It's been nine days since the free agency period opened in the NFL and there has been a vast amount of moves made already and there is still plenty of talent available on the market. Here is my roundup of the best and worst moves so far as well who I believe are the best players still on the market.
Best Player Move: Wes Welker to the Broncos
There are only a few teams in the league outside of the New England Patriots where Wes Welker could be incredibly effective and Denver is one of them. Welker gives the already potent Broncos receiving corps another proven weapon to torment defenses with. On top of his skills in the slot, Welker also gives young star wideouts Demariyus Thomas and Eric Decker a veteran leader and mentor who has played at a high level for a long time to look up to which only makes the already great Thomas and Decker that much better. I don't think Peyton Manning could be any happier now that he has the three-headed beast of Thomas, Decker and Welker anchoring his receiving corps (not to mention the talented tight end duo of Joel Dressen and Jacob Tamme.) Welker's addition to the Broncos is an absolutely brilliant move that makes Denver even more of an instant championship contender.
Honorable Mention: Percy Harvin to the Seahawks, Anquan Boldin to the 49ers, Steven Jackson to the Falcons
Worst Player Move: Dannell Ellerbe to the Dolphins
There is no question that Dannell Ellerbe had a great run in the playoffs with the Ravens this past season. The question is a guy that has only played in 46 games in his five-year career and only seen significant playing time for one season worth a five-year/$35 million contract? If Ellerbe plays at as high of a level as he did during the playoffs then this signing will be worth it. The problem is that Ellerbe only has one season of substantial playing time under his belt and has never been expected to lead a linebacking corps before. The Dolphins are hoping Ellerbe is their middle linebacker of the future, I'm just not so sure he is given his overall lack of experience in a starting/leadership role in the league.
Dishonorable Mention: Ricky Jean Francois to the Colts, Danny Woodhead to the Chargers, Drew Stanton to the Cardinals
Best Re-Signing: Dwayne Bowe returning to the Chiefs
Prior to acquiring quarterback Alex Smith from San Fransisco, The Chiefs made sure they brought back number one wideout Dwayne Bowe so they could have a trusted, true top option for Smith to throw to. Bowe is an immense talent that will benefit greatly from having someone that should actually be able to get him the ball for the next five seasons after having the worst year of his career with Matt Cassel and Brady Quinn under center last season. I expect the Chiefs bringing back Bowe to pay dividends for the franchise moving forward.
Honorable Mentions:Tony Gonzalez returning to the Falcons, Henry Melton returning to the Bears, Brian Hartline returning to the Dolphins
Worst Re-Signing: Kyle Arrington returning to the Patriots
I honestly laughed out loud when I heard this. Kyle Arrington is just a downright terrible corner. He may be versatile, but his coverage skills are nonexistent no matter where he lines up. The kicker is the Patriots locked him down for four years/$16 million when more talented guys like Sean Smith and Carey Williams were available for around the same price. Given Arrington's laughably bad play and who was available on the market, this move makes absolutely no sense whatsoever.
Dishonorable Mentions: Jerome Simpson returning to the Vikings, Leodis McKelvin returning to the Bills, LeGarette Blount returning to the Buccaneers
Most Underrated Player Move: Reggie Bush to the Lions
I'll be the first to admit that Reggie Bush hasn't been the most consistent player in his career. That being said, He is still a player who can impact games if utilized properly and I think Detroit will do just that. Bush is most effective when being utilized as a dual threat in the rushing and passing game (which coach Tony Sparano did with the Dolphins in 2011, the best season of Bush's career and exactly what Joe Philbin did not do in 2012, hence Bush's dropoff.) Integration of running backs into the passing game is right in head coach Jim Schwartz and offensive coordinator's Scott Linehan's wheelhouse and they have never had someone as talented as Bush in the backfield. Bush should be in paradise in the Lions' frantic offense, which perfectly suites his style as a player. With his playing style and the coaching style of Schwartz, Bush seems like a godsend to this Detroit offense and gives this already insanely productive offense yet another weapon to utilize on opposing defenses.
