NFL Free Agency

Courtesy of Inner-City Newspaper

During all the hustle and bustle of the NFL offseason, there have been many familiar faces ending up in new places. These are five moves that are both interesting, and will have a major impact on the upcoming season.
Darrelle Revis
Old team: Jets   New team: Buccaneers
Darrelle Revis was recently traded from the Jets to the Bucs for the 13th overall pick in this year's draft, and a probably third-rounder in next year's draft. Revis is the best defensive back in the game. He can cover anyone's best receiver. If any team needed a player like Revis, it's Tampa Bay. They were dead last in passing yards allowed, and the particularly could not cover receivers. The Bucs also added former 49ers safety Dashon Goldson to try to ratify this issue. Tampa Bay has a great deal of talent on the offensive side of the ball. Josh Freeman, Doug Martin, and Vincent Jackson all have superstar potential. So the team clearly feels that improving defensively will be what gets them over the hump. Revis' contract is the only real point of concern. His new contract is for 6 years, $96 million. The fact that none of it is guaranteed helps, but Revis will make the majority of this money if he plays well. It is an issue because this team still needs to add more pieces, and they are committing a lot of money to someone who is not a quarterback. They have good young players and an inspiring coach, but they are not quite ready to take the next step. With that said, this trade shows that they are serious about winning right now.
Mike Wallace
Old team: Steelers   New team: Dolphins
While this move should help improve the Dolphins' passing offense, it is probably the most overhyped signing of the offseason. To be clear, Mike Wallace has lightning speed and is a prolific route runner. He also has the ability to play both the outside and the slot. This, however, will not be a particularly positive change of scenery. Miami did have an impressive season last year, considering a lack of talent and a seemingly uninspiring coach (as seen on Hard Knocks). They seem poised to take the next step, as seen by the signings of Dannell Ellerby, Brent Grimes, and Dustin Keller. They spent big money to keep wide receiver Brian Hartline. Despite these moves, the offense is by no means elite. They were already thin at the running back position, and then they lost Reggie Bush. This will put tons of pressure on quarterback Ryan Tannehill to make huge strides toward superstardom in his second season. The Steelers had their own offensive problems last year, but they also had Ben Roethlisberger. Wallace greatly benefited from having such an elite quarterback. Wallace's small size (6'0",199 lb) means he can be bodied by larger defensive backs, so he needs a quarterback who can throw into tight windows. Tannehill is talented, but time will tell if he can be dominant. Having a weak running game will not do him, or Wallace, any favors.
Wes Welker
Old team: Patriots   New team: Broncos
This move is a no-brainer from the perspective of the Denver Broncos. Peyton Manning and company were the fifth best passing offense in the league last year, and they did so without a great slot receiver. Brandon Stokley did a decent job due to his familiarity with Manning, but Welker is a huge upgrade. Welker led the Patriots last year in receptions with 118, and receiving yards with 1354. Stokley had 45 receptions for 544 yards. This should be the most potent passing attack in the league now, considering that Demaryius Thomas and Eric Decker are great outside receivers. Peyton Manning had a great security blanket for years in Indianapolis with Dallas Clark, and Welker should fill a similar role. He will not dominate statistically like he did last year since he is new to Manning, but this move will take an already potent offense to new heights.
Osi Umenyiora
Old team: Giants   New team: Falcons
Osi Umenyiora is far from the player he was 6 years ago. His amount of sacks has been declining, and he has been battling injuries in both knees. Not to mention that he's 31 years old. Considering this, Umenyiora was very disgruntled with the Giants for failing to renegotiate his contract in 2011. He clearly needed a change of scenery. He cited Atlanta's talent as his reason for chose them, which shows that he's excited to be there. Atlanta was in desperate need of a defensive end due to the departure of John Abraham. Abraham and Umenyiora had similar stats last season, but Umenyiora is three years younger. The fact that Abraham remains a free agent proves that teams are uninterested in a 34 year old defensive end. It is unlikely that Osi will ever be the stellar pass rusher he was, but he benefits from the fact that Atlanta has a great defensive system. Coordinator Mike Nolan had the sixth best scoring defense in the league last year, despite giving up a good amount of yards. I'm not sure how much better this deal will make Atlanta, but it was necessary to make. He will not dominate, but this system will utilize his skills properly.
Percy Harvin
Old team: Vikings   New team: Seahawks
There was no greater surprise last year than the Seattle Seahawks and their rookie quarterback, Russell Wilson. Despite this, they still did not have a stellar passing offense, which ranked 27th in passing yards per game. Granted, the playbook was expanded as the season progressed. But for a team that finished 11-5 and had a top five defense, wide receiver was clearly their biggest need. Golden Tate, Sidney Rice, and Doug Baldwin are talented, but neither possesses the big play ability of Harvin. He will also be the team's best kick returner if Seattle chooses to use him that way. It will be tough for this team to get much better, but they have to try considering how good the 49ers are. The biggest question mark with Harvin is his health, due to the fact that he missed almost half of last season. Luckily for Seattle, they have enough depth at the position to replace him if he gets injured. Teams will have a better idea of how to stop Wilson this year, so having an extra target will be very beneficial.