Aqua4Ever04
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With some training camps already in progress and the rest set to kickoff in about a week, let's review the off-season that was. Over the pass few days I have been making a list of players lost and players gained for each team during the off-season. I then compiled consisting of off-season rankings 1-32. Keep in mind this isn't a power ranking judging the team's overall ranking, it just ranks how they did in the off-season. Enjoy!
1. Washington Redskins- They upgraded an already strong defense, added a lot of help to their WR corps with the signings of Brandon Lloyd and Antwan Randel El. Adam Archuleta should help the secondary which has struggled since the loss of Champ Bailey.
2. Miami Dolphins- Daunte Culpepper immediatley elevates this team to a contender. Last year the Dolphins were able to win 9 games despite a 52 completionn % and 28th rated passer mark by QB Gus Frerotte. Will Allen, Jason Allen, Renaldo Hill and the return of Will Poole make for an upgraded secondary. L.J Shelton will now man the left tackle spot and they acquired former pro-bowl full back, Fred Beasley.
3. Arizona Cardinals- I still think they chose the wrong QB going with Warner over McCown, but adding a 1500 yard rusher makes you a much more complete offense. They got a gift named Matt Leinart in the draft and when he takes over, watch out for the Redbirds.
4. Carolina Panthers- Steve Smith was arguably the best WR in football last year and Carolina made one of the best moves of the off-season getting possesion man, Keyshawn Johnson. DeAngello Williams was a great pick to give them a solid 1-2 punch with Williams and Deshaun Foster.
5. N.Y Giants- I don't know how I feel about basically swaping Allen for Sam Madison, but the did need a change in that secondary. LaVar Arrington should revamp him career in New York and they could make a push at winning that very tough NFC East.
6. Cleveland Browns- You can make all the moves you like, but you still need good QB play. Willie McGinnest makes that front 7 much better and LaCharles Bently was the top O-lineman available. Joe Jurvicious had a nice season with Seattle, and the Browns got signifcantly better this off-season.
7. Dallas Cowboys- The big question is, can Bill Parcells tame T.O? And if so, can T.O get along with an average QB after he critisized his pro-bowl QB in Donovan McNabb? They lost Dat Nyugn to early retirement but replaced him with rookie Bobby Carpenter.
8. Denver Broncos- Signed Nate Webster and Kernard Lang to bulk their defense. They lost Mike Anderson and Trevor Price but the biggest move was moving up to get Jay Cutler with the 11th pick in the draft. Obviously, Cutler will eventually be Plummer's predecessor, but will in be in 2006?
9. New Orleans Saints- Made two of the biggest moves in all of football in acquiring Drew Brees and Reggie Bush. But how healthy is Brees' shoulder? I think they overpaid, but nonetheless, got a very good QB. Losing pro-bowler LeCharles Bently will also hurt their already poor offensive line.
10. Baltimore Ravens- Poor quarterbacking has cost the Ravens for the best couple of years. If newcommer Steve McNair can stay healthy, this team could contend for a playoff spot. They drafted well going with Haloi Ngata in the first round to bulk an already strong defense.
11. Atlanta Falcons- Signed 2 huge defensive contributers in Lawyer Milloy and John Abraham. Also added Wayne Gandy to the offensive line and didn't have any real significant losses.
12. Tennesee- The off-season looked good with all the new incomming players, then the Steve McNair fued escallated, and ended up in his departure. David Givens, Kevin Mawae and Chris Hope were all very big off-season signees. I still think that Vince Young is going to be an NFL bust however. When will he take over for Volek?
13. Green Bay- Bret Favre is back, but I'm not sure if that's a good thing. If he plays like he did in 2005, 2006 will defintley be his last. They did net Charles Woodson and A.J Hawk to help a defense that struggled big time last year.
14. Oakland Raiders- Aaron Brooks was once a very promising player. Now he's fallen through the ranks a bit, but will a change of scenery recharge his career? They lost a very good defensive back but gained one that will be great someday in Michael Huff
15. Tampa Bay Buccaneers- Letting go of Brian Griese means they are giving the keys to Chris Simms. I'm not sure which of those 2 I would rather have, but for the most part, the Bucs stood pat in the off-season.
16. Cincinnati Bengals- The Bengals didn't make much noise, but they didn't lose anyone significant. That is usually a good thing for a team fresh off of a division championship. There have been some recent negatives however with Odell Thurman recieving a 4 game suspension. They drafted Ahmed Brooks in the supplemental draft to step in and start. The big question is when will Carson Palmer player again?
17. Kansas City Cheifs- Like the Bengals, didn't do much. Larry Johnson is now the man and Priest's future is still uncertain. LJ will have to get it done without his lead blocker, full back Tony Richardson is now gone.
