8/3/08
Each year, many free agents sign large deals that line their wallets.
Some of those players have an immediate impact on the teams that
sign them. Others have no impact at all. We take a look at each
team’s free agent comings and goings in this series. When
combined with the rookies added via the draft and analyzed in the
Rookie Impact series by
Matt Waldman, you can see a complete picture of how offseason
personnel changes will affect each team.
In part 2 of this series, we look at the AFC South and NFC South
teams and analyze their free agent movements.
Houston Texans
Key Additions: Signed LB Kevin Bentley, RB Chris Brown, CB Jacques
Reeves, S Nick Ferguson, WR Tim Carter, LB Rosevelt Colvin, and
LB Chaun Thompson. Traded for G Chris Myers (Denver); Re-signed
TE Mark Bruener, S C.C. Brown, S Will Demps, S Glenn Earl, T Brandon
Frye, DE N.D. Kalu, G Fred Weary and P Matt Turk.
Key Losses: C Mike Flanagan, G
Steve McKinney, TE Jeb Putzier, LB Danny Clark, RB Ron Dayne and
FB Von Hutchins
Analysis: The Texans started to show their true potential last season
with some serious progress and ending at 8-8. Last season, they
made several moves during free agency to improve their team. This
offseason, there were several moves with a strong push to help the
team that ended up in the bottom half of the AFC in scoring defense.
With the signing of Nick Ferguson and Jacques Reeves, the Texans
hope to shore up a defensive backfield that might already be missing
Dunte Robinson to start the season. The signing of Rosevelt Colvin
will add a pass rusher to compliment DE Mario Williams, but there
is concern as to whether he is healthy enough to make a difference
early. Chris Brown adds some depth to the backfield, which lost
Ron Dayne. Changes along the line and uncertainty at the RB position
make the offense a question mark.
Fantasy Outlook: Chris
Brown is added to a backfield that is theoretically headed by
Ahman Green.
With injuries to Green and the participation last season of Darwin
Walker and the additions of Steve
Slaton and Chris
Taylor, the backfield in Houston is up for grabs and it would
not be surprising to see Brown leading the team come the 2nd half
of the season. Matt
Schaub has another year under his belt and the health of Andre
Johnson will dictate much of the offense. The team re-signed
Andre Davis to add some depth to the WR position, but there are
still questions as to whether Schaub can stay on the field, whether
the new line can protect him, and whether they can mount a running
game that will allow for some sort of balance. The defense is more
experienced and has more depth in the backfield, which makes them
a better play than last season, but still only a bye-week replacement.
Indianapolis Colts
Key Additions: Re-signed DE Josh Thomas. Signed RB Dominic Rhodes.
Key Losses: LB Rob Morris, DT Anthony McFarland, TE Ben Utecht,
and TE Bryan Fletcher
Analysis: As usual, Bill Polian is limited as to the moves that
he can make in free agency due to cap and philosophical restrictions.
The Colts often lose talented players to free agency, but almost
always seem to find a way to fill those spots via the draft. The
defense was on an upswing again last season and the loss of Rob
Morris will hurt due to his consistency last season in the middle.
How Dominic Rhodes fits into the offense with Kenton Keith will
be interesting to watch, given that 2006 had a nice 1-2 punch with
Addai-Rhodes and 2007 had a nice 1-2 punch with Addai-Keith.
Fantasy Outlook: The offense revolves around Peyton Manning. If
his injury is not an issue, then the offense will be in very good
shape. Despite the age of Harrison and his questionable health,
the offense of the Colts will still be top 5. The line is intact,
Manning will be Manning, and Addai has another year under his belt,
which means that the team will make fantasy owners happy. While
Rhodes adds some depth and flexibility, the offense will still be
focused on Manning's arm as he looks for Wayne and Clark. The defense
was one of the best in the league in total yards and scoring last
season. While the loss of Morris and the impact of injuries to Bob
Sanders and Dwight Freeney, will affect the defense, they are still
likely to be a top 6 defense from a fantasy perspective.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Key Additions: WR Jerry Porter, WR Troy Williamson (trade), QB Cleo
Lemon, QB Todd Bouman, DT Jimmy Kennedy, CB Drayton Florence, S
Pierson Prioleau; Re-signed OL Maurice Williams, DE Paul Spicer,
DE Jeremy Mincey, DT Jimmy Kennedy
Key Losses: QB Quinn Gray, DT Marcus Stroud, T Chris Naoele, S Sammy
Knight, WR Earnest Wilford,
Analysis: David Garrard has seen his situation change quite a bit
during the offseason. With Quinn Gray no longer looking over his
shoulder, Garrard has full control of the QB position heading into
the season. Not only that, but he has some different receivers to
throw to. The team spent big money to sign Jerry Porter and his
past history and current injury leaves many scratching their heads.
