NFC free-agency grades: Commanders are rocking, but what's up with Cowboys?

With the first wave of free agency over, some teams have significantly upgraded their roster (Commanders) while others (Cowboys) have left us stumped over what they are doing.

As determined by Yardbarker NFL writers, here are free-agency grades for all 16 NFC teams. The next major team-building effort will come at the NFL Draft in Detroit from April 25-27. (Complete list of free-agency signees may be accessed by clicking on the "key additions" link.)

NFC East

DALLAS COWBOYS | Grade: D | Key additions: LB Eric Kendricks | Dallas deserves partial credit for getting help for linebacker Micah Parsons, but with meager cap space, there’s little the Cowboys can do without significantly adjusting the contracts of WR CeeDee Lamb and/or QB Dak Prescott. With left offensive tackle Tyron Smith gone in free agency to the Jets, the NFC East could be up for grabs in 2024.

NEW YORK GIANTS | Grade C | Key additions: RB Devin Singletary, G Jon Runyan Jr., OL Jermaine Eluemunor, QB Drew Lock | Eluemunor and Runyan are immediate upgrades for an offensive line that gave up a league-high 85 sacks last season. Singletary will never match Saquon Barkley’s athleticism, but he offers more consistency (one game missed over the past four years). Don’t be surprised if Lock takes over at quarterback at some point as the team prepares for life after Daniel Jones.

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES | Grade B | Key additions: RB Saquon Barkley, EDGE Bryce Huff, LB Devin White, S C.J. Gardner-Johnson | The Eagles spent $37M for an injury-prone running back (Barkley), $51M for a situational pass-rusher (Huff), $33M to bring back a safety (Gardner) who trashed Philadelphia on his way out the door during the 2023 offseason and $7.5M for a linebacker (White) who was benched for a game while his team fought for the playoffs. All are talented and Philadelphia deserves credit for stepping out of its comfort zone, but the risk is undeniable for a team already adjusting to new coordinators for 2024.

WASHINGTON COMMANDERS | Grade: A | Key additions: EDGE Dorance Armstrong, LB Bobby Wagner, RB Austin Ekeler, C Tyler Biadasz, TE Zach Ertz | Armstrong had 21 sacks in three seasons under Dan Quinn, the defensive coordinator for Dallas last season, and Wagner led the NFL last season with 183 tackles for Seattle. They’ll help Washington’s 32nd-ranked defense while the additions of Biadasz, Ekeler and Ertz should shorten the learning curve for quarterbacks Jayden Daniels or Drake Maye should the team take either with the No. 2 pick in the NFL Draft on April 25. — Bruce Ewing

NFC West 

ARIZONA CARDINALS | Grade B | Key additions: DT Justin Jones, OT Jonah Williams, DE Bilal Nichols, CB Sean Murphy-Bunting, RB DeeJay Dallas, LB Mack Wilson | The Cardinals finished the 2023 season 31st in the league in points against and 32nd against the run, leaving the defense as a major point of concern. They addressed that in a big way in free agency by beefing up their defensive line with Jones and Nichols and complementing them with Wilson at linebacker and Murphy-Bunting at corner. 

LOS ANGELES RAMS | Grade B | Key additions: G Jonah Jackson, CB Darious Williams, TE Colby Parkinson | Improving the secondary was a primary concern for the Rams, so they signed veteran Williams (a Ram from 2018-21) away from Jacksonville after a 2023 season in which he intercepted four passes. Jackson is the biggest addition, signing a $51 million contract. He is one of the best guards in the league.

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS | Grade: C | Key additions: OLB Leonard Floyd, DE Yetor Gross-Matos | The 49ers needed to address their defensive line and pass rush, so the additions of Floyd and Yetor Gross-Matos make sense. Floyd, however, is 32 and more of a situational pass-rusher than an every-down player. Gross-Matos had just 13 sacks in four seasons with Carolina.

