A number of talking points have already begun to emerge with the NFL's offseason now in full swing as trades are announced and free agents negotiate with interested teams.
Can the Philadelphia Eagles hold onto the stars of their NFC title-winning team? Will Aaron Rodgers help the New York Jets end their playoff drought? And can the Detroit Lions continue their steady improvement with more under-the-radar choices in free agency?
Quarterback carousel already moving
The action around available starter-level quarterbacks was always expected to be pretty hot and so a number of deals have already been agreed ready to be announced as soon as the league fire the free agency starting pistol on Wednesday.
The Las Vegas Raiders moved quickly to replace Derek Carr, who they released after he refused to waive his no-trade clause, by signing former San Francisco 49ers QB Jimmy Garoppolo.
The 31-year-old, who won seven of his ten starts last season, is reportedly getting a three-year deal worth $67.5 million with $34 million of that guaranteed.
News that Carr had agreed a four-year deal worth a reported $150m with the New Orleans Saints emerged last week, which instantly raised questions about the future of Jameis Winston in the Big Easy.
But the former Tampa Bay Buccaneers star is expected to stay with the Saints as a backup on a one-year amended deal that frees up some cap room for the team.
The 49ers are bringing in Sam Darnold to boost their QB room as the former New York Jet and Carolina Panther joins his third NFL team by the age of 25.
Andy Dalton leaves the crowded QB room in New Orleans to start in Carolina and potentially mentor whomever the Panthers decide to take with the first overall pick in 2023 they traded a pile of draft capital to get from the Chicago Bears.
And still, we wait for the biggest domino in the offseason quarterback stack to fall as Aaron Rodgers - 16/1 to be regular season MVP for a fifth time - is yet to announce his decision to stay in Green Bay, retire as a Packer or go to the Jets in a trade that has reportedly been agreed.
Eagles keep duo but lose key defensive piece
The Philadelphia Eagles, 7/2 to retain their NFC crown, knew they had a huge free agency period ahead of them and inevitably lost some talent in the first few hours of the legal tampering period.
According to multiple sources, linebacker T.J. Edwards will ink a three-year, $19.5 million agreement with the Bears, defensive tackle Javon Hargrave is getting a monster, four-year, $84 million contract from the 49ers and safety Marcus Epps is heading west to the Raiders on a two-year, $12 million deal.
But they have been able to retain the services of center Jason Kelce, running back Boston Scott and cornerback James Bradberry while making a splash of their own by signing Rashaad Penny to head up the rushing attack next season.
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McDaniels deals in ex-Patriots duo
Josh McDaniels' first experience of free agency as a head coach in Denver didn't pan out that well after he appeared to lose the trust of his starting quarterback, so it will be interesting to see how things pan out after his decision to jettison Carr.
The arrival of Garoppolo, the former Patriots backup when McDaniels was offensive coordinator in New England, should provide a steady hand on the tiller of a Raiders' offense that remains stacked with talent, despite the decision to trade tight end Darren Waller to the New York Giants for a third-round pick.
McDaniels left Bill Belichick with a big hole to fill on his offense when the Raiders acquired wide receiver Jakobi Meyers on a three-year, $33 million deal that includes $21 million guaranteed.
Dolphins build roster depth
Over in Miami, the Dolphins took a deep dive in the first round of free agency to build depth in a roster that was blown off course by injuries last season - particularly at quarterback.
A swoop for ex-Jets backup Mike White looks good on paper as it brings in knowledge of a division rival's playbook while Miami have also re-signed two productive running backs - Raheem Mostert and Jeff Wilson - who arrived on 'prove it' deals last year and fit snugly into Mike McDaniel's system.
Lions beef up pass defense and rushing attack
The Detroit Lions, 7/5 to win the NFC North, ranked 31st in yards allowed per pass play last year and so they went straight to the cornerback shelf to take arguably the best available free agent at the position in former Pittsburgh Steelers starter Cameron Sutton.
The third-round pick out of Tennessee in 2017 allowed just 411 receiving yards last season, according to PFF, which was good for ninth-best among cornerbacks who played at least 400 coverage snaps last year.
They then doubled down by reportedly inking Emmanuel Moseley, who was off to a great start in the 49ers' secondary before an ACL injury sidelined him last year, to a one-year contract reportedly worth $6 million.
Another acquisition with the potential to be a star in Motor City is former Bears RB David Montgomery, who started 51 games for Chicago over the past four years. He's tallied at least 800 rushing yards in each of his first four seasons in the NFL, but should still have plenty of miles left on the clock at just 25 years of age.
