2023 record: 13-4
Offseason in three words: Busy, busy, busy
The Ravens have 25 unrestricted free agents, including 15 who totaled at least 200 snaps this season. The list includes three Pro Bowl players in defensive tackle
Justin Madubuike, inside linebacker
Patrick Queen and guard
Kevin Zeitler. Baltimore won't have a lot of salary cap space to keep all of its free agents, who combined for 24 touchdowns and 42 sacks this season.
"Well, we'll be busy," Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta said at the end of the season. "At some point, you get to the point where you have to play with who you have, and you have to draft well, and you have to hit on players, and we've done that the last couple of years."
-- Jamison Hensley
Woody: Ravens' season 'a failure' despite Lamar winning MVP
Damien Woody and the "Get Up" crew debate how Lamar Jackson's MVP season should be defined after losing in the AFC Championship Game.
2. Kansas City Chiefs
2023 record: 11-6
Offseason in three words: Goodbye,
Chris Jones?
The Chiefs wouldn't give Jones, a potential unrestricted free agent, the money he wanted on a
long-term contract last season when he was holding out, so it wouldn't make sense for them to give it to him this time around. It also isn't logical for them to make him the franchise player, so it's possible Jones will be moving on. The Chiefs tried to prepare for that eventuality over the past two years, drafting
George Karlaftis and
Felix Anudike-Uzomah in the first round, but losing Jones would still be immense.
-- Adam Teicher
2023 record: 12-5
Offseason in three words: Keep
Brandon Aiyuk
Last offseason, the Niners received trade interest in Aiyuk but remained steadfast that they had no intention of trading him. Aiyuk rewarded that belief by
posting a career year in which he had 75 receptions for 1,342 yards and seven touchdowns.
San Francisco has a lot of big contracts on the books, but there's a path to keep Aiyuk (who has one year left on his rookie deal) by structuring a new, big-money deal in which his biggest cap hits won't come until some of those other big contracts are off the books. Aiyuk and quarterback
Brock Purdy have undeniable chemistry, and the 49ers must find a way to keep them together as foundational players for the long haul.
-- Nick Wagoner
2023 record: 12-5
Offseason in three words: Address the defense
Offensively, the Lions have very few holes to fill. But the defense is a different story. After an
NFC Championship Game appearance, the Lions hold the No. 29 overall pick in the draft. They should consider adding talent to the front four on the defensive line and in the secondary, with another cornerback to help with a pass coverage unit that allowed the sixth-most passing yards (247.4) per game this past season. Lions general manager Brad Holmes says they will continue to be "very strategic" and "very selective" in their process of drafting and signing players but will utilize free agency when needed.
-- Eric Woodyard
2023 record: 11-6
Offseason in three words: Make smart decisions
Of course, every team wants to make good choices throughout the offseason, but with the cap limitations ahead for the Bills -- estimated to be about $50 million over -- and the desire to remain in contention, this offseason will test the Bills' front office. Restructuring and extending contracts are likely, and finding solid talent to
add in free agency will be a major task yet again. General manager Brandon Beane projected that the team will have 10 draft picks this year, once compensatory picks are awarded, and after the Bills got significant contributions from the first two picks of last year's draft, those sort of impact picks will be needed once again.
-- Alaina Getzenberg