NFL Free Agency Power Rankings

With the regular season over, NFL teams are in rebuilding mode. An overrated, but key, part of that process is NFL Free Agency. We are now almost through the second wave of free agency and I think it is somewhat safe to start rating the acquisitions team by team.

Even though free agency is overrated, it still can help you win championships. Drew Brees was a free agent and that turned out well, right? And while the Drew Brees-level free agents only come along once every 3-5 years, one thing remains the same year after year. Your team wants to win free agency. Period.

These rankings will show who won, who lost and who didn't even compete in the 2012 free agency race.

32. The Indianapolis Colts

They say it is always darkest before the dawn, and for the Colts its pretty dark. While they were able to retain veterans like Robert Mathis and Reggie Wayne, they were expensive and their best days are likely behind them. Also, Colts fans should be wary of Samson Satele, who is not a great pass protector.

Starting wide receiver Pierre Garcon packed his backs despite a big contract from the Colts. Veteran center (and a huge fan favorite) Jeff Saturday left for Green Bay even though it was rumored he would join Peyton Manning in Denver.

The worst wounds were self-inflicted, however; cutting Manning, Clark, and other veteran players will hurt the younger Colts when times are tough. Another problem with this is that they may lack leadership once Dwight Freeney, Mathis and Wayne retire.

However, there is definitely hope. Of course, the franchise can look forward to the highest-graded QB to come out since Peyton Manning, and they also have a bright new head coach that will emphasize the run to help develop Mr. Andrew Luck.

Defensively, they should be stronger, at least from the Xs and Os standpoint, and the addition of Cory Redding is intriguing.

31. The Miami Dolphins

The Miami Dolphins have developed a stigma of not being able to land the people they want. This year, they missed out not only on Jeff Fisher, but also Peyton Manning. This shunning comes right on the heels of a year with a lame-duck head coach that ownership and the front office had already publicly said they were open to upgrading.

The Dolphins actually did re-sign their great nose tackle, Paul Soliai. The only problem with that is that they signed him for $6 million a year, and he is making a scheme switch from the 3-4 to the 4-3.

This means that he is being paid for a job that requires him to do some things that he isn't doing now (penetrate, read blocks, stunt, etc.) and they may be things he has never done before on a consistent basis. I'm not saying he can't be great, I am just saying that it isn't a given that he will be an impact player next year.

Miami is another team on this list that hurt itself though cuts and other moves. Two starters, S Yeremiah Bell and CB Will Allen, are both gone and turnover is hard for secondary players. The Brandon Marshall trade was decent for both sides, but it still leaves Miami with a hole at WR that isn't likely to be filled with the picks they have been given.

30. The Baltimore Ravens

Ed Reed isn't getting any younger, and the Ravens just lost two safeties. I think Ravens fans may be underestimating how much that could hurt them. Reed has been more injury-prone as of late and if Baltimore wants to go deep into the playoffs, they need to be prepared to play without him.

Aside from depth behind Reed, the Ravens also lost an excellent young guard in Ben Grubbs. Speaking of offensive line, center Matt Birk is getting older, and they should seriously consider trying to groom another center from this year's draft.

Ray Rice was also brought back with the franchise tag, but with teams less inclined to sign running backs to long-term deals in this pass-happy league, that could be his last year in the organization.

If so, the Ravens need to look hard in round two for an heir to Rice, because he was a huge part of that offense last year, and I'm not sure Flacco or that team would survive without that production.

29. The Pittsburgh Steelers

Another AFC North team takes a big hit this year. Due to a mix of cap reasons, injury issues, and age, the Steelers had to let go of Aaron Smith, Chris Hoke, Hines Ward, Charlie Batch, William Gay, Dennis Dixon, Doug Legursky, Jerricho Cotchery, Matt Starks and James Farrior. That is a lot of turnover for a franchise to handle, even the high-quality Steelers franchise.

The elephant in the room however is Mike Wallace. An RFA with a first-round tender, Wallace could entice a team to take a chance and steal him away from the Steelers. And don't kid yourself, the 2011 Steelers were not the Steelers of old; they were a passing team and look to be headed further down that path.

Wallace is a deep threat, but he can also make a variety of catches and if another team stole him, that would be a huge blow to Big Ben and that offense.

