Since almost all of the player movement, coaching changes, and now the NFL draft is complete, it is time to assess each team’s ‘post-draft’ off-season success or failure. I posted the AFC grades yesterday and today it is the NFC’s turn.
The biggest parts of the off-season are complete as far as ‘team changes’. There will be some free agent signings but most of the impact players are already gone. There may be some big-name player cuts and there may be a few more trades. Time will tell.
Since I am self-admittedly not a college football expert, what I have decided to do in order to ‘grade’ each team’s draft is to take a sampling from the ‘NFL experts’ in the media in order to include it in my post-draft ‘grade’. Therefore, the POST-DRAFT grade will include:
1) My grade prior to April for the team
2) Any additional player movement (losses, gains, trades) for the team in April
3) The team’s draft grade based on the consensus
Within each team’s analysis, I will give you my comments about the team’s activities prior to April, and then another comment regarding the April moves or non-moves for the team. Without further ado, I give you the off-season grades for the NFC ………….
Highlights of the May Off-Season Grades compared to the March Off-Season Grades:
2 of the 3 Teams that had grades of ‘A’ in the NFC prior to April lost their ‘A’ grades
Biggest Improvement in Grade from late March to Early May: Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Atlanta Falcons (tie)
Biggest Drop in Grade from late March to Early May: Seattle Seahawks and Philadelphia Eagles (tie)
Arizona Cardinals
JANUARY, FEBRUARY, AND MARCH: The Cardinals have had a VERY busy off-season. Ken Whisenhunt has replaced Dennis Green and a change at the top was necessary. Green had to go. I like the fact that Whisenhunt was able to bring Russ Grimm with him to help get the O-line problems in the desert figured out. However, I do not understand why Clancy Pendergast has been retained as D-coordinator. He hasn’t developed his defense at all since he’s been there.
The Cardinals have re-signed several of their back-up players already but have not made any HUGE splashes in free agent acquisitions. Most of their FA pick-ups are back-up-type players that they must be hoping they can coach up. Leonard Davis was allowed to go to the Cowboys and with the amount of money he was given, I agree with the Cards decision that he was not worth it.
APRIL: The Cardinals brought in several free agents, none of them big name players though. Mainly just for depth. Their draft, however, was graded as one of the best.
OVERALL: I like some of the coaching moves Whisenhunt has made and I like some of the player moves but there’s nothing major there. The draft appears to be a good one.
GRADE prior to April: C +
Consensus Draft GPA: 3.4
POST-DRAFT OFF-SEASON GRADE: B –
Atlanta Falcons
JANUARY, FEBRUARY, AND MARCH: This off-season for the Falcons started out with a serious F with the firing of Jim Mora. The firing had more to do with the ‘relationship’ between Mora and the Falcons front office than on-the-field performance, which is never good for the players. Bobby Petrino was immediately hired and has limited NFL experience. I like the hiring of Hue Jackson to run the offense more than Mike Zimmer being put in charge of the defense. I don’t think Zimmer did anything amazing in Dallas considering the amount of talent he was given.
The Falcons have lost or released a lot of players this off-season with the new regime coming in. Their biggest loss was Patrick Kerney, who was a bigger part of their defense than a lot of people know. Their acquisitions have mainly been for depth, although many believe Joe Horn can still be a strong #1 (I disagree).
The only thing thus far that has saved this off-season for the Falcons is their recent trade of Matt Schaub to the Houston Texans. Getting 2 second round picks and moving up in the 1st round is an absolute STEAL for a back-up QB that has proven NOTHING.
APRIL: The 2 big moves in free agency were to bring in Joey Harrington and re-sign Demorrio Williams, which was big. Their draft was good, mainly due to the picks they got from the Schaub trade.
OVERALL: I don’t expect much out of the new coaching regime in Atlanta and this organization has made a lot of questionable moves and non-moves in my mind. However, their draft grades out well according to the consensus.
GRADE prior to April: D –
Consensus Draft GPA: 3.4
POST-DRAFT OFF-SEASON GRADE: C –
Carolina Panthers
JANUARY, FEBRUARY, AND MARCH: The Panthers were possibly the biggest disappointment of the 2006 regular season, finishing 8-8 after many predicted them to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl. John Fox was retained as head coach, which was the right non-move. I believe he is one of the better coaches in the league. The only major change to the coaching staff is in a new offensive coordinator with the hiring of Jeff Davidson from the Cleveland Browns. I am not overly impressed with this hiring. And Mike McCoy, Quarterbacks coach, continues to tutor Jake Delhomme, which I really don’t understand, considering Jake Delhomme has looked more like Ryan Leaf the last couple of years than Jake Delhomme of 2003 and 2004.
