8/13/09
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.
In part 4 of this series, we complete our look with the AFC West
and NFC West teams and analyze their free agent movements.
Note: Players are denoted in order of position and not
by their impact.
DEN | KC | OAK
| SD | ARI
| STL | SF | SEA
AFC West
Denver Broncos
2008 Record: 8-8
Key Additions: Traded for QB Kyle Orton; Re-signed TE Jeb Putzier
and DL Kenny Peterson; Signed QB Chris Simms, RB Correll Buckhalter,
RB Lamont Jordan, RB Darius Walker, WR Jabar Gaffney, WR Brandon
Lloyd, WR C.J. Jones, OT Brandon Gorin, G Matt McChesney, DT Darrell
Reid, DT J'Vonne Parker, DT Ronald Fields, LB Nick Greisen, LB
Andra Davis, CB Andre Goodman, S Brian Dawkins, S Renaldo Hill
and LS Lonie Paxton
Key Losses: Traded QB Jay Cutler ; Released/Failed to re-sign
QB Patrick Ramsey, RB Selvin Young, RB Ryan Torain, RB P.J. Pope,
RB Anthony Aldridge, RB Alex Haynes, RB Cory Boyd, FB Andrew Pinnock,
WR Jayson Foster, WR Cliff Russell, TE Nate Jackson, TE Mike Leach,
TE Chad Mustard, DE John Engelberger, DT Dewayne Robertson, DT
John Shaw, LB Boss Bailey, LB Louis Green, LB Jamie Winborn, LB
Niko Koutouvides, CB Dré Bly, CB Dominique Foxworth, CB
Karl Paymeh, CB Rashad Moulton, S John Lynch, S Marlon McCree,
S Marquand Manuel and S Herana-Daze Jones
Analysis: The Broncos were
sitting pretty after Week 14 last year. They had a 3 game cushion
on a playoff berth and had an up and coming offense with Mike
Shanahan at the helm. Fast forward to 2009 and here sits a first
year head coach that is younger than some of his players overseeing
major roster changes, including the trading of their franchise
QB, Jay Cutler. Denver got Kyle Orton in return at QB along with
signing Correll Buckhalter and Lamont Jordan to fight for the
starting RB position with first round pick Knowshon Moreno. The
offense is not as strong as last season and their major weakness,
the defense, might not be any better off. The team did bring in
veteran Brian Dawkins (injured – hand), Andra Davis and
Renaldo Hill, but they have to make up for players like Boss Bailey,
Dré Bly, Marquand Manuel, Jamie Winborn and Dewayne Robertson.
Fantasy Outlook: The RB position
looks to be strong, which is good for a team with a marginal QB,
but a fantasy nightmare because Buckhalter, Jordan or Moreno could
land the starting gig, and all could see significant playing time.
The WR position is going to suffer with Orton at QB despite the
addition of Jabar Gaffney and Brandon Lloyd. Jeb Putzier was re-signed
and he could be a nice value as a late round TE. The defense is
going to stink again this year and should be avoided from a fantasy
perspective.
Kansas City Chiefs
2008 Record: 2-14
Key Additions: Traded for QB Matt Cassel, LB Mike Vrabel. Signed
WR Bobby Engram, WR Amani Toomer, WR Terrance Copper, TE Tony
Curtis, TE, Sean Ryan, OG Mike Goff, C Eric Ghiacuic, LB Zach
Thomas, LB Corey Mays, CB Travis Daniels and S Mike Brown
Key Losses: Traded TE Tony Gonzalez. Released/Failed to re-sign
QB Quinn Gray, QB Damon Huard, WR Will Franklin, G Adrian Jones,
TE Michael Merritt, WR Kevin Robinson, LB Donnie Edwards, LB Pat
Thomas, CB David Macklin, and CB Patrick Surtain
Analysis: First year HC Todd
Haley and GM Scott Pioli have their hands full in rebuilding this
team. KC has tried to go young with the trading of aging, but
still valuable, Tony Gonzalez. They also made a big move in trading
for Matt Cassel and then handing him a huge contract. Not bad
for a guy who has exactly one season as a starting QB in the last
eight years. The Chiefs did look to strengthen the line with the
addition of Mike Goff and Eric Ghiacuic. They also added some
veteran leadership on the defense acquiring Mike Vrabel, Zach
Thomas and Mike Brown, which should help keep them in games as
the season progresses.