The trade for disappointing Troy Williamson could reap serious benefits
with him showing good hands in OTA's and with Matt Jones likely
headed for a suspension. Much of the starting offensive line returns
to block for one of the best 1-2 tandems in Fred Taylor and Maurice
Jones-Drew, with the exception being the loss of Chris Naoele who
missed a good portion of last season with an injury anyway. Starting
C Brad Meester's injury (bicep) could impact the line to start the
season as well. The defense lost Marcus Stroud along the line, but
they have added some speed to help get more pressure on the ends.
Fantasy Outlook: The addition
of Williamson should provide a different look for defenses who are
used to seeing those tall receivers for the Jaguars. His ability
to spread the field should free up things underneath for the possession
receivers (Reggie
Williams, Marcedes
Lewis) and the running game. Expect Garrard to make a step forward
in his progress to become a #1 QB for many in 12 team leagues. Fred
Taylor was an unexpected work-horse last year providing a solid
complement to MJD. Now that Taylor is 32 years old, can he really
keep putting up 1,000 yards or is this the year that MJD takes full
control of the running game? Last year, Taylor had over 220 carries
to 167 for Drew. Expect to see that be more of a 50-50 split this
season assuming that Taylor can stay healthy, with Drew being the
more valuable of the two. With the running game and a solid defense,
expect the Jags DEF/ST to be a low-end #1 defense for many.
Tennessee Titans
Key Additions: DE Jevon Kearse, WR Justin McCareins, TE Alge Crumpler,
G Jake Scott
Key Losses: RB Chris Brown, TE Ben Troupe, WR Eric Moulds, WR David
Givens, G Jacob Bell, G Benji Olson (retired), DE Travis LaBoy,
DE Antwan Odom, DE Randy Starks, DB Adam "Pacman" Jones
(traded).
Analysis: It is back to the future for a couple of new Titans. Jevon
Kearse and Justin McCareins make their return to Tennessee. They
are going to need Kearse to return to his "Freak" days
to compensate for the 14 sacks that Anwan Odom and Travis LaBoy
provided last season. McCareins should have an opportunity to start
alongside Justin Gage who signed an extension with the team as replacements
for the departed David Givens and Eric Moulds. Alge Crumpler leaves
Atlanta to give Vince Young a big target at the tight end position,
but can he be the receiver that he was when pre-jail Michael Vick
was throwing him the ball? Second-leading rusher Chris Brown saw
his tenure with the Titans end after losing out to LenDale White.
Jake Scott was signed to fill one guard spot that was left vacant
by the retirement of Benji Olson (13 starts) and the release of
Jacob Bell (16 starts). The signing of Albert Haynesworth to avoid
a hold-out is a good thing considering that their rush defense was
considerably weaker without him clogging up the middle.
Fantasy Outlook: Vince
Young is the key to the offense and it does not appear that
the Titans did a whole lot to give him some weapons to work with
as receivers. While McCareins and Gage are respectable receivers,
they are not the types of players that strike fear in secondaries.
LenDale White
has a solid hold on the RB position, but look for lightning-quick
rookie, Chris
Johnson, to provide a change of pace and some excitement when
he gets his opportunities. Alge
Crumpler could be a nice short-range target for Young, but it
appears that their offense will continue to look to Young to create
the offense. Even though there is probably no one on the offense
that is going to be a #1 for your fantasy team (with the exception
of maybe Crumpler), the defense should be a top 10 now that Albert
Haynesworth is ready to go.
