• Getting the Cowboys a running back: Dallas eschewed Derrick Henry, Saquon Barkley and other stellar free-agent options at the position.
• The Seahawks could have used offensive line upgrades: Seattle ranks 31st in quarterback hurry percentage and 30th in pressure rate, largely due to bad play along its right side.
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Estimated Reading Time: 10 minutes
Now that 12 weeks of the 2024 NFL season have elapsed, we have more than enough data to analyze how every team has performed this year. Much of that reflects upon the moves that front offices decided to make — or not make — during the offseason.
From quizzical draft choices organizations would like back to making more of a free-agent upgrade, below is one move each team would love to retrospectively redo, knowing how this year has played out.
Click here to jump to a team:
ARI | ATL | CAR | CHI | DAL | DET | GB | LAR | MIN | NO | NYG | PHI | SF | SEA | TB | WAS
Arizona Cardinals: Sign a pass-rusher
The Cardinals headed into 2024 expecting breakout production from young edge rushers like B.J. Ojulari and first-round pick Darius Robinson. Instead, the two have combined to play zero snaps while battling injuries.
In turn, Arizona would have been prudent to have had better pass-rushing depth, especially considering its group was unproven going into the season. Adding a player like Dorance Armstrong (77.8 PFF pass-rush grade, 30 pressures) or Calais Campbell (79.7 PFF overall grade) would have been smart for a young, competitive team.
Atlanta Falcons: Draft a touted pass-rusher
The Falcons shocked the football world when they picked Michael Penix Jr. with the eighth overall selection in April. Since then, Kirk Cousins has played as well as expected, ranking 13th among qualifiers in PFF passing grade, while Penix has played only 20 snaps. Meanwhile, Atlanta’s pass rush has remained stuck in neutral, with the team ranking 31st in pass-rushing grade.
General manager Terry Fontenot’s decision to draft Penix over Jared Verse (49 pressures) or Chop Robinson (79.7 PFF pass-rushing grade, 22 pressures in his past three games) continues to make little sense. There’s a strong chance that the move not only affects Atlanta’s chances of contending this year but also remains a pressing problem going into 2025.
Carolina Panthers: Make a different second-round pick
Not much has gone according to plan in Dave Canales’ first season, especially considering the state of Carolina’s roster. But one way Panthers general manager Dan Morgan could have amended that is by making a different second-round pick.
Running back was never a massive problem for the team, which is devoid of talent at almost every position. Plus, Jonathon Brooks has played just five snaps this year. In his place, Chuba Hubbard has thrived, with his 88.6 PFF rushing grade ranking fifth among qualified running backs. In fact, Hubbard has been so good that Morgan gave him a four-year extension.
The Panthers could have landed players like Zach Frazier, Mike Sainristil, Renardo Green or Andru Phillips but instead have a surplus of running backs. That’s simply bad process.
Chicago Bears: Hire another offensive coordinator
All of the pieces seemed to coalesce for the Bears' offense this year: a prolific rookie quarterback prospect, a plus free agent running back, three impressive receivers and a strong tight end. However, that materialized into a unit that ranked 23rd in EPA per play and 31st in average yards per play through the first 10 weeks of the season. There’s no short-changing it: Shane Waldron failed immensely in calling plays for the Bears.
Waldron’s woes are bad in and of themselves, but it has to sting even more that the Bears could have had Kliff Kingsbury, who has propelled the Commanders to the second-best offense in EPA per play, or Liam Coen, who has led the Buccaneers to sixth in the same category.
Dallas Cowboys: Sign a running back
The Cowboys would like a complete do-over at running back this offseason. The entire process was an abject failure by Jerry Jones, who didn’t re-sign Tony Pollard — and elected not to sign any of Derrick Henry, Saquon Barkley, Aaron Jones or Josh Jacobs. All of those players have posted PFF overall grades of at least 74.0.
To top it all off, Jones didn’t draft a player like Jonathon Brooks or Bucky Irving (85.1 PFF overall grade), entering the year with Rico Dowdle and 29-year-old Ezekiel Elliott as lone starters. Having a viable rushing attack wouldn’t have solved all of Dallas’ wide-ranging problems, but it sure would have helped avoid this catastrophic season.
