Winners and Losers (so far) in NFL 2018 Free Agency

After the dust has settled on the first several days of the 2018 NFL Free Agency period, let’s take an early look at the teams that got demonstrably better, or demonstrably worse.
Winners:
Chicago Bears — Clearly, the modus operandi for General Manager Ryan Pace and new head coach Matt Nagy was to build a surrounding cast in which quarterback Mitchell Trubisky could thrive. Right out of the gate, the Bears landed one of the biggest prizes in free agency, in wide receiver Allen Robinson. That gives the Bears a legitimate #1 wide receiver option. But they made a new strength even better by adding wide receiver Taylor Gabriel, formerly of the Atlanta Falcons, as well. On top of that, they also added tight end Trey Burton, formerly of the Philadelphia Eagles. Suddenly, Trubisky went from throwing to a weak group of receivers, to having one of the best group of weapons around him in the NFL. Even though the rest of the NFC North is still really good, this Bears team could be a lot of fun to watch.
Jacksonville Jaguars –Instead of resting on their accomplishments from last year, football czar Tom Coughlin and head coach Doug Marrone instead went all in on this year’s free agency, and chose to remain aggressive by adding on a couple of additional pieces that could take this team to the next level. The biggest surprise came when Jacksonville “stole” offensive guard Andrew Norwell, who everyone thought was bound for the New York Giants, and made him the highest-paid guard in the NFL. Instead of trying to pigeonhole a high draft pick into a starting role, the Jaguars found two under-the-radar tight ends in Austin Sefarian-Jenkins from the New York Jets and Niles Paul from the Washington Redskins, who could serve as athletic pass-catchers for quarterback Blake Bortles. And former Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Donte Moncrief is still loaded with talent and red zone scoring ability, which could help make up for the loss of wide receiver Allen Robinson.
Losers:
New England Patriots — You never want to question the best-run football team in the NFL, but you do have to question whether the Patriots lost a couple of invaluable pieces to their team. After dealing with injuries over the previous two years, running back Dion Lewis emerged as another favorite weapon of quarterback Tom Brady. He’s gone now, having signed with the Tennessee Titans. But an even more devastating loss for the Patriots was left tackle Nate Solder, whom they simply couldn’t get extended to stay in New England. Now, that leaves a major void on the blind side of an aging Tom Brady, with no immediate replacement ready in the wings. New England isn’t a team that likes to put themselves in a situation where they have to address a major need, but they find themselves in that exact situation.
Seattle Seahawks — We knew there was a time when the Seattle Seahawks would have to pay the proverbial piper, and that time has come. Cornerback Richard Sherman headlines the defections suffered by the Seahawks, even though everyone knew it was just a matter of time. Defensive end Michael Bennett, who was one of the cornerstones of the Seahawks defense was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles. Tight end Jimmy Graham, who emerged as quarterback Russell Wilson’s favorite red zone target, was signed away by the Green Bay Packers. Same goes for wide receiver Paul Richardson, an athletic player who could stretch out defenses; he signed with the Washington Redskins. Cornerback Deshawn Shead was banged up for much of the past two seasons, but served as an invaluable role player in the Seahawks secondary. It will be very interesting to see if the Seahawks can contend in the way that they’re used to, given how much talent they’ve lost.

Article by Rajan Nanavati with NFL Artificial Intelligence.