(Even if he stays, he has announced that he wants a Larry Fitzgerald type deal and wouldn't take a hometown discount.)

With no additions yet, and no real prospect of signing anyone, this could really affect the Steelers next season, especially as far as depth is concerned. The bright side is, that even after this purge, the Steelers have most key defenders in place (although they are taking up a lot of cap) and still have a franchise QB.

28. The Houston Texans

The Texans made a two points clear this year in free agency.

1. The Mario Williams era was over. Whatever the Texans say, they were ready to let Mario Williams go. They knew exactly when his contract expired and failed to sign him an extension year after year. They saw what they had on defense and asked themselves, "How important is Mario to this franchise?" and we all saw the answer the day that free agency started.

2. They value the scheme over the players. Letting Myers go would have been one thing, but cutting your All-Pro right tackle with two years left on a cheap contract tells me that you value scheme first, talent second, and skill level third. The same can be seen with the Williams deal. They let him walk even though he is one of the best 4-3 DEs in the game, and he is in the prime of his career. Now there are pros and cons to this strategy.

The main con being that you can easily become a faceless organization with players changing year to year like the division rival Titans, which can lead your fanbase to question the front office if you start losing. The pro, however, is that if you have good talent evaluators and great coaches you can get similar levels of production for cheap, with just a few key players like the Colts and Patriots. That is, as long as you can keep everyone healthy.

You may be asking, "Why are they so low on this list then?" The answer is simple. It is because they not only don't have a winning history, but they have a head coach who was on the hot seat for most of his career, and they have a defensive coordinator that inherited a defense with two star free agents, and a stacked front seven.

Don't get me wrong. The Texans could finish 12-4 and get deep into the playoffs, maybe even to the Super Bowl if this plan works out. But losing the right side of your offensive line, your defensive leader for the last 6 years, and one of the best blocking tight ends in the league all in one offseason isn't a good thing.

27. The Jacksonville Jaguars

I see what you did there, Jacksonville. You said, "Our main issue is our struggling former rookie QB, so what can we do to help him?"

Bid on one or two strong offensive linemen to protect him? Nope. Should I get an older veteran QB to help him study his playbook and learn to feel pressure more accurately? Chad Henne doesn't count.

Hmmmm, okay, how about I get a stud WR like Vincent Jackson, Robert Meachem, or Reggie Wayne? Wait, that doesn't say Laurent Robinson does it? For five years and $32.5 million!

Maybe that conversation was a little harsh, but this is the same WR that has missed 27 games in his last four seasons. To put it into perspective, that is almost two seasons worth of games. They had to get someone or something for Blaine Gabbert; I just don't think they will get anything near their money's worth.

On the plus side, they did re-sign stud defensive end Jeremy Mincey for four more years, and he is a constant presence on the field. The Jaguars are quietly building a strong defense, but at what cost to the whole team?

26. The Oakland Raiders

This is tough, because I know that the Raiders were too close to the cap to begin with, but these rankings aren't about who was in a good situation and who wasn't. These rankings are all about results.

The Raiders desperately needed a corner after losing two quality starters in two years, and Ron Bartell is a decent stop-gap. Unfortunately, they didn't need a stop-gap player, they need a long-term answer because they don't have a first- or second-round pick this year to develop.

The Raiders also lost starting center Samson Satele to the Colts, but he wasn't all that good. They signed interior lineman Mike Brisiel to a five-year, $20 million deal. That is a lot of money for an offensive lineman that benefited from two Pro Bowl players beside him, his zone-blocking scheme, and an expertly run play action offense.

Also, cutting Kamerion Wimbley was necessary but a huge loss. In my opinion, he was the best pass rusher on that team, and they should have played him like one. He had 10 sacks this year and only rushed when the Raiders went to their dime package. I promise if they would have used him primarily there, he would have had 13-16 sacks easily.

In the end, I think the Raiders should have traded one of the plethora of defensive lineman they have for more picks and to clear cap room. They could have gone after Wells or Saturday, and also possibly made a mid-level corner a solid contract offer for multiple years.

25. The Cleveland Browns

The Browns have a similar stigma to the Dolphins; it all comes down to how the organization is run. They never talked to Peyton Manning for whatever reason, and they wanted no part of Matt Flynn, so Colt McCoy is slated to be the starter. That's fine; if you have faith in him, then start him.