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS | Grade: B | Key additions: DE Leonard Williams, TE Noah Fant, SS Rayshawn Jenkins | The two biggest signings for Seattle were re-signings of Williams and Fant. Both players were among the best available at their positions — Seattle was unlikely to find better upgrades at cheaper prices. — Adam Gretz

NFC North 

CHICAGO BEARS | Grade: C | Key additions: RB D'Andre Swift, TE Gerald Everett, S Jonathan Owens, S Kevin Byard | The Bears have had a decent offseason on paper, adding 1,000-yard rusher D'Andre Swift and trading for veteran wideout Keenan Allen. However, going beyond the hype, the additions of a backup tight end (Everett), a middling safety (Owens) and a veteran DB (Byard) on the downswing aren't much to get excited about.

DETROIT LIONS | Grade: B | Key additions: DE Marcus Davenport, DT D.J. Reader, CB Amik Robertson | Bringing in Davenport, a veteran rotational piece, and standout nose tackle Reader should help star edge-rusher Aidan Hutchinson. Meanwhile, the addition of Robertson and a trade for Carlton Davis III bolsters the secondary after the Lions whiffed on improvements in the back end last offseason.

GREEN BAY PACKERS | Grade: B | Key additions: RB Josh Jacobs, S Xavier McKinney | While the Packers were mainly busy locking up their own free agents, the few moves they did make on the open market should have the rest of the NFC North shivering. Green Bay added not one but two impact players, signing arguably the best running back (Jacobs) and the best safety (McKinney). They should change the dynamic on both sides of the ball.

MINNESOTA VIKINGS | Grade: B | Key additions: DE Jonathan Greenard, LB Blake Cashman, LB Andrew Van Ginkel, RB Aaron Jones, QB Sam Darnold | The Vikings were busy on defense, adding Greenard, who led the Houston Texans with 12.5 sacks in 2023, and Cashman to replace free agents Danielle Hunter, Marcus Davenport and D.J. Wonnum. It's a solid start to free agency, but until Minnesota knows who will start at quarterback, most of the team's moves will be moot. — Mike Santa Barbara

NFC South 

ATLANTA FALCONS | Grade: C+ | Key additions: QB Kirk Cousins, WR Darnell Mooney | The Falcons got their quarterback, but they’re likely paying Cousins (four years, $180 million) for his past performances, not what he should be expected to do from his age 36-39 seasons and coming off a torn Achilles. Mooney’s payday (three years, $39 million) also suggests Atlanta thinks his best days are ahead of him after he totaled only 907 receiving yards over the past two seasons with the Bears.

CAROLINA PANTHERS | Grade: B | Key additions: G Robert Hunt, G Damien Lewis, EDGE D.J. Wonnum | Carolina gave Hunt the league’s second-highest-value contract to a guard (five years, $100 million), but at 28, he’s young enough to play at a high level throughout his deal. The Panthers also shored up their other guard spot with the Lewis signing (four years, $53 million) and replaced edge-rusher Brian Burns by adding Wonnum on a cap-friendly two-year, $12.5 million contract.

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS | B+ | Key additions: LB Willie Gay, WR Cedrick Wilson, EDGE Chase Young | The Saints added quality depth with their first two major signings, former Chiefs linebacker Gay Jr. and former Dolphins and Cowboys wideout Wilson, but it was Monday’s addition of  Young that turned this class from average to great. Young, who will be 25 at the start of the 2024 season, had 74 total pressures last season, showing he has moved past injuries that limited him to 12 games from 2021-22.

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS | Grade: A | Key additions: SS Jordan Whitehead | The Bucs largely get an "A" for what they didn’t need to add after re-signing their own free agents, wide receiver Mike Evans, quarterback Baker Mayfield and safety Antoine Winfield, who received the franchise tag. Tampa also upgraded at strong safety after agreeing to a reunion with Whitehead on a two-year deal, setting the team up well to extend its NFC South dynasty. — Eric Smithling