Offseason Good, Bad and Ugly: Rams’ Favorite Status Is Good for the NFL

In the NFL, a week can feel like an eternity. The spaces between the games linger, especially after a loss, with six days separating an opportunity to get going again.

But in the offseason, the weeks roll effortlessly into months as the team-building process takes hold. First, the franchise tag deadline, followed by the scouting combine and free agency. Then, pro days and the draft, with OTAs and mandatory minicamp soon thereafter.

Now, there’s an elongated break until training camps begin in late July, with rookies and quarterbacks reporting before being joined by the rest of their teammates. With that time at hand to pause, we’re going to look back at the past few months and break down the best and worst that’s happened, along with a few headlines that simply make heads shake.

And we’ll start this offseason edition of the good, the bad and the ugly in Los Angeles, where one team has made itself the front-runner.

Good: The Rams becoming a clear favorite to win it all

Sports are always at their best when one team is the hunted and all the others run after them in hot pursuit.

This season, the Rams are such a team. After falling to the eventual-champion Seahawks in the NFC championship game, Los Angeles went out and made a pair of blockbuster trades, acquiring All-Pro corner Trent McDuffie from the Chiefs, then edge rusher and reigning Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett from the Browns.

All told, the cost was steep. Los Angeles traded away defensive end Jared Verse along with two first-round picks and two third-round choices. The Rams also sent out second-, fifth- and sixth-rounders over the next three years. That’s to say nothing of the financial investment which now totals $199 million guaranteed between the two stars.

The favorite in every sportsbook, the Rams are the definition of all in. With 38-year-old MVP quarterback Matthew Stafford, All-Pro receivers Puka Nacua and Davante Adams, and a defense now featuring Garrett and McDuffie, it’s Super Bowl or bust for the team that sees its building, SoFi Stadium, hosting the event come Feb. 14.

And for Los Angeles, the pressure is immense. The Rams have a slew of big-name free agents after this season, including defensive linemen Byron Young and Kobie Turner, guards Steve Avila and Kevin Dotson, Adams and Nacua, and more. Plus, with Stafford nearing 40 years old, time is short. It’s a year-to-year proposition for Los Angeles, and this appears its best shot with so much draft capital out the door.

Bad: The Maxx Crosby trade ultimately falling apart … for both teams

In the days leading up to the new league year beginning on March 11, the Ravens and Raiders agreed to a seismic trade. Defensive end Maxx Crosby was going to Baltimore for a pair of first-round picks in return. For Las Vegas, it meant a jumpstart on the newest iteration of its rebuild. For the Ravens, it was the acquisition of one of the league’s top pass rushers to help quarterback Lamar Jackson win his first ring.

But then, things fell apart. Crosby failed his physical due to concerns around his surgically repaired knee, something many in the league felt was intentional as Baltimore realized it could simply sign defensive end Trey Hendrickson and hold onto its pair of draft choices. Whatever the case, the trade was voided and Crosby went back to the Raiders while Baltimore gave Hendrickson one of the winter’s biggest contracts in a four-year, $112 million pact that included $60 million guaranteed.

On the surface, the Ravens might have won out. After all, they retained their first-rounders, then used the first of which on guard Olaivavega Ioane in April. However, Hendrickson is 31 years old while Crosby is 28. Both are coming off injury-plagued seasons, with Hendrickson playing seven games and Crosby playing in 15 games before surgery. However, over the past five seasons, here’s how they stack up:

• Crosby: 78 games, 52.5 sacks, 137 QB hits, 103 TFLs, 5 Pro Bowls, 2 All-Pros
• Hendrickson: 72 games, 61 sacks, 120 QB hits, 56 TFLs, 4 Pro Bowls, 1 All-Pro

Ultimately, the Raiders could have used the picks for their ongoing rebuild, while Hendrickson is a risky bet for a Baltimore team desperate to win before Jackson ages out of his prime, and 32-year-old Derrick Henry ages into retirement.

Ugly: Everything about the Brandon Aiyuk situation

This is turning into one of those relationships. The kind where both parties know it’s over, but it drags on despite the end result being obvious to everyone involved.

The 49ers have been clear about their intention to never see receiver Brandon Aiyuk ever suit up for them again. Aiyuk has been clear about never wanting to do so. It seems apparent the sides should split, and should have done so after San Francisco voided $27 million in guaranteed money last summer, citing Aiyuk’s failure to properly rehab his surgically repaired knee, which included a torn ACL, MCL and PCL.

And yet, player and team remain together, despite a release being the only way out for each.

