PEYTON MANNING (QB)
Former Team: Indianapolis Colts
New Team: Denver Broncos
Grade: B
Peyton Manning can do what we wants. He has 4 MVP's, he has won a Super Bowl, and he's going to go down as one of, if not THE greatest quarterback of all time (I personally put him second behind Dan Marino). It seems painfully obvious that Peyton Manning went with his gut because at this point in his career he can and did choose Denver. While Denver plays in a terrible division, has some good young receivers in Eric Decker and Demaryius Thomas and a decent defense led by Von Miller and Elvis Dumervil and coached by Jack Del Rio, Denver does not give Peyton the best place to win more Superbowls than his brother.
The San Francisco 49ers were the best place for him to go with one of the best defenses in the game, a great offensive head coach, a great running game, and wide receiver core that now consists of Michael Crabtree, Mario Manningham, and Randy Moss. The Seattle Seahawks and Arizona Cardinals were both better places that Denver.
VINCENT JACKSON (WR)
Former Team: San Diego Chargers
New Team: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Grade: A-
I still believe in the young Tampa Bay offense. I still believe in both Josh Freeman and Mike Williams who are both extremely young and developing players. Vincent Jackson is an elite and truly number one wide receiver and he will help move everyone down to their rightful place to make Williams the #2 and Regis Benn the #3 wide outs. Like with most new wide out/quarterback duos there will be some growing pains and big name wide outs will not earn immediate early returns but I expect that at the end of Jackson's five year contract Freeman to Jackson is a phrase you will hear early and often.
BRANDON MARSHALL (WR)
Former Team: Miami Dolphins
New Team: Chicago Bears
Grade: A+
Sure, call me biased but I freaking love Brandon Marshall on the Bears paired up with Jay Cutler again. Not only did the Bears desperately need a legitimate #1 receiver but Marshall and Cutler have the essential ingredient needed to make this trade amazing: chemistry. I expect major growing pains with Josh Freeman and Vincent Jackson but not with Brandon Marshall and Jay Cutler. While I do not expect the dynamic duo I saw in a Josh McDaniels led offense, I do expect great things to come. Brandon Marshall is only 27 years old (compared to VJax who is 29) and already a stud who can run down field with great hands. Plus, it cost the Bears very little to acquire Marshall- only two 3rd round draft picks.
MARIO WILLIAMS (DE/LB)
Former Team: Houston Texans
New Team: Buffalo Bills
Grade: C+
I am a huge Mario Williams fan and when healthy he is a top five pass rusher as both a linebacker and a defensive end. But that is the big caveat: when healthy. He's only played 18 games the past two seasons. The Bills needed to do something to show that they are serious contenders and Mario Williams will help attract free agents like what the Washington Nationals did with Jayson Werth last season in baseball, but right now, the move looks like a move just to make a move and that team still has a lot of obstacles ahead of them if they even want that defense to be good.
PIERRE GARCON (WR)
Former Team: Indianapolis Colts
New Team: Washington Redskins
Grade: F
Vincent Jackson's contract: 5 years/ 55.55 millions dollars. Pierre Garcon's contract: 5 years/ 42.5 million dollars. Pierre Garcon is an average wide receiver who has known to have brick hands. He's basically a rich man's Roy Williams (or maybe he just is Roy Williams). He got way too much money for way too long of time. From Pierre Garcon's perspective he gets an A for commanding that much money with that little talent but it's a horrible move for the Redskins. I understand they want to get RGIII some wide outs to throw to but this is ridiculous.
MATT FLYNN (QB)
Former Team: Green Bay Packers
New Team: Seattle Seahawks
Grade: A-
Yet another back up quarterback of a legend in Green Bay goes to Seattle to become the starter. First Matt Hasselbeck and now Matt Flynn. Seattle has some great offensive pieces in place. Three of their five offensive lineman were drafted in the last two years and are either first or second round draft picks, they have Beast Mode Marshawn Lynch at running back, a decent pass catching tight end in Zach Miller and will hopefully get wide receiver Sidney Rice back soon. While I am not completely convinced Flynn is not a product of the Green Bay system, in one game started in 2011 he threw more touchdown passes than: Vince Young, TJ Yates, Caleb Hanie, and Donovan McNabb. Considering the Seahawks were never going to get Andrew Luck or RGIII and their starting quarterback is Tarvaris Jackson- a low end #2 QB in the league at best, Seattle needed to get Flynn.
