However, it is interesting to note that the Bolts addition of Boston is the writers key to considering them the #1 Winner (and we couldn't even get a draft pick for him), while the addtion of Plummer to the Broncos makes them the #4 Loser.
AFC Notes: Offseason Winners & Losers
by Rick Kamla - Senior Editor, Fanball.comThursday, July 10, 2003
Welcome back for part two of our feature on offseason winners and losers.
On Tuesday I opined on the NFC, calling out teams like the Cowboys, Bears, and Cardinals. (By the way, Cowboy fans are fast approaching Packer, Yankee, and Jazz fans for biggest homers in sports. Love that team all you want, Cowboy fans, but it’ll take divine intervention to get your squad to 8-8.)
Today, the AFC gets the business.
Unlike the balanced NFC, where I found seven winners, eight losers, and one incomplete, the AFC had 10 winners, five losers, and one incomplete. Interestingly, all five losers were either in the playoffs or on the fringe a year ago. Using rough logic, one could say the AFC got better than the NFC in the offseason. Ponder that assertion while the rest of us praise the offseason winners from the AFC. (Disclaimer: Defensive upgrades or downgrades were not considered in determining the offseason winners and losers. I repeat: This article has nothing to do with DEFENSE.)
Offseason Winners
10. Miami Dolphins: The Dolphins were quasi-winners during the offseason. Certainly, the free agent trade of Ray Lucas for Brian Griese improved and insured the offense. That said, they did nothing to upgrade an average offensive line, Chris Chambers continues to battle injuries, and they still lack a No. 2 receiver.
9. Oakland Raiders: The 2003 Raider offense will look a lot like last year’s Super Bowl version, and that’s a good thing. Hats off to the Raiders for re-signing Jerry Rice and Tim Brown despite a calamitous salary-cap situation. Also, kudos to the Raiders for stealing halfback Justin Fargas in the third round and welcoming back troubled center Barret Robbins. I know Robbins betrayed his team in the eve of the Super Bowl, but if Darryl Strawberry got 42 chances, shouldn’t Robbins get two?
8. Cleveland Browns: Outside of bringing in prize center Jeff Faine via the first round, the Browns basically have the same offensive personnel. So why are they winners, you wonder? One, they re-signed underrated halfback Jamel White. Two, word out of Cleveland is that Quincy Morgan and William Green are primed for breakout performances after killer offseasons. Finally, the battle between Tim Couch and Kelly Holcomb could be looked at negatively because of the potential for locker room division, blah, blah, blah. No dice. Having two competent quarterbacks makes the Browns a winner—literally. Just ask the Cowboys, who would kill for one competent QB.
7. Pittsburgh Steelers: Why ask why? The Steelers finally cut the cord with Kordell Stewart. Isn’t that enough to send them to the winner’s circle? In other quarterback news, I love that the Steelers did not reward Tommy Maddox for last season’s John Travolta-esque comeback. If Maddox has another strong season, the team has promised to throw millions at him next winter. (The Vikings should have done the same thing with Daunte Culpepper.) If the reports of a fit Jerome Bettis are to be believed, that’s great news for a Steelers’ backfield that missed The Bus last year. Losing tackle Wayne Gandy left a little bit of a mark, but signing Jay Riemersma gives Pittsburgh their first fantasy tight end since Eric Green.
6. Baltimore Ravens: I wouldn’t call the Ravens “huge” winners, but they did improve their offense. While veteran receivers Frank Sanders and Marcus Robinson barely qualify as starters, they’re a helluva lot better than Ron Johnson and Javin Hunter. More importantly, the Ravens received good news at quarterback when Kyle Boller was drafted and Chris Redman returned from back surgery.
5. Jacksonville Jaguars: For signing J.J. Sloth—I mean Stokes, I wanted to list the Jags among the losers. However, leaving the draft with franchise quarterback Byron Leftwich more than makes up for that egregious error. I also like the coaching change from Tom Coughlin to Jack Del Rio. It was time for a new regime in Jacksonville.
4. Indianapolis Colts: No, the Colts are not winners because they resurrected Jim Drunkenmiller. The Colts are winners because they got their Edge back. Not only is Edgerrin James “back to normal,” he actually showed up for a few offseason practices. Are you listening, Allen Iverson? A healthy Edge automatically and immediately makes Indy’s offense elite. Above and beyond the Edge, the Colts wisely made amends with Mike Vanderjagt (the most accurate kicker ever) and replaced Ken Dilger (one year later) with stud tight end Dallas Clark.
