We’re looking at all NFL team’s free agent moves (in and out) and their NFL Draft to see who got better and by how much -- setting the tone for analyzing them for the upcoming season for FF purposes and for betting evaluations on team over/unders, etc.
We had Grok list all the moves and we show them first and then Ross and I (RC) weigh in on what we see with all the roster moves -- how they affect 2025 only. And ultimately we pick a winner.
We’ll do two matchups per day, within each division seeded from the 2024 final standings, for 16 days...then we’ll take the 16 winners and accelerate the matchups after that and advance the best ‘offseason’ moves teams through to the ‘Super Bowl’, declaring a final winner.
Baltimore Ravens 2025 Free Agency Losses:
CB Brandon Stephens (New York Jets)
OL Patrick Mekari (Jacksonville Jaguars)
LB Malik Harrison (Pittsburgh Steelers)
LB Chris Board (New York Giants)
OL Josh Jones (Seattle Seahawks)
CB Arthur Maulet (Released, Free Agent)
S Marcus Williams (Released, Free Agent)
DT Michael Pierce (Retired)
PKJ Justin Tucker (Released, Free Agent)
Baltimore Ravens 2025 Free Agency Signings/Additions:
WR DeAndre Hopkins (1 year, $5M, $2.5M guaranteed)
FB Patrick Ricard (2 years, $8M, $4M guaranteed)
WR Tylan Wallace (2 years, $6M, $3M guaranteed)
CB Chidobe Awuzie (1 year, $3M, $1.5M guaranteed)
Baltimore Ravens 2025 Rookie Draft Picks and Undrafted Free Agents:
S Malaki Starks (1st Round, No. 20)
EDGE Mike Green (2nd Round, No. 51)
OL Emery Jones Jr. (3rd Round, No. 83)
LB Teddye Buchanan (4th Round, No. 100)
OT Carson Vinson (4th Round, No. 114)
CB Bilhal Kone (4th Round, No. 134)
K Tyler Loop (6th Round, No. 179)
WR LaJohntay Wester (6th Round, No. 186)
DT Aeneas Peebles (6th Round, No. 198)
CB Robert Longerbeam (6th Round, No. 203)
OL Garrett Dellinger (7th Round, No. 243)
RB Sone Ntoh (UDFA)
WR Jahmal Banks (UDFA)
CB Marquise Robinson (UDFA)
OT Reid Holskey (UDFA)
LB Jay Higgins (UDFA)
TE Sam Pitz (UDFA)
CB Keondre Jackson (UDFA)
WR Christian Morales (UDFA)
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Cleveland Browns 2025 Free Agency Losses:
S D’Anthony Bell (Seattle Seahawks)
OL James Hudson III (New York Giants)
S Juan Thornhill (Free Agent)
DT Dalvin Tomlinson (Arizona Cardinals)
G Jedrick Wills Jr. (Free Agent)
RB Nick Chubb (Free Agent)
OL Nick Harris (Free Agent)
LB Jordan Hudson (Free Agent)
TE Geoff Swaim (Free Agent)
DT Michael Dwumfour (Free Agent)
RB John Kelly Jr. (Free Agent)
Cleveland Browns 2025 Free Agency Signings/Additions:
WR DeAndre Carter (1 year, $0.8M, $0.4M guaranteed)
OL Teven Jenkins (1 year, $3.05M, $1.5M guaranteed)
LB Jerome Baker (1 year, $2.5M, $1M guaranteed)
DE Joe Tryon-Shoyinka (1 year, $4.75M, $2M guaranteed)
OT Cornelius Lucas (2 years, $10M, $5M guaranteed)
DT Maliek Collins (2 years, $20M, $13M guaranteed)
QB Kenny Pickett (Acquired via trade, contract not disclosed)
CB Tony Brown II (1 year, $1.5M, $0.5M guaranteed)
QB Joe Flacco (1 year, $4M, $3M guaranteed)
Cleveland Browns 2025 Rookie Draft Picks and Undrafted Free Agents:
DT Mason Graham (1st Round, No. 5)
LB Carson Schwesinger (2nd Round, No. 33)
RB Quinshon Judkins (2nd Round, No. 54)
TE Harold Fannin Jr. (3rd Round, No. 67)
QB Dillon Gabriel (3rd Round, No. 85)
RB Dylan Sampson (4th Round, No. 104)
QB Shedeur Sanders (5th Round, No. 144)
DL Adin Huntington (UDFA)
RB Ahmani Marshall (UDFA)
LS Brent Matiscik (UDFA)
S Donovan McMillon (UDFA)
DL Jason Ivey (UDFA)
CB Lamareon James (UDFA)
OL Cam’Ron Johnson (UDFA)
OL Justin Osborne (UDFA)
CB Dom Jones (UDFA)
OL Dartanyan Tinsley (UDFA)
EDGE John Pius (UDFA)
WR Mitch Van Vooren (UDFA)
Ross Jacobs’ analysis...