There haven’t been any ‘key’ player losses or acquisitions for the Panthers in this off-season. They seem content with the core group they have, which I would agree with other than at QB.
APRIL AND MAY 1ST: The 2 big moves were to sign David Carr at QB and release Keyshawn Johnson. I like the Carr signing because now they have an alternative to Delhomme if he continues to struggle. I don’t necessarily agree with the Keyshawn release but maybe they felt they had to do it for cap purposes. The potential trade for Kris Jenkins has still not transpired but their draft graded well.
OVERALL: Only a couple of player moves and an assistant coaching change. Not a whole lot to discuss. They seem to be standing pat for the most part, which I don’t think was necessarily the right choice for this team.
GRADE prior to April: C
Consensus Draft GPA: 3.3
POST-DRAFT OFF-SEASON GRADE: C +
Chicago Bears
JANUARY, FEBRUARY, AND MARCH: The highlight of the Bears off-season thus far? They wised-up and paid Lovie Smith what he’s worth.
However, after an NFC championship, the Bears have lost their D-coordinator, several defensive players and are on the verge of losing their pro-bowl outside linebacker, who wants to be traded. Will their defense survive all of this ? The Bears added Anthony Adams, who will help replace some of their losses at DT and they promoted Bob Babich to D-coordinator, which is well-deserved.
On offense, they are relying on Benson to be ‘the guy’ after the trade of Jones to the Jets. I would expect the Bears to possibly draft a RB on the first day of the draft to add some depth behind Benson.
APRIL: Very quiet month for the Bears. The Briggs trade has still not happened and there appears to be no movement on a long-term deal. That is not good. Their draft was graded ‘average’.
OVERALL: I was worried they weren’t going to get Lovie locked up. To me, this is a huge positive for the Bears off-season. However, their losses from their talent pool takes them down a couple of notches.
GRADE prior to April: C +
Consensus Draft GPA: 2.5
POST-DRAFT OFF-SEASON GRADE: C +
Dallas Cowboys
JANUARY, FEBRUARY, AND MARCH: The Tuna retired and they signed Leonard Davis to a ridiculous contract. That pretty much sums up the Cowboys off-season thus far. I actually like the hiring of Wade Phillips to lead the Cowboys. Tony Sparano, Brian Stewart, and Jason Garrett are fairly strong top assistants, although I’m not as high on Garrett as many people are. I don’t see what he did in Miami that was so impressive.
All of their starters will remain in place on both sides of the ball other than some re-working of the O-line they have been doing.
APRIL: This continues to be a very uneventful off-season in regards to player moves. They signed a few guys in April but no one impactful. Their draft graded ‘average’.
OVERALL: Most of the starters remain in place. They added possibly the best O-lineman in free agency and re-signed Colombo. I like the coaches hired. It looks all good to me thus far.
GRADE prior to April: A
Consensus Draft GPA: 2.7
POST-DRAFT OFF-SEASON GRADE: B +
Detroit Lions
JANUARY, FEBRUARY, AND MARCH: Well, where do I start? The Lions have been VERY active this off-season. After acquiring Bell, re-signing Cason, and signing Duckett, I think the Lions now have 12 running backs on their roster. Only getting a 5th round pick for James Hall had many Lions fans up-in-arms. The Lions hope that the signing of Dewayne White will improve the production they were getting with Hall.
Time will tell who got the better end of the trade they made with the Broncos involving Dre Bly. Foster could be a strong addition to the Lions O-line. We will have to see how it plays out. The Lions brought in Travis Fisher to help replace Bly.
The Lions also have brought in a couple of guards hoping that they can overhaul an O-line that was in desperate need of attention. The only major coaching change is that they brought in Joe Barry, former Bucs linebacker coach, as the D-coordinator.
APRIL: The Lions remained active, bringing in a lot of WR’s and CB’s. Their draft graded pretty well after they drafted Calvin Johnson, thought to be the ‘sure thing’ of this class.
OVERALL: Suprisingly, it looks pretty good. The overhaul of the O-line and addition of talent seems to be a positive.