My only problem with this situation is that they didn't go after any skill players. Like I said with Jacksonville, if your QB struggles, then before you give up on him, you need to at least give him some weapons so he has a fighting chance.

Not only did they not bring any skill players in, but they let secret agent Peyton Hillis go to the Chiefs. He isn't the answer to the problem (obviously), but at least he was a known quantity in the backfield.

Now they are relying on Montario Hardesty who is a decent spot starter, but you don't want him to be your most dangerous weapon.

It also looks like D'Qwell Jackson held them for ransom. He is a quality starter and a leader of the offense but he did not deserve a five-year, $42.5 million contract. They needed him back, and I understand that, but for a guy with his injury history to get that deal, that is impressive negotiating indeed.

I could talk about Frostee Rucker (the DE they signed for five years, $20 million) but no one would know who that is.

24. The Minnesota Vikings

The Vikings are clearly in a rebuilding mode. After drafting Christian Ponder last year and a disappointing 2011 campaign, the Vikings decided to clean house. Pictured is All-Pro left guard Steven Hutchinson, perhaps the most unfortunate cut of the season.

All things considered, if they could have reduced Hutch's salary, he could have helped form a dominant left side of the offensive line (including the center) for AP and Ponder. Hutchinson is not the guard he once was, but he still has 2-3 quality years left in him.

While Percy Harvin is very good, another WR would have been great a great signing this offseason, but that will have to wait until draft day.

A man they did sign however is Geoff Schwartz. An intriguing guard who will be filling in for Anthony Herrera, another cut player. He was injured for the entire 2011 campaign but played well in 2010.

He will be a big question mark on this offensive line next year, and if I am Ponder, the one thing I don't want is a question mark trying to block Suh, Raji, or any of the other NFC North defensive linemen.

The signing that puts them at 24 however, is John Carlson. When not injured, Carlson is good, but they game him a 5 year/$25 million contract, which is expensive for a second tight end.

If that signing had been for lets say 3 years/$10 million with incentives for playing time, THAT would have been a fair deal, but I just can't get behind this.

23. The Washington Redskins

This may be my first big surprise of the day. While the Redskins were very active in free agency, they overpaid for players with only above-average talent.

Take the wide receiver signings for example, Pierre Garcon signed a 5 year/$42 million contract. Can Garcon be successful with the Redskins? Sure he can, but that is X (someone who demands extra coverage, think Megatron or Fitz) receiver money.

Also, they signed Josh Morgan to a 5 year/$12 million contract. If the Redskins are absolutely sure that they can squeeze more production out of him than anyone else has gotten, then this could be a good pick.

When I see these signings, I just ask myself, "Are these two really significantly better than Anthony Armstrong, Santana Moss, and Leonard Hankerson?" and I honestly don't have a great argument that they are.

Putting aside who RGIII is going to throw to, let's look at the other signings. Adam Carriker averages around 45 tackles and 1.8 sacks a year over his five-year career. Decent numbers and they are a pretty good representation of his talent on the field.

The numbers don't warrant a 4 year/$20 million deal, though, which is what they gave him. I know the Redskins have a lot of money, but that's no excuse for overpaying players.

The Brandon Meriweather signing is another below-average signing. They didn't break the bank for him, but he is a a one-trick-pony, that trick being a thumper safety.

If the Redskins can find a way to use him as an effective in-the-box safety, then this is a decent signing; however, if they are expecting the complete package from him, then it will be a long season.

22. The Arizona Cardinals

The Cardinals had money to blow and it looks like they are doing just that, blowing it. The release of Levi Brown was a step in the right direction. He was slated to get a $10 million bonus, so the release killed two birds with one stone.

Unfortunately, Arizona's brass decided to bring him back, and while I can't find his contract details, I know that he is heavy-footed and played left tackle on a team that allowed a league second-worst 54 sacks.

This is also another team that suffered from losing the Manning race. The time spent waiting on him to make his decision left them no time to sign any quality offensive linemen or any other position really. I am ignoring the William Gay signing because, while Ken Whisenhunt approves of him, every Pittsburgh fan hated him last year, so we will just have to wait and see.

The team is this high because they managed to keep Calais Campbell off the market with the franchise tag, and because even though they didn't get any big name free agents, they still have time to make a few moves before getting caught up completely with the draft.

