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.
Green Bay Packers 2025 Free Agency Losses:
RB AJ Dillon (Philadelphia Eagles)
TE Tyler Davis (Free Agent)
OL Josh Myers (New York Jets)
OL Andre Dillard (Free Agent)
DL TJ Slaton (Cincinnati Bengals)
LB Eric Wilson (Minnesota Vikings)
CB Eric Stokes (Free Agent)
CB Corey Ballentine (Indianapolis Colts)
CB Robert Rochell (Kansas City Chiefs)
Green Bay Packers 2025 Free Agency Signings/Additions: WR Mecole Hardman (1 year, $2.5M, $1M guaranteed)
OG Aaron Banks (4 years, $48M, $16M guaranteed)
CB Nate Hobbs (4 years, $48M, $16M guaranteed)
LB Kristian Welch (1 year, $1.5M, $0.5M guaranteed)
S Zayne Anderson (1 year, $1.5M, $0.5M guaranteed)
LB Isaiah Simmons (1 year, $1.5M, $0.5M guaranteed)
TE John FitzPatrick (1 year, $1.5M, $0.5M guaranteed)
Green Bay Packers 2025 Rookie Draft Picks and Undrafted Free Agents: WR Matthew Golden (1st Round, No. 23)
OT Anthony Belton (2nd Round, No. 55)
WR Savion Williams (3rd Round, No. 87)
EDGE Barryn Sorrell (4th Round, No. 119)
LB Collin Oliver (5th Round, No. 155)
DL Warren Brinson (6th Round, No. 199)
CB Micah Robinson (7th Round, No. 229)
OT John Williams (7th Round, No. 243)
QB Taylor Elgersma (UDFA)
RB Amar Johnson (UDFA)
RB Jamon Johnson (UDFA)
RB Jaden White (UDFA)
DT Tramel Walthour-Stackhouse (UDFA)
LB Jamon Dumas-Johnson (UDFA)
S Isaiah Baldwin (UDFA)
OG Tyler Cooper (UDFA)
OG J.J. Martin (UDFA)
K Alex Hale (UDFA)
P Oscar Chapman (UDFA, International Player Pathway)
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Minnesota Vikings 2025 Free Agency Losses:
QB Sam Darnold (New York Jets)
QB Daniel Jones (Indianapolis Colts)
QB Nick Mullens (Jacksonville Jaguars)
S Camryn Bynum (Indianapolis Colts)
G Ed Ingram (Houston Texans)
RB Cam Akers (Free Agent)
OLB Patrick Jones II (Carolina Panthers)
C Garrett Bradbury (New England Patriots)
TE Johnny Mundt (Jacksonville Jaguars)
Minnesota Vikings 2025 Free Agency Signings/Additions:
DT Jonathan Allen (3 years, $45M, $22.5M guaranteed)
DT Javon Hargrave (3 years, $40M, $20M guaranteed)
P Ryan Wright (2 years, $2M, $1M guaranteed)
CB Isaiah Rodgers (2 years, $8M, $4M guaranteed)
G Will Fries (3 years, $15M, $7.5M guaranteed)
C Ryan Kelly (2 years, $12M, $6M guaranteed)
QB Sam Howell (Acquired via trade)
OT Justin Skule (1 year, $1.5M, $0.5M guaranteed)
LB Eric Wilson (1 year, $1.5M, $0.5M guaranteed)
CB Tavierre Thomas (1 year, $1.5M, $0.5M guaranteed)
CB Jeff Okudah (1 year, $3M, $1.5M guaranteed)
RB Jordan Mason (Acquired via trade, 1 year, $1.5M, $0.5M guaranteed)
Minnesota Vikings 2025 Rookie Draft Picks and Undrafted Free Agents:
OL Donovan Jackson (1st Round, No. 24)
WR Tai Felton (3rd Round, No. 102)
DT Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins (5th Round, No. 139)
LB Kobe King (6th Round, No. 201)
TE Gavin Bartholomew (6th Round, No. 202)
QB Max Brosmer (UDFA)
RB Tre Stewart (UDFA)
WR Silas Bolden (UDFA)
WR Robert Lewis (UDFA)
WR Dontae Fleming (UDFA)
WR Myles Price (UDFA)
TE Bryson Nesbit (UDFA)
TE Ben Yurosek (UDFA)
OT Logan Brown (UDFA)
G Joe Huber (UDFA)
C Zeke Correll (UDFA)
OLB Tyler Batty (UDFA)
OLB Chaz Chambliss (UDFA)
LB Austin Keys (UDFA)
LB Dorian Mausi (UDFA)
CB Keenan Garber (UDFA)
CB Zemaiah Vaughn (UDFA)
S Mishael Powell (UDFA)
DL Alex Williams (UDFA)
P Oscar Chapman (UDFA)
Ross Jacobs’ analysis...
