Winners and Losers:First week of FA.

[Charles Woodson]

Updated: March 7, 2007
Patriots, 49ers among early winners
Clayton
By John Clayton
ESPN.com
Archive

Maybe it's too early to pick winners and losers in the first week of free agency, but we might as well try.

The pace, as expected, has been crazy. The market should start slowing down, and the patient teams -- those waiting for lower-priced players -- should start making their moves.

It's impossible to project how the moves of the past few days will change a team's fortune in 2007, but it is possible to pick some winners and losers.

Winners

San Francisco1. San Francisco 49ers: They are on the right path. After signing cornerback Nate Clements, nose tackle Aubrayo Franklin, linebacker Tully Banta-Cain and safety Michael Lewis, the 49ers are looking more like a 3-4 defense. Franklin will help at nose tackle. Clements matches up against the top receivers on an opposing team. Lewis is a physical safety, and Banta-Cain should improve the team's speed at linebacker. Ashley Lelie will help because he's different from the other San Francisco receivers. He has speed and should be able to help in the red zone. The 49ers aren't done. They still have plenty of money and plenty of draft choices to improve their team.

New England2. New England Patriots: Too bad they didn't do this last year. Had they been this aggressive in free agency then, they might have added that one receiver or one defensive back who could have led them back to the Super Bowl. Linebacker Adalius Thomas is one of the best signings of the offseason. Although he probably won't have as many sacks or tackles as he had in Baltimore, Thomas will be a great weapon for brilliant Bill Belichick. Halfback Sammy Morris and tight end Kyle Brady are good role players for the offense. The most interesting move was trading two draft picks (their second- and seventh-round picks) to Miami for 5-foot-8 Wes Welker. The Patriots like smaller receivers who are quick out of breaks. Although they might have overpaid in draft choice compensation, they acquired a receiver they liked as opposed to just taking guys off the street the way they did last year.

Miami3. Miami Dolphins: Talk about attitude. The Dolphins have a 3-4 defense with Jason Taylor, Zach Thomas and Joey Porter. This looks like an AFC Pro Bowl team. Porter was a great signing. Taylor can get the sacks and force fumbles. Porter and Thomas can be the leaders. The other great part of Miami's offseason is that it has acquired three additional draft choices -- in the second, sixth and seventh rounds -- in trades. This franchise traded away too many draft choices over the years and needs to start getting younger. With nine draft choices in hand and good positioning in the draft, the Dolphins are off to a good start.

Tampa Bay4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: So much for getting younger. They've added Jeff Garcia at quarterback and Kevin Carter at defensive end, along with signing some role players. The Garcia move could be a great one. The Bucs needed a feisty leader. Although there is no guarantee he will start, Garcia gives Jon Gruden a type of quarterback he hasn't had since Brian Griese was with the Bucs. Gruden runs a complicated system. Garcia should pick it up with no problem. Tampa Bay also added veteran left tackle Luke Petitgout and will look to sign another veteran for the line.

Denver5. Denver Broncos: You have to love the Travis Henry move. He's a 1,200-yard back who should flourish in Mike Shanahan's zone blocking scheme. Plus, it didn't cost the team a draft choice. The Broncos also added the top tight end on the free-agent market, Daniel Graham. Although cornerback Dre' Bly isn't happy about his trade to Denver, the Broncos still picked up a commodity who can either help their defense as a starter or net them draft picks in a trade. Denver might have to let some defenders go to free some cap room, and those losses have to be monitored.

Losers

Baltimore1. Baltimore Ravens: They were losers at the beginning of free agency last year but ended up winners, and they could still do the same this year. Ozzie Newsome is one of the best general managers in the game, so he will be active in the weeks ahead. But the Ravens are starting in a hole. They've lost Thomas, Franklin, fullback Ovie Mughelli and right tackle Tony Pashos. They also cut halfback Jamal Lewis, but they probably will get him re-signed.

Green Bay2. Green Bay Packers: The Packers fell in a hole early by creating a void at halfback with the departure of Ahman Green. Even though they wanted to re-sign him, they didn't want to go over $5 million a year to keep him. They also lost tight end David Martin. Although the Martin loss to Miami might not be a big one, Green Bay is becoming thin at tight end. Bubba Franks didn't have a great year. The Packers need a good offseason to fix their defense, but holes are starting to open in the offense that have to be addressed as well.

