The major periods of offseason roster-building have come and gone in the NFL, and now the league is in hibernation until training camps open up in about a month. While clubs will spend the final weeks of the summer trimming down their 90-man offseason rosters into the 53-man unit they'll enter the regular season with, we have a good grasp of how each of them will look once we get to Week 1.
This offseason saw plenty of reshuffling with some big names changing uniforms. Of course, countless moves go on in a given offseason, but a few can leave a lasting impact on the upcoming year. That is what we'll be looking at here. Below, we'll roll through to the top 10 offseason moves and rank them by the level of impact they could have in the 2024 season.
10. Bears acquire Keenan Allen from Chargers
The headline from Chicago's offseason was the drafting of Caleb Williams with the No. 1 overall pick. While we expect the USC product to quickly rise to superstardom simply due to his immense talent, the Bears have also done a solid job this offseason of building a strong roster around him. That includes the addition of Keenan Allen, who the club traded for in a deal with the Los Angeles Chargers. The veteran wideout should prove to be the go-to weapon for Williams and help ease him into life in the NFL. Allen is coming off a stellar 2023 season and is accustomed to a heavy workload, averaging 141 targets over his last seven seasons. Williams should have no problem peppering Allen with targets and be the safety valve for him when things get sticky. The arrival of Allen should not only make Williams' rookie year easier but could help them make a playoff push in the NFC.
9. Steelers QB shakeup
Pittsburgh blew up its quarterback room this offseason, trading away Kenny Pickett and bringing aboard Russell Wilson and Justin Fields. The two QBs will duke it out for the starting job later this summer and whoever wins should give the Steelers better quarterback play than they collectively had a season ago. Even amid quarterback turmoil switching between Pickett and Mason Rudolph, the Steelers went 10-7 and were the No. 7 seed. The rest of the roster -- particularly on defense -- is stout, so if Pittsburgh can get more stable quarterback play from either Wilson or Fields, it wouldn't be shocking to see them in the playoff picture again in 2024.
8. Saquon Barkley signs with Eagles
Saquon Barkley landing with Philadelphia would probably be higher on this list if there were no injury concerns with the 27-year-old back. Nevertheless, this was a heck of an addition for the Eagles and it has the added spice of snatching the star runner from their division rival Giants. D'Andre Swift was hit or miss coming out of the Eagles backfield last season, and Barkley gives the unit a much higher ceiling if he remains healthy. Placing the two-time Pro Bowler in front of a much sturdier offensive line than he had in New York and alongside Jalen Hurts could create a lethal offense when factoring in Philly's pass catchers.
7. Texans signing Danielle Hunter
We'll talk about the major move that the Texans made on offense in a second, but don't sleep on what they did defensively this offseason. Houston effectively upgraded their pass-rushing unit by allowing Jonathan Greenard to leave in free agency and replace him with former Vikings defensive end Danielle Hunter. He has tallied at least 10.5 sacks in four of the last five seasons, including 16.5 sacks last year. His 23 tackles for a loss also led the league. In a division with blossoming offenses, the Texans will need to be able to disrupt the quarterback if they want to win consecutive AFC South titles. Hunter's arrival ensures that they'll be a feared unit especially now that he's paired with Will Anderson Jr. off the edge.
6. Texans acquire Stefon Diggs in trade with Bills
There's a case to be made that his move should be higher on this list. If we're talking about impact on the 2024 season, the Buffalo Bills trading Stefon Diggs to the Houston Texans does touch two franchises and their hopes of reaching the postseason. For the Texans, Diggs comes aboard and is injected into a loaded wide receiver room consisting of Nico Collins, Tank Dell, and Noah Brown. His arrival should only help the development of second-year quarterback C.J. Stroud and further push Houston toward another division crown. Meanwhile, Diggs' departure from Buffalo does create questions as to who the Bills offense will run this offseason. Not only did they ship off Diggs, but they also lost Gabe Davis in free agency. While they made some minor moves in free agency, a lot of the target share should fall on the shoulders of second-round rookie Keon Coleman. If he's not up to the task and the Bills offense struggles to begin the year, moving on from Diggs could be put further under the microscope.
