Summary of Buy or sell their offseason: The rebuilders

Overview of Buy or Sell Their Offseason: The Rebuilders

This episode of The Athletic Football Show kicks off a four-part series evaluating every NFL offseason in totality by grouping teams into buckets. Robert Mays and Dave Helman start with the “rebuilding” teams — the clubs at the bottom of the Super Bowl odds — and decide whether each team’s coaching changes, free agency, and draft amount to a net positive. The central question throughout: are these teams actually building something sustainable, or just rearranging the deck chairs while they wait for the next quarterback opportunity?

Key themes from the discussion

• Long-term flexibility mattered more than 2026 wins. Several teams were judged less on immediate competitiveness and more on whether they built a viable path to a 2027 quarterback.
• Offensive line and defensive line investments were prioritized. The hosts repeatedly liked teams that attacked premium positions, even if the results in 2026 might still be ugly.
• Coaching uncertainty is a major swing factor. Some teams made good player-acquisition decisions, but the hosts were skeptical that the staff could maximize them.
• A few teams were intentionally “parking” this season. The Dolphins and Falcons, in particular, were treated as teams that may be trying to survive 2026 while resetting for the future.

Team-by-team verdicts

New York Jets — Buy

The Jets were one of the most polarizing but ultimately buyable rebuilds.

• The hosts liked the player acquisition plan, especially the way the Jets added talent at premium spots and accumulated future draft capital.
• They viewed the three first-round picks in 2027 as a massive asset, even if the coaching staff turns over after a rough year.
• There was real concern about the coaching setup, especially the stability of the new regime and whether the staff can survive long enough to benefit from the roster.
• Still, the big-picture view was positive: the Jets may not be good soon, but they have a real chance to be attractive again in the near future.

Cleveland Browns — Buy

The Browns were an emphatic buy, even if the hosts worried they might become “too good” to land their desired quarterback.

• Cleveland attacked the offensive line hard, adding veterans and rookies to rebuild the front.
• The draft class was praised for adding multiple pieces with clear roles and good value.
• Todd Monken’s hire as head coach was viewed as a high-variance but interesting swing with upside if the fit clicks.
• The only real concern: if the roster improves too much, the Browns could drift out of range for a top quarterback in 2027.
• Even with that worry, the hosts strongly liked the overall blueprint: build the roster first, then insert the quarterback later.

Tennessee Titans — Lean Sell / Wait-and-See

The Titans were treated as a team with a decent process in spots, but not enough certainty to fully buy.

• The defense got a major facelift under Robert Saleh, and the hosts liked pieces like John Franklin-Myers, Jermaine Johnson, Keldrick Falk, and Solomon Thomas.
• They also liked the general idea of building around Jeffery Simmons with more support.
• But they were skeptical that the Titans added enough true difference-makers and worried that several of the moves were expensive but not transformational.
• There was also skepticism about the broader Brian Daboll offense / ex-Giants influence in the building.
• Net: the Titans have a vision, but the hosts weren’t convinced it meaningfully raises the ceiling yet.

Las Vegas Raiders — Lean Sell

The Raiders were the classic “good idea, but maybe too expensive in the eyes of the market” team.

• The biggest bullish point was Fernando Mendoza going first overall and landing in a setup that at least has some offensive infrastructure.
• The hosts liked Clint Kubiak and believed he’s shown enough as a play caller to deserve the benefit of the doubt.
• They also liked several roster additions, including Tyler Linderbaum, but thought the hype around the offensive environment may be ahead of the actual quality.
• The bottom line: they’re not anti-Raiders, but they think the team is being overvalued because of the quarterback pick.
• If the Raiders are a stock, Dave said he’d sell now.

Arizona Cardinals — Sell

Arizona was the clearest sell of the group.

• The hosts did not see a coherent multi-year plan.
• They questioned the value of spending premium resources on Jeremiah Love at running back and Carson Beck at quarterback when bigger roster holes remain.
• The offense and defense still appear to have major structural problems, especially at tackle and edge rusher.
• Even if some of the moves help in 2026, the hosts didn’t think the Cardinals improved enough to justify the way they allocated assets.
• The concern was simple: this offseason did not solve the roster’s most important problems.

New York Giants — Buy

The Giants were one of the stronger buys, especially as a foundational reset.

• The hosts framed this as a respectability rebuild under a proven head coach, not a push to contend right away.
• They liked the balance of the moves: building the trenches, improving the defense, and protecting future flexibility.
• Key additions like Arvel Reese, Francis Mauigoa, Colton Hood, Tremaine Edmonds, Darnell Mooney, and Isaiah Likely gave the roster a more complete look.
• The overall vibe was that the Giants are trying to become competent, stable, and harder to beat, which is the right first step after bottoming out.
• The hosts were cautiously optimistic that this could be the start of a real rebuild, not just a one-year reset.

Miami Dolphins — Conditional Buy

Miami was the hardest team to evaluate because almost everything depends on the rookie class.

• The Dolphins had huge dead-money issues, so they couldn’t operate like a normal offseason team.
• That made the draft incredibly important: they took 13 rookies, many of whom are expected to play early.
• The hosts’ verdict was basically: if the rookies hit, buy; if they don’t, sell.
• They liked the logic of trying to refill the roster with cheap, controllable talent while the cap is messy.
• The overall view was that Miami’s offseason is almost entirely a bet on rookie development and evaluation.

Atlanta Falcons — Buy the process, not the immediate product

The Falcons were viewed as a team doing the right thing for the future, even if it doesn’t make them especially interesting right now.

• Their offseason was interpreted as a reset after years of cap and roster mistakes.
• The hosts liked the idea of getting the books in order, restoring draft capital, and avoiding another all-in mistake.
• They saw the team as likely to be competent but not especially exciting in 2026.
• The offense still has enough pieces to be watchable, but the bigger goal is clearly positioning for a better future.
• In other words: the Falcons may be doing the smart thing, but it’s not a move that raises their immediate ceiling much.

Final takeaway

The rebuilding-teams bucket showed a pretty clear split:

• Strong buys: Jets, Browns, Giants
• Conditional or process-based buys: Dolphins, Falcons
• Skeptical / wait-and-see: Titans, Raiders
• Clear sell: Cardinals

The biggest thread across the episode was that the right offseason isn’t always the one that makes a team better right away. For rebuilding teams, the hosts cared most about whether the moves created a real foundation — especially at quarterback, offensive line, and defensive line — for the next phase of the rebuild.