18. Seattle Seahawks- They gave Alexander his own bank after his record breaking year, but he'll have to prove this year that he wasn't just running behind a brick wall now that Steve Hutchinson is gone. Joe Juruvicious made some huge plays for them last year and he is out the door as well. Nate Burleson is expected to step in and do what Juruvicious did last year and Julian Peterson was a great sign coming over from divisional foe, San Fransisco.
19. Detroit Lions- I still think Joey Harrington was their best option but he really needed a change of scenery. It's now up to lifetime backups, Josh McCown and Jon Kitna to compete for the starting job. Ernie Simms hopes to turn around a terrible defense.
20. Chicago Bears- The Bears almost made no moves except for 1. They brought in Brian Griese to challenge Rex Grossman for his starting job. Chances are, even if Grossman beats out Griese, Brian will be playing by week 2 after Grossman is back on the IR.
21. St. Louis Rams- When your biggest acquistion is a coach, you didn't really make any noise. They do get Marc Bulger back from injury, but that doesn't count as off-season progress. Nonetheless, they didn't lose anyone too big and drafted Clemson DB Tye Hill.
22. San Fransisco 49ers- They lost their go to guy in Brandon Lloyd and didn't find a replacement. They did however draft the best pass catcher in the draft in Vernon Davis. He is my early pick for offensive rookie of the year.
23. Houston Texans- They would be higher, but they passed on Reggie Bush. That calls for a "WHAT WERE THEY THINKING?" They did have a decent draft netting DeMario Williams and Demico Ryans. They also signed Denver tight end Jeb Putzier.
24. Philadelphia Eagles- Not any huge gains, but one big loss. No matter how many problems he causes off the field, losing T.O is never a good thing. They don't have a WR to scare any body any more. They did draft a very good defensive tackle in Brodrick Bunkley however.
25. Pittsburgh Steelers- Yes they were Super Bowl champs, but they made no effort to replace any of their key losses. Jerome Bettis was a vital part of their run and I still am not sold on Willie Parker. Antwan Randel El is gone, but they hope rookie Santonio Holmes can fill his big play shoes. Chris Hope is also gone from the secondary and was not replaced by anyone appeaseable. Kimo Von Ollehoffen is also gone, he generated a big pass rush up the middle and clogged the running lanes. No way does Pittsburgh repeat!
26. Jacksonville Jaguars- They did draft Marcedes Lewis but he isn't going to fill the void left by Jimmy Smith. But then again, not many tight ends can. No one on that offense really scares you and they didn't make any moves to change that.
27. San Diego Chargers- Drew Brees is gone and it's time for Rivers to step up. That is a downgrade in my opinion. Reche Caldwell is also gone but they added defensive back Antonio Cromartie via the draft. Not a lot of moves by San Diego this off-season.
28. New England Patriots- You might say they are getting a lot of players back from injury, but that doesn't count in making yourself better in the off-season. They lost 3 huge pieces in Willie McGinnest, Adam Vinatieri and David Givens. They had a good draft getting Minnesota standout Laurence Maroney and Florida star Chad Jackson. But how big of an impact can those rookies have right away?
29. Minnesota Vikings- Their biggest mistake was letting pro-bowl QB Daunte Culpepper. That outweighs all of their additions in my opinion. They did get Steve Hutchinson from Seattle, but why pay a guard $49 million? They lost Nate Burelson but got a great fullback in Tony Richardson. They also signed Chester Taylor to compete for a starting job.
30. Indianapolis Colts- Some people don't realize how much Edgerin James did for that offense. Not only did he run the ball and bring defenses up, he was great in pass protection and could also sneak out of the backfield and catch the football. He will be a huge loss. Rookie Joseph Addiae will be expected to beat out Dominc Rhodes for James' old job. They lost a good kicker in Vanderjagt, but got a great one in Adam Vinatieri. How much impact does a kicker really have though?
31. Buffalo Bills- The Bills basically stood pat, but that's not something I suggest for a 5 win team. They had the worst draft in the league and lost their top wide out in Eric Moulds.
32. New York Jets- They did have a very good draft getting D'Brickashaw Ferguson, Nick Mangold and Kellen Clemens, and they also added Patrick Ramsey to the quarterback carousel. Not one of these additions can make up for their losses however. The Jets won 5 games last year and lost their only 3 players with pro-bowl potential. Kevin Mawae, Ty Law and John Abraham are all out. The Jets and the Bills will battle for that 3rd place spot in the AFC East.
Well, there you have it. My take on how the off-season went. It's nice to see Miami finally returning to the top of this list. It's quite a contrast getting Daunte Culpepper for a second rounder oppose to getting A.J Feely for a 2nd round pick.
This article was written by Travis Wingfield on July 22, 2006. If you would like to contact me, please email me at traviswingfield@yahoo.com
Thanks for your time, reading and input guys. Tell me what you think.
