[Chief Rum]

They Helped Themselves A Bit

ARIZONA CARDINALS

Roster Strength +/-: +6.4

Key Players Lost: RB Emmitt Smith (ret), T L.J. Shelton

Key Players Signed: QB Marc Bulger, G Dave Fiore, T Damion McIntosh, T Matt Hill, CB Dexter McCleon, CB Ray Buchanan, S Arturo Freeman

Comments: The Cards didn't move up into the next level, because they didn't really sign any stars, but they added several key players to improve poor areas. McCleon, Buchanan and the re-signing of David Barrett makes the Cardinals very deep at their weakest psoition last year in cornerback. Both McIntosh and Hill are young, developing tackles who even know represent upgrades over last year's tackles. Fiore also fills a hole on the line, and Bulger has tremendous upside at QB.

HOUSTON TEXANS

Roster Strength +/-: +5.6

Key Players Lost: FB Greg Comella, G Fred Weary, G Zach Wiegert, T Greg Robinson-Randall, DE Junior Ioane, DT Steve Martin, DT Seth Payne, OLB Charlie Clemons

Key Players Signed: G Cosey Coleman, G Bob Hallen, T Victor Riley, DE Lance Johnstone, DT Brentson Buckner, ILB Mike Maslowski

Comments: The Texans lost some solid players on both lines, but they more than made up for it. Coleman and Riley are two of the top linemen in the league and Hallen a worthy replacement as well. The line is arguably one fo the team's top strengths now. Buckner is an underrated defensive tackle who should be nearly as good as Martin was, and Johnstone is a good upgrade at defensive end. Maslowski gives the team a legit inside linebacker.

ST. LOUIS RAMS

Roster Strength +/-: +4.8

Key Players Lost: QB Marc Bulger, TE Cameron Cleeland, G Adam Timmerman, G Andy McCollum, T Orlando Pace, T Grant Williams, OLB Tommy Polley, CB Fred Weary

Key Players Signed: TE Jim Kleinsasser, G Fred Weary, OLB Mike Vrabel, CB Chris McAllister, CB Artrell Hawkins

Comments: The Rams must have had some nice reserves in place, because I can't see these losses and those gains equating to a positive free agency. But that's what the numbers say. They do upgrade the secondary in a big way, with the signings of McCallister and Hawkins. But the line takes huge hits. Weary's signing can barely recover the loss of McCollum, the lesser guard, much less the loss of stars like Timmerman and Pace. Kleinsasser is an improvement on Cleeland, and Vrabel will help replace Polley. But as it stands right now, I have to think this team best illustrates the inaccuracies of the system I put together.

CLEVELAND BROWNS

Roster Strength +/-: +4.3

Key Players Lost: QB Tim Couch, QB Kelly Holcomb, RB James Jackson, G Shaun O'Hara, G Craig Osika, T Ryan Tucker, DT Orpheus Roye, ILB Brant Boyer, OLB Barry Gardner, CB Anthony Henry

Key Players Signed: G Travis Claridge, T Lindsay Everett, DT John Parrella, ILB Randall Godfrey, OLB Derrick Rodgers, CB Kevin Mathis

Comments: The Browns actually still have some sizable holes to fill, although that can be expected when you come off of an awful season like they just did. Despite those holes, the Browns got a pretty positive outlook to this point ont he strength of some of the star power they landed. Godfrey is the best inside linebacker in football, according to the ratings, so he more than replaces Boyer. He and highly-regarded Parrella make the Browns much, much stronger up the middle of their defense than they were before. Rodgers will help replace Gardner, and Mathis is an upgrade from Henry. They also re-signed Daylon McCutcheon, keeping their one good corner from last year. Claridge is a big upgrade from last year's guards, and Everett is at least as good as the departed Tucker, so the line is also better. Of course, none of this addresses the fact they lost their top two quarterbacks and their second running back. Those areas still need addressing, among other talent-deficient areas.

