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Winners and losers of the NFL off-season

Browns, Seahawks and Cowboys should be happy with the way things have gone, but the Broncos might have issues.

Sam Farmer
March 6, 2009


The thing about NFL free agency is it's anything but free.

Teams all over the league are reaching deep in their pockets to shell out for gargantuan deals, contracts seemingly unaffected by the country's economic downturn.

Picking winners and losers at this point is a dicey proposition. But here's a look at who should be feeling pretty good at this point, and who might be second-guessing their moves:


Winners

Cleveland Browns: Remember Kellen Winslow Jr.'s "I'm a soldier" tirade? Well, soldier, forward march! Talented as he could be at times, Winslow (six surgeries) was an off-the-field headache for the Browns, so nobody was dabbing their eyes when Cleveland traded him to Tampa Bay for a second-rounder this year and a fifth-rounder in 2010. That's what the New York Giants got from New Orleans in the Jeremy Shockey trade, and it's more than New England got for trading both Matt Cassel and Mike Vrabel to Kansas City. The trade gives Cleveland three of this year's first 50 selections in the draft.


Matt Stafford: With campus pro days coming up, Georgia quarterback Stafford is the clubhouse favorite to be the first overall pick. The Detroit Lions, who have that selection, have yet to do something that would indicate they're heading in another direction. They traded Jon Kitna to Dallas, which leaves them with Daunte Culpepper, Drew Stanton and Drew Henson on the quarterback depth chart -- none a long-term solution. Dress warm, Matt.


Seattle Seahawks: Whereas Washington made the most eye-catching signing, the Seahawks made the best pass-catching one. Their offense needs a boost, and receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh should give them one. He's the only NFL receiver who has made 90 or more catches in each of the past three seasons, and now he has a chance to emerge from the shadow of Chad Ocho Cinco and be the undisputed No. 1 guy for a passing offense that finished 29th last season.


Tony Romo and Jason Witten: Now that the Dallas Cowboys have finally "eighty-sixed" No. 81 Terrell Owens, quarterback Romo and tight end Witten can breathe a little easier. Owens is sporadically spectacular, but his paranoid belief last season that Romo and Witten had a catalog of secret plays aimed at freezing him out did nothing for team chemistry. Romo shouldn't have to worry about forcing the ball to Owens just to keep him happy.



Losers

Denver Broncos: Nobody said stepping in for Mike Shanahan would be a breeze, but new Broncos Coach Josh McDaniels has made it tough on himself by apparently trying to trade quarterback Jay Cutler. McDaniels has denied initiating any trade talks, although that's not the point. It's that Cutler thinks the new regime doesn't want him. Cutler's not the most thick-skinned guy around, and you get the feeling this guy is equally adept at passes and impasses.


Owens: What's the market for a 35-year-old receiver who's even better at burning bridges than he is at burning cornerbacks? Evidently, not a robust one. Within hours of the Cowboys cutting ties with him, news reports from all over the country said team after team wasn't interested. Among the clubs who reportedly will take a pass, the Giants, Redskins, Eagles (of course), and even the Raiders. Time will tell if those reports are true, but so far it looks like nobody's lining up to ride the T.O. train.


Wait and see

New England Patriots: It's hard to believe the Patriots got snookered on the Cassel/Vrabel deal to the Chiefs. They desperately needed to clear salary-cap space -- they were less than $2 million under the cap when the free-agency period opened -- and the market to pick up Cassel's one-year, $14.65-million deal was lukewarm. Denver got in the game late, when the deal with the Chiefs was almost done. Losing Vrabel is tough, as he probably has a few good years left, but at least he's not adding punch to the 3-4 systems in Denver or Cleveland, teams that could be closer to turning things around. If the Patriots can squeeze another year or two out of Fred Taylor -- the way they did with seasoned vets such as Corey Dillon, Rodney Harrison and Junior Seau -- that's a find.


Kansas City Chiefs: Was Cassel really a great quarterback in the making, or a one-hit wonder along the lines of Cleveland's Derek Anderson? Was it just New England's system that made him look good, or can Cassel work the same magic with the Chiefs? It's got to be encouraging to Kansas City fans that both Chiefs General Manager Scott Pioli and Denver's McDaniels wanted him, because those are two former Patriots who know him as well as anyone. As for Vrabel, he'll be just as valuable in the locker room as he will be on the field.



