10-Pack: Teams that made best offseason moves (Bengals/Coles #1)

[scxeezy]

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=pack...n&type=lgns

10-Pack: Teams that made best offseason moves

By Mike Florio - SportingNews

10 hours, 31 minutes ago

Buzz up!2 votes PrintApproximately four months before the NFL's regular season kicks off, Mike Florio analyzes some of the key decisions, big trades and smart moves 10 teams made in the offseason.

1. Cincinnati Bengals sign Coles

Everyone presumed Cincinnati's passing game had taken a dramatic hit when receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh(notes) left via free agency for Seattle.

Enter Laveranues Coles(notes).

The veteran wideout from Florida State had walked away from $6 million in guaranteed salary from the Jets for his first shot at unrestricted free agency. At first, it looked like Coles had gambled and lost.

Younger than Houshmandzadeh by three months, Coles has had a much better career than T.J., even though Coles has never had a quarterback of Carson Palmer's(notes) caliber throwing passes to him. (A 38-going-on-39 Brett Favre(notes) was the closest Coles came to a guy like Palmer in his prime.)

One of the big concerns regarding Houshmandzadeh is that he'll be another Alvin Harper or Peerless Price(notes) — a solid No. 2 who isn't capable of being the top dog.

Coles already has shown he can be the first option in a passing game, and the Bengals will be better off for his skill and experience when the 2009 season starts.

2. Cleveland Browns keep Quinn

The new regime in Cleveland has no attachment to quarterback Brady Quinn(notes), the man for whom the Browns gave up a high second-round pick in 2007 and a first-rounder in 2008.

But that doesn't mean they shouldn't give him a chance to secure their affections.

Quinn has looked solid during his limited opportunities, and his contract remains reasonable. He's never had a chance to compete for the position of Week 1 starter, and in his third NFL season there's a chance he could give the franchise the lift it so badly needs.

So while coach Eric Mangini and GM George Kokinis have nothing to prove by keeping him around, they've got nothing to lose, either.

3. Tennessee Titans Let Haynesworth leave

Though the Tennessee Titans are now whining about the apparent fact that the Redskins conducted premature negotiations with defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth(notes), the Redskins did the Titans a favor by being the ones who broke the bank for Haynesworth.

The guy played hard only when he was chasing the payday that he now possesses. And he likes to drive his cars too fast (allegedly), even after being placed on probation for driving his car too fast. And he's can't be trusted not to try to remove someone's face with a cleat.

So instead of accusing the Redskins of tampering, the Titans should be sending Haynesworth's new team a large basket containing a collection of shrink-wrapped cured meats and aged cheeses. Otherwise, the Titans would have paid way too much for a guy who very likely will perform far less effectively than he did the past two seasons.

4. Kansas City Chiefs Land Cassel

When the free-agency period opened in late February, the Patriots had a problem. Actually, they had two of them.

Quarterback Matt Cassel(notes) was consuming $14.65 million in cap space, and linebacker Matt Vrabel was due to receive a $1-million roster bonus on the third day of the league year.

Chiefs GM Scott Pioli, who spent nine seasons in New England before getting his current job, knew the Pats needed to unload both contracts in order to focus on pursuing new free agents and/or retaining their own.

So Pioli moved quickly and quietly to lay the foundation for a trade that sent only a second-round pick to New England for both players. By the time the Broncos (coached by former Pats offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, who also should have known the predicament his former team faced) commenced the process of chasing Cassel, it was too late.

So now the Chiefs have a quarterback who has shown he can perform successfully at the professional level — and a veteran linebacker who can provide real leadership for a locker room that sorely needs it. And the Chiefs gave up only a second-round pick for both of them.

5. Dallas Cowboys Dump Owens

After the 2008 season ended, everyone knew Terrell Owens(notes) needed to go. Everyone except the guy who was in position to send T.O. packing.

It took time, and it was the subject of much rumor and debate. In the end, however, owner Jerry Jones made the right move for his franchise.

The problem with Owens seems to be he wants to win — but that in his mind the pathway to victory entails the ball being thrown to him on every … single … play.

In Dallas, the T.O. experiment had played itself out. It was time for him to move on. In the end, Jones got it right.

