Every NFL Team's Best Move of the 2020 Offseason

The NFL offseason is a time for excitement and hope. Every team is undefeated and has a legitimate shot at reaching the postseason. With the start of the regular season just over a week away, however, those warm-and-fuzzy feelings about the future are about to dissipate for at least a couple of franchises.

So, why not take one last look back at the highest points of hope as teams approach cutdown day and Week 1 game preparations? That's what we're going to do here as we examine the best move each franchise has made during the 2020 offseason.

We'll be looking at the biggest moves in terms of value, potential positive impact or a combination of both. To be fair, we'll also be analyzing them with just a bit of a rose-colored lens as it's impossible to tell just how they'll look several years down the road.

We'll be focusing specifically on roster-related moves here, so front-office and coaching changes won't be considered.

Legitimate No. 1 receivers usually don't get traded while still in their prime. When they do, first-round picks are typically involved. However, the Arizona Cardinals managed to pry DeAndre Hopkins away from the Houston Texans for a second-round pick, a 2021 fourth-round selection and running back David Johnson.

Arizona even got a 2020 fourth-round pick back in the deal.

That was a small price to pay for the 28-year-old pass-catcher. It's also a brilliant move for the development of quarterback Kyler Murray. Hopkins has been a first-team All-Pro in each of the past three seasons and will provide the sophomore with the sort of elite go-to target most quarterbacks can only dream of having.

Getting Hopkins at a bargain made an already great move even better.

Julio Jones is the centerpiece of the Atlanta Falcons' passing attack, and Calvin Ridley is becoming a fine running mate. However, tight end Austin Hooper became an equally important piece over the last two seasons—both Pro Bowl campaigns—and the Falcons were forced to replace him in the offseason.

To do so, they traded 2020 second- and fifth-round picks to acquire 2018 first-rounder Hayden Hurst and a fourth-round pick from the Baltimore Ravens.

It appears Hurst is more than ready to pick up where Hooper left off.

"He's extremely fast, very good change of direction. He’s big and strong. He’s everything you would want in a tight end," quarterback Matt Ryan said, per Jason Butt of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

The addition of Hurst may have been one of the more under-the-radar moves of the NFL offseason, but it was a terrific one for Atlanta.

The 14-2 Baltimore Ravens didn't show many weaknesses last season. However, their inability to consistently pressure opposing quarterbacks was one. Despite often playing with a lead, Baltimore produced just 37 sacks as a team in 2019.

Trading to acquire Calais Campbell from the Jacksonville Jaguars should go a long way toward improving the pass rush. He produced 31.5 sacks over the past three seasons for Jacksonville and should be a fine complement to sack artist Matthew Judon.

The move only cost Baltimore a fifth-round pick it previously acquired from the Falcons. The Ravens then signed Campbell to a one-year extension, which means he'll carry a relatively team-friendly cap hit of just $10 million this season.

As previously mentioned, trades involving No. 1 receivers usually also involve first-round draft picks. The Buffalo Bills gave up a 2020 first-rounder, along with 2020 fifth- and sixth-round picks and a 2021 fourth-rounder, to get Stefon Diggs and a seventh from the Minnesota Vikings.

That's still a fair price to pay for the 26-year-old speedster and a wonderful move for quarterback Josh Allen. The former Wyoming gunslinger has lacked a legitimate No. 1 wideout during his first two seasons and now has one who perfectly matches his skill set.

One of Allen's biggest assets is his arm strength, and Diggs, who averaged 17.9 yards per catch last season, can take full advantage of it. Expect to see the most productive season yet from Allen as a passer in 2020.

Whether or not you agree with the Carolina Panthers' decision to move on from Cam Newton, it's hard to argue with signing Teddy Bridgewater as his replacement.

Bridgewater was a Pro Bowl quarterback before suffering a leg injury that nearly ended his career. During a five-game stretch with the New Orleans Saints last season, he showed he is back to that level of play. The Saints went 5-0 with him as a starter, and he finished the year with 1,384 passing yards, nine touchdowns and just two interceptions.