BUFFALO BILLS

Roster Strength +/-: +4.3

Key Players Lost: RB Travis Henry, FB Sam Gash (ret), TE David Moore, WR Bobby Shaw, T Jonas Jennings, DE Keith McKenzie, OLB Jeff Posey, CB Antoine Wingfield, FS Izell Reese

Key Players Signed: RB Duce Staley, FB Terrelle Smith, TE Jason Dunn, DE Ray Lee Johnson, OLB Mo Lewis, CB Donnie Abraham

Comments: The Bills have yet to address some areas and have seemingly improved other areas that don't stand out as needs from their free agent losses. So it's tough to say right now if the Bills are making the right moves. The early returns seem good, though. Staley is an improvement on Henry, Smith is one of the better fullbacks in the league, and Dunn is a very talented former backup tight end who will finally get a chance to show his stuff. But the Bills have yet to replace Shaw or Jennings, two key starters from last year's offense. The defense is somewhat like this as well. Johnson should be a fine replacement for McKenzie, and Abraham can fill Wingfield's shoes. But Reese has yet to be replaced in the secondary. The big signing, of course, is Lewis, who should be a very nice upgrade from Posey at OLB.

CAROLINA PANTHERS

Roster Strength +/-: +4.0

Key Players Lost: QB Rodney Peete, QB Chris Weinke, FB Brad Hoover, TE Kris Mangum, WR Ricky Proehl (ret), WR Kevin Dyson, G Kevin Donnalley, T Tood Steussie, DT Brentson Buckner, ILB Lester Towns, CB Terry Cousin

Key Players Signed: G Andy McCollum, T Jonas Jennings, OLB Ian Gold, CB Terrell Buckley

Comments: Like the Browns, the Panthers still have quite a few holes, but they get a positive ranking for the sheer strength of the players they did bring in. They faced troubles after losing vet linemen Donnalley and Steussie, but they recovered well in getting McCollum and Jennings, particularly the former. Gold is a difference maker at OLB and could be a star in this defense. Buckley should do well enough to replace Cousin, and the los of Buckner is relatively insignificant, since he didn't start for the panthers, talented or not. The problems are at the offensive skill positions. No one is crying over the loss of Peete or Weinke, but they still need a quarterback, so that's a huge hole. There are also big holes at FB and TE, where two quality players are gone now. Smith and Muhammad remain at WR, but Dyson and Proehl were the starters out wide.

CINCINNATI BENGALS

Roster Strength +/-: +3.9

Key Players Lost: RB Corey Dillon, FB Chris Edmonds, WR Peter Warrick, C Rich Braham, G Matt O'Dwyer, DT Oliver Gibson, CB Artrell Hawkins, CB Jeff Burris, FS Mark Roman, SS Rogers Beckett

Key Players Signed: FB Brad Hoover, TE Itula Mili, C J.P. Machado, G Adam Timmerman, DT Seth Payne, S Bracy Walker, S Jason Sehorn

Comments: You can't argue with how the Bengals fixed their line problems after losing the well-regarded Braham and O'Dwyer. Timmerman was the best available guard on the market and one of the best linemen in the league. Machado may end up the best center in the league one day, and he's already among the better ones right now. They also made a mjaor move not noted here by bringing back supreme passrusher Duane Clemons at DE. Payne should be up to the challenge of replacing Gibson. Unfortunately for the Bengals, they have a lot of other holes to fill. They did nothing to replace their lost corners, including Hawkins, and the combo of Walker-Sehorn at S is a good deal less skilled than the Roman-Beckett one from last year. The loss of franchise identity player DIllon is also a huge one, even if he doesn't really rate so high in talent. The Benmgals have yet to bring in a replacement. They did take care of the little stuff in signing solid blue collar skills guys like Hoover and Mili.

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS

Roster Strength +/-: +3.7

Key Players Lost: T Adam Meadows, DT Josh Williams, CB Walt Harris, CB David Macklin

Key Players Signed: CB Willie Williams

Comments: I suppose it's odd to see this as a positive free agency with only one signing. What's important here is what is not stated--the Colts were somehow able to bring back star quarterback Peyton Manning and one of their best defensive players in OLB Marcus Washington. That alone makes this whole free agency for them. Williams is a better corner than either Macklin or Harris, so that's a partial upgrade--although they still need a second corner. Meadows is a tremendous run blocker with very little pass blocking ability, so he will liekly not be missed much. This free agent class shouldn't rank this high, but considering the Manning and Washington signings are also not being counted, you can think of it as one repalcing the other. And in that respect, this has to be considered a somewhat successful free agency for the Colts.

CR