Honorable Mentions: Danny Amendola to the Patriots, Dashon Goldson to the Buccaneers, Shonn Greene to the Titans
Most Overrated Player Move: Greg Jennings to the Vikings
This isn't a knock on Greg Jennings, who I felt was the best player to hit the free agent market this year, it's just his team choice. For such an elite talent as Greg Jennings to go to a team with such a poor, unproven quarterback in Christian Ponder really doesn't make much sense to me. Jennings isn't really too great in the short passing game, which is where Ponder does most of his passing, and Ponder doesn't have the arm strength to be effective in the moderate/deep passing where Jennings does his best work. It's an extreme mismatch of styles between quarterback and receiver and I honestly don't think the Jennings/Vikings relationship will work out.
Dishonorable Mentions: Aqib Talib returning to the Patriots, Cliff Avril to the Seahawks, Glover Quin to the Lions
Best Overall Team in Free Agency: Kansas City Chiefs
After a dismal 2-14 season in 2012, The Chiefs are making a ton of moves this offseason and a majority of them have been great. This is a team that is setting itself up for success with the amount of depth and talent they are adding to their roster. The biggest moves for them were of course the trade for quarterback Alex Smith as well as the re-signings of wide receiver Dwayne Bowe and tackle Brandon Albert. Smith gives the Chiefs a much more stable option at quarterback than Matt Cassel while Bowe and Albert are two of the most underrated players in the league that respectively give Smith a top-notch receiver and run/pass blocker to work with. The Chiefs also got a new pair of corners in Sean Smith and Dunta Robinson and added veteran role players like wide receiver Donnie Avery and tight end Anthony Fasano to give the team reliable and consistent options to help fix their offensive woes from a year ago. The Chiefs got both quantity and quality with their signings, which puts them firmly at the top in term of the league's free agent hauls.
Honorable Mentions: Philadelphia Eagles, Seattle Seahawks, Denver Broncos, San Fransisco 49ers, Tennessee Titans
Worst Overall Team in Free Agency: Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals have made nothing but head-scratching moves throughout free agency. First off, they pick up unproven, career backup Drew Stanton to be the starter next season while simultaneously keeping all three of the quarterbacks (Brian Hoyer, John Skeleton, Ryan Lindley) who threw for a combined 3 touchdowns and 18 interceptions in the final 10 games last season and releasing Kevin Kolb, who played very well and lead them to a 4-1 record before a rib injury knocked out for the season in Week 6 against the Bills. Secondly, they bring in the inconsistent Rashard Mendenhall to be the new starting running back. Mendenhall was absolutely horrendous last year and had a slew of off-the-field and health problems as well. Most importantly, The Cardinals have done nothing to address their offensive line woes that plagued them last season. Clearly the draft hasn't happened yet and they have the number 7 pick in the first round, but the 2013 Cardinals don't seem to be headed in the right direction with their weak free agency moves.
Dishonorable Mentions: Baltimore Ravens, Indianapolis Colts, Buffalo Bills
Best Player Still Available on the Market : Ahmad Bradshaw (running back)
I honestly can't believe Ahmad Bradshaw is still on the market. He has had some injury problems, but he still managed to have a 1,000-yard season last year and at only 27, he has plenty of years ahead of him. A team like the Steelers, Packers or Jets could desperately use a bruising, workhorse back like Bradshaw. I believe that Bradshaw is fully worth his injury risk because of his work ethic and ability to run hard consistently.
Honorable Mentions: Sebastian Vollmer (tackle), Elvis Dumervil (outside linebacker/defensive end), Nnadmi Ashomuga (cornerback), Brent Grimes (cornerback), Brandon Lloyd (wide receiver), Bryant McKinnie (tackle), Charles Woodson (safety), Fred Davis (tight end), Eric Winston (tackle)
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