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Buying or Selling Every NFL Team's Offseason Strategy So Far

Alessandro MiglioMay 12, 2013

The NFL offseason is all but over. The flurry of activity in free agency has slowed to a crawl, and the draft is getting smaller in the rearview mirror.

There will be some more activity here and there before training camp begins, but these are the relative doldrums of the NFL year. How have teams fared thus far?

Here is a short summary of each team's offseason and whether I'm buying or selling.

AFC EastAFC SouthAFC NorthAFC West
BuffaloHoustonBaltimoreDenver
MiamiIndianapolisCincinnatiKansas City
New EnglandJacksonvilleClevelandOakland
New YorkTennesseePittsburghSan Diego

Arizona Cardinals

1 of 32

Key Additions

Bruce Arians, Carson Palmer, Rashard Mendenhall, Karlos Dansby, Antoine Casey, Jerraud Powers

Key Losses

Ken Whisenhunt, Ray Horton, Kerry Rhodes, Adrian Wilson, Greg Toler, Kevin Kolb, William Gay

Draft

Jonathan Cooper, Kevin Minter, Tyrann Mathieu, Alex Okafor, Earl Watford, Stepfan Taylor, Ryan Swope, Andre Ellington, D.C. Jefferson

The Cardinals looked poised to challenge the 49ers in the NFC West last season, having won seven of eight to end the previous year and jumping out to a 4-0 start. Things crumbled rather quickly for the red birds.

Their season spiraled into oblivion as they went on a nine-game losing streak, finishing with a 5-11 record. Unsurprisingly, Ken Wisenhunt's tenure as head coach came to an end as a result.

Arizona's offseason has been promising, however.

Bruce Arians, who guided the Colts to a playoff spot in lieu of Chuck Pagano as the Colts coach recovered from cancer treatment, has taken the reins. He hopes to revitalize a putrid offense, and the Cardinals have improved their personnel in that department.

Free agency was lukewarm for the Cardinals, but they had a fantastic draft. All in all, this has been a positive offseason in the desert.

Buy or Sell: Buy

Atlanta Falcons

2 of 32

Key Additions

Steven Jackson, Osi Umenyiora

Key Losses

Tyson Clabo, Todd McClure, Michael Turner, Brent Grimes, Dunta Robinson

Draft

Desmond Trufant, Robert Alford, Malliciah Goodman, Levine Toilolo, Stansly Maponga, Kemal Ishmael, Zeke Motta, Sean Renfree

On the one hand, this iteration of the Falcons finally won a playoff game. On the other, they have only won one playoff game.

Mike Smith's cast of Falcons are on the cusp of greatness. Matt Ryan is heading into his prime, leading a powerful offense through the treacherous NFC. The defense has been good, but not good enough.

Atlanta is in "win now" mode, and its offseason moves have reflected this.

The Falcons have convinced aging Tony Gonzalez to stay for one more year. They have signed Steven Jackson, who should be an upgrade over Michael Turner, even if he is on the downswing of his career. Osi Umenyiora's signing inspires a similar sentiment.

Re-signing starting safety William Moore was another good move for the Falcons. Whatever they lost in free agency, they patched in the draft.

Buy or Sell: Buy

Baltimore Ravens

3 of 32

Key Additions

Elvis Dumervil, Michael Huff, Chris Canty

Key Losses

Paul Kruger, Ed Reed, Ray Lewis, Dannell Ellerbe, Bernard Pollard, Cary Williams, Anquan Boldin

Draft

Matt Elam, Arthur Brown, Brandon Williams, John Simon, Kyle Juszczyk, Ricky Wagner, Kapron Lewis-Moore, Ryan Jensen, Aaron Mellette, Marc Anthony

Ozzie Newsome is smarter than us. It is easy to point at the Ravens offseason and snicker, given they signed Joe Flacco to the richest contract in NFL history—soon to be eclipsed by that of Aaron Rodgers, but massive nonetheless—and lost three-quarters of their linebacker corps to free agency or retirement.

But the Ravens will not be falling off a cliff like some have proclaimed this offseason.

Flacco is, of course, the reigning Super Bowl MVP. He has yet to play nearly that well during the regular season, but the Ravens couldn't just let him walk after that postseason run.

Paul Kruger will not be missed if Courtney Upshaw has anything to say about it. Arthur Brown comes to the NFL with the same size questions that surrounded Ray Lewis in 1996.

