NFL Free Agency 2011 Grades: A Team-by-Team Breakdown of the NFC

The 2011 NFL offseason was probably the most hectic offseason football fans will ever witness.  

With so little time between the lockout and training camp, teams were in overdrive to sign free agents and sign them quickly.  

Some teams were rushed and made poor decisions, others were more prudent. In the article below, I grade each team's performance. 

Dallas Cowboys: B-

The Cowboys did not do a whole lot to improve this offseason, but they cut some dead weight by letting go of Roy Williams, Leonard Davis, and Marion Barber, all of whom were overpaid and declining.  

The Cowboys also did a good job of retaining their own players, most notably Doug Free, Kyle Kosier, and Marcus Spears.

It would have been nice for them to resign Stephen Bowen, but his price tag was unreasonable, and the Cowboys were right to not get in a bidding war with Dan Snyder. 

New York Giants: B-

The Giants, like the Cowboys, had to spend to bring back their own players and as a consequence lost some notable contributors.  

Re-signing Mathis Kiwanuka was a must, but giving Ahmad Bradshaw $18 million over four years was not the best decision, and the money could have been better spent elsewhere.

Philadelphia Eagles: A-

The Eagles have been the darlings of the 2011 offseason, acquiring the best player on the market in Nnamdi Asomugha, trading for Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, and signing Jason Babin, Cullen Jenkins, Steve Smith, Vince Young, and Ronnie Brown.  

While they picked up a star in Asomugha, fans should remember that Nnamdi is 30, Babin is 31, Jenkins is 30, Smith is coming off major knee surgery and will not be ready for the start of the season, and Young and Brown certainly cannot be counted on to contribute all season.  

The Eagles made some great pickups and will be Super Bowl contenders because of it, but as the Packers, Steelers, and Colts have shown, the best way to become a perprenial contender is to build through the draft, and the Eagles will likely regret a number of these deals in three years.

Washington Redskins: D+

The Redskins finally gave up on Albert Haynesworth, deciding it was best to trade him after already paying him over $30 million dollars. Why Mike Shanahan thought it was best to pay him $20 million last season to contribute nothing and now trade him when he's not being paid as much is beyond me, but that's what the 'Skins did.  

Then, in typical Dan Snyder fashion, they gave Barry Coefield a six-year, $36-million contract to play NT, despite the fact that he's spend his entire career in the 4-3.  

Apparently not having upgraded their lines enough, they gave $27.5 million to an average defensive lineman in Stephen Bowen and $20 million to an average guard in Chris Chester.  

The Redskins added some decent players, but they continue not to understand position value, how players fit into schemes, and reasonable market salaries. 

Chicago Bears: A-

I really like what the Bears did in free agency, making a ton of the low-risk, high-reward moves that a team coming off an NFC Championship run should make.

The Bears snagged Roy Williams, Vernon Gholston, and Amobdi Okoye for next to no guaranteed money. Williams has had success with Mike Martz before, and if anyone can get something out of the immensely talented Gholston and Okoye, it's Rod Marinelli. 

Detroit Lions: B-

Getting Stephen Tulloch, a solid starting LB who's close to being a star, to sign a one-year, $3.25-million deal is a huge steal.  

Still, the Lions' refusal to address their offensive tackles depresses this grade. Matthew Stafford has suffered from arm injuries in each of his first two seasons, so finding good protection for him is the most important thing the Lions can do and is, once again, something they neglected addressing in both the draft and free agency. 

Green Bay Packers: B

The Packers were smart to let Cullen Jenkins leave for more money elsewhere: He's 30 years old and rarely, if ever, plays a full season.  

The Packers re-signed A.J. Hawk and James Jones, and while I thought they overpaid a bit for both, it made sense to keep their Super Bowl roster as intact as possible. 

Minnesota Vikings: C-

Over the offseason the Vikings added Donavan McNabb and Remi Adoyle, while losing Ray Edwards and Sidney Rice. That's a lot more talent leaving town than coming in, and why the Vikings balked at Edwards' $30-million price tag but thought it reasonable to pay Brian Robinson $14 million is bizarre.  

Trading for McNabb was also a dumb move. It may make the Vikings win six games instead of four, but all that will do is give them the No. 9-12 pick in the draft instead of 3-5. 

Atlanta Falcons: B+

The Falcons are legitimate Super Bowl contenders, and in the offseason they added Ray Edwards and Julio Jones while keeping two of their three offensive-line free agents, although the one they lost was their best.  