GRADE prior to April: B
Consensus Draft GPA: 3.0
POST-DRAFT OFF-SEASON GRADE: B
Green Bay Packers
JANUARY, FEBRUARY, AND MARCH: The biggest story for the Packers this off-season? Brett Favre and his 47 interceptions over the last 2 seasons are not retiring. Ahman Green had seen enough and bolted for the Houston Texans.
The Packers have made a lot of coaching changes, promoting Winston Moss to Assistant Head Coach and Joe Philbin to O-coordinator. I like the Moss promotion. He and Sanders have done a better job with their defense than a lot of people realize (especially considering they are often put in bad situations with the offensive turnovers).
Other than that, all has been quiet on the Packers front. There have been trade rumors flying around the Packers organization but, thus far, they haven’t pulled the trigger on a wide receiver or running back, which at this point are desperate needs.
APRIL: TT ‘tried’ to get more involved in the trade market, staying active with the Randy Moss, Larry Johnson, and Michael Turner opportunities. However, nothing transpired with any of them. They did get Barnett signed to an extension, which was good, but the Packers draft did not grade well at all.
OVERALL: The Coaching staff on this team is strong, in my opinion. I see a huge deficit in talent, however, that is not being addressed, and the coaches will only be able to do so much with what they’re given. The draft graded as one of the worst, also.
GRADE prior to April: D
Consensus Draft GPA: 2.0
POST-DRAFT OFF-SEASON GRADE: D
Minnesota Vikings
JANUARY, FEBRUARY, AND MARCH: Harris and Smoot are gone from the defense. Brad Johnson and Jermaine Wiggins are gone from the offense. The biggest signing the Vikings have had is Bobby Wade.
Mike Tomlin bolted for a head coaching position but I REALLY like the hiring of Leslie Frazier to replace him. The guy knows what he’s doing. However, I don’t agree with Bevell retaining his job after the abortion which was the 2006 Vikings offense.
APRIL: The Vikings got more active in the FA market and signed several players. Most importantly, though, the Vikings had a good draft, adding (hopefully) a lot of talent to the offense.
OVERALL: It’s hard to fix an offense quickly through the draft but that seems to be the approach the Vikings are taking. Their lack of attention to the offensive side of the ball in free agency is disturbing but their draft, overall, graded well.
GRADE Prior to April: D +
Consensus Draft GPA: 3.3
POST-DRAFT OFF-SEASON GRADE: C
New Orleans Saints
JANUARY, FEBRUARY, AND MARCH: Wow, another great off-season is brewing for the Saints. This organization is springing back to life. Their coaching staff amazingly remains in tact with Payton, Vitt, Gibbs, and Marrone continuing to build what they started so well last season. I would have predicted one or more of them would have been snatched away.
I love the signings of Eric Johnson, Kaesviharn, and Simmons. Their ‘main’ losses were Stoutmire and Horn, who both are on the downward slope and are not huge losses.
And for the icing on the cake, the Saints and the state of Louisiana came to an agreement on an extension to keep the Saints in New Orleans through 2010 and, immediately thereafter, it was announced the Saints will play the Colts in the first game of the 2007 regular season on national television.
APRIL: Another great month in free agency for the Saints, signing Jason David and David Patten. I don’t agree with the trade for Olindo Mare but getting Charles Grant locked up long-term was a very good move. Their draft only graded average, but if they develop a couple of diamonds in the rough like they did last year, they could prove everyone wrong.
OVERALL: A very good off-season continues for the Saints. It’s almost all positive for the Saints heading towards training camp. Now will it transfer to more on-the-field success?
GRADE prior to April: A +
Consensus Draft GPA: 2.6
POST-DRAFT OFF-SEASON GRADE: A –
New York Giants
JANUARY, FEBRUARY, AND MARCH: This analysis is going to be just the opposite of the last one (the Saints). Gone are………Tiki Barber, Bob Whitfield, Luke Petitgout, Jay Feely, Carlos Emmons, and Lavar Arrington. Tom Coughlin is amazingly still the head coach and Steve Spagnuolo coming in as D-coordinator is unimpressive. Buddy Ryan needs to punch Kevin Gilbride in the face again because he is not doing anything with Eli’s progress.
On a positive note, they re-signed Shaun O’Hara and brought in Reuben Droughns to help Brandon Jacobs with the running game.
APRIL: They brought in a few no-name free agents and have tried to get involved in some trades for LB’s but nothing as of yet. Their draft was average, according to the consensus.
OVERALL: There are SO many negatives for the Giants this off-season. Most importantly, the Giants should have a new coaching staff in place to teach all of these new players. Coughlin will be a lame-duck coach by the middle of the season. About the only ‘positive’ is that their draft graded out as average.
