I’m always fascinated by the struggling teams ahead of free agency, because most of them have no choice but to spend big money. They’re often filled with roster holes and armed with plenty of cap space.
However, there’s usually a team or two that has no interest in winning now because they need to repair the salary cap and search for a quarterback of the future. Then there are the Dolphins, who spent money on quarterback Malik Willis and then decided to strip down the roster, making the new signal-caller lonelier than Will Smith in the final scene from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.
The Jets have executed a handful of trades and appear in a better place than the end of their first season under coach Aaron Glenn, who saw two of his best players, Quinnen Williams and Sauce Gardner, traded before the deadline. But we don’t know if Glenn can get fast results from a new-look defense—it took him some time with the Lions as the defensive coordinator.
As for the Titans, their new coach, Robert Saleh, has a track record of quickly building formidable defenses, which could explain why the team had no issues splurging on his former players.
Let’s hand out free-agency grades for the Dolphins, Jets, Titans and the 13 other teams in the AFC.
Baltimore Ravens: B-
Notable moves: CB Chidobe Awuzie (one year, $5 million), S Jaylinn Hawkins (two years, $10 million), edge Trey Hendrickson (four years, $112 million), QB Tyler Huntley (two years, $11 million), G John Simpson (three years, $30 million)
The Ravens went from being a strong Super Bowl contender with Maxx Crosby to a team that lost a lot in the first wave of free agency. Not only did they back out of the Crosby trade, but center Tyler Linderbaum went with the star edge rusher to Las Vegas. Signing Hendrickson was a solid backup plan, but this team has concerns at a handful of positions, including wide receiver and defensive tackle. For the short term, Baltimore would have been better off going through with the Crosby deal, especially if it meant pairing him with Hendrickson.
Buffalo Bills: A-
Notable moves: CB Dee Alford (three years, $15.75 million), QB Kyle Allen (two years, $4.1 million), edge Bradley Chubb (three years, $43.5 million), S C.J. Gardner-Johnson (one year, $6 million), TE Dawson Knox (four years, $52 million), C Connor McGovern (four years, $52 million), WR DJ Moore (trade with Chicago)
Buffalo received criticism for the amount of guaranteed money it committed to Moore and Chubb. But the Moore trade won’t be an issue if he’s making clutch plays for Allen throughout the season, which he did for Caleb Williams last season in Chicago. And the Chubb signing could look better if the Bills draft a top edge rusher to give themselves a strong rotation at the position. This was the best way for a Super Bowl contender with limited cap space to get better, and it appears this roster is in better shape than a year ago.
Cincinnati Bengals: C-
Notable moves: DT Jonathan Allen (two years, $26 million), OT Orlando Brown Jr. (two years, $32 million), S Bryan Cook (three years, $40.25 million), edge Boye Mafe (three years, $60 million), G Dalton Risner (one year, $3.25 million)
It would have been better for the Bengals to wait until the draft to add defensive help because it didn’t make sense to pay the 31-year-old Allen knowing that he struggled last season with the Vikings. They desperately need younger cornerstone players on that side of the ball. However, Cook is only 26, and he showed plenty of upside in his four seasons in Kansas City. Perhaps Mafe can reach his potential in Cincinnati, but it’s hard to see that when he couldn’t convince Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald to utilize him more the past two seasons.
Cleveland Browns: B
Notable moves: OT Tytus Howard (trade with Houston), OL Elgton Jenkins (two years, $24 million), G Teven Jenkins (one year, $3.05 million), G Zion Johnson (three years, $49.5 million), LB Quincy Williams (two years, $13 million)
The Browns deserve credit for revamping their offensive line with the additions of Howard, Johnson and Elgton Jenkins. It appears they’re set at four out of the five positions, but there’s still a hole at left tackle, which could be addressed in the upcoming draft. However, this offense, one of the worst in the league last season, still needs plenty of help at the skill positions.
Denver Broncos: B
Notable moves: RB J.K. Dobbins (two years, $20 million), WR Lil’Jordan Humphrey (one year, $1.3 million), LB Alex Singleton (two years, $15.5 million), LB Justin Strnad (three years, $19.5 million), WR Jaylen Waddle (trade with Miami)
The Broncos made a risky decision, coughing up a first-round pick for Waddle, an inconsistent playmaker at times for the Dolphins. But Denver needed weapons for Bo Nix, and Waddle’s elite speed could open up the field for the third-year quarterback. The Broncos went from having a quiet offseason to sending a message across the league that they’re all in on winning a Super Bowl this season.
