All 32 NFL Teams: 1 Key Player Not Returning in 2011

In all professional sports, every offseason consists of players switching franchises, retiring or anticipating their rookie season impact.  Teams look to add "the missing piece" or blow up the roster in an attempt to stir up fan interest in the future.  There was no shortage of player movement in the NFL after the 136-day lockout ended July 25. 

Since that long-awaited Monday, the league has seen seven trades, as well as 813 restricted and unrestricted players either change uniforms, re-sign with their 2010 team, retire or simply find themselves still in the unemployment line.

The significance of the NFL's 53-man rosters is that no team will ever feature the exact same roster year-to-year, let alone weekly.  Instead of focusing on key additions each of the 32 teams made during the offseason, we take a look at the most important player lost by each team from their 2010 squad. 

Some teams, such as the Raiders or Seahawks, have obvious significant personnel loss.  But others may not be so apparent until the regular season gets under way.

Arizona Cardinals: RB Tim Hightower

The Cardinals traded starting CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie as part of a package to the Eagles for QB Kevin Kolb, but they drafted Patrick Peterson from LSU and signed Richard Marshall to a one-year trial deal.  Arizona also drafted speedy RB Ryan Williams out of Virginia Tech, with the hope of featuring a one-two punch of Williams and Beanie Wells. 

They then traded Hightower to the Redskins for veteran defensive end Vonnie Holliday and an undisclosed draft pick.  But after Williams was lost for the season with a ruptured patella tendon in his right knee during the team's second preseason game, the Cardinals certainly would undo the Hightower trade if they could.

Since 2008, Hightower has been a key part of the Cardinals rushing attack, accounting for 1,733 yards and 23 TDs on the ground, as well as hauling in 118 passes for 801 yards in three seasons.  He was the team's leading rusher in 2010, and accounted for over 50 percent of the Cardinals' ground yardage. 

Beanie Wells has been far from spectacular, as nagging injuries and lack of production have allowed him just five games of 15-plus carries in 31 games.  The Cardinals now find themselves with kick returner Larod Stephens-Howling as their backup to Beanie, which doesn't bode well for Ken Whisenhunt's offense.  Stephens-Howling has just 29 career carries and if Wells goes down with an injury, the team will be forced to all but abandon the run game.

Atlanta Falcons: P Michael Koenen

The Falcons are one of the luckier teams, as their biggest loss comes on special teams. 

Koenen was lured away from Atlanta after six seasons, signing a ludicrous six-year, $19.5 million contract with Tampa Bay.  He didn't miss a single game since joining Atlanta, and has been one of the more consistent punters at nailing the targeted opposition's red zone.  Although he saw his accuracy take a hit in 2009, he rebounded with a solid 2010, which netted him almost $20 million.

Atlanta will now look to rookie punter Matt Bosher, out of Miami.  Bosher was an All-ACC placekicker and a second team All-ACC punter in his three years with the Hurricanes.  The strong-legged special teamer averaged 41.7 yards per punt in his 50 collegiate games, warranting the Falcons selecting him in the sixth round of the 2011 draft.  He will assume the starting punter roll for Atlanta, and will have to perform to keep the Falcons from scouring the waiver-wire for a veteran replacement.

Baltimore Ravens: FS Dawan Landry

The Ravens parted ways with longtime veterans Kelly Gregg, Willis McGahee, Todd Heap and Derrick Mason, and opted not to re-sign Jared Gaither, Fabian Washington and Josh Wilson.  But none of the mentioned are irreplaceable, and bringing in the likes of Lee Evans, Ricky Williams and Vonta Leach will upgrade the Ravens' offense. 

But losing strong safety Dawan Landry to the Jaguars must sting a bit for Baltimore.  Landry, who played his first five seasons alongside Ed Reed in the Ravens' defensive backfield, was a key cog to the team's stellar defense.  He racked up 362 tackles, five sacks, nine interceptions and 29 pass defends in 66 games, and at just 28 years old is still in the prime of his career.

Not including his injury plagued 2008 season, Landry finished in the top four in tackles for the Ravens each year since his rookie debut.  He was second on the team in 2009 and 2010, only behind Ray Lewis.  The big brother of Redskins safety LaRon Landry was an overlooked player on the Ravens' defense and he leaves big shoes to fill. 

Baltimore signed Bernard Pollard away from Houston, and currently has fourth-year Notre Dame alumni Tom Zbikowski penciled in as the SS starter.  But Pollard is better known for his 2008 season ending hit on Tom Brady than for his defensive play, and he played 13 games for the Texans' league-worst passing defense last season.  Zbikowski was a promising college athlete, but hasn't seen much of the field in his three years with Baltimore and is more slated for a backup role. 

