I gave it a B. Time will tell. I agree with MG that we'll really know in future years. Personally, I counted the draft, and I think it was a very good one. I see Free Agency as a definite loss in Willie Mac's case, and there will be at least an early vacuum at 'backer, unless something happens between now and September (the other point here is that you cannot begin to grade an offseason halfway through it.)
WR - I'm okay with the receiving corps, although the depth there is wafer-thin. I'd like to see mo better depth, but think Jackson and Caldwell, while not instant brilliant stars, will look good on the receiving end of Brady strikes. I also think we're hearing a lot of crap about Branch that will turn out to be much ado about nothing. He'll be back and happy by September. Hopefully he won't do something stupid like holding out from camp.
RB, huge upgrade from "nobody" most of last year to Dillon, Maroney, and Faulk now (as of right now, Pass is in there too.)
TE, an upgrade, if one was needed.
DBs, holding steady (as of now)
LBs - big hit from Willie Mac departure. We have no real assurance it'll get any better.
DL - everybody is healthy, some more jumbo bodies coming in. It's not getting any worse, that's for sure, and it was already the best unit in the league. RE-SIGNED THE BEST DEFENSIVE PLAYER IN THE LEAGUE, in Seymour. Should count for something.
PR/KR - Step right up and try your luck. Anybody could be our returner this year. Looks like we give up a few yards' field position on offense, unless something unusual is planned or happens. Downgrade, with departure of Bethel and Dwight. Maybe they like some of the Jakari Wallace level receiver types, at KR/PR.
QB - Departure of Kliff Kingsbury will be felt sharply. The arrival of Cory Bramlett and the maturation of Matt Cassel border on the significant. Let's be serious - this position is pretty well set.
RB - Huge improvement via the draft. I believe we have two guys here who are worthy of featured back status. Maroney is the future, but in another injury plagued year could carry the team (certainly much more so than Heath Evans, frinstance.)
OL - Improvement via return from injury of Light. Departure of Ashworth. Maturation of last year's starting "freshmen", Mankins and Kaczur. Addition of a lot of possibility via O'Callaghan, if in fact he can be as impressive a run blocker as some believe. If not, they lose nothing significant here, although it was, once again, not addressed in FA.
CAP POSITION: Second best in the league, last article I saw. Use of that money to get Branch done, lock up Graham if he's not on the block, etc. etc. etc., could make this evaluation a lot more clear by September.
Additional thoughts - Trades are in again, cap room is ubiquitous for a couple of years. I feel like I'm a little out of my depth given what looks like a sea change. I don't think BB is... in fact, he inaugurated the use of the new CBA trade ramifications, as I understand it.
I can't see evaluating by who went out the door and who came in, in FA alone. All I can see is determining whether the team is more or less able to do what it needs to do, whether by draft or FA.
So far, it looks pretty good to me.
PFnV