Ed Reed's tenure in Houston has gotten off to a rocky start thanks to hip surgery, and Michael Huff should be adequate in his stead. In the same vein, Matt Elam should be the same for Bernard Pollard.

The Ravens are also getting Lardarius Webb back from injury, and he should retake his starting gig from the departed Cary Williams.

It might not have been a sexy offseason, but Newsome is smarter than us. It's science.

Buy or Sell: Buy

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Buffalo Bills

4 of 32

Key Additions

Doug Marrone, Kevin Kolb, Manny Lawson, Alan Branch

Key Losses

Andy Levitre, George Wilson, Nick Barnett, Ryan Fitzpatrick

Draft

EJ Manuel, Robert Woods, Kiko Alonso, Marquise Goodwin, Duke Williams, Jonathan Meeks, Dustin Hopkins, Chris Gragg

The Bills won free agency last offseason. They got the same record for their trouble.

Chan Gailey is out as a result, and Doug Marrone takes his place. That would be the same Marrone who piloted the Syracuse Orange to mediocre glory in the Big East in recent years.

Buffalo did not do too much in free agency, especially compared to last year's spree. Their best move was keeping Jairus Byrd, one of the best safeties in the league. Unfortunately, it came at the expense of Andy Levitre, one of the best guards in the league.

The team's draft has been panned in many circles. It is not as bad as it seems, even if EJ Manuel's first-round selection still raises eyebrows. Robert Woods, Kiko Alonso, Marquise Goodwin and Chris Gragg were all good value picks.

It was good to change direction in the coaching ranks, but Marrone doesn't exactly inspire confidence. The Bills might have solved their quarterback quandary, or they might be mired in another pit of quicksand with Manuel.

This offseason has simply been too mixed to buy.

Buy or Sell: Sell

Carolina Panthers

5 of 32

Key Additions

Ted Ginn Jr., Chase Blackburn, Domenik Hixon, Drayton Florence, D.J. Moore

Key Losses

Rob Chudzinski, Chris Gamble, James Anderson, Ron Edwards

Draft

Star Lotulelei, Kawann Short, Edmund Kugbila, A.J. Klein, Kenjon Barner

You know you're having an uneventful offseason when your biggest free-agent acquisition is Ted Ginn Jr. and your first two draft picks are defensive tackles.

The Panthers have not been terribly busy, a bit odd considering they haven't had much success in recent years. They might have back-to-back rookie of the year players—Cam Newton and Luke Kuechly—but they have not been able to parlay their young stars into many victories.

This offseason has done little to change that.

Buy or Sell: Sell

Chicago Bears

6 of 32

Key Additions

Marc Trestman, Jermon Bushrod, Martellus Bennett, Matt Slauson, D.J. Williams, James Anderson

Key Losses

Lovie Smith, Brian Urlacher, Nick Roach, D.J. Moore, Lance Louis, Kellen Davis

Draft

Kyle Long, Jon Bostic, Khaseem Greene, Jordan Mills, Cornelius Washington, Marquess Wilson

Despite relative success, the Bears parted ways with head coach Lovie Smith this offseason. They replaced him with former CFL Coach of the Year Marc Trestman, who had been waiting for this opportunity in the NFL for quite some time.

It's getting difficult to compete in the NFC North with the continually strong presence of the Packers, the upstart Vikings and the still-dangerous Lions. The Bears did a nice job keeping up with the Joneses this offseason, however.

They finally got some protection for Jay Cutler by signing Jermon Bushrod and drafting Kyle Long. Losing Brian Urlacher will hurt from a leadership standpoint more than on-field contribution, but Jon Bostic could step in right away for the departed veteran.

Buy or Sell: Buy

Cincinnati Bengals

7 of 32

Key Additions

James Harrison

Key Losses

Nate Clements, Manny Lawson, Pat Sims

Draft

Tyler Eifert, Giovani Bernard, Margus Hunt, Shawn Williams, Sean Porter, Tanner Hawkinson, Rex Burkhead, Cobi Hamilton, Reid Fragel, T.J. Johnson

Cincinnati has been a bit of a surprise in recent years thanks to an underrated defense and Andy Dalton's game-management skills at quarterback. 

Mike Brown's offseason wasn't particularly busy in terms of free agency. Their biggest moves were in retaining their own players—Michael Johnson, Adam Jones and Andre Smith were key cogs last season. They did, however, have a pretty nice draft.