Houston Texans: B
Notable moves: S Reed Blankenship (three years, $24.75 million), G Evan Brown (one year, $3.5 million), K Ka’imi Fairbairn (two years, $13 million), edge Danielle Hunter (one year, $40.1 million), G Ed Ingram (three years, $37.5 million), RB David Montgomery (trade with Detroit), DT Sheldon Rankins (two years, $12 million), TE Dalton Schultz (one year, $12.6 million), OT Braden Smith (two years, $25 million), LB E.J. Speed (two years, $13 million)
For a second consecutive offseason, the Texans let go of a few notable offensive linemen, but this time around, the team made promising moves to address the needs they created. Smith, the former longtime Colts right tackle, could be a better option than Howard, whom the team traded to Cleveland. Houston also sent Juice Scruggs to Detroit and ended up getting Montgomery, a rugged running back capable of creating lanes and forcing missed tackles. If these moves pay off on offense, the Texans could be legitimate Super Bowl contenders with their stacked defense.
Indianapolis Colts: D+
Notable moves: Edge Micheal Clemons (three years, $17 million), QB Daniel Jones (two years, $88 million), edge Arden Key (two years, $20 million), WR Alec Pierce (four years, $114 million), DT Colby Wooden (trade with Green Bay)
The Colts took sizable hits to ensure they kept the tandem of Jones and Pierce. Perhaps that wasn’t the right move for a team that lost seven consecutive games to end last season. To make matters worse, Jones is recovering from a significant Achilles injury and he doesn’t have a track record of putting together back-to-back strong seasons. It was a win for the team to re-sign Pierce, but it needed to trade Michael Pittman Jr. to Pittsburgh to create cap space. You could make a case that Indianapolis kept the wrong receiver.
Jacksonville Jaguars: D
Notable moves: CB Montaric Brown (three years, $33 million), LB Dennis Gardeck (two years, $6.5 million), RB Chris Rodriguez Jr. (two years, $10 million)
The Jaguars had no interest in making upgrades in free agency. They let Travis Etienne Jr. walk to New Orleans and replaced him with Rodriguez, who’s more of a No. 2 change-of-pace back. Unless the Jaguars nail the draft, they’re going to regret sitting on the sidelines this free agency. But the team made the right call not to move wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. You don’t give up on that kind of talent after one down season for a player only in his third season.
Kansas City Chiefs: B-
Notable moves: QB Justin Fields (trade with Jets), S Alohi Gilman (three years, $24.75 million), TE Travis Kelce (one year, $12 million), CB Kader Kohou (contract n/a), WR Tyquan Thornton (two years, $11 million), DT Khyiris Tonga (three years, $21 million), RB Kenneth Walker III (three years, $45 million)
It was strange that the Chiefs decided to splurge for Walker after essentially saying they couldn’t afford the departed cornerbacks, Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson. Kansas City would have been better off not spending money this free agency and repairing the salary cap during a reset season. But maybe the Chiefs are tilting toward building a strong offense after years of leaning on Steve Spagnuolo’s defense. However, it’s going to be difficult to compete this season if Patrick Mahomes doesn’t make a timely recovery from his significant knee injury. It will be interesting to see what coach Andy Reid does with Fields if he’s forced to start a few games.
Las Vegas Raiders: A
Notable moves: LB Nakobe Dean (three years, $36 million), FB Connor Heyward (two years, $5.5 million), CB Taron Johnson (trade with Buffalo), C Tyler Linderbaum (three years, $81 million), WR Jalen Nailor (three years, $35.03 million), edge Kwity Paye (three years, $48 million), CB Eric Stokes (three years, $30 million), LB Quay Walker (three years, $40.5 million)
In a way, the Ravens’ backing out of the Crosby trade could help the Raiders win in 2026. It could be similar to the Commanders getting a jolt from the Jayden Daniels draft selection in 2024, only for their other roster issues to catch up the following season. Las Vegas is far from a finished product, but there’s no denying it made significant improvements at various positions. The Linderbaum signing could pay dividends for many years to come. He’ll certainly help the likely incoming rookie quarterback, Fernando Mendoza.
Los Angeles Chargers: B
Notable moves: C Tyler Biadasz (three years, $30 million), FB Alec Ingold (two years, $7.5 million), TE Charlie Kolar (three years, $24.3 million), QB Trey Lance (one year, $6.75 million), edge Khalil Mack (one year, $18 million), RB Keaton Mitchell (two years, $9.25 million), G Cole Strange (two years, $13 million), DT Teair Tart (three years, $37.5 million), DT Dalvin Tomlinson (one year, $7.5 million)
The Chargers decided not to enter the Linderbaum sweepstakes and opted for the second-best option at center, adding Biadasz before free agency opened. That move gave the team flexibility to add talent on both sides of the ball, but it might not be enough to solve the issues from last season. L.A. still lacks depth at the skill positions and the offensive line doesn’t appear much better unless the team is banking on healthy seasons from bookend tackles Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater.