Detroit Lions: Add another edge rusher
The Lions could never have foreseen a season-ending injury to Aidan Hutchinson. At the same time, the team’s depth at edge rusher was already thin: Detroit was banking on Marcus Davenport, who had played 500-plus snaps just once in his career, to have a resurgent year. However, he played only 89 snaps before suffering another season-ending injury.
Detroit is in a decent spot after adding Za’Darius Smith, but the Lions may never have had to make the move if they had drafted someone like Jonah Elliss (14 pressures on 176 pass-rushing snaps) or signed someone like Calais Campbell or Chase Young (39 pressures).
Green Bay Packers: Add a defensive lineman
The Packers sit 8-3 and in great shape for a postseason spot, but those results have largely been despite an underperforming defensive line. The only regular Green Bay front-four player with a 70.0 PFF overall grade is Rashan Gary, but his 10.9% pass-rush win rate (which leads Packers starters) is more than five points lower than his 2023 mark. Kenny Clark (8.6% pass-rush win rate) and Lukas Van Ness (62.5 PFF pass-rushing grade) have not been nearly as good as expected.
Looking back on the draft, Green Bay sure would have loved to land a player like Braden Fiske (34 pressures, third among rookies) or T’Vondre Sweat (72.2 PFF overall grade).
Los Angeles Rams: Upgrade the secondary further
The Rams knew their defense would be in a transitory phase this year after losing Aaron Donald, and Les Snead has already succeeded in rebuilding the defensive line with Verse and Fiske. But the team’s attempts at fixing its secondary have not worked out. Darious Williams has recorded only a 64.5 PFF coverage grade, not playing until Week 5 due to injury; Kamren Curl (53.4 coverage grade) has not played to his 2023 mark; and Tre’Davious White was traded to Baltimore after posting a dismal 49.3 PFF coverage grade.
Williams is the only Rams secondary starter to generate a PFF coverage grade above 60.0, with Quentin Lake, Cobie Durant and Ahkello Witherspoon all playing poorly in that department. Rookies Kamren Kinchens and Jaylen McCollough have been bright spots, but they’ve combined to play only 281 coverage snaps. In turn, having signed a veteran like Kristian Fulton (career-high 72.9 PFF coverage grade) or Levi Wallace (79.6 PFF coverage grade) may have been wiser.
Rams' Leaders in Coverage Snaps
Minnesota Vikings: Upgrade the interior of the trenches
Sam Darnold has headlined the Vikings’ offensive play this year, leading a unit that ranks 14th in EPA per play under Kevin O’Connell. But the team’s interior offensive line has been a low mark: The Vikings rank 20th in PFF overall grade at guard and center. Given Blake Brandel’s and Ed Ingram’s past play, drafting a player like Puni or signing Damien Lewis would have been a big boost.
Likewise, the middle of Minnesota’s defense isn’t especially strong. Harrison Phillips’ 67.8 PFF overall grade has proven solid, but Jerry Tillery and Jonathan Bullard have not fared well, with neither posting a PFF overall grade above 61.3. Signing Calais Campbell or Tim Settle (28 pressures) may have made even more of an impact.
New Orleans Saints: Have more defensive line reinforcements
The Saints have been the victim of some significant injuries, but the team’s defensive line simply has not played at a high enough level. Edge rusher Carl Granderson is the only member of New Orleans’ unit to record a PFF overall grade above 67.0, and only Chase Young has also amassed a pass-rush win rate better than 11.0%. Bryan Bresee (38.0 PFF overall grade) and Nathan Shepherd (46.4 PFF overall grade) have not been difference-makers.
New Orleans chose not to add any of the draft’s top defensive linemen, a move that looks dubious in hindsight. Now, the Saints need to prioritize upgrading their front four in 2025.
New York Giants: Overhaul the quarterback room
The Giants weren’t going to outright give up on Daniel Jones before the 2024 season, which was a rational take. But given how the year has played out — with Jones posting just a 67.5 PFF passing grade, being benched and now released — the team should have had better insurance options.