Fantasy Outlook: Cassel is
not Tom Brady and though he may have stayed at a Holiday Inn Express
last night, he is not going to ignite the KC offense. He is not
throwing to Randy Moss and Wes Welker on the outside. The team
is still knee-deep into a rebuilding project and players like
Amani Toomer, Bobby Engram and Terrance Copper are not going to
help Cassel become a fantasy stud. Despite some camp rumors, expect
Dwayne Bowe to benefit in this offense. Larry Johnson is aging,
but has lost some weight and insists that he is ready to carry
the rock 300+ times again. Look for the team to see if Jamaal
Charles is ready to be the RB of the future, so make sure you
target him in later rounds. The defense is better, but are still
not even worthy of a sniff come fantasy draft time.
Oakland Raiders
2008 Record: 5-11
Key Additions: Traded for C Samson Satele. Signed QB Jeff Garcia,
QB Charlie Frye, QB Bruce Gradkowski, FB Lorenzo Neal, RB Gary
Russell, WR Samie Parker, WR Will Franklin, TE John Paul Foschi,
OT Khalif Barnes, OT Marcus Johnson, OT Erik Pears, DT Ryan Boschetti
and S Keith Davis
Key Losses: Traded LB Derrick Burgess; Released/Failed to re-sign
WR Ronald Curry, FB Justin Griffith, C Jake Grove, OT Kwame Harris,
DE Kalimba Edwards, LB Marquis Cooper (deceased), S Gibril Wilson
and FS Rashad Baker
Analysis: What can you say
about a team that is a perennial doormat and makes head-scratching
moves year after year? You could say that they got better with
the signing of Jeff Garcia and Lorenzo Neal. However, the team
lost Jack Grove and traded for Samson Satele who was going to
be cast aside by the Dolphins when they signed Grove. That is
a typical move of a team that is going backwards. The Raiders
were column fodder (pun intended) for their handy draft work in
making a huge reach at WR Darius Heyward-Bey (brings new meaning
to no hands), an even bigger reach in 2nd rounder S Mike Mitchell
(some teams did not have him on their draft boards at all), and
6th rounder Stryker Sulak, who was cut before camp got started.
Oakland is going nowhere fast even in a division that is ripe
for the picking.
Fantasy Outlook: The QB position
is going to provide little if any value even if Garcia lines up
behind center. The WR’s are pedestrian at best with Javon Walker
being their “cornerstone”. The only value is at running back,
but RBBC is en vogue with Justin
Fargas and Darren McFadden battling for the starting spot.
McFadden has the better talent overall and should end up being
the guy to lead this rebuilding team in carries. Zach
Miller is a sneaky TE for a poor offense and is worthy of
a spot on your roster. The defense, however, is not worthy of
a spot on your roster as will continue to struggle after making
few improvements during the offseason.
San Diego Chargers
2008 Record: 8-8
Key Additions: Signed LB Kevin Burnett. Re-signed RB Darren Sproles
(franchised), WR Malcom Floyd, OT Jeromey Clary, OG Kynan Forney
and CB Cletis Gordon
Key Losses: Released/Failed to re-sign RB Eldra Buckley, OG Mike
Goff, C Jeremy Newberry, DE Igor Olshansky, LB Matt Wilhelm, LB
Marques Harris and LB Anthony Waters
Analysis: The Chargers made
a strong run at the end of last season. With the return of LB
Shawn Merriman from injury, the team is looking to make another
run at the division and given the state of the AFC West, that
might not be difficult. The loss of G Mike Goff and C Jeremy Newberry
(retired) will mean new faces on the offensive line. The big loss
could be in DE Igor Olshansky, who is a solid defender and a high-energy
player. The tagging of Darren Sproles helps the special teams
and as insurance for LaDainian Tomlinson, who is now 30 years
old.
Fantasy Outlook: The offense
should be in better shape this season and reminiscent of the last
several games in 2008. Tomlinson and TE Antonio Gates are healthy
again leading an offense that has been very powerful in recent
years. The WR crew is well balanced (and tall) with Chris Chambers,
Vincent Jackson and (re-signed) Malcolm Floyd providing big targets
for QB Phillip Rivers. The defense has Merriman back, attacking
on the outside and the team hopes that rookie Larry English can
add more QB pressure from the LB corps. The defense should be
a nice pickup for your fantasy team.
