NFL Free Agent Signings: Defensive Backs Sure to Shine With Their New Clubs

We saw the New York Giants do it well once the postseason began, which ultimately led to another Super Bowl victory. And that's having a reliable pass defense to shutdown explosive offenses in a pass-happy league.

Free agency saw a lot of players get moved around and sprucing up the secondary only helps a defense in a league driven by points. Here, we look at the best defensive back acquisitions and why they'll dominate in 2012.

Cortland Finnegan, Rams

The only reason the St. Louis Rams finished ranked No. 7 against the pass last season was because they ranked No. 31 against the run and allowed 152 rush yards per game.

So, offenses had no reason to throw the ball against them. However, when they did, the Rams couldn't defend the pass anyway and allowed opposing quarterbacks to have a collective rating of 87.3 and 60.5 completion percentage.

Cortland Finnegan, though, is reunited with coach Jeff Fisher and brings an attitude to the Rams defense that's been missing for quite some time. Despite being somewhat undersized, Finnegan doesn't back down from the bigger receivers and plays a physical game at the line of scrimmage.

He's also one of the most reliable corners at defending the run, so until St. Louis finds a complement for defensive end Chris Long, putting Finnegan opposite will take care of the perimeter. In a division that's not dominated by pass-heavy offenses, Finnegan will shutdown most if not all receivers.

In turn, this takes a lot of pressure off the Rams front seven to focus more on defending the run.

Tracy Porter, Broncos

Denver has been desperate for some youth in the secondary. Champ Bailey and Andre Goodman will both be 34 years old before 2012 begins and if Brian Dawkins returns, he'll be 39 around mid-season.

Now, the Broncos do have other youngsters in Quinton Carter and Rahim Moore, but neither are as well established as Porter. Not to mention, Porter was the man who picked off Peyton Manning in Super Bowl XLIV and returned it for a game-clinching touchdown.

Now, Porter can be a concerning addition as he has yet to play a full season and only played in 12 during the regular season in 2009 and 2010. Nevertheless, Porter is a reliable cover corner with six picks, four forced fumbles, 28 defended passes and 169 tackles the past three seasons.

Also, in six career playoff games, Porter has recorded 33 tackles and two interceptions. The Orange Crush needs a younger playmaker of his caliber on the outside and Denver's front seven will certainly get pressure to increase Porter's opportunities.

Brandon Carr, Cowboys

One of the more underrated corners in the game, Brandon Carr was in Kansas City from 2008-11 and was usually overshadowed by Brandon Flowers and, upon his arrival in 2010, safety Eric Berry.

Still, Carr was a consistent performer with 59 defended passes the past three years and 164 tackles. In Dallas, though, Carr is the main secondary defender and will be challenged a lot more. The NFC East is a bit more pass-oriented division than the AFC West and Carr has never been the primary defensive back.

Big D, however, needed to upgrade against the pass as it ranked No. 23 by allowing 244 pass yards per game. Luckily for Carr, the Cowboys have a solid front seven led by sack-master DeMarcus Ware. Provided that Dallas gets Ware a complement pass-rusher via the draft, Carr will lock down even more.

At 6'0", 207 pounds, Carr has excellent size and body control to blanket any No. 1 receiver. Against teams like New York and Philadelphia, Carr's size matches up well for Dallas and will create more time for Ware and Co. to apply pressure.

Considering how explosive the Cowboys offense can be, Tony Romo is only going to get more possessions in 2012.

Aaron Ross, Jaguars

For those that really love and follow defensive football, Aaron Ross playing opposite of Rashean Mathis for the Jacksonville Jaguars is a scary cornerback tandem.

Mathis may be turning 32 years old before the season begins, but the man can still play and Ross's presence will surely help. It's also no surprise that Ross went under the radar in New York, as other defensive backs like Corey Webster, Terrell Thomas and Antrel Rolle garnered more exposure.

However, Ross was a reliable defender with 10 picks, 33 defended passes and 200 tackles in five seasons. Plus, he was part of both Super Bowl teams, so Jacksonville is getting a postseason-experienced player.

In 2011, Mel Tucker's defense ranked No. 8 against the run and No. 9 against the pass, however, recorded just 15 picks (ranked No. 15) and defended only 70 passes (ranked No. 21).

Ross brings the ability to cause turnovers and take away the other half of the field, therefore allowing the front seven to get a more consistent pass rush. If there's one team to not sleep on in 2012, it's Jacksonville.

John Rozum on Twitter.