6. Buffalo Bills Sign Owens

Though it was time for the T.O. circus to dismantle its big top in Big D, the Bills made a bold move to add Owens to the fold for 2009.

The move has generated enormous local excitement and significant national interest in a team that had been overlooked in most seasons since those four straight Super Bowl appearances.

Sure, at some point in the not-too-distant future the folks in Buffalo might decide that it's time for T.O. to hit the road. For now, however, it's a winner for a franchise that has been of late a perennial loser.

7. Chicago Bears Trade for Cutler

The Bears have won a Super Bowl and appeared in another despite not having a franchise quarterback since the days of Sid Luckman.

And after years of refusing to recognize the reality that, at the most important position on the field, they just aren't good enough, the Bears have realized they needed to take drastic action if they hope to get any better — and if they hope to preserve the employment of coach Lovie Smith and G.M. Jerry Angelo.

Enter Jay Cutler(notes), who through three seasons clearly has been the best quarterback drafted since 2004's stellar trio of Eli Manning(notes), Philip Rivers(notes), and Ben Roethlisberger(notes) entered the league.

On the surface, the price was steep: Two first-round picks, a third-round pick, and quarterback Kyle Orton(notes) for Cutler and a fifth-round selection. But given the extent to which the Bears of late have wasted first-round picks, giving up two of them for a proven passer constitutes the kind of transaction that typically entails the wearing of a ski mask.

8. Atlanta Falcons Trade for Gonzalez

Tight end Tony Gonzalez(notes) wanted out of Kansas City, badly. Last year, he took the fight public.

And he didn't get traded.

This year, he was a good soldier, keeping his mouth shut publicly and waiting patiently for something to happen.

Eventually, it did.

Though a 2010 second-round pick is a fairly big price to pay for an aging tight end, Gonzalez still has a couple years of football left, and he helps to diversify an already dangerous Falcons offense.

The move shows the Falcons aren't content with an impressive one-year turnaround. Instead, they're doing what they have to do to remain competitive for the foreseeable future.

9. Warner stays with the Arizona Cardinals

Quarterback Kurt Warner(notes) arguably needs two more solid seasons of passing production in order to justify entry into the Hall of Fame.

And he apparently realizes that the best place to spend those two seasons is in Arizona, with receivers Larry Fitzgerald(notes) and Anquan Boldin(notes).

Sure, Warner flirted with the 49ers. And though he denies that he visited San Fran in order to leverage the Cardinals into upping their offer, the move walks, talks, quacks, swims, flies, sleeps, and breathes like a play for more cash.

Regardless of how it got accomplished, Warner surely knew that plenty of other quarterbacks could register MVP-caliber seasons with Fitzgerald and Boldin as their primary targets. Warner was wise enough to realize it and decided to stay put.

10. New York Giants Cut Burress

Receiver Plaxico Burress(notes) faces serious criminal charges in New York. Despite the incident that put a deep hole in his leg last November and could put him in an even deeper hole for a minimum of 3.5 years, the Giants were willing to keep Burress around, primarily because they recognize his value to the offense.

But Burress inexplicably (even for Burress) has balked at a guilty plea that would entail a short-term prison term and a return to action in 2009. So the Giants opted to remove all uncertainty and cut the cord on Burress.

They won't replace him with any one player, but they've added two rookies (Hakeem Nicks(notes) and Ramses Barden(notes)) who can duplicate his numbers, between them. And they will struggle to be as good without Burress as they were with him.

Still, it was the right move for the Giants; maybe not for the short term, but definitely for the long haul.

Mike Florio writes and edits ProFootballTalk.com and is a regular contributor to Sporting News. Check out PFT for up-to-the minute NFL news.

[Kazkal]

Wow Bengals getting props from Florio who would have thought....

[derekshank]

Wow Bengals getting props from Florio who would have thought....

Very surprising. Interesting to see his take on Housh though. Despite giving the Bengals props, he was able to also take a shot at the talent level of one of their best players over the past several years - so he didn't venture too far out from his ordinary stuff.

[agreen_112]

Wow Bengals getting props from Florio who would have thought....

Very surprising. Interesting to see his take on Housh though. Despite giving the Bengals props, he was able to also take a shot at the talent level of one of their best players over the past several years - so he didn't venture too far out from his ordinary stuff.