In addition to still having a small window of time to grab some role players from the third wave of free agency, I value saving money over spending money unwisely, so that is why they got the nod over Washington.

21. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tampa...what are you doing? Vincent Jackson is a stud, no doubt about it. In fact, he is so good that I don't even dispute his huge contract. You know who is not a stud? If you answered cornerback Eric Wright, then you win a prize.

Well I would have given you a prize but Mark Dominick had to borrow money from me to make Eric Wright's 5 year/$37.5 million contract dream a reality. I know you need a CB but if you are going to spend money like that on someone, grab Cortland Finnegan, Brandon Carr, or at least Stanford Routt. That completely negates anything good the Bucs did, in my opinion.

The other obvious signing is the contract that Carl Nicks got to come from the division rival Saints. I think Nicks is slightly overrated due to the fact that he played opposite another great guard and since he had an elite QB making smart, quick decisions.

I do understand the argument and there is no doubting that he plays at a high level, but I wouldn't make him the highest paid guard in the league like the Bucs did.

In the end how many of Tampa's problems can Nicks fix? And if he doesn't have an excellent 2012 campaign, fans should look no further than the Carl Nicks deal to figure out why they didn't grab an elite CB instead of *shudders* Eric Wright.

20. The Seattle Seahawks

Offensively, the Seahawks did a good job keeping Marshawn Lynch while not giving him too much to stay. He is a deceptively powerful RB that keeps his legs churning through first contact.

Matt Flynn will be happy he is there when the 49ers are breathing down his neck and they bite on the play action, giving him an extra second to get the ball deep to Rice.

Defensively, Seattle started right by signing Red Bryant to a fair deal. The thing that concerns me most though is that they brought in Jason Jones on a one-year deal, and from what I have seen he is not the same level of player as Bryant.

Not only that, but the front office needs to realize that he is a one-trick pony that is simply a one-gap penetrator. He has a tenancy to get to far up-field and run himself out of plays. Even though he played a significant number of snaps at DE last year for the Titans, that is not his position, and he is a liability there.

The Seahawks did everything right, except they got so involved in trying to get Manning to at least talk to them, that they missed out on trying to get some of the better defensive ends.

If they could have landed  Mincey or Wimbley or someone of that caliber, they would be able to pick the best player available at No. 12 this year, which is a huge luxury.

19. The Atlanta Falcons

The Falcons had a decent opportunity to get some upgrades on both sides of the ball here, but it looks like their offensive scouts called in sick. Even in though all the focus seemed to be on defense, they didn't really upgrade; it's more like they just spun their tires.

Thomas Decloud is a slightly above-average safety, but his five-year deal is more a reflection of the weak safety class in the draft and in free agency than of his actual talent. He has lucked into another few years to truly prove his worth to that team, but if don't be surprised if you don't hear his name as someone who may be cut soon as a cap victim.

John Abraham has had a great career and most teams would want a guy with his stat line at his age. Unfortunately, most of his sacks come from QBs with poor pocket presence rather than his own skills.

The $7 million a year they are paying him could look really steep sometime soon, and it would be such a slap in the face of his career in Atlanta to give him the boot because they were too frivolous with their money the first time they wrote this contract.

18. The Chicago Bears

Say what you will about Brandon Marshall, but two things continue to be clear. He has the potential to be one of the deadliest WRs in the league, and he can't stay out of trouble.

Having said that, maybe reuniting with his former QB Jay Cutler can calm down his restlessness and it could possibly have a good influence on him.

The trade between the Bears and Dolphins was for two third-round picks. However, the Dolphins have stated that they were going to cut him soon anyway. How can someone who is can be so good, make his employers want him gone that bad?

I think in the short run, this trade will work out, but in the long run when leaders like Briggs and Urlacher leave, Marshall could be the loudest voice in that locker room, and that is not what your team wants.

I guess I am so down on Chicago because all there pics seem shortsighted. The other glaring example of this is the Michael Bush signing.

Matt Forte literally went on a rant after this signing because it is the third running back they have brought since he has been there and he feels like all that money could be going toward a new contract for him if they really wanted to get it done.

On the plus side they did keep Israel Idonije, who is an underrated defensive end and is a great defender in both the run and passing game.

