The 2014 NFL draft is finished and free agency has pretty much run its course. Rosters aren't quite set for training camp, but they're close enough to hand out letter grades for front offices based on offseason work completed to this point.
Bill Polian, Louis Riddick, Field Yates and Matt Williamson joined me in filling out report cards. We averaged the results, then solicited additional grades from a current general manager for the 10 teams that drew large disparities between high and low votes.
The Oakland Raiders -- who finished with the only F grade on the report card we handed out for work completed during the first week of free agency -- rallied to avoid detention. Six teams wound up with lower offseason grades than the Raiders. The two lowest grades went to 2013 playoff teams with young franchise quarterbacks.
Voters took into account all aspects of the offseason: coaching changes, ownership issues, contract dynamics, free agency, the draft, off-field incidents, etc.
Here are the 2014 NFL offseason grades:
A GRADES
Grade: A-
Re-signed: LB Jo-Lonn Dunbar, OL Rodger Saffold
Veteran additions: WR Kenny Britt, DE Alex Carrington, QB Shaun Hill
Veteran subtractions: QB Kellen Clemens, G Harvey Dahl, CB Cortland Finnegan, FS Matt Giordano, TE Mike McNeill, CB Quinton Pointer, QB Brady Quinn, G Shelley Smith, SS Darian Stewart, G Chris Williams, LB Will Witherspoon
Draft picks: 1a-Greg Robinson (OT), 1b-Aaron Donald (DT), 2-Lamarcus Joyner (CB), 3-Tre Mason (RB), 4-Maurice Alexander (S), 6a-E.J. Gaines (CB), 6b-Garrett Gilbert (QB), 7a-Mitchell Van Dyk (OT), 7b-Christian Bryant (S), 7c-Michael Sam (DE), 7d-Demetrius Rhaney (C)
Analysis: The 2013 Rams ranked 24th in passer rating allowed (94.7) and 20th in Total QBR allowed (55.9) despite their obvious talent and production along the defensive line. Hiring Gregg Williams to replace Tim Walton as defensive coordinator seemed like a positive move, but the Rams were only getting started. Adding Aaron Donald with the 12th pick in the draft gave St. Louis the first defensive tackle off the board and a fourth defensive lineman selected among the top 15 overall picks.
"Their draft was excellent," Riddick said. "Aaron Donald should have been under consideration for best player in the draft. Greg Robinson could be one of the next great offensive tackles. Tre Mason is a stud competitor. Combine him with Zac Stacy and they have it going there. They did everything they could. The quarterback position will make it all go or not."
St. Louis chose Robinson second overall when Sammy Watkins was also available. Going with Robinson and then Donald showed the Rams were serious about upgrading where it matters in the physical NFC West: along the lines.
"Their big men are better and their little men are the same," Williamson said.
This was the second and final year in which St. Louis went into the draft with Washington's first-round pick, courtesy of the trade that delivered Robert Griffin III to the Redskins in 2012. The Rams wound up using those choices to select Alec Ogletree, Stedman Bailey and Robinson. They also used one of the picks to maneuver for Stacy. Mel Kiper Jr. gave them an A-minus grade for their work in the 2014 draft.
"Because of the nature of the RG III trade, the draft has to drive them, and we'll see," Polian said. "Their fans have every right to be optimistic, but as Suzy Kolber says, I'm 'Buzz Kill Bill.' I don't get excited about draft choices until they prove it."
