NFL Power Struggle - Shamhat1915's Blog

Shamhat1915's Blog

NFL Power Struggle

Posted on March 13, 2013 at 09:10 PM.

With free agency in full swing, it's amazing how a few changes to a teams' roster can vastly change the power in the NFL. From Wes Welker to James Harrison, teams are either losing players or adding them, and a lot of it boils down to money. The teams with a lot of money are always considered to be major players, and to have a leg up in free agency, but that hasn't been seen yet.

In fact, it hasn't even entirely been free agency where the headlines are being made. San Francisco made waves when they acquired wideout Anquan Boldin for the mere price of a 6th round pick. Now, come on. A sixth round pick! What was Baltimore thinking? Of course, it all came down to finances, and the fact that Boldin wouldn't take a pay cut. Still, the defending champions lost a key piece on offense, along with their entire starting linebacker corps and safety Ed Reed. Unless they make a splash in free agency, I don't see them repeating. Seattle made the other big trade, acquiring wideout Percy Harvin for the Seahawks 2013 1st round pick (25th overall), 2013 7th round pick, and 2014 3rd round pick. That gives 2nd year quarterback Russell Wilson a deep threat, and one of the best quarterback, running back and receiver combinations in the league.

Now, as for free agency, we saw several teams make bids on players, and major improvements to rosters shifted the balance of power in different directions. Let's take a look at several teams who made big changes:

Chicago Bears: Jermon Bushrod and Martellus Bennett. Bennett gives Cutler a safety valve over the middle, a big body that is a defensive mismatch. After struggling in Dallas to start his career, Bennett came into his own in New York and saw his career rise again. With Alshon Jeffery and Brandon Marshall on the outside, the Bears have a strong offense. Bushrod anchored the blind side for Drew Brees, and was instrumental for the Saints during their Super Bowl run, and looks to protect Cutler this year. The Bears have had offensive line troubles the past few years, but Bushrod should solidify that line.

New England Patriots: out with one receiver, in with another. The Pats lose perennial All-Pro wideout Wes Welker in free agency to the Denver Broncos, but manage to snag Danny Amendola to take his place. Amendola has shown flashes of being a solid player, but has had some injury troubles. Still, with Tom Brady throwing you the ball, you don't have to do much to become a great player. Only time will tell if Amendola can contribute the way Welker did.

Denver Broncos: the Broncos gave Manning a reliable target by signing Wes Welker. Not only does it take away a favorite target from Manning's rival Brady, but, when combined with Decker and Thomas, give the Broncos a great receiving trio. With a strong defense and an even stronger offense now, the Broncos are poised to be the class of the AFC.

Detroit Lions: after making the playoffs for the first time in a decade, Detroit fell to a horrible 4-12 season. Despite the record, the were in every game, with the majority coming down to the final minutes. That includes a Thanksgiving Day loss to Houston, where the emotions in the game caused head coach Jim Schwartz to throw an illegal challenge that cost them the game. Nobody can blame him for that bad call (the rule of every touchdown being automatically reviewed was just implemented this year), but it was just another nail in the coffin. Stafford took a step back (touchdown and interception wise) and Megatron showed everyone that he is the best in the game, but there were still many questions for the roster. The defense needed help, and they needed another piece on offense. The Lions addressed their needs by signing Reggie Bush to replace the injured Jahvid Best (who should do what's best for his future and retire instead of risking further damage) and signing safety Glover Quin.

Seattle Seahawks: the Seahawks made headlines with the acquisition of Percy Harvin from the Vikings, giving their offense a much needed threat to compliment Lynch and Wilson. Their other big move, while not official, was the signing of defensive end Cliff Avril. Avril has all but signed the dotted line, but it's practically a done deal that the defensive end will play for Seattle and be the pass rushing threat that the Seahawks lacked. With a now stacked roster, the Seahawks are in position to threaten the 49ers for the NFC West crown, and may be the team to beat in the NFC.

I could keep going with the offseason moves, but I've already covered most of the major ones. If I were to continue, this article would go on forever, and I would never get done with it.

*at the time of posting, Cliff Avril hadn't been confirmed as signed. Now, Avril has officially been announced as signed by the Seattle Seahawks.