3. Houston Texans: The Texans’ offense should be much improved thanks to the drafting of stud wideout Andre Johnson and the signings of halfback Stacey Mack and lineman Zach Weigert. Check out the passing game with David Carr at quarterback, Johnson, Corey Bradford, and Jabar Gaffney at wide receiver, and Billy Miller at tight end. Don’t act surprised when Houston is one of the AFC’s top passing teams in the not-so-distant future. Mack is a significant upgrade over Jonathan Wells and James Allen. He’s also one of my favorite sleepers.
2. Cincinnati Bengals: Want proof the Bengals are turning the corner? Look no farther than new head coach Marvin Lewis, who has taken charge in Cincy. I love that Lewis already named his starting quarterback because Hare Kitna gives this offense the best chance to score. It also takes all the pressure off golden boy Carson Palmer, who admittedly needs time to figure out the NFL. But wait, there’s more. The Bengals used their top three draft picks on offensive players, including Palmer, guard Eric Steinbach, and receiver Kelley Washington. Last but not least, legendary bust Akili Smith was shown the door. Maybe the Kitties should be No. 1…
1. San Diego Chargers: …Nah, it’s gotta be the Bolts. I’ve got this buddy who loves Drew Brees and the Chargers, and I always tell him to hang in there until his boy gets a receiver. The wait is over, my good friend. The Chargers essentially traded Curtis Conway for David Boston in what turned out to be the AFC’s best offseason move. Quietly, the Chargers also added battering ram Lorenzo Neal, who shall make life much easier for LaDainian Tomlinson.
Offseason Losers
5. New England Patriots: Despite the fact Adam Vinatieri is in the “best shape of his career,” I have to list the Pats as offseason losers. For starters, they didn’t acquire anybody to challenge Antowain Smith. Sorry, Mike Cloud and Antwoine Womack don’t count. Further, why does a team in need of a big receiver sign the 5-9 Dedric Ward and draft the 5-11 Bethel Johnson? Hey, at least Tom Brady’s shoulder is okay.
4. Denver Broncos: The divorce between Mike Shanahan and Brian Griese had to go down, but the Broncos didn’t upgrade when they hopped into the sack with Jake Plummer. He may be more athletic than Griese, but he is not a better all-around quarterback. I realize the free agent market for quarterbacks was Reece Witherspoon skinny, but signing Plummer to a seven-year, $40 million contract is ridiculous. Wait, it gets worse. Did you know the Broncos are on the hook for $7 million guaranteed? They struck out with Griese. They’ll strike out with Plummer. What’s next, a $10 million signing bonus for Jake Delhomme in the winter of 2004? The Broncos got good news when Shannon Sharpe and Jason Elam agreed to return. However, who knows what the Broncos will get from Ed McCaffrey, who had groin surgery in March.
3. Tennessee Titans: Before I rip the Titans, understand that none of the following negativity has to effect the regular season. That’s right, you can be an offseason loser and still win games when it counts. The Titans’ offense has been self-destructive since the 2002 season ended. From Steve McNair’s arrest to Derrick Mason jamming his hand at a golf tournament to tackle Brad Hopkins injuring his knee in a basketball game, Jeff Fisher has been sleeping like the father of a newborn. Tennessee did well in the draft, though, netting huge receiver Tyrone Calico and Eddie George-clone Chris Brown.
2. New York Jets: Not only did the Jets have to swallow the free agent trades of Laveranues Coles for Curtis Conway and John Hall for Doug Brien, they had to watch star halfback Curtis Martin rehab two high ankle sprains. C-Mart should be ready for the opener, but his feet were only 90 percent as of last month. Not good. Whether Jet fans want to admit it or not, the loss of Coles was a devastating blow.
1. Buffalo Bills: Yuck. Who’s running this team, anyway? The Bills ostensibly traded Peerless Price for Willis McGahee. That ranks as the worst move of the offseason. I don’t care if Price wanted $5-6 million per season and a huge signing bonus. Trading a young Pro-Bowl receiver for a running back who may never play pro ball could go down as one of the worst trades ever. The Bills also royally screwed up at kicker, going out of their way to sign the inconsistent Rian Lindell when they already had the steady Mike Hollis. Worse yet, the Bills are paying Lindell over a mill a year for the next four years. Amanda Bynes could do a better job running this team.
The Jury’s Out Kansas City Chiefs: Here’s the deal. If Priest Holmes successfully recovers from hip surgery, the Chiefs are big, big offseason winners. With all the uncertainty and speculation that has gone on all winter, spring, and summer, to have a healthy Holmes would be a Jerry Garcia-big shot in the arm. However, if Holmes makes a liar out of Dick Vermeil and Carl Peterson—who insist he’ll be ready, the Chiefs would rank among the biggest losers. Yes, an injured Holmes would make the Chiefs look like geniuses for drafting Larry Johnson. But going from Priest to L.J. would be like casting Robert DeNiro and making the movie with Bill Pullman.