Miami Dolphins: F
Notable moves: TE Greg Dulcich (one year, $3.25 million), CB Lonnie Johnson Jr. (one year, $1.48 million), edge David Ojabo (contract n/a), G Jamaree Salyer (one year, $1.4 million), WR Jalen Tolbert (contract n/a), QB Malik Willis (three years, $67.5 million)
Clearly, the Dolphins are in rebuild mode and have their eyes on 2027. The team needed a fresh start, and there was no need to add Willis, who now has to play for a team that said goodbye to wide receivers Waddle and Tyreek Hill this offseason. It would have been better if this team had fully committed to the rebuild and taken its lumps with a veteran quarterback who would have commanded a lot less money than Willis.
New England Patriots: B-
Notable moves: S Kevin Byard III (one year, $9 million), WR Romeo Doubs (four years, $70 million), DL Dre’mont Jones (three years, $39.5 million), G Alijah Vera-Tucker (three years, $42 million)
The Patriots’ decision to splurge on Doubs could backfire, given how inconsistent he was over four seasons with the Packers. They also rolled the dice on Vera-Tucker, who has dealt with injuries throughout his career and missed all of 2025. Jones and Byard are coming off impressive seasons, but both players are in the back end of their careers. New England went boom-or-bust this free agency in hopes of returning to the Super Bowl.
New York Jets: C+
Notable moves: S Andre Cisco (one year, $5.25 million), LB Demario Davis (two years, $22 million), S Minkah Fitzpatrick (trade with Miami), RB Breece Hall (franchise tagged), DL David Onyemata (one year, $10.5 million), DL Joseph Ossai (three years, $36 million), G Dylan Parham (two years, $20 million), QB Geno Smith (trade with Las Vegas), DT T’Vondre Sweat (trade with Tennessee)
It didn’t make much sense for the Jets to push for a reunion with Smith. And it also didn’t make sense to Fitzpatrick why New York decided to trade for his services—just look at his facial expressions from his viral introductory press conference. It seems the team’s goal was just to dependable players throughout the roster and hope for the best. What Aaron Glenn does with these veteran players in his second season in New York will say plenty about him as a coach.
Pittsburgh Steelers: A-
Notable moves: S Jaquan Brisker (one year, $5.5 million), CB Jamel Dean (three years, $36.75 million), RB Rico Dowdle (two years, $12.25 million), DT Cameron Heyward (two years, $32.25 million), WR Michael Pittman Jr. (trade with Indianapolis)
It’s hard not to like the moves the Steelers have made, even though this team is likely headed toward another one-and-done playoff appearance. When there’s no quarterback of the future and the best starting option is a 42-year-old Aaron Rodgers (if he decides to play for a 22nd season), the returns on all the investments this offseason appear minimal. Eventually, this team will need to tear it all down to avoid hovering around mediocrity, but at least there’s optimism for the offense being better with the arrivals of Pittman and Dowdle.
Tennessee Titans: A
Notable moves: CB Cor’Dale Flott (three years, $45 million), DT John Franklin-Myers (three years, $63 million), edge Jermaine Johnson II (trade with Jets), LB Jacob Martin (two years, $11 million), WR Wan’Dale Robinson (four years, $78 million), C Austin Schlottmann (two years, $9 million), CB Alontae Taylor (three years, $60 million), QB Mitchell Trubisky (two years, $10.5 million), G Cordell Volson (one year, $2.5 million)
Don’t confuse this latest spending frenzy with the one from 2024, ahead of Brian Callahan’s first season in Tennessee. New coach Robert Saleh deserves the benefit of the doubt when forming a stout defense with players he’s familiar with because he did it with the Jets and the 49ers. Ultimately, what doomed Saleh in New York was the formation of a subpar group of offensive coaches. It was risky to bet on offensive coordinator Brian Daboll, but also giving him players he’s familiar with could lead to fast results from second-year quarterback Cam Ward.
More NFL from Sports Illustrated
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- We Compare Jeremiyah Love to Other First-Round RBs
This article was originally published on www.si.com as 2026 AFC Team Free Agency Grades: Raiders Stock Up, While Dolphins Clean House.