GRADE prior to April: F
Consensus Draft GPA: 2.6
POST-DRAFT OFF-SEASON GRADE: F
Philadelphia Eagles
JANUARY, FEBRUARY, AND MARCH: The Eagles have been fairly aggressive this off-season and just completed their most impactful transaction, bringing in Takeo Spikes to solidify their LB corp. I like the move. I think Spikes still has some life left in him and it didn’t cost them a fortune.
This transaction, along with the Kevin Curtis signing, garnered most of the headlines but one of the signings that flew under the radar that was crucial to the Eagles continued success was the re-signing of Correll Buckhalter. This guy is very under-rated in my opinion and the Eagles are lucky to have him back.
The loss of Donte Stallworth will hurt but the rest of the Eagles losses were just rotational guys that Reid is good at replacing quickly.
A lot of the Eagles lower assistant coaches continued this off-season to receive promotions throughout the league (which happens every year with Reid proteges) but Reid continues to keep his main guys Johnson and Mornhinweg by his side. This is one of the stronger coaching groups in the league.
APRIL: Not a good month for the Eagles. Their draft graded as one of the worst in the NFL. They signed Feeley to an extension in February. They acquired Kelly Holcomb in a trade in March. Then they used their first draft pick on a QB. Does anyone in the Philly organization know that they have a player by the name of Donovan McNabb on their roster, he’s only 30 years old, and he’s the face of the franchise ……….. ???
OVERALL: The top of the coaching staff remains in place. McNabb, Westbrook, Buckhalter, Trotter, and Dawkins are still on the roster, which are all positives. However, there is now controversy surrounding the QB position in Philadelphia and that is never good for chemistry. McNabb is a classy individual and hopefully will be able to keep his head screwed on straight but it could be a concern. We will just have to watch this situation closely.
GRADE prior to April: A –
Consensus Draft GPA: 1.8
POST-DRAFT OFF-SEASON GRADE: C +
San Francisco 49ers
JANUARY, FEBRUARY, AND MARCH: Whether you are of the opinion that the 49ers overpaid for Clements or not, there is no doubting 2 things: First, Clements is one of the best cornerbacks in the league. Second, the 49ers needed cornerback help DESPERATELY. How much Clements helps this defense will be seen as time goes by but I like Clements as a player. With the Clements signing and the 49ers signings of Bockwoldt, Banta-Cain, and Lewis combined with their young talent that was really beginning to come together as last season went along, this defense may finally be professional-level. Mike Singletary is a good defensive coach and will get the most out of these guys.
On offense, Bryant is out. Lelie is in. I don’t see much of a difference. They are both lower-tier #2 receivers. Gore will continue to power the offense but the loss of Eric Johnson may be bigger than the 49ers think. I’m not excited about the hiring of Jim Hostler as O-coordinator either.
APRIL: All was quiet for the 49ers in the free agent market in April after a flurry in March, but then it became apparent why towards the end of the month. The 49ers had a MONSTER draft, the 2nd best in the NFL, according to the consensus AND they were the lucky winners in the Darrell Jackson giveaway, beefing up their wide receiver corps. The draft was focused on defense, and there is no doubt that the 2007 49ers defense is going to look a LOT different than the 2006 version. The only question left is ‘will it be better’? I think anyone with an ounce of football knowledge would be shocked if it wasn’t a LOT better when it’s all said and done.
OVERALL: The offense took a step back with the loss of Johnson but Jackson more than replaces his production AND the defense has taken 27 HUGE steps forward.
GRADE prior to April: B +
Consensus Draft GPA: 3.7
POST-DRAFT OFF-SEASON GRADE: A
Seattle Seahawks
JANUARY, FEBRUARY, AND MARCH: Thus far, the Seahawks off-season has been very good but if they end up trading Darrell Jackson for only a 2nd or 3rd round pick, which is the rumor, their grade will go down considerably. I like the re-vamping of the secondary they have done with Russell and Grant. Deon Grant is a monster.
However, their BEST signing was probably Patrick Kerney. Kerney was a bigger part of the Falcon’s success on defense than many people realize. When he was on the field, their defense was a LOT better. He will get their under-performing D-line playing better.
