Which teams have helped themselves the most in free agency? By Mike Wilkening - April 13, 2009 Free agency isn?t over, but the buzz surrounding it is. What better time than now, then, with preparation for the NFL draft in overdrive, to take a look at the teams that appear to have helped themselves more than any other in free agency. We posed the question to coaches and evaluators around the league, and here are the teams who caught their attention. All respondents participated on the condition of anonymity. 1. Buffalo Bills ? In most circumstances, the NFL?s 22nd-ranked passing offense signing a receiver who has averaged 81 catches and about 1,200 yards and a dozen scores since 2000 would be met with universal acclaim. But Terrell Owens is not your average go-to receiver, and it is no secret why he was on the market: The Cowboys, after imploding last season, decided that Owens was too polarizing a presence in their locker room. So the Bills? addition of Owens, 35, is not without risk, and not without its detractors. However, our panel saw Owens as a risk worth taking in light of the Bills? unique circumstances. The Bills have not made the postseason since 1999, and their offense?s distinct lack of punch was one of their downfalls last season. What?s more, the franchise?s future in Buffalo is a source of considerable speculation. Take all these factors into account, and you can understand why Owens interested the Bills so much. ?Whether you like him or not, he makes plays,? one personnel man said. ?He?s going to bring ticket sales, jersey sales, help them financially.? Said another panelist: ?I think T.O. is really going to help Buffalo, to be honest with you.? The Bills also were praised for signing former Panthers C Geoff Hangartner. 2. New York Giants ? An already stout defense got more formidable with the additions of DTs Chris Canty (who played end in Dallas? 3-4 scheme) and Rocky Bernard. And don?t overlook the addition of speedy LB Michael Boley, who racked up 330 tackles in four seasons with the Falcons. ?I thought Atlanta would never let him get out of there,? an evaluator said. Boley is only 223 pounds, but he is very fast, and he is likely to be kept clear of blockers playing behind an absolutely loaded Giants defensive line. While the defending NFC East champs did lose RB Derrick Ward to Tampa Bay and S James Butler to St. Louis, the Giants have capable replacements at both positions, with Ahmad Bradshaw expected to get more work at tailback and 2008 first-round pick Kenny Phillips slated to take over for Butler. 3. Washington Redskins ? It is a rite of spring: Redskins owner Daniel Snyder is praised for opening his wallet ? and then everyone waits to see if this is the free-agent class that makes all the difference for his franchise. Yes, the Redskins paid heavily ? up to nine figures heavily ? for DT Albert Haynesworth, but they desperately needed defensive line help, and Haynesworth is capable of making the entire front four better. The re-signing of CB DeAngelo Hall could also pay off if he plays like he did in his seven-game stint with Washington in ?08. The Redskins also signed former Bills OG Derrick Dockery, who was an effective player in his first stint in Washington. 4. Denver Broncos ? No team was more active early in free agency as new head coach Josh McDaniels and general manager Brian Xanders remade the roster. The most noteworthy signing was the addition of Eagles S Brian Dawkins, but opinions vary on how much Dawkins has left to give at age 35. At the very least, the Broncos appear to have bolstered their depth, which was a glaring weakness last season as they cried out for the finish line in the AFC West race. :beer: 5. New York Jets ? They have been praised for the signing of Ravens ILB Bart Scott, who?s in the prime of his career and ready to lead his own defense. The addition of his instinctive Baltimore teammate, S Jim Leonhard, will help a secondary that struggled at times a season ago. 6. New England Patriots ? They have bolstered several positions. Replacing La*Mont Jordan with Fred Taylor at running back should be an upgrade, and veterans Shawn Springs and Leigh Bodden give them more options at cornerback. While speed at receiver did not appear to be a glaring weakness, the signing of ex-Buccaneers WR Joey Galloway is a low-risk, potentially high-reward gamble if he has not lost much speed to age. And if they somehow end up with Julius Peppers or Jason Taylor, bump them up the list. > http://www.profootballweekly.com/PFW/Features/NFList/2009/nflist2402.htm
yeah what at terrible move... they pick up a reciever who has better numbers by himself than their entire recieving corps combined. Are you serious?.. just because you think T.O. is an asshole.. doesn't mean he can't play football.. now for the first time in quite awhile.. Lee Evans has someone next to him that can play WR.. which is only going to help him.. gotta love that 3 of the top 5 teams to better their teams in the offseason are all in the same division.... ours..
Hahahahahaaa.... LMFAO. You're absolutely right! I want to read what this guy says along about week 10 when the Bills are 3-7 and TO is doing sit-ups in his freaking driveway.
Well i think his point is, how are they the most improved team by simply signing a reciever? granted a better reciever than anyone they have, but still a 35 yr old who will be there only a single year, and definitely an asshole, he has destroyed three teams, and renigged on going to Baltimore in a trade because he would have rather played in Philly. Besides at 35, his skills are going to take a hit any time now, and even if they dont right now, the signing damn sure doesnt make them the most improved team in the NFL.