17. The New York Jets

I'm here to talk about the free agent signing that everyone came here to read. That's right Sione Pouha. Pouha (also known as PouhaTime) is a stud run stuffer who is still one of the best nose tackles in the league even at the age of 33. He signed a three-year extension, which will allow the Jets to focus outside the offensive tackles come draft day (aka DE/OLBs)

In other news, some guy named Tim Tebow was traded to the Jets for a fourth and a sixth. In all seriousness I am one of the few people that see the value in this move. Sanchez has regressed since his rookie year and this is the year they finally are putting the pressure on him.

Tebow will see action in a Wildcat-type setting that could reportedly could extend up to 20 plays in a game. Most second-string running backs don't see that much action, much less QBs.

The big question continues to be, what if Sanchez doesn't do well under the pressure? The answer is, if he doesn't thrive under pressure from a QB that once went 2-of-8 for an entire game, then is he the guy you want leading your team in the Super Bowl?

16. The Dallas Cowboys

This is the tale of two sides of the ball. On defense, Brandon Carr and Dan Conner will make excellent additions to the Cowboys current starters. They will be able to play with more balance in man vs. zone, and they will see an increase in their run defense stats.

However, offensively, the Cowboys did nothing to help themselves, essentially flushing $30 million down the drain over the next five years.

The worst of the two signings is probably Nate Livings, the offensive guard from Cincinnati. He was their worst lineman last year and was exploited at times. Putting him in a division with faster interior rush players (at least on the Giants and Eagles rosters) is setting him up to fail.

Maybe they just view him as an expensive backup, but either way, I hope this contract is backloaded; that way, they can cut him the minute they sign a quality offensive lineman.

15. The Carolina Panthers

The Panthers free agency game plan has been the opposite of their regular season play, slow and slightly boring.

Panthers fans will be sad to see Dan Conner gone; he was young and had a lot of potential, however the Panthers are still a young team and defense will be order No. 1 on the draft list this year.

Former Panthers guard Geoff Schwartz had a great year in 2010 and looked poised for another strong season, but injuries derailed that train. It is surprising that they didn't tender him, and on a team that has already lost a guard, it is a little surprising unless they really didn't want him back.

Mike Tolbert is the real shining spot from this year's signings. The team has said that it could use Tolbert as a movable H-back, shifting him from tight end, to fullback, to running back. That kind of piece is always very valuable.

Not only that, with him comes the option of trading Jonathan Stewart to some RB-needy team for a relatively high draft pick. So the Tolbert signing could possibly be an upgrade to four positions, not too bad.

14. The Cincinnati Bengals

The Bengals are hard to rank because with two first-round picks and a solid young roster, they don't really have a pressing need to really attack any position. However, signing running back BJGE, is exactly a 14-18ish type move. He isn't strong in any category (except ball security), but he will get the yards you give him.

Which takes me to my next point, offensive guard and run-blocking specialist Travelle Wharton signing cheap is exactly the kind of move that needed to be paired with the signing of an unspectacular back. Warton can help diversify the Bengals offense with more positive runs, while not being a liability in the passing game.

The two defensive back signings (Jason Allen and Reggie Nelson) are both slightly above average because both were reasonably priced and that is a major position of need. However, if they took Dre Kirkpatrick, the corner from Alabama, no one would blame them.

So again, not great signings, but solid. In the end, you have to decide whether they made their roster better and I have to say they did, in large part to Wharton.

13. The Detroit Lions

I love the players that the Lions have on the roster today, excluding the offensive tackles and the defensive backs. The concern for me is what happens next year.

Cliff Avril, Matt Stafford, Calvin Johnson and Ndamukong Suh all have a very hefty price tag and keeping them all on the roster long term is going to be a serious cap issue. Calvin Johnson, obviously, just finished signing a huge contract extension for 7 years/$132 million, but there is still work to be done.

Stephen Tulloch did just sign a reasonable five-year deal with the franchise that will give them a solid building block on defense for years to come. While not an explosive player, he doesn't miss very many plays, and his great fundamentals allow other players to play a little more loose than usual.

Jeff Backus re-signed as well, but I have to think that is a signing out of mutual necessity. Backus needs a team that will take him and the Lions need a cheap stop-gap offensive tackle, so why not take the guy whose limitations you know already?

Like I said in the beginning, the Lions are built well for today but what happens by the end of the 2012 season with extensions and letting free agents go will affect the team for years to come.

