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"NFC Notes: Offseason Winners & Losers
by Rick Kamla - Senior Editor, Fanball.com
Tuesday, July 8, 2003
Now that the smoke has cleared on both free agency periods (apologies to Antonio Freeman), the time is right to determine offseason winners and losers. We’ll tackle the NFC today and handle the AFC on Thursday.
(Disclaimer: Defensive upgrades or downgrades were not considered in determining the offseason winners and losers. I repeat: This article has nothing to do with DEFENSE.)
Offseason Winners
7. Philadelphia Eagles: With the exception of new fullback Jon Ritchie, who replaces Cecil Martin, the Eagles’ starting lineup remained intact. The loss of Dorsey Levens was more than mitigated with the drafting of tight end L.J. Smith and wide receiver Billy McMullen. Both could open the 2004 season in the starting lineup. Put it this way: The Eagles weren’t necessarily winners, but they definitely weren’t losers.
6. San Francisco 49ers: The coaching switch from Steve Mariucci to Dennis Erickson will probably cost the Niners a couple wins, but it shouldn’t hurt the offense. Erickson wants a more wide-open, unpredictable attack, which should lead to more big plays from Jeff Garcia and Terrell Owens. Also, he wants to get Kevan Barlow more involved. No knock on Garrison Hearst, but more of Barlow is a good thing. Last and least, the Niners finally cut their losses with sled-dog deluxe J.J. Stokes. What took them so long?
5. New Orleans Saints: I’m a Kyle Turley fan because he doesn’t care what people think about him. Oh yeah, he’s also a solid tackle. All that said, his loss wasn’t a big deal because the Saints stole free agent tackle Wayne Gandy from the Steelers. I like the additions of Todd Bouman and Ernie Conwell, and Joe Horn is finally content with his contract. Best of all, Aaron Brooks’ throwing shoulder reportedly will be ready in time for training camp.
4. Detroit Lions: Bye-bye, Marty. Hello, Mooch. Mariucci will restore order to a team that has dealt with chaos for well over a decade. Suffice to say, neither Wayne Fontes nor Bobby Ross had Lombardi-esque control over their Lions. Mooch will start by building around first-round picks Joey Harrington and Charles Rogers. The Lions’ offense—namely James Stewart—will be better than you think, sooner than you think.
3. Carolina Panthers: I’m not into the loss of Wesley Walls, who still wants to play, but the Panthers did improve their offense. From scoring Stephen Davis on the rebound to signing up-and-coming quarterback Jake Delhomme to recruiting Ricky Proehl, Carolina suddenly has an offense that fantasy owners can no longer ignore. Plus, they used their first three picks on offense, stockpiling two linemen and a tight end.
2. Atlanta Falcons: The draft was uneventful and the free agency periods saw only the swap of aging speedster, Shawn Jefferson, for speedy youngster, MarTay Jenkins. Ah, but the Falcons added Peerless Price for the low, low price of a first-round pick (turned into Willis McGahee by Buffalo). Vick-to-Price will be a special hookup, and it could happen this year.
1. Washington Redskins: I gotta hand it to the Redskins, who led the NFC in offensive improvements. They overpaid for Laveranues Coles, but Steve Spurrier’s offense desperately needed a sure-handed, speed receiver. The Skins added at quarterback by subtracting Danny Woeful and Pain Matthews. They styled their offensive line with a new set of guards. The team even improved at kicker, where the streaky John Hall replaces last year’s trio from hell. The Skins weren’t perfect, however, as going from Davis to Trung Canidate (and friends) is a downgrade. They don’t know it yet, but the Skins will miss Davis’ toughness and consistency.
Offseason Losers
8. Minnesota Vikings: Like the Eagles, the Vikings aren’t necessarily "losers." It's just that I can't group them with the winners. Michael Bennett missed virtually the entire offseason while rehabbing a stress fracture. They essentially traded Bouman for Gus Frerotte, gaining experience and losing talent. Oh yeah, and they gave Daunte Culpepper a 10-figure contract extension one year before they had to. I really like the signing of former-Giant tackle Mike Rosenthal, and the offense should be awesome this season, but the Vikings cannot be called “offseason winners.”