NFC West
Arizona Cardinals
2008 Record: 9-7
Key Additions: Signed RB Jason Wright, FB Dan Kreider, TE Anthony
Becht, DT Rodney Leisle, CB Bryant McFadden and LS Mike Leach.
Re-signed QB Kurt Warner, TE Leonard Pope, OL Elton Brown, DT
Gabe Watson, DE Bertrand Berry, DE Keilen Dykes, LB Karlos Dansby
(franchised), LB Clark Haggans, CB Wilrey Fontenot, CB Ralph Brown
and S Dennis Keyes
Key Losses: Released/Failed to re-sign RB Edgerrin James, RB
J.J. Arrington, TE Jerame Tuman, DE Antonio Smith, DE Travis Laboy
and CB Roderick Hood
Analysis: Teams who lose the
Super Bowl often have a major slump the next season. This often
comes from the loss of key personnel but it's also caused by the
loss of key coordinators. Todd Haley is gone as offensive coordinator,
which could put a little more pressure on recently re-signed QB
Kurt Warner. The Cardinals did a good job of keeping their core
players together by franchising Karlos Dansby and re-signing Bertrand
Berry and Clark Hagans. They did lose some strength along the
defensive line with the loss of Antonio Smith and Travis Laboy,
along with the loss of CB Rod Hood. Edgerrin James’ age
finally caught up to him last season and is still looking for
work at this point in time.
Fantasy Outlook: The Cardinals
still have the pieces in place to have a high-powered offense.
With Warner throwing to Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin, the
team has plenty of weapons for fantasy owners to choose from.
Of concern will be Boldin’s desire for a big contract along
with the emergence of Steve Breaston, who showed himself to be
a viable threat. There is still the possibility that Boldin will
be traded, but the uncertainty of destination leaves him as an
iffy pick unless he falls to the 4th round (or so). The defense
was a good play against certain matchups last year and will only
be a bye-week fill-in against the right matchups this season.
St. Louis Rams
2008 Record: 2-14
Key Additions: Traded for WR Laurent Robinson, DT Orien Harris.
Re-signed OT Adam Goldberg, G Richie Incognito, G Mark Setterstrom,
DE Eric Moore, CB Ron Bartell and S Oshiomogho Atogwe (franchise
tag); Signed QB Kyle Boller, FB Mike Karney, WR Tim Carter, WR
Ronald Curry, TE Billy Bajema, C Jason Brown, DT Hollis Thomas,
DT Gary Gibson, SS James Butler and S Craig Dahl
Key Losses: Traded Brian Leonard. Released/Failed to re-sign
QB Trent Green (retired), WR Torry Holt, WR Drew Bennett, TE Anthony
Becht, OT Orlando Pace, C Brett Romberg, C Nick Leckey, OT Anthony
Davis, OT Brandon Gorin, LB Pisa Tinoisamoa and S Corey Chavous
Analysis: The Rams stunk up
the joint last season and find themselves with a new head coach
in defensive-minded Steve Spagnuolo. The team lost some key players
along the offensive line in veterans Orlando Pace and Brett Romberg
and their leading tackler in 2008 in Pisa Tinoisamoa. They've
attempted to bolster the line with #2 overall pick Jason Smith
and the re-signing of Incognito (one of the great names in the
game). The team drafted James Laurinaitis to potentially take
over for the smaller Tinoisamoa. The receiving corps of the last
several years is completely gone with the departure of Torry Holt
(along with Isaac Bruce’s departure last year). The trade
for Laurent Robinson and the signings of Tim Carter and Ronald
Curry should provide an interesting battle at the WR position.
Fantasy Outlook: The success
of the offense is going to hinge on two things – can Steven
Jackson stay healthy enough to be the game-changer they need him
to be and can Marc Bulger be the QB they signed to a huge deal
a couple of seasons ago? The offensive line is revamped and it
will take some time for them to gel as a unit. Donnie Avery has
a big chance to take over as a bona fide #1 WR, but his foot injury
this offseason will have scare fantasy owners at draft time. It
is unclear at this point as to which of the other receivers on
the roster (Keenan Burton, Robinson, Curry) will step up to fill
that void and also emerge as the #2 guy when Avery returns. The
defense should be playing an attacking style this season under
Spagnuolo, but don’t look to add them to your fantasy roster.
