2025 NFL free agency Week 1 winners and losers: Bears, Rams make strides as Cowboys, Falcons tread water

In some ways, the 2025 NFL offseason is only just beginning. Rosters can certainly receive makeovers at this time of the year, but oftentimes, when they’re built to go the distance, they’re forged all the way into the summer … and sometimes even into the season. Look no further than the reigning champion Philadelphia Eagles, who set the tone in Super Bowl LIX with a deep ball to Jahan Dotson — a late-August acquisition.

In other words, it’d be foolish to write off teams because of their standing in March, when in reality, nearly an entire calendar year must pass until the next Lombardi Trophy is distributed. Yet we can also take stock of which clubs seem to be striding forward, or falling behind, as a result of the first waves of free agency.

Dozens of notable names have now changed teams or landed fresh deals to stay put, and all of a sudden, the landscape of the NFL looks a bit different than it did just a few weeks ago. So which players and teams register as big winners after the early movement? And which ones might be in trouble? Here’s our take:

Like Justin Fields before him, Caleb Williams didn’t have the benefit of beginning his tenure as face of the franchise with adequate protection. Until now, it seems. The Bears added not one, not two, but three legitimate starters up front in Joe Thuney, Drew Dalman and Jonah Jackson. As a bonus, Chicago also fortified the other trenches, putting Grady Jarrett and Dayo Odeyingbo alongside Montez Sweat to give new defensive coordinator Dennis Allen a savvy and physical front four.

Jerry Jones isn’t ignoring free agency; he’s just operating as if it’s five years ago. What, you’re not juiced for Javonte Williams in the backfield? Kenneth Murray at linebacker? Solomon Thomas in the trenches? It was bad enough that Zack Martin retired, putting even more pressure on Dak Prescott to step up and own this offense under new coach Brian Schottenheimer. In truth, the Cowboys still have playmakers at key spots — enough to be scrappy. But where are the difference-making investments?

At the start of the offseason, it wasn’t crazy to envision Les Snead going “all in” on the future rather than the present. With Matthew Stafford aging and angling for a pay raise, and a young defense emerging as the club’s identity, why not start selling? Instead, the Rams didn’t just retain Stafford; they also retained his top blocker, Alaric Jackson; his underrated insurance, Jimmy Garoppolo; and added a new toy in Davante Adams. Suddenly another deep run under Sean McVay seems plausible.

Typically, with a promising quarterback on a rookie deal, you’d like to be stocking up on star power. And that’s kind of what the Houston Texans did last offseason. A year later, they’re already taking their lumps for the spending spree, swapping one banged-up wideout (Stefon Diggs) for another (Christian Kirk) and rebooting practically Stroud’s whole front, including Pro Bowl tackle Laremy Tunsil. The DeMeco Ryans-led defense should remain feisty, but the franchise signal-caller could be without a sturdy setup yet again.

The Minnesota Vikings’ greatest show of support for their rehabbing first-round draft pick came on March 10, when the team let Sam Darnold begin negotiations with the rest of the NFL. It wasn’t long before Darnold cashed in elsewhere, following in Kirk Cousins’ footsteps, and Daniel Jones did the same. Could the Vikings still add veteran insurance? Sure. But McCarthy is “the guy” now, and even better, his O-line looks a heck of a lot stronger thanks to the additions of Will Fries and Ryan Kelly.

It’s telling that their biggest move of the offseason so far is “refusing to let Kirk Cousins out of his contract as a $180 million backup.” Could the aging quarterback come in handy if Michael Penix Jr. falters? We suppose. But maybe not behind a line now missing anchor Drew Dalman, or with the support of a defense once again betting on a mercenary — this time Leonard Floyd — to headline the pass rush. There’s still time for the Falcons to fill holes in the draft, but the veteran market wasn’t overly kind here.

Winner: Pete Carroll

The longtime coach wasn’t going to retake the sidelines at age 73 without pushing some chips in on this season. And while his Las Vegas Raiders may not be Super Bowl-caliber, they sure look more formidable than they did a few months ago. Former Seattle Seahawks pal Geno Smith gives Carroll a familiar face with the arm talent to keep things interesting under center. On the other side, securing both Maxx Crosby and Malcolm Koonce off the edge should ensure Carroll’s defensive front is no pushover, either.