The real question is how much further this team can go under Dalton, who is no Aaron Rodgers, or even Joe Flacco. This team needs an elite defense. 

The Bengals have a nice unit, but do they have what it takes to make it past the first round of the playoffs? 

Buy or Sell: Sell

Cleveland Browns

8 of 32

Key Additions

Rob Chudzinski, Paul Kruger, Desmond Bryant, David Nelson, Davone Bess, Kellen Davis

Key Losses

Tom Heckert, Phil Dawson, Kaluka Maiava, Ben Watson, Frostee Rucker

Draft

Barkevious Mingo, Leon McFadden, Jamoris Slaughter, Armonty Bryant, Garrett Gilkey

Gone are GM Tom Heckert and head coach Pat Shurmur, victims of mediocrity and new ownership.

Granted, Heckert is not given enough credit for getting the Browns better and younger in recent years. Cleveland has some solid talent on its roster thanks to its former general manager, even if he does bear the blame for Brandon Weeden.

Now Joe Banner and Michael Lombardi run the show, and we have seen the beginning of their vision for the Browns.

Cleveland began the offseason with plenty of money to spend, and it did just that. The Browns got things started by poaching Paul Kruger from their division rivals and followed it up by signing one of the league's better defensive tackles.

It was a pretty decent draft as well for Banner and Lombardi.

Buy or Sell: Buy

Dallas Cowboys

9 of 32

Key Additions

Justin Durant

Key Losses

Rob Ryan, Gerald Sensabaugh, Victor Butler, Mike Jenkins, Marcus Spears, Felix Jones, Brian Moorman

Draft

Travis Frederick, Gavin Escobar, Terrance Williams, J.J. Wilcox, B.W. Webb, Joseph Randle, DeVonte Holloman

The Cowboys have simply been average in recent years, despite boasting some excellent talent on both sides of the ball.

It doesn't seem like things will improve much this season.

For starters, Dallas slapped the franchise tag on Anthony Spencer for a second year in a row, committing to pay him 120 percent of his salary from last year. Spencer is a great player, but that was an ill-advised use of limited cap space for a player who might not fit in their new 4-3 scheme.

Their draft wasn't much better; the first-round selection of Travis Frederick was widely mocked, and not the good kind that happens before the draft.

Jerry Jones recently had eye surgery he had been putting off for years. Maybe he'll start seeing a bit more clearly from here on out.

Buy or Sell: Sell

Denver Broncos

10 of 32

Key Additions

Wes Welker, Louis Vasquez, Shaun Phillips, Terrance Knighton, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Stewart Bradley

Key Losses

Elvis Dumervil, Dan Koppen, D.J. Williams, Tracy Porter, Brandon Stokley, Keith Brooking

Draft

Sylvester Williams, Montee Ball, Kayvon Webster, Quanterus Smith, Tavarres King, Vinston Painter, Zac Dysert

The Broncos were one play away from an AFC championship game berth last year, Peyton Manning's first with Denver. They gave him the final pieces to get there this offseason.

Wes Welker defected from the dark side, pairing the most productive receiver over the past half-decade with one of the best quarterbacks in NFL history.

Louis Vasquez was, perhaps, John Elway's finest signing, solidifying a shaky interior on the offensive line.

Aside from the whole Dumervil fax debacle, it has been another solid offseason in the Mile High City.

Buy or Sell: Buy

Detroit Lions

11 of 32

Key Additions

Reggie Bush, Glover Quin, C.J. Mosley, Jason Jones, David Akers

Key Losses

Cliff Avril, Jason Hanson, Gosder Cherilus, Jeff Backus, Sammie Lee Hill, Justin Durant, Kyle Vanden Bosch, Kevin Smith

Draft

Ezekiel Ansah, Darius Slay, Larry Warford, Devin Taylor, Sam Martin, Corey Fuller, Theo Riddick, Michael Williams, Brandon Perburn

The Lions were poised to pounce on the NFC North last season after making the playoffs for the first time in years the year before. Things did not go as planned.

Off-field turbulence short-circuited the season before it even started, and Detroit fell to the bottom of the heap. 

The offseason has been eventful in Detroit again, only a lot quieter on that police blotter. The Lions lost a couple of key offensive linemen in Gosder Cherilus and Jeff Backus, a point of concern this year.

