Broncos or Buccaneers? Ranking the NFL's biggest offseason winners
March was madness in the NFL.
Star players relocated more than ever before, including some of the game's top quarterbacks, receivers and pass rushers. While the rich seemingly got richer in the NFC, an arms race broke out in the AFC.
With the 2022 NFL Draft just a few weeks out, "Speak For Yourself" co-hosts Emmanuel Acho and Joy Taylor ranked the biggest offseason winners.
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NFL free agency has been its most memorable in years, with several teams going all-in on pursuing a title. Joy Taylor and Emmanuel Acho reveal their biggest winners from the offseason.
Let’s get into it.
Rank: No. 5 (Acho)
Notable additions: LB Khalil Mack, CB J.C. Jackson, TE Gerald Everett
Acho’s thoughts: "The Chargers bring in a defensive-minded coach last year, we all remember Brandon Staley. But if you’re a defensive-minded coach, I need you to have a good defense. And the Chargers didn’t even have a good defense last year. So what did he do? He got Khalil Mack, an elite pass rusher. He got J.C. Jackson, an elite cornerback. Remember when Brandon Staley had the No. 1 defense in football? He had an elite pass rusher, Aaron Donald. He had an elite cornerback, Jalen Ramsey. He’s trying to duplicate that."
Rank: No. 4 (Acho)
Notable additions: QB Deshaun Watson, WR Amari Cooper
Acho’s thoughts: "You have 11-5 talent. You have one of the best players in all of football in Myles Garrett. You have the best rushing attack in football with Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt, but here’s the problem: You had no quarterback. You can’t have a car with no engine, you can’t have an NFL team with no quarterback. You get Deshaun Watson, you get Amari Cooper, which replaces the glaring void at receiver. The Cleveland Browns had a huge offseason."
Rank: No. 3 (Taylor)
Notable additions: WR Davante Adams, DE Chandler Jones
Taylor’s thoughts: "Davante Adams, whew, what a move, reuniting with Derek Carr. Demarcus Robinson, I love the Chandler Jones move as well. Obviously, this is a very tough division. … They had a really nice season, (Carr) showed he’s a franchise quarterback last year, they have a new coach this year, I think the organization will be more stable."
Rank: No. 3 (Acho); No. 5 (Taylor)
Notable additions: WR Russell Gage, OL Shaq Mason, CB Logan Ryan
Acho’s thoughts: "The Bucs without Tom Brady? A 7-10-win team, I think we can agree. The Bucs with Tom Brady? A 13-win team, maybe 13-4, maybe 14-3. But here’s what you have to understand: That division that the Bucs are in, who are the quarterbacks? Jameis Winston coming off an ACL injury for the Saints, the Panthers have absolutely no quarterback, and then the Falcons have Marcus Mariota? TBD. Is he even going to be the starter?
"So by getting Tom Brady back, you instantly get yourself back to the playoffs … you instantly win the division. You go from not hosting a playoff game, maybe not making the playoffs, to being one of the best teams in football and clearly dominating your division. You need to sign no other player to make the top-five list than the greatest player of all time."
Rank: No. 2 (Acho); No. 4 (Taylor)
Notable additions: WR Tyreek Hill, OT Terron Armstead, WR Cedrick Wilson, OT Connor Williams, RB Chase Edmonds
Taylor’s thoughts: "Tyreek Hill, tough to find better than the Cheetah on the market. Cedrick Wilson, another very big move. Brought in a quality backup in Teddy Bridgewater and Chase Edmonds. They had back-to-back winning seasons for the first time since 2002-03, obviously (they) have a new coach. But they’ve gone all-in on the offense, they have weapons now for Tua [Tagovailoa], also shored up the offensive line, which I think was very important. And I think they’re the second-best team in the AFC East."
Rank: No. 1 (Taylor)
Notable additions: WR Allen Robinson, LB Bobby Wagner
Taylor’s thoughts: "The Super Bowl-winning Rams operate on a completely different bank than everybody else. They win the Super Bowl, are we just going to lay back on our silk sheets? Nope, right back to work. They bring in Allen Robinson, which I think is massive … Bobby Wagner, future Hall of Famer, sign [Matthew] Stafford to an extension. They’re coming off a Super Bowl win, they just continue to upgrade, continue to keep it moving. I love how aggressive the Rams are, I love the banking system that they use. Please give me a referral. Gotta give the Rams No. 1 on my list."
Rank: No. 1 (Acho); No. 2 (Taylor)
Notable additions: QB Russell Wilson, DE Randy Gregory, DL D.J. Jones
Acho’s thoughts: "The Chargers have [Justin] Herbert, the Chiefs have [Patrick] Mahomes, the Raiders have Carr. … If you even want to have a chance of competing in that division, you got to get a quarterback. The Broncos did just that. They got themselves a quarterback. I don’t know how far Russell Wilson can take them because of the depth in that division, but the Broncos, by getting Russell Wilson, you are the highest up on my offseason list."