2013 free agency winners and losers

Winners

1. Denver Broncos

Well the Broncos certainly didn’t have what you would call an active free agency period but the moves they did make we’re substantial. Denver restructured the contracts of key players like Champ Bailey and Elvis Dumervile before free agency kicked off which freed up some cap space to bolster the Broncos roster.  It was expected that the Broncos would target a corner back to sure up the defensive back field but instead stole wide receiver Wes Welker away from the New England Patriots in a shocking move that is sure to heat up an already intense rivalry between future Hall of Fame quarterbacks Tom Brady and Peyton Manning.

2. Chicago Bears

As much as Denver was admired for making the flashy move in free agency, Chicago should be congratulated for making what some would call dull moves by getting exactly what they needed. The Bears started free agency in a frenzy to fill the roster spots that they so desperately needed and succeeded by doing just that. The Bears signed TE Marcellus Bennett and LT Jermon Bushrod to long term deals within the first few hours of free agency to dramatically improve their offense, are these the final pieces to a Chicago offense that could finally challenge their defense?

Losers

1. Baltimore Ravens

This is an obvious pick as the biggest “loser” team in free agency this year but it isn’t due to a lack of intelligence in the front office or the locker room. The ravens are simply a casualty of free agency as they were enslaved to the salary cap going into this off season, making free agency a nightmare for Baltimore fans. The Ravens lost key players at MLB (2), LOLB, CB, SS, WR, and OG that will assuredly stomp out any optimistic talk about a repeat.

2. New England Patriots

WOW! That is all I can say after the loss of several key role players in the Patriots offense, most notably wide receiver Wes Welker. Who would have thought one of the most stable franchises in NFL history would succumb to such a bone headed free agency. The Patriots are sure to miss steady contributers like Welker, Woodhead, and Lloyd next season but who knows, maybe New England still has a little magic left up their sleeve.