Grade: A-
Re-signed: head coach John Fox, GM John Elway
Veteran additions: WR Emmanuel Sanders, CB Aqib Talib, SS T.J. Ward, OLB DeMarcus Ware, C Will Montgomery, DT Marvin Austin
Veteran subtractions: FS Mike Adams, DE Robert Ayers, CB Champ Bailey, G Zane Beadles, LB Stewart Bradley, DB Marquice Cole, WR Eric Decker, WR Trindon Holliday, CB Michael Huff, CB Quentin Jammer, C Dan Koppen, LB Paris Lenon, DE Jeremy Mincey, RB Knowshon Moreno, LB Shaun Phillips, CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, C Steve Vallos, LB Wesley Woodyard
Draft picks: 1-Bradley Roby (CB), 2-Cody Latimer (WR), 3-Michael Schofield (OT), 5-Lamin Barrow (OLB), 6-Matt Paradis (C), 7-Corey Nelson (OLB)
Analysis: After the Broncos added Ware, Ward and Talib in free agency, it would have been easy to say they mortgaged the future to maximize their championship window with Peyton Manning. That is what it looked like from afar, but these were short-term bets without long-term salary-cap consequences.
Denver tends to structure deals in a pay-as-you-go framework that saves cash in the short term and heads off longer-term cap troubles at the risk of overpaying in the near term if a player fails to meet expectations. For example, Denver has committed $11.5 million in fully guaranteed money for Talib in 2014, with another $500,000 available in weekly roster bonuses. If Talib bombs out this year, the Broncos grossly overpaid, but because there is no fully guaranteed money after 2014, the cap ramifications are confined to the short term. The team could move on comfortably after two years.
"They did great," Williamson said. "They are a lot better than they were a year ago. Now, they get Ryan Clady back and Von Miller back, plus Chris Harris. I don't really care about losing Knowshon Moreno. Denver is just a tough team to come up with a weakness for."
Grade: A-
Re-signed: Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, WR Anquan Boldin, LB Michael Wilhoite, K Phil Dawson, CB Eric Wright, WR Kassim Osgood, CB Perrish Cox, FB Bruce Miller, TE Demarcus Dobbs, S Craig Dahl.
Veteran additions: FS Antoine Bethea, CB Chris Cook, QB Blaine Gabbert, OT Jonathan Martin, WR Brandon Lloyd, WR Steve Johnson.
Veteran subtractions: CB Tarell Brown, RB Anthony Dixon, C Jonathan Goodwin, WR Mario Manningham, QB Colt McCoy, CB Carlos Rogers, SS Donte Whitner.
Draft picks: 1-Jimmie Ward (S), 2-Carlos Hyde (RB), 3a-Marcus Martin (C), 3b-Chris Borland (ILB), 3c-Brandon Thomas (OT), 4a-Bruce Ellington (WR), 4b-Dontae Johnson (CB), 5a-Aaron Lynch (DE), 5b-Keith Reaser (CB), 6-Kenneth Acker (CB), 7a-Kaleb Ramsey (DT), 7b-Trey Millard (FB).
Analysis: This was looking like a brutal offseason for the 49ers, at least for a while. Reported friction between general manager Trent Baalke and coach Jim Harbaugh dominated headlines coming out of the combine. Off-field trouble for Aldon Smith, Chris Culliver and Daniel Kilgore added another layer. Meanwhile, there has been no new contract for Harbaugh or quarterback Colin Kaepernick.
The 49ers overcame all that to score a high grade for their offseason largely through the work they did in landing 12 players via the draft. Kiper wasn't the only one to give them an A grade this year. "The draft was just such a strong success, a really nice meeting of value and need," Yates said. Riddick said they "killed it." Williamson, who picked Seattle to win the Super Bowl heading into last season, thinks the 49ers emerged from this offseason as the best team in the league. He gave A grades to the 49ers, Broncos, Vikings and Saints.
"The whole offense is better," Williamson said. "They got the best center in the draft and a great scheme fit. They picked up Jonathan Martin; if he is their third tackle, their line is so deep. With Michael Crabtree, Anquan Boldin and Stevie Johnson, they have so many weapons now. They are extremely well set up to win now and for the long term. Besides corner, which is still a worry, I'm not sure where they are not great. It would not surprise me if their offense was as good or better than their defense."
B grades from Polian and from me prevented the 49ers from scoring an overall A grade for their offseason. I could not overlook the off-field issues threatening to derail Smith's career. Getting a new deal for Harbaugh and/or Kaepernick also would have been nice, although there is time on both fronts.
