No team comes close to the improvement the Chicago Bears made this NFL offseason. Who was worst? That is a split decision between Dallas and Minnesota.
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Now that the dust has settled on the NFL offseason, it’s worth looking back on everything that has happened over the past three months. Sure, a few veteran free agents remain unsigned, but for the most part, these current rosters are what teams will be heading into the 2024 preseason with. Are you happy with the new look of your team? You better be.
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With that, who had the best offseason and/or the worst? There’s always a winner and often several losers. This year only one team stood out at the top, while several deserve a place at the loser’s table. Who will it be this offseason?
Chicago Bears Win and Two Offseason Losers
Todd Salem: Bears Win, Cowboys Lose
To me, success at the top starts with the Chicago Bears. It has been a while since the Bears won anything, but let’s give ’em a banner for the ’24 offseason. The big names change the potential landscape for Chicago. Obviously, most everything hinges on Caleb Williams becoming a star. But he sure projects as one, more so than nearly every other quarterback prospect we’ve had in the past decade.
Around him, the Bears also added Keenan Allen, De’Andre Swift, Rome Odunze, and to a lesser extent, Gerald Everett. That is shaping up to be a formidable offense. In fact, the Bears might have the best receiving corps in the conference if Odunze turns into a real weapon in year one.
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On defense, Kevin Byard was the main free agent add. Montez Sweat was an addition made during last season, and Jaylon Johnson was a re-sign, but these are impact pieces on defense that weren’t guaranteed to be around.
Winning the offseason doesn’t mean Chicago is going to win the NFC North, although I wouldn’t rule it out. This seems like it is rounding into one of the tougher divisions in football, with no weak link to be seen. The Bears are a large part of that. This is suddenly a team to be reckoned with.
On the other end of the spectrum, I’m forced to shine a light onto the Dallas Cowboys. It is rare for this team to be thought of as a loser, but this offseason was a rough one for them. Part of it has to do with a past level of sustained success that everyone is after. Good players who are on the roster for multiple years come due for new contracts. A team cannot always afford to keep the same core intact. That bill somewhat came due for Dallas.
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The Cowboys lost Tyron Smith, Tony Pollard, Tyler Biadasz, Leighton Vander Esch, Michael Gallup, Dante Fowler, among others. Some folks may counter by stating that Dallas didn’t necessarily want to bring back most of these guys. The price tag didn’t match the production. But the team didn’t really bring in any new blood at the skill positions other than potentially washed Ezekiel Elliott, and the only offensive line help came through rookies in the draft.
Just going by what talent went out and what came in, the Cowboys seem to be the strongest net negative this offseason. One could make the case, and perhaps you will, that another team’s decision making was worse than the simple moves Dallas experienced. But in terms of improving a roster, the Cowboys went the other direction. With Dak Prescott’s extension decision on the horizon, this is an important season for Big D, and it is starting with a whimper.
Dan Salem: Vikings Pull Up The Rear
The Bears have done well and the Cowboys were lackluster, but two other teams top my list of best and worst NFL offseason revamps. Beginning with the bad, I must point a very large finger at the Minnesota Vikings. Not only do the Vikings feel significantly worse than last season, but they might very well be non-competitive and the worst team in their division by a longshot. This is a huge fall for a team that was excellent for an extended stretch of years leading up to Kirk Cousins injury last season.
Minnesota moved on from Cousins, but has no immediate answer at quarterback for the here and now. They signed Sam Darnold to bridge to their rookie, but that’s barely a passable solution. The Vikings have also failed to get something, anything for their star wide receiver who quite obviously is ready to leave. No long term deal and no trade means painful limbo for Justin Jefferson who is poised to sit out and force Minnesota’s hand. After taking a step in the wrong direction last season, the Vikings appear to have fully stumbled backwards into the pits of loserville.
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Over on the opposite end of the spectrum sit… oh who am I kidding? The Bears win this offseason with how they precisely and expressly addressed each major issue facing the team. With another cheap and potentially dangerous QB under center for three to five years, Chicago can truly make the run up the standings that everyone assumed would happen with Justin Fields.
Not only did the Bears make solid moves, but they capitalized on the fact that their division is now more wide open than ever before. Green Bay is good, but we don’t really know if they can be any better than last year, which isn’t saying a whole lot. Detroit is very good, but they have yet to sustain any type of success and who knows if they’ll be able to repeat it this season. I just got done telling you how the Vikings ship has sunk. Enter a redefined Chicago Bears.
I don’t want to overcharge the hype train, because I thought last year was when the Bears would make a leap. They failed miserably and I won’t be burned again, especially not by a rookie quarterback. That said, Chicago should be over .500 and in the thick of wildcard competition. They should be better than Minnesota and Green Bay. No other team has added as many valuable pieces to a reasonably solid base in a pretty open division. The Bears are ready to roar.
Meet our Writers:
Dan Salem is Lead Editor and Co-owner of BuzzChomp. He’s an award winning Actor, Director and Producer. Visit M Square Productions for his film work, or get lost in his old-school comedy on Pillow Talk TV. You can follow him on X, TikTok and Instagram.
Todd Salem is a Staff Writer and Contributing Editor at BuzzChomp. He’s also a champion of fantasy football and fantasy baseball, dominating leagues for over two decades. Comment below on his unfiltered opinions.
Chicago Bears Photo Credits: windycitygridiron.com and usatoday.com via Getty Images
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