Washington Redskins: Once again, the Redskins are taking the fantasy-football route, trying to spend, spend, spend their way to a Super Bowl. Maybe Albert Haynesworth will be worth the $41 million in guaranteed money Washington is paying him -- he had more than his share of suitors around the league -- but Redskins owner Dan Snyder has a less-than-sterling track record of locating quick fixes. Could this deal be Dana Stubblefield, Part Deux?

sam.farmer@latimes.com

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Articls is a couple of days old now and Owens has signed with the Bills of course...may be a TAD early to start crowing winners and losers of the offseason but thus far I am happy with the direction we have taken. NOT overpaying for old FAs looking for that last hurrah.

Getting rid of Winslow who has great talent but can't bring it all together at the right times and in the right frame of mind. Addition by subtraction.....3 picks in the first 50 in April. Gotta love it. The signing of Royal--I'm not the first to say it but perhaps this is a sign that the FO feels that if we just add a piece here and a piece there and some luck in the draft we can find ourselves playing meaningful football come December? Look at our game against the NYG when we were Winslowless......

*slowly scratching my head* We won... we unloaded KWII for a draft pick and who knows if that is going to work out? We added no one for our defense, and oh yeah, we're still one injury away from another huge problem on offense next season.

Someone tell me how this translates into a win because I'm still trying to figure out why?

Seattle/T.J. not so much Seattle but T.J. did win, he's going to get a chance to prove he's a true # 1 WR and he's going to get paid like one irregardless.

Dallas: Ask me again after the draft

New England: Something tells me this will work out for them, K.C. I'm not sure about, but N.E. usually makes out well in these deals.

Washington: One of these years, all this big spending will land them a championship, just don't plan on it being this year.

LOL...I love it...Somebody out there's got a clue...

The WORST possible thing we coulda done was get involved in Bart Scott/Ray Lewis/Suggs/Any other 7M + a year deals...We gotta straighten out "In-House" first...Winslow and Tucker started it...

Two ways to look at it...

1) Those who believe u add that BIG FA when you're a player or 2 away...Thems will be thinkin' "Rebuild"...

2) Others will think CORE Players are here...

I LOVE the way we're going about this right now...One of our biggest problems has been DEPTH...When we hit that bug we collapse...Been happenin' every damn time...SOLIDIFY THE BACK END OF THE ROSTER....

The next 10 days should bring some more Cap Relief...All these RB's are comin' due real quick...Interesting to see what we do with several who may very well be on this team this year...Tucker was already done...

Williams 6M
Lewis 4M
Stalls 4.75M

We virtually went without a draft last year...We as of right now will be adding THREE Top 50 Players...ALL of whom should contribute majorly...Meaningful football in December???...I'm witcha...The Schedule we have this year is very much like 07's...

I still expect another Trade move soon...Or on Draft Day...Anderson is one...And whether anyone likes it or not...Edwards IS another...And it's got NUTTIN to do with TALENT with Edwards...

"Saint" said he's gonna have an interesting Draft Day Party...U bet your ass he will...Day one of this draft is a day I wouldn't even go PP between ANY PICK...Starting around Pick 15 that is...lol...

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*slowly scratching my head* We won... we unloaded KWII for a draft pick and who knows if that is going to work out? We added no one for our defense,

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We've picked up Mosley from the J-E-T-S, a young player who will be used in rotation and is needed for our front 7.

Addition by subtraction (again) with A Davis and W McGinest no longer liabilities...

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we're still one injury away from another huge problem on offense next season.

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Who isn't?

Did I miss that W. Mginest retired? I thought he was still thinking about what to do.......

You didn't miss it.....I'm going on the ASSumption that he doesn't return. I think it's a safe bet.....

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slowly scratching my head* We won... we unloaded KWII for a draft pick and who knows if that is going to work out? We added no one for our defense, and oh yeah, we're still one injury away from another huge problem on offense next season.

Someone tell me how this translates into a win because I'm still trying to figure out why?

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First, like the original poster said, it's probably too early to say who's a winner and who's not..

But what the writer is saying is that getting rid of Winslow was a win for the Browns... as much as I love KW's talent, I can't shake te feeling that his best days may be behind him because of his knees.. I'm ok with getting a 2nd and 5th (conditional next season) for him.

So if you look ONLY at that, yeah, I can see where it could seriously be consider a win.

But like I said, it's way to early for this.