Being that it’s after June 1, the Niners could release Aiyuk and clear $6.3 million this year, something which can be rolled over into 2027. It’s an easy choice, especially as the two sides have done nothing to work toward a resolution. Aiyuk seems hell-bent on playing in Washington for general manager Adam Peters, who worked in San Francisco for seven seasons, including as vice president of player personnel when Aiyuk was drafted. Aiyuk was also college teammates with Commanders QB Jayden Daniels.

There comes a point when the 49ers have to move forward. Now’s that point.

Good: New York football finally seems to be on the upswing

It’s been a long time since the Giants and Jets were meaningful to the national conversation. A long time.

In fact, the Jets have the longest playoff drought of any team in the four major men’s North American sports leagues, not having qualified since the 2010 season. As for the Giants, they won the Super Bowl the following year but have earned just one postseason win since, beating the Vikings in the wild-card round in the ’22 campaign.

After each earned a top-five pick this spring by winning a combined seven games in 2025, both have reason for excitement.

With the Jets, they added a trio of first-round picks in edge rusher David Bailey, tight end Kenyon Sadiq and receiver Omar Cooper Jr., while also holding a pair of first-rounders in a 2027 draft many believe will be generational for quarterbacks. While their fortunes may not magically brighten this season with too many holes to fill in a single offseason, the Jets have far more ability than the roster boasted at season’s end in January.

As for the Giants, they landed the big fish of the coaching carousel in John Harbaugh. After spending 18 years with the Ravens, Harbaugh took the New York job and then took some of his players with him, signing All-Pro punter Jordan Stout, tight end Isaiah Likely and fullback Patrick Ricard as free agents away from the Ravens. He also brought in a pair of first-round rookies in edge rusher Arvell Reese and guard Francis Mauigoa, bolstering the trenches on both sides.

While the road to a title remains long for both teams in New York, the road to respectability suddenly seems to have an end in sight.

Bad: The Chargers not doing enough to build a title contender

Over the past few offseasons, Los Angeles has had the cap space to be aggressive. The Chargers could have gone out and signed some premium veterans to put around quarterback Justin Herbert while also taking care of their own talents to build a championship roster.

Instead, the Chargers have largely sat idle while other teams, both in the AFC and NFC, have passed them by. This winter, Los Angeles signed 35-year-old edge rusher Khalil Mack to a one-year deal while allowing Odafe Oweh to sign a four-year, $100 million contract with the Commanders. Oweh was excellent for the Chargers after being acquired from the Ravens in October, posting 7.5 sacks and 13 quarterback hits in 12 games while playing 50% of the snaps.

Offensively, nobody amassed 800 receiving yards last year for the Chargers. Instead of addressing a clear need, general manager Joe Hortiz let wideout Keenan Allen leave in free agency (he remains unsigned) while only bolstering the position with a fourth-round pick in Brenen Thompson. If the season began today, Los Angeles would have Ladd McConkey, second-year man Tre Harris and Quentin Johnston as the starting receivers. In 2025, they totaled 1,848 yards, or 55 more than the Seahawks’ Jaxon Smith-Njigba had by himself.

Despite having more than $100 million in cap space at one point, the Chargers did very little except for fortifying the ground game with blocking tight end Charlie Kolar, fullback Alec Ingold and running back Keaton Mitchell coming in as free agents. The Chargers have ties to each, with Hortiz sharing time with Kolar and Mitchell in Baltimore, while new offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel coached Ingold for four seasons in Miami.

And the offensive line remains a concern even with the return of injured tackles Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt. The signing of veteran center Tyler Biadasz was solid. However, the guards are slated to be Jake Slaughter, a rookie second-rounder and former center, and Cole Strange, who comes over from Miami after being a first-round bust with the Patriots. Of 79 qualifying guards, Strange ranked 57th last season via Pro Football Focus.

It’s clear coach Jim Harbaugh wants to run the ball. McDaniel oversaw an effective rushing attack in Miami with De’Von Achane, ranking 13th in rushing yards and fourth in yards per carry (4.7). Still, in a sport largely won and lost in the postseason by quarterbacks making key plays at critical times, the Chargers find themselves in the familiar position of asking Herbert to do too much with too little.

Ugly: The unending bastardization of the NFL schedule

In decades gone by, the NFL schedule was simple. Most weeks, every game was on Sunday with the exception of a Monday night tilt. Then, in 2016, Thursday Night Football became a weekly franchise, giving us football at least once every three days. While the games have been correctly criticized for sloppiness and flying in the face of player safety, they’ve been a commercial success.

However, in recent years, the NFL has diluted the Sunday afternoon product further with a continued increase in early-morning international games (and some non-Sunday contests), a Black Friday game, Monday night doubleheaders, three games on Christmas and now a Thanksgiving Eve foray with the Packers and Rams.

