NFL Online Teams & News 2014: Biggest Winners and Losers of the Offseason
Although the 2013-14 National League Football season ended on February 2, fans have been entertained ever since. The free agency market resulted in numerous marquee players on new teams and the draft was heart pounding from start to finish.
Some teams had a tremendously good offseason, filling team gaps and upgrading across the board. Others fell asleep at the wheel, overpaid, and failed to address their biggest needs. Alright, enough waiting. Let's review the biggest winners and losers of the 2014 offseason.
Biggest Winners
Denver Broncos
The team suffered one of the most embarrassing losses in Super Bowl history against the Seattle Seahawks. Time is ticking, and the window is closing as Peyton Manning is now 38 years old. General Manager John Elway has made it clear he wants to win and win now.
The biggest additions were cornerback Aqib Talib and safety TJ Ward, which should help their secondary enormously. Adding wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders is just another weapon for Manning. The Broncos also made a wise decision by letting Eric Decker walk to the New York Jets and not overpaying for him so they can focus on defense.
New England Patriots
It's no secret that the Patriots have had a poor defense in recent years. Every year for the last four seasons, the Patriots defense has ranked no better than No. 25 overall. There's no doubt that Coach Belichick loved what he saw when he watched Super Bowl 48, and he acted.
The Patriots improved their secondary by adding Darrelle Revis and Brandon Browner. Revis is the best corner when healthy, and Browner is a large, hard-hitting corner. The Patriots also made a very underrated move when they signed receiver Brandon LaFell and re-signed Julian Edelman. Keeping Vince Wilfork was also a crucial decision, which should help with the run defense.
New York Giants
Tom Coughlin is the oldest coach in the NFL (67) and he knows time is limited when it comes to winning his fourth career Super Bowl trophy with the Giants. The Giants were arguably the busiest team of all during the offseason. For the first time since 2007, the Giants will have a new offensive coordinator, Ben McAdoo.
Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie was the big addition. Cromartie is only 28 years old and has "shut down" capabilities. Running back Rashad Jennings was an absolute steal at four years and just $3 million guaranteed. Mario Manningham is also returning back to where he started after a two-year stint with the San Francisco 49ers. The Giants front office also gave Eli more support by drafting receiver Odell Beckham Jr. out of LSU in the first round.
Biggest Losers
Dallas Cowboys
If anybody was wondering if it's possible for the worst defense in the league to get worse, the answer is yes. Last season, the Cowboys ranked near the bottom in nearly every defensive category and dead last in overall team defense.
The two biggest losses were DeMarcus Ware and Jason Hatcher who both combined for 17 sacks last season. Both are now on different teams and defensive captain and established linebacker Sean Lee tore his ACL and will miss the entire season. Because of salary cap problems, the team did not make big improvements and Jerry Jones didn't even draft a defensive player in the first round.
Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs play in a tough division, as three teams made the playoffs from the AFC West last season. Peyton Manning has owned the division since he arrived and is 11-1 against the other three teams as the Broncos quarterback. The Chiefs didn't do anything to improve their chances of dethroning the Broncos for the division title.
Not only did the Chiefs not keep Brandon Flowers, but they also lost him to division rival San Diego Chargers. They chose to cut Dunta Robinson as well, leaving the cornerback position very vulnerable. The two biggest losses were Branden Albert and 25-year-old special teams great Dexter McCluster. This team has invested a lot time and money in Dwayne Bowe, who will need to prove himself this upcoming season.
Carolina Panthers
The Panthers' defense really showed up last season and guided them to a narrow NFC South championship. However, former No. 1 overall pick Cam Newton had his best season yet making the right decisions when it mattered most. The Panthers and Newton lost a lot of their targets this offseason.
The most well known was future Hall of Famer Steve Smith, who is now with the Baltimore Ravens. Ted Ginn found a new home as well, and he is one of the best special teams players in the league. Even Brandon LaFell decided to leave. Those three players combined for 2,567 total yards and 14 touchdowns last season. Without Ginn returning punts, field position is going to be a lot different next season for the Panthers offensive unit.
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