Ranking the NFL's Top 10 Offensive Additions This Offseason

Plenty of moves lead to lots of speculation and an abundance of opinions when it comes to the NFL offseason.

But you have to put your foot down eventually, and that time is now.

What follows are 10 players who will prove to be the best pickups for their new clubs in 2016. In this edition, the focus is on the offensive side of the ball. You will also notice some honorable mentions along the way.

Never fear: Defenders will eventually be given equal time. Here, each of these performers will make a significant impact for his new employer this upcoming season.

Honorable Mentions

Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images

The following five players (listed in alphabetical order) fell just short of the top 10.

G Alex Boone (Minnesota Vikings): The San Francisco 49ers’ primary starter at right guard from 2012 to 2014, Boone switched to the left side when the team lost Pro Bowler Mike Iupati to free agency last offseason. Boone enjoyed a solid year at his new spot, but he’ll return to his familiar position with the Vikings.

RB Chris Ivory (Jacksonville Jaguars): In his sixth NFL season and third with the New York Jets, Ivory led the AFC with 1,070 rushing yards and made his first Pro Bowl. He will prove to be a valuable tutor for second-year running back T.J. Yeldon, as well as help a Jacksonville running game that finished 27th in the NFL in 2015.

RB Alfred Morris (Dallas Cowboys): Head coach Jason Garrett is more than familiar with what the two-time Pro Bowler can do. Morris’ numbers have steadily decreased each year, but he did start every game for the Washington Redskins the past four seasons. He will team with Darren McFadden and is primed to haunt his former team. 

G Kelechi Osemele (Oakland Raiders): The Silver and Black shelled out big bucks (five years, $58.5 million) to secure the massive blocker. The former member of the Baltimore Ravens will team with left tackle Donald Penn to give the Raiders an imposing strong-side presence. 

WR Rod Streater (Kansas City Chiefs): Once a feature receiver in Oakland, injuries and later an influx of new talent made Streater expendable with the Raiders. Streater (who caught one pass for eight yards despite being healthy this past season) will add something extra to a wide receiving corps that looked a whole lot better in 2015 due mainly to the arrival of Jeremy Maclin.

10. Arizona Cardinals: G Evan Mathis

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Can anyone recall the last time Evan Mathis, when healthy, had a disappointing season?

The good folks at Pro Football Focus remind us that the 11-year blocker (who celebrates his 35th birthday in November) has been a top-10 performer at his position five consecutive seasons—the first four of those campaigns with the Philadelphia Eagles.

Now, the Super Bowl 50 champion goes from Denver to Arizona and will team with four-time Pro Bowler Mike Iupati to give the Cardinals a potent tandem at guard. Mathis will line up next to 2015 first-round tackle D.J. Humphries and will be the best thing for the 22-year-old performer, who didn’t play as a rookie.

It adds up as a win-win for head coach Bruce Arians and Co. on numerous levels.

9. Baltimore Ravens: WR Mike Wallace

Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports

In four seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers, wide receiver Mike Wallace totaled 235 catches for 4,042 yards and 32 touchdowns. He averaged an imposing 17.2 yards per grab with Ben Roethlisberger as his primary quarterback.

In three years with the Miami Dolphins and Minnesota Vikings, the 2011 Pro Bowler amassed 179 receptions—17 for scores.

One year after being dealt from South Florida to the Twin Cities, Wallace was cut loose this offseason after 39 catches and a career-low 473 receiving yards with the Purple Gang.

Now, strong-armed Joe Flacco has two deep threats who are each looking to make amends for a forgettable season. Steve Smith Sr. hopes to rebound from an injury-shortened season, while Wallace is looking for redemption following a disappointing 2015. The latter will thrive with a quarterback who is perfectly suited for what the receiver does best.

8. New York Jets: RB Matt Forte

Matt Marton-USA TODAY Sports

In essence, the New York Jets traded in a 28-year-old performer who led the AFC in rushing in 2015 for a veteran running back who turns 31 years old on December.

But the key to the signing of Matt Forte is his forte, which happens to be catching passes. In 2014, he set an NFL record for running backs in a season with 102 receptions. He’s also more than capable of giving his new team plenty on the ground. Forte totaled at least 200 carries in each of his eight seasons with the Chicago Bears, averaging 4.2 yards per carry over his career.

The two-time Pro Bowler teams with Bilal Powell, Khiry Robinson and Zac Stacy to give the Jets a deep stable of runners. Now, if only the team can get its quarterback situation settled…

7. Pittsburgh Steelers: TE Ladarius Green

Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

The offseason retirement of two-time Pro Bowl tight end Heath Miller was a big blow for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

A member of three Super Bowl teams, he was a reliable component of an offense that underwent a change of styles over time. Miller became more of a downfield threat in recent years rather than the red-zone luxury he was early in his career.

That’s why the addition of Ladarius Green adds up to big things for Todd Haley’s offense. It also gives quarterback Ben Roethlisberger another potent target. The 2012 fourth-round pick totaled only 77 receptions (seven for touchdowns) in four seasons with the San Diego Chargers. But he averaged an impressive 14.1 yards per catch, making him perfectly suited for the league’s most dangerous passing attack.