The Ravens will certainly miss the physicality Landry brought to the game, especially in their match-ups against Pittsburgh's hard-nosed receivers. 

Buffalo Bills: SS Donte Whitner

The Bills managed to replace losses on the defensive side of the ball through free agency, signing Nick Barnett and Kirk Morrison to replace Paul Posluszny and Keith Ellison at linebacker.  They also have hope that Shawne Merriman can return to glory after what seemed to be a career in shambles. 

But George Wilson and rookie Da'Norris Searcy have very little hope of providing the results that Whitner generated in his five years with the Bills, especially compared to his monster 2010 season.

Whitner averaged 90 tackles a season with Buffalo, including 140 last year.  His timing was perfect, as his above average performance got him over $11 million from San Francisco this offseason.  He was an intimidating presence in an otherwise porous Bills' secondary, and was far and away their best defensive back of the past five years. 

Full time free safety duties will remain with Jairus Byrd, who had nine interceptions and earned himself a Pro Bowl selection his rookie season in 2009.  George Wilson, who transitioned to strong safety after originally entering the league as a wide receiver out of Arkansas, will again be given the opportunity to show his excellent coverage and run support skill set. 

Wilson is a highly underrated defensive back, but it remains to be seen how the Bills' thin secondary can match-up with the likes of Chad Ochocinco, Wes Welker, Brandon Marshall and Santonio Holmes during inter-division games.

Carolina Panthers: CB Richard Marshall

The promising Panthers of 2008 found themselves tumbling all the way to a league worst 2-14 in 2010.  Even more worrisome was the aspect of losing many of their core players to free agency, as they had 28 players seeking new contracts. 

Luckily, owner Jerry Richardson lived up to his word and paid the team's top free agents to keep them in Carolina, including DeAngelo Williams, James Anderson and Charles Johnson.  But one of the players they did end up losing could come back to sting them.

Richard Marshall has been one of the top three corners for the Panthers since they took him with the 58th pick of the 2006 draft out of Fresno State.  When Carolina released Ken Lucas after the 2008 season, Marshall snagged the starting job and never missed a game.  In fact, he has yet to miss a game in five seasons, recording 423 tackles and 14 interceptions in both the nickelback and starting roles.  Arizona managed to steal him away on a one-year deal and Carolina will now start third-year corner Captain Munnerlyn opposite of Chris Gamble.

Munnerlyn has been relegated to nickelback in his first two NFL seasons and may be the weak spot in Carolina's athletic defense.  He has superior speed, but lacks starting corner-caliber coverage ability and will struggle against pass-heavy offenses like New Orleans and Indy. 

The team will miss Marshall for the time being and surely look to upgrade their secondary next season via free agency or the draft.

Chicago Bears: OLB Pisa Tinoisamoa

At first glance, the names Tommie Harris, Chester Taylor and Olin Kreutz stand out as possible key losses for the Bears. 

But Harris was a non-factor in 2010, recording career lows in tackles and sacks and was benched by Lovie Smith.  Instead, veterans Anthony Adams and Julius Peppers led the Bears defensive line, giving up a league second-best 90 rushing yards per game.  Chester Taylor's replacement, Marion Barber, will be an excellent upgrade if he can stay healthy.  Kreutz is aging, and his time simply ran out with Chicago. 

No, the player the Bears will miss most is outside linebacker Pisa Tinoisamoa.

Tinoisamoa, who joined the Bears after being cut by the Rams early in 2009, played in just 14 games over the last two seasons thanks to knee injuries.  But he played well in his 10 starts in 2010, recording four tackles per game as the starting strong-side linebacker.  The Bears could still bring Pisa back as he has yet to sign elsewhere, but injury concerns raise red flags.  When healthy, he is an excellent all-around player, despite having been slowed up by injuries after eight seasons. 

The problem for the Bears is they are now forced to start Nick Roach opposite of Lance Briggs at OLB.  Roach is similar to Tinoisamoa in that he is undersized, yet makes up for it with his athleticism.  However, he has served primarily as a backup the past four seasons and has a below-average man-to-man skills, which will serve as a problem facing the likes of Jermichael Finley, Brandon Pettigrew and Visanthe Shiancoe. 

Cincinnati Bengals: QB Carson Palmer

Not only will the Bengals miss Palmer's ability and experience at quarterback for the rebuilding Bengals, but owner Mike Brown has also turned the situation into an absolute joke. 

