Which Teams Invested in the Offensive Line in 2025?

Don’t forget about the trenches. Offensive line play is difficult to quantify and is often overlooked when evaluating fantasy environments.

Every offseason, once the main part of free agency is over, I compile all the offensive line free-agent signings to get a quantitative sense of which teams are investing in the trenches. One of the best measures of a player's value and ability is the contract that they sign, so I sum the average annual value for each team's free agents in (players the team signed) and free agents out (players signed away by other teams) to calculate a net dollar value (net $ in) for each team.

I don’t think anyone else looks at free agency this way, but if they do, please let me know – I’d be interested in seeing their analysis.

A team with a large positive number means they brought in significantly more talent than they lost, and the team should be better up front. Conversely, a team with a big negative number means that they lost considerably more talent than they brought in, and the team’s offensive line should be worse. Quality coaching, good drafting, and the development of younger players can offset these losses in free agency.

I've been studying offensive line spending since the 2019 season, and generally speaking, teams that lead the league in offensive line free agency spending will see an improvement in run-blocking and pass-blocking. It's not for certain, however, as there are other factors at play, like a deep bench, quality/poor coaching, injuries, etc. For an overview of the 2019-2022 data, check out the 2023 version of this article.

Note: I previously used Football Outsiders' Adjusted Line Yards and Adjusted Sack Rate, but since that data is now behind a paywall, I'll be using ESPN's advanced stats–Pass Block Win Rate (PBWR) and Run Block Win Rate (RBWR)–along with Pass Blocking Efficiency (PBE) from PFF to measure improvement in offensive line play.

In 2024, five teams spent a net of $10 million or more on the offensive line:

• The Panthers (+$36.1M) spent the most in any one offseason since I started tracking this data in 2019. In 2023, they were 29th in PBWR and 17th in RBWR. In 2024, they were 30th (-1) and 10th (+7), respectively. Their PBE improved from 27th to 12th (+15), so PFF saw pass blocking improvement where ESPN did not.

• Not only did the Commanders (+$19.7M) spend on the offensive line, but they added tackle Brandon Coleman in the third round. The funny thing is, offensive line was already a team strength in 2023. Washington was 7th in PBWR, 2nd in RBWR, and 25th in PBE that year. In 2024, they were 9th (-2), 2nd (0), and 8th (+17), respectively, so per ESPN, they maintained their solid play, and according to PFF, they drastically improved their pass blocking.

• The Cardinals were third in spending (+$17.4M) and added guard Isaiah Adams in the third round. In 2023, Arizona was 22nd in PBWR, 13th in RBWR, and 22nd in PBE. Last year, the Cardinals were 16th in PBWR, 11th in RBWR, and 5th in PBE, so the franchise saw significant offensive line improvement across the board.

• The Giants (+$15.6 M) spent a good amount on two net players in, but did not get their money’s worth. The G-men were 21st in PBWR, 19th in RBWR, and 30th in PBE in 2023. Last year, they were 26th (-7), 27th (-8), and 30th (0), so the offensive line play actually got worse despite all that money the Giants spent.

• Finally, the Rams (+$11.7M) spent some dough, but they actually lost a net of two players when it was all said and done. They were 19th in PBWR, 10th in RBWR, and 17th in PBE in 2023. Last year, they finished 20th (-1), 12th (-2), and 23rd (-6), respectively.

Seven teams lost at least $10 million in net salary in 2024: the Broncos (-$10.2M), the Ravens (-$10.2M), the Bengals (-$10.3M), the Dolphins (-$11.2M), the Packers (-$12.1M), the Lions (-$12.3M), and the Cowboys (-$18.0M). Without going into too much detail, these seven teams, on average, lost 3.6 spots in the PBWR rankings, 0.1 spots in the RBWR rankings, and 2.4 spots in the PBE rankings. The Broncos, Ravens, and Packers were able to absorb the AAV losses, while the other teams took more of a hit.

Here’s a look at the table for 2025:

A Few Takeaways

For the teams, I’ll list their ranks for ESPN’s RBWR and PBWR, and PFF’s PBE in parentheses. For certain players, I’ll mention their positional run/pass-blocking ranks per PFF. There were 87 eligible tackles, 78 eligible guards, and 44 eligible centers that played at least 20% of the snaps last season.