Oh mods, I know this probably belongs in the NFL forum, but I would really appreciate it if you gave it some time on the main board. I really worked hard on it and would like to see some thoughts and opinions. Thanks!
1. Washington Redskins- They upgraded an already strong defense, added a lot of help to their WR corps with the signings of Brandon Lloyd and Antwan Randel El. Adam Archuleta should help the secondary which has struggled since the loss of Champ Bailey.
2. Miami Dolphins- Daunte Culpepper immediatley elevates this team to a contender. Last year the Dolphins were able to win 9 games despite a 52 completionn % and 28th rated passer mark by QB Gus Frerotte. Will Allen, Jason Allen, Renaldo Hill and the return of Will Poole make for an upgraded secondary. L.J Shelton will now man the left tackle spot and they acquired former pro-bowl full back, Fred Beasley.
3. Arizona Cardinals- I still think they chose the wrong QB going with Warner over McCown, but adding a 1500 yard rusher makes you a much more complete offense. They got a gift named Matt Leinart in the draft and when he takes over, watch out for the Redbirds.
4. Carolina Panthers- Steve Smith was arguably the best WR in football last year and Carolina made one of the best moves of the off-season getting possesion man, Keyshawn Johnson. DeAngello Williams was a great pick to give them a solid 1-2 punch with Williams and Deshaun Foster.
5. N.Y Giants- I don't know how I feel about basically swaping Allen for Sam Madison, but the did need a change in that secondary. LaVar Arrington should revamp him career in New York and they could make a push at winning that very tough NFC East.
6. Cleveland Browns- You can make all the moves you like, but you still need good QB play. Willie McGinnest makes that front 7 much better and LaCharles Bently was the top O-lineman available. Joe Jurvicious had a nice season with Seattle, and the Browns got signifcantly better this off-season.
7. Dallas Cowboys- The big question is, can Bill Parcells tame T.O? And if so, can T.O get along with an average QB after he critisized his pro-bowl QB in Donovan McNabb? They lost Dat Nyugn to early retirement but replaced him with rookie Bobby Carpenter.
8. Denver Broncos- Signed Nate Webster and Kernard Lang to bulk their defense. They lost Mike Anderson and Trevor Price but the biggest move was moving up to get Jay Cutler with the 11th pick in the draft. Obviously, Cutler will eventually be Plummer's predecessor, but will in be in 2006?
9. New Orleans Saints- Made two of the biggest moves in all of football in acquiring Drew Brees and Reggie Bush. But how healthy is Brees' shoulder? I think they overpaid, but nonetheless, got a very good QB. Losing pro-bowler LeCharles Bently will also hurt their already poor offensive line.
10. Baltimore Ravens- Poor quarterbacking has cost the Ravens for the best couple of years. If newcommer Steve McNair can stay healthy, this team could contend for a playoff spot. They drafted well going with Haloi Ngata in the first round to bulk an already strong defense.
11. Atlanta Falcons- Signed 2 huge defensive contributers in Lawyer Milloy and John Abraham. Also added Wayne Gandy to the offensive line and didn't have any real significant losses.
12. Tennesee- The off-season looked good with all the new incomming players, then the Steve McNair fued escallated, and ended up in his departure. David Givens, Kevin Mawae and Chris Hope were all very big off-season signees. I still think that Vince Young is going to be an NFL bust however. When will he take over for Volek?
13. Green Bay- Bret Favre is back, but I'm not sure if that's a good thing. If he plays like he did in 2005, 2006 will defintley be his last. They did net Charles Woodson and A.J Hawk to help a defense that struggled big time last year.
14. Oakland Raiders- Aaron Brooks was once a very promising player. Now he's fallen through the ranks a bit, but will a change of scenery recharge his career? They lost a very good defensive back but gained one that will be great someday in Michael Huff
15. Tampa Bay Buccaneers- Letting go of Brian Griese means they are giving the keys to Chris Simms. I'm not sure which of those 2 I would rather have, but for the most part, the Bucs stood pat in the off-season.
16. Cincinnati Bengals- The Bengals didn't make much noise, but they didn't lose anyone significant. That is usually a good thing for a team fresh off of a division championship. There have been some recent negatives however with Odell Thurman recieving a 4 game suspension. They drafted Ahmed Brooks in the supplemental draft to step in and start. The big question is when will Carson Palmer player again?
17. Kansas City Cheifs- Like the Bengals, didn't do much. Larry Johnson is now the man and Priest's future is still uncertain. LJ will have to get it done without his lead blocker, full back Tony Richardson is now gone.
18. Seattle Seahawks- They gave Alexander his own bank after his record breaking year, but he'll have to prove this year that he wasn't just running behind a brick wall now that Steve Hutchinson is gone. Joe Juruvicious made some huge plays for them last year and he is out the door as well. Nate Burleson is expected to step in and do what Juruvicious did last year and Julian Peterson was a great sign coming over from divisional foe, San Fransisco.