His over-sized ego and stubbornness is the cause of what could be the end of Carson Palmer's career.  Brown is idiotic for not trading Palmer and getting something of value for him, as they have moved on with their youth movement at the majority of the other offensive positions. 

Gone are Chad Ochocinco, Terrell Owens and Reggie Kelley, and in step AJ Green, Jordan Shipley and Jermaine Gresham.  Brown is unnecessarily holding Palmer hostage, and would rather keep him on the non-injury reserve list then get a high draft pick for him.

Andy Dalton, who will replace Palmer as the starting QB, started for four years at TCU, sporting a career record of 42-8 while throwing for over 10,000 yards and 71 touchdowns.  He is a big, hard-nosed QB with a winning pedigree going all the way back to his high school days. 

Dalton has the tangibles to be a good NFL starting quarterback, but the Bengals play against some of the best defenses in the NFL and he will be exposed this season.  Dalton has weapons in Green and Cedric Benson, but the rookie won't lead the team to anything better then a 5-11 record.

Cleveland Browns: OLB Matt Roth

Since the Browns returned to the NFL in 1999, the team has one double-digit victory season.  They have made just one playoff appearance, are on their sixth head coach and have started eight different quarterbacks since Derek Anderson's surprise 2007 season. 

But they seemed to have found their man in Colt McCoy and have a legitimate threat in running back Peyton Hillis.  Joe Thomas may be the best tackle in the NFL and CB Joe Haden is a rising star. 

However, the Browns' had the league's sixth-worst run defense last year and they lost one of their best at the ability this offseason.

OLB Matt Roth was the teams' second-leading tackler in 2010, racking up 86 to go with 3.5 sacks.  Jacksonville picked him up with a one-year, $3 million deal, a number Cleveland should have matched.  They will start Scott Fujita and Chris Gocong at their outside linebacker spots, neither of whom will be mistaken for Roth anytime soon. 

The team failed to bring in any significant defensive upgrades and rookies Phil Taylor and Jabaal Sheard are works-in-progress.  Their secondary should keep the Browns in their games, but until they get MLB D'Qwell Jackson up-front veteran defensive support, the team will continue to fall short of the playoffs.

Dallas Cowboys: C Andre Gurode

The Cowboys spent the offseason making over their offensive line and just when they looked set, they released five-time Pro Bowl center Andre Gurode.  He had started 106 games in nine seasons with Dallas and was released due to failure to restructure the $30 million deal he signed in 2007. 

The team that released Marc Colombo and Leonard Davis, and let Alex Barron leave for New Orleans, now will start three players with a year or less of experience on their offensive line.

It is hard to understand how a team with so many talented players on offense could release the staple of their protection.  This comes even after losing Tony Romo for almost the entire 2010 season.  Second year player Phil Costa had been threatening to take the starting job from Gurode, but he injured his knee in the team's third preseason game and may not be ready for the first couple weeks of the season. 

The Cowboys starting center job is now completely up in the air, which doesn't bode well for Romo and crew.

Denver Broncos: OT Ryan Harris

Broncos fans may argue that an early season-ending injury to DL Ty Warren was more of a loss, or the trade of WR Jabar Gaffney to Washington.  But Denver is getting DE Elvis Dumerville back soon and the receiving depth of Brandon Lloyd, Eddie Royal and Eric Decker should suffice.  The largest Broncos' loss is on their offensive line with the departure of tackle Ryan Harris.

Those born in the late 80's may remember Harris from MTV's "True Life," when Harris was an undersized prospect at Cretin-Derham Hall High School, aspiring to start for Notre Dame. 

Not only did Harris achieve collegiate success, but he was an excellent blocker for the Broncos over the last four seasons.  He missed six games in 2010 with injuries, but when healthy is a quick, aggressive right tackle that Philadelphia felt would fit in a Mike Vick offense.  He will be replaced by rookie Orlando Franklin, who is virtually the opposite of Harris at 6'7" and 330 pounds. 

Franklin may struggle as many rookie tackles do, especially against quicker defensive ends, but Denver chose to move on from Harris as coach John Fox looks to rebuild a once proud program.

Detroit Lions: RB Mikel Leshoure

The Detroit Lions are finally on the right track, as they have a healthy Matt Stafford back to throw to Calvin Johnson and Nate Burleson.  Second year running back Jahvid Best ran well in his rookie season and TE Brandon Pettigrew is a rising star. 

The problem Detroit has run into the past few seasons is injuries to their key players, which they looked to address in the 2011 draft.  They may have nailed one of the biggest steals of the year, getting RB Mikel Leshoure with the 57th overall pick in the second round.  Leshoure was considered first-round talent, and possibly one of the top two backs in the draft.