7. Green Bay Packers: The Packers face potentially serious problems on the offensive line. Starting tackles Chad Clifton and Mark Tauscher are coming back from serious injuries, and there is uncertainty about their status for week one. Plus, the Brett Favre retirement talk cannot be good for this team. Not only does it cast a dark cloud over the season, it could mushroom into a large regular-season distraction.
6. Seattle Seahawks: Though it may not adversely affect the team during the regular season, the death of Trent Dilfer’s five-year-old son has been an emotional hurdle to overcome in the offseason. Throw in Jerramy Stevens’ legal troubles, Koren Robinson’s broken finger, and Walter Jones' lingering contract unrest, and the Seahawks wind up among the offseason losers. There is a silver lining, however, as Shaun Alexander had the type of offseason that should lead to big regular season numbers.
5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Two words: Michael Pittman. Two more words: Thomas Jones. How are the Bucs going to repeat with a backfield comprised of Cardinal rejects?
4. New York Giants: The Giants upgraded at kicker, as Mike Hollis replaces Matt Bryant. However, they lost the right side of their offensive line when Rosenthal migrated to Minnesota and Jason Whittle took off for Tampa. More bad news: The tentative plan is to replace them with a pair of undrafted, third-year journeymen. O-line coach Jim McNally is one of the best in the business, but the right side might not solidify until next season—if then.
3. Dallas Cowboys: I know, I know, the Cowboys now have legendary coach Bill Parcells and his cool blonde hair, but their starting halfback is tubby, they don’t have a quarterback, and they traded for Fairy Glenn. Was Parcells serious when he said Brian Griese would not be an upgrade over Chad Hutchinson and Quincy Carter? Like the Cardinals getting Emmitt Smith well past his prime, I wonder if the Cowboys are getting a head coach who is living off his name.
2. Chicago Bears: First of all, the whole “Bank One Bears” thing drops the Monsters of the Midway to the same depths as the Backstreet Boys and Pink. Sellouts. That greedy and classless move dug a gapping hole for the franchise. So deep, in fact, that drafting Rex Grossman and signing Desmond Clark could get them only inches closer to sunlight. Yes, Kordell Stewart is better than Jim Miller, but that’s like saying Justin Timberlake is cooler than Sugar Ray.
1. Arizona Cardinals: Is there ever any doubt? Like Clippers' GM Elgin Baylor showing up in New Jersey every spring for the NBA’s Draft Lottery, the Cardinals always seem to top a list of NFL losers. I’m not sweating the loss of Joke Plummer, but letting David Boston go without a fight was unforgivable. In signing Boston, they Chargers came close to getting even with the Cards for the Ryan Leaf trade. As if that weren’t bad enough, the Cards gave Emmitt roughly $8 million over the next two seasons just months after extending Marcel Shipp’s contract. I’m cool with the Jeff Blake signing, as the free agent QB crop might have been the worst ever, but he doesn’t have any receivers. The Cards dropped their top three receivers from a year ago and replaced them with draft picks and stiffs. Sadly, but not surprisingly, we are talking about a team devoid of fantasy players thanks to yet another miserable offseason.
The Jury's Out
St. Louis Rams: If the Rams cannot come to terms with Orlando Pace and Torry Holt before the season starts, they could continue sliding toward rock bottom. The Rams can't reopen negotiations with Pace until July 15, at which point they need to apply the full-court press on his agent. This offense was exposed last season when Pace was out of the lineup. With Pace, however, the Rams would get back to the business of dominating defenses. Like they say, it all starts up front. Holt reportedly wants significantly more money than running mate Isaac Bruce. Whatever. If the Rams don't meet his demands, Holt may decide to play out the season and test the free agent waters next winter. Is it just me, or can you feel this team starting to come apart at the seams? Bottom line: The Rams' offseason is far from over.