6. San Diego Chargers: WR Travis Benjamin

Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports

You would think that a club that finished fourth in the NFL in passing yards per game in 2015 would not need much help in terms of receiving.

Think again.

Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com reminded us earlier this year that wideout Malcom Floyd was retiring after 12 seasons with the San Diego Chargers. He was the big-play presence for the team, averaging 18.7 yards per grab on 30 receptions in 2015.

Travis Benjamin comes off a career year with the Cleveland Browns, finishing second on the club in receptions (68), receiving yards (966) and touchdown grabs (five). He is the ideal complement to new teammate Keenan Allen, who totaled 67 catches for 725 yards and four scores before going down for the season in Week 8 at Baltimore.

Wide receivers accounted for only 14 of the Bolts’ 30 scores through the air in 2015. It's a number that will change this fall.

5. Green Bay Packers: TE Jared Cook

Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

Imagine what a good cook could do in the land of cheese.

Of course, when the head chef is quarterback Aaron Rodgers, you can expect greatness. Since Rodgers became Green Bay’s starter in 2008, only New Orleans’ Drew Brees has thrown more touchdown passes (294) than the Packers’ signal-caller (256).

This past season, eight of Rodgers’ 31 scores through the air went to tight end Richard Rodgers—including one memorable game-winning grab at Ford Field.

However, despite the fact that the 24-year-old performer finished second on the team with 58 catches, he averaged a disappointing 8.8 yards per reception.

Enter Jared Cook, who was cut loose by the Los Angeles Rams after three years with the franchise. In seven years in the league with the Tennessee Titans and Rams, only 16 of his 273 catches have gone for scores. In fact, he failed to reach the end zone in 2015.

What is not a disappointment is Cook’s 12.8 career yards per reception. He gives Aaron Rodgers a different dimension at the position, one the team hasn’t had since Jermichael Finley was healthy and with the franchise.

4. New England Patriots: TE Martellus Bennett

Matt Marton-USA TODAY Sports

It wasn’t long ago that the New England Patriots were terrorizing opponents with the one-two tight end punch of Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez.

Those days are obviously over. Since then, head coach Bill Belichick has looked to recapture that feeling but has come up a bit short with the likes of Tim Wright and Scott Chandler.

The recent acquisition of tight end Martellus Bennett will be the answer to the Pats’ wishes. The 6’7” target will line up with his fourth team in nine years. After stints with the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants, Bennett spent the past three seasons in the Windy City.

In 43 games with the Chicago Bears, the 29-year-old veteran totaled 208 catches for 2,114 yards and 14 scores. Imagine the damage he’ll do alongside Gronkowski.

3. Tennessee Titans: RB DeMarco Murray

Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

Over the course of the past two seasons, the Tennessee Titans have finished 29th and 30th, respectively, in total offense. The club has averaged only 307.7 yards per contest and managed to rush for 100-plus yards just 10 times in 32 games.

In his last 33 outings (including playoffs) with the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles dating back to 2014, DeMarco Murray has reached the century mark on the ground on 14 occasions.

It was a no-brainer mover for new Titans general manager Jon Robinson, who obtained the 28-year-old performer from the Eagles with a swap of 2016 fourth-round draft picks. Tennessee also gets a “well-rested” Murray, who touched the ball just 237 times in 15 games with the Birds.

“2014 was 2014, and last year was last year,’’ said Murray last month to Jim Wyatt of TitansOnline.com. “I am definitely looking forward to this year and starting a new tradition with the team. I am excited about a new, fresh start, and ready to get things going.”

So are the Titans, who have won a combined five games the past two seasons.

2. Kansas City Chiefs: RT Mitchell Schwartz

Ron Schwane/Associated Press

When a club adds the best player in the league at his position, it’s difficult not to praise the move.

Pro Football Focus ranked 142 tackles in the NFL this past season, and only five of those players (including then-teammate Joe Thomas) graded out higher than Mitchell Schwartz.

The Cleveland Browns made the former University of California standout a second-round selection in 2012. He responded by starting every game for the team over a four-year span. But the franchise did not make much of an attempt to retain the 26-year-old performer. The Kansas City Chiefs jumped at the chance to add Schwartz, who signed a five-year, $33 million deal with the club.

He is perfectly suited to deal with the likes of pass-rushers Von Miller and Khalil Mack on a steady basis.

1. Houston Texans: RB Lamar Miller

Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images

With only four seasons of wear and tear on his frame, running back Lamar Miller (who turns 25 years old on April 25) is a budding performer who will get a heavier workload from the Houston Texans.

“I’m looking forward to the opportunity,” said Miller to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle in March. “I’ve been following Houston for a while now. I know in this offense, they get their running backs involved. I just wanted to be a part of that. I feel like with my skill set, I can help this offense.”

The former Miami Dolphins running back now looks to fill the shoes left by the departure of Arian Foster, the franchise’s all-time rushing leader.

With a young quarterback in 25-year-old Brock Osweiler and a potent defense looking to spend less time on the field, it’s Miller time in Houston.

Unless otherwise noted, all player and team statistics come from Pro-Football-Reference.com and ESPN.com. All player ratings courtesy of Pro Football Focus. All 2016 free-agent and salary-cap information, contract terms and 2016 transactions are courtesy of Spotrac. Depth charts via Ourlads.