NFL 2014: Free Agency Recap: Winners and Losers of Free Agency

One of the more popular phrases in the National Football League today is that free-agency does not win championships. It is better to win the battle on the field, rather than off. Off-Season headlines mean very little in the way of Super Bowls.

Let’s face the facts though, free-agency is still a huge part of building a team. Here are some of the winners and losers so far in the off-season:

Winners:

(Revis Island is coming to New England)

New England Patriots

Bill Belichick in his office right now smiling. Smiling because he knows what Darrelle Revis will do for his defense. The Patriots signed the former All-Pro CB to a 1-year deal immediately after being released by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Pats then signed former Seahawks CB Brandon Browner to compliment Revis. The Pats defense went from a hot and cold unit to maybe having the best CB duo in the game.

It was rumored Revis’ former team, the New York Jets, could be interested in bringing back the stud, but it never materialized. That rivalry only grows bigger now.

(Josh McCown is now the starter in Tampa)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Despite the loss of Revis, the Bucs have arguably had the best off-season of any team in the league. New Head Coach Lovie Smith will implement his “Tampa-2” defense in 2014. A defensive style that does not appeal to Revis’ strengths.

The Bucs boasted their defense by bringing in CB Alterraun Verner and DE Michael Johnson. Johnson was considered the top pass rusher on the market (11.5 sacks in 2012), according to Sporting News. The Bucs also went bold and signed journey-man QB Josh McCown. The bold part of it was naming him their starting QB, ahead of youngster Mike Glennon.

(Ware joins Manning in Denver)

Denver Broncos

John Elway is going all-out for Peyton Manning. The “Win-Now” team became a “They Better Win-Now” team. Maybe it was the disappointing Super Bowl performance that spurred on this attack, but an attack it is.

Veterans T.J. Ward (S) and Aqib Talib (CB) will improve the poorest area of the team last year in the secondary. On top of that they went out and brought in one of the best pass rushers the game has ever seen in Demarcus Ware. Ware, 31 years old, had a tough season in 2013. Denver inked him to a 3-year $30 million deal, notes CBS Sports. The contract is a risky one as the final year could be interesting with Ware at 34 years of age, but for 2014 the Broncos have themselves a nice pass rusher.

Losers

(Eric Decker is heading to New York)

New York Jets

The Jets were one of very few teams to have a ton of cap space heading into the off-season. The problem is, they still have that cap space. The only major signing to note is WR Eric Decker coming from Denver. While a solid receiver, Decker is not a #1, and the Jets need a #1 WR.

The Jets also angered their fan base by losing RT Austin Howard to the Raiders (5 years, $30 mil). A contract number that Jets fans thought was more than reasonable. The word fans have received about their second-year General Manager John Idzik is “Cautious.” He seems to not want to negotiate unless fully on his terms.

They recently signed QB Michael Vick to a 1-year deal, further confusing the fan-base. Who is their starting QB? Does this mess up Geno Smith? Will they compete for the starting job? Can the 34-year old Vick actually stay healthy for a season?

Patience is being preached in Florham Park, NJ right now. But as we all know, New Yorkers have very little patience.

(Steve Smith is one of the newest Ravens)

Carolina Panthers

The surprise team in 2013 were the Carolina Panthers. Earning a #2 seed in the NFC, they shocked many with their hard-nose defense and “do just enough” offense. After free agency though, Carolina fans around the country are in a state of panic.

In a surprising move, they declined to hang on to their most reliable player over the past decade in WR Steve Smith. Smith wanted to come back, but the team seemed content to let him go to Baltimore. The offense also took major hits as they lost WR Ted Ginn Jr. and RT Jordan Gross. Adding injury to insult, franchise QB Cam Newton recently had angle surgery. He should be ready for Week 1, but doubt is now in the warm air of the Carolina’s.

(Jerry has some work to do)

Dallas Cowboys

“Jerry’s Palace” in Dallas is a little more quit now after the loss of long-time Cowboy DE Demarcus Ware. After nine seasons and 117 career sacks with the Boys, Ware is headed to Denver. It was a calculated move by Jerry Jones. The risk of the aging veteran declining in productivity was not worth the money.

The loss of Ware coupled with the Eagles trading for dynamic RB Darren Sproles and the Giants getting better on paper doesn't look good for this franchise. Draft day will be huge. They currently hold eight picks in the upcoming 2014 Draft, including number 16 overall.