Just as importantly, Bridgewater is familiar with new offensive coordinator Joe Brady, who served as a Saints assistant two years ago.

Bridgewater is still 27 years old and can be a long-term option at quarterback for the Panthers. Carolina has him at the team-friendly price tag of $63 million over the next three years.

The Chicago Bears might not actually have gotten a new starting quarterback out of their deal for Nick Foles.

"The general consensus among those who have watched [Mitchell] Trubisky and Foles in camp is that Trubisky hasn't looked very good and Foles hasn't looked like a sure thing," The Athletic's Jon Greenberg wrote. "Each has had good practices and bad moments. Neither has shined. So, it's gone about how we expected."

However, the deal, which sent a 2020 fourth-round pick to the Jacksonville Jaguars, was still a great one for the Bears because it provided two things they didn't previously have: legitimate competition for Trubisky and another viable quarterback with which to judge head coach Matt Nagy.

While Trubisky hasn't proved he can be a reliable starter, Nagy also has yet to prove he's the answer at head coach. With Foles in the fold, the Bears will have a better chance of seeing if one can assert himself independently of the other.

Ideally, Foles will improve the quarterback position—either by winning the job or by pushing Trubisky—but providing clarity about the franchise's future will be just as important.

It's easy to say the Cincinnati Bengals made the simple choice by taking LSU quarterback Joe Burrow with the first pick in April's draft. However, that was still the right decision—and perhaps the best move the franchise has made in recent memory.

Burrow is coming off arguably the best college quarterbacking season in history. He threw for 60 touchdowns and just six interceptions while leading LSU to an undefeated season and taking home the Heisman Trophy.

Obviously, Burrow has yet to prove himself at the pro level, but the Bengals saw enough in him to justify using the No. 1 overall pick. They didn't get cute and try to acquire more picks while moving down and taking another signal-caller. They believed they got their guy for the next decade-plus.

Any time an NFL franchise gets its quarterback, it's a great move.

The Cleveland Browns believed they got their quarterback when they drafted Baker Mayfield first overall in 2018. However, a disappointing sophomore campaign has cast doubt upon that notion, and Mayfield now enters a make-or-break season.

The good news is that Cleveland significantly upgraded its offensive line, signing Jack Conklin in free agency and landing Jedrick Wills Jr. with the 10th pick in the draft. Both moves were tremendous, but drafting Wills provides more in the value department.

Head coach Kevin Stefanski has already named him the team's starting left tackle, where he should operate on a rookie contract for up to five seasons.

Conklin, meanwhile, will cost Cleveland $42 million over the next three seasons.

It's been a bit of a mixed bag for the Dallas Cowboys this offseason. They failed to get a long-term deal done with Dak Prescott, but they did extend Amari Cooper. They lost cornerback Byron Jones in free agency, but they drafted a dynamic receiver in CeeDee Lamb. They signed defensive tackle Gerald McCoy, only to lose him to a torn quadriceps.

However, Dallas is ending the offseason on a high note. It recently signed veteran defensive end Everson Griffen to a team-friendly one-year, $6 million contract. That's proverbial pennies for a pass-rusher who produced 8.0 sacks just last season.

Griffen should provide some punch to the pass rush opposite DeMarcus Lawrence, and his addition might be the one that turns last year's 11th-ranked scoring defense into a true playoff-caliber unit.

The Denver Broncos seem to believe pretty adamantly that Drew Lock is the answer at quarterback. They named him the starter early in the offseason and used the draft to bolster his receiving corps. Their first selection in the draft, former Alabama wideout Jerry Jeudy, was a tremendous one.

While the Broncos already have a budding No. 1 receiver in Courtland Sutton, Jeudy is the sort of reliable route-runner who can become Lock's go-to security blanket.

"Jerry Jeudy's the best route-runner in 20 years that I've seen," ESPN's Todd McShay said before the draft.

Jeudy's precision and reliability could prove invaluable for Lock as he enters his first full season as an NFL starter.

