Eight NFL Teams, including the Ravens, That Still Have Work to do in Free Agency
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A handful of teams stayed quiet during the first wave of free agency, which made us wonder at the MMQB what plans they might have for the 2023 season.
Some teams withdrew from the transaction frenzy to organize their messy salary cap with the hopes of being a participant next offseason. Others are waiting for the draft to address position needs, but by missing the first wave of free agency, the inactive teams now have limited options to improve the roster.
We noticed eight teams with plenty of work to do as we head into the second wave of free agency, but we divided them into two categories. Otherwise, it would have been a list full of bad teams.
For example, the Texans will probably be a losing team, but they might be sneaky competitive with the few impressive moves they made in free agency, such as adding tight end Dalton Schultz, and they will likely draft a quarterback with the No. 2 pick next month.
Then you have the teams that you expect to compete, but have a ways to go before being considered a legit playoff contender.
Below are four teams in reload mode and four teams in rebuild mode.
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Teams reloading
Baltimore Ravens
Jackson and the Ravens are still far apart on a long-term contract.
Brad Penner/USA TODAY Sports
The Ravens are at a standstill on contract negotiations with Lamar Jackson and that might explain why the team hasn’t added an outside free agent. Baltimore needs wide receiver help and offensive line depth, but that’s tough to do without knowing the skill set of the starting quarterback for 2023. The Ravens do have a first-round pick at No. 22 to fill a need, but they have only five total draft picks next month, and even then they might not know what will be the outcome with Jackson for this season. The Ravens could be heading for a full rebuild if Jackson isn’t on the roster come training camp in July.
Las Vegas Raiders
It’s fair to criticize the Raiders’ moves after parting with Derek Carr and Darren Waller only to add Jimmy Garoppolo and Jakobi Meyers. The two newcomers might not be as talented as the players who exited, but they’re familiar with coach Josh McDaniels, and that probably increases Las Vegas’s odds of making the postseason. But the Raiders still have plenty of work to do on the defensive side and are in need of offensive line help, too. Also, what does the team do with the No. 7 pick? A rookie quarterback to pair with Garoppolo won’t fill the current position holes, but it could set them up for a bright future. The Silver and Black will have a tricky dilemma during the opening of the draft April 27.
Los Angeles Rams
The Rams are definitely rebuilding on defense with an inexperienced roster outside of Aaron Donald, but it’s tough to count out a core group of Matthew Stafford, Cooper Kupp, Donald and with Sean McVay still on the sideline. It wouldn’t be a surprise if McVay has this new-look squad as a fringe wild-card contender, but he and GM Les Snead will need to hit on multiple draft picks who can provide immediate help in all three phases. The Rams have 11 total draft picks and three Day 2 selections.
Washington Commanders
The Commanders have talented skill players and a stacked defensive line, but they might be forced to start the season with second-year quarterback Sam Howell, who played in only one game last season. It helps Washington added Jacoby Brissett to compete with Howell, but that probably won’t be enough to get the Commanders into the postseason. The Commanders signed right tackle Andrew Wylie from the Chiefs and extended defensive tackle Daron Payne to bolster both sides of the trenches. Now they need to address the holes at linebacker and in the secondary during the second wave of free agency or with draft picks. Perhaps Kentucky quarterback Will Levis falls to the Commanders at No. 16.
Teams rebuilding
Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals will be without Murray for the start of the 2023 season.
Mark J. Rebilas/USA TODAY Sports
The Cardinals are the early front-runners to have the No. 1 pick in next year’s draft, and it might not matter which moves they make from now until training camp, because this roster is far from being a playoff contender. Just to compete will be an issue for Arizona, with starting QB Kyler Murray recovering from a torn ACL and out for the start of the season, and DeAndre Hopkins will likely be traded in the coming days. The Cardinals haven’t made significant moves in free agency and have plenty of holes to address in the draft. If they end up being the worst team in the NFL, they might be forced to pick between Murray and USC quarterback Caleb Williams.
Indianapolis Colts
The Colts might help the Cardinals build for the future if the two teams swap draft picks at No. 4 and No. 3, respectively. Indianapolis has a giant hole at quarterback, and it’s clear the team is aiming to fill it through the draft—or perhaps in a trade with Baltimore for Jackson. The Colts might be comfortable taking the fourth quarterback available in the draft because they didn’t chase Baker Mayfield, Garoppolo and Carr in free agency. They did add Gardner Minshew to back up the to-be-determined quarterback. Coach Shane Steichen working with Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson could pay off in the future, but the Colts have plenty of work to do to be competitive in the present.
Tennessee Titans
The Titans might be just as bad as the Cardinals, but they’re doing a better job of cleaning up the mess with their roster and salary cap. GM Ran Carthon prioritized value players with upside in free agency with the signings of offensive tackle Andre Dillard and edge rusher Arden Key, as Sports Illustrated’s Conor Orr pointed out in his latest power rankings. It’s a smart and patient way of building a competitive roster for the future while maintaining cap-space flexibility to swing big next free agency. As for the present, the Titans might give themselves more work if they part ways with Ryan Tannehill, Derrick Henry and Kevin Byard in the coming weeks.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Buccaneers might not be thinking about a full rebuild in the post–Tom Brady era because they’re in the NFC South. They added Mayfield and re-signed Jamel Dean and Lavonte David. But these moves might not be as impactful as what the Falcons, Saints and Panthers have done in the past few weeks. Mayfield has a reputation for providing highs and lows on the field and will play behind a poor offensive line that recently lost left tackle Donovan Smith. Tampa Bay also needs a productive running back after averaging a league-low 76.9 rushing yards per game in 2022. Perhaps the Buccaneers will be the team that drafts Texas running back Bijan Robinson in the first round.
