Biggest Free Agent Acquisitions

Now that the NFL Draft is only about a week away, the frenzied portion of free agency is over.  Most of the big names have either re-upped with their existing teams, or found a new home, so it’s a good time to look back at the biggest moves so far this offseason and rate the big winners.

1 – Peyton Manning to the Broncos

This one is a no-brainer.  Never before has a four-time NFL MVP changed teams.  To be fair, Manning is the only four-time regular season MVP in NFL history, but that proves the point.  He completely re-casts the Broncos offense, and they become a serious threat in the AFC.  They were a surprising playoff team last year with Tim Tebow at the helm, but they won’t be surprising anyone this season.

2 – Mario Williams to the Bills

Lost in the Manning hoopla, the Buffalo Bills picked up the best defensive player in the offseason when they signed Mario Williams, hoping he will be the next coming of Bruce Smith who helped lead the Bills to four successive Super Bowl appearances.  After dropping $100 million on Williams, the Bills also added DE Mark Anderson to play alongside last year’s number 3 overall pick DT Marcell Dareus.  The Bills now have one of the best defensive lines in the league.  They have their hands full playing with the Jets and Patriots in the AFC East, but a solid pass rush will help a lot as they fight for a playoff spot.

3 – Brandon Lloyd to the Patriots

Not the biggest name signing of the off season, but the Patriots were really a deep threat and a little defensive help away from earning another Super Bowl ring last season.  Lloyd definitely takes care of the deep threat.  He had 966 yards and 5 TDs last season while splitting time between Denver (far from the best passing attack in the league) and St. Louis.  He’s averaged over 15 yards per catch for his career, and never had anyone like Tom Brady throwing him the ball.  He’s not Randy Moss, but he will give the Pats another gear on offense and further open things up underneath for Wes Welker, Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez.

4 – Mario Manningham and Randy Moss to the 49ers

Speaking of Randy Moss – the 49ers signed two big name receivers.  Moss is a bit of a gamble after a year away from the game, but if Harbaugh can keep him interested, Moss can still play.  Manningham is more of a solid signing and is certainly an excellent number 2 receiver.  They may still look to add a wide receiver in the draft, but with Moss and Manningham added to TE Vernon Davis and RB Frank Gore, the 49ers offense will be looking almost as good as their defense.

5 – Bears Trade for Brandon Marshall

Technically a trade, but reuniting Marshall with Jay Cutler to jump start the Bears offense was a stroke of genius.  Now if they can just sign Matt Forte to a long term deal, the Bears’ offense will be formidable and up to the level of their vaunted defense.

Honorable Mentions

Vincent Jackson to the Buccaneers

Jackson was one of the most consistent deep threat receivers on the market, going for over 1,000 yards in 3 of the last 4 seasons (missing only in 2010 when he played only 5 games).  His career average is a gaudy 17.5 yards per catch, and last year he averaged 18.4, so he isn’t showing signs of slowing down.

Robert Meachem to the Chargers

The Chargers lose Vincent Jackson and immediately turn around and replace him with the Saints Robert Meachem.  Solid replacement, and excellent recover move by the Chargers.

Laurent Robinson to the Jaguars

The Jaguars badly needed some offensive help if they are going to give Blaine Gabbert a fair shake at quarterback.  Robinson will greatly improve their receiving corps.

Matt Flynn to the Seahawks

Flynn, the biggest enigma of the 2012 off-season, has only two NFL starts, but they were both stellar.  If he can live up to the hype, he can be a solid NFL starter, and a great pickup for the Seahawks who are in desperate need of a franchise quarterback (but not nearly bad enough to earn a shot at Luck or RGIII).

Tim Tebow to the Jets

This could be one of the best pickups of the off-season, or one of the worst.  The Jets locker room is already fractured, and if they create a quarterback controversy, this could be the death blow.  On the other hand, if Tebow can run set packages and help to take some pressure off of Sanchez, and if Sanchez can rise to the occasion, then combining Tebow with wildcat guru Tony Sparano could be a stroke of genius.  But that’s a lot of “ifs.”