Detroit Lions head coach Matt Patricia has brought in several of his former New England Patriots defenders over the last couple of offseasons, including Danny Shelton, Trey Flowers and Duron Harmon. However, this year's signing of Jamie Collins Sr. is the move that should finally allow Patricia to field a Patriots-like defense.

Collins is the sort of experienced sideline-to-sideline linebacker the Lions have lacked in recent years—and the kind they thought they were getting when they drafted Jarrad Davis 21st overall in 2017. He racked up 81 tackles, 7.0 sacks, seven passes defended and three forced fumbles last season.

Simply put, Collins is the versatile chess piece Patricia has been missing in Detroit.

"Collins is definitely one of those guys that when the quarterback looks over to the other side of the defense, they try to figure out, 'OK, where is this guy and what is he doing?'" Patricia said, per Tim Twentyman of the team's official website.

While Green Bay Packers fans may lament the fact that the team didn't do more to get Aaron Rodgers some receiving help this offseason, the Packers did make one key move to address last year's 23rd-ranked run defense.

Green Bay signed linebacker Christian Kirksey to a two-year, $13 million deal. While he has only appeared in nine games over the past two seasons, he appears healthy and ready to pick up where he left off as one of the most productive middle linebackers in the game.

Between 2016 and 2017, Kirksey racked up 286 tackles, 6.0 sacks and 17 tackles for loss. He also worked with Packers defensive coordinator Mike Pettine the two years before that. So far, he's been one of the standouts of Packers camp.

"I've been super impressed with Christian. He's a pro's pro," head coach Matt LaFleur said, per The Athletic's Matt Schneidman. "And just in the short time that he's been here, he is on top of his assignments and helping direct traffic out there."

While the Texans parted with one of the game's best receivers when they traded DeAndre Hopkins, they did a sound job of mitigating the loss by then trading for speedster Brandin Cooks. He isn't the dominant pass-catching machine Hopkins was, but he's a viable No. 1 option who has topped the 1,000-yard mark in four of the last five seasons.

Cooks' deep-threat ability should match perfectly with Deshaun Watson's deep-ball accuracy. The one concern is his concussion history—he dealt with multiple concussions in 2019—though the 26-year-old is eager to prove it won't be an issue.

"If there is any hesitation or worry, I wouldn't be here right now," Cooks said, per ESPN's Sarah Barshop.

Houston potentially got its new No. 1 receiver for the next four years. Getting him and a 2022 fourth-rounder for just a second-round pick is also the best bargain it found this offseason.

With Andrew Luck retiring and Jacoby Brissett proving to be a merely average starter last season, the Indianapolis Colts were wise to look at veteran quarterbacks this offseason. They weren't far out of the playoff mix, and they can theoretically get there with an improved passing game.

While several quality veterans were available in free agency, the Colts made the right decision by signing Philip Rivers. Not only is he still a productive passer—he had 4,615 passing yards just last season—but he's plenty familiar with Frank Reich's offense from their time together with the Chargers.

While some teams' new starters may struggle to adapt to their new schemes, it's been full speed ahead for Rivers and the Colts.

"It's literally like riding a bike," Reich said, per Andrew Walker of the team's official website. "We're laughing and joking about how it's just like we've not been together the whole time. A very quick re-acclimation to that."

The Jaguars didn't get a ton of value for defensive end Yannick Ngakoue, but they did get a second-round pick and a conditional fifth-rounder from the Minnesota Vikings, which is more than they would have gotten by allowing him to hold out and then walk in 2021 free agency.

That was likely the direction things were headed as Ngakoue made it clear early on that he wasn't happy with the franchise tag and didn't intend to play for Jacksonville again.

"It's obvious my time is up in my current situation," he tweeted back in March. "Let's both move on."

Pulling the trigger on a trade was the best thing Jacksonville could have done, and it's arguably the best thing the franchise has done throughout what has largely been an offseason of roster deconstruction.

It's hard not to love what the Kansas City Chiefs have accomplished this offseason. The defending champs drafted a potential workhorse back in Clyde Edwards-Helaire, reworked Sammy Watkins' contract and signed Travis Kelce and Chris Jones to long-term deals.