Rick Kamla can be reached at [email protected]
AFC Notes: Offseason Winners & Losers
by Rick Kamla - Senior Editor, Fanball.comThursday, July 10, 2003
Welcome back for part two of our feature on offseason winners and losers.
On Tuesday I opined on the NFC, calling out teams like the Cowboys, Bears, and Cardinals. (By the way, Cowboy fans are fast approaching Packer, Yankee, and Jazz fans for biggest homers in sports. Love that team all you want, Cowboy fans, but it’ll take divine intervention to get your squad to 8-8.)
Today, the AFC gets the business.
Unlike the balanced NFC, where I found seven winners, eight losers, and one incomplete, the AFC had 10 winners, five losers, and one incomplete. Interestingly, all five losers were either in the playoffs or on the fringe a year ago. Using rough logic, one could say the AFC got better than the NFC in the offseason. Ponder that assertion while the rest of us praise the offseason winners from the AFC. (Disclaimer: Defensive upgrades or downgrades were not considered in determining the offseason winners and losers. I repeat: This article has nothing to do with DEFENSE.)
Offseason Winners
10. Miami Dolphins: The Dolphins were quasi-winners during the offseason. Certainly, the free agent trade of Ray Lucas for Brian Griese improved and insured the offense. That said, they did nothing to upgrade an average offensive line, Chris Chambers continues to battle injuries, and they still lack a No. 2 receiver.
9. Oakland Raiders: The 2003 Raider offense will look a lot like last year’s Super Bowl version, and that’s a good thing. Hats off to the Raiders for re-signing Jerry Rice and Tim Brown despite a calamitous salary-cap situation. Also, kudos to the Raiders for stealing halfback Justin Fargas in the third round and welcoming back troubled center Barret Robbins. I know Robbins betrayed his team in the eve of the Super Bowl, but if Darryl Strawberry got 42 chances, shouldn’t Robbins get two?
8. Cleveland Browns: Outside of bringing in prize center Jeff Faine via the first round, the Browns basically have the same offensive personnel. So why are they winners, you wonder? One, they re-signed underrated halfback Jamel White. Two, word out of Cleveland is that Quincy Morgan and William Green are primed for breakout performances after killer offseasons. Finally, the battle between Tim Couch and Kelly Holcomb could be looked at negatively because of the potential for locker room division, blah, blah, blah. No dice. Having two competent quarterbacks makes the Browns a winner—literally. Just ask the Cowboys, who would kill for one competent QB.
7. Pittsburgh Steelers: Why ask why? The Steelers finally cut the cord with Kordell Stewart. Isn’t that enough to send them to the winner’s circle? In other quarterback news, I love that the Steelers did not reward Tommy Maddox for last season’s John Travolta-esque comeback. If Maddox has another strong season, the team has promised to throw millions at him next winter. (The Vikings should have done the same thing with Daunte Culpepper.) If the reports of a fit Jerome Bettis are to be believed, that’s great news for a Steelers’ backfield that missed The Bus last year. Losing tackle Wayne Gandy left a little bit of a mark, but signing Jay Riemersma gives Pittsburgh their first fantasy tight end since Eric Green.
6. Baltimore Ravens: I wouldn’t call the Ravens “huge” winners, but they did improve their offense. While veteran receivers Frank Sanders and Marcus Robinson barely qualify as starters, they’re a helluva lot better than Ron Johnson and Javin Hunter. More importantly, the Ravens received good news at quarterback when Kyle Boller was drafted and Chris Redman returned from back surgery.
5. Jacksonville Jaguars: For signing J.J. Sloth—I mean Stokes, I wanted to list the Jags among the losers. However, leaving the draft with franchise quarterback Byron Leftwich more than makes up for that egregious error. I also like the coaching change from Tom Coughlin to Jack Del Rio. It was time for a new regime in Jacksonville.
4. Indianapolis Colts: No, the Colts are not winners because they resurrected Jim Drunkenmiller. The Colts are winners because they got their Edge back. Not only is Edgerrin James “back to normal,” he actually showed up for a few offseason practices. Are you listening, Allen Iverson? A healthy Edge automatically and immediately makes Indy’s offense elite. Above and beyond the Edge, the Colts wisely made amends with Mike Vanderjagt (the most accurate kicker ever) and replaced Ken Dilger (one year later) with stud tight end Dallas Clark.
3. Houston Texans: The Texans’ offense should be much improved thanks to the drafting of stud wideout Andre Johnson and the signings of halfback Stacey Mack and lineman Zach Weigert. Check out the passing game with David Carr at quarterback, Johnson, Corey Bradford, and Jabar Gaffney at wide receiver, and Billy Miller at tight end. Don’t act surprised when Houston is one of the AFC’s top passing teams in the not-so-distant future. Mack is a significant upgrade over Jonathan Wells and James Allen. He’s also one of my favorite sleepers.