New York3. New York Giants: They have a gaping hole at left tackle after they released Petitgout and Bob Whitfield retired. Left tackle is a tough position to replace, and New York is getting a feel for that. Leonard Davis could have received $24 million in guarantees had he signed on as a left tackle for the Giants, but he opted to sign with the Cowboys. The team also has holes at linebacker after releasing Carlos Emmons and LaVar Arrington. The Giants could be losing kicker Jay Feeley as well.

Oakland4. Oakland Raiders: The Raiders don't have a starting quarterback. Although some might say that has been the case since Rich Gannon retired, Oakland has to figure out what to do at its most critical position. As the draft gets closer, Al Davis will be torn. He's going to fall in love with Georgia Tech wide receiver Calvin Johnson. Who wouldn't? He's 239 pounds, runs a 4.35 in the 40 and jumps more than 45 inches vertically. JaMarcus Russell is the logical choice at quarterback, but we'll see whether the Raiders are logical. They also have a hole at right tackle after losing Langston Walker to Buffalo for $5 million a year. It wasn't as though Oakland had the league's best offensive line, so it can afford to lose players.

Houston5. Houston Texans: They suffered a blow when Jake Plummer was traded to Tampa Bay, then retired. They want an upgrade at quarterback so they can move David Carr in a trade. For now, they have to hold on to him and say he is the starter. The offensive line still has problems, and who knows how long it's going to take to fix that area? Green was an interesting signing, but the team needs a receiver on the other side of Andre Johnson after releasing Eric Moulds. So far, the Texans haven't made enough offensive moves to move forward in the increasingly tough AFC South.

[gbpackfan]

What the hell is going on in Lambeau!? Damn, this sucks.

[red]

so its not just a few of us lunatics that think we're sucking ass at this free agency thing

the nerdy pencil neck guy with horrible hair thinks that too

[retailguy]

so its not just a few of us lunatics that think we're sucking ass at this free agency thing




Well, it was pretty much just me until yesterday. Welcome. It's about damn time you got here.

[Charles Woodson]

so its not just a few of us lunatics that think we're sucking ass at this free agency thing




Well, it was pretty much just me until yesterday. Welcome. It's about damn time you got here.

eh RG im with you till the end. Off with TT's head.

[red]

so its not just a few of us lunatics that think we're sucking ass at this free agency thing




Well, it was pretty much just me until yesterday. Welcome. It's about damn time you got here.

actually i've been with you since friday

and i wasn't too happy with the free agency period last year, but i kept it in thinking TT knew what he was doing

[bigcoz75]

Last years winners and losers from scout.com:

THE WINNERS

1. Washington Redskins: Owner Daniel Snyder once again opened the bottomless vault and brought in the most impressive free agent class in years, which includes two former 49ers starters. Safety Adam Archuleta, defensive ends Andre Carter and Kenny Writerdsf, tight end Christian Fauria, and wide receivers Brandon Lloyd and Antwaan Randle El all will either start immediately or see significant playing time. Lloyd, a restricted free agent, was actually acquired in a trade for two draft picks, but he essentially was a free-agent pickup as the Redskins intended to strike a deal with the 49ers before signing him to an offer sheet.

2. Cleveland Browns: The coup was landing defensive tackle Willie McGinest, but the signing with the most immediate impact is likely offensive lineman LeCharles Bentley, who lived in relative obscurity in New Orleans. Bentley was the second-best offensive lineman available and the Browns shored up a glaring need. They also landed receiver Joe Jurevicious ? a FA the 49ers were interested in ? tackle Kevin Shaffer, nose tackle Ted Washington and punter Dave Zastudil.

3. Arizona Cardinals: The 49ers? divisional rival won the Edgerrin James lottery and that puts them near the top of the list in itself. James gives the Cardinals a legitimate back for the first time since?Larry Centers? The offense is scary good with James, wide receivers Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald and golden boy quarterback Matt Leinart. They also added depth at wide receiver by signing Troy Walters away from New England. With the addition of a superb draft class, the Cardinals have had arguably the best offseason of any NFL team.

