Let us dive into the murky, mercurial world of the NFL offseason and see if we can shine some light in the darkness to discover who we can crown as the offseason king, and conversely, who lost out on the opportunity for self-improvement.
Top 5 Offseasons
1. New York Jets
Although I am not convinced all their moves will work, you cannot argue with the talent level the Jets' brass brought in. Free agents/trade acquisitions Santonio Holmes, LaDanian Tomlinson, Jason Taylor, Antonio Cromartie, Brodney Pool, and draft selections Kyle Wilson and Vlad Ducasse make an already stacked Jets team perhaps the league's most talented roster. Fitting the pieces together will be another story, but on paper, this is a team with serious firepower.
2. Miami Dolphins
Any time you can add two Pro Bowl players to the mix without losing much, you've had one hell of an offseason. Brandon Marshall is unquestionably one of the league's best wideouts and Karlos Dansby is an elite linebacker. Both are in the early stages of their prime playing years and should make Miami fans very happy. This is a team on the rise and the offseason, including a solid draft, did nothing but continue that trend.
3. Detroit Lions
I love what the Lions did. This is a team in need of talent everywhere and a more solid identity. They go out and get Kyle Vanden Bosch and Corey Williams then draft Nddamukong Suh. In one offseason they manufacture a very good defensive line. Although they traded away one of their top defensive players in Ernie Sims, they get Tony Scheffler in return who will be a very nice target for growing Matthew Stafford. In addition, they add an explosive element to their offense in Jahvid Best. What the Lions did this offseason is give their young assets a chance to succeed. They continue to supplement Stafford and Calvin Johnson with a supporting cast and surrounded Suh with veterans along the defensive front. They also added talented corner Chris Houston, bolstering the secondary. This was one of the most well-planned and coherent offseasons of any team in the league, a good sign for Lions fans who have long bemoaned their team's front office.
4. Oakland Raiders
I give the Raiders credit because they finally decided to take a smart and solid approach to the offseason. Jason Campbell is not Johnny Unitas, but he certainly isn't JaMarcus Russell either. He is solid, talented, and with a fresh start he could develop into an upper echelon starter. His struggles were over-reported in Washington though his numbers were actually pretty good. Then they grab Rolando McClain with the eighth overall pick, a guy who should start and play well from day one, anchoring a relatively talented defense. They also added productive pass rusher Kamerion Wimbley who comes over from Cleveland. Most impressively, Al Davis resisted drafting combine freaks until the fourth round where gambles are more affordable. He selected electric Jacoby Ford, fastest man in the draft, and Bruce Campbell, who had legendary combine numbers, both in the fourth. That means less money to pay them if they bust and there is less pressure on those players to contribute immediately. This was a new approach for the Raiders, and one I agree with very much.
5. Baltimore Ravens
I love the addition of Anquan Boldin as long as he can stay healthy. They did not have to pay an absurd amount for him, and yet he will be their first true number one receiver in ages. Donte Stallworth may prove to be a good addition as well. I like that they did not trade young, mountainous offensive tackle Jared Gaither, who forms a great pair with Michael Oher. Then in the draft they continue to add weapons, selecting tight ends Ed Dickson and Dennis Pitta. I think Pitta plays and contributes immediately, and suddenly the Ravens are a team of considerable firepower when you figure in the all-around play of Ray Rice, the progression of third-year QB Joe Flacco, and the play of a very good offensive line.
Honorable Mention
Chicago Bears: I know you are screaming, "Why the Bears?" Well, you can't argue too much with bringing in Julius Peppers, but he is 30 and known to be inconsistent with his effort. Chester Taylor is a nice addition and will help in a number of ways. But the Bears again had almost no draft, and have too many other holes to be spending so much on an aging and unreliable Peppers.
Cincinnati Bengals: I wanted to put Cincy in the Top-5 but I couldn't justify it because I haven't seen their rookies take the field yet. I love the addition of Antonio Bryant who gives this offense a whole other dimension, taking so much pressure off Chad Ochocinco. Then they get a steal at pick twenty-one in the draft by grabbing tight end Jermaine Gresham who could be in the Pro Bowl in a year or two. Add Jordan Shipley (born to play the slot) and this team has made over its offensive capabilities. Defensively they add incredibly talented Carlos Dunlap, albeit amid huge character concerns.
Worst 5 Offseasons
1. Arizona Cardinals
2. Pittsburgh Steelers
3. Green Bay Packers
4. Carolina Panthers
5. Denver Broncos
--from Adam
Dissention in the ranks!
ReplyDeleteAs a full-blooded Packer fan I must protest your inclusion of the Green and Gold in your list of offseason losers. Green Bay's three biggest needs this offseason were to, in this order, first, upgrade the offensive line, second, to address the secondary (specifically corner), and third, to improve the pass rush. We addressed the o line with Bulaga and I'm satisfied with that. We did not bring in any corner help, but I like Tramon Williams enough if Al Harris can't come back the same after his knee injury, and reigning NFL Defensive PoY Charles Woodson has, at the very least, another good season or two left in him. The Packers are also very high on draft pick Morgan Burnett, a safety, a secondary man, but not a corner I'll admit. The pass rush was not addressed at all, but perhaps another offseason learning the 3-4 system will be enough to help the guys we already have. With failed experiment Aaron Kampman now gone, it gives the other guys full practice reps to get this thing right.
Also coming from a Packer fan, I have a suggestion as to which team you could replace the Packers with on your losers list: the Minnesota Vikings. You can argue that the Vikings' biggest need this offseason was to improve their secondary, which they addressed by drafting cornerback Chris Cook with their first pick in the draft, but I would disagree with the former part of that statement (maybe even the latter too, but I digress). The Vikings' secondary is average at its worst, which is still good enough to win football games when you have a defensive line featuring Jared Allen and the Williams boys. Quarterback is Minnesota's biggest need and the Vikings haven't done anything about it. Before Brett Favre was their knight in shining Wranglers, they were about to head into the fray with Sage Rosenfels and Tarvaris Jackson battling for the starting quarterback spot, all this taking place while Jay Cutler, a 25-year-old QB coming off a 4,500 yard season, was feuding with his coach, running himself out of Denver. Minnesota didn't make a play for him then, which opened the door for Favre to wow us all, this now Favre hater included. Flash forward to this offseason; Favre still has not made any definite decision as to whether he'll play, and there's still a gaping hole where the Vikings' quarterback of the future should be. The Vikings didn't get into the Donovan McNabb sweepstakes--maybe not a prototypical "quarterback of the future," but he would be a great fit in Brad Childress' system and he certainly has more of a future than the 41-year-old Favre--and neglected to draft Jimmy Clausen twice, as they held the thirtieth pick in the first round, traded it to the Lions while on the clock, moved back four spots, and then still didn't take Clausen at thirty-fourth overall. Perhaps they didn't draft Clausen out of fear that if they picked him, Favre wouldn't come back at all. Bad moves on the Vikings' part, I expect nothing less from those losers.