San Francisco 49ers
2008 Record: 7-9
Key Additions: Re-signed LB
Takeo Spikes and CB Allen Rossum; Signed QB Damon Huard, FB Moran
Norris, WR Brandon Jones, OT Marvel Smith, DE Demetric Evans,
LB Marques Harris, LB Mark Washington, CB Dré Bly and S
Lewis Baker
Key Losses: Released/Failed to re-sign QB J.T. O'Sullivan, WR
Bryant Johnson, TE Sean Ryan, TE Billy Bajema, OT Jonas Jennings,
DT Ronald Fields, CB Donald Strickland and S Keith Lewis
Analysis: The 49’ers made a
run at the division last season and showed some progress under
head coach Mike Singletary who took over part way through the
season. They were able to hang onto veterans on the defense like
Takeo Spikes
and Allen
Rossum, while adding Dré Bly to help with the secondary. Brandon
Jones was supposed to battle for a spot in the WR rotation,
but he will miss the first 4 games with a fracture in his shoulder.
The 49’ers were able to make up for the loss of veteran offensive
lineman Jonas Jennings by signing Marvel Smith from the Steelers.
Damon Huard
adds some depth to a QB position that features a battle between
Shaun Hill
and Alex
Smith.
Fantasy Outlook: The big question
for San Fran this training camp is at the QB position. Will the
team go with Shaun Hill or Alex Smith? It is hard to tell at this
point, but Hill appears to be the consensus favortite to win the
job. With first round wide receiver Michael Crabtree holding out,
Josh Morgan is taking a solid hold on the #1 WR position and could
be a nice value pick. Expect his ADP to rise until (unless) Crabtree
signs. Crabtree could be a headcase in the making, but I would
be more concerned with his current foot injury. Frank Gore is
looking to get back to his stud status of a couple of years ago,
but there is a possibility that he could lose goal line carries
to 3rd-round pick Glenn Coffee. TE Vernon Davis has a lot to prove,
both to fantasy owners and to Singletary, but given that he still
can’t listen in camp, I would steer clear of him. The defense
has some potential, but is too inconsistent to consider.
Seattle Seahawks
2008 Record: 4-12
Key Additions: Traded for DT Cory Redding; Re-signed LB Leroy
Hill, LB Lance Laury, LB D.D. Lewis; Signed FB Justin Griffith,
FB Dan Curran, FB David Kirtman, WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh, TE John
Owens, C Bryan Pittman, DT Colin Cole, LB Tony Taylor and CB Ken
Lucas
Key Losses: Traded LB Julian Peterson; Released/Failed to re-sign
QB Charlie Frye, RB Maurice Morris, FB Leonard Weaver, WR Bobby
Engram, WR Samie Parker, WR Trent Shelton, TE Will Heller, OL
Floyd Womack, OL Tyler Schmitt, OG Mike Wahle, C Donovan Raiola,
DT Rocky Bernard, DT Howard Green and CB DeMichael Dizer
Analysis: Last season is one
the Seahawks would like to forget. During this offseason, Seattle
replaced their head coach and have been shuffling and plugging
holes across the offensive line. Add in the loss of RB Maurice
Morris and the running game is now suspect. Gone are WR’s
Bobby Engram and Samie Parker, but the ‘Hawks made a nice
pickup in signing T.J. Houshmandzadeh from the Bengals and should
be in better shape this season given all of the injuries that
occured last year at the position. Blocking TE Will Heller is
gone after being made obsolete by the emergence of John Carlson.
On defense, the team traded for Cory Redding to help clog the
middle, while signing Ken Lucas to help in the secondary. They
also added first-round pick Aaron Curry to put some pressure on
opposing QB’s from the outside which hopefully will offset
the loss of LB Julian Peterson.
Fantasy Outlook: Will Matt
Hasselbeck remain healthy this season? He has been working hard
to prevent back problems from derailing another year. With the
addition of T.J. Housh and a healthy Nate Burleson fantasy owners
could do worse than taking a chance on Hasselbeck. The running
game is messy with Julius Jones and T.J. Duckett compromising
a less than stellar RBBC. With the team looking to have rookie
Max Unger being a key part of the offensive line, I would probably
steer clear of the Seattle running game. John Carlson will improve
on his rookie campaign and could be a nice underneath option with
teams looking to stop Burleson Branch and Houshmandzadeh on the
outside. The defense is better with Redding, Lucas and Curry,
but are not the type of attacking defense that is going to be
worthwhile drafting this season.
Material from personal interviews, wire services, team beat
writers, and league and team sources were used in this report.
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