Thanks for clarifying all that man.

your welcome.

its a little early to be crowning winners and losers- if we are a winner based on Winslow, wouldn't that make Tampa a loser?? They lost out on Haynesworth, and Cutler....

It sure is a different approach to things signing the second and third tier guys. But hopefully this adds some quality depth and good locker room guys. There is much work to be done, there are some glaring holes at LB and corner/safety. And only so many draft picks to get quality guys.

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Again, did I miss something?

What is the condition on the 5th round pick next year? Can it go higher than 5th?

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There was some speculation just after the trade but I don't remember any news reports coming out that etched in stone what the deal actually calls for. I just remember the 5th being conditional....

Don't think I agree with the guy here..... we've signed 2 back ups, traded away a pro bowler and picked up a draft pick.

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Don't think I agree with the guy here..... we've signed 2 back ups, traded away a pro bowler and picked up a draft pick.

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Nothing untrue about your comment DP017, But that pro bowler we traded wanted a new deal, he has a higher than is tolerable chance of injury given his knees and at times is a distraction.

So there is more to him than being a pro bowler. and I think it's because of those reasons that he's gone.

How can you write a column on the winners and losers of the off-season when teams are still having free agent visits and when the draft is still more than a month away?

Dumb.

Yeah, I kow where the Winslow trade came out of, but that doesn't make us a winner of free agency. Not in a long shot.

I'm with U ... kinda ... *L* ....

but first of all ITS JUST DUMB AS HELL to be declaring anyone a winner or loser at this point .. were in the 3rd inning of a 2 - 1 baseball game as no one has really distinguished themselves (other than Dallas as a BIG LOSER casue they have no draft picks due to the R. Williams trade and they've lost STARTING DE,S and CB and then TO) ...

I can not figure out how were winners .. that one baffles me ....

we got rid of KW ... GOOD .. VERY GOOD ...
we lost S. Jones, A. Davis and Willie ... I have no probs with those defections .. but there STILL LOSSES ...

we re-signed Adams ... fine by me .. depth ...

we added a mid 2nd rnd pick ...
we added a back up CB and LBer ...

hmm .. so to sum it up ....

we lost 2 LBers and added 1 ...

we lost a Safety and gained a CB .. with the safety we lost being MUCH BETTER than the CB we gained ..

we lost a GREAT RECIEVING TE who was a complete jackass for one that is a marginal reciever and OK blocker ...

and we added a mid secone rnd pick ...

I have no probs with what we've done so far ... I would have liked to have gotten Housh and the DE that the Niners got and Ward .. but I have no clue what happend there .. I LOVE who we have not gone after and that we have not overspent ..

so if by WINNER he means we have done NUTTIN STUPID or HURT OURSELVES then were winners ... but theres no way we have done anything to be considered WINNERS in the traditionall sense of the word ..... were even or slightly ahead of where we started .....

but I expect us to EXCEL in the middle and late innings ... because of how we've done so far .. we are set up to do some things moving forward ....

meanwhile...back at Steelers Head Quarters...they have not brought in one player for even a visit.



While they are focusing on their own...as the often do...(Starks, Kemo, Fox...still trying on McFadden)

Rumors were Khalif Barnes and Chris Carr might be coming into talk...so far neither have...and Barnes will probably be signed by someone else long before he gets the official INVITE.

HACK

I'm not sure what backup CB and LB you are talking about. Maybe I am just forgetting them, but I think we have only signed Mosley (defensive line) and Royal and re-signed Adams.

Correct me if I'm wrong.

I could have swore I heard McFadden signed with Arizona. Not sure, but I'll look to see if I can find it.

Naaa .. your right .. i was WRONG .... not sure what I was thinking on the back up CB ... re-signing Adams I all ready accounted for ... so no clue what i was talking about with the back up CB ... guess I'm dreaming ..

the LBer .... I'm thinking about the guy thats leaning our way ... *L* ...

and the fact I gave us two more signings than we have makes it even tougher to declare us winners ..

and before Tony Nelson and Roger Healey get here to stick up for Jeannie .. let me just say that I am not being Dr. Bellows here and slamming Jeannie .... nor am I being Pepsi and slamming Coke for what we've done so far ...

I'm more like General Patterson and staying nuetral so far in this episode ...

I think the premise of us being winners is who is going into the draft with the most quality picks. We have 3 out of the first 50 picks. That makes us a winner going in if nothing else is considered.