However, no move in Kansas City—or in the entire league, for that matter—compares to locking up quarterback Patrick Mahomes for the long term.

Mahomes is only 24 years old, and he already has a regular-season MVP and a Super Bowl MVP on his resume. He's arguably the best quarterback in the game today, and the Chiefs now have him under contract through 2031. In addition, they have him at a bargain for the next several years.

Sure, Mahomes' cap hit jumps to more than $42 million in 2023, but he won't cost more than $31.5 million in any of the next three seasons. And by 2023, $42 million might seem like a bargain for a high-end starter.

The Las Vegas Raiders took a big swing by making Alabama's Henry Ruggs III the first receiver off the board in April's draft. It was a calculated gamble that could pay off in a big way.

Ruggs might not be the most complete receiver in this year's draft class, but he possesses legitimate 4.27 40-yard-dash speed and can transform Las Vegas' offense.

The offense may still revolve around the running game and the mid-level receiving of Hunter Renfrow and Darren Waller. However, the threat of hitting the home run will be there every time Ruggs is on the field.

His mere presence will open things up underneath for quarterback Derek Carr and will reduce the number of eight-man boxes Josh Jacobs sees in 2020. The stats may not indicate it at season's end, but Ruggs can have as big an impact as any rookie receiver in the NFL this year.

As previously mentioned, it should be considered a win whenever a franchise believes it has landed its quarterback of the future. The Los Angeles Chargers did that by taking Oregon's Justin Herbert with the sixth overall pick in the draft.

While Herbert will likely sit behind journeyman Tyrod Taylor to start the season, it's only a matter of time before he gets his chance to shine on Sundays.

"Tyrod's leading the way right now, but Herbert, I can't lie. He's the real deal, from what I've been seeing," Los Angeles cornerback Chris Harris Jr. said, per Riley Gates of 247Sports. 

The Chargers stood pat in the draft and landed a quarterback they feel they can believe in.

The Los Angeles Rams parted with several notable players this offseason, including Dante Fowler Jr., Brandin Cooks and Todd Gurley. However, they made the smart decision to re-sign starting left tackle Andrew Whitworth to a three-year, $30 million deal.

Retaining him is the most important move Los Angeles made this offseason because he is still a top-tier left tackle—he allowed just one sack in 2019, according to Pro Football Focus—and is the anchor of the Rams offensive line.

After parting with both John Sullivan and Rodger Saffold last offseason and then struggling to maintain a quality line—the team's offensive production dipped from 6.4 yards per play in 2018 to 5.7 yards per play last year—the Rams would have been foolish to let Whitworth walk this offseason.

While Joe Burrow ended up being the first quarterback taken in this year's draft class, he wasn't the universal top prospect. Alabama's Tua Tagovailoa had plenty of supporters, and his recovery from a dislocated hip was the main knock on him.

"I would argue he's better than Joe Burrow," ESPN's Todd McShay said on First Take. "... When he's right, he's Drew Brees from the left side."

The Dolphins might have panicked and traded up to secure Tagovailoa—the threat of the Chargers jumping them was there—but they stayed put and let the 2017 national champion fall to them at No. 5.

While Miami should be commended for getting Tagovailoa, the important thing is that the franchise believes it has finally found the long-sought heir to Dan Marino.

Forget about this being the best move Minnesota made this offseason; the Vikings' trade for defensive end Yannick Ngakoue was one of the best moves any team made over the past few months. They got the 25-year-old pass-rusher for just a second-round pick and a conditional fifth-rounder.

Ngakoue has produced at least eight sacks in each of his four pro seasons and should allow the Vikings to mitigate the loss of longtime starter Everson Griffen. He should pick up where Griffen left off as the pass-rushing complement to Danielle Hunter.

Minnesota even convinced Ngakoue to take a pay cut to help facilitate the trade. The challenge now, of course, will be locking him up long-term.

