- New England invested millions to rebuild: Amid a full rebuild under new head coach Mike Vrabel, the Patriots had plenty of roster needs to address and the cap space to do so aggressively. However, given the team’s struggles in recent years, attracting top-tier talent required significant financial investment, with New England dishing out massive contracts to secure key additions.
- The Rams reloaded for another run: Los Angeles restructured Matthew Stafford’s contract and designated Cooper Kupp as a post-June 1 release, creating significant cap space. They used that flexibility to aggressively target key upgrades in free agency, filling crucial spots left by departing players.
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Estimated Reading Time: 6 minutes
The NFL offseason offers teams multiple ways to build a talented core, requiring a delicate balance between retaining key players and acquiring new talent. Some franchises turned to the trade market to add impact players, while others aggressively spent in free agency to secure key additions.
Setting aside contract value, trades, and re-signings, these are the NFL teams that gained the most talent through free-agent signings in 2025.
New England Patriots
Amid a full rebuild under new head coach Mike Vrabel, the Patriots had a long list of needs to address and the cap space to attack the market aggressively. However, given their struggles in recent years, it took significant financial investment to attract top-tier talent to New England.
Every Patriots signing exceeded PFF’s projected contract value, but that’s often the cost of making a big splash in free agency. New England filled several key roster deficiencies on both sides of the ball, headlined by Milton Williams‘ four-year, $104 million deal after he posted a career-best 91.7 PFF pass-rushing grade, the highest among interior defenders in 2024.
Alongside Williams, the Patriots bolstered their defense with multiple starters at all three levels. They added Carlton Davis III at cornerback, the recently released Harold Landry III off the edge and Robert Spillane at linebacker to strengthen their run defense. While none of these moves are franchise-altering on their own, they provide a solid foundation for New England’s rebuild.
However, the Patriots didn’t address their biggest needs—offensive line and wide receiver—as aggressively as expected. Mack Hollins is a solid addition, but with high-profile receivers still available, the move left something to be desired. Meanwhile, signing Morgan Moses is a step in the right direction for the offensive line, but more work remains to rebuild the unit.
Los Angeles Rams
It took some maneuvering from Les Snead and the Rams’ front office to create the cap space needed to be serious players in this year’s free-agent market. LA restructured Matthew Stafford’s contract and designated Cooper Kupp as a post-June 1 release, freeing up significant cap room to make key additions.
While losing Kupp is a blow, the Rams addressed the situation about as well as they could have, replacing him with Davante Adams at a lower annual cost. After struggling in 2024, Kupp was set to carry a $57.1 million cap hit over the next two seasons. Instead, LA landed Adams — arguably the most sought-after veteran receiver on the market — for $46 million over the same span, securing an elite playmaker while saving cap space.
A similar approach was taken on defense with the departure of Bobby Brown III. While Brown was a solid contributor, the Rams upgraded by signing Poona Ford. The former Chargers defensive tackle earned the fifth-highest PFF grade (85.4) at the position in 2024 and put up a 95th-percentile run-defense grade.
Additionally, retaining left tackle Alaric Jackson before free agency not only eliminated a pressing need but also prevented tackle-needy teams from pursuing him. The 26-year-old is coming off the best season of his career, earning an 80.9 PFF grade, including 75.0-plus marks in both pass protection and run blocking.
While the Rams didn’t sign a high volume of players, the moves they did make should have a sizable impact as they look to maximize their window for success.
Minnesota Vikings
Few teams attacked free agency with the same aggression as the Vikings at the start of the legal tampering period. Their decision to let Sam Darnold test the open market freed up significant cap space, allowing them to be active in negotiations.
Minnesota wasted no time bolstering the interior of its offensive line, signing guard Will Fries and center Ryan Kelly, poaching both from the Colts. Kelly represents a clear upgrade over Garrett Bradbury in pass protection, having earned a 70.0-plus PFF grade in each of the past two seasons. Bradbury, by contrast, has struggled in pass protection for most of his career, surpassing a 60.0 grade just once (2022).
Fries entered free agency as PFF’s highest-ranked available guard after Kansas City franchise-tagged Trey Smith and secured a five-year, $88 million deal. Although a serious injury limited him to just 268 snaps in 2024, he earned an impressive 86.9 PFF grade—ranking ninth among all offensive linemen through Week 5. If he returns to form, he will be a major asset to Minnesota’s interior.
The Vikings also reinforced their defensive front, signing veteran interior defenders Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave. While both battled injuries in 2024, their track records as pass-rushers are elite. From 2020-2023, Hargrave (92.4) and Allen (90.9) ranked third and fifth, respectively, among interior defenders in PFF pass-rush grade.
Beyond securing key veterans to support J.J. McCarthy’s transition to quarterback, the Vikings’ aggressive free-agent approach also positions them to receive a compensatory draft pick. That will be crucial for a team that entered the offseason with just four total selections—fewer than any other franchise in the 2025 draft.
Denver Broncos
The Broncos made an early splash in free agency by signing two of PFF’s top-30 available players—Talanoa Hufanga and Dre Greenlaw—before striking again on Wednesday with the addition of recently released tight end Evan Engram on a two-year, $23 million deal.
Each player projects as an immediate starter and a clear upgrade. Hufanga and Greenlaw were key contributors in San Francisco. Greenlaw earned an 88.9 PFF coverage grade over his last two full seasons, and Hufanga recorded seven interceptions in his first four years.
Engram, meanwhile, gives Sean Payton’s offense a dynamic weapon to fill the “Joker” role. In his last full season (2023), he hauled in 114 receptions—the second-most by a tight end in the PFF era.
While all three bring high-end talent, durability remains a concern. The trio missed a combined 33 games in 2024, making health a critical factor for Denver in 2025. However, if they can stay on the field and return to peak form, the Broncos' defense has the potential to be one of the league’s elite units.
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