Actually I think he's spot on about Housh... Housh will have a decent year but not like what we're used to seeing.

[COB]

Quarterback Kurt Warner(notes) arguably needs two more solid seasons of passing production in order to justify entry into the Hall of Fame.

I don't understand why folks think Warner isn't a hall of famer. He lead teams to 3 Super Bowls, won one of them. And each of those teams were heavy on the pass, so he wasn't like a Trent Dilfer just there to hand off and manage the game.

[ArmyBengal]

Housh has always claimed he can be the #1 WR and has the speed to handle the deep routes. The Bengals never thought that to be the case, but we will see this year. I'm not worried about it, but I will be watching to see what happens with Housh in Seattle. That aside, I really am happy to have Coles on board.

[James_Brooks21]

Wow Bengals getting props from Florio who would have thought....

Very surprising. Interesting to see his take on Housh though. Despite giving the Bengals props, he was able to also take a shot at the talent level of one of their best players over the past several years - so he didn't venture too far out from his ordinary stuff.

That's cool, Pat Kirwan on NFL.com also gave another one of our receivers some props. I know it's from 5 days ago but I'm just seeing it.

http://www.nfl.com/news/story?id=09000d5d8...mp;confirm=true

Leaving sub-15 receptions for 50-60 catches

2. Jerome Simpson, Cincinnati Bengals: Simpson caught one pass in 2007, but the return of Palmer from injury and the fact that the pair has been working closely all spring while Chad Ochocinco sits on the wayside only fosters the positive relationship. Simpson seems poised for a Steve Breaston-type season

[whizzo]

that list is ridiculous. KC getting Cassel, a young, tried, tested and true franchise QB (along with a mentor LB) for a mere 2nd rounder should top that list.

[HairOnFire]

that list is ridiculous. KC getting Cassel, a young, tried, tested and true franchise QB (along with a mentor LB) for a mere 2nd rounder should top that list.

Agreed.

And let's not forget how roughly half of Florio's list is made up of moves that resulted in the loss of a player by a team. For example, letting a player like Haynesworth leave isn't really making a move, is it?

[whizzo]

well... it was good/smart of the titans not to resign him, since he was always about the $$$$ and therefore might "slump" from here on out...

[DC_Bengals_Fan]

I don't understand why folks think Warner isn't a hall of famer. He lead teams to 3 Super Bowls, won one of them. And each of those teams were heavy on the pass, so he wasn't like a Trent Dilfer just there to hand off and manage the game.

I think the notion is that if you put Orlando Pace, Marshall Faulk, Isaac Bruce, and Torry Holt on the same field with Mike Martz' offense, half the QBs in the league could have won a Super Bowl. Similar arguments could be made for passing to Fitzgerald/Boldin.

There's also the part where he looked really, really bad on teams that weren't stacked.

I'm not saying I necessarily agree, but still. That's where the mindset comes from.

[cHaD711Johnson]

that list is ridiculous. KC getting Cassel, a young, tried, tested and true franchise QB (along with a mentor LB) for a mere 2nd rounder should top that list.

LOL. Since when does starting one season for a team that is loaded across the board and still not winning the division earn the label of being a "tried, tested and true franchise QB?"?

[ArmyBengal]

Well, Cassel did go 11-5, but agree that team was loaded for him to work with and it won't be that way in Kansas City. I look at him almost in the same light I look at Cutler going to the Bears. He won't have the same caliber players surrounding him there and it should be interesting to see. It's like Rottenfurburger going to the Steelers. He went to a team that had players around him and a defense out of this world. Had he gone to Detroit or a team that is in the rebuilding mode and his fortune may not have been the same.

[whizzo]

in related news, what are the chances of the three rookie QBs starting?

[ArmyBengal]

I think Stafford has a pretty good chance of starting from the get go, if for no other reason than his salary and the fact Detroit couldn't really do any worse. Sanchez has a good shot at it as well and with all the hype surrounding that move to get him, that may be enough to put him out there. Any of the others, I wouldn't bet on starting from day one unless I'm forgetting someone...

[TJJackson]

I'd like the Coles move a lot better if

a) he hadn't been so greatly overpaid

and

if it didn't signal just how far away from ready Simpson is