When the New England Patriots signed Cam Newton to a one-year deal back in late June, it seemed to be the team taking a flier on the former league MVP. That may have been the case then, but he now appears to be the favorite to replace the departed Tom Brady, and it's safe to say New England doesn't regret its decision.

"Nobody works harder than Cam does. He's here early, he stays late, and he works very hard," head coach Bill Belichick told SiriusXM NFL Radio. "... Cam's the type of player that works on things he's not as good at and really tries to improve on a daily basis, and that's something I really respect about him."

Belichick is not known for tossing out verbal bouquets, so if he says Newton has impressed him, he probably means it.

It remains to be seen if Newton can regain his MVP form or if the Patriots offense can be productive in life after Brady. However, New England may have gotten its 2020 starter at a base salary of just $1.05 million, and that's a great deal no matter how you slice it.

The New Orleans Saints had one of the league's most complete offenses in 2019. It ranked third in scoring, seventh in passing and 16th in rushing.

Still, if there was one glaring hole, it was the lack of a reliable No. 2 wideout alongside Michael Thomas. Ted Ginn Jr. was second among receivers with just 421 receiving yards.

Well, the Saints did a tremendous job filling that role by snagging Emmanuel Sanders on a two-year deal. He was traded to San Francisco just before the trade deadline last season, and he caught 36 passes for 532 yards and three touchdowns in just 10 games.

With a full offseason working alongside Drew Brees and Co., Sanders should be a 1,000-yard candidate in 2020. Just as importantly, his contract coincides with the two-year window the Saints have left with Brees.

After watching quarterback Daniel Jones take 38 sacks and fumble 18 times in 13 games as a rookie, the New York Giants knew upgrading the offensive line should be a draft priority. They did exactly that by taking the most NFL-ready tackle prospect in the draft, Georgia's Andrew Thomas.

While some tackle prospects may have more upside, Thomas is a plug-and-play left tackle who is already impressing offensive line coach Marc Colombo.

"Andrew is a tremendous football player," Colombo said, per Paul Schwartz of the New York Post.

With 2019 starter Nate Solder opting out of the 2020 season, the decision to draft Thomas over rawer prospects is likely to pay immediate dividends.

The New York Jets may or may not be a competitive team this year. However, they're one of the winners of the offseason, thanks in no small part to their trade of disgruntled safety Jamal Adams.

Adams was unhappy with his contract, and he also began to potentially harm the team's chemistry with incendiary remarks about head coach Adam Gase. Not only did New York cut out a possible issue by dealing him, but they also fleeced the Seattle Seahawks in the process.

Look, Adams is a good box safety—a Pro Bowl box safety, even—but he's still a box safety. The Jets got two first-round draft picks (2021 and 2022) a 2021 third-round pick and safety Bradley McDougald for him and a fourth. That's more than the Jacksonville Jaguars got for Jalen Ramsey last season, and Ramsey is arguably the top shutdown cornerback in the game.

This was a tremendous deal for the Jets. The trick now is to turn those shiny new draft picks into productive players.

Ideally, an NFL team won't have to rely on its backup quarterback often. Unfortunately, the Philadelphia Eagles have had to turn to their backup almost every season since drafting Carson Wentz.

Wentz has missed playoff time in each of the past three seasons.

That's why drafting former Oklahoma quarterback Jalen Hurts in Round 2 was a terrific move for the Eagles. He has the skill set needed to develop into a quality starter, and he should be one of the better backups in the NFL in short order. He's a legitimate dual-threat option who passed for 3,851 yards and rushed for 1,298 yards last season with the Sooners.

If all goes well, the Eagles won't need to turn to Hurts often over the next few years. If Wentz is forced to miss significant time once again, though, the Eagles will be glad to have him on the roster.

Seeing as Wentz is currently day-to-day with a lower-body injury, they might already be happy to have the rookie.

Presumably, the Pittsburgh Steelers will have a healthy Ben Roethlisberger under center in 2020, which should help last year's 30th-ranked offense rebound in a big way.

But they didn't stop with getting Big Ben back.