The Falcons got Edwards for less than half of what the Panthers gave Charles Johnson and only $16 million more than Brian Robinson got from the Vikings. Many thought Edwards would be overvalued because he played across from Jared Allen, but the $30-million final number was plenty reasonable.  

Losing Harvey Dahl will hurt, but the Falcons retained Tyson Clabo, Stephen Nicholas, Justin Blalock, and Brent Grimes, keeping much of their core with the team. 

Carolina Panthers: D

What in the world are the Panthers doing?  They spent over $140 million this offseason to keep the core players of a team that went 2-14 last season.  

The Panthers already have Jonathan Stewart and Mike Goodson, so what possessed them to still give DeAngelo Williams $43 million?  Running backs are mostly fungible assets, and when you already have two starting-caliber players on the roster, it makes no sense to add a third.  

Charles Johnson is a good player, but giving him $76 million and $30 million guaranteed is an overpay.  

Unless Cam Newton develops in a legitimate star, the Panthers have probably condemned themselves to years of mediocracy by splurging so hard on their own players this offseason. 

New Orleans Saints: B+

The Saints added a number of quality pieces in free agency and managed to do so without overpaying for any of them.  

Aubrayo Franklin is one of the top interior linemen in the NFL, and although it wasn't really a need for the Saints, he's a definite upgrade over what they had there previously.  

Adding Olin Kreutz, Darren Sproles, and Shaun Rogers were all quality moves, although I can't condone giving Roman Harper $28.5 million.  

A side note: What's with all these teams giving kickers long contracts?  The Saints were just one team to do so, giving Garrett Heartley five years. All Kickers are pretty much the same over a large enough sample size, so I really don't see why teams would pay more than what they would pay for a sixth- or seventh-round draft pick. 

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: C-

The Bucs came into the offseason with a league-high amount of cap room and spent it by... signing a punter to the highest contract and giving Davin Joseph $53 million.  

The Bucs are a young team with a lot of team-friendly contracts and a ton of cap room, meaning this was the perfect time to make a few free-agent additions to push them over the top.  

Instead, they seemed content to tread water and waste money on punters.  

Arizona Cardinals: B

Considering his lack of suitors, the Cardinals probably didn't need to give up Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and a second-round pick for Kevin Kolb, but in the end they got their man. I applaud them for making a bold move and getting Kolb, especially considering that their terrible QB play last year is likely what kept them from the playoffs.

But immediately giving him a $63.5-million contract with $21 million guaranteed was risky and unnecessary.  

The Cardinals have all their chips on the table now, and while I expect them to improve significantly, I'm not sure Kolb makes them a consistent playoff team. 

St. Louis Rams: A-

What a difference a change in management makes. Just a few years ago, the Rams were the NFL's symbol of futility and had some of the most inept management in football. Now, the Rams accurately identify and fill their holes with reasonable contracts and solid players.  

Quintin Mikell is a beast and a much better fit for Steve Spagnuolo's defense than O.J. Atogwe was. The Rams then addressed their need at RG by signing borderline Pro Bowler Harvey Dahl before adding depth at OLB with Zac Diles and Ben Leber, solidifying their defensive line with Justin Bannan and Daniel Muir, giving Sam Bradford a much-needed WR in Mike Sims-Walker, and finally adding running-back depth with Jerious Norwood and Cadillac Williams.  

Mikell and Dahl are potential Pro Bowlers, and the rest of their signings all filled blatant needs.  

The Rams were the best team in the NFL at identifying their holes and filling them in free agency, and the fact that they did so without overpaying for anyone is an added bonus. 

San Francisco 49ers: B-

Braylon Edwards was a massive steal at only $1 million guaranteed. He will be motivated to play for a new contract, and the 49ers could potentially get a 1,000-yard receiver for only $3.5 million.  

The Niners did lose a lot of players, though, letting Arubayo Franklin, Manny Lawson, Nate Clements, Takeo Spikes, and David Bass sign elsewhere.  

The 49ers are experiencing a ton of a turnover but added some effective pieces for low prices. 

Seattle Seahawks: C+

Seattle went out and got a lot of players this offseason, but I have doubts as to whether or not any of them will seriously contribute.  

Tarvaris Jackson is likely a waste of money, Sidney Rice has one productive year out of four in the league, and Robert Gallery is 31. Rice is a top talent, and if he stays healthy could live up to his contract, but going with Tarvaris Jackson as your starting QB is a recipe for disaster.  

The Seahawks did make a great signing by keeping Brandon Mebane, a very good DT, for only $25 million.