Previously, we looked at what players came out on top in the latest round of NFL Free agency.  Next we’ll dive into which teams made the best, and worst, moves.

Winners

Philadelphia Eagles

While the signing of Sam Bradford doesn’t exactly excite me, nor is he the player who played in the same system in college, I always like the story of a player who, when given a second chance, succeeds – Drew Brees, Darren Sproles, etc.  And with Demarco Murray also in that backfield, they definitely will see an upgraded offense.  Now to get a receiver in the draft and some linemen.

Denver Broncos

With Peyton Manning not only safely in the fold, but with a restructured contract that should let them re-sign Demaryius Thomas, the Broncos have virtually guaranteed, barring injuries, another trip to the playoffs.  Owen Daniels is no Julius Thomas, but he’s solid and should give Manning a good outlet.  With Montee Ball healthy going into camp, they’ll have an embarrassment of riches in the backfield.  The OL will need work, but that can be addressed in the draft.  Losing ‘Pot Roast’ on the defense will hurt, but Vance Walker at DE helps add some much needed depth.  The only question will be the coaching staff, but Kubiak had success with the Texans with less talent.

Seattle Seahawks

Seriously?  As if they needed another weapon?  They get Jimmy Graham?  Good lord.  They lost their center, Max Unger to free agency, but will likely sign Stefen Wisniewski, a younger, more talented replacement.  They’ve not lost anyone significant to free agency, and they’ve also picked up Cary Williams from the Eagles.  While he’s no shut-down corner, he’s on the bigger side and quick.  He definitely makes up for the loss of Byron Maxwell.

Losers

Detroit Lions

Losing Nick Fairley and Ndamukong Suh will hurt.  A lot.  Good defensive linemen help your corners be good, because instead of 4-5 seconds to pick apart the secondary, the QB has 2-3.  With the added time, suddenly that Lion secondary that looked good last year, will be pedestrian this year.  Sure they picked up Haloti Ngata, and he’s a great player, but he’s no Suh.

New England Patriots

How can the defending Super Bowl champs possibly be losers?  Belichick just picks up guys, plugs them in holes, and BAM, they win, right?  Well, sure, that’s pretty close to the truth, but they’re losing some major talent on their defense, between Vince Woolfork, Brandon Browner, Revis.  And no matter how good your system and front office is, losing two guys in the secondary with the talent of Revis and Browner, it’s going to hurt.

New Orleans Saints

They look like the Florida Marlins of old, getting rid of high dollar players in what looks to be almost a fire-sale….except Drew Brees, of course.  Cutting Curtis Lofton, a starting LB and forcing Junior Galette to restructure his deal in order to stay.  Getting rid of Graham in a trade and getting a player who has missed almost as many games that he’s played over the last two years in Unger.

 

Hope you enjoyed this review of NFL Free Agency. We’d love to hear what you guys thought!

The first week of NFL free agency still has a few days to go and already there have been some massive shifts in power across the National Football League.  Some huge trades have come into play as well, helping make this first week of free agency more interesting than any in the last several.  Let’s take a look at what players were the biggest winners and losers.

NFL Free Agency Winners

Demarco Murray

Murray gets paid to go to a system where he not carry the ball nearly as much as he was expected to at Dallas, but there are two other running backs in the system.  This will help his durability and ensure that he lasts through the season.  Is the Eagle OL as good as Dallas’?  Not even close, but Chip Kelly’s offense should help keep defenses off balance, and he’ll likely improve the line via the draft

Ndamukong Suh

Suh gets his contract, the highest paid defensive player in the NFL and he goes to an up and coming team.  He goes to a forgiving city, where the Hurricanes kept fans enthralled despite their hoodlum ways for years, until they stopped winning.  And he gets to play in a division where there are zero mobile quarterbacks.  I can hear Tom Brady’s tears on the referees’ shoulders already.

Jimmy Graham

Sure, he’s going to a team with a ‘run-first’ attitude, but with a weapon like that, the Seahawks would be fools not to try to get him the ball as much as possible.  When the GM of your biggest rivals comments that the only thing they can do to stop him is to “find a 6-6 safety”, you know that you’ve made an impact.  Of course, this is the team who had the best RB in the league, the ball on the three yard line, and passed (intercepted) the ball in the Super Bowl….