They did upgrade at running back, assuming Reggie Bush can finally play up to his potential and stay healthy on that turf.

Buy or Sell: Buy

Green Bay Packers

12 of 32

Key Additions

Matthew Mulligan

Key Losses

Greg Jennings, Charles Woodson, Donald Driver, Cedric Benson, Tom Crabtree

Draft

Datone Jones, Eddie Lacy, David Bakhtiari, J.C. Tretter, Johnathan Franklin, Micah Hyde, Josh Boyd, Nate Palmer, Charles Johnson, Kevin Dorsey, Sam Barrington

The Packers failed to sign a free agent of any real significance. In other news, the pope is Catholic.

Green Bay chose to let veterans Greg Jennings and Charles Woodson go—for cost and effectiveness reasons, respectively—but the Packers will continue to do well because of the wealth of talent still on that roster.

Ted Thompson had himself a fine draft to boot, solving the team's running back problem and continuing to address the offensive and defensive lines as well.

Buy or Sell: Buy

Houston Texans

13 of 32

Key Additions

Greg Jones, Ed Reed, Shane Lechler

Key Losses

Connor Barwin, Glover Quin, James Casey, Donnie Jones, Bradie James, Shayne Graham, Kevin Walter

Draft

DeAndre Hopkins, D.J. Swearinger, Brennan Williams, Sam Montgomery, Trevardo Williams, David Quessenberry, Alan Bonner, Chris Jones, Ryan Griffin

The past two offseasons have seen the Texans let a lot of talent leave via free agency. No matter, the Texans have been rolling along despite their apparent indifference.

Much like Ted Thompson's Packers, the Texans have built through the draft. They couldn't resist signing some free agents, however, luring Ed Reed away from the Ravens.

The move has already backfired with rumors of Reed needing surgery, even before they signed him.

Rick Smith did have another nice draft, finally giving Andre Johnson a running mate at receiver in DeAndre Hopkins.

Will it be enough to get over the hump? Much like the situation in Cincinnati, the Texans might only go so far as Matt Schaub will take them, and he isn't exactly elite.

Buy or Sell: Sell

Indianapolis Colts

14 of 32

Key Additions

LaRon Landry, Donald Thomas, Gosder Cherilus, Greg Toler, Aubrayo Franklin, Ricky Jean-Francois, Matt Hasselbeck, Darrius Heyward-Bey

Key Losses

Dwight Freeney, Jerraud Powers, Donnie Avery, Winston Justice, Tom Zbikowski, Austin Collie

Draft

Bjoern Werner, Hugh Thornton, Khaled Holmes, Montori Hughes, John Boyett, Kerwynn Williams, Justice Cunningham

Ryan Grigson bought himself a lot of street cred last year, though a good amount of that was because of a lottery ticket he won.

Andrew Luck fell into the first-year general manager's lap last year, but Grigson made several solid moves that saw the Colts improbably qualify for the playoffs.

He was a big spender this offseason, and some of those moves have been questionable. LaRon Landry, for example, has a Pro Bowl attached to his name, but he was not one of the best safeties in the league last year.

Ricky Jean-Francois inked a $22 million deal despite being one of the least-heralded members of a vaunted San Francisco defense.

Grigson did make a couple of good moves in nabbing Greg Toler and Gosder Cherlius, but his draft also met with lukewarm responses across the NFL.

It is difficult to doubt the man after so much early success, but this offseason seemed a bit like he put too much pepper on a delicious steak.

Buy or Sell: Sell

Jacksonville Jaguars

15 of 32

Key Additions

David Caldwell, Gus Bradley, Roy Miller, Sen'Derrick Marks, Mohamed Massaquoi, Marcus Trufant, Justin Forsett

Key Losses

Gene Smith, Mike Mularkey, Daryl Smith, Derek Cox, Greg Jones, Terrance Knighton, C.J. Mosley, Dawan Landry, Aaron Ross, Rashean Mathis

Draft

Luke Joeckel, Jonathan Cyprien, Dwayne Gratz, Ace Sanders, Denard Robinson, Josh Evans, Jeremy Harris, Demetrius McCray

Like Cleveland, Jacksonville saw turnover in its front office because of perpetual mediocrity and new ownership.

David Caldwell and Gus Bradley sit in place of Gene Smith and Mike Mularkey, piloting a team through dire straits.