The Steelers also added former Notre Dame wideout Chase Claypool in the draft, and his addition may be what truly puts their offense over the top.

Claypool has been an impressive and explosive standout in training camp and should quickly become a focal point of the passing attack.

"Do not wonder if the Steelers will find ways to get Claypool involved in the offense, even though he is a rookie who had no OTAs, minicamp or preseason games. They will. Quickly," Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette wrote.

When the San Francisco 49ers learned starting left tackle Joe Staley planned to retire this offseason, they could have made a knee-jerk move for an offensive tackle in the draft. Instead of grabbing an unproven rookie, though, they instead made a deal for seven-time Pro Bowler Trent Williams.

All it took to get a deal done was a 2020 fifth-round pick and a 2021 third-rounder. That's a steal that appears to already be paying dividends. Williams, who didn't play in 2019, has been busy impressing teammates in training camp.

"He gets to his blocks quick and he makes our decisions cutting easier," running back Raheem Mostert said, per Jennifer Lee Chan of NBC Sports Bay Area. "It's truly a blessing having him out there."

Adding Williams was the sort of win-now move San Francisco needed to make. The fact the 49ers didn't overpay is a bonus.

Adding Jamal Adams was a fine move for Seattle. It should help the Seahawks improve their 22nd-ranked run defense and may help contain rival San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle at the second level.

However, they overpaid for Adams in a big way. With running back Carlos Hyde, who was inked to a one-year, $2.75 million deal, they got value.

Adding Hyde was also a smart move as the Seahawks struggled to field healthy running backs in the wake of Rashaad Penny's and Chris Carson's injuries last season. While Carson has returned to practice, Penny remains on the PUP list.

Hyde racked up 1,070 rushing yards last season while averaging 4.4 yards per attempt. He can carry the Seahawks running game if asked, and he can be a valuable piece of a backfield committee if an every-down option isn't needed.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers won the Tom Brady sweepstakes this offseason, and they should be commended for it. Not only does the move make them a legitimate playoff contender, but it should also make them a potential title contender.

The Buccaneers probably should have been a playoff team last year. They ranked third in total offense and third in points scored while also ranking first in run defense and 15th in yards allowed. However, they were hamstrung by Jameis Winston and his 30 interceptions.

Adding a serviceable journeyman might have been enough to turn this squad into a contender. However, the Bucs didn't do that. They added a six-time champion and future Hall of Famer instead.

At the very least, that's going to make the NFC South quite interesting this season.

While it's fair to label running back Derrick Henry as the centerpiece of the Tennessee Titans' 2019 offense, quarterback Ryan Tannehill is the more important long-term piece. The Titans signed both to extensions this offseason, and both are great moves. But the Tannehill deal shines just a bit brighter.

Any time a team locks up a high-end starter for the long term, it should be viewed as a win. That's what Tennessee has in Tannehill, who was unfairly given the "game-manager" label last season.

In his 10 starts for Tennessee last season, he averaged 259.8 yards and 2.2 touchdowns per game. Prorated over a full schedule, he was on pace for 4,157 passing yards with 35 touchdowns and just eight interceptions. Those are Pro Bowl-caliber numbers.

While Tannehill's four-year, $118 million contract isn't exactly a budget deal, it's going to look like a bargain a year or two from now as quarterback salaries continue to rise.

Like the Cincinnati Bengals, the Washington Football team did the smart thing by staying put in April's draft and taking the best player available. While the Bengals may have gotten their future franchise quarterback in the process, Washington may have landed a future Defensive Player of the Year.

Ohio State's Chase Young was arguably the top player at any position in this year's draft. He's a terror of a pass-rusher—he had 16.5 sacks just last season—and he's no slouch as a run-defender.

Just check out this clip of him stuffing future Hall of Famer Adrian Peterson.

While Washington might have been tempted to trade down from the No. 2 overall pick—it already had talented defensive linemen like Jonathan Allen and Montez Sweat—it didn't do so. By pulling the trigger on Young, it may have laid the foundation for one of the most fearsome defensive fronts in the entire league.

All contract information via Spotrac.