One Offseason Move for Every NFL Team: Part 1
Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
With few teams ahead of Dallas in dire need of a running back, the opportunity to land Ashton Jeanty is there—and they shouldn’t hesitate.
The NFL offseason is in full swing, with the National Football League (NFL) season concluding after Super Bowl weekend. The offseason is a nearly seven-month process that gives teams plenty of time to make roster moves. With the offseason just getting started, here is one move every NFL team should make this offseason.
New York Giants:
The Giants need to find a quarterback this offseason. Ever since Eli Manning retired in 2020, the Giants have had a handful of quarterbacks start at least one game. The team never found concrete success in 2019 sixth overall pick Daniel Jones and is now directionless heading into the offseason. The team has been linked to Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford, but if talks fall through, the Giants have to make it a necessity to draft a top quarterback prospect for this year's draft.
New Orleans Saints:
The New Orleans Saints need to draft an offensive weapon with the ninth overall pick. The Saints are notoriously always at the bottom of the NFL's cap space list, meaning paying players to join their team is nearly impossible. When wide receiver Chris Olave was sidelined by injury last year, the Saints had nobody other than running back Alvin Kamara who could make a big play for the Saints. A wide receiver or tight end is the Saints' best bet in this year's draft.
Carolina Panthers:
The Carolina Panthers also need to find an offensive playmaker this offseason. What makes things interesting is that the Panthers are one pick ahead of the Saints, with the eighth overall pick this year, so they can potentially pick which player they like more and snag them out from the Saints. The Panthers struggled to find playmakers with trading wide receiver Diontae Johnson and rookie wide receiver Xavier Legette struggling. The former number one overall pick, Bryce Young, needs a playmaker that he can rely on to be his top guy for the present and the future.
Chicago Bears:
The Chicago Bears need some offensive line help this offseason. The Bears need to draft an offensive lineman in this year's draft at number 10, but that is probably not enough. Rookie quarterback Caleb Williams was sacked by far the most times last year with 68 sacks, 16 more than the second-most. The Bears must sign some offensive linemen to protect their generational talent in Caleb Williams.
San Francisco 49ers:
The 49ers need to find some defensive help this offseason. The 49ers are a tricky one. The 49ers were one of the most injured rosters last season and ended up going 6-11 because all their star players were sidelined. If the team could get healthier for this season, they would have a team similar to their Super Bowl roster from 2024, so health is their biggest concern. Still, the 49ers could use some pass rush or defensive back help, which will not be a problem since they have the eleventh overall pick.
Dallas Cowboys:
The Dallas Cowboys need to draft Ashton Jeanty. I didn’t want to be too specific about the players, but this one makes too much sense. The Cowboys have been known as a run-first team for decades, and Ashton Jeanty, out of Boise State, nearly broke rushing records in his ridiculous season last year. Not many teams need a running back before the Cowboys, and even if they do need one, they have more important things to take care of.
Arizona Cardinals:
The Arizona Cardinals need to find some pass rush. The Cardinals are the first team mentioned so far that are drafting in the back half of round one, with the sixteenth pick. Since their pick isn’t that high, they could focus less on the draft and move to the free-agent market. The Cardinals have some money to play with and desperately need some pass rushers. The Cardinals showed signs of success on offense but seem to be a team that can‘t control the game on the ground. Getting some sacks to force some punts will help them get the ball more often, and in return, they can hand the ball off and run the clock down.
Atlanta Falcons:
The Atlanta Falcons need to find a trade partner for Kirk Cousins. The Falcons bafflingly signed Kirk Cousins to a massive four-year deal and then drafted quarterback Michael Penix with the eighth pick last year. It seems like the team will try their luck with Penix already and move on from Cousins. If they want to do this, they must trade Kirk Cousins. The Falcons can’t afford to be paying Cousins all that money to sit on the bench, and they won’t be able to improve their roster until they trade him. Teams like the Las Vegas Raiders, Tennessee Titans, and New York Giants desperately need a quarterback and have space for his contract on their roster.
These eight teams are in the bottom eight in the National Football Conference (NFC) standings from last year. Most of these teams will focus on the draft to improve their roster. That said, the top eight teams will have many different priorities in the offseason—stay tuned.