NFL Free Agency: The Biggest Winners and Losers from the First Week

Although some thought it started off slow, I think this week of NFL free agency lived up to its hype, as we saw many re-signings, releases and trades. 

Some of the biggest names in the league were shipped off to new homes, while some (Kyle Orton) are still waiting for something to happen. 

Overall, it's quite apparent some teams really stepped up their act and put out the bills necessary to sign big-name players and fill gaps on their roster. Some teams, however, let talent slip through their fingers.

Here are the winners and losers after Week 1 of free agency. 

Loser: Chicago Bears

I give the Chicago Bears credit for making efforts to improve their very mediocre receiving corps, yet I don't think Sam Hurd and Roy E. Williams are the best options they could have nabbed. 

Williams has only had one very good season, and Hurd has never contributed on a game-changing level. Why didn't the Bears make a more serious try at fellow NFC North free agent Sidney Rice? They need to remember the cliche quality over quantity. 

Trading away tight end Greg Olsen, who was the one consistency in the receiving game and a locker room leader, to the Carolina Panthers was also a weak choice. Olsen is a strong option to throw to, especially in the red zone, and I can't imagine the undisclosed draft pick the Bears got will help them too much unless it's a first-round selection. 

Winner: Seattle Seahawks

The Seattle Seahawks made a mistake in my mind by not re-signing veteran quarterback Matt Hasselbeck, but they won big time when they signed free-agent wide receiver Sidney Rice. 

Rice was injured for most of last season, but is an amazing talent, and in a division like the NFC West, getting any big talent like Rice is a major win. 

If they can figure out who will be throwing him the ball, landing Rice could play out very well for the Seahawks. 

Loser: Minnesota Vikings

The Minnesota Vikings went to great lengths to sign Donovan McNabb, yet they let wide receiver Sidney Rice slip away. Now they have an aging quarterback who had an awful season last year without their best wide receiver—I don't get it. 

The Percy Harvin/Sidney Rice combo made the Vikings' receiving corps deadly, but I don't think it's quite as revered with only Harvin. 

Winner: Carolina Panthers

For a team that won a measly two games last season, the Carolina Panthers came out swinging in free agency. 

First, they made a statement by signing defensive end Charles Johnson to a massive six-year, $72 million deal. Sure, they may have overpaid a bit, but they sent a message that said, "Hands off, he's ours."

After this, the Panthers acquired Jeremy Shockey and Greg Olsen, the latter being a huge steal. Tight end Olsen will surely help their team's receiving game and prove to be a red zone target for rookie quarterback Cam Newton.

The Panthers really impressed me when they re-signed running back DeAngelo Williams, who was being heavily pursued by other squads.

Carolina may not be good this year, but they did a great job in this first week of free agency.  

Loser: Buffalo Bills

The Bills did virtually nothing during this first week of free agency, and that's a problem for a team that went 4-12 last year. 

The only shining light on their defense, linebacker Paul Posluszny, was signed by the Jacksonville Jaguars. 

After that loss, the Bills did nothing. They signed quarterback Tyler Thigpen (Who cares?) and agreed to terms with draft pick Marcell Dareus. 

Buffalo won't get better if they don't do anything.

Winner: Houston Texans

A lot of people busted the Houston Texans for not being able to land cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha, yet they landed the next best option, former Cincinnati Bengal Johnathan Joseph. 

Joseph is an amazing talent and in my eyes, one of the league's most underrated. Hopefully with a big contract and a move to the more competitive Texans, he will garner more attention. 

Joseph will be very appreciated in Houston, filling a much-needed void at cornerback for the Texans. 

Loser: Cincinnati Bengals

I don't get the Cincinnati Bengals at all. They might be one of the most poorly-run franchises in all of sports. 

Prior to the offseason, the Bengals made their first wrong move by giving head coach Marvin Lewis a contract extension. Lewis has no chemistry with the team and they should have gone in a new direction. 

The Bengals then stubbornly decided to not trade disgruntled quarterback Carson Palmer because of the "principle" in the matter. I agree 100 percent that Palmer was inconsiderate and flat-out wrong in his request to be traded or "retire," but the Bengals not trading him gets them nowhere. 

Then, the Bengals let cornerback Johnathan Joseph sign with the Houston Texans. Chad Ochocinco was traded to the Patriots, and Cedric Benson has not yet been re-signed.

Expect another bad year in Cincinnati. 

Grand Prize Winner No. 1: Philadelphia Eagles

Wow, the Philadelphia Eagles did their city well. 

First, they traded their backup quarterback for a draft pick and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie. Getting DRC is already a huge improvement to any team's defensive backfield.

But then, at the last minute, the Eagles came soaring in like a great eagle does and made the steal of this year's offseason. 

When it looked like Nnamdi Asomugha, the most talented free agent in this year's class, was going to the New York Jets or the Dallas Cowboys, he suddenly signed a contract with the Eagles at the last minute.

They now have a defensive backfield of Asomugha and Rodgers-Cromartie.

Oh yeah, and some guy named Asante Samuel.  

Grand Prize Winner No. 2: Jacksonville Jaguars

Jacksonville isn't a great team, but they aren't a bad one either; one might say, mediocre. 

One thing is for sure—they just got a whole lot less mediocre.

The Jaguars started off big by signing talented and underrated linebacker Paul Posluszny. He had 103 tackles last season with the Buffalo Bills.

Posluszny was a huge signing, but the Jaguars didn't stop there. They signed former Baltimore Ravens safety Dawan Landry to a five-year deal as well.

For a team with a terrible defense that plays in a struggling market, Jacksonville did their best to both improve their defense and give their fans a reason to cheer. Hopefully, for their sake, these signings will lead to them being more competitive and selling more tickets.

Good job, Jaguars.  

What's Next?

There will likely still be more trades and signings in the coming days and week, and some other teams will have the chance to establish themselves as winners or losers. 

If the Broncos can successfully ship out Kyle Orton and get some needed value for him, then they will be winners. 

The deciding point here though is not who gets signed or who gets traded, but not letting talent that's right in front of you get passed up. The Minnesota Vikings did that with Sidney Rice, and the Buffalo Bills let Paul Posluszny go.

It's unacceptable, and winners don't let that happen.