Grading This NFL Offseason's 10 Best Signings, Trades and Franchise Tags

There has been a flurry of player movement since NFL free agency started, but 10 deals made more sense than all the others.

Whether it involved trading for a new player, signing one or just using the franchise tag to keep a key guy, some teams did exactly what needed to be done to ensure future success.

The teams that signed the wrong player or paid the right guy way too much money will not be mentioned in this list. All the deals discussed here received a grade of B- or higher. 

Here are the top 10 transactions made in the NFL offseason so far.

10. Brandon Marshall, WR, Chicago Bears

Grade: B-

Acquired By: Trade

As a football player, Brandon Marshall is a perfect fit with the Chicago Bears.

Chicago was able to acquire the wide receiver by trading two third-round draft picks to the Miami Dolphins.

The team lacked talent at the position, and Marshall has excellent chemistry with quarterback Jay Cutler. When catching passes from Cutler, Marshall recorded over 100 catches and 1,000 receiving yards in both 2007 and 2008.

However, the wideout has been labeled as a locker-room problem, and he has not helped reform his reputation this offseason. A few days before the transaction, Marshall allegedly punched a woman in a New York City bar.

If Marshall did not have so many character concerns surrounding him, this trade would have received a much higher grade.

9. Mario Manningham/Randy Moss, WRs, San Francisco 49ers

Grade: B-

Acquired By: Free-Agent Signings

The San Francisco 49ers signed Randy Moss and Mario Manningham to bolster the wide receiving corps of a passing attack that ranked 30th in yardage last season.

Moss sat out all of last season and is a risky signing. The future Hall of Famer has always been a fickle personality and is known for quitting on his team when he becomes frustrated.

Manningham made a spectacular catch in the Super Bowl but was inconsistent across the entire season. He finished the year with just 39 receptions for 523 yards.

Both receivers are capable of being productive players but could also be complete busts. However, if Moss and Manningham are attractive enough to lure Peyton Manning to San Francisco, then these signing will be viewed as ingenious.

8. Cortland Finnegan, CB, St. Louis Rams

Grade: B

Acquired By: Free-Agent Signing

St. Louis Rams general manager Les Snead is a big fan of Cortland Finnegan's physical style, stating, “I’ll say this. He had me at Andre Johnson.”

Finnegan's fight with the Houston Texans receiver is indicative of a mean streak that the cornerback plays with. His aggression is just one of the qualities that makes him a productive NFL player.

The top four CBs on the Rams' depth chart were all on injured reserve by the end of the season, so Finnegan fills one of the team's biggest needs.

St. Louis will be adding plenty of youth to the roster after receiving several draft picks from the Washington Redskins in exchange for the No. 2 pick in the upcoming draft.

New coach Jeff Fisher needed a veteran player he could trust to lead all the young talent, and he got his man:

"

I’m especially excited because of our relationship. If two people know each other any better, I challenge you to find those people. He has made our defense better today.

"

7. Ben Grubbs, G, New Orleans Saints

Grade: A-

Acquired By: Free-Agent Signing

The New Orleans Saints lost All-Pro guard Carl Nicks to free agency but quickly filled the gap by signing Pro Bowl guard Ben Grubbs to a five-year, $36 million deal.

The Saints offensive line was arguably the best in the league last season. The team ranked fourth in NFL in yards per carry and first in Adjusted Line Yards—an advanced metric that adjusts rushing yardage to account for the offensive line's effect on each play.

The big men up front were instrumental to the team's success last season, and fans did not have to worry for long when Nicks bolted to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Saints brought in Grubbs as his replacement just one day after their former guard departed.

Grubbs has started 70 out of 74 games since being taken in the first round of the 2007 draft. He was selected as an alternate to the Pro Bowl in 2011.

He is a slight downgrade from Nicks, but Grubbs will fill the spot well, and the Saints offensive line will not take a step back in 2012.

6. Mario Williams, DE, Buffalo Bills

Grade: B+

Acquired By: Free-Agent Signing

Mario Williams is now the highest-paid defensive player in NFL history.

The Buffalo Bills signed him to a six-year, $100 million contract and plan to return him to defensive end in their 4-3 scheme.

Williams played linebacker in the Houston Texans' 3-4 defense last season but played along the defensive line from 2006 to 2010 and racked up 48 sacks in that span.

