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Offseason Moves
Here’s a post from a new writer we have here at the blog. Check it out below.
Hi, I’m Dan Bressler and I’ll be writing from time to time here on the blog. I’m a senior at Bradley University and I interned at FansEdge this summer. Let’s get right to it.
The NFL offseason moves always intrigued me. Franchise players revitalize the fanbases of some teams and long time favorites have to transition to new roles with other teams. Millions of dollars are tossed around from coast to coast trying to attract big names. Most importantly, the offseason is the time where losing teams become playoff contenders. Remember when the New Orleans Saints were one of the worst teams in the NFL, only to sign stars like Drew Brees, Reggie Bush, and Marques Colston and became a force to be reckoned with?
Here are 5 offseason moves I find will significantly impact teams in the NFL for the 2009-2010 season and beyond. These players could even be a boost to your fantasy team, with improved individual stats over last season.
1) Atlanta Falcons sign TE Tony Gonzalez: Gonzalez is one of the most talented tight ends – no, one of the most talented football players on the field today. Spending all of his 11 NFL seasons in Kansas City, he became well known as an above-average blocker and a reliable receiver. Tony Gonzalez is a leader on the field, and will be a great mentor to second year QB Matt Ryan. He will be another offensive weapon defenses have to worry about, in addition to the WR pair of Roddy White & Michael Jenkins, and RB breakout Michael Turner. Gonzalez is an improvement to an already stellar offensive line and will serve as a forceful blocker.
2) Chicago Bears sign QB Jay Cutler: From the ashes of the highly public conflict between Jay Cutler and new head coach Josh McDaniels, the Chicago Bears come out of nowhere to trade their ho-hum QB Kyle Orton to Denver for the promising Jay Cutler. Cutler has only been in the league for 3 years, but on skills alone, he is considered among the best at his position. He passed for over 4,500 yards last season and threw for 25TDs, stats that were among the elite NFL QBs. He led the team to an improved 8-8 record and created superstar status for Eddie Royal and Brandon Marshall. His popularity exploded, and he earned a roster spot on the Pro-Bowl. By moving from one team famous for cold weather and famous running backs to another team famous for cold weather and famous running backs, Cutler should have no difficulty adjusting to Chicago. Don’t expect another 4,500 passing yard season just yet, but the Bears will gain a confident, talented leader in Cutler – attributes missing from their previous quarterbacks within the last decade or two.
3) Philadelphia Eagles sign QB Michael Vick: One NFL team had to gamble on Vick, and the Philadelphia Eagles decided to roll the dice. Fans may have been confused as to why the Eagles signed Vick, but to me, this is a smart move by the team. Their franchise quarterback, Donovan McNabb, has only been able to play for a full 16 regular-season games in only four out of his ten NFL seasons. As immensely talented and as a great individual McNabb is, he is severely injury-prone, which creates a possible risk for his team to miss the playoffs in 2009. If McNabb goes down, Vick will lead the team with comparable skills. The Eagles missed out on Matt Cassel, Jay Cutler, Jeff Garcia, and others to backup McNabb. And while Vick may not have the speed he once had in 2006, he may have the arm and the field awareness to lead his new Eagles team to the playoffs if necessary. Furthermore, McNabb has publically supported and vouched for Michael Vick to join the team, which reduces potential conflict and preserves team chemistry.
4) Washington Redskins sign DL Albert Haynesworth and re-sign CB DeAngelo Hall: Remember how I mentioned that offseason moves can cause a losing team to become playoff contenders? In 2009, the Washington Redskins may very well be an example of exactly that, and it could be defense that leads this team. Haynesworth may present an off-field problem, but his on-field performance shines: 8.5 sacks and 3 forced fumbles last season. DeAngelo Hall only played 7 games with the Redskins, but had 25 tackles, 2 interceptions, and 8 pass deflections. Hall became a viable defensive back for the team, and made for an easy re-sign. Haynesworth and Hall join current a Redskins defense with fierce players including London Fletcher, Fred Smoot, and Carlos Rodgers.