Detroit has 3 in the first 33 ..... and NE has 3 in the first 47 ... NE also has 4 in the first 58 ...

so as of now that can't be it .....

"Detroit has 3 in the first 33 ..... and NE has 3 in the first 47 ... NE also has 4 in the first 58"

True Diam but outside of the Pats - 2nd rounder for Vrabel and Cassel just which of those picks have to do with OFF SEASON MOVES.

I know the Lions had a IN SEASON trade with the Cowboys for theirs. Not positive of the Pats but I can't remember any off season move except the Vrabel Cassell move. And in a lot of circles that is not considered a REAL GOOD BARGAIN. At least not for the PATs

JMHO - I know its tough to actually consider that we are doing things right too good to be true. But I agree this is still in the top 4 innings of a game at least especially since all our FA moves will be in the 2nd tier and that part of the game has just begun...so actually it gets even better for us

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True Diam but outside of the Pats - 2nd rounder for Vrabel and Cassel just which of those picks have to do with OFF SEASON MOVES.

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Well that makes NE getting as many picks as us via off season moves ... and theres is higher ... and they picked up a HIGH QUALITY RB in F. Taylor .. that move seems to be flying under the radar .. well that is a HUGE ASS PICK UP ... hes going to really help them ...

come on bro ... were gonna split hairs over this??? *L* ...

and I think NE made a very good trade ... they cleared up about 18 mill in salary cap space by getting rid of the 14 + they had tied up in Matt and the 3 or 4 they knocked off getting rid of Vrabel ...

and what did they lose ... a one year starter at QB with a noodle for an arm ... and an OK LBer that is sliding downhill very fast ..... I think this was a GREAT TRADE for both teams ... we'll find out about Cassell and just how good he is and he did not cost an arm and a leg and they picked up someone in Vrabel to teach the youngins how to win and change the mind set over there ... I thought it was the classic win/win trade ...

If they could have got more they would have .. Billicheck is very very good when it comes to this ...

anyhow .. thats not worth debating .... as we agree its still in the early innings and way to soon to be declaring winners ... and we agree on the important things .. we agree we did nuttin stupid and are in good shape for the rest of FA and have a very solid if not spectalur base of talent to build from ...

the next 3 or 4 days are going ot be really really interesting .. we will see if anyone has any real interest in DA or not .. If a team really wants him they will not force us to pay the 5 mill .. they will work out a deal with DA and get him signed pre-trade and then give us sumptin decent for him .. I do not care what anyone says .,,, if teams wait for us to pay the 5 mill .. THAT INCREASES DA'S WORTH TO US and will increase what we ask for in a trade .... NO WAY THAT DOES NOT PLAY INTO OUR ASKING PRICE ...

I'm also very interested to see what we do with Donte ... NO WAY should we give him that bonus ... I'm guessing we have to cut him ... prolly the only thing we can do ....

and theres one other player with a bonus due .. who is that again?? I believe its C. Williams .. and if that is true .. we pay him .. thats another no brainer regardless of what the dolts think .....

"and I think NE made a very good trade ."

Ahhh...so you're the one.

lol j/k actually I've seen it called both...good and bad.

I really don't consider it remotely equal - Vrabel n Cassel.

I'll use the Come on now. We are talking about a TE!!! one without a KNEE without discipline...but forget all that. TIGHT END!!! Compared with what? A starting QB and a Starting OLB veteran for a team transitioning into a 3-4 D. No comparison and that is why we are considered Winners...buy this guy.

Me I'll wait till we finish our acquisitions. But we are looking very good so far - I'm impressed.
Splitting hairs...yep but I see you got no problems doing it

Stallworthless...I don't know the make up of the contract - all I know is that I read in "ONE" article that we are pretty much locked into keeping him here this year as we have to pay dearly if we trade or release him. Again I don't know the particulars making it so. But are we ready to do what the Cowboys did with TO? If he was a cancer yes. I think if their is a Poison Pill involved we take our medicine with Stallworth for one more season...do we have an option???