4. Houston Texans: Everyone in South Texas already knows what most of the league and its fans may just now be catching up to: The Texans had a great offseason. They added depth in the linebacker corps with Sam Cowart, shored up the defensive line with Anthony Cook and gave quarterback David Carr more weapons by signing *ullback Jameel Cook and tight end Jeb Putzier. But the biggest move came when they signed Eric Moulds, who will provide the Texans with a legitimate No. 2 receiver threat for the first time ever. They also picked up running back Antowain Smith late in the free agency period.

5. Dallas Cowboys: They are grudgingly listed here because they had the guts, or perhaps idiocy, to sign former 49er Terrell Owens. There is no doubting Owens? ability on the field. There is also no doubting his inability in being a good teammate, as many former and current 49ers could tell you. The Cowboys finally filled their rotating kicker position by landing Mike Vanderjagt. The signing of offensive tackle Jason Fabini could be the key move of the offseason.
THE LOSERS

1. New England Patriots: Perhaps no team in the league was hit harder in free agency than the Patriots. They lost one of the best kickers ever in Adam Vinatieri, a stalwart defensive lineman in Willie McGinest and one of the most underrated receivers in the league in David Givens. Losses of receivers Andre Davis and Tim Dwight aren?t quite as significant, but do put a dent in the depth at the wide receiver position. Much like their conference rival the Colts, their biggest acquisition was a kicker (Martin Gramatica).

2. Chicago Bears: The Bears had one of the worst offenses in the league last year and what did they do to address their needs in free agency? They added Brian Griese, yet another quarterback with a mostly unproven track record, to essentially compete with Kyle Orton and Rex Grossman for the starting job. Their only other slightly significant addition was adding cornerback Dante Wesley
3. Indianapolis Colts: Any time your biggest acquisition is a kicker (albeit one of the best in league history in Adam Vinatieri), you probably didn?t have too much to get excited about. The Colts were never really in the running in resigning Edgerrin James, who left town for Arizona, so that makes them a free agency loser alone. They also lost receiver Troy Walters and kicker Mike Vanderjagt, for better or for worse.

4. New York Jets: Not much has gone right for the Jets recently. They lost two stalwarts along the two lines in John Abraham and Kevin Mawae. Granted, Abraham was dealt in a trade and wasn?t lost in free agency, but the Jets had no intentions of keeping him. Mawae was a rock along the Jets line for years and found a new home on Tennessee. Signing defensive end Kimo von Oelhoffen was a nice pick up, though.

5. Jacksonville Jaguars: Their free-agent signing list largely reads as a ?Who?s That?? of NFL players. Linebacker Nick Greisen, wide receiver Randy Hymes and cornerback Brian Williams were all signed to add depth, mostly. Their biggest splash came in signing offensive tackle Mike Williams away from Buffalo. The former first-round pick out of the University of Texas was a major disappointment in Buffalo and will be looking to rejuvenate his career with the Jags.


Among the "losers"- 4 playoff teams including the 2 teams in the SB.

Among the "winners"- one playoff team.

[Packnut]

so its not just a few of us lunatics that think we're sucking ass at this free agency thing

the nerdy pencil neck guy with horrible hair thinks that too

Believe me red, anyone with the ability to reason can see Thompson has screwed up. He had the money and there were guys out there that could have helped us. But, God forbid we over-pay anyone. In fact when we go 6-12 next season, that can be our official mantra- "Teddy did'nt over-pay anyone".

Then again, anyone paying attention just might realize that what we consider over-paying a player is now becoming the norm in the NFL. Salaries are going up along with the cap. The good GM's are those that realize this.

[bigcoz75]

Don't look now but the sky is falling. :roll:

[red]

Last years winners and losers from scout.com:

THE WINNERS

1. Washington Redskins: Owner Daniel Snyder once again opened the bottomless vault and brought in the most impressive free agent class in years, which includes two former 49ers starters. Safety Adam Archuleta, defensive ends Andre Carter and Kenny Writerdsf, tight end Christian Fauria, and wide receivers Brandon Lloyd and Antwaan Randle El all will either start immediately or see significant playing time. Lloyd, a restricted free agent, was actually acquired in a trade for two draft picks, but he essentially was a free-agent pickup as the Redskins intended to strike a deal with the 49ers before signing him to an offer sheet.

