There was a lot of buzz about potential trades in the lead-up to 2022 NFL free agency, but nobody was sure if any deals would actually come to fruition. Sure, there were rumors that Aaron Rodgers, Ru sell Wilson and Deshaun Watson could be traded, but would any team bite on a move?Well, the answer to that was a resounding yes. As a result, March 2022 was one of the craziest months in recent NFL history.While Rodgers stayed put, Wilson and Watson were both traded for ma sive packages involving multiple first-round draft picks. The Watson trade caused Matt Ryan to be moved and will also signal the end of the Baker Mayfield era in Cleveland. Carson Wentz was also traded and, oh yeah, Tom Brady came out of retirement just 40 days after his initial announcement.Two of the NFL's best receivers, Davante Adams and Tyreek Hill, were also traded and got ma sive contract extensions. Watson got an extension, too, that contained the most guaranteed money in NFL history.Incredibly, those were just the trades that occurred before and during free agency. There were still countle s other key signings that will have an impact on the league, especially as a part of the arms race within the AFC.The dust has mostly settled on free agency, though there are still some key players that will sign during the second wave of free agency. But who is the league's No. 1
Brendan Perlini Jersey team after free agency? An AFC squad appears to have emerged as the NFL's top contender.IYER: NFL power rankings1. Buffalo BillsThe AFC is going to be a slugfest this year, but the Bills look like the cream of the crop for now.
Dominik Kahun Jersey They made one of the shock signings of the offseason, landing Von Miller as a free agent, and shored up some of their offensive holes with cheap, veteran signings like guard Rodger Saffold, tight end O.J. Howard, running back Duke Johnson Jr. and wide receiver Jamison Crowder. They are deep, talented and ready to make a Super Bowl run.2. Tampa Bay BuccaneersThe Buccaneers had arguably the best free agency of any team in the NFL. Why? Because Tom Brady decided not to retire after all. The 44-year-old quarterback spent 40 days in retirement before announcing he would return on eve of free agency.Brady's announcement allowed the Bucs to not only convince Chris Godwin, Carlton Davis, Leonard Fournette and Ryan Jensen to stay, but it also helped them lure wide-out Ru sell Gage and safety Logan Ryan to the team. The team also traded for Patriots guard Shaq Mason, a high-end starter, to replace Alex Cappa on the right side of the offensive line, so they look like one of the best teams in a weakened NFC.3. Cincinnati BengalsMuch has been made of the improvement of the Bengals' divisional rival, the Browns, after their acquisition of Deshaun Watson. That said, the Bengals may be having a better offseason, as they have fixed their biggest weakne s: the offensive line.Cincinnati allowed Joe Burrow to be sacked a league-high 51 times in the regular season and another 19 in the playoffs. To fix that i sue, the Bengals signed Alex Cappa, Ted Karras and La'el
Patrick Sharp Jersey Collins to start at the two guard spots and tackle respectively. Now, the team's biggest problem is at the No. 2 cornerback spot, which they can addre s during the 2022 NFL Draft.4. Kansas City ChiefsIt's hard to love what the Chiefs have done during free agency. They're still a great team and will be as long as they have Patrick Mahomes, but trading top receiver Tyreek Hill greatly hurts their chances of winning Super Bowl 57. It may help them long-term given the a sets they got for him, but they are far behind in the AFC arms race as a result of that move.Kansas City added a couple of receivers to replace Hill in JuJu Smith-Schuster and Marquez Valdes-Scantling, but will the team have enough weapons? And will the lo ses of Charvarius Ward and Tyrann Mathieu cause their secondary to regre s? These questions are enough to keep the Chiefs behind the AFC's other top teams in these power rankings. 5. Los Angeles RamsThe Rams are in a similar boat to the Chiefs. They're still one of the best teams in their conference, but they have suffered some lo ses during the offseason. Los Angeles most notably lost Von Miller, but starting cornerback Darious Williams also left in free agency
ED Belfour Jersey .Meanwhile, three offensive starters have left, as Andrew Whitworth retired, Austin Corbett signed with the Panthers in free agency and Robert Woods was traded to the Titans. The Rams have replacements for all three most notably, Allen Robinson will replace Woods but their offensive line depth is a bit suspect.These lo ses won't keep the Rams from contending. However, they won't be as strong without adding a replacement for Miller and some depth on the offensive line.6. Los Angeles ChargersThe Chargers have put together one of the most impre sive offseasons of any NFL team to date, getting younger and better on both sides of the ball. They did well to keep their top free agent, Mike Williams on a three-year deal worth $60 million and but the bigger improvements have come on defense.Los Angels added a true, high-level counterpart for Joey Bosa by trading for former Defensive Player of the Year Khalil Mack. The two will form a fearsome pa s-rushing duo while the addition of J.C. Jackson, who has 25 career interceptions including 17 in the past two seasons, will strengthen the Chargers' secondary.That star power, along with the additions of solid defensive tackles Austin Johnson and Sebastian Joseph-Day, will go a long way toward improving the Chargers' defense.NFL DRAFT 2022:|7. Green Bay PackersThe Packers accomplished their biggest goal of the 2022 NFL offseason by keeping Aaron Rodgers. They haven't done much to improve their team aside from that.Sure, Green Bay re-signed some of its key defensive playmakers from 2021, including De'Vondre Campbell and Rasul Douglas. It also will get healthier as offensive linemen David Bakhtiari and Elgton Jenkins return from season-ending injuries along with tight end Robert Tonyan.That said, trading Davante Adams has left ama sivehole at the receiver position. Allen Lazard is the team's top option there currently, and it seems like the Packers will either have to take on veteran reclamation projects at the position or rely on rookies to shoulder the load in the pa sing game.The Packers can't slip too far in any power rankings because of the presence of two-time reigning MVP Rodgers. Still, moving on from Adams was a disheartening move for the Packers faithful that want to see their team finally get over the hump and
Luc Snuggerud Jersey make it back to the Super Bowl.8.Denver BroncosThe Broncos went 7-10 last season with Teddy Bridgewater and Drew Lock starting at quarterback under coach Vic Fangio. Now, they have Ru sell Wilson at quarterback with Nathaniel Hackett coaching.Talk about an upgrade.Denver now is a legitimate contender in the AFC, as they already had a strong stable of offensive weapons and one of th
The Wall