5) Cincinnati Bengals sign WR Laveranues Coles: When opposing defenses would play the Bengals, CBs and LBs would hone in on the speedy Chad Ochocinco, providing the No. 2 WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh with single coverage that lead to a big year in 2008 and a free agency move to Seattle this season. Ochocinco’s mouth is still enormous, but there was a void in the Bengals offense that needed to complement #85. Enter Laveranues Coles. He’s not a superstar WR, but he is a veteran playmaker, healthy enough to consistently start games for the team and be an above-average receiver. Team defenses may struggle to contain both Ochocinco and Coles, and a healthy Carson Palmer will have improved numbers with this new WR addition. Expect Coles to catch around 7-9TDs, catch 85 passes, and have over 800 receiving yards this upcoming season.
Other players not mentioned include new Chiefs QB Matt Cassel and Bills WR Terrell Owens. Torry Holt has moved on from his greatest show on turf days to help the Jaguars get back to the playoffs and Jets rookie QB Mark Sanchez has a chance to be a difference maker.
Do you agree or disagree with my picks? Care to give your top 5 great NFL offseason moves of 2009? Send a comment below! Let’s enjoy another great NFL season…
September 11th, 2009 at 3:23 pm
First of all, good move not including Brett Favre to the Vikings as one of your five. That’s a move that is almost guaranteed in my mind to blow up on the Vikings. Favre started out well for the Jets last year, but he faded down the stretch, and that’s hardly going to help a team with deep playoff expectations. Even though he blames it on injury, it’s hard to justify relying on a 40-year old arm to get the Vikings through the playoffs, and even worse to suggest that someone like Tavaris Jackson could just pick up the slack if/when Favre fades.
Second, I disagree with your pick for Hanyesworth as a good move for the Redskins. There’s no denying that Hanyesworth has been a dominant force since he came into the league and that DeAngelo Hall really helped the Redskins defense last year, but the contracts they both received seem overdone. Haynesworth has serious trouble staying on the field, because of both injuries and suspensions, and Hall is coming off a season where he managed to sign a $70 million contract with Oakland after they traded a second and fifth round draft pick to acquire him just to be released eight games into the season. Haynesworth is now sitting on a $100 million contract and Hall on a $55 million from a team notorious for overblown contracts to players who don’t meet expectations (Adam Archuleta comes to mind). It’s just another gamble the Redskins are making that has more potential to blow up in their faces than to produce.
Instead of Haynesworth/Hall, I probably would have included the Broncos signing Brian Dawkins. The Broncos’ defensive woes are well-known, and they were in serious need of both a playmaker and a leader on their porous defense, and that’s exactly what they got in Dawkins. He’s not going to be the dominant player he was for the Eagles, but he’ll help rebuild a Broncos defense that’s been in serious need of major overhaul. The move is smart, low-risk, and will pay dividends beyond Dawkins’ tenure in Denver.
September 11th, 2009 at 6:42 pm
Dawkins is another great offseason move that just slipped my mind. He’s one of the premier defensive playmakers in the league. My only concern for him would be his health - he’s getting older and seems to be injury prone. I remember hearing in past Fantasy Football leagues that Dawkins would get frequent “probable” and “questionable” statuses that would definitely affect his statistical numbers. However, Dawkins developed into a leader on the bench and locker rooms for the Eagles, and I can see him teaming with Champ to add that extra bump the Bronco’s defense desperately need. And besides, what team would not benefit from a player who enters the field running like a lion?
As for Haynesworth, yes I do agree that money plays a significant factor among his moral status. And yes, he has had some off-season issues in past years. But judging by his ability to play defensive line - when it comes down to it, he dominates. With a great speed for his weight, massive run power, and veteran awareness, he is a force to be reckoned with. Remember - I created this list judging fantasy value and football ability, and I think Haynesworth will deliver. As for Hall, I’ll admit I do not know as much about him as the other mentioned players, but I do know he’s been hot the past couple of years and is making waves in the NFL. Even if Hall did play with a large contract, a lot of the fault goes to the team that is willing to pay the player. Washington is taking that financial risk to create a dominant defense, and while they have had their misses, they have been relatively consistent the past several seasons. And didn’t the team actually make the playoffs a few years ago? They have been just shy of playoff contention, but as long as Haynesworth and Hall stay out of trouble, they at least upgraded their defense.