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NFL free agency is one of the most bizarre periods in the sport. You cannot scroll through Twitter without seeing some transitions being made across the league. The trades have been chaotic this offseason and the NFL has been completely altered moving forward.
In the era of players earning all-time-high contracts, money is a precious resource. There will always be winners and losers from every single free agency. Teams like Buffalo and Baltimore have seen many players walk as their all-in tactic looks to have backfired.
Let's take a look at three teams who will be very happy with how the last two weeks of free agency and off-season have panned out:
2024 NFL Free Agency: 3 teams who made an impression
#1, Houston Texans
The Houston Texans have plenty of time on their hands before C.J. Stroud has to be paid. That is precisely why the likes of Danielle Hunter, Denico Autry, and Jeff Okudah were signed to solidify the defense.
Head coach Demeco Ryans earned his trade as a Defensive Coordinator in San Francisco and had an excellent first season as a coach.
Dalton Schultz was re-signed and Joe Mixon was bought in from Cinncianti for barely anything. The losses were kept to a minimum by the Texans and allowed Stroud to maintain his weapons moving forward.
Free agency was handled very well by the Texans' hierarchy and they look like one of the Chiefs' main contenders in the AFC.
#2, Chicago Bears
I will take the very "brave" assumption that the Chicago Bears are drafting Caleb Williams as the number one pick in the coming draft. Gerald Everett, D'Andre Swift and Keenan Allen are more than enough firepower for a new franchise quarterback.
This Bears team could finally have something to look forward to in 2024. Cap casualties were made during free agency to keep the excellent Jaylon Johnson in the Windy City for four more years. Both sides of the ball now look significantly better following the moves in the last two weeks of free-agency chaos.
Perhaps, the biggest factor was the decision to move on from Justin Fields, when they sent the quarterback to Pittsburgh. Whether they have tipped the needle enough to challenge for the North is another question, and depends on how well WIlliams translates into the NFL.
#3, Washington Commanders
Like the Bears and Texans, the Washington Commanders do not have an expensive quarterback on their books. The Commanders should join Chicago in drafting a quarterback in the draft next month and the weapons have arrived.
Drake May more than likely will have Austin Ekeler alongside him in the backfield. Ekeler is one of the best receiving backs in the league and is a touchdown machine in the red zone. Zach Ertz is an improvement at TE, and the receiver room is already stacked with Terry McLaurin and Jahan Dotson.
As for the defense, one of the big narratives surrounding this team was the status of Chase Young. The once ferocious pass-rusher was on a downward trend and was eventually traded to the 49ers last season.
Frankie Luvu will make a big difference as the D-line with the likes of Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne will be perfectly fine. Now it's time for the offensive line which was very poor in 2023 to get their act together. If that happens the Commanders might finally catch up to the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles.