"They are in a situation like Carolina is in where what they do in the draft is so important," Polian said. "Their success is dependent on the draft because of the cap situation and the quarterback's unresolved contract. Did they have a plan and follow it? Yes, to the letter."
Grade: A-
Re-signed: coach Pete Carroll, DE Michael Bennett, FS Earl Thomas, CB Richard Sherman
Veteran additions: CB Phillip Adams, WR Taylor Price, G Greg Van Roten, OT Stephen Schilling, QB Terrelle Pryor, CB A.J. Jefferson.
Veteran subtractions: CB Brandon Browner, DE Red Bryant, DE Chris Clemons, TE Kellen Davis, OT Breno Giacomini, FS Chris Maragos, DT Clinton McDonald, G Paul McQuistan, FB Michael Robinson, WR Golden Tate, CB Walter Thurmond.
Draft picks: 2a-Paul Richardson (WR), 2b-Justin Britt (OT), 4a-Cassius Marsh (DE), 4b-Kevin Norwood (WR), 4c-Kevin Pierre-Louis (OLB), 5-Jimmy Staten (DT), 6a-Garrett Scott (OT), 6b-Eric Pinkins (S), 7-Kiero Small (FB).
Analysis: Re-signing Carroll, Bennett, Thomas and Sherman made this a great offseason for the Seahawks' long-term future.
"I gave them an A because when you are in their position, and I have been there many times, re-signing your own is critical, and making sure the right players are re-signed is critical, and they did both," Polian said.
Seattle could not realistically keep everyone. The team could be worse on paper, depending upon how younger, less proven players perform as replacements for some of the players Seattle released or lost. The team's record of developing players has arguably earned the Seahawks some benefit of the doubt, but Williamson believes they gave up ground to the 49ers.
"Seattle's depth has been compromised," Williamson said. "Everyone on draft day says you cannot criticize the Seahawks for taking a fifth-round tackle [Justin Britt] in the second round, but you cannot tell me Bruce Irvin or James Carpenter were worth first-round picks, either. They have hit on guys late in the draft, but will they always? They are not light-years smarter than the rest of the league, and they have not had to pay their quarterback."
Williamson and Riddick agreed that Paul Richardson, the receiver Seattle drafted in the second round, projected as a DeSean Jackson type with the ability to pump welcome speed into the Seahawks' offense.
"They got exponentially faster with Richardson if they can keep Percy Harvin healthy," Riddick said. "[Richardson] is lightning in a bottle."
Grade: A-
Re-signed: G Jamon Meredith, CB Danny Gorrer, LB Jonathan Casillas.
Veteran additions: OT Anthony Collins, G Oniel Cousins, C Evan Dietrich-Smith, LB Dane Fletcher, WR Lavelle Hawkins, CB Mike Jenkins, DE Michael Johnson, QB Josh McCown, DT Clinton McDonald, CB D.J. Moore, WR Louis Murphy, TE Brandon Myers, CB Alterraun Verner, FS Major Wright, LS Jeremy Cain.
Veteran subtractions: TE Kyle Adams, DB Michael Adams, TE Nate Byham, G Gabe Carimi, TE Tom Crabtree, LB Jacob Cutrera, LS Andrew Economos, DT Gary Gibson, LB Adam Hayward, RB Michael Hill, G Davin Joseph, DT Derek Landri, FB Spencer Larsen, G Ted Larsen, RB Brian Leonard, K Rian Lindell, TE Erik Lorig, QB Dan Orlovsky, CB Darrelle Revis, DE Daniel Te'o-Nesheim, K Lawrence Tynes, WR Tiquan Underwood, LB Dekoda Watson, OT Donald Penn, C Jeremy Zuttah, WR Mike Williams.
Draft picks: 1-Mike Evans (WR), 2-Austin Seferian-Jenkins (TE), 3-Charles Sims (RB), 5a-Kadeem Edwards (G), 5b-Kevin Pamphile (OT), 6-Robert Herron (WR).
