Championship contenders are not built overnight. But who says last-minute moves can't be instrumental to a successful season? This year is no exception, as some of the best teams atop the NFL standings have stayed busy since the schedule kicked off.
Below, we've identified the top in-season moves by each of our 10 favorite playoff contenders -- basically our picks for teams most likely to make a run at a Lombardi Trophy (The Super Bowl will air on CBS and stream on Paramount+). Each and every one of them has done some critical shuffling in the lead-up to a playoff push, sometimes via trade, other times via changes to the depth chart:
49ers: Acquired Chase Young
San Francisco already boasted an elite defensive front, but adding the ex-Commanders pass rusher has lessened the burden for Nick Bosa, Javon Hargrave and Arik Armstead in the trenches. Only the Ravens allow fewer points per game, and Young's seamless transition to the rotation -- he has two sacks and four quarterback hits in four games -- is part of that.
Cowboys: Trusted DaRon Bland
When Dallas lost All-Pro ballhawk Trevon Diggs to a serious injury two weeks into the season, team brass could've panicked. Instead, they leaned on Bland as a full-timer opposite Stephon Gilmore, and while he hasn't been totally invincible on the perimeter, his own knack for the ball -- 14 pass deflections, eight picks, five scores -- has helped fuel their top-10 defense.
Eagles: Shuffled special teams
It's too early to make a read on their abrupt and polarizing defensive-staff turnover, inserting Matt Patricia as the play-caller over new coordinator Sean Desai before Week 15. But their move to add Braden Mann has vastly improved the punting unit, and their commitment to Britain Covey has quietly given them one of the NFL's most efficient punt returners.
Bills: Stood by Sean McDermott
Not that his job security was ever truly in question, but the missiles have come from all over this year: the crunch-time woes, the digging up of old motivational-speech blunders. McDermott's players have rallied around him in recent weeks, and his move to Joe Brady at offensive coordinator has Josh Allen quietly in the MVP race as well. If they get into the dance, watch out.
Ravens: Signed Kyle Van Noy
The former Patriots hybrid spent all offseason unsigned, then joined Baltimore's practice squad in late September. Since then, his six sacks and seven tackles for loss have contributed to the NFL's stingiest defense, which also leads the league in QB takedowns. Like Jadeveon Clowney alongside him, he's been a true diamond in the rough for a title contender.
Lions: Leaned into Sam LaPorta
Detroit opened 2023 without Jameson Williams out wide, then lost David Montgomery to injury a couple games in. But Dan Campbell's trust in the young tight end paid off, with LaPorta quickly emerging as a safety valve for Jared Goff. With three weeks to go, the Iowa product has already produced one of the most prolific seasons by a rookie TE in NFL history.
Chiefs: Paid Chris Jones
It's been an ugly year for Kansas City according to the team's title-winning standards, so its inability to field a reliable receiving corps overshadows the rightful decision to extend Jones and end the star defender's early-season holdout. The Chiefs have quietly boasted a top-five "D" for much of the year, and he's been at the center of it with 10 tackles for loss and 20 QB hits.
Dolphins: Activated Jalen Ramsey
When Ramsey went down in training camp, it appeared as if his anticipated Miami debut might have to wait until 2024. But the former Rams star completed a vigorous rehab from knee surgery before Halloween, and the Dolphins' decision to activate him for Week 8 and beyond has given the secondary a savvy ballhawk for the stretch run. He's still got gas in the tank.
Browns: Signed Joe Flacco
No one could've forecast Flacco emerging as a pivotal piece of the playoff race in the year 2023, but at 38, left to waste away in free agency until his practice-squad offer in November, the former Ravens starter has breathed new life into Cleveland's hopes of a playoff run. He's not perfect, but he still slings it, proving more effective than the three QBs who started before him in '23.
Rams: Trusted Kyren Williams
When L.A. traded Cam Akers in late September, Sean McVay officially went all-in on Williams, a 2022 fifth-round pick with only one career start, as his lead ball carrier. It's proven to be one of his best calls of the year, providing Matthew Stafford and an injury-riddled WR corps with a premium crutch. In just 10 games, Williams is knocking at the door of a 1,000-yard season.