Before Leshoure played in an NFL game, he was lost for the season with a torn Achilles in training camp.  This is a huge blow to the Lions, as Best hobbled his way through 2010 and the team was forced to rely on ineffective Kevin Smith and Maurice Morris.  Best suffered a head injury against Cleveland in the preseason, leaving Detroit with Morris, Ian Johnson and Jerome Harrison to fight for carries.  Johnson has bounced around the league his first two years and has yet to record an NFL carry. 

Harrison has shown flashes of promise, especially in 2009 with Cleveland, but no combination compares to the one-two punch that Best and Leshoure could have provided.

Green Bay Packers: DE Cullen Jenkins

The defending Super Bowl champs didn't lose many significant pieces, but a few good players like TE Donald Lee, linebackers Brady Poppinga and Nick Barnett and guard Daryn Colledge.  They also lost backup RB Brandon Jackson, but have a healthy Ryan Grant with a supporting cast of John Kuhn and James Starks.

In the end, Green Bay only signed three free agents, all of whom were on their Super Bowl squad.  But one player they neglected to sign could greatly impact their pass rush.

The Packers finished with 47 sacks as a team in 2010, seven of which coming from defensive end Cullen Jenkins.  As a team, they gave up an average of 194 yards per game in the air, tying them for fourth best in the league.  Jenkins had much to do with their success, as his seven sacks were a career high, just in time for free agency.  The Pack will now have to play second-year player Mike Neal or third-year Georgia product Jarius Wynn opposite Ryan Pickett. 

The Packers don't have many glaring weaknesses coming off their fourth Super Bowl victory, but their third-down pass rush may not be up to 2010 standards.

Houston Texans: FB Vonta Leach

Houston has gotten better each of the last few years, thanks to huge numbers put up by Arian Foster, Andre Johnson and Matt Schaub. 

Defensively, they are a whole different story. 

Against the run, the team has gotten better thanks to the play of linebackers Mario Williams, DeMeco Ryans and Brian Cushing.  Against the pass, Houston was horrendous last season, giving up a league-worst 267.5 yards per game.  They had no problem letting safety Bernard Pollard walk and brought in CB Jonathan Joseph to lead the secondary.  The team lost no significant defensive pieces, but they took a blow to their offense.

Vonta Leach had been a consistent blocking force for Houston since 2006, and didn't miss a game after his initial season with the Texans.  He was a huge reason that Foster broke out with 1,600 rushing yards in 2010, and will do the same for Ray Rice in Baltimore this season. 

Houston brought in veteran Lawrence Vickers from Cleveland, but Vickers is half the player Leach is.  Foster already comes into the season with a torn hamstring, and will need a good lead blocker to eclipse the 1,000-yard mark for a second season in a row. 

Only time will tell just how effective this year's Texans run game can be.

Indianapolis Colts: CB Kelvin Hayden

With Peyton Manning unlikely to miss any games, the Colts will feature the same high-power offense in 2011.  On defense, they improved their front seven by bringing in defensive tackles Tommie Harris, linebacker Ernie Sims and end Tyler Brayton. 

The position they lost their best player from also ended up being the position they failed to upgrade, or even duplicate.  They made a mistake in letting Kelvin Hayden walk.

Hayden missed 12 games over the last two seasons, but has been a key part to the Colts' secondary since they drafted him in 2005.  Indy will move third-year Auburn product Jerraud Powers into Hayden's slot, which may bode well for the Colts. 

Powers is quick and provides good pass coverage, but is smaller then Hayden and will have more trouble with Andre Johnson and Kenny Britt.  More importantly, the Colts' secondary depth takes quite the hit, as their top four corners have four years or less experience in the NFL. 

Although Hayden remained a free agent deep into the preseason, the Falcons finally signed him on August 31.  Just like that, the Super Bowl XLI hero's career with Indy comes to an end.

Jacksonville Jaguars: WR Mike Sims-Walker

Jacksonville desperately needed to upgrade their defense, as the clock is ticking on their aging offenses' window to compete.  They did so in spectacular fashion, bringing in a combination of youth and experience to all their positions of need. 

Dawan Landry, Paul Posluszny and Matt Roth were key additions, but the Jags neglected to upgrade a position of need on the other side of the ball.  Since the days of Jimmy Smith and Keenan McCardell, the Jaguars haven't had a true number one receiver.  The same scenario comes into play in 2011.

The Jaguars drafted Mike Sims-Walker in the third round of the 2007 draft with high expectations.  The rookie missed his entire first season after injuring his knee in the final preseason game, but bounced back two seasons later with 63 grabs for 869 yards and seven touchdowns.  He was labeled a diva in 2010, complaining about the team's lack of commitment to him and wasn't offered a contract after the season end. 

