【cassino sem verifica??o】Free Agency Silence Speaks Volumes for These Struggling NFL Teams

One key pickup in March can give a franchise momentum and a better foundation heading into the NFL Draft at the end of April.

There’s a natural roster turnover every offseason, and each team has its own philosophy and budget to follow during the spending spree season to stay within the growing salary cap structure of the league.

Teams like the Philadelphia Eagles, Kansas City Chiefs, Baltimore Ravens and, more recently, the Detroit Lions have used this model to build rosters in the spring and make noise in the regular season, stretching well into the playoffs.

While free agency doesn’t guarantee fixing every shortfall, relying on players to make significant jumps or draft picks to make immediate impacts is an even bigger gamble.

Not participating in free agency — and swinging and missing multiple times — can have the opposite effect, leaving a dent on the runway for a team otherwise capable of being a Super Bowl contender.

Free agency is just a piece of the offseason roster-building exercise that every team goes through.

And signing your own free agents shouldn’t be discounted as a critical part of the equation. Just take a look at the Cincinnati Bengals and their approach to extending star receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, tight end Mike Gesicki, and defensive tackle B.J. Hill.

For those opting to essentially pass on making any real impact in free agency, curiosity and wonder leave us to question whether they’re committed to winning at all.

Coming off a 6-11 season, the San Francisco 49ers signed receiver Demarcus Robinson from the Rams, backup quarterback Mac Jones, tight end Luke Farrell and fullback Kyle Juszczyk.

They said goodbye to wide receiver Deebo Samuel, left guard Aaron Banks, left tackle Jaylon Moore, safety Talanoa Hufanga, running back Elijah Mitchell, defensive end Leonard Floyd, linebacker Dre Greenlaw, running back Jordan Mason, defensive tackles Javon Hargrave and Maliek Collins, and starting cornerback Charvarius Ward.

That’s a lot to lose from a team that was already taking on water. Sure, the team is trying to extend quarterback Brock Purdy. But the dearth of talent around him opens the 49ers to doubt about their ability to stay in the NFC chase.

A year after posting an 11-6 mark and once again raising the hopes of their long-suffering fan base, the Cleveland Browns were a dreadful 3-14 in 2024. They continue to act like a franchise that believes it can win on defense alone. They re-signed their star pass rusher Myles Garrett to a four-year, $160 million extension and signed another star edge rusher in Joe Tryon-Shoyinka and defensive tackle Maliek Collins to account for the loss of Dalvin Tomlinson.

That’s all well and good, but their offense is a disaster — starting with the most important position on the field.

Their co-owner, Jimmy Haslam, admitted during owners meetings in Palm Beach, Florida, that signing Deshaun Watson to a fully guaranteed $230 million deal was “a big swing and a miss,” and he takes full responsibility for it.

Watson, who is recovering from Achilles surgery, almost certainly won’t be ready for the 2025 season opener, leaving the offense to the only other quarterback under 40 currently under contract — Kenny Pickett, acquired via trade from the Eagles — and a second spin with Joe Flacco, now 40.

They’ve done nothing to fortify an offensive line that leaked constantly and couldn’t protect the multitude of quarterbacks the Browns ran out there in 2024. They passed on Russell Wilson and are likely to draft a quarterback with an early pick.

Or maybe they won’t.

The Browns acted in free agency like they’re tanking for 2025 and a possible shot at Texas quarterback Arch Manning in 2026.

The Pittsburgh Steelers sneaked into the playoffs with a 10-7 mark in 2024. But they are another AFC North team with a massive question mark at the game’s most important position.

They drifted through free agency without an aggressive plan to address the void left by Russell Wilson’s departure to the New York Giants and Justin Fields’ move to the New York Jets.

Rumors continued to swirl about Aaron Rodgers landing in Pittsburgh, but the Steelers’ answer to their key losses was to re-sign Mason Rudolph. That will not instill any sort of confidence in a fan base hoping its beloved team can challenge the revitalized Bengals and the Ravens, the kings of the division.

The Steelers are closer to the Browns right now in the division in terms of talent on the offensive side of the ball. They made a trade for DK Metcalf to go with George Pickens and Calvin Austin. They re-signed running back Jaylen Warren but lost Najee Harris.

Their offensive line lost left tackle Dan Moore Jr. and guard James Daniels.

Pittsburgh’s defense was solid at the start of the season and is anchored by stalwarts T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith. They have linebacker Patrick Queen. But their secondary may be in need of a vast overhaul if Darius Slay doesn’t have gas left in the tank. Joey Porter Jr. is entering his second season.

It’s been an uncharacteristic offseason of uncertainty, and Pittsburgh’s approach in free agency did nothing to ease the fears of its fan base.

San Francisco, Cleveland and Pittsburgh all figure to be long shots to reach the postseason in 2025.

Their collective approach to free agency indicates that they realize this as well — and will instead choose to focus on the upcoming NFL Draft to make more substantial moves in rebuilding their rosters.