Washington should not be on that list. In FA you can't just look at who gets brought in by a team, you also have to look at who they lose to accurately grade them. Yes, Washington brought in Haynesworth, resigned Hall, and brought back Dockery. But they also lost Marcus Washington, Shawn Springs, and had to cut Jason Taylor for cap reasons. The Jets did very well as they brought in a TON of help on the defensive side of the ball and have an HC to get the most out of that talent. They also did not lose any significant talent. One can be critical of them giving up draft picks for Sheppard as they could use some young talent on offense, but how often do you get the opportunity to trade for a top 15 CB in this league. I know I have blue colored glasses on, but I do think the Giants had the best FA period of all teams. The strength of this team is the defensive line. When the lack of depth had the pass rush burning out late last season, the Giants' fortunes went south quickly. In addition to this, the signing of Michael Boley addresses a weakness the Giants had all season long-the lack of coverage ability of the LB corps. I know that many will look at not bringing in a WR, but keep in mind that there is still a young and talented player in Manningham on the roster and the draft has yet to happen. And has Buffalo done anything else besides bring in TO? That alone should not classify them as a free agency winner.
I agree, the Giants D should be monstrous this year. Canty, Boley and the return of Osi make that D so athletic and what a pass rush. As much as I hate the Giants......
Yeah the Giants are gonna kill it next year, and if they trade for Braylon Edwards (they might as well) then look out
He can play football fine, but it's no coincidence that he has hated every QB he has played with (with the exception of Steve Young when he was a green player), has bashed them through the media, has been run out of town from every team he has played on. And now that his skills are diminishing, he still thinks he is the player he was 5-10 years ago. He simply isn't, and it's going to get ugly when he can't back up his talk like he used to. It already is, actually.
I think the guarenteed most improved team via Free Agency is the Giants. Their defense will be very tough in 2009, since it was already great. The Bills and Redskins shouldn't be that high on the list. I agree with all the other teams and spots, I would put Buffalo in 5th though.
If they trade for Edwards I will be thrilled. We need a true #1 WR to allow Hixon and Smith to see and beat single coverage. This also helps the run game as opposing defenses will need a safety over the top to take away the deep jump ball. I also anticipate Mario Manningham being able to contribute as well. And even though I will miss Derrick Ward, I am very excited to see what Ahmad Bradshaw can do.
The thing to keep an eye on with the Giants' D is going to be how their new DC performs. Sure, they may have brought in some players, but losing Spagnuolo is going to be huge IMO. More than some people are willing to admit anyway.
No, that is not exactly what I meant. The acquisition of T.O. pails in comparison to the overall contribution that will be made by Bart Scott and Leonard. Plus, Scott and Leonard will have a study diet of hitting, and Scott will be asked to or assume more of a Learship role on the Defensive Squad. T.O. will be asked to make plays and score TDs - T.O.'s appetite will not always be satisfied and when that happens, he gets either stupid, cranky, or both. Let us also examine the risk of signing factor. Scott and Leonard carry much, much lower risk of cauisng a problem than does a T.O. (given mutual injuries can not be included because it exist as a common threat for anyone). I am not saying the Jets should be #1 on the list either, but putting Buffalo there is insane.
Totally agree with you. Buffalo's FA period is defined by 1 move. And unless TO is akin to Reggie White going to the Packers (which he ain't) then I see no logic in putting Buffalo at the top of this list.
BTW, since I do not follow the Giants at all (I respect them; just do not follow - unless it is to beat the Pats in the SB), how is Osi's recovery doing?
The guy spends thousands of words to describe one signing..that of a jerkoff 35 year old receiver. How can anyone take the rest of his opinions seriously. 8 years ago this might make sense..but thats what puts the Bills up to number 1? He?s going to bring ticket sales, jersey sales, help them financially.? Said another panelist: ?I think T.O. is really going to help Buffalo, to be honest with you.? How about wins. If the article heading was "who will bring a team more attention" perhaps I would understand it. The guy that wrote this along with his "panelists" should have written an article on which teams cheerleaders have the best asses.
Losing Spags is huge, but there are a few factors to keep in mind. 1. Bill Sheridan worked closely with Spags designing the Giants' blitz packages. Both have said this and Spags wanted Sheridan to be his DC with the Rams. 2. Antonio Pierce is still there. His intelligence as a player cannot be underrated. As an athlete he is average at best; he plays the run well, is moderately talented as a blitzer, and can't cover well at all. Without his grasp and understanding of the defensive scheme and of football in general he wouldn't be in the league. Hopefully he can keep the defense running on all cylinders. 3. Spags was a great DC, no doubt about that, but he also had a lot of talent to work with. Strahan, Osi, Kiwi, and Tuck is a dline that most DCs can only see in their wet dreams; he walked into this his first year. I'm not saying Spags is an average DC and the Giants talent made up for it, I'm saying that football is a team sport and you can't put all the success for the defense just on him. 4. This is probably the biggest one; the Giants defense is predicated off the dline winning its individual matchups. Unlike the Steelers and Eagles, who try to outscheme you to get a free rusher, the Giants rely on just flat-out winning when you put one blocker on one of their players. They do this by keeping men fresh via rotation and by having a lot of talent on the defensive line. This is a hard plan to implement, but it's also pretty tough to screw up. I am hoping all these things come together to ensure that Bill Sheridan is a good Giants DC.
Osi is practicing and seems to be doing fine. He actually said he thinks he could have played in late December, if he wasn't on IR. He also said his knee had been bothering him since the 2007 opener, so he anticipates coming back stronger than ever.
Yea I heard him talking not that long ago something about chasing down Gazelles over in Africa or something was meant as a joke but QB's facing the Giants next year will def feel like a deer in the headlights with all their weapons going after them.
That?s probably the worst article i read in some time, and there?s a lot of bullshit out there these days.
