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NFL free agency 2025: Patriots, Commanders most improved teams after first wave
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- NFL free agency 2025: Patriots, Commanders most improved teams after first wave
The start of NFL free agency is often chaotic, but the 2025 edition of it brought a new meaning to the word.
The day before the NFL's " legal tampering " period was much busier than usual. DK Metcalf was traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers ; Myles Garrett and Josh Allen signed record-breaking extensions with the Cleveland Browns and Buffalo Bills , respectively; and wide receiver Davante Adams landed on the West Coast with Sean McVay's Los Angeles Rams .
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Once the tampering period began, many high-quality players began flying off the board and changing teams. It started with Haason Reddick joining the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on a one-year deal and will continue ahead of the 2025 NFL draft, as teams look to shape themselves into contenders.
Which NFL teams have had the best start in free agency? A handful of squads are already looking significantly better after plugging some of their biggest holes on the free agent market.
Here's a run-down of the most improved teams after the first wave of free agency.
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NFL free agency: Most improved teams
New England Patriots
The Patriots entered free agency armed with the most cap space in the NFL. They have put it to good use to kickstart the Mike Vrabel era, landing one of the top players on the free-agent market, Milton Williams , and signing other starting-caliber players with ties to the team's current coaching staff.
Notably, the Patriots upgraded every level of their defense with their signings. Williams and Harold Landry will give the team a significant pass-rushing boost; Robert Spillane will be a strong starter and provide valuable leadership at linebacker; and Carlton Davis will give the Patriots a high-end No. 2 cornerback across from Christian Gonzalez .
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Some Patriots fans will be frustrated the team hasn't yet added a top receiver or left tackle on offense, but getting right tackle Morgan Moses for $8 million per year was a good value. He will be a major upgrade over Demontrey Jacobs , who finished the 2024 NFL season ranked last among Pro Football Focus ' 81 qualified tackles last season.
Washington Commanders
The Commanders have swung two of the biggest offseason trades that should significantly impact their offense. First, they landed Deebo Samuel to serve as a No. 2 receiver and versatile complement to top-tier deep threat Terry McLaurin . Then, they surprised many by landing Laremy Tunsil in a trade with the Texans .
Getting Tunsil was a particular coup for the Commanders. The 30-year-old committed a league-high 19 penalties but remains one of the best pass-blocking tackles, grading fourth overall among 141 tackles to play in 2024. That will be an upgrade over Brandon Coleman , who ranked middle of the pack at No. 72 overall.
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In addition to those trades, the Commanders inked veteran Jonathan Jones to a one-year deal to fight for the slot cornerback job while bringing in Javon Kinlaw at defensive tackle after he logged a career-high 4.5 sacks in 2024. Add in the veterans they have re-signed ( Zach Ertz , Bobby Wagner , John Bates , Marcus Mariota ) and this seems like a strong start to the offseason for the NFC runner-up.
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Chicago Bears
Caleb Williams was sacked a league-high 68 times during his rookie season. The Bears took steps to ensure that shouldn't happen again in 2025 by pouring significant resources into their offensive line.
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It started with a couple of trades for high-quality guards. The Bears first added Jonah Jackson , who is familiar with new coach Ben Johnson from their time together in Detroit , before acquiring All-Pro Joe Thuney from the Kansas City Chiefs . Chicago capped off its offensive line spending spree by landing the top free-agent center Drew Dalman to give the team a completely new interior offensive line.
The Bears made similar upgrades to their defensive front, signing Dayo Odeyingbo and Grady Jarrett to provide some pass-rushing power. The attention those two will draw should allow Montez Sweat to improve upon his team-leading 5.5 sacks from last season.
Minnesota Vikings
Speaking of teams that have upgraded the trenches, the Vikings fall into that category. While much of the attention surrounding the team has been on them losing both Sam Darnold and Daniel Jones in free agency, Minnesota pivoted to add some high-quality linemen on both sides of the ball.
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On defense, the Vikings added veterans Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave to their defensive line. On offense, they inked a couple of former Colts – center Ryan Kelly and right guard Will Fries – to provide upgraded protection in front of quarterback J.J. McCarthy .
The Vikings also retained top cornerback Byron Murphy while adding Isaiah Rodgers as a speedy No. 2 option across from him. Brian Flores should be able to get the most out of Rodgers and the team's other new additions, so Minnesota fans should feel good about the direction of their team as the McCarthy era begins.
Denver Broncos
The Broncos had the NFL's No. 1 defense in EPA per play last season. They added to that unit 2022 All-Pro safety Talanoa Hufanga and three-down linebacker Dre Greenlaw to the fold early in free agency.
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Hufanga has played in just 17 games over the last two seasons due to injury while Greenlaw appeared in just two last season after tearing his Achilles in Super Bowl 58. That said, if both remain healthy, they will provide playmaking prowess in the middle of Denver's defense, with Greenlaw being one of the league's best run-stoppers and Hufanga having seven interceptions in 32 games dating back to the 2022 NFL season.
The Broncos also added a mismatch tight end, Evan Engram , to give Bo Nix another reliable target while retaining starting defensive tackle D.J. Jones . Their roster keeps improving and should position Denver to make a second consecutive playoff run.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NFL free agency: Patriots, Commanders among most improved teams
