In an offseason when Peyton Manning left the Colts after 13 seasons, a top 10 Wide Receiver was traded for two third round picks, and a 100 million dollar defensive presence was added in Buffalo, these are the teams that capitalized during the offseason and the teams that were left scratching their heads?
Winners
1. Denver Broncos: The signing of future Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning and trading the side show of Tim Tebow was enough to get the Broncos number one on my list. However, the signing of Tracy Porter and Justin Bannan on defense, and the addition of offensive weapons Jacob Tamme, Brandon Stokely, Joel Dreessen, and Andre Caldwell set them up for a Super Bowl run.
2. Chicago Bears: When looking at Brandon Marshall’s statistics, his best years were with Jay Cutler throwing the ball. The Bears reunited the two. They traded two third round picks for Marshall. Signing Jason Campbell as an insurance policy for injury prone Cutler, and the signing of running back Michael Bush to take the load off Matt Forte were key moves for the team as well.
3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: The Buccaneers spent their money wisely during the offseason by securing the best offensive lineman and receiver on the market, guard Carl Nicks and wide receiver Vincent Jackson
Losers
1. Miami Dolphins: The Dolphins attempted to sign Peyton Manning and Matt Flynn after their owner Stephen Ross promised the fans a huge free agent signing. They failed at the attempt to sign either. The trade of their best offensive weapon, Marshall, didn’t win the franchise any fans either. I’m betting the University of Miami sells out more football games than the Dolphins this season.
2. New York Jets: After the Jets signed Tim Tebow they were referred to as the “No Ring Circus” by the Boston Herald. The Jets didn’t add any key pieces to help Mark Sanchez excel, but they have added plenty of distractions for him. I’m positive we can dub the Jets the laughing stock of the NFL.
3. Houston Texans: The Texans lost great players during the offseason and didn’t replenish the holes. They lost Mario Williams; his defensive impact wasn’t felt much last season due to him only playing five games, but it doesn’t mean that it’s easy to lose a great player. The Texans also lost right tackle Eric Winston, tight end Joel Dreessen, and traded middle linebacker DeMeco Ryans to the Eagles and replaced him with Bradie James. This is why the Texans remain average.I predict that the Tennessee Titans will win the AFC South this season.
