold Landry III, and ED K’Lavon Chaisson. These additions upgraded that unit while allowing them to focus on offense in the draft. Fifth-round ED Bradyn Swinson adds a young pass rusher with upside in the middle rounds, as well.
On offense, the big free-agent additions were RT Morgan Moses, C Garrett Bradbury, and WR Mack Hollins. Moses and Bradbury should be immediate starters on the line and provide a massive boost to Maye’s protection, while Hollins is good depth at receiver. But the draft is really where the offense got its boost, with the first four picks of the draft going to that side of the ball. OL Will Campbell, the No. 4 overall pick, is the presumptive starter at left tackle. Though his better fit may be at guard long-term, New England got the best offensive lineman in the draft. RB TreVeyon Henderson and WR Kyle Williams add some desperately-needed speed to the offense, while C Jared Wilson is an athletic upside swing at a position of need.
Chicago Bears
It’s a bit of a running gag that the Bears are crowned “offseason champions” every year, but I do genuinely like the moves they’ve made over the last few months. It was a disaster rookie season for 2024 No. 1 overall pick QB Caleb Williams, as his protection was abysmal all year long and he wasn’t able to adjust to the speed of the NFL. Deciding to keep HC Matt Eberflus on after subpar 2022 and 2023 campaigns was an odd choice, but it’s since been corrected. Eberflus is out, and former Lions OC Ben Johnson is the new head man in Chicago.
Johnson has been the top name in the coaching cycle for several years now. In 2023, he removed himself from consideration after several interviews. Last offseason, he reportedly nearly took the Washington job before backing out at the last minute. It had people wondering if Johnson would ever take a head coaching gig, at least anytime soon. The Bears were able to convince him to take the job, and he now helms an exciting roster with some offensive talent to utilize.
Once Johnson was on board, upgrading Williams’ protection became the top priority. The Bears traded for Gs Jonah Jackson and Joe Thuney from the Rams and Chiefs, respectively, to start at the guard spots. Drew Dalman came over from Atlanta in free agency to be the new starting center. Just like that, the Bears went from one of the worst interior lines in the league to one of the best, and Williams should have a better pocket to work from in 2025. Other free agent additions included ED Dayo Odeyingbo and DT Grady Jarrett to improve the pass rush, a weakness for an otherwise strong defense in 2024.
Given all the work they did via the trade market and free agency, Chicago could take a true “best player available” approach to the draft. First-round TE Colston Loveland and second-round WR Luther Burden III add a lot of team speed to the offense. While the poor offensive line and Williams’ struggles headlined the Bears’ offensive woes last season, the unit lacked real speed, which clogged the field and hampered the offense’s ability to function. Loveland and Burden add a significant amount of positional speed, and both can do wonders after the catch. Williams’ weapons got a nice bump.
With a retooled offensive line, more weapons, and Johnson calling plays, Williams has been set up for success. Now Chicago can evaluate how he performs and develop him more appropriately. The NFC North is an absolutely loaded division, but if Williams lives up to his draft stock, the Bears can compete for a wild card berth in 2025.
Arizona Cardinals
Sometimes offseasons are straightforward in a good way. The Cardinals have been going through a soft rebuild, and they appear to be coming out on the other side ready to compete. Last season, their defense wasn’t good enough to support a playoff team, so that was the priority. ED Josh Sweat and DT Dalvin Tomlinson are free agent acquisitions that upgrade the defensive line significantly. ED Baron Browning is a high-upside player who needs to stay healthy, and the Cardinals prioritized re-signing him. They also signed LB Akeem Davis-Gaither, who might start, and he adds some experience to the second level of their defense.
Arizona doubled down on improving its defense in the draft. DT Walter Nolen, the No. 16 pick, is a gifted athlete with immense pass-rushing upside on the interior. They capitalized on CB Will Johnson’s fall, a consensus top-10 player in the draft, due to injury concerns. If he can stay healthy, he profiles as a perennial All-Pro on the outside. Even ED Jordan Burch and LB Cody Simon have starter-level potential in the middle rounds and should be factors as rookies.
The Cardinals put on a clinic on how to take the next step as a roster from a solid team to a good one. QB Kyler Murray should have the offense humming again, especially if 2024 No. 4 pick WR Marvin Harrison Jr. steps up his game in his second season. Thanks to the work this front office did over the last few months, the Arizona defense will be in a much better position to succeed. There are still some question marks on the depth chart that will need to be filled by young players, and the Rams are the clear favorites in this division. But look for the Cardinals to be a playoff team this year, thanks in large part to a sensational offseason.
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