While Peyton Manning has begun working out for teams and is still taking visits, several other significant moves occurred during the first week of Free Agency, and here are some of the early winners:
The Bills: Buffalo showed much improvement this past season with a fast start but faded down the stretch. With the Bills moving back to a 4-3 defense in 2012 under new Defensive Coordinator Dave Wannstedt, it was imperative for the Bills to bring in an edge rusher to complement their two Pro-Bowl caliber DT's, Kyle WIlliams and Marcell Dareus. With the signing of the top defender in Free Agency, former Texans DE Mario Williams, the Bills added one of the top three DE's in football. Williams has 53 career sacks and is in the prime of his career at age 27. In fact, with the exception of Julius Peppers signing with the Bears in 2010, it is rare to see a potential Hall of Famer at QB, LT or RDE switch teams in the prime of their career.
This is a huge boost not only for the Bills defense, but to the City of Buffalo, who can get excited again by finally attracting an impact free agent, while also celebrating the commitment the franchise has shown by recently investing in its own players, with the extensions of QB Ryan Fitzpatrick, DT Williams and the resigning of WR Stevie Johnson on the eve of Free Agency. With the AFC being a wide open race, the Bills aren't far from contending, especially if they are able to find another vertical option at WR, a future cornerstone at LT and an impact CB this offseason.
The Bucs: Tampa Bay had the most money to spend in Free Agency, and thus far they have not been bashful, signing the top free agent OG in Carl Nicks and arguably the top WR in Vincent Jackson. They also signed former Browns and Lions CB Eric Wright, who is still young at 26 and possesses naturally fluid hips and solid cover skills. With Nicks and veteran Davin Joseph, the Bucs have one of the two best guard tandems in football, and Jackson's size will give young QB Josh Freeman another downfield weapon, while teaming with TE Kellen Winslow to give the Bucs two red zone-matchup headaches for Defensive Coordinators.
The Rams: New Head Coach Jeff Fisher raided his old Titans squad by signing physical free agent CB Cortland Finnegan, a solid defender who immediately upgrades a position of need. The Rams also signed steady veteran pivotman Scott Wells from the Packers. Wells is similar to Colts' free agent C Jeff Saturday, in that he's smart and understands leverage and blocking angles. While he doesn't have ideal size and strength to anchor vs true two-gap NT's, he's still one of the better Centers in football.
Former Dolphins DE Kendall Langford has proven to be one of the more dependable, runs-stuffing 5-techniques in the NFL the past couple of seasons. He was signed this week and will most likely play inside at DT for the Rams in their base 4-3. The Rams acquiring three first round picks and a second rounder from the Redskins for the 2nd in pick in next month's Draft could also help buoy the Rams' rebuilding under the strong leadership of Fisher, much like the Herschel Walker trade aided Jimmie Johnson's rebuild in Dallas.
The 49'ers: Head Coach Jim Harbaugh's squad finished last season with six Pro Bowl defenders, and the team moved quickly to keep the unit intact by resigning free agent CB Carlos Rogers and franchising S Dashon Goldson.
The 49'ers have also addressed their one glaring hole at Wide Receiver by signing Giants free agent WR Mario Manningham and by bringing in veteran WR Randy Moss. Manningham is the headliner here and will add some much needed vertical stretch to their offense. Moss, if focused, can still be a factor in the red zone with his size, and can even help open up the deep seam for TE Vernon Davis. With the news of Peyton Manning recently working out for the team, a solid offseason could turn into a great one soon.
The Patriots: The signing of the talented, yet enigmatic, WR Brandon Lloyd fills a huge need for the Patriots, as Tom Brady's only vertical threat in 2011 came from TE Rob Gronkowski. Lloyd is a very talented player who is his own worst enemy at times, but under Brady and Belichick's leadership, he should find a very good home in Foxboro.
