NFL Offseason Thoughts

We've spent the last week or so getting deep into the upcoming baseball season and, with the NCAA tournament set to start Thursday, we'll be delving a little into college basketball over the next few weeks. So, I figured we'd take a slight break from all of that and break down what has been a busy few weeks of NFL comings and goings.

*The team that made the most headlines in the early going of free agency was the Chicago Bears, who signed top free agent DE Julius Peppers and stole RB Chester Taylor from division rival Minnesota.

Many believe Chicago overpaid Peppers by handing out a 6-year, $91 million contract($40 mil of which to be paid out in the first three years) to a pass rusher who has been a bit of an enigma throughout his 8-year career in Carolina. That may very well be true. The thing of it is, with this being an uncapped year, somebody(be it Washington or New England or otherwise) was going to pay Peppers more than he's worth to secure his services. He's a freakish athlete whose career sack total averages out to a little over 10 sacks a year(eventhough he had two seasons where he had less than double-digit sacks, including a 2007 campaign where he managed just 2.5 sacks) and the Bears, who desperately needed a pass rush playing in a division with pass-happy Green Bay and the inevitably Brett Favre-led Vikings.

My issue with the Bears-Peppers partnership is that, in order for the Bears to get their money's worth out of the ex-Panther, Peppers would have to put up career years despite being at an age(30) in which defensive ends typically see a numbers decline. It's asking quite a bit to expect a guy like Peppers, who is already not the most motivated of individuals, to play his best football AFTER signing a contract that will pay him 40 million in the first three seasons. Now, Peppers is playing in a division where the Packers led the league in sacks allowed and the Lions weren't too far behind Green Bay. Could Peppers rack up numbers in the four games against those four swiss-cheese O-Lines? Sure, but so could a lot of defensive ends who would have signed with Chicago for about half of what they paid Peppers.

As for Taylor, I'm confused as to why a guy who was overshadowed by Adrian Peterson for the last few years in Minnesota would take the same job with a less-talented team when there were openings elsewhere where Taylor could have went and been a lead back again(San Diego, Seattle, the Jets, New England, to name a few). What was the rush for Taylor to sign? The RB draft class isn't that deep and neither was the crop of RB free agents. If the Redskins were willing to hand out $21 million for the long-since washed up Larry Johnson, who's to say they wouldn't offer the same to a less worn out Taylor? On top of that, Taylor comes into an offense that will be passing most of the time(both because of new coordinator Mike Martz and because they'll likely be down late in games) and it's not like those crunch time carries will be going to him instead of Matt Forte. If Taylor's ambition was to come back and crush Minnesota, he'll have a hard time doing it with his new inferior Bears team.

*The move I loved the most thus far was the Ravens trading for Cardinals WR Anquan Boldin. Boldin's physical style fits in perfectly with the hard-nosed Ravens. Boldin's the kind of big, strong receiver cornerbacks and safeties alike will hate having to bring down in the winter months. Boldin's also a competent blocker, which will help a team that is already solid when it comes to run blocking to begin with. The best part was it only cost Baltimore a couple late picks(late 3rd and 4th in this year's draft) to bring in one of the 10 best WRs in the NFL. When you consider the Seahawks are considering a 1st rounder(in the top 15, mind you) to acquire Broncos WR Brandon Marshall, the Boldin deal looks like even more of a steal. The issue with Boldin is health. He's never played a full season and his style of play will bring on a lot of ticky-tack injuries. Critics say the wear and tear from the punishment Boldin takes makes him a very old 29, but he's still a major upgrade over the stone-handed Mark Clayton and aging Derrick Mason.

*The biggest winner, however, of Free Agency 2010 is recently traded QB Brady Quinn. Quinn was sent away from Cleveland to Denver in exchange for a couple late round picks and fullback Peyton Hillis. Quinn leaves the worst situation in football with the Browns(yes, worse than St. Louis. At least the Rams have players fans can be hopeful about) and enters a Broncos team that has a good shot at winning a suddenly wide open AFC West. With LT and Antonio Cromartie now with the Jets, WR Vincent Jackson still available to be had(granted, for a 1st and a 3rd, which SD can match) and NT Jamal Williams now in Denver, the Broncos may finally be able to put away the Chargers. As for Quinn, he's likely sitting behind Kyle Orton for at least a year unless Orton completely crumbles during the preseason or gets hurt. Still, eventually taking over an offense with a competent offensive mind in Josh McDaniels, a solid offensive line and a even better supporting cast(assuming they keep Marshall) has to be a much better scenario than wallowing in a sports cesspool like Cleveland.

