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.
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)
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Chicago Bears 2025 Free Agency Losses:
OT Larry Borom (Miami Dolphins)
LB Jack Sanborn (Dallas Cowboys)
OL Teven Jenkins (Cleveland Browns)
DE Jacob Martin (Washington Commanders)
LS Patrick Scales (Free Agent)
S Kevin Byard (Free Agent)
WR Velus Jones Jr. (Free Agent)
Chicago Bears 2025 Free Agency Signings/Additions:
WR Olamide Zaccheaus (1 year, $2.5M, $1M guaranteed)
C Drew Dalman (3 years, $42M, $28M guaranteed)
OL Joe Thuney (Acquired via trade, 1 year, $16M, $16M guaranteed)
TE Durham Smythe (1 year, $2M, $0.5M guaranteed)
OL Jonah Jackson (Acquired via trade, contract not disclosed)
DT Dayo Odeyingbo (3 years, $30M, $15M guaranteed)
DT Grady Jarrett (2 years, $20M, $10M guaranteed)
LB Olasunkanmi Ogbongbemiga (2 years, $5M, $2M guaranteed)
CB Josh Blackwell (2 years, $6M, $3M guaranteed)
CB Nick McCloud (1 year, $1.5M, $0.5M guaranteed)
Chicago Bears 2025 Rookie Draft Picks and Undrafted Free Agents:
TE Colston Loveland (1st Round, No. 10)
WR Luther Burden III (2nd Round, No. 39)
OT Ozzy Trapilo (2nd Round, No. 56)
DT Shemar Turner (2nd Round, No. 62)
LB Ruben Hyppolite II (4th Round, No. 132)
CB Zah Frazier (5th Round, No. 169)
G Luke Newman (6th Round, No. 195)
RB Kyle Monangai (7th Round, No. 233)
S Major Burns (UDFA)
LB Power Echols (UDFA)
WR JP Richardson (UDFA)
K Jonathan Kim (UDFA)
WR Jahdae Walker (UDFA)
LS Luke Elkin (UDFA)
DE Xavier Carlton (UDFA)
DL Gio Paez (UDFA, minicamp invite)
Ross Jacobs’ analysis...
Chicago Bears Off-season Grade: A
I could quibble about the age and contracts of some of the free agents they signed/traded for, but there's no arguing the Bears got significantly better this off-season. In the span of a few days they fixed the interior of the offensive line, the most important thing they could have done. Why other teams don't get this aggressive to solve problems I'll never know. Now this doesn't mean Chicago suddenly has a great line, but it's at least respectable.
In the draft they added several more impact players in Loveland, Burden, Trapilo, and Frazier. That's a couple of excellent weapons for Caleb Williams along with a good starting left tackle and a very interesting corner prospect. Heck, Shemar Turner might turn into something at defensive tackle. He's certainly athletic enough. Again I don't love how high they took Loveland, but it's inarguable that he's a good player and adds something to the team.
Ben Johnson got to Chicago, identified a few weaknesses, and attacked them with precision and efficiency. I was a bit skeptical of the former Detroit OC, but so far he's living up to the hype.
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: Chicago Bears
This one is really close. Both teams added 3 new quality interior offensive linemen. That looks close to a wash. They both added two interior defensive linemen, Dayo Odeyingbo and Grady Jarrett for Chicago, and Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave for Minnesota. The Vikings win this on name value, but Odeyingbo is significantly younger than the other three and still getting better, so I'm not convinced it's a clear win for Minnesota. We'll call this one a wash too.
That leaves the Vikings with Isaiah Rodgers and Jordan Mason as their remaining impactful additions, while Chicago got Colston Loveland, Luther Burden, and Ozzy Trapilo. 2 vs 3 but the two Vikings are veteran players we already know are good. The rookies might not pan out even though we like them well enough. Mason is an RB and technically a backup although he'll play a good number of snaps and split to some degree with Aaron Jones. This is close, but I'm giving it to Chicago by a hair, although I would not be upset if RC or anyone else thought Minnesota should win. Both teams killed it this off-season.
RC’s analysis...
Chicago offseason comments:
The Bears killed it in free agency...losing little-to-nothing but then signing and trading for offensive line strength, which is SO key and the thing most every team should be doing, but don’t. 2-3 impact offensive linemen added. That alone makes this a top 1-5 offseason. But they also added Grady Jarrett and Dayo Odeyingbo at DT...another critical position to bolster. Beautiful job in free agency and trade.
In the draft, they were solid...several useful players, future starters and contributors. The Bears got markedly better this offseason...but if they don’t fix Caleb, it won’t play out as genius as it really is.
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.
RC’s WINNER: Chicago Bears
If you consider the key positions of NFL operations as QB, then O-Line, then shutdown CB, then DT (as I do) then I am going to judge these two teams at those position groups because they smartly hammered them this offseason.
So, Chicago adds Dalman, Thuney, Jonah Jackson, and rookie Ozzy Trapillo at O-Line vs. Minn. getting Fries, Kelly, and rookie Donovan Jackson. Who gets the 2025 edge here? I tilt it to the Bears.
Chicago adds Grady Jarrett and Odeyingbo vs. Minn. adding Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave. I’ll say that’s a push...possible lean Vikings but Hargrave is a suspect effort/output at DT anymore.
Minny adds Isaiah Rodgers at CB, but lost Cam Bynum at SAF. Chicago added promising sleeper CB Zah Frazier. Another push.
Outside of that, the Bears added a starting TE (Loveland) and starting WR (Burden) withy the Vikings adding Jordan Mason. Tilt to Chicago here.
It’s so close, but every spot is either a tie or lean Chicago...so, the Bears move on.
*Officially Moving on in the Tournament* Chicago moves on to the NFC Playoffs
Offseason 25 Playoff matchups in Round 3, so far:
NYG v. CHI
NE v. ?
