AFC-heavy offseason makeover: CBS Sports’ top NFL roster upgrade list spotlights the Myles Garrett trade as a key win-win

NFL teams rarely treat an offseason as one uniform task. For some franchises, it is a reset meant to create a foundation for the next quarterback cycle. For others, it is about tightening a championship window, even if the timeline for that window is short. That tension runs through CBS Sports’ ranking of the league’s “top 10” offseasons, a list built around roster upgrades like free agent additions, draft-day value, and the willingness to make subtractive moves when they improve fit or cap flexibility.

At the center of the exercise is a blockbuster trade involving Myles Garrett, which CBS Sports frames as a “win-win” for the two teams on an AFC-heavy list. The key idea, as described by the outlet, is not just that Garrett is a premier defensive force, but that the transaction is evaluated in terms of what each roster needed most and how quickly each team could convert that need into on-field value. In other words, the trade is treated as a roster-building decision that aligns with each side’s goals, rather than simply a star-for-star swap.

The broader ranking approach is also central to how to read the list. CBS Sports acknowledges that “top offseason” judgments are inherently subjective, because franchises operate on different timelines and different definitions of success. One team’s best offseason might look like adding immediate starting talent. Another team’s best offseason might look like buying draft capital, changing coaching emphasis, or adjusting the roster construction so the next season’s growth can be maximized. Without a single universal yardstick, the ranking becomes a comparative exercise across general manager strategies.

Within that framework, the list methodology appears to give weight to the full range of roster work: coaching change implications, player additions, and player subtractions. The outlet also emphasizes that the offseason narrative is often shaped by more than one move. A team can sign a marquee player but still lose the offseason if the surrounding roster pieces do not match the new strengths. Conversely, a team can thread the needle with a set of smaller moves if they collectively improve a weak point while avoiding unnecessary clutter at other positions.

It matters that the list is “AFC heavy,” because the AFC in recent seasons has tended to produce deeper contenders and higher roster churn, where upgrades can have outsized impact on playoff qualification and home-field calculus. Even without focusing on exact placement within the top 10, the emphasis suggests CBS Sports believes the most consequential team-building work in this window is clustered among conference rivals that will see each other often enough for roster changes to show up quickly.

Still, there are limits to what an offseason ranking can prove. A roster move is not the same thing as game outcomes, and a list published before training camp cannot measure the actual performance of new starters, how quickly schemes click, or whether the draft picks develop on schedule. The most responsible way to treat rankings like this is as a snapshot of front-office intent, not a prediction of results. That is especially true for blockbuster trades, where the full payoff depends on fit, health, and the surrounding talent at premium spots.

What to watch next is how the “fit” component plays out. For teams linked to the Garrett trade, the question is whether the roster structure around the defensive front and pass rush translates into consistent pressure and improved game planning. Across the rest of the league, the key is whether the ranked offseasons produce tangible advantages in the areas each team targeted, such as pass protection stability, turnover creation, or red zone efficiency. CBS Sports’ list may be subjective, but it highlights a real offseason theme: the best roster upgrades tend to match a team’s timeline, not just its star power.