Making NFL offseason moves for NFC teams - How to improve all 16 and fill needs in free agency and 2022 draft
With the Rams claiming Super Bowl LVI, the NFL offseason has officially kicked into full gear. The Rams won't mind everybody else getting a head start, but each of the league's 32 organizations is in full-on evaluation mode. Before the teams can figure out which players they want to sign in free agency in March or select in the 2022 draft in Las Vegas in April, they need to identify their own weaknesses and positions to address. I'll do my best to help.
Let's run through each of the 16 teams in the NFC and identify the most pressing personnel issue facing each organization this offseason. Whether it's a contract decision, a position that needs to be filled or a trade that could create new opportunities, I'll identify a major move for each team to make (or avoid) in the weeks to come.
I'll hit the AFC on Monday, but I'll start with the NFC and a Cowboys team that exceeded expectations — before going one-and-down in the postseason. I'll sort these by division:
Jump to a team:ARI | ATL | CAR | CHIDAL | DET | GB | LARMIN | NO | NYG | PHISF | SEA | TB | WSH
Find a long-term solution at safety.
While most of the focus will inevitably fall on offensive free agents Dalton Schultz and Michael Gallup, the Cowboys need to come away from this offseason with replacements at safety. Their top three players at the position from a year ago are all free agents. It's unclear whether Jayron Kearse, Damontae Kazee or Malik Hooker will be back in 2022. Keanu Neal, whom they converted from safety to linebacker, is also a free agent.
Dallas didn't spend much at safety last offseason, and with running back Ezekiel Elliott's contract still virtually unmovable before 2023, I don't anticipate the organization making too many splashy additions in