NFL Free Agent Signings: 5 Recent Developments That Made Prior Signings Baffling

With the start of the 2011 NFL preseason just two days away, the window for free agents is slowly closing.

The free-agent signing period has been smaller than ever with the NFL labor dispute having disrupted the normal offseason schedule.

Teams were forced to make moves under the gun, and while some teams' moves were quite impressive, others left us scratching our heads and wondering, "What on earth were they thinking?"

Some interesting players found themselves with new teams, but at what cost?

Let's take a look at what moves some teams made that left fans scratching their heads and saying to themselves, "Is that really possible or am I just hearing crazy things?"

Eagles Trade Kevin Kolb to the Cardinals for Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie

I will never forget the moment I heard this trade went down; my jaw about hit the floor.

The Philadelphia Eagles traded backup quarterback Kevin Kolb to the Arizona Cardinals for Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and a second-round draft pick.

Chalk a big one up for the Eagles, because they sure made out like bandits on this one. 

Why the Cardinals would give up their best defensive back (not to mention a second-round draft pick) for a quarterback who is unproven is beyond me. In seven starts with the Philadelphia Eagles, Kevin Kolb is 3-4. Not a real positive situation for Cardinals fans.

I guess in a situation where the Cardinals need a quarterback to lead their team, Kolb was an option, however when it involves giving up a king's ransom to acquire him, it may have not been the best option.

Plaxico Burress Signs with the Jets After Spending 22 Months in Jail

Plaxico Burress is going to be remembered for doing the biggest bonehead thing you could potentially do, by putting a gun in your waistband, then "accidentally" shooting himself in the leg.

How a professional football player could be crazy enough to put a gun in his waistband is beyond me.

For his incompetence, Burress received a sentence of 22 months in prison, a far cry from living the high life.

After his release from prison, Burress sought out a return to the gridiron, however the New York Giants weren't willing to take another chance on him after they released him in 2009.

What did Burress do?

He walked to the other side of New Meadowlands Stadium and found himself a position with the New York Jets.

The Jets were looking for a replacement for Burress after wide receiver Braylon Edwards left via free agency.

While I understand the Jets need to find a replacement wide receiver, signing a gun-toting moron wouldn't be my first choice.

Tarvaris Jackson Signs with the Seattle Seahawks

With veteran quarterback Matt Hasselbeck having left the Seattle Seahawks during free agency, backup quarterback Charlie Whitehurst was looking to take the reins and start in something more than a preseason game.

However, that was thwarted the day the Seahawks signed Vikings backup quarterback Tarvaris Jackson.

With Whitehurst having no regular-season playing experience, the Seahawks looked to the best option rather than keeping an aging Matt Hasselbeck around for another season.

I don't believe Jackson will be the best choice; in fact, I was darn-near shocked that Jackson actually landed with the Seahawks at all.

Granted, the NFC West isn't the most difficult division to win in the NFL. The Seahawks actually won the NFC West championship with a losing record.

Whitehurst spent all but one season learning from one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL, San Diego Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers.

I believe that Whitehurst could battle Jackson for the starting quarterback, and he will win the position. Whitehurst may not lead the Seahawks to a perfect season, but it may be better to watch than having Jackson start.

Vince Young Goes to the Philadelphia Eagles to Backup Michael Vick

After being released from the Tennessee Titans, the team that drafted Vince Young in the first round of the 2006 NFL draft (third pick overall), he signed with the Philadelphia Eagles to back up Michael Vick.

While Young had may have had a less that stellar career in Tennessee and spent a good amount of time on the bench in a backup quarterback role, he did compile a career record of 30-17 in five years with the Titans.

With Kevin Kolb unhappy with his role as backup to Michael Vick, Kolb would be traded to the Arizona Cardinals.

The Eagles would need a quarterback to back up Vick in the event something happened to Vick.

While I understand the logic in signing Young, I don't agree with it. Young has an attitude problem. He doesn't necessarily want to be relegated to a backup role, but that is where he will end up.

It will be interesting to see how Young will fit into the long-term plans of the Eagles. Surely, he may have had better options with other teams in need of a starting quarterback, but were unwilling to take a chance on him

Chad Ochocinco Finds Himself Playing for Bill Belichick

All I can say about this one is, WOW!

Never in a million years could I believe that one of the most flamboyant personalities to take the field since Hall of Famer Deion Sanders would end up playing for the New England Patriots.

The New England Patriots!

A franchise that has won the AFC East division championship six out of the last seven seasons.

Ochocinco was acquired by the Patriots from the Cincinnati Bengals for a fifth-round draft pick in 2012 and a sixth-round draft pick in 2013.

Ochocinco for two late-round draft picks to me is shocking, if not darn-near baffling.

I have to hand it to the New England Patriots front office for getting away with highway robbery.

If Patriots quarterback Tom Brady can do to Ochocinco what he did with now-retired wide receiver Randy Moss, the Patriots will once again be a force to reckon with.

Ochocinco will need to keep his persona in check, though, if he plans on being with the Patriots for more than one season.