NFL Free Agency Losers

Brandon Marshall/Jay Cutler

– Marshall gets traded to that talent-suck of a club, the NY Jets.  With no QB to throw to him, he’s destined to throw tantrums, get suspended, and likely won’t last a season before being released.  Cutler will also throw tantrums and interceptions all season (likely more of the latter), now that the Bears have announced that they’re not going to trade him.  I could probably add Alshawn Jeffries to this as well, given that he’s going to see a lot of double-coverage now, with Marshall removed from the mix.

Darelle Revis

Sure he’s getting paid, but why?  To lose?  The Jets don’t scare anyone with their defense, and adding Revis to the secondary only ensures that this Jets defense will be like previous years when Revis was still with them, sieve-like, except when throwing to his side.  He gave up a chance to play for a Super Bowl, to get paid.  I suppose that may make him a winner in some people’s eyes, but if your ultimate goal is to win championships, this is a horrible move for him.

Trent Richardson

Top five draft busts in history?  Probably not quite, but top ten?  I’d definitely argue that he belongs there.  Released from the Colts after having successfully shown they wasted a first round draft pick to acquire him.

 

Let us know what you think of these latest NFL Free Agency changes – @redshirt_sports.

With no live NFL action except some guys running 40 yard dashes without linebackers in their way, now is a great time to grade out the teams that made new coaching hires this offseason. It’s the players that make the most difference in terms of winning or losing, but getting the right head coach is pivotal to the overall chemistry of the franchise. There were quite a few hirings so let us jump right in.

strong>Jack Del Rio, Oakland Raiders: C+: How can anyone get excited about a coaching move the Raiders make? I know Al Davis is long gone, but until I see proof that things have changed, I’m not going to be high on this troubled franchise. Del Rio has solid experience under his belt and a good young quarterback in Derek Carr, but the wheels could fall off at any point with this team.

Jim Tomsula, San Francisco 49ers: F-

This grade isn’t much about the new coach. Tomsula may be a great coach at some point in the future. That’s irrelevant. The 49ers had a head coach in Jim Harbaugh that was already one of the best in the league. Management should have found a way to get along with the guy. Now they face an uphill battle with a new man in charge.

Gary Kubiak, Denver Broncos: B-

John Fox did an admirable job in Denver, but couldn’t get over the Super Bowl hump. Elway did his job by supplying a much improved defense in 2014, but to no avail. Kubiak and Elway may be a better overall fit as they shape the team in their own mold going forward. Kubiak didn’t wow the world in his run with Houston, but a new team presents new opportunities. Many a head coach needed two opportunities to get rolling.

Todd Bowles, New York Jets: B+

Even though Bowles has no head coaching experience in the NFL, he is at the top of the game defensively. His biggest hurdle is at QB. I’m sure he can coach up the defense, but he has to find a real replacement for Geno Smith. I cannot see Smith being the long term solution there. Geno Smith would get Bill Walsh fired.

John Fox, Chicago Bears: B

This ‘B’ could be for blah. Fox was good, not great in Denver. That’s why he’s in Chicago now. This team should thrive under Fox’s steady hand. That may not be good enough longterm, but it should smooth over the debacle of last season in the short run.

Rex Ryan, Buffalo Bills: A-

I believe Rex Ryan is still a top tier head coach despite a couple of rough years with the Jets. His players play hard for him and he knows the game, especially on the defensive side. He does face a familiar problem in Buffalo with the lack of a true number one QB however.

Dan Quinn, Atlanta Falcons: B+

We don’t know what Dan Quinn is going to be as a head coach. This is his first shot running the show in the NFL. Atlanta had to fire its most successful coach in Mike Smith as they had gotten in a two year rut. Quinn may be the defensive wizard that he is purported to be, but management best get him some players to work that magic. There is no Richard Sherman, Earl Thomas III, or Kam Chancellor on the Falcons’ roster.