Instead of jettisoning the lame duck Blaine Gabbert, the Jaguars chose to give him one more shot. Perhaps they are positioning themselves to draft Teddy Bridgewater in 2014, but they haven't done much this offseason outside of a couple of nice picks in the draft.

Buy or Sell: Sell

Kansas City Chiefs

16 of 32

Key Additions

Andy Reid, Alex Smith, Sean Smith, Dunta Robinson, Mike DeVito, Geoff Schwartz, Donnie Avery

Key Losses

Romeo Crennel, Eric Winston, Glenn Dorsey, Ryan Lilja

Draft

Eric Fisher, Travis Kelce, Nico Johnson, Sanders Commings, Eric Kush, Braden Wilson, Mike Catapano

The Chiefs have some solid talent on that roster. How else would you explain the six Pro Bowl berths they received last year, even if some of those were as replacements?

Kansas City had a problem at quarterback and head coach last year. Both of those have been fixed, to certain degrees.

Alex Smith has taken over for Matt Cassel, and Andy Reid for Romeo Crennel. The Chiefs made plenty of moves in free agency to supplement those Pro Bowlers with solid talent.

The Smith move is debatable—Kansas City gave up a second-round pick for a low-ceiling quarterback, even if he is a big improvement—and wound up losing a game of chicken with the Dolphins regarding Branden Albert.

But it was a nice offseason overall for the Chiefs.

Buy or Sell: Buy

Miami Dolphins

17 of 32

Key Additions

Dannell Ellerbe, Philip Wheeler, Mike Wallace, Tyson Clabo, Brent Grimes, Vaughn Martin, Dustin Keller

Key Losses

Karlos Dansby, Kevin Burnett, Davone Bess, Sean Smith, Jake Long

Draft

Dion Jordan, Jamar Taylor, Dallas Thomas, Will Davis, Dion Sims, Jelani Jenkins, Mike Gillislee, Caleb Sturgis, Don Jones

Jeff Ireland's seat may as well be on the surface of the sun.

The Dolphins haven't been very good for a long while, and Ireland's moves have been met with plenty of vitriol across South Florida over the years. But Miami is moving in the right direction, ever so slowly.

Ryan Tannehill had a decent rookie year, and now he gets to play with a shiny new toy on offense. Mike Wallace is the new $60 million man in Miami, for better or for worse.

The Dolphins continued their offseason spending spree by signing Dannell Ellerbe and Philip Wheeler to get younger at linebacker, and later Tyson Clabo and Brent Grimes to shore up the offensive line and secondary. 

Ireland's draft met with mixed reviews, largely depending on how the reviewer liked Dion Jordan. Whatever happens, Ireland has clearly been on a mission to get younger and faster. If Joe Philbin can get this team to gel, it will be better.

But that is a big "if."

Buy or Sell: Buy

Minnesota Vikings

18 of 32

Key Additions

Greg Jennings, Matt Cassel

Key Losses

Percy Harvin, Chris Kluwe, Antoine Winfield, Geoff Schwartz, Jasper Brinkley

Draft

Sharrif Floyd, Xavier Rhodes, Cordarrelle Patterson, Gerald Hodges, Jeff Locke, Jeff Baca, Michael Mauti, Travis Bond, Everett Dawkins

Percy Harvin is gone. Greg Jennings sits in his place.

Actually, Cordarrelle Patterson can best emulate what Harvin brought to the table. If the former Volunteer can live up to his potential, he will be tearing up opposing defenses soon enough.

Not that Minnesota could have guaranteed landing Patterson, but that makes it seem like Rick Spielman overpaid for Jennings' services. After all, the former Packer had Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers throwing to him his entire career.

Christian Ponder is not those guys.

The Vikings were a big surprise last season, making the playoffs after nobody expected them to get there. Can Ponder shake off the sophomore blues and take that next step they need? Or will Adrian Peterson have to continue shouldering the entire team?

Buy or Sell: Sell

New England Patriots

19 of 32

Key Additions

Danny Amendola, Tommy Kelly, Adrian Wilson, Leon Washington

Key Losses

Wes Welker, Patrick Chung, Danny Woodhead, Donald Thomas, Brian Waters

Draft

Jamie Collins, Aaron Dobson, Logan Ryan, Duron Harmon, Josh Boyce, Michael Buchanan, Steve Beauharnais

Patriots fans shook their fist at Wes Welker's departure, but their team may have gotten an upgrade at wide receiver.