Baltimore Ravens Off-season Grade: C-
The Ravens didn't lose anyone egregious in free agency, but they did lose some valuable depth and didn't replace those players with anyone for the most part. Awuzie might be a nice piece if he can get healthy, but the contract he signed was very low for a reason. The draft was a typical Ravens haul, several solid players going later than they should have.
For the draft, Starks isn't the most athletic and isn't as versatile as advertised, but he's a very respectable free safety. Green was a complete steal in the 2nd due to his off-field concerns. Vinson is a nice developmental tackle, and Buchanan has some hope as a future inside linebacker. Not the best off-season but not terrible either.
Cleveland Browns Off-season Grade: C+
Cleveland's free agency looks like a wash. None of the names particularly stands out except Kenny Pickett as a cheap, upside shot at a QB. During the draft they passed up on Travis Hunter to trade down for several extra picks and Mason Graham. I'm not grading players they did not take, nor am I giving them credit for future draft capital since this is just a look at how the team improved for 2025.
I've said my piece about Graham multiple times, but at the end of the day he is still a starting defensive tackle so that's a net positive. The Browns followed up Graham with easily the best inside linebacker in the class in Schwesinger, two very solid and complimentary RBs in Judkins and Sampson, a productive "move" TE, and two cracks at QB.
No matter what you think of the two particular QBs in question, this was a smart move by Cleveland to keep taking shots at an important position. I happen to think Shedeur can absolutely be a starting QB in the NFL so I grade this move positively although I'm sure RC will not agree. The only thing holding me back from giving them a better grade is the fact that they didn't address their biggest weakness outside of QB at all. Cleveland's offensive line was putrid last year, and unless they all get healthy and return to form, it's going to be putrid again.
Winner: Cleveland Browns
Much like some of our other matchups, it's easier to improve when you are already a really bad team. It would have been very impressive if Cleveland managed to get worse. But in a battle of two ‘nothing’ free agencies but decent draft classes, I'm giving the nod to the team that get 3+ immediate starters and two attempts at QB.
RC’s analysis...
Cleveland offseason comments:
The Browns really lost nothing but depth pieces in free agency...the sign of a bad team sometimes is -- nothing to lose because they literally had ‘nothing’ for talent. And that’s the Browns’ franchise in a nutshell. The players they added were the usual Cleveland ‘nothing’. I mean, Flacco/Pickett is some hope, and Maliek Collins is useful. So, they got a nudge better in free agency. I guess?
They had an OK draft. Schwesinger was a great pick. Mason Graham starts right away, even though I don’t ‘see it’ in him as the star everyone else thinks. Judkins/Sampson is a fresh backfield (with no O-Line to block for them).
And yes I disagree with Ross on Shedeur. I think he’ll be a fast flameout in the NFL. He definitely wont give anything to 2025, as that’s what we are judging here.
The Browns net out a few more players/starters ahead of where they were -- but they needed to make a huge net positive, but they had a generic positive.
Baltimore offseason comments:
Credit the Ravens management...like the Browns, the Ravens didn’t really lose much in free agency but unlike the Browns the Ravens are actually a top 10 NFL team. So, it’s smart management that they didn’t get crushed in free agency. BUT they really didn’t gain much in free agency either, so that part is a wash.
The Ravens did have a decent draft, given they had a lot of picks to work with as an advantage. Starks and Green contribute right away as starters or Green as a rotational starter/specialist at first. Getting Tyler Loop to replace Justin Tucker may be the move of the year for Baltimore.
RC’s WINNER: Cleveland Browns
I’m gonna lean to the Browns in a toss-up. Could go either way but we have to honor, for the sake of ‘just 2025’, that the Browns getting 2 QBs in free agency and then taking a look at another 2 QBs from the draft...that the QB moves are so important to get away from Deshaun Watson, that the Browns get the very slight win here with the shots they’re taking at the most important position.
*Officially Moving on in the Tournament* Cleveland moves on to the AFC North finals.