12. The Kansas City Chiefs

KC looks like a team that could possibly dominate its division (especially if they stay healthy and Manning doesn't) over the next few years. Matt Cassel is a serviceable starter, and Bowe has shown himself to be a solid No. 1 WR. However, the skill position to talk about this year isn't the Chiefs WRs; it is their running backs.

Peyton Hillis is coming off of a bad season where he felt disrespected. If his running style is any indicator, I'm guessing he is about to come in to training camp with a chip on his shoulder. With the new addition of Eric Winston at RT and the enticing option of drafting DeCastro and placing him at RG, KC could become a ground-and-pound type team very soon.

Another interesting piece will be Kevin Boss. If Bowe draws extra coverage, or if Hillis demands extra attention in the box, Boss could be in for some huge games. Capable of being on the field for every down, Boss could be great off of bootleg PA passes.

The defense is really what keeps this team rolling, and while the loss of Brandon Carr may sting right now, Stanford Routt is a very good corner.

After watching his game film, I can see the complaints Raiders fans had of him being unfairly targeted. About half the time they called a penalty on Routt, I strongly disagreed.

Regardless, with Routt joining the likes of Eric Berry and Brandon Flowers in the defensive backfield, Tamba Hali will have all day to hunt down the passer.

11. The St. Louis Rams

So far, I would call the Fisher era a rousing success. Without coaching a game, he and the new GM have given hope to the Rams' franchise. This hope comes in the form of the Redskins trading three first-rounders for the right to draft RG3.

These picks can be used any number of ways, but having two first-round picks for the next two years will really push this franchise through the mud and back to prominence if used wisely. This year, look for them to go for WR/RB/OT and address the holes in the defense later in this draft.

A great move towards helping the St. Louis offense that involves a player that currently plays in the NFL was signing Scott Wells, a center from Green Bay. He brings intelligence, nastiness, and a winning attitude to a team could have the most potent offense in the league in a couple of years.

10. The Buffalo Bills

After the Bills signed Mario Williams, I was ready to move the Bills up to No. 1. The deal, while extremely expensive, will make that defense much stronger. Also, it will help the Bills carve out a niche in the league and form a defensive identity similar to the 2008 Vikings.

The Mark Anderson signing is reportedly 4 years/$27.5 million, which is a lot for a guy with only two real years of production. I think this signing may be a bit of overkill because with the 10th pick in the draft, they were in a prime spot to take a young stud bookend to round out that defensive line and give them a future building block with years of experience from some of the best defensive linemen in the league. Now that future is in jeopardy.

The other crucial free agency move for the Bills was re-signing their excellent WR/bad comic Stevie Johnson to a five-year deal. Fitzpatrick needs Johnson (and probably another great receiver) to be successful in this league, so this really is a dual-purpose signing.

9. The New England Patriots

There is no better way to describe a New England Patriots offseason than this picture. Belichick is the only one who knows what the game plan truly is.

Last time I looked, the Patriots had 6 TE/FBs on the roster and were rumored to be looking at more/different players at the same position. There are a few things we can understand, though.

They got Brandon Lloyd cheap, and he can do a very good Randy Moss impersonation if you need him to. He can stretch the field and give Welker the space he needs to run the short routes and turn them into big gains. 

The will most likely regret the decision to bring in offensive guard Robert Gallery. The idea is that with the recent injury to Logan Mankins, they may need an insurance policy. Unfortunately, Gallery has his own issues staying healthy, and what happens when the insurance policy needs an insurance policy?

Finally, they signed little-known DB Steve Gregory to a three-year deal. I don't know why, because he constantly gets burned, but the rumors are that he will be playing FS for them and that he is already the front runner for the job.

I'm not going to judge this signing either way because it sounds like Belichick knows something I don't, and when it sounds like that with him, that is usually the case.

8. The Tennessee Titans

The offseason didn't do the Titans any favors. The Manning Race went on longer than he led anyone to believe, and that cost the Titans valuable time. Even worse, it may have cost them Scott Wells or Chris Myers.

Even through that rough patch, the Titans managed to sneak in All-Pro left guard Steven Hutchinson. Perfect for the Titans system, Hutchinson along with Roos will give that offensive line an exceeding strong left side.

Not only that, but if the Titans decide to draft an interior offensive lineman, Hutch can be a mentor to them and an integral part of their growth.