Danny Amendola has been excellent when healthy. It's that pesky health issue that could rear its ugly head. If he can stay healthy, Amendola will be even more dangerous than Welker ever was in that New England offense. 

Buy or Sell: Buy

New Orleans Saints

20 of 32

Key Additions

Rob Ryan, Keenan Lewis, Ben Watson, Victor Butler

Key Losses

Jermon Bushrod, Jonathan Casillas

Draft

Kenny Vaccaro, Terron Armstead, John Jenkins, Kenny Stills, Rufus Johnson

With the bounty scandal finally exorcised, New Orleans can get back to winning football games.

Sean Payton is back, and the Saints look like they will challenge for the NFC South crown once more. After all, few teams can boast a quarterback like Drew Brees.

It's the defense that was dreadful last offseason, something Mickey Loomis addressed with some key moves.

None was bigger than signing Rob Ryan as defensive coordinator. He might be a bit overrated, but anything will be better than what the Saints put on the field last year.

Adding Keenan Lewis, Victor Butler and Kenny Vaccaro to that defensive unit will be a boon. 

Buy or Sell: Buy

New York Giants

21 of 32

Key Additions

Cullen Jenkins, Brandon Myers, Josh Brown, Aaron Ross, Dan Connor

Key Losses

Kenny Phillips, Osi Umenyiora, Ahmad Bradshaw, Chris Canty, Martellus Bennett

Draft

Justin Pugh, Johnathan Hankins, Damontre Moore, Ryan Nassib, Cooper Taylor, Eric Herman, Michael Cox

The Giants are in the middle of their hibernation period between championships, but they could be back in the hunt rather quickly.

Of course, they haven't done much this offseason other than retain William Beatty's services and have a relatively nice draft. 

Buy or Sell: Buy

New York Jets

22 of 32

Key Additions

Willie Colon, Antwan Barnes, Dawan Landry, David Garrard, Mike Goodson, Chris Ivory

Key Losses

Darrelle Revis, LaRon Landry, Dustin Keller, Tim Tebow, Mike DeVito, Matt Slauson, Shonn Greene, Yeremiah Bell, Sione Pouha, Bryan Thomas, Bart Scott

Draft

Dee Milliner, Sheldon Richardson, Geno Smith, Brian Winters, Oday Aboushi, William Campbell, Tommy Bohanon

That is one long list of key losses for the Jets. Granted, they upgraded in some cases—Chris Ivory is going to seem like Walter Payton compared to Shonn Greene, and cutting Tim Tebow is actually addition by subtraction—but losing many of those players hurt.

Any time you lose the best player at a premium position, it stings—even if you get a decent return despite an injury. But the waters were poisoned for Darrelle Revis in New York, so better to get something now and some cap relief instead of nothing later.

For better or for worse, Rex Ryan will be hitching his wagon to Mark Sanchez one last time, assuming he can hold on to the starting gig over Geno Smith this preseason.

A nice draft won't save them this year, but their next coach will have some nice young players to work with.

Buy or Sell: Sell

Oakland Raiders

23 of 32

Key Additions

Matt Flynn, Kevin Burnett, Kaluka Maiava, Nick Roach, Mike Jenkins

 

Key Losses

Philip Wheeler, Desmond Bryant, Tommy Kelly, Richard Seymour, Brandon Myers, Michael Huff, Rolando McClain, Shane Lechler, Darrius Heyward-Bey, Mike Goodson, Shawntae Spencer

 

Draft

D.J. Hayden, Menelik Watson, Sio Moore, Tyler Wilson, Nick Kasa, Latavius Murray, Mychal Rivera, Stacy McGee, Brice Butler, David Bass

 

Reggie McKenzie had to have known it was going to be a long reconstruction for the Raiders when he took the gig. He is in year two of an ugly makeover.

The Raiders were in cap hell last year, graduating to cap purgatory this year. That means they were still hemorrhaging players during free agency.

But it looks like they have finally stopped the bleeding, especially after a particularly nice draft. The future is brighter in Oakland, even if this season is bleak. It is difficult to fault McKenzie for the present-day roster woes, but the team had to get through these two tough years.