General manager Joe Schoen tried unsuccessfully to move up and land either Jayden Daniels or Drake Maye, so it's hard to fault him there. What can be second-guessed, though, is why the Giants signed Drew Lock, who has thrown just nine passes all year, instead of someone like Sam Darnold or Russell Wilson. Plus, the franchise would likely feel like it’s in a better place if Schoen had traded back and still landed either J.J. McCarthy or Nix, although Malik Nabers has been impressive.
Philadelphia Eagles: Find a more well-rounded WR3
The Eagles addressed their macro-level needs to a tee this offseason, finding impact additions at cornerback (Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean) and linebacker (Zack Baun). Given how well this roster is constructed, there aren’t many holes to poke, although Howie Roseman would probably want a do-over at WR3.
Roseman traded for Jahan Dotson before the start of the year, but the move simply hasn’t panned out. The former first-round pick has tallied only 10 catches for 110 yards, posting a subpar 54.8 PFF receiving grade. That’s left a bit of a revolving door at the position between Dotson, Britain Covey, Johnny Wilson and Ainias Smith, with none performing exceptionally.
Given injuries to both A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, it sure feels like Philadelphia could have used another insurance wideout. Marquez Valdes-Scantling (77.8 PFF receiving grade with the Saints) or Devaughn Vele may have panned out better.
San Francisco 49ers: Upgrade the offensive line
The 49ers’ defense of the NFC crown hasn’t followed suit, with the team sitting 5-6 while battling a multitude of injuries and miscues all year. One department that hasn’t performed as well as anticipated is San Francisco’s offensive line. While Trent Williams has been superb and Dominick Puni has made an instant impact, Jake Brendel and Colton McKivitz have each compiled PFF pass-blocking grades below 69.0.
General manager John Lynch did a spectacular job landing Puni, but the 49ers may have needed other boosts at two of the other five spots. Zach Frazier or Tanor Bortolini could have made a difference in the draft, while signing someone like Aaron Brewer (career-high 77.9 overall grade) would have been a free-agency splash.
Seattle Seahawks: Upgrade the offensive line
Even though the Seahawks are still in the mix for both the playoffs and the NFC West crown, much of the season has been Geno Smith manufacturing while dealing with persistent pressure in his face. Seattle ranks 31st in quarterback hurry percentage and 29th in pressure rate. More specifically, the right side of the offensive line has been an unmitigated disaster, with Anthony Bradford, Stone Forsythe and Mike Jerrell all generating PFF overall grades no higher than 50.1.
Seattle drafted Christian Haynes in the third round, but in retrospect, more work was probably needed — and earlier, especially considering the severity of Abraham Lucas’ injury. Even D.J. Glaze (60.7 PFF overall grade) could have been a more serviceable option this year at right tackle.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Find more/different pass-rushing help
The Buccaneers' defense hasn’t clicked under Todd Bowles this season, ranking 28th in EPA per play. Problems have dotted the secondary, but the team’s pass rush has also waned. Yaya Diaby and Vita Vea are the only regular Tampa Bay defensive linemen to post PFF pass-rushing grades higher than 70.0. Meanwhile, Calijah Kancey (49.0 PFF overall grade) hasn’t developed in Year 2.
Tampa Bay selected Chris Braswell in the second round, but he’s posted just a 60.3 PFF pass-rushing grade while playing worse against the run (51.3 PFF run-defense grade). In turn, it feels like general manager Jason Licht could have gone in a different direction to replace Shaquil Barrett, such as by signing or drafting one of the players mentioned above.
Washington Commanders: Better address the secondary
It’s hard to view 2024 as anything but a successful season for Washington, which has far exceeded its expectations with a rookie head coach and quarterback. But the Commanders’ coverage has held the team back from an even higher ceiling. Washington ranks 29th in team coverage grade despite solid play from rookie cornerback Mike Sainristil (69.3 PFF coverage grade).
The Commanders knew they had some weak points in their backend going into the season, with Emmanuel Forbes, Quan Martin and Benjamin St.-Juste all not playing at a high level last year. Signing Michael Davis (49.3 PFF coverage grade on only 42 coverage snaps) has not panned out, while Noah Igbinoghene has been a below-average slot man. The Commanders probably would love to have a player like Brandon Jones (85.0 PFF overall grade) or Kristian Fulton, especially as Marshon Lattimore has yet to play with his new squad.
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