Now, the Jaguars have a barrel of monkeys at receiver, including Jarrett Dillard, Jason Hill and Mike Thomas, none of whom warrant extra defensive attention.  Given proper incentives, Sims-Walker could have been the impact receiver the Jags have been lacking.

Kansas City Chiefs: WR Chris Chambers

This one is a stretch, but the Chiefs did a good job locking up their players, especially linebacker Tamba Hali, who recorded 23 sacks in the last two seasons. 

Like the Falcons with Roddy White, the Chiefs really needed was a legitimate receiver opposite Dwayne Bowe.  They signed Steve Breaston away from Arizona, and Breaston makes a good amount of catches, but he doesn't have a nose for the end zone.  They also have Jereme Urban, back for a fourth season in KC, but Urban has never recorded more than 34 receptions in a season.  Finally, they drafted Jonathan Baldwin, but he has already fallen out of favor with the entire team due to his lack of effort and a fight with Thomas Jones.

Chris Chambers is almost six seasons removed from his glory days, but proved himself as a scoring threat in limited action with the Chiefs.  Chambers isn't so much a loss to the Chiefs as their inability to replace him was.  The team is one of the weaker in terms of receiving depth, especially if Dexter McCluster can't bounce back from his lack-luster rookie season. 

The Chiefs are well-rounded on both sides of the ball, but are a few pieces away from becoming Super Bowl contenders.

Miami Dolphins: RB Ricky Williams

The 90s Dolphins had Marino but no running back.  The 2000s Dolphins had Ricky and Ronnie, but no quarterback.  Now, the team has neither. 

When healthy, such as in 2009, the Ricky and Ronnie duo were excellent at pounding the rock and keeping pressure off the Dolphins' mediocre quarterbacks.  Now that the team will be relying on Chad Henne for a second-straight year, they could use a workhorse in the backfield more then ever.  Unfortunately, fragile Reggie Bush and rookie Daniel Thomas do not qualify as anything resembling a workhorse.

Neither of the Dolphins' running backs missed a game last year, but Ronnie Brown lacked the power he once showed after coming off a season ending injury in 2009.  Williams hasn't missed a game since 2007, and ran for over 1,100 yards just two seasons ago.  Last year, in limited action, he still managed 4.2 yards per carry on just 159 totes and at 34, still has a full season left in him. 

The Dolphins should have brought him back, at least to spell Thomas or Bush.  Bush is more suited for the passing game and special teams and seems to be less and less effective the more carries he gets.  His season high came in 2007, when he carried the ball just 157 times for 3.7 yards per carry.  Bush has also missed 22 games in the last four years, and is extremely injury prone.  Thomas has reportedly already fallen out of favor with the Dolphins' coaching staff, leading to the team bringing in Larry Johnson. 

This action alone leads to the question of why the Dolphins didn't sign one of their own free agent backs for 2011?

Minnesota Vikings: QB Brett Favre

The slide title is a joke, for those who couldn't pick up on it. 

The long awaited arrival of Donovan McNabb finally has occurred in Minnesota, but the team lost a key member of his supporting cast.  Sidney Rice was one of the more coveted free agent receivers on the market, and landed a five-year, $43 million contract from Seattle (one he will probably regret).  The Vikings still have McNabb's new favorite target, Percy Harvin, and brought in Michael Jenkins from Atlanta to split time with Bernard Berrian, but losing Rice is still a big deal.

Rice missed almost all of 2010 with injuries, but broke out in 2009 with 83 receptions, over 1,300 yards and eight touchdowns.  The Vikings missed him last year, relying on the likes of Greg Camarillo, Greg Lewis and (temporarily) Randy Moss. 

With Jenkins, Berrian and Harvin, the team doesn't have the weakest WR depth in the league, but they certainly have a sharp drop-off without Rice in the mix.  Defensive end Ray Edwards is also an overlooked notable loss for the team, but they still have the always reliable Jared Allen looming on the edge.

New England Patriots: G Stephen Neal

In typical Patriot fashion, the team addressed the majority of their needs in unconventional ways. 

They needed pass-rush help, but didn't draft any and instead brought in a slew of late signings, including Shaun Ellis, Mark Anderson and Andre Carter.  They addressed their defensive line by trading for controversial Albert Haynesworth and gave Ty Warren his walking papers.  They drafted tackle Nate Solder and STILL brought back Matt Light. 