 

Buy or Sell: Buy (futures)

Philadelphia Eagles

24 of 32

Key Additions

Chip Kelly, Connor Barwin, Kenny Phillips, Cary Williams, Donnie Jones, Patrick Chung, James Casey, Bradley Fletcher

Key Losses

Andy Reid, Nnamdi Asomugha, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Cullen Jenkins, Demetress Bell, King Dunlap

Draft

Lane Johnson, Zach Ertz, Bennie Logan, Matt Barkley, Earl Wolff, Joe Kruger, Jordan Poyer, David King

"Dysfunctional" would be the best word to describe the Eagles last year. Andy Reid is gone as a result of a long, downward spiral.

Chip Kelly sits in his place, bringing his fantastic offense with him. The Eagles didn't make huge splashes in free agency, but they made several good ones.

They brought in Patrick Chung, Kenny Phillips, Bradley Fletcher and Cary Williams to shore up that porous secondary. They replace the disappointing combo of Nnamdi Asomugha and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie.

There is plenty of talent all over that Philadelphia roster. A regime change might be what the team needed for a quick turnaround in the NFC East, and the team certainly seems better on paper.

Buy or Sell: Buy

Pittsburgh Steelers

25 of 32

Key Additions

William Gay, Matt Spaeth, Bruce Gradkowski

Key Losses

Mike Wallace, Keenan Lewis, James Harrison, Willie Colon, Casey Hampton, Rashard Mendenhall, Max Starks

Draft

Jarvis Jones, Le'Veon Bell, Markus Wheaton, Shamarko Thomas, Landry Jones, Terry Hawthorne, Justin Brown, Vince Williams, Nick Williams

It could be a long year in Pittsburgh.

The Steelers were strapped for cap space, so there wasn't much to do in free agency. William Gay's triumphant return to the Steel City isn't exactly front-page material.

Pittsburgh made some nice picks in the draft, but it could be a down year for the Steelers given what age and free agency have taken from the perennial contenders.

Buy or Sell: Sell

San Diego Chargers

26 of 32

Key Additions

Mike McCoy, Derek Cox, Danny Woodhead, Chad Rinehart, Deon Butler

Key Losses

Norv Turner, A.J. Smith, Louis Vasquez, Antwan Barnes, Shaun Phillips, Antoine Cason, Vaughn Martin

Draft

D.J. Fluker, Manti Te'o, Keenan Allen, Steve Williams, Tourek Williams, Brad Sorensen

There is one thing you need to know about San Diego's offseason this year: Norv Turner and A.J. Smith are gone.

That is enough to buy Chargers stock in bulk.

Mike McCoy finally gets his shot at a head coaching gig after flirting with some last year, coming over from the rival Broncos. He inherits a lackluster team that lost several key free agents, but a nice draft and a new attitude will go a long way to getting San Diego back on track.

Buy or Sell: Buy

San Francisco 49ers

27 of 32

Key Additions

Anquan Boldin, Nnamdi Asomugha, Glenn Dorsey, Phil Dawson, Craig Dahl, 

Key Losses

Dashon Goldson, Delanie Walker, Ricky Jean-Francois, Isaac Sopoaga, David Akers, Randy Moss, Tavares Gooden

Draft

Eric Reid, Cornellius Carradine, Vance McDonald, Corey Lemonier, Quinton Patton, Marcus Lattimore, Quinton Dial, Nick Moody, B.J. Daniels, Carter Bykowski, Marcus Cooper 

This year's draft champion comes in the form of the San Francisco 49ers, a scary thought considering how close they came to winning it all last year.

San Francisco was so good last year that rookies weren't really needed throughout the season. They will get their chance to shine this year, as will some of the rookies the 49ers nabbed in the draft.

Trent Baalke did have to let some talent go due to price, however. Dashon Goldson was great, but the 49ers couldn't keep slapping him with the franchise tag. Ricky Jean-Francois and Isaac Sopoaga were solid contributors for San Francisco who landed elsewhere.

All in all, however, it has been a solid offseason for the almost-champions. 

Buy or Sell: Buy

Seattle Seahawks

28 of 32

Key Additions

Percy Harvin, Michael Bennett, Cliff Avril, Antoine Winfield

Key Losses

Leon Washington, Jason Jones, Leroy Hill, Alan Branch, Marcus Trufant, 

Draft

Christine Michael, Jordan Hill, Jesse Williams, Tharold Simon, Luke Wilson, Spencer Ware, Ryan Seymour, Ty Powell, Jared Smith, Michael Bowie

The arms race in the NFC West has been perpetuated by the Seahawks, who have popped up to challenge the champion 49ers.

