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.