Analysis: Some in the league question whether McCown is a viable starting quarterback. There was much to like about him when McCown finished last season with 13 touchdowns and one interception for Chicago. Still, he could be the fourth-best quarterback in the NFC South this season.
"It was smart not hitching their wagon to a quarterback in the draft this year," Yates said. "But I'll be curious to see how the McCown signing plays out."
Back in March, we gave Tampa Bay an A grade for the signings the team made during the early stages of free agency. At the time, Polian called it possibly the best free-agent signing period since Green Bay signed Reggie White two decades ago. "I picked players for this same defensive scheme for 10 years and everything they did on defense fit perfectly," Polian said.
Riddick applauded Tampa Bay for making moves on offense and in the draft to give McCown weapons fitting the mold of the ones he utilized in Chicago. The team used all six of its draft choices for offense, addressing skill positions with each of its first three selections. But Williamson said the applause should not convert to a standing ovation.
"I'm not as high on their offseason as everyone else seems to be," Williamson said. "I'd give it a B grade. I'm not sold on McCown. I know Verner is a really good player, but I'd still rather have Revis. They are certainly better at receiver, but Evans and Seferian-Jenkins are rookies. The line looks better. They are not a contender all of a sudden."
B GRADES
Grade: B+
Re-signed: QB Jay Cutler, CB Charles Tillman, LB D.J. Williams, QB Jordan Palmer, T Eben Britton, S Craig Steltz, WR Brandon Marshall.
Veteran additions: DE Jared Allen, C Brian De La Puente, WR Domenik Hixon, DE Lamarr Houston, DE Israel Idonije, FS M.D. Jennings, DE Austen Lane, SS Danny McCray, WR Josh Morgan, TE Matthew Mulligan, FS Ryan Mundy, LB Trevor Scott, LB Jordan Senn, DE Willie Young, WR Josh Bellamy, RB Shaun Draughn.
Veteran subtractions: LB James Anderson, CB Zack Bowman, RB Michael Bush, DE Landon Cohen, LB Blake Costanzo, WR Devin Hester, LS Patrick Mannelly, QB Josh McCown, DT Henry Melton, DE Julius Peppers, P Adam Podlesh, OT Jonathan Scott, FS Anthony Walters, DE Corey Wootton, FS Major Wright, WR Earl Bennett, DE Cheta Ozougwu, LS Jeremy Cain.
Draft picks: 1-Kyle Fuller (CB), 2-Ego Ferguson (DT), 3-Will Sutton (DT), 4a-Ka'Deem Carey (RB), 4b-Brock Vereen (S), 6a-David Fales (QB), 6b-Pat O'Donnell (P), 7-Charles Leno (OT).
Analysis: Cutler ranks 16th out of 31 qualifying quarterbacks in Total QBR since joining the Bears in 2009, posting a 51.5 score that puts him just ahead of Andy Dalton, Kyle Orton and Carson Palmer over that span. He was eighth in that category at 66.4 last season, one reason Chicago gave Cutler a contract worth $18 million per year. That move made it easier for the Bears to focus their attention this offseason on remaking a defense that allowed 48 offensive touchdowns in 2013, up from 26 in 2012.
"They were smart to say, 'The offense is in place, we have a really good group, so let's dedicate everything to the defensive side of the ball,'" Williamson said. "Their defensive ends should be massively upgraded. I think they can become a contender this year and it would not shock me if they reached the Super Bowl."
Riddick rated Fuller as the top cornerback in the draft. He liked the team's decision to move Shea McClellin to linebacker. He thought the Bears needed to do more to upgrade at safety, but this defense had too many needs to address them all. On offense, losing Josh McCown as a sounding board for Cutler stands out as a potential concern.
"Overall, they know what they are about and they are following the plan," Polian said.
Grade: B+
Re-signed: CB Will Blackmon, QB Chad Henne, DE Jason Babin.
Veteran additions: G Zane Beadles, DE Red Bryant, DE Chris Clemons, WR Tandon Doss, RB Toby Gerhart, DE Ziggy Hood, LB Dekoda Watson, FB Bradie Ewing.