JMHO

I don't know if we have an option with Donte .. maybe getting rid of him would not make any sense cap wise ... no clue .... with the league wide "contract" up in the air maybe we should keep him in case there is no cap next year thus we will never have to take the cap hit .. but if theres a cap next year I'd take the hit this year and get it over with ..

u wanna keep splitting hairs .. OK .. fine by me ..

a TE?? .. *L* .. hes not some avg. or OK TE .. he is possibly the BEST RECIEVING TE IN THE GAME today .. actually hes more than likely the best recieving TE in the game today ...

and Cassell has started one year since HS and hes in his late 20's .. thats about 10 years of splinters for every year playing ..*L* ... whats he worth bro?? based on ONE YEAR in the last decade including college and the NFL .. WHATS HE WORTH ... i can tell u what hes not worth .. and thats the 14 MILL CAP HIT they would have taken for keeping him ..

and Vrabel is on the downside in a big way ... and again .. CAP HIT ..

U seem to only want to talk about the on the field stuff .. WITCH IS STILL DEBATABLE as U can make an argument that ONE OF THE BEST RECIEVING TE'S in the game has LOTS MORE VALUE than a QB that has started 1 year in the last decade and a seriously declining LBer ...

but once u add in the salary cap ramifications FOR THIS YEAR ... it becomes a no brainer ..

I said it was a WIN/WIN bro ... and my case is very easy to see .... both teams made out .. NE in cap relief and a good pick in exchange for everything U stated that KC is picking up ..

and bro ... I know u are not questioning Billicheck in this area .. hes proven to be the BEST IN THIS ERA at keeping his team right there ... so he knows what hes doing ... as a matter of fact .. hes the only one to do it over the last 7 or 8 years .. everyone else has been flashes in the pan ... other than him .. the only other team thats been close has been the Stilers ... but even they are not in the same class as the Pats ...

or are u suggesting he just gave them away for some reason and that helping his bud was more important than his team .... naaaaa . your way to smart for that .. we all know what bliicheck is all about ...

that would be check mate bro ....

I am not sure I would state, as the article above states, that we are, thus far, winners in the offseason. Getting some picks for Kellen is wise, but what we do with those picks, for me, determine winning and losing.

Kellen was no doubt a sour puss, however there is something to be said for what gas he had in his tank. Finding a replacement, a gamebreaker if you will, on offense will be much needed soon.

As for NE. Pioli knew what he was getting in Cassel and Vrabel, and Belichick knew what he was giving up. No one got ripped off on that deal. Somehow Belichick always finds ways/people to make his game work.

"he is possibly the BEST RECIEVING TE IN THE GAME today"

Here's the difference between you and me...I say stuff like that when they are here...You say stuff like that only after they go...

Well I got a kick out of it. Seriously though whatever way you look at it the fact is we are talking about a Position that best serves a TEAM with Balance and Sacrifice. Its the nature of the position. But what about the importance of a QB position? The OLB position in the 3-4 Defense?

What is Cassel worth? I don't know but I'd rather go to bat with him than DA thats for sure. He's worth a pretty good showing in not an easy position replacing Brady and teams had time to game plan and you know how they game plan against 1st year starters...and he survived. I team whose defense didn't resemble what they have in the past. He won 11 games and its how he did it that was impressive and how he played in the last half compared with the first half...he actually IMPROVED not floundered.

But you just didn't go and compare the TE position to QB did you? Its just not a VALUE position in the NFL. Now lets get to that amazing talent. If he didn't totally destroy his knee that would be different. That is the key - it continually keeps him off the practice field, he cannot do half the things he use to. he doesn't have the explosion or ups he use to have. He is literally hanging on a thread.

What I see is that he is so great he is leaving with a total of 11 TDs - I don't see this great weapon. And for an offense that is going to sink or swim on its PRECISION he was not an asset. Royal is not a better player...but he just might actually make the "TEAM" better.

But I thought it was funny that you think the "INTANGIBLES" would lean in your favor...and yet you totally ignore the fact that in mid season he bashed the team for something that he brought on himself (staph) and started to complain to the media about RE-Doing his contract with 3 years still on it. Now that we are heading into 2 years still on it one can PRESUME that his demands would get louder and more frequent! You totally forgot about that intangible which again I think sways it the Nitpicking in my favor.

and on the subject of nitpicking...I actually agreed with you and stated that I've read positives for both parties. It served it purpose with the Pats...cause in their eyes as long as Brady was there, Cassel was just a backup that would disappear for another 3 or 4 years.

Vrabel still has game but on the backside and Crable probably is ready.

But in comparison to our deal? They gave the Chiefs a lot more than what we gave Tampa.

as always...JMHO