The Seahawks have become MUCH weaker at the tight end position after parting ways with Mili and Stevens. They’ve brought in a bunch of non-impact guys to compete for the job. I think they’re hoping Marcus Pollard can magically shave 10 years off of his old body. Add on top of this a possible parting with Darrell Jackson and a lot of questions surrounding Shaun Alexander’s production and suddenly the Seahawks have some questions on offense.
APRIL: Horrible month for the Seahawks. They ended up getting practically nothing for Darrell Jackson and had the 2nd worst draft in the NFL, according to the consensus. Ugly.
OVERALL: Great signings in Kerney and Grant. However, they lost key talent on offense and had a horrible draft. B + for moves prior to April. F since then. Averages out to a C
GRADE prior to April: B +
Consensus Draft GPA: 1.6
POST-DRAFT OFF-SEASON GRADE: C
St. Louis Rams
JANUARY, FEBRUARY, AND MARCH: Why did the Rams have no interest in retaining Kevin Curtis yet gave Drew Bennett a 6-year deal ? Do they know something the rest of us don’t? I see this as an even swap.
I like the additions of Hall and Johnson on the defensive side of the ball and Haslett remains as the D-coordinator. He did some very good things with that defense last year.
The loss of Timmerman is huge. The Rams have enjoyed having one of the best O-lines in the game for a long time and Timmerman was a big part of them.
APRIL: I question giving a 5th round pick for aging kick returner Dante Hall but their draft graded as average, according to the consensus.
OVERALL: A couple of good additions to the defense and an even swap at WR. A huge loss on the O-line and a questionable trade. Average Draft. Yep, looks average overall.
GRADE prior to April: C +
Consensus Draft GPA: 2.7
POST-DRAFT OFF-SEASON GRADE: C
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
JANUARY, FEBRUARY, AND MARCH: Why would the Bucs extend Simm’s contract through 2008 at $7 million per season, then 2 months later sign Jeff Garcia to the exact same contract (2 years, $14 million) And all of this while they also have McCown and Gradkowski on the roster?
If this isn’t the biggest WTF in the history of the NFL, I don’t know what is………….
Other than the bizarre QB situation, the Bucs made a couple of additions with Luke Petitgout and Kevin Carter to replace some recent departures but they were about even swaps. Cato June was a big signing. On the coaching staff, as long as Kiffin is there, their defense will be good. Muir is a liability though and should have been fired.
APRIL: The extreme roster makeover continues with full force. Out are Quarles, Johnson, Adams, Bolden, and Boger. In are Lehr, Sims, Stevens, and 10 draft picks.
OVERALL: There have been a lot of good additions in free agency. They have lost a lot also, though, and the transactions at QB are still perplexing. Their draft graded well, even though they didn’t get the player they wanted.
GRADE prior to April: F
Consensus Draft GPA: 3.2
POST-DRAFT OFF-SEASON GRADE: D +
Washington Redskins
JANUARY, FEBRUARY, AND MARCH: Suprisingly, Daniel Snyder and the Redskins have NOT been one of the most aggressive teams in free agency. They have had one big acquisition in London Fletcher. Rumor has it they are trying to put something together to trade for Lance Briggs but nothing is official yet.
Other than that, they have lost more talent than they have added. I’m not impressed with the Smoot and Stoutmire signings and the offensive linemen they added to replace the departure of Dockery don’t measure up.
Maybe the front office is just hoping that the highest-paid coaching staff in the NFL, which looks like a geriatric convention standing on the sidelines and has more ‘assistant head coaches’ than the rest of the league combined, can miraculously make it happen with inferior talent.
APRIL: Another quiet month but the focus continued to be on the secondary. The only FA signing was CB David Macklin and their only draft pick in the first 4 rounds was safety Laron Landry. Their draft graded as the worst in the NFL due to the lack of picks.
OVERALL: Fletcher was a good addition but, other than that, their entire focus this off-season has been on the secondary. I’m not sure the Redskins were in a position to ignore the rest of the team, especially since they had very few draft picks.
GRADE prior to April: C –
Consensus Draft GPA: 1.2
POST-SEASON OFF-SEASON GRADE: D
NFC Summary:
San Francisco 49ers A
New Orleans Saints A –
Dallas Cowboys B +
Detroit Lions B
Arizona Cardinals B –
Philadelphia Eagles C +
Chicago Bears C +
Carolina Panthers C +
Minnesota Vikings C
St. Louis Rams C
Seattle Seahawks C
Atlanta Falcons C –
Tampa Bay Buccaneers D +
Washington Redskins D
Green Bay Packers D
New York Giants F