Rick Kamla can be reached at [email protected]"
"NFC Notes: Offseason Winners & Losers
by Rick Kamla - Senior Editor, Fanball.com
Tuesday, July 8, 2003
Now that the smoke has cleared on both free agency periods (apologies to Antonio Freeman), the time is right to determine offseason winners and losers. We’ll tackle the NFC today and handle the AFC on Thursday.
(Disclaimer: Defensive upgrades or downgrades were not considered in determining the offseason winners and losers. I repeat: This article has nothing to do with DEFENSE.)
Offseason Winners
7. Philadelphia Eagles: With the exception of new fullback Jon Ritchie, who replaces Cecil Martin, the Eagles’ starting lineup remained intact. The loss of Dorsey Levens was more than mitigated with the drafting of tight end L.J. Smith and wide receiver Billy McMullen. Both could open the 2004 season in the starting lineup. Put it this way: The Eagles weren’t necessarily winners, but they definitely weren’t losers.
6. San Francisco 49ers: The coaching switch from Steve Mariucci to Dennis Erickson will probably cost the Niners a couple wins, but it shouldn’t hurt the offense. Erickson wants a more wide-open, unpredictable attack, which should lead to more big plays from Jeff Garcia and Terrell Owens. Also, he wants to get Kevan Barlow more involved. No knock on Garrison Hearst, but more of Barlow is a good thing. Last and least, the Niners finally cut their losses with sled-dog deluxe J.J. Stokes. What took them so long?
5. New Orleans Saints: I’m a Kyle Turley fan because he doesn’t care what people think about him. Oh yeah, he’s also a solid tackle. All that said, his loss wasn’t a big deal because the Saints stole free agent tackle Wayne Gandy from the Steelers. I like the additions of Todd Bouman and Ernie Conwell, and Joe Horn is finally content with his contract. Best of all, Aaron Brooks’ throwing shoulder reportedly will be ready in time for training camp.
4. Detroit Lions: Bye-bye, Marty. Hello, Mooch. Mariucci will restore order to a team that has dealt with chaos for well over a decade. Suffice to say, neither Wayne Fontes nor Bobby Ross had Lombardi-esque control over their Lions. Mooch will start by building around first-round picks Joey Harrington and Charles Rogers. The Lions’ offense—namely James Stewart—will be better than you think, sooner than you think.
3. Carolina Panthers: I’m not into the loss of Wesley Walls, who still wants to play, but the Panthers did improve their offense. From scoring Stephen Davis on the rebound to signing up-and-coming quarterback Jake Delhomme to recruiting Ricky Proehl, Carolina suddenly has an offense that fantasy owners can no longer ignore. Plus, they used their first three picks on offense, stockpiling two linemen and a tight end.
2. Atlanta Falcons: The draft was uneventful and the free agency periods saw only the swap of aging speedster, Shawn Jefferson, for speedy youngster, MarTay Jenkins. Ah, but the Falcons added Peerless Price for the low, low price of a first-round pick (turned into Willis McGahee by Buffalo). Vick-to-Price will be a special hookup, and it could happen this year.
1. Washington Redskins: I gotta hand it to the Redskins, who led the NFC in offensive improvements. They overpaid for Laveranues Coles, but Steve Spurrier’s offense desperately needed a sure-handed, speed receiver. The Skins added at quarterback by subtracting Danny Woeful and Pain Matthews. They styled their offensive line with a new set of guards. The team even improved at kicker, where the streaky John Hall replaces last year’s trio from hell. The Skins weren’t perfect, however, as going from Davis to Trung Canidate (and friends) is a downgrade. They don’t know it yet, but the Skins will miss Davis’ toughness and consistency.
Offseason Losers
8. Minnesota Vikings: Like the Eagles, the Vikings aren’t necessarily "losers." It's just that I can't group them with the winners. Michael Bennett missed virtually the entire offseason while rehabbing a stress fracture. They essentially traded Bouman for Gus Frerotte, gaining experience and losing talent. Oh yeah, and they gave Daunte Culpepper a 10-figure contract extension one year before they had to. I really like the signing of former-Giant tackle Mike Rosenthal, and the offense should be awesome this season, but the Vikings cannot be called “offseason winners.”
