The National Football League free agency signing period started March 11, which means it has been going on for around two months now. Since that day, teams have made both impactful and questionable decisions when it comes to signing contracts with new players. Some teams may have acquired a position they don’t need, while others may have overpaid a player. It is uncommon for a fanbase of a team to be completely satisfied with their turnout of free agency. With that being said, what do the students of Ledyard High School think about the results of their favorite team’s free agency so far? 

The Las Vegas Raiders had the worst record in the 2025-2026 NFL season at 3-14 which earned them the first overall pick of the 2026 draft. With that first overall pick, they were projected to draft Indiana Hoosiers Quarterback Fernando Mendoza. This means that during free agency, their goal was to sign any other position to help their team which was struggling in every area. Both sides struggled, their offense ranked dead last in points scored with 241 points while their defense did not much better, allowing 432 points and ranking 25th in the league. The offense finished with 4,168 total yards, and the defense allowed 5,403 yards. 

Since free agency began, the Raiders have signed many significant players. For example, they signed quarterback Kirk Cousins who will be a great mentor for Mendoza. Cousins has been in the league for 14 seasons, having a tremendous amount of experience. To protect Mendoza and their star running back Ashton Jeanty, they signed Pro Bowl center Tyler Linderbaum to a 3-year, $81 million deal so he can anchor the offensive line.  As for the defense, the Raiders made many additions. They signed defensive end Kwity Paye to a 3-year, $48 million deal to boost the pass rush. They also strengthened their linebacker corps, signing Quay Walker to a 3-year, $40.5 million contract and Pro Bowler Nakobe Dean to a 3-year, $36 million deal. The Raiders even maintained their best defensive player in Maxx Crosby, who is a top 5 defensive edge rusher. They attempted to trade him to the Baltimore Ravens, but it did not go through. So far, both fans and sports analysts have been satisfied with the Raiders’ offseason moves. Junior October Gardiner is a student at Ledyard High School who is fond of the Las Vegas Raiders. When asked about her opinion on their free agency signings and trades so far, Gardiner answered, “I feel that we can really turn it around this year, going from worst to first. Mendoza and Jeanty will be a lethal duo behind our newly improved offensive line, and the defense is starting to look dangerous.” Her satisfaction with the team’s offseason shows how serious the front office is taking this offseason, truly aiming to improve. 

On the other hand, some teams took little to no action in terms of signing new players. In the 2025-2026 season, the Cleveland Browns obtained a record of 5 wins and 12 losses. While their defense was top-tier and ranked 4th in the fewest total yards allowed, their offense struggled, finishing 31st in the league when it comes to points scored. This means that their defense did not need much revamping while their offensive desperately needed new players. At their quarterback position, which is arguably the most important position on the team, they mostly battled back and forth with using two rookie quarterbacks in Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders. Gabriel’s performance was poor, finishing with 937 yards, 7 touchdowns, and two interceptions. Although many fans and sports analysts believe in Sanders, he did not play much better despite receiving a large amount of support, gaining 1,400 yards with seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions. After this season, the Browns fired their head coach, Kevin Stefanski who had previously been successful, and hired Todd Monken, the former Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator. While hiring an offensive coordinator seems like a good idea to aid that side of the ball, this hire can be viewed as controversial because he has not been immensely successful with the Ravens offense last season, even missing the playoffs. 

Regarding their free agency signings with players, their moves have been underwhelming despite needing a colossal amount of help. While they did sign guard Zion Johnson to a 3-year, $49.5 million contract and offensive linemen Elgton Jenkins to a 2-year, $24 million deal, those two players are the only additions they made to their offense. Even though the Browns only made two offensive enhancements, their offensive line previously ranked 31st in the league, allowing 224 pressures and 29 sacks. These improvements on the offensive line can decrease this number, which could be a huge benefit to the team despite having little offensive help. Instead of making more signings on the offensive side of the team, they spent more money on their defense and signed linebacker Quincy Williams. While they did lose their previous linebacker in Devin Bush, the offense definitely needed the aiding more. Most fans and sports analysts agree that the team needs to make more changes to the offense. Junior Alana Ninteau is a student at Ledyard High School who is a fan of the Cleveland Browns. When asked her opinion about the moves made by the Browns this offseason, Ninteau responded, “I am very displeased. Yes, the offensive linemen we added to the team are great players, but even with a great offensive line, we still will not be able to win games if we don’t make more improvements.” Her dissatisfaction with the team proves that the majority of fans believe that more offensive extensions are needed in order to improve their performance. 

While some fans are satisfied and others are displeased with their team’s signings this offseason, there are still a few months left before the next season, meaning teams still have time to make more significant improvements. All hope is not lost for fans in desperate need for their team to make moves. Even the unexpected could happen, where teams with an excellent offseason so far can make no further additions to the team, decreasing the likelihood of winning next season. 

Nyela Whitney, Staff Writer

Junior Nyela Whitney is a staff writer for the 2025-2026 Colonelnews Site. She likes writing, spending time with her friends, and playing video games.