*That brings me to the offseason's biggest loser so far. First, some fun with numbers.

Player A is a 25-year old quarterback who is coming off a season that saw him throw 8 touchdowns to 7 interceptions despite not having anything resembling a running attack until late December and his Pro Bowl TE and Pro Bowl WR traded away before Halloween.

Player B also threw 8 TDs but also tossed 18 interceptions(as well as lost 3 of his 6 fumbles) despite having one of the 2 or 3 best WRs in football and the most dangerous1-2 running combination in football. Player B is also 35 years old and is only available after his former employer was willing to pay $12 million to get rid of him.

If I would have told you that Player A would be getting shipped out of town in favor of Player B, how foolish would the think the man calling the shots is?

Mike Holmgren, put in charge of rebuilding a floundering Browns team just a few months ago, has been off to rather rocky start in his few weeks in the front office. He shocked many by retaining head coach Eric Mangini, even while better candidates like Vikings DC Leslie Frazier and Chargers DC Ron Rivera were available. Then, he cut Pro Bowl QB Derek Anderson, only after acquiring former Seattle QB project Seneca Wallace. After that, came the signing of Player B, ex-Panther Jake Delhomme, which was followed by the exile of Player A(the aforementioned Brady Quinn). Holmgren also dealt the team's best pass rusher, LB Kamerion Wimbley, to Oakland for a 3rd round pick and dealt servicable DL Corey Williams to Detroit for another late rounder.

Holmgren stockpiling picks in a deep draft would be seen as wise if not for Holmgren's mensa-mensa reputation as a drafter. Sure, Holmgren built a Packers team in the late 90's that went to two Super Bowls and he built a team in Seattle that made the Super Bowl in '05, and he's made some steals on Draft Day before(perhaps the biggest being Shaun Alexander in 2000 and managing to finagle former Favre backup Matt Hasselbeck from Green Bay in exchange for moving down a few spots in the first round....which then netted them Pro Bowl G Steve Hutchinson in 2001). He's also the same guy who drafted guys like Jerramy Stevens and Marcus Tubbs.

Granted, all GMs make mistakes in the Draft but, if you're a Browns fan, how optimistic can you be when they new man in charge has managed to retain a head coach who was horrid in his first season with the team and got rid of two young QBs in exchange for an undersized career backup who will be 32 this season and a beleaguered, aging QB who single-handedly sunk the Super Bowl chances of a promising Panthers team? Seriously, in the last 13 months dating back to the 2008 playoffs, who has been more of an abomination at QB than Jake Delhomme? At least JaMarcus Russell is young enough to be developed into something(albeit unlikely), does Holmgren really think Delhomme is going to get better as he enters his late 30's? Holmgren has to leave this draft with a young QB to develop(be it Jimmy Clausen in Round 1 or Colt McCoy in Round 2), at least 3 or 4 starters or potential starters on defense including a pass rusher and some bulk up front(to replace Wimbley and Williams as well as the inevitably departing Shaun Rogers) and probably a new RB(if a deal can't be struck with late-season breakout star Jerome Harrison). Given what we've seen in the first three months, what are the chances that Holmgren hits on all those marks?

*Lastly, I have to say I like L.T. going to the Jets, eventhough I maintain New Orleans was a better move for him. With L.T.(granted, an aging and decline L.T.) to pair with second-year man Shonn Greene in the backfield and fellow ex-Charger Antonio Cromartie to pair with CB Darrelle Revis in the secondary, the Jets can now focus on improving a front 7 that has seen nothing out of former first rounder Vernon Gholston and is expecting aging and out-of-shape NT Kris Jenkins to somehow bounce back next season. If the Jets retain Braylon Edwards(and I think they will) and can lock down a guy like WR Golden Tate or a pass-rusher like Sergio Kindle or Jerry Hughes in the draft, I think the Jets enter 2010 as the favorite to win the AFC next season.