NOTE: Poor Miami. They hired Joe Philbin- who's former job was the offensive coordinator of the Green Bay Packers- and they tried to go out and get the Packers back up QB and lose out. Wah Wah. Sad Trombone.
BRANDON LLOYD (WR)
Former Team: St. Louis Rams
New Team: New England Patriots
Grade: A+
I guess I just love Brandon's today. Lloyd is a legitimate #1 in a Josh McDaniels led offense and he now has Tom Brady throwing to him. Lloyd might return to being the best wide out in fantasy again.
REGGIE WAYNE (WR)
Former Team: Indianapolis Colts
New Team: Indianapolis Colts
Grade: C-
The Colts should have traded Wayne last year for draft picks in order to help rebuild. Although I do think Wayne still has plenty of left in the tank and it would not shock me if Wayne next year turns out to be like Steve Smith of the Carolina Panthers last year- to have a #1 overall pick/quarterback throwing to them to rejuvenate their careers. However, I think the Colts and Wayne should have just moved on to help the rebuilding process.
TIM TEBOW (QB)
Former Team: Denver Broncos
New Team: New York Jets
Grade: D
Now the Jets have two bad quarterbacks. The best move for Tebow was Jacksonville.
MICHAEL BUSH (RB)
Former Team: Oakland Raiders
New Team: Chicago Bears
Grade: B+
For Bush's standpoint this move seems horrible (for at minimum one year) because instead of being a starter (like he deserves and he's proven to be) he's now on the wrong end of a Running Back By Committee time share. From the Bears perspective they now have a two top 12 running backs (probably, not going to count out exactly though). This move (rightfully) pissed Matt Forte off to no end and it's never good to have your franchised player disgruntled but as a Bears fan, and this pains me to say, I would rather have a 27 year old Michael Bush for four years than a 26 year old Matt Forte.
CALVIN JOHNSON (WR)
Former Team: Detroit Lions
New Team: Detroit Lions
Grade: B+
It's hard to say it's the best move in the world resigning Megatron to a 7 year/ $132 million extension- which takes up a shit ton of cap room but he's the best wide out in the game right now and the Lions don't have an offense without him.
MARQUES COLSTON (WR)
Former Team: New Orleans Saints
New Team: New Orleans Saints
Grade: B
Colston was only a 7th round draft pick and has been streaky in seasons throughout his career. I think he's essential to that Sean Peyton offensive system in New Orleans but I don't think he would have been worth his contract if he went anywhere else.
KYLE ORTON (QB)
Former Team: Kansas City Chiefs
New Team: Dallas Cowboys
Grade: A-
I still believe Orton can start for many teams (I'm looking at you Cleveland and Jacksonville) and I don't believe he's a back up but he'll be really good when (not if) Tony Romo gets injured.
JASON CAMPBELL (QB)
Former Team: Oakland Raiders
New Team: Chicago Bears
Grade: A-
I don't like that he's the highest paid back up QB in the league but the Bears have the cap room to support it and I still believe Campbell has the skills to be a starter in this league. The Bears need insurance if Cutler goes down again seeing at what a horrible disappointment the Caleb Hanie Experiment was in 2011 the Bears need Campbell.
PEYTON HILLIS (RB)
Former Team: Cleveland Browns
New Team: Kansas City Chiefs
Grade: A-
Jamaal Charles is coming off major surgery and we saw how effective Charles and Thomas Jones were two years ago. Hillis is now playing the TJ role and I think he'll revert back to 2010 form.
MARIO MANNINGHAM (WR)
Former Team: New York Giants
New Team: San Francisco 49ers
Grade: A
Manningham has great hands and is a damn fine route runner. He will work great on any team and will work great in Jim Harbaugh's system. I think Manningham would have gotten an "A" grade wherever he went because I think his skill set can complement any system.
ROBERT MEACHUM (WR)
Former Team: New Orleans Saints
New Team: San Diego Chargers
Grade: B
If I were the Chargers I would have paid out the big bucks for Vincent Jackson yet Philip Rivers had his best season in 2010 when Jackson missed the vast majority of the year and when Rivers was throwing to scrubs so I'm kind of conflicted. Meachum feels more like a product if that great Sean Peyton system yet maybe he's just the complementary piece San Diego needs.
OTHERS NOTABLES:
- BenJavis Green-Ellis (RB) (Patriots to Bengals). Grade: B+
- Mike Tolbert (RB) (Chargers to Panthers). Grade: C-
- Courtland Finnegan (DB) (Titans to Rams). Grade: B+
- David Garrard (QB) (FA to Dolphins). Grade: B.
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