Green Bay Packers Off-season Grade: C
The Packers started off with a bang in free agency landing both Aaron Banks at guard and Nate Hobbs to strengthen the secondary with the departure of the oft-injured Eric Stokes. Unfortunately they followed up a good free agency period with an inexplicably bad draft compared to their standards.
Matthew Golden is one of the most overrated 1st round receivers I can remember. He's in competition with Jahan Dotson, Nelson Agholor, and Jalen Reagor for that crown, and considering the history of those three guys that means Golden is destined to land on the Eagles after his rookie contract is up. They followed up that idiotic move by drafting the very slow-footed Anthony Belton at tackle and then Savion Williams, a wide receiver that can't catch. Three moves that go against everything the Packers usually look for, an undersized receiver, a receiver that can't catch, and an unathletic tackle. I genuinely don't know who was running the Packers draft, but I feel like something must have changed because that was so out of character for them. I suppose the additions still help somewhat, but they could have gained ground on their division rivals, and instead they are falling further behind. I think a Packers 4th place finish in the division is firmly on the table in 2025.
Minnesota Vikings Off-season Grade: B+
The Vikings biggest loss is without question Sam Darnold, but he would have been the backup in 2025 (and would have been in 2024 if McCarthy hadn't gotten hurt), so it's not the end of the world. They also lost Camryn Bynum, but safeties are fairly easy to replace with a little brainpower. But then they went out and brought in multiple impact players during free agency. Isaiah Rodgers is underrated and their new starting corner, Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave are older and got big contracts but will start on the defensive line and should be effective. Ryan Kelly and Will Fries fix 2/3rds of the interior line. And they smartly traded for Jordan Mason as insurance for Aaron Jones.
They didn't have much draft capital left, but they smartly spent their 1st round pick on the very solid Donovan Jackson, arguably the best guard in the class, to finish the interior line fix instead of stupidly taking a safety like most mocks suggested. Overall, it was a very impressive off-season for a team that was already really good.
Winner: Minnesota Vikings
This is no contest for me. The teams had similarly impactful free agencies although I would argue the Vikings still had a slight leg up, and then the Packers went and completely blew their draft. Every team in this division somehow improved for 2025, but the Packers were easily the worst of the bunch.
RC’s analysis...
Minnesota offseason comments:
The Vikes lost several QBs, which is normally a problem...but they were QBs they could afford to lose, and all of them are sketchy QBs anyway. Cam Bynum at SAF was their big loss in free agency, but at a lower priority position of safety. They lost a little talent in free agency but then they had one of the best free agent signing periods of any team...Jonathan Allen, Javon Hargrave at DT -- what a killer duo to throw onto their DT group. Isaiah Rodgers at CB was a steal, even if only for depth. Trading for Jordan Mason was smart...but the crown jewel was stealing two of the Colts better OLs Will Fries and Ryan Kelly. Five legit starters signed in free agency...and all at the key positions aside from QB: OL, DT, CB. A wonderful free agent period for Minnesota.
Their draft was ‘meh’. A nice pick of Donovan Jackson...and then a lot of reaches and ‘meh’. The draft is not this regime’s strong suit. But the Free Agent class makes up for everything here.
Green Bay offseason comments:
I’m not sure what the Packers are doing lately, but I know I don’t like it. They didn’t lose much in free agency, and they did add two key players/starters in OG Aaron Banks and CB Nate Hobbs. Free Agency was fine/OK. But the draft, yikes...
Drafting Matt Golden 1st-round is a huge, missed opportunity. I don’t know if in their whole 2025 draft there is one real impact starter among their picks. Some ‘hopefuls’ but mostly guys I was not super-hot on.
Green Bay improves a touch on the strength of a couple of nice FA signings, but the draft fell flat for me.
RC’s WINNER: Minnesota Vikings
Clearly the winner as the Vikings and Lions continue to pull away from the Packers. Green Bay is OK, maybe even ‘good’ for 2025 -- but they aren’t in the Vikings or Lions class...and the Bears are sprinting up from behind them.
*Officially Moving on in the Tournament* Minnesota moves on to the NFC North finals to face da Bears.