5. Jets solidify tackle positions
New York's 2023 was over before it even got going after Aaron Rodgers suffered a torn Achilles just four snaps into his season. While the quarterback debacle garnered most of the attention, the struggles along the Jets offensive line were another key piece to their demise. With Rodgers now healthy and set to return, that could've proven to be a roadblock in their hopes of snapping their playoff drought. This offseason, New York did an admirable job at solidifying both tackle spots, adding veterans Tyron Smith and Morgan Moses while also drafting Olu Fashanu in the first round. That gives the Jets three starting-caliber tackles that they can take into the season. If they can form a wall in front of Rodgers, I can see the Jets being a dark horse to not only win the division but go on a deep playoff run.
4. Lions revamped secondary
The Lions were arguably the best storyline to come out of the 2023 season. After decades of despair, they finally were able to win a home playoff game and the arrow does seem to be pointing up as we look forward to 2024. That said, one of the issues Detroit faced last year was defending the pass. They allowed the sixth-highest passing yards in the league and the sixth-highest passing touchdowns. This offseason, the Lions have looked to correct that problem by trading for corner Carlton Davis and drafting corner Terrion Arnold in the first round. In 12 games played last year, Davis broke up nine passes and had two interceptions for the Buccaneers. He also has a Super Bowl victory on his résumé, so he shouldn't wilt in what could be presser-cooker moments in the postseason. In a division with improved quarterback play, defending the pass is going to be key for Detroit's hopes to repeat as NFC North champions and take that next step in the playoffs.
3. Chiefs improved wide receiver room
It's crazy to think that the Chiefs offense has improved after winning back-to-back Super Bowls, but it has. One of the big issues Kansas City faced essentially all of last season was the lack of production from its wide receivers. The unit was plagued with drops and struggled to contribute to wins. Nevertheless, Patrick Mahomes was able to will his team to another Lombardi Trophy, but the Chiefs did use some capital this offseason to improve the weapons around their all-world quarterback. In free agency, they added Marquise "Hollywood" Brown and then drafted Xavier Worthy in the first round of the NFL Draft. Both pass catchers display blazing speed, which could re-inject some of what they were able to do when Tyreek Hill was lurking around Arrowhead Stadium. Even if only one of these additions proves to be a contributor, the Chiefs offense will be better than it was a season ago, which is a scary thought as they attempt the NFL's first-ever three-peat.
2. Derrick Henry lands with Ravens
Derrick Henry putting on a Ravens helmet has been flirted with for what feels like a year and finally came to fruition this offseason. The burly back jumping into Baltimore's offense creates a matchup nightmare for opposing defenses now that he's alongside Lamar Jackson. That creates a thunder-and-lightning combinational out of the backfield that should be able to beat defenses to a pulp, especially in the red zone. With Jackson's ability to tuck the ball and run himself, Henry's bulldozing strength, and a pass-catching weapon like tight Mark Andrews, the Ravens red zone offense could be the most efficient in the league in 2024.
While Henry's arrival will do wonders for the Ravens in the regular season, this signing could see its greatest impact in the postseason. Baltimore's inability to kill clock via a sturdy ground game proved to be their demise last year as backs ran for a combined 23 yards in the AFC Championship. With Henry now in the fold, the Ravens are better equipped to put teams away late.
1. Falcons sign Kirk Cousins
The one thing that has been holding the Falcons back in recent seasons was their inability to get solid quarterback play. Even by adding elite skill position talent atop the NFL Draft over the past few years, those players were unable to lift up whoever they had under center. This offseason, Atlanta fixed that problem by targeting Kirk Cousins in free agency. Now, the Falcons have their best quarterback since Matt Ryan and are looked at as the favorites to come out of the NFC South. Atlanta should now be in the thick of the playoff race in the NFC and, so long as Cousins rebounds nicely from his Achilles injury, could even be in play for the No. 1 seed given their soft schedule.