19. Detroit Lions- I still think Joey Harrington was their best option but he really needed a change of scenery. It's now up to lifetime backups, Josh McCown and Jon Kitna to compete for the starting job. Ernie Simms hopes to turn around a terrible defense.
20. Chicago Bears- The Bears almost made no moves except for 1. They brought in Brian Griese to challenge Rex Grossman for his starting job. Chances are, even if Grossman beats out Griese, Brian will be playing by week 2 after Grossman is back on the IR.
21. St. Louis Rams- When your biggest acquistion is a coach, you didn't really make any noise. They do get Marc Bulger back from injury, but that doesn't count as off-season progress. Nonetheless, they didn't lose anyone too big and drafted Clemson DB Tye Hill.
22. San Fransisco 49ers- They lost their go to guy in Brandon Lloyd and didn't find a replacement. They did however draft the best pass catcher in the draft in Vernon Davis. He is my early pick for offensive rookie of the year.
23. Houston Texans- They would be higher, but they passed on Reggie Bush. That calls for a "WHAT WERE THEY THINKING?" They did have a decent draft netting DeMario Williams and Demico Ryans. They also signed Denver tight end Jeb Putzier.
24. Philadelphia Eagles- Not any huge gains, but one big loss. No matter how many problems he causes off the field, losing T.O is never a good thing. They don't have a WR to scare any body any more. They did draft a very good defensive tackle in Brodrick Bunkley however.
25. Pittsburgh Steelers- Yes they were Super Bowl champs, but they made no effort to replace any of their key losses. Jerome Bettis was a vital part of their run and I still am not sold on Willie Parker. Antwan Randel El is gone, but they hope rookie Santonio Holmes can fill his big play shoes. Chris Hope is also gone from the secondary and was not replaced by anyone appeaseable. Kimo Von Ollehoffen is also gone, he generated a big pass rush up the middle and clogged the running lanes. No way does Pittsburgh repeat!
26. Jacksonville Jaguars- They did draft Marcedes Lewis but he isn't going to fill the void left by Jimmy Smith. But then again, not many tight ends can. No one on that offense really scares you and they didn't make any moves to change that.
27. San Diego Chargers- Drew Brees is gone and it's time for Rivers to step up. That is a downgrade in my opinion. Reche Caldwell is also gone but they added defensive back Antonio Cromartie via the draft. Not a lot of moves by San Diego this off-season.
28. New England Patriots- You might say they are getting a lot of players back from injury, but that doesn't count in making yourself better in the off-season. They lost 3 huge pieces in Willie McGinnest, Adam Vinatieri and David Givens. They had a good draft getting Minnesota standout Laurence Maroney and Florida star Chad Jackson. But how big of an impact can those rookies have right away?
29. Minnesota Vikings- Their biggest mistake was letting pro-bowl QB Daunte Culpepper. That outweighs all of their additions in my opinion. They did get Steve Hutchinson from Seattle, but why pay a guard $49 million? They lost Nate Burelson but got a great fullback in Tony Richardson. They also signed Chester Taylor to compete for a starting job.
30. Indianapolis Colts- Some people don't realize how much Edgerin James did for that offense. Not only did he run the ball and bring defenses up, he was great in pass protection and could also sneak out of the backfield and catch the football. He will be a huge loss. Rookie Joseph Addiae will be expected to beat out Dominc Rhodes for James' old job. They lost a good kicker in Vanderjagt, but got a great one in Adam Vinatieri. How much impact does a kicker really have though?
31. Buffalo Bills- The Bills basically stood pat, but that's not something I suggest for a 5 win team. They had the worst draft in the league and lost their top wide out in Eric Moulds.
32. New York Jets- They did have a very good draft getting D'Brickashaw Ferguson, Nick Mangold and Kellen Clemens, and they also added Patrick Ramsey to the quarterback carousel. Not one of these additions can make up for their losses however. The Jets won 5 games last year and lost their only 3 players with pro-bowl potential. Kevin Mawae, Ty Law and John Abraham are all out. The Jets and the Bills will battle for that 3rd place spot in the AFC East.
Well, there you have it. My take on how the off-season went. It's nice to see Miami finally returning to the top of this list. It's quite a contrast getting Daunte Culpepper for a second rounder oppose to getting A.J Feely for a 2nd round pick.
This article was written by Travis Wingfield on July 22, 2006. If you would like to contact me, please email me at traviswingfield@yahoo.com
Thanks for your time, reading and input guys. Tell me what you think.
Oh mods, I know this probably belongs in the NFL forum, but I would really appreciate it if you gave it some time on the main board. I really worked hard on it and would like to see some thoughts and opinions. Thanks!
