The 2025 NFL offseason already has some action, with the Commanders trading for 49ers receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. and the Bears adding two guards in a pair of deals. The Raiders also struck early in signing former Bengals guard Alex Cappa. Those are the first big moves as we near free agency, which begins with the legal negotiating window March 10 and officially opens March 12.
ESPN analytics writer Seth Walder is grading every 2025 NFL signing and trade of the offseason, putting each deal into perspective for teams and players. To determine each grade, Walder is evaluating moves based on multiple factors, including on-field impact, salary cap implications, compensation, player value/age and the context of a team's short- and long-term outlooks. How large is the effect of this decision, and how sure are we it's a good or bad choice? How does this affect a team's chance to win the Super Bowl, either this season or in the future?
Follow along as Walder evaluates and grades each move, with the most recent grades at the top.
coverage:
Bowen: Ranking the top 100 free agents
Schatz: Projecting one signing for every team
Solak: 14 underrated free agents
Jump to a notable deal:
Thuney | Samuel
The deal: Two years, $11 million
Grade: C
The Raiders jumped in early to make a move in what could be a tight guard market, signing Cappa ahead of free agency after he was released by the Bengals on Monday.
Cappa had an exceptionally poor 2024 season, ranking last among 64 qualifying guards in pass block win rate (85%) and 58th in run block win rate (65%). Though Cappa's numbers aren't usually that bad, he has never recorded better than a 92% pass block win rate in a season — the benchmark for an average starting guard. Cappa entered the league
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