7. Green Bay Packers: The Packers face potentially serious problems on the offensive line. Starting tackles Chad Clifton and Mark Tauscher are coming back from serious injuries, and there is uncertainty about their status for week one. Plus, the Brett Favre retirement talk cannot be good for this team. Not only does it cast a dark cloud over the season, it could mushroom into a large regular-season distraction.
6. Seattle Seahawks: Though it may not adversely affect the team during the regular season, the death of Trent Dilfer’s five-year-old son has been an emotional hurdle to overcome in the offseason. Throw in Jerramy Stevens’ legal troubles, Koren Robinson’s broken finger, and Walter Jones' lingering contract unrest, and the Seahawks wind up among the offseason losers. There is a silver lining, however, as Shaun Alexander had the type of offseason that should lead to big regular season numbers.
5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Two words: Michael Pittman. Two more words: Thomas Jones. How are the Bucs going to repeat with a backfield comprised of Cardinal rejects?
4. New York Giants: The Giants upgraded at kicker, as Mike Hollis replaces Matt Bryant. However, they lost the right side of their offensive line when Rosenthal migrated to Minnesota and Jason Whittle took off for Tampa. More bad news: The tentative plan is to replace them with a pair of undrafted, third-year journeymen. O-line coach Jim McNally is one of the best in the business, but the right side might not solidify until next season—if then.
3. Dallas Cowboys: I know, I know, the Cowboys now have legendary coach Bill Parcells and his cool blonde hair, but their starting halfback is tubby, they don’t have a quarterback, and they traded for Fairy Glenn. Was Parcells serious when he said Brian Griese would not be an upgrade over Chad Hutchinson and Quincy Carter? Like the Cardinals getting Emmitt Smith well past his prime, I wonder if the Cowboys are getting a head coach who is living off his name.
2. Chicago Bears: First of all, the whole “Bank One Bears” thing drops the Monsters of the Midway to the same depths as the Backstreet Boys and Pink. Sellouts. That greedy and classless move dug a gapping hole for the franchise. So deep, in fact, that drafting Rex Grossman and signing Desmond Clark could get them only inches closer to sunlight. Yes, Kordell Stewart is better than Jim Miller, but that’s like saying Justin Timberlake is cooler than Sugar Ray.
1. Arizona Cardinals: Is there ever any doubt? Like Clippers' GM Elgin Baylor showing up in New Jersey every spring for the NBA’s Draft Lottery, the Cardinals always seem to top a list of NFL losers. I’m not sweating the loss of Joke Plummer, but letting David Boston go without a fight was unforgivable. In signing Boston, they Chargers came close to getting even with the Cards for the Ryan Leaf trade. As if that weren’t bad enough, the Cards gave Emmitt roughly $8 million over the next two seasons just months after extending Marcel Shipp’s contract. I’m cool with the Jeff Blake signing, as the free agent QB crop might have been the worst ever, but he doesn’t have any receivers. The Cards dropped their top three receivers from a year ago and replaced them with draft picks and stiffs. Sadly, but not surprisingly, we are talking about a team devoid of fantasy players thanks to yet another miserable offseason.
The Jury's Out
St. Louis Rams: If the Rams cannot come to terms with Orlando Pace and Torry Holt before the season starts, they could continue sliding toward rock bottom. The Rams can't reopen negotiations with Pace until July 15, at which point they need to apply the full-court press on his agent. This offense was exposed last season when Pace was out of the lineup. With Pace, however, the Rams would get back to the business of dominating defenses. Like they say, it all starts up front. Holt reportedly wants significantly more money than running mate Isaac Bruce. Whatever. If the Rams don't meet his demands, Holt may decide to play out the season and test the free agent waters next winter. Is it just me, or can you feel this team starting to come apart at the seams? Bottom line: The Rams' offseason is far from over.
Rick Kamla can be reached at [email protected]"