Kamerion Wimbley may have been the most underrated signing this year. Wimbley has spent most of his time at OLB in a 4-3 scheme, but he was miscast. On dime packages he would bump down to DE and show off his rushing skills, while demonstrating how to control an edge.

On top of that, he may have one of the most impressive "shoulder-dips" in the game today and many times he will leave offensive tackles face first in the ground grasping for air by the time he gets to the QB. Mark my words, he could have 8-12 sacks this year if he is used often enough.

The Titans filled key needs with high-quality players. Not only that, but they were signed at a reasonable price. Titans fans may not see it now, but when draft day rolls around and the Titans don't have to miss out on an excellent prospect because the needs are too great elsewhere, you can direct your thanks to GM Mike Reinfeldt.

7. The San Francisco 49ers

Retaining every defensive player on a dominating defense like the 49ers had last year is a rare and challenging feat, but San Fran did it. With that continuity, Aldon Smith maturing, and a full offseason with the coaching staff I expect the Niners to be as good or dare I say it........better than they were during the 2011 season.

On the offensive side of the ball, expect a power struggle between Alex Smith and Colin Kaepernick. Most reports indicate that the Niners are very high on their backup QB, and if the past has taught us anything it is that San Francisco fans hate Alex Smith when he doesn't perform well, and that Alex Smith doesn't perform well when the fans boo him.

Returning superstar Randy Moss will have a large part to play next year. If the rumored high 4.3 40-yard dash numbers are true, and they translate onto the field, Moss could make every WR around him better.

If not, he and the 49ers who trusted him will look like fools in front of the rest of the league and it may even cost them a win or two.

6. The New York Giants

The postseason champs only make it to sixth in the post-postseason.

There isn't much to say about the Giants except they kept most of the roster intact and they definitely have all the players to repeat if they can draft effectively. Brandon Jacobs was allowed to test free agency, and all indications are that is right where the Giants want him.

Martellus Bennett is a blocking TE who will see his reception numbers increase if the past is any indication on how the Giants like to use big TEs. This is a huge help because they were seriously depleted at TE after two injuries in the Super Bowl last year.

While the champs are expected to go after an offensive lineman and a tight end in the top two rounds, don't rule out the chance of them trading Oci for a pick and then using an early pick on a versatile defender like Mississippi State's Fletcher Cox.

5. The New Orleans Saints

The New Orleans Saints didn't get any more dynamic, but in a year where they could have lost a HUGE portion of their talent, they put on a clinic on how to hold a team together.

Of course, some players are always going to go for more money, but sometimes loyalty and belief in a team can steer players to stay where they are because they want to win.

Keeping Colston was a great move. He has the size and hands that teams desire and he is a very helpful tool in the Drew Brees arsenal.

With Jimmy Graham getting better every day and Sproles (AKA the human mismatch) as a movable chess ,that offense should put up similar numbers next year despite the loss of draft picks. 

Bringing in Ben Grubbs was a big move, and Brees will hardly even notice Nicks is gone. Grubbs has played far tougher defenses in the AFC North than anything he will have to face in his new division, and he can add a toughness and a mean streak to that line that his fellow blockers will feed off.

The names may be different and the methods may change, but with Brees at the helm, that offense should run smoothly for years to come.

4. The San Diego Chargers

Much like you will see later with another team, an act of desperation to keep the threat of an aerial attack keeps a team from this year's crown. In this situation, the mistake was signing Robert Meachem to a four-year deal valued at just over $6 million per year.

He is a consistent underachiever who will disappoint fans that think he can replicate Vincent Jackson's numbers. After that signing, however, it was great.

Jarret Johnson may be the hidden gem of this group so I'll start with him. Johnson was the force opposite Suggs in Baltimore that made opponents cut right back to T-Sizzle. JJ can hold the edge and drop into coverage, both of which are talents that many 3-4 OLBs have forgotten.

If the Chargers want, they can now wait until later to take a pure pass rusher instead of worrying about finding an all-around player in round 1.

Unfortunately, that was the only key defensive signing so far; however, the offense saw some significant pieces come to town, or return as the case may be. A returning star is veteran center Nick Hardwick (pictured). You may not be familiar with his name but every defensive lineman that has to play the Chargers knows exactly who he is.