In a move that seemed to be destined to happen, they traded for Chad Ochocinco to help shore up the receiving corps.  The team is deep at almost every position, but even after locking up Logan Mankins, they are still somewhat shallow at offensive guard.

Since signing with the Patriots just before their first-ever Super Bowl victory, Neal has been a staple at right guard for the team.  He did miss part or all of almost every season with the team, but he was an unlikely rock when he was on the field.  The former wrestler-turned-NFLer retired after shoulder surgery midway through 2010, but he was a leader and inspiration to the Patriots' offense. 

Dan Connolly will start at right guard in 2011, but after him and Mankins the team only has Russ Ohrnberger to step in, as none of the other backups have any experience. 

The team could still bring in a late cut from another team to shore up the depth, but the team will certainly miss Neal and his underrated leadership.

New Orleans Saints: FS Darren Sharper

The Saints had an amazing 37 players become free agents after 2010, few of whom were starters.  They resigned WR Lance Moore and safety Roman Harper, accounting for two of their top free agents. 

On defense, they let defensive end Alex Brown go, but have Will Smith, rookie Cameron Jordan and Turk McBride on the outside.  The only significant loss the team had was free safety Darren Sharper, who helped lead the team to their first-ever Super Bowl victory just two years ago.

Sharper missed half of 2010 with multiple injuries, but still managed to earn a second consecutive and fifth overall Pro Bowl selection.  The team defensive leader finds himself still without a job, as he has lost much of his speed 15 years into his NFL career.  He will be replaced by Malcolm Jenkins, who as a third-year player is fully capable of starting at free safety. 

Jenkins is excellent in route coverage and reading the quarterback, and at this point is definitely better then Sharper.  But the team will miss Sharper's experience and leadership and it wouldn't be a surprise to see him join the team once the inevitable injury bug hits the Saints.

New York Giants: CB Terrell Thomas

The Giants had the potential to lose a lot this offseason, with key players hitting free agency like running back Ahmad Bradshaw, defensive end Mathias Kiwanuka and defensive tackle Barry Cofield.  But they managed to hang onto the majority of their own, losing only tight end Kevin Boss to the Raiders. 

The team was successful in addressing their need at cornerback during the draft, taking Prince Amukamara out of Nebraska.  But as luck would have it, the Giants lost more then they began with to preseason injuries.

Amukamara broke his foot in the team's second practice and is out at least a month.  Backup corners Bruce Johnson and Brian Witherspoon were lost for the year with preseason injuries as well. 

It wasn't until the Giants lost 2010 tackle leader Terrell Thomas that they began to panic.  Thomas was huge for New York last year, recording 81 tackles and five interceptions in just his third season.  After injuries to starting corners Aaron Ross and Corey Webster, he led a secondary that could have been much worse.  Now that he is lost for the year, the team will again start Ross opposite Webster, after experimenting with him at safety due to his ineffectiveness. 

Little used Michael Coe will assume the backup corner spot, which does not bode well for the team.  They have been experimenting with moving Antrel Rolle up as the nickelback, showing their lack of trust in Coe.  Losing Thomas early may be a sign of trouble ahead for the New York football Giants.

New York Jets: DE Shaun Ellis

The Jets did halfway decent in the free agent market, only losing WR's Braylon Edwards and Brad Smith to other teams, as well as Damien Woody and Kris Jenkins to retirement. 

They locked up Santonio Holmes with a five-year deal and brought in Derrick Mason and newly-freed Plaxico Burress.  Defensively, they drafted highly-touted Muhammad Wilkerson at end and re-signed Antonio Cromartie to play opposite "Revis Island." 

But the Jets made one mistake that may prove critical, which was not re-signing Shaun Ellis.  He seemed to be overlooked in their desperate attempt to pair Nnamdi Asamugha with Revis.

The Jets will feature Wilkerson and fifth-year Maine product Mike DeVito at the ends, which is a significant downgrade in the pass rush. 

Shaun Ellis had been a defensive staple over the last 11 seasons for New York, recording 72.5 sacks and 552 tackles for one of the leagues' top units.  More importantly, Ellis was a crucial factor against the rival Patriots, whom he will play for in 2011.  He recorded two sacks in the Jets' playoff victory in Foxboro last season and had six sacks against his new team over the last four seasons. 

Losing Ellis was one thing, but losing him to the Patriots was a devastating slap in the face to the franchise.

Oakland Raiders: CB Nnamdi Asamugha

Nnamdi Asamugha is widely regarded as the top cornerback and possibly defensive player in the NFL, and losing him will be hard for the Raiders to overcome. 