The contract may be risky, given that Williams played in only five games last year before tearing his pectoral muscle. However, the former Texan missed just three games in his career prior to 2011.

The marquee deal of the free-agency period is a fantastic accomplishment for the Bills franchise. If Williams stays healthy, then Buffalo's pass rush will be one of the best in the league.

But the risk of an injury—resulting in a major hit to the salary cap—is the only thing keeping this deal from an A-grade.

5. Brandon Lloyd, WR, New England Patriots

Grade: B+

Acquired By: Free-Agent Signing

Speculation over Brandon Lloyd's move to the New England Patriots started when Josh McDaniels took a short-term contract as an offensive assistant for the Pats during the playoffs.

The guesswork turned to reality when Lloyd agreed to a three-year, $12 million contract. 

The wide receiver led the NFL in receiving yards while playing in McDaniels' offense in 2010. Despite the production, he was traded away from the Denver Broncos in the middle of the 2011 season to the St. Louis Rams—where McDaniels was the offensive coordinator.

Now that the former Broncos and Rams coach is running the offense in New England, Lloyd is a perfect fit with the Pats. McDaniels knows how to use Lloyd, and he will quickly become a reliable target for Tom Brady.

4. Wes Welker, WR, New England Patriots

Grade: A-

Acquired By: Franchise Tag

Wes Welker has led the NFL in receptions three times since signing for the New England Patriots in 2007. Bringing the receiver back was a top priority for the team.

However, Welker had a serious knee injury at the end of the 2009 season and is now 30 years old. The Patriots were smart to place the franchise tag on the wideout instead of signing him to a multi-year deal. 

The Pats will pay Welker $9.4 million next year but will also have another season to evaluate the veteran before extending his deal.

Welker is one of the league's best receivers but may not be for much longer. The Patriots did the right thing by avoiding a dilemma over a long-term deal for a little while longer.

3. Matt Flynn, QB, Seattle Seahawks

Grade: A-

Acquired By: Free-Agent Signing

Matt Flynn has not had many opportunities to prove his abilities but has made the most out of the ones he's been given.

Flynn has spent his career as Aaron Rodgers' backup with the Green Bay Packers, but in two NFL starts he's thrown for 731 yards and nine touchdowns.

The Seattle Seahawks failed to find their franchise quarterback during last season's free-agency period, and fans suffered through a year with Tarvaris Jackson under center. The inexperienced Flynn is a huge upgrade from the team's previous options at QB.

Even if Flynn's two spectacular starts have been flukes, the three-year, $26 million contract that he was given is not something that will cripple the team's cap space going forward.

The team has made up for last year's mistake this offseason by signing Flynn. In doing so, the Seahawks have filled their biggest need and can start on the path towards challenging for the NFC West title.

2. Vincent Jackson, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Grade: A-

Acquired By: Free-Agent Signing

Vincent Jackson is one of the NFL's best downfield threats, and Josh Freeman has one of the biggest arms in the league.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers seem to have two players who complement each other perfectly, and the signing should result in a return to relevance after last year's 4-12 record.

The Bucs made Jackson the prized piece of this season's free-agency haul that included Carl Nicks and Eric Wright. The team signed him to a five-year, $55.55 million deal.

Jackson should be a perfect fit in Florida if he can avoid the off-field issues that have been the only scar on a stellar career. The receiver was cited for a DUI on two separate occasions while with the San Diego Chargers.

Tampa Bay has been one of the most active teams in free agency so far, and Jackson was a smart signing that will greatly help the team.

1. Carl Nicks, G, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Grade: A

Acquired By: Free-Agent Signing

Carl Nicks is coming off an All-Pro season with the New Orleans Saints and is just 26 years old.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were smart to jump on the opportunity to sign the four-year veteran to a five-year deal worth $47.5 million.

Nicks' contract makes him the highest-paid guard in the league, but he is worth every penny. While the deal seems pricey, it is only surpasses Logan Mankins' contract (second-highest in the NFL for a guard) by $1 million in both guaranteed money and yearly salary.

The Bucs' decisive offer signals that they believe Nicks is the best guard in football, and judging by his impressive 2011 season, they are right.

Nicks is the only player on the last year's All-Pro team that was allowed to hit the open market during this offseason's free-agency period. While Vincent Jackson may have been the Bucs' most expensive signing, Nicks' deal is the best one the team has made so far.