• Drew Dalman will excel in Ben Johnson’s scheme: Dalman’s track record with outside zone concepts is immaculate, producing an impact block on over 27.5% of his snaps on his way to a 93.8 PFF run-blocking grade. 

• Jordan Mason to amplify Minnesota Vikings running game: Over the past three seasons, the former San Francisco 49ers running back has earned the third-highest PFF rushing grade (90.7) at the position when running outside zone. Mason generated 5.8 yards per carry and recorded a first down or touchdown on 26.8% of attempts – the highest rate of any back over that span (minimum 100 carries)
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Estimated reading time: 7 minutes

In an ideal world, every free agent signing is the perfect mesh of roster need, contract value and scheme fit. We’ve seen numerous moves that check the first two boxes, but which moves address the last – and most crucial – box, and which ones match like a square peg in a round hole? 

Perfect Fits

Ryan Poles’ first order of business this offseason was revamping the interior of this Bears offensive line to better fit the vision that new head coach Ben Johnson has for his offense. Chicago was not a team that ran the ball with much frequency in 2024, totaling the 26th-most rushing attempts (389) during the regular season, running primarily gap concepts (26%; fourth-most). A stark contrast to Johnson’s offense in Detroit that made a living on the ground and deployed the fourth-highest rate of outside zone concepts (45%) in the NFL.   

The Drew Dalman acquisition was not only the final piece to the puzzle but perhaps the most natural scheme fit of any player Chicago could have targeted at the center position. The former Atlanta Falcons center is no stranger to zone-heavy running schemes, as the only team to run more outside zone concepts than Detroit last season was Atlanta (59%; 297 snaps).

Since entering the NFL in 2021, Dalman has earned a reputation as one of the best run-blocking centers in the game. His track record with outside zone concepts is immaculate, producing an impact block on over 27.5% of his snaps on his way to a 93.8 PFF run-blocking grade. The only center to grade higher over that span? Johnson’s former center in Detroit, Frank Ragnow. 

Kevin O’Connell’s reputation as one of the NFL’s premier quarterback whisperers may be what draws in the headlines, but the Vikings running game’s effectiveness is well worthy of praise also. 

Although Minnesota has seen an increased rate of gap concepts over O’Connell’s tenure, stretching defenses with outside zone remains the bread and butter of this Vikings offense, underscored by their 37% usage in 2024 (ninth-highest). The Vikings offense struggled at times to find consistent production out of outside zone runs, ranking sixth in stuff rate, as over 25% of their carries ended in loss or no gain. 

While Aaron Jones produced a respectable 71.3 PFF rushing grade on outside zone runs, Jordan Mason is a significant upgrade when running the concepts. Over the past three seasons, the former San Francisco 49ers running back has earned the third-highest PFF rushing grade (90.7) at the position when running outside zone. Mason generated 5.8 yards per carry and recorded a first down or touchdown on 26.8% of attempts – the highest rate of any back over that span (minimum 100 carries).  

With Xavier McKinney departing New York for Green Bay during the 2024 free-agent cycle, this Giants coverage unit was sorely lacking the playmaking ability that was its hallmark. Jason Pinnock struggled to provide the same presence on the back end that terrified offenses into not testing this defense deep.    

The Giants ran the sixth-most closed coverages (705) in the NFL in 2024, as Pinnock was primarily deployed as the single-high safety – earning just a 45.5 PFF coverage grade – while rookie Tyler Nubin patrolled around the box, where he showed some flashes. 

As a unit, Giants safeties produced just a 50.4 PFF coverage grade (27th) while allowing the second-highest passer rating (120.4) into their coverage in the NFL. A far cry from the top three marks this safety unit produced in each category the year prior.  

Signing Holland will go a long way to correcting the miscalculation of letting McKinney walk last offseason, as the former Miami Dolphins safety profiles as a seamless transition into New York’s scheme. Since Holland’s rookie season in 2021, the talented safety has earned the seventh-highest PFF coverage grade (90.1) in closed coverages, surrendering just 0.44 yards per coverage snap

After struggling to find his footing at tackle in New York, Becton signed with the Philadelphia Eagles last offseason where he shifted to the interior and enjoyed one of the best seasons of his career. Philly simplified the game for Becton by moving him to right guard where he produced a 76.0 PFF grade – tied for 16th among qualifying guards. The 25-year-old blocker took solid steps in pass protection, surrendering just five knockdowns during the regular season.

With Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt at the tackle spots for Los Angeles, the Chargers won’t be tempted to test Becton on the outside. That should provide a boost to the Chargers’ interior, as their guards allowed the highest knockdown rate in the NFL (5.1%) in 2024.      

Before tearing his Achilles in Week 4, Daniels was on track to produce the highest-graded season of his career. His 92.9 PFF grade was the highest generated by a guard through September. Should he recover well from surgery and rehab, the former Pittsburgh Steelers offensive lineman profiles as one of the best scheme fits of the 2025 free agent cycle. 

Introducing Daniels into the Dolphins front should make for a simple transition. Miami’s running game features a heavy dose of outside zone, running the seventh-highest rate (43%) in the NFL this past season. The former Steeler has excelled in outside zone-heavy schemes, producing a 72.4 PFF run-blocking grade on those looks throughout his career.      

Questionable Moves

While the Vikings did possess a critical need to generate pressure from the interior, that void extends into the running game – which is not an area of expertise for Hargrave. Down the stretch, Minnesota struggled mightily to fit the run with any consistency, which profiled as a big reason why its playoff march was halted in the wil-card round. 

From Week 14 onward, the Vikings interior posted just a 35.2 PFF run-defense grade (31st) as a unit. Of defensive tackles that clocked at least 100 run defense snaps, only Jalen Redmond generated a grade above 64.0.

That’s not a facet that Hargrave has shown any proficiency in over the past five seasons. Since 2020, the former 49er and Eagles defensive tackle has generated just 36.2 PFF run-defense grade – ranking 120th out of 132 qualifying interior defenders.   

Following D.K. Metcalf’s trade to Pittsburgh and Tyler Lockett’s release, the cupboard was looking quite bare in the Hawks receiving corps, as Jaxon Smith-Njigba remained the lone holdover from the starting group. After investing heavily under-center with Sam Darnold, having limited weapons in the receiving game is a non-starter if this team wants to make some noise in the NFC West, leading to the Cooper Kupp acquisition.

Seattle is well acquainted with Kupp after watching the former Los Angeles Rams receiver make impact plays for the opposition for the better part of a decade. However, that doesn’t profile as a smooth one-to-one transition. The Hawks’ only proven receiver on the roster, Smith-Njigba, clocked 560 snaps from the slot last season – most in the NFL – posting the third-highest PFF receiving grade (84.9) of 2024.

Kupp is most comfortable out of the slot, the spot where he has clocked over 61% of his snaps over his career. Since he entered the league in 2017, Kupp has earned a 90.8 PFF receiving grade from the slot – the fifth-highest slot grade in the NFL over that span. 

With two slot receivers, who is going to be forced to move outside?