• The Titans (21st RBWR, 27th in PBWR/29th in PBE) are definitely trying to address a weakness after spending a net of $27.5M, the vast majority on tackle Dan Moore (53rd in run-blocking, 53rd in pass-blocking per PFF), whose metrics don’t really live up to the price tag. They also added 35-year-old guard Kevin Zeitler (3rd, 22nd), who is still playing at a high level despite Father Time breathing down his neck.

• The Jaguars (25th, 19th/3rd) spent the second most ($23.0M), mainly on guard Patrick Mekari (52nd, 24th) and backup center Robert Hainsey, who only played 94 snaps for the Bucs but graded very well. The Jaguars also added guard Wyatt Milum in the third round of the draft.

• The Texans (31st, 22nd/22nd) added a net of $17.4M in offensive line salary, mainly tackle Cam Robinson (58th, 42nd) and guard Laken Tomlinson (48th, 38th), a couple of solid additions, while adding second-round tackle Aireontae Ersery in the draft. They also traded for guard Ed Ingram (55th, 68th) and traded tackle Larry Tunsil (22nd, 4th) to the Commanders. Tunsil is a big loss.

• The Packers (23rd, 7th/11th) spent a net of $16.1M, mostly on guard Aaron Banks (26th, 55th). They also added second-round tackle Anthony Belton. It looks like the plan is to move guard Elgton Jenkins to center to replace the departed Josh Myers. If they only had drafted two-time All-Pro and consensus top center (in the 2021 Draft), Creed Humphrey, instead of Myers when they were both on the board late in the second round in 2021. (I will never let this go.)

• The Chiefs (7th, 8th/9th) already have a strong unit, but they added tackle Jaylon Moore (34th, 36th) for an AAV of $15.0M in free agency and added a first-round tackle, Josh Simmons, in the draft. They did trade away guard Joe Thuney (15th, 3rd) to the Bears. Kansas City’s offensive line should once again be a good unit in 2025, though the loss of Thuney will hurt.

• It’s understandable why the Patriots’ offensive line (32nd, 31st/31st) is undergoing wholesale changes; their 2024 rankings were abysmal. New England signed tackle Morgan Moses (57th, 45th) and center Garrett Bradbury (13th, 40th). They also made investments in the draft, selecting tackle Will Campbell with the 4th overall pick and adding center Jared Wilson in the third round. TreVeyon Henderson should have better luck finding holes to run through than Rhamondre Stevenson did last year.

• The Vikings (15th, 2nd/27th) were either great or terrible in pass blocking, depending on the site (ESPN/PFF). They added guard Will Fries (4th, 12th) for $17.5M per year, and replaced Bradbury with center Ryan Kelly (28th, 7th), both former Colts. They also added first-round guard Donovan Jackson, so this already-solid unit could make a leap in 2025.

• The Chargers’ (13th, 11th/16th) big addition was guard Mekhi Becton (15th, 40th), who is better in the running game than in pass protection.

• The Bears' (8th, 15th/21st) free agency numbers don't pop off the page, but they did sign a good center, Drew Dalman (6th, 13th), traded for guard Joe Thuney (15th, 3rd), and drafted tackle Ozzy Trapilo in the second round. The Bears could have a very good unit if everything comes together.

• The 49ers (24th, 14th/13th) lost guard Aaron Banks (26th, 55th) and tackle Jaylon Moore (34th, 36th). The 49ers typically have good offensive line depth and could absorb the losses, though they didn't make any big moves in free agency or the draft to shore up the offensive line.

• The Steelers (18th, 13th/26th) could take a step back after losing $29.8M in net salary along the offensive line and choosing not to draft an offensive lineman in the first three rounds. Pittsburgh lost tackle Dan Moore (53rd, 53rd), guard/center James Daniels, who only played 209 snaps but put up stellar run-blocking numbers.

• The Colts (4th, 25th/18th) were good in the running game but struggled in pass protection in 2024. Unfortunately, they lost guard Will Fries (4th, 12th) and center Ryan Kelly (28th, 7th), so they could take a step back in both facets of offensive line play.