The midseason point in the NFL season is the perfect time to take stock of the bold moves teams made -- or avoided -- over the past eight months.
Several teams with an inside track on the playoffs swung trades that bolstered one side of the ball. Others are still reeling from unnecessary spending or overall inaction, though some rosters and front offices are more equipped to handle misses than others.
With the help of NFL personnel, here's a look at the best and worst moves as we enter Week 10.
The best moves
Buccaneers sign Tom Brady
Keep Tom Brady away from the New Orleans Saints, and he's dangerous.
Brady looked every bit of his 43 years in a baffling 38-3 loss to New Orleans on Sunday. Five of Brady's seven interceptions this season have come in two games against the Saints.
But the Bucs are paying Brady $50 million over two years to elevate the franchise, and he has largely done that. Given the Bucs' 6-3 record, their chances at their first NFC South title since 2007 are real.
Many evaluators considered Brady a fringe top-10 quarterback with declining skills late in the 2019 season. A new job has rejuvenated Brady.
"I was surprised by what I saw last year, but he looks better than what I saw in December and January," an AFC exec said. "He's throwing the ball pretty well overall. ... He should bounce back [from the loss to New Orleans], but it won't be as high as before, and the bounces will continue to be lower and lower as he gets older. But he's still better than most."
Then there's the ancillary benefit: The Bucs are relevant now.