2. Cleveland Browns: The coup was landing defensive tackle Willie McGinest, but the signing with the most immediate impact is likely offensive lineman LeCharles Bentley, who lived in relative obscurity in New Orleans. Bentley was the second-best offensive lineman available and the Browns shored up a glaring need. They also landed receiver Joe Jurevicious ? a FA the 49ers were interested in ? tackle Kevin Shaffer, nose tackle Ted Washington and punter Dave Zastudil.

3. Arizona Cardinals: The 49ers? divisional rival won the Edgerrin James lottery and that puts them near the top of the list in itself. James gives the Cardinals a legitimate back for the first time since?Larry Centers? The offense is scary good with James, wide receivers Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald and golden boy quarterback Matt Leinart. They also added depth at wide receiver by signing Troy Walters away from New England. With the addition of a superb draft class, the Cardinals have had arguably the best offseason of any NFL team.

4. Houston Texans: Everyone in South Texas already knows what most of the league and its fans may just now be catching up to: The Texans had a great offseason. They added depth in the linebacker corps with Sam Cowart, shored up the defensive line with Anthony Cook and gave quarterback David Carr more weapons by signing *ullback Jameel Cook and tight end Jeb Putzier. But the biggest move came when they signed Eric Moulds, who will provide the Texans with a legitimate No. 2 receiver threat for the first time ever. They also picked up running back Antowain Smith late in the free agency period.

5. Dallas Cowboys: They are grudgingly listed here because they had the guts, or perhaps idiocy, to sign former 49er Terrell Owens. There is no doubting Owens? ability on the field. There is also no doubting his inability in being a good teammate, as many former and current 49ers could tell you. The Cowboys finally filled their rotating kicker position by landing Mike Vanderjagt. The signing of offensive tackle Jason Fabini could be the key move of the offseason.
THE LOSERS

1. New England Patriots: Perhaps no team in the league was hit harder in free agency than the Patriots. They lost one of the best kickers ever in Adam Vinatieri, a stalwart defensive lineman in Willie McGinest and one of the most underrated receivers in the league in David Givens. Losses of receivers Andre Davis and Tim Dwight aren?t quite as significant, but do put a dent in the depth at the wide receiver position. Much like their conference rival the Colts, their biggest acquisition was a kicker (Martin Gramatica).

2. Chicago Bears: The Bears had one of the worst offenses in the league last year and what did they do to address their needs in free agency? They added Brian Griese, yet another quarterback with a mostly unproven track record, to essentially compete with Kyle Orton and Rex Grossman for the starting job. Their only other slightly significant addition was adding cornerback Dante Wesley
3. Indianapolis Colts: Any time your biggest acquisition is a kicker (albeit one of the best in league history in Adam Vinatieri), you probably didn?t have too much to get excited about. The Colts were never really in the running in resigning Edgerrin James, who left town for Arizona, so that makes them a free agency loser alone. They also lost receiver Troy Walters and kicker Mike Vanderjagt, for better or for worse.

4. New York Jets: Not much has gone right for the Jets recently. They lost two stalwarts along the two lines in John Abraham and Kevin Mawae. Granted, Abraham was dealt in a trade and wasn?t lost in free agency, but the Jets had no intentions of keeping him. Mawae was a rock along the Jets line for years and found a new home on Tennessee. Signing defensive end Kimo von Oelhoffen was a nice pick up, though.

5. Jacksonville Jaguars: Their free-agent signing list largely reads as a ?Who?s That?? of NFL players. Linebacker Nick Greisen, wide receiver Randy Hymes and cornerback Brian Williams were all signed to add depth, mostly. Their biggest splash came in signing offensive tackle Mike Williams away from Buffalo. The former first-round pick out of the University of Texas was a major disappointment in Buffalo and will be looking to rejuvenate his career with the Jags.


Among the "losers"- 4 playoff teams including the 2 teams in the SB.