The Raiders will start Chris Johnson and Stanford Routt at the corners in 2011, a huge downgrade from Asamugha and whoever played opposite him.  Nnamdi joins the Eagles, who were a dark horse for his services, forming an elite secondary of Asante Samuel, Dominque Rodgers-Cromartie and himself.  The Raiders drafted Demarcus Van Dyke out of Miami to fill out their corner depth, but there isn't anyone they could replace Asamugha with that would come close to performing similarly. 

The formula is simple; when the best free agent available leaves his team without compensation, that team will be deemed the biggest loser.  Thus, the Raiders do not stray from their path of misfortune.

Philadelphia Eagles: SS Quintin Mikell

The Eagles were hands down the 2011 free agency winners, seemingly signing a big-name player every day. 

They landed the biggest prize in CB Nnamdi Asamugha and added DL Cullen Jenkins and CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie to an already athletic defense.  On offense, they lured WR Steve Smith away from the Giants and brought in RB Ronnie Brown to backup LeSean McCoy.  The only big loss they had was standout special teamer and safety, Quintin Mikell.

Mikell, who earned a spot on the last two NFC Pro Bowl squads, fled Philly for greener pastures in St. Louis.  He had started at strong safety for the Eagles since 2007 and joined the team in 2003 as an undrafted free agent out of Boise State.  He led the team in tackles each of the past two seasons and finished in the top three every year since he took the starting job. 

He will be replaced by second-year player Nate Allen, who shifts from free safety.  Allen played extremely well in the beginning of his rookie year, earning September Defensive Rookie of the Month honors in 2010, but would miss the rest of the season with a torn patellar tendon.  Philly has a lot of money invested in their defense and the team is putting a lot of pressure on a player with just one month of experience to step in for Mikell.

Pittsburgh Steelers: No One

The Steelers were one of a few teams that lost virtually no one from their 2010 squad, as they re-signed all of their top free agents. 

They locked up LB LaMarr Woodley, tackle Willie Colon and corners Ike Taylor and William Gay.  Their defense remains virtually unchanged, and offensively, they are deeper with the emergence of WR Antonio Brown and backup RB Isaac Redman. 

The Steelers have no notable losses from 2010, and should be one of the AFC's top teams again in 2011.

San Diego Chargers: RB Darren Sproles

After managing to bring back WR's Malcolm Floyd and Vincent Jackson, as well as linebacker Antwan Barnes and safety Eric Weddle, the team is left with just one big loss this year. 

The Chargers drafted RB Ryan Mathews in the first round of last year's draft, but he was ineffective and lost the starting job to Mike Tolbert.  Mathews is a constant threat to be injured and Tolbert isn't in the mold of a sole-primary running back.  San Diego drafted Jordan Todman out of UConn, but he is nothing more then a roster fill-out.

Darren Sproles was a do-all type player for the Chargers since they took him in the fourth round out of Kansas State in 2005.  He has been an excellent return man and a reliable backup running back for LaDainian Tomlinson and Tolbert/Mathews.  The Chargers paid him a whopping $7.3 million in 2010, proof of his worth to the franchise, and they will miss him in 2011 as he has joined the Saints crowded backfield.  Sproles recorded 21 all-purpose touchdowns for San Diego since 2007, and the team will have to look elsewhere to generate those kind of results.

San Francisco 49ers: C David Baas

The defense-reliant Niners lost a few key defensive pieces, but nothing that should keep them out of contention in the weak NFC West. 

They lost LB Manny Lawson to the Bengals, DT Aubrayo Franklin to the Saints and LB Takeo Spikes to San Diego.  They brought in WR Braylon Edwards, kicker David Akers, safeties Madieu Williams and Donte Whitner and corner Carlos Rogers. 

They out-gained their free agent losses, but one question they have that remains is on their offensive line.

Center David Baas came into the league as a guard, but was converted to center last season after an injury to starter Eric Heitman.  Baas played well for a first-time center, earning him plenty of looks when he hit the free agent market.  He ended up signing with the Giants, and will take over full time center duties for them. 

The Niners will again convert one of their lineman to center, this time choosing seven-year veteran Adam Snyder.  Snyder had started 56 games for the Niners over the past six seasons at every position on the line but center.  He will complete his resume as he begins the season as Alex Smith's counterpart.  The question is, will the conversion work again for San Fran?  Snyder isn't the same type of talent that Baas was, but at 6'6" and 325 pounds, he certainly has the size to be an effective starter.

Seattle Seahawks: QB Matt Hasselbeck

Its Pete Carroll's third time around as a head coach in the NFL, yet he still doesn't seem to get it.  The Seahawks are the safest bet to not make the playoffs of all the teams that did last year, mostly due to the loss of Hasselbeck. 