In 2021, when the NFL went to the 17-game format, 136 and 62 games were scheduled in the 1:00 ET and 4:00 ET windows, respectively. This season, those numbers are 130 and 58 (excluding Week 18 in all counts, as times weren’t/aren’t announced until later).

As the NFL continues to expand its international schedule—the league is playing nine this year, the most it has ever put on—while continuing to find creative ways to play in stand-alone spots such as holidays, the traditional Sunday product will continue to take hits.

Good: Dallas becoming one of the more intriguing teams in football

The Cowboys have largely been either bad or fool’s gold over the past quarter century, not reaching an NFC championship game since the 1995 season. But this year, Dallas could be more interesting due to an investment in the defense.

In Brian Schottenheimer’s first season as coach, the Cowboys went 7-9-1 but the offense ranked second in yards and seventh in points, led by quarterback Dak Prescott and a pair of 1,000-yard receivers in CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens. With the offensive core back, the defense was bolstered with a trade for veteran edge rusher Rashan Gary alongside first-round picks in safety Caleb Downs and defensive end Malachi Lawrence.

Perhaps even more importantly, the Cowboys fired defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus and hired Christian Parker, who comes in from Eagles after serving two seasons as the defensive backs coach. Parker takes over a group which ranked 30th in yards and 32nd in points allowed, the only team to surrender more than 30 points (30.1) per game.

Parker comes in with a 3–4 scheme but one he vows will be flexible, changing constantly to suit his personnel. This is a stark departure from Eberflus, who is well-known in league circles for playing his zone scheme relentlessly. In fact, Dallas played zone coverage 76% of the time last year, ranking top-10 in such looks. With Parker, expect more variance.

Bad: The Browns even considering Deshaun Watson as their starter

There are controversial opinions. There are bad decisions. Then there are decisions so dumb, so stunningly idiotic, they deserve immediate renouncement by everyone watching them happen.

If the Browns start Deshaun Watson under center in 2026, that would fall into the latter category.

Watson has proved to be one of the worst acquisitions in NFL history, and that’s without accounting for his hideous off-field behavior which includes being accused by 27 women of sexual misconduct and/or assault. Despite all of it, Cleveland not only traded three first-round picks for Watson but then gave him a five-year, $230 million, fully-guaranteed contract.

Since joining the Browns before the 2022 season, Watson has played 19 games. He’s been suspended and torn his Achilles. On the field, he’s thrown for 19 touchdowns and 12 interceptions for Cleveland while completing 61.2% of his attempts. He’s won nine games.

Somehow, despite entering the last season of his ill-fated contract, first-year coach Todd Monken is considering starting Watson, saying that Watson and rookie Shedeur Sanders have both “earned the opportunity to continue to compete.”

Unless the Browns are even more inept than the past 30 years would suggest, there’s zero upside to starting Watson. He certainly hasn’t earned the right to compete, as he’s been a disaster his entire tenure with the franchise. Sanders is six years younger and signed for two additional seasons. He’s the clear choice, even if he proves a backup-level player. Sanders has potential and upside. Watson does not.

The mere idea of starting Watson is lunacy, and something that should be squashed quickly.

Ugly: Everything about Mike Vrabel’s offseason

We don’t need to linger on this topic, but it would be disingenuous to write about the offseason and not touch on the ugliest conversation of them all.

After the owners’ meetings in Phoenix, the New York Post published photos of NFL reporter Dianna Russini and Patriots coach Mike Vrabel holding hands at a luxury resort in Arizona. A string of additional photos were then published in the following weeks. The result was embarrassment for Vrabel, who wasn’t with the team on the draft’s final day as he went to counseling.

In the months since, Vrabel coached OTAs and minicamp for the Patriots, and even received one of the more cringeworthy standing ovations in recent memory from New England season ticket holders.

All told, Vrabel put his organization through humiliation, although this isn’t the first time the Patriots have gone through an ugly situation which played out publicly. And while he and the team will turn their attention to the season, this story will be ever present, especially in road games. To that point, New England plays a whopping four such games in prime time, putting everything on center stage.

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Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollowPublished 18 seconds ago | Modified 18 seconds agoMATT VERDERAME

Matt Verderame is a national NFL staff writer for Sports Illustrated, writing features, columns and more. Before joining Sports Illustrated in March 2023, Verderame wrote for FanSided and SB Nation. He’s a proud husband to Stephanie and father of two girls, Maisy and Genevieve. In his spare time, Verderame is an avid collector of vintage baseball cards.

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