Among the "winners"- one playoff team.

the pats and colts didn't have 50 billion holes to fill

and i mean come on. its just natural for people to call the bears lossers

[red]

so its not just a few of us lunatics that think we're sucking ass at this free agency thing

the nerdy pencil neck guy with horrible hair thinks that too

Believe me red, anyone with the ability to reason can see Thompson has screwed up. He had the money and there were guys out there that could have helped us. But, God forbid we over-pay anyone. In fact when we go 6-12 next season, that can be our official mantra- "Teddy did'nt over-pay anyone".

Then again, anyone paying attention just might realize that what we consider over-paying a player is now becoming the norm in the NFL. Salaries are going up along with the cap. The good GM's are those that realize this.

yeah, thats the sad reality

people like to say, why overpay for average players

welcome to the first year of the new nfl. do you really think its ever going to get better?

it will only get worse as the cap continues to escalate.

"well that player isn't worth 50 million". well guess what, the new market just said he is. and when that elite player hits the market in the next year or two we'll be seeing contracts well over 100 million

welcome to the new nfl. thats the way things are now. get use to it

and if we aren't willing to pay that type of money, then we mine as well join the CFL

[Bretsky]

so its not just a few of us lunatics that think we're sucking ass at this free agency thing




Well, it was pretty much just me until yesterday. Welcome. It's about damn time you got here.


I'm with you guys; I'm just holding out a bit longer. The other day I thought the normally mellow RG was having a breakdown and couldn't even figure out what to add in there at the time.

Remember a similar analogy I made before free agency.

Some GM's consider Free Agency Christmas for them.....all excited to pick up the newest toys and bring them home for their kids while taking pleasure in the quest......but supply is limited....and the demand for the newest and greatest is big

Now TT.....he waits til the toys that all the kids like best are gone.....then Xmas hits and the kids are sad.....so after Xmas, he shops for the uses stuff or the picked through items that are on sale.

And if he can't find his item on sale, he passes.

[Charles Woodson]

Has there ever been a season that a Gm didnt sign a FA?

[b bulldog]

Give me a break, the Martin departure hurts us, the guy has never even played an entire season.

[gbpackfan]

Loosing Martin doesn't hurt. Loosing Green does. Not filling his spot with a vet. does. I still think the offseason can be saved, there are still some players left in FA!

[cpk1994]

so its not just a few of us lunatics that think we're sucking ass at this free agency thing

the nerdy pencil neck guy with horrible hair thinks that too

Believe me red, anyone with the ability to reason can see Thompson has screwed up. He had the money and there were guys out there that could have helped us. But, God forbid we over-pay anyone. In fact when we go 6-12 next season, that can be our official mantra- "Teddy did'nt over-pay anyone".

Then again, anyone paying attention just might realize that what we consider over-paying a player is now becoming the norm in the NFL. Salaries are going up along with the cap. The good GM's are those that realize this.

Packnut, if you want someone who spends a boat load of money on FA, go and become a Vikings fan. And while you are over there drooling over the $100 Million OL and the $20 Miillion upgrade to the D, ask yourself where it got them. I'll even answer that one for you. In the two seasons they spent $120 Million on players, their record went from 10-6 and in the playoffs to 6-10 and not even close. Hell even the Pack, yeah the team with TT, went 8-8 without spending much. FA isn't the cure all you seem to think it is. Or maybe your real name is Dan Snyder.

[b bulldog]

The Green departure did hurt but he was not worth the money he was given.

[HarveyWallbangers]

I agree with bulldog. Now that I've had time to think about it, I can't blame Thompson for paying $6M/year for Ahman. David Martin is about as big of a loss as Robert Ferguson would be. He'll still make some moves this offseason. More importantly, he needs to have a good draft.

[HarveyWallbangers]

How can Minnesota not be on the list? They signed Visantha Shiancoe and Bobby Wade to a combined $30M over 6 years. How crazy is that?

[Charles Woodson]

so its not just a few of us lunatics that think we're sucking ass at this free agency thing

the nerdy pencil neck guy with horrible hair thinks that too

Believe me red, anyone with the ability to reason can see Thompson has screwed up. He had the money and there were guys out there that could have helped us. But, God forbid we over-pay anyone. In fact when we go 6-12 next season, that can be our official mantra- "Teddy did'nt over-pay anyone".