Seattle upped the ante in a big way this offseason, trading for Percy Harvin and signing him to a big extension. The Seahawks seem to be stockpiling defensive ends, signing both Michael Bennett and Cliff Avril to accompany Chris Clemons and Bruce Irvin on that line.

It is going to be an interesting year out West.

Buy or Sell: Buy

St. Louis Rams

29 of 32

Key Additions

Jake Long, Jared Cook

Key Losses

Steven Jackson, Danny Amendola, Quintin Mikell, Rob Turner, Craig Dahl, Bradley Fletcher, Brandon Gibson, Barry Richardson, Rocky McIntosh

Draft

Tavon Austin, Alec Ogletree, T.J. McDonald, Stedman Bailey, Barrett Jones, Brandon McGee, Zac Stacy

Jeff Fisher and the Rams aren't shy about taking chances.

This offseason saw them sign underachieving tight end Jared Cook to a massive deal and oft-injured left tackle Jake Long to a long-term contract. They did it while letting long-time Ram Steven Jackson and promising receiver Danny Amendola go.

St. Louis made a draft-day splash by trading up to take 5'8", 175-pound Tavon Austin with the eighth-overall pick. That was the first time a receiver that small has been taken in the top 15 over the past 25 years, perhaps in all of NFL history.

Austin might be electrifying, but he could also be too small to stay healthy at the next level. It was certainly a risk.

Buy or Sell: Sell

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

30 of 32

Key Additions

Darrelle Revis, Dashon Goldson, Derek Landri, Jonathan Casillas, Brian Leonard

Key Losses

Ronde Barber, Michael Bennett, E.J. Biggers, Roy Miller, LeGarrette Blount, Jeremy Trueblood

Draft

Johnthan Banks, Mike Glennon, Akeem Spence, William Gholston, Steven Means, Mike James

One of the better offseasons in the NFL belonged to the Buccaneers.

Tampa Bay pillaged the Jets, landing the league's best cornerback for a first-round pick and a future mid-round pick to be determined. Granted, Revis is on his way back from knee surgery, but the Buccaneers protected themselves by somehow convincing his agent to sign a fully non-guaranteed contract.

Dashon Goldson is another shiny new piece in a secondary that was awful a year ago. He comes in alongside second-year man Mark Barron.

All in all, the Buccaneers are much better on paper. We will see if that translates to the field.

Buy or Sell: Buy

Tennessee Titans

31 of 32

Key Additions

Andy Levitre, Delanie Walker, George Wilson, Bernard Pollard, Shonn Greene, Sammie Lee Hill, Ryan Fitzpatrick

Key Losses

Jared Cook, Deuce Lutui, Leroy Harris, Matt Hasselbeck, SenDerrick Marks

Draft

Chance Warmack, Justin Hunter, Blidi Wreh-Wilson, Zaviar Gooden, Brian Schwenke, Lavar Edwards, Khalid Wooten, Daimion Stafford

How do you cure mediocrity? Throw money at it, of course!

Actually, that doesn't seem to work too often. But the Titans did it anyway, hoarding free agents in an attempt to improve.

Andy Levitre was an excellent addition, finally giving the Titans a good presence on the interior of the offensive line. George Wilson and Bernard Pollard bring veteran savvy to that secondary.

Shonn Greene was a bit of a head-scratcher, though. After years of plodding his way out of New York, the Titans gave him a relatively hefty contract to back up Chris Johnson.

The Titans also lost Jared Cook to free agency.

Tennessee did have a nice draft, nabbing a fine guard in Chance Warmack to pair with Levitre.

Offensive line aside, are the Titans a better team?

Buy or Sell: Sell

Washington Redskins

32 of 32

Key Additions

E.J. Biggers, Jeremy Trueblood 

 

Key Losses

Jammal Brown, Madieu Williams, Cedric Griffin

 

Draft

David Amerson, Jordan Reed, Phillip Thomas, Chris Thompson, Brandon Jenkins, Bacarri Rambo, Jawan Jamison

 

The Redskins went into the offseason with one arm tied behind their backs because of the second half of a $36 million cap penalty. As such, free agency was quiet.

But that might be a good thing for Dan Snyder, whose big spending ways have been curbed in recent years.

Washington also didn't have a high draft pick thanks to the Robert Griffin III trade. While having a franchise quarterback is worth it, it made for a lukewarm draft. 

 

Buy or Sell: Sell

 

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