Atlanta Falcons
Key Additions: Re-signed DT Tim Anderson and QBs Chris Redman and
Joey Harrington. Signed S Deke Cooper, K Jason Elam, RB Michael
Turner, DB Erik Coleman, C Alex Stepanovich, TEs Ben Hartsock and
Jason Rader, DB Von Hutchins (on IR) and DT Kindal Moorehead
Key Losses: TE Alge Crumpler,
RB Warrick Dunn, G Wayne Gandy, CB DeAngelo Hall, CB Lewis Sanders,
S Chris Crocker, LB Demorrio Williams
Analysis: The Falcons must be happy campers this offseason. The
Michael Vick debacle is over, the Bobby Petrino debacle is over,
and the debacle that was the 2007 Atlanta Falcons is over. The team
has made a myriad of changes to try and fill a lot of holes on both
sides of the ball. On offense, Alge Crumpler is gone and league
nice-guy Warrick Dunn has moved back to Tampa Bay. The team signed
Michael Turner as their starting running back and the team drafted
Matt Ryan with backups Chris Redman and Joey Harrington doing the
"your cut, your hired" dance during the offseason. Jason
Elam becomes the kicker, taking over for Morten Anderson, who is
collecting Social Security. The defense has some talent, but the
loss of DeAngelo Hall will pose some challenges on the field (although
off the field, there are probably some Falcons execs doing back-flips).
The Falcons have tried to fill that gap in the secondary with several
players and they hope that the cream will rise to the top during
camp.
Fantasy Outlook: Turner was the big signing for the Falcons in free
agency. His past exploits in filling in for Ladanian Tomlinson in
San Diego have many thinking that he is a solid #2 RB in many leagues.
The offensive line is still a work in the progress which, along
with the QB situation, should temper some of the enthusiasm for
Turner. Jerious Norwood shows flashes of brilliance, but his suspect
blocking skills leave him as a frustrating player for many fantasy
owners. The receiving corps is led by Roddy White, who has been
getting some attention after posting more than 1,200 yards receiving,
including 5 games with over 100 yards. None of the other receivers,
including Laurent Robinson, Michael Jenkins, and Joe Horn are viable
fantasy options in anything but the deepest of leagues. It used
to be that you could count on Alge Crumpler being a top tight end
for the Falcons. Don't expect any of the Falcons TE's to be a #1
TE on any fantasy roster this season as they are likely to start
Ben Hartsock who is more of a blocker than a receiver. Jason Elam
could be a good option as a kicker as he is going to be kicking
indoors and you have to expect the offense to get bogged down and
settling for field goals. The defense has some talent and….
(oh, who am I kidding) there is not a chance that anyone will be
using them as a fantasy defense at any point during this season.
Carolina Panthers
Key Additions: WR D.J. Hackett, WR Muhsin Muhammad, RB LeBrandon
Toefield, OL Milford Brown, OL Toniu Fonoti, OL Keydrick Vincent,
DT Darwin Walker, DE Tyler Brayton, S Terrence Holt, LB Landon Johnson
Key Losses: QB David Carr, RB DeShaun Foster, WR Drew Carter, WR
Keary Colbert, TE Christian Fauria, C Justin Hartwig, G Mike Wahle,
DE Mike Rucker, LB Dan Morgan, S Deke Cooper, S Marquand Manuel
Analysis: The Panthers surprisingly won 7 games last season with
quarterbacks such as Vinny Testeverde, David Carr, and Matt Moore
leading the team for the last 13 games. In addition to the return
of Jake Delhomme to the offense, the team made a few other moves
on offense. The team let DeShaun Foster go and left the starting
RB job to DeAngelo Williams and rookie Jonathan Stewart. The team
looks to newcomer D.J. Hackett and former Panther Muhsin Muhammad
to fill the void that always seems to be opposite Steve Smith. The
offensive line will have a little bit of a juggling with the loss
of Justin Hartwig. Free agent Toniu Fonoti and rookie Jeff Otah
are looking to shore up the right side of the line with another
rookie, Ryan Khalil likely to take over at center. The defense has
lost Mike Rucker, who retired, and Dan Morgan who is also out of
football, but there is still plenty of talent on that defensive
front 7. There has been a little shakeup in the secondary with the
loss of starter Deke Cooper, but Terrence Holt should offer some
insurance in case Nate Salley can't do the job.
Fantasy Outlook: If Jake
Delhomme can come back from his elbow surgery and start off
like he did last season, then the offense should be in good shape.
Steve Smith
will hopefully benefit from the addition of Hackett and Muhammad.
Dwayne Jarrett's
value most likely suffers as a result of those two signings. While
DeAngelo Williams
may start the season as the number one, it is unlikely that he will
be their every down back. His durability is in question and there
is certainly no question of Jonathan
Stewart's size and ability. In addition to having Delhomme healthy,
how quickly the line gels will dictate how successful this team
is on offense. Even though the Panthers have some talent on defense
with Julius
Peppers and Jon
Beason, the team has lost some leaders in Mike
Minter (last year), Mike Rucker and Dan
Morgan, leaving the defense as no better than a bye-week fill-in
in most leagues.