Then again, anyone paying attention just might realize that what we consider over-paying a player is now becoming the norm in the NFL. Salaries are going up along with the cap. The good GM's are those that realize this.

Packnut, if you want someone who spends a boat load of money on FA, go and become a Vikings fan. And while you are over there drooling over the $100 Million OL and the $20 Miillion upgrade to the D, ask yourself where it got them. I'll even answer that one for you. In the two seasons they spent $120 Million on players, their record went from 10-6 and in the playoffs to 6-10 and not even close. Hell even the Pack, yeah the team with TT, went 8-8 without spending much. FA isn't the cure all you seem to think it is. Or maybe your real name is Dan Snyder.

I have posted this before but i mean our record doesnt mean much yes we beat the Vikings but hell i mean... its the vikings for damn sake


Im not one to put down our play and yes we were "almost" in but if you look at the teams we beat and the teams we lost to, it really isnt impressive

-Wins: Detroit Miami Arizona, Minnesota San Fransisco Detroit Minnesota Chicago.

-Loses: Chicago, New Orleans, Phili, Saint Louis, Buffalo New England Seattle, New York.

Times we blew someone out (more than 10 points): 4 times, Detroit, Miami, Arizona, Chicago

Times we got blown out by someone (more than 10 points): 6 times, Chicago, Phili, Buffalo, New England, New york.

Its just that we had the secound easiest schedule and we won most of the easy games. But theres deffinetley a problem when you get blown out 6 times. Chicago was the only team that we beat that was over .500. I think that stat alone sums up our need for more talent. Yes i recognize that we are a building team, we werent suppose to win that many games last year and we deffinetly exceded my expectations for this team last year but as a building team we still need to add players that didnt perform well last year. TE and Saftey are the largest ones.

[LEWCWA]

Same whiny crap new year. Why sign retreads just to sign them...TT did a nice job last season and will make a couple key pickups again....its called patience...

[PackerPro42]

I'm actually happy that TT is sitting on his wallet right now. To go out and spend a shit load of money on aged player that don't fit our sytem is a rediculous fantasy. TT isn't the GM for nothing, he's knows what he's doing and I trust in him to make the best decisions for the Packers organization. As far as I'm concerned TT is saving money that can be contributed to cheaper FA this year and some good guys again next year. You guys have to be patient, don't be mad that TT didn't spend his whole cap allowance like the Broncos did, in order to get some overaged players that won't contribute for more than a couple years anyways.

[swede]

Agreed and agreed LEWCA and P42.

This is a rebuilding team. We can't plug all these holes on FA. Patience will pay off handsomely in '08.

RG, I do agree with the notion that, like 3 dollar gas, we'll have to get used to 5 mil per year average dudes.

[prsnfoto]

Its just that we had the secound easiest schedule and we won most of the easy games. But theres deffinetley a problem when you get blown out 6 times. Chicago was the only team that we beat that was over .500. I think that stat alone sums up our need for more talent. Yes i recognize that we are a building team, we werent suppose to win that many games last year and we deffinetly exceded my expectations for this team last year but as a building team we still need to add players that didnt perform well last year. TE and Saftey are the largest ones.

This was true going into the season by the end of the year our schedule was actually much more difficult than Chicago's which remained the easiest,we beat the bad teams lost to the good teams and only won one game against a great team. What is more important was that we were close against some good teams,N'O,Ram's(OK),Buffalo(better than their record), the Jets loss was a little scary, NE didn't bother me at all. Ahman hurts but he wasn't worth it, Martin doesn't hurt at all, and I disagree with his take on the D we need a safety maybe some depth at CB our D is fine, TT should sign either Hamlin or Grant, draft 2 D players 6 O players and sign a couple O FA's he will move eventually. I might join your crowd if he really thinks Manuel is suffice at Safety.

[Packnut]

Agreed and agreed LEWCA and P42.

This is a rebuilding team. We can't plug all these holes on FA. Patience will pay off handsomely in '08.

RG, I do agree with the notion that, like 3 dollar gas, we'll have to get used to 5 mil per year average dudes.


What if Favre retires after this season? Name me a franchise that's recovered quickly when the franchise QB retires? All the patience in the world won't mean squat.