NFL Preseason: 10 Most Overrated Roster Moves of 2011

After the NFL lockout set back free agency, we saw a rapid period of signings and transactions by teams trying to get their rosters set for the season.

There have been a number of great signings, a number of poor signings, and most of all, a great number of over-hyped signings.

Nnamdi Asomugha signed with the Eagles and was the start of the "Dream Team," but I wouldn't say that this signing was over-hyped. I believe that Asomugha is definitely worth the money and definitely worth all of the hype.

Here is a list of 10 roster moves that have been over-hyped so far in 2011:

10. Derrick Mason Signs with New York Jets

This off-season the New York Jets went out and signed veteran wide receiver Derrick Mason. Mason is a great signing, and I believe that he will play a critical role in the Jets' passing game this season, but the hype of his signing has been a little too extreme.

Many people say that Mason will take Plaxico Burress' spot as the No. 2 receiver for the Jets and Burress may be a forgotten man by midseason. These people need to stop because they are completely different talents.

Plaxico will bring a red-zone threat that no one on the Jets can provide (except for maybe Santonio Holmes). He proved that he still has some skills in his latest preseason game where he scored a touchdown once matched up one-on-one.

Mason has had a great NFL career, but his statistics have begun to fall over the past few seasons. At the age of 37, it is also getting to the point of his career where his production may fall off completely.

The New York Jets have made a good signing by getting Mason, but people have overblown the impact that he will make with them.

9. Chad Ochocinco Traded to New England Patriots

One of the big-name roster moves this off-season was when the New England Patriots acquired wide receiver Chad Ochocinco in a trade from the Cincinnati Bengals.

For all the trouble he stirs up, Chad Ochocinco's performance on the field simply isn't worth it at this point in his career. In 14 games last season, Ochocinco had 67 catches for 831 yards and 4 touchdowns.

Those are pretty good numbers for a receiver, but when a guy stirs up as much controversy as he does, his production seems questionable.

The Patriots have been a great team over the past decade or so because they have had lower profile guys that play together. The arrival of Ochocinco may counter this balance.

In the past Tom Brady has been the type of quarterback that likes to spread the ball around the field to many different receivers. If Ochocinco does not get as many targets as he would like, watch out for a circus show in New England.

8. Terrelle Pryor Drafted in Supplemental Draft by Oakland Raiders

The fact that Terrelle Pryor was drafted in the third round of the Supplemental NFL Draft was very important news in the sporting world is a joke.

Pryor was skipped over by every team in the NFL not once, but twice.

The Raiders wasted a draft pick in next year's draft on a kid that they aren't even sure what position he is. Pryor is not an NFL quarterback and is clearly too immature to play a position that valuable.

Rookies often struggle in the NFL due to not being able to pick up on the playbook of a team or lifestyle of an NFL player. Pryor will see this struggle even more since he will be suspended for the first five games of the season.

The Raiders got a good athlete with a bad attitude who doesn't know what position he plays. Sounds like a great pick.

7. Chicago Bears Don't Re-Sign Olin Kreutz

When the Chicago Bears neglected to resign long-time center Olin Kreutz, many Bears fans were devastated.  Even though Kreutz brought many great years of football to Chicago, it was time for him to go.

For the past few seasons, Kreutz has been an average center at best. He isn't the Pro-Bowl caliber player that Bears fans have grown accustomed to.

Many fans were angry with the Bears' front office when they wouldn't bump their $4 million offer to Kreutz's requested $4.5 million. The bottom line is that the Bears were being generous when they offered him $4 million.

Kreutz signed with New Orleans for $2 million dollars, which is right where he should be. The days of Kreutz in Chicago are over, and people need to get over it.

6. Sidney Rice Signs with Seattle Seahawks

The Seattle Seahawks went out and got Sidney Rice for five years and $43 million this off-season.

Rice had a great season in 2009, but other than that, what has he done? Rice was virtually invisible his first two seasons in the NFL and was injured for most of last season.

He is very young with a tremendous upside, but the Seahawks paid a lot of money for a guy who could be simply a one-hit wonder. Rice is unproven and a big risk for the Seahawks to take for that amount of money.