He is the guy that pancakes them in the running game, and who stalemates them in the passing game. He is a great center and you can bet as soon as Rivers heard about this, he had that same grin on his face that you can see pictured.

Jared Gaither was also brought back to protect the franchise QB. Last year, he allowed less than five sacks, and if he can stay healthy, there is no reason to expect that his production should take any kind of dip.

Finally, the Chargers stole one of the division rival Broncos' best wide receivers in Eddie Royal. He not only shows off his talents on offense, but he is one of the most underrated return men in the game.

3. The Green Bay Packers

This may shock some long-time Packers fans to see them this high, but they deserve it.The offseason started for the Packers earlier than it did for most other teams, when they re-signed Jermichael Finley to a two-year extension.

This is a huge move because many people speculated that a deal wouldn't be reached and that he would either be tagged or worse, picked up by the Chicago Bears.

They also successfully brought back all the significant starters except for Scott Wells, and they replaced him with the sturdy old veteran Jeff Saturday. Saturday's best year may be behind him, but like fellow offensive lineman Steve Hutchinson, he still can be an above-average starter and a great short-term option.

The most impressive move of the offseason, however, may not be someone they signed, but someone they didn't. There was a lot of speculation that this year's free agency prize would be Matt Flynn, the long time Green Bay backup QB.

Despite rumors of a tag-and-trade situation, the Packers wisely let him test the market which only had eyes for Peyton Manning.

After the Manning Race was over, Flynn got some interest and finally signed to a multiple-year deal with less money than one year under the franchise tag would have cost. If that isn't a shrewd GM, I don't know what is.

2. The Philadelphia Eagles

The former champs almost regain their title, but fall just short due to the expense of DeSean Jackson. However there is a lot to love about this class. This slide HAS to start with how the Eagles solidified the strength of both the defensive and offensive lines.

Defensively, they signed Pro Bowler Trent Cole to a 4 year extension. He and Babin will have opposing QBs scrambling for the next few years, which is exactly how Philly wants to do it. Cole not only contributes as a pass rusher, but he also does a great job finding the RB in the backfield and taking him down.

In addition to that, the MLB got a huge upgrade for cheap by trading a fourth-round pick to the Texans for stud linebacker DeMeco Ryans. They essentially solved a need they would have spent their 15th overall pick on, with a pick somewhere in the early 100s.

Offensively, the Eagles brought back maybe the most underrated offensive-line tandem in the NFL. Evan Mathis was the second-best guard to hit free agency and even though several other teams wanted him, he came back home to Philly.

And if that weren't enough to ruin the day of most of the defensive lineman in the NFC East, they also brought back Todd Herremans with a three-year extension. Herremans gave up only 4 sacks last year in his first year at OT; keep in mind that those numbers are the the NFC North where JPP, Oci, Tuck, Orakpo, Kerrigan and Ware are all gunning straight for the QB.

The Eagles didn't go out and sign the biggest free agents this year, but this is arguably a better class anyway. Congratulations Philly fans, can you say Dream T.....never mind.

1. The Denver Mannings....I Mean Broncos

You have to take your hat off to the other contenders for the top spot this year, but just like in the Manning Race, there can only be one winner.

Peyton Manning is a calculated risk, and the Broncos even put a clause in his contract that lets them terminate the deal if he re-injures his neck during the 2012 season. Ignore that for a second and think about what this pick means to this franchise.

1. No more Tebow. With Tim off to the Big (Green) Apple, Manning now has a solid number X WR, as well as a very good Z. Supporting his offense is a defense that knows how to get to the QB and is filled with some nice young talent that is about to get a lot of exposure.

2. Team Manning assemble. With Manning in Denver, all bets are off with any former Colt or University of Tennessee player available. If Elway had the savvy and skills to bring Manning to Mile High, imagine what he and Manning can do as a tandem over the next few years

3. Playoff bound. Right now the former division kingpin Chargers are wounded, and the Chiefs are a little weaker on offense than Denver, which puts Manning's Broncos as preseason favorites as division champs. Manning has a long body of career that suggests that he will handle the pressure well and that he won't disappoint the fans.

The Manning alone deal wins them free agency, but other solid signings like Tamme, Dreessen, and Tracy Porter complement this class well. Lump that in with the fourth- and sixth-rounders that they received for Tebow, and you have a recipe for success.