Veteran subtractions: DT Brandon Deaderick, RB Justin Forsett, QB Blaine Gabbert, RB Maurice Jones-Drew, DT Kyle Love, G Brad Meester, G Uche Nwaneri, WR Taylor Price, TE Allen Reisner, LB Russell Allen, WR Stephen Burton, TE Danny Noble, G Will Rackley, DT Drake Nevis, WR Stephen Williams, WR Jeremy Ebert, RB Delone Carter.
Draft picks: 1-Blake Bortles (QB), 2a-Marqise Lee (WR), 2b-Allen Robinson (WR), 3-Brandon Linder (G), 4-Aaron Colvin (CB), 5a-Telvin Smith (OLB), 5b-Chris Smith (DE), 6-Luke Bowanko (C), 7-Storm Johnson (RB).
Analysis: For Jacksonville, this offseason will come down to whether Bortles turns into the right quarterback. Kiper gave them an A for their work in the draft, while most of the personnel people I spoke with saw Bortles as perhaps the only quarterback from the 2014 class worth a first-round pick, and even then, there was some question.
"The only reason I gave them a B-plus as opposed to a higher grade was because a lot hinges in the next 3-5 years on a quarterback that I know people have questions about," Yates said. "It was difficult for anyone to necessarily pound the table for these quarterbacks, but at the same time, the Jaguars might not be in position to get their choice of quarterbacks a year from now."
All but writing off troubled receiver Justin Blackmon was another part of this offseason for Jacksonville. The team restocked the position through the draft by selecting Lee and Robinson in the second round. On defense, reuniting coach Gus Bradley with former Seattle starters Bryant and Clemons made sense.
"I do not love Bortles at all, but I think they are a much better team than when we saw them last," Williamson said. "They are building a defense in Seattle's mirror image. They still might win only 5-6 games, but I think they have a plan."
Grade: B+
Re-signed: CB Joe Haden, C Alex Mack.
Veteran additions: WR Nate Burleson, LB Karlos Dansby, TE Jim Dray, WR Andrew Hawkins, G Paul McQuistan, RB Ben Tate, DB Isaiah Trufant, SS Donte Whitner.
Veteran subtractions: WR Davone Bess, QB Jason Campbell, G Oniel Cousins, DE Paul Hazel, LB D'Qwell Jackson, G Shawn Lauvao, WR Greg Little, RB Willis McGahee, WR Brian Tyms, SS T.J. Ward, QB Brandon Weeden, RB Fozzy Whittaker.
Draft picks: 1a-Justin Gilbert (CB), 1b-Johnny Manziel (QB), 2-Joel Bitonio (OT), 3a-Chris Kirksey (OLB), 3b-Terrance West (RB), 4-Pierre Desir (CB).
Analysis: Cleveland rallied after a tumultuous start to the offseason. New GM Ray Farmer earned high marks for landing a 2015 first-round choice from Buffalo while running a draft room for the first time. Re-signing Haden and hanging onto Mack allowed the team to keep a couple of key building blocks in place. But with receiver Josh Gordon facing a possible suspension, turbulence persisted.
"At first, I thought they were doing a lot of things just to put their own stamp on it," Riddick said. "I wasn't a big fan of swapping out T.J. Ward and D'Qwell Jackson for Karlos Dansby and Donte Whitner, because you are making one-for-one trades. But I like what they have done overall, minus the fact that they have not really addressed the receiver position. Terrance West and Pierre Desir were two of my favorite players in this draft."
The Browns got an "incomplete" grade from Polian because the team had no viable quarterback on its roster before the draft, in his view, and it's not clear whether that has changed. The GM consulted for this piece gave the Browns a B-plus grade. He liked Whitner's addition and endorsed Haden's re-signing even though he thought the Browns paid a premium. He loved the way Farmer maneuvered in the draft to acquire additional picks.
"With Manziel, time will tell," the GM said. "He is polarizing, but that organization needed a spark, and Johnny will give them that. He makes