What makes this signing very over-hyped is the simple question of who is going to throw him the ball. The Seahawks signed Tarvaris Jackson as well this off-season, and he hasn't exactly excelled at the NFL level.

If Rice returns healthy and regains his Pro-Bowl form, then he will be a great signing for the Seahawks, but until he does that, this signing is very over-blown.

5. Minnesota Vikings Trade for Donovan McNabb

A guy who is certainly over the hump: Donovan McNabb. When the Vikings traded for Donovan McNabb, they may have made a mistake.

For years Donovan McNabb was one of the premier quarterbacks in the NFL, but last year he showed that he has lost the skill that he once had. McNabb routinely missed open receivers and often threw the ball five yards short into the dirt of the intended receiver.

During the 13 games he started in Washington, McNabb threw 14 touchdowns and 15 interceptions. He has lost his touch and simply does not take good care of the ball anymore.

The Vikings did not give up too much to obtain McNabb, which doesn't make it the worst signing of the year, but he is not the type of player any more that will take a franchise to the next level. The hype around McNabb is overblown, and the league will soon see what's left of the former Pro-Bowler.

4. Vince Young Signs with Philadelphia Eagles

While I think it is a good move and it could help the Eagles in the long run, people do not need to include Vince Young in the "Dream Team" talk.

Vince Young has been an up and down player for his entire NFL career, yet somehow he is labeled a star.

The idea of signing a mobile quarterback in Young to back up Michael Vick is a smart move and will prove to be very smart if Vick gets injured at some point this season.

Paying a backup quarterback $5.5 million to sit on the bench is pretty steep as well.

Having a quality backup quarterback is always great insurance for a football team, and the Eagles have found their insurance. Vince Young is a fine acquisition for the Eagles, but it is simply that and nothing more.

3. Jason Babin Signs with Philadelphia Eagles

Another member of the "Dream Team" who is not yet worthy of the hype is newly acquired defensive end Jason Babin.

Babin had a tremendous year last season for the Tennessee Titans, where he had 12.5 sacks. The problem is, though, that this was the first time in his career that Babin recorded over 5.0 sacks in a single season.

The 31-year-old had a great year, but this seems too much like a fluke to proclaim him as part of the "Dream Team." After six seasons of mediocrity and then one quality year, the Eagles decided that he deserved a five-year deal.

 Professional sports often fall into a "What have you done for me lately" trend, and the signing of Jason Babin is nothing short of that.

2. DeAngelo Williams Re-Signs

When DeAngelo Williams is healthy he is one of the most electrifying and talented running backs in the National Football League. Even after an injury-plagued season, in which he only played in six games, the Carolina Panthers chose to reward Williams with a five-year, $43 million contract extension.

Williams is good, but did the Panthers really want to give him that much money? The Panthers set the bar for future running backs' contracts with the money that they gave Williams, and they set the bar high.

This move is being over-hyped, not because of Williams, but simply because of the nature of a running back in the NFL. The average lifespan of an NFL running back is only a couple years, and few remain productive after the age of 30.

At 28, Williams is nearing the end of his high level of productivity if the averages stay true with him.

The Panthers gambled by giving Williams that much money, and it may be a move that they regret in the near future.

1. Patriots Trade for Albert Haynesworth

And the winner for most over-hyped roster move of 2011 goes to the New England Patriots for trading for defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth.

At one point in time Haynesworth was considered the most dominant defensive tackle in the NFL, but those days are long gone. Haynesworth struggled to get on the field last season for the Washington Redskins, due to his extreme lack of conditioning.

Many think that the trade was a great move by the Patriots, but they are simply receiving an underachieving, past-his-prime defensive tackle. What makes it worse is that Haynesworth has a bad attitude as well, which led to reports that he could get cut before the season even starts.

If the Patriots get any quality plays out of Albert Haynesworth it will be a shocker. The Patriots are a team that has taken questionable players in the past and brought their careers back to life. Don't expect Haynesworth to be one of these cases.