New Orleans Saints
Key Additions: Traded for TE Jeremy Shockey, LB Jonathan Vilma.
Signed QB Mark Brunell, G Matt Lehr, CB Randall Gay, CB Aaron Glenn,
DE Bobby McCray.
Key Losses: C Jeff Faine, K Olindo Mare, LB Brian Simmons, CB Fred
Thomas, DE Renaldo Wynn
Analysis: The Saints were in the bottom 10 in points allowed last
season. They spent some money to sign free agents, Randall Gay and
Bobby McCray, while making a strong move to acquire Jonathan Vilma.
Along with rookie first-rounder Sedrick Ellis, these additions should
help make the Saints a better defensive team. That is going to be
key considering that they offense continues to look strong and the
addition of Jeremy Shockey via trade does nothing but make them
stronger. The big questions on offense will revolve around the health
of Deuce McAllister (already dinged in camp) and how well Jonathan
Goodwin can fill in for departed C Jeff Faine.
Fantasy Outlook: Jeremy Shockey makes Drew Brees a better QB if
he can stay on the field. Brees already has weapons like Marques
Colston (recently signed long-term) and Reggie Bush (out of the
backfield) already in place as solid receivers. The big question
is whether Deuce McAllister can adequately recover from his ACL
injury and stay healthy. Given his past recent history, that is
a big unknown. That will probably mean that the Saints throw more,
further elevating the value to Brees (top 4 QB) and Colston (top
12 WR). The defense, even with their offseason moves, is still a
bottom-half defense overall.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Key Additions: Traded for QB Brian Griese; Signed RB Warrick Dunn,
WR Antonio Bryant, TE Ben Troupe, TE John Gilmore, C Jeff Faine,
DE Marques Douglas, DE Jimmy Wilkerson, LB Teddy Lehman, DB Eugene
Wilson
Key Losses: QB Bruce Gradkowski, RB Mike Alstott, RB Michael Pittman,
TE Anthony Becht, OL Matt Lehr, C John Wade, DE Greg Spires, LB
Jeremiah Trotter, DB Brian Kelly.
Analysis: Some familiar faces make their way back to Tampa Bay this
offseason. The team traded for former Buc Brian Griese to compete
with Jeff Garcia for the starting QB job (alright, the backup job
because he could not even beat out Rex Grossman in Chicago). They
also brought back Warrick Dunn to provide some depth and change
of pace for recently-extended Earnest Graham. Gone are Michael Pittman
and long-time Buccaneer Mike Alstott. The team brought in a couple
of TE's (Troupe and Gilmore) to help provide some depth for Alex
Smith, with Jerramy Stevens being re-signed and then suspended for
the first two games of the season. Antonio Bryant hopes to get another
shot at NFL life, but will really just be competing for a roster
spot and, hopefully, the third-WR on this offense. Jeff Faine comes
over from division-rival New Orleans to replace starting center
John Wade and anchor a decent offensive line. On defense, the team
added a solid DE in Marques Douglas (started all but 2 games in
5 years) and Eugene Wilson, who gives the team some flexibility
in that he can play CB or S.
Fantasy Outlook: The player movements in Tampa will probably not
affect your fantasy expectations for this team. The players brought
in will be complimentary to the existing starters and will probably
only be on your team in very deep leagues. Jeff Garcia, as a starter,
is really a bottom tier QB and Brian Griese is really just insurance
on that. Warrick Dunn might get some 3rd down carries, but if Earnest
Graham gets hurt, there is not really an expectation that Dunn could
fill in full time given his age and size. With the starting WR spots
locked up by veterans Joey Galloway and Ike Hilliard, there is little
likelihood that Antonio Bryant can make an impact. However, he does
have a ton of talent (to go with a ton of problems), so he could
be someone that you could make a huge stretch for, probably off
the waiver wire mid-season. Earnest Graham is a top 20 RB with a
good line situation and a team that is going to want to run the
ball. The only roadblock there is the potential of Cadillac Williams
coming back sooner than later, although he is probably a PUP candidate.
There is some depth at TE, but the reality is that none of those
players is consistent enough to be anything other than a bye-week
replacement. The defense has not been a good fantasy play for several
years and the moves this offseason won't change that, making them
a bottom half defense that you may only play as a bye-week replacement
when they face the Falcons.
Material from personal interviews, wire services, team beat
writers, and league and team sources were used in this report.
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