On August 10th, 2024, NFL fans will finally get to witness their players and teams back at it as the NFL preseason begins again. We’ve already been through the draft, and we’ve seen the number of signings slow down to pretty much a stop now. However, which of these signings was most impactful for certain teams? Did they ace it? Screw up? Plenty of fans have different opinions on certain choices, but which teams made the best decisions?
Saquon Barkley: Philadelphia Eagles
Saquon Barkley, easily the most impactful signing of this offseason, will change this team and turn the offense around for the better. The team has not had a running back that they could consider “good.” Last year, they had D’Andre Swift from the Detroit Lions, who now plays for the Chicago Bears, and a year before that, they had a current third-string running back for the Carolina Panthers, and the offensive line made both players look like serviceable running backs for any team. However, when you’re put behind one of the best offensive lines, you’d expect to see a ton of production, which D’Andre Swift didn’t even do that well at. While D’Andre Swift may have had better stats compared to Saquon Barkley, Saquon was put behind an offensive line that couldn’t rank 28th in any stat, with each interior offensive lineman being some of the worst starting linemen in the league. I’m expecting to see plenty of wins for the Eagles, and with this signing of Barkley, their chances of appearing and winning a Super Bowl have honestly skyrocketed compared to last year.
Derrick Henry: Baltimore Ravens
It feels as if the running backs this year are being tossed around. Two big-name running backs going to different teams in the same offseason is shocking. Derrick Henry is one of the best running backs to have ever played in Tennessee, and now the Ravens, who lost in the AFC Championship to the Chiefs, have Henry, and they have an offensive line for him that will produce very efficiently. The Titans had the 32nd-ranked offensive line in January 2024. It’ll be exciting to see what Derrick Henry can do for this team and, of course, hopefully win a Super Bowl.
Stefon Diggs: Houston Texans
While Stefon Diggs was beginning to be written off at the end of the season last year, he was making a massive addition to this young receiving core. While he may not be upgrading when it comes to the quarterback position, he’ll be a part of a young team that has shown tons of promise and hope for fans of the Texans. He’ll be a massive part of this offense, and it’ll be incredibly exciting to see this team thrive next year. As long as C.J. Stroud can keep up his performance throughout his career, Diggs and Joe Mixon will be two new additions to this offense, which is already scary.
As much as I wish these players could be a part of my favorite team, I’m excited to watch them play in a new team and see how they perform. This was not a ranking but rather just pointing out some star players going to some new teams. And not only will I be happy to watch them play, but I’ll most definitely be trying to get them on my fantasy team for next season.