It would've been one thing if the rebuilding Seahawks brought in a rookie quarterback, or at least a decent veteran to bridge the gap.  But instead, Charlie Whitehurst and Tavaris Jackson will duke it out for reps, with Jackson slated to start currently. 

Hasselbeck has been the face of the Seahawks' franchise since the team traded for him in 2001.  The three-time Pro Bowler threw for 176 touchdowns and almost 30,000 yards for Seattle, and led the team to their only Super Bowl appearance in 2005. 

He will be replaced by Jackson, who's unconventional style has led to a lack-luster career and a 76.6 quarterback rating through five seasons, including 25 starts.  He has thrown for over 200 yards just three times in his career and has turned the ball over 32 times in 36 games. 

The Seahawks will have a pathetic offense in 2011, but should be in good position to draft a top QB in next year's draft.

St. Louis Rams: No One

Like the Steelers, the Rams lost no impact players in free agency. 

The young team retained all of their key offensive and defensive players and added a lot of veteran experience.  Among their additions are WR Mike Sims-Walker, RBs Cadillac Williams and Jerious Norwood and guard Harvey Dahl on offense.  Defensively, they brought in DBs Al Harris and Quintin Mikell and linebackers Ben Leber, Zac Diles, Dave Vobora and Brady Poppinga. They could still use improving at receiver and corner, but they have plenty of options at both positions and are hoping someone steps up. 

The Rams are poised to win the NFC West as they are the most well rounded team of the bunch.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: LB Barrett Ruud

Bucs owner Malcolm Glazer is one of the cheapest owners in the NFL, among the likes of Cincinnati's Mike Brown. 

Tampa had over $30 million to spend on free agents and the biggest one they signed was a punter.  The team is infused with youth, especially on offense and on the defensive line, but the team has to spend money in order to fill out the roster. 

They drafted middle linebacker Mason Foster out of Washington in order to replace six-year veteran Barrett Ruud, who will suit up for the Titans in 2011.  Foster has battled hard in the preseason to prove himself, but it doesn't make up for the fact that Tampa lost a staple to their defense over the last half-decade.  The big linebacker had 118 tackles and two sacks last season and has averaged over 125 tackles each of the last four years. 

Tampa's defensive line is stacked with the likes of Da'Quan Bowers, Gerald McCoy, and Adrian Clayborn, but their thin linebacker depth will be exposed this year, and they will have to fight for a wild card if they want to earn a postseason birth.

Tennessee Titans: DE Jason Babin

The Titans did decently well in free agency and landing Matt Hasselbeck was a large part of that. 

They also signed defensive tackle Shaun Smith and linebacker Barrett Ruud to help against the run.  They return all four of their starters in the secondary, and have rookie Akeem Ayers slated to start on the strong side at linebacker. 

But they lost defensive end Jason Babin to Philly, and failed to find an adequate replacement for him.

Tennessee will enter 2011 with Jason Jones and Derrick Morgan penciled in as the starters at end.  Jones has managed 12.5 sacks in limited time over the past three seasons, but Morgan was nagged by injuries throughout his first NFL season.  He only managed to play in four games in 2010, recording just five tackles and 1.5 sacks.  He is already hampered by a knee injury this year, and is expected to miss week one of the season. 

Their D end depth includes Dave Ball and William Hayes, neither of which have been effective over their careers.  Jason Babin is a hard player to replace and that was before taking injuries into account.

Washington Redskins: CB Carlos Rogers

The Skins did a lot of house cleaning, letting go of veterans Clinton Portis, Casey Rabach, Andre Carter and Mike Williams.  They finally rid themselves of headache Albert Haynesworth, sending him to the Patriots for a late draft pick. 

They brought in veteran QB Kellen Clemens to back up Rex Grossman and John Beck, and tackle Sean Locklear, kicker Shayne Graham and WR Donte Stallworth to fill out the offense.  They did a decent job replacing corner Carlos Rogers by signing Josh Wilson away from Baltimore, but the team will have to hope they get a vastly improved version of Wilson.

Carlos Rogers started the majority of each season since he was taken by Washington ninth overall in 2005.  Although he is strong and has decent size, he is injury prone and missed at least a game per season.  He was a solid starter opposite of DeAngelo Hall, and the combination of the two kept the Skins in games, even with their anemic offense. 

Rogers signed with the 49ers, and will be replaced as the starter by Wilson, who makes up for his lack of size with speed.  He won't create many favorable matchups for Washington though, and remains the biggest question for the team's defense after safety.