2. Cincinnati Bengals: Want proof the Bengals are turning the corner? Look no farther than new head coach Marvin Lewis, who has taken charge in Cincy. I love that Lewis already named his starting quarterback because Hare Kitna gives this offense the best chance to score. It also takes all the pressure off golden boy Carson Palmer, who admittedly needs time to figure out the NFL. But wait, there’s more. The Bengals used their top three draft picks on offensive players, including Palmer, guard Eric Steinbach, and receiver Kelley Washington. Last but not least, legendary bust Akili Smith was shown the door. Maybe the Kitties should be No. 1…
1. San Diego Chargers: …Nah, it’s gotta be the Bolts. I’ve got this buddy who loves Drew Brees and the Chargers, and I always tell him to hang in there until his boy gets a receiver. The wait is over, my good friend. The Chargers essentially traded Curtis Conway for David Boston in what turned out to be the AFC’s best offseason move. Quietly, the Chargers also added battering ram Lorenzo Neal, who shall make life much easier for LaDainian Tomlinson.
Offseason Losers
5. New England Patriots: Despite the fact Adam Vinatieri is in the “best shape of his career,” I have to list the Pats as offseason losers. For starters, they didn’t acquire anybody to challenge Antowain Smith. Sorry, Mike Cloud and Antwoine Womack don’t count. Further, why does a team in need of a big receiver sign the 5-9 Dedric Ward and draft the 5-11 Bethel Johnson? Hey, at least Tom Brady’s shoulder is okay.
4. Denver Broncos: The divorce between Mike Shanahan and Brian Griese had to go down, but the Broncos didn’t upgrade when they hopped into the sack with Jake Plummer. He may be more athletic than Griese, but he is not a better all-around quarterback. I realize the free agent market for quarterbacks was Reece Witherspoon skinny, but signing Plummer to a seven-year, $40 million contract is ridiculous. Wait, it gets worse. Did you know the Broncos are on the hook for $7 million guaranteed? They struck out with Griese. They’ll strike out with Plummer. What’s next, a $10 million signing bonus for Jake Delhomme in the winter of 2004? The Broncos got good news when Shannon Sharpe and Jason Elam agreed to return. However, who knows what the Broncos will get from Ed McCaffrey, who had groin surgery in March.
3. Tennessee Titans: Before I rip the Titans, understand that none of the following negativity has to effect the regular season. That’s right, you can be an offseason loser and still win games when it counts. The Titans’ offense has been self-destructive since the 2002 season ended. From Steve McNair’s arrest to Derrick Mason jamming his hand at a golf tournament to tackle Brad Hopkins injuring his knee in a basketball game, Jeff Fisher has been sleeping like the father of a newborn. Tennessee did well in the draft, though, netting huge receiver Tyrone Calico and Eddie George-clone Chris Brown.
2. New York Jets: Not only did the Jets have to swallow the free agent trades of Laveranues Coles for Curtis Conway and John Hall for Doug Brien, they had to watch star halfback Curtis Martin rehab two high ankle sprains. C-Mart should be ready for the opener, but his feet were only 90 percent as of last month. Not good. Whether Jet fans want to admit it or not, the loss of Coles was a devastating blow.
1. Buffalo Bills: Yuck. Who’s running this team, anyway? The Bills ostensibly traded Peerless Price for Willis McGahee. That ranks as the worst move of the offseason. I don’t care if Price wanted $5-6 million per season and a huge signing bonus. Trading a young Pro-Bowl receiver for a running back who may never play pro ball could go down as one of the worst trades ever. The Bills also royally screwed up at kicker, going out of their way to sign the inconsistent Rian Lindell when they already had the steady Mike Hollis. Worse yet, the Bills are paying Lindell over a mill a year for the next four years. Amanda Bynes could do a better job running this team.
The Jury’s Out Kansas City Chiefs: Here’s the deal. If Priest Holmes successfully recovers from hip surgery, the Chiefs are big, big offseason winners. With all the uncertainty and speculation that has gone on all winter, spring, and summer, to have a healthy Holmes would be a Jerry Garcia-big shot in the arm. However, if Holmes makes a liar out of Dick Vermeil and Carl Peterson—who insist he’ll be ready, the Chiefs would rank among the biggest losers. Yes, an injured Holmes would make the Chiefs look like geniuses for drafting Larry Johnson. But going from Priest to L.J. would be like casting Robert DeNiro and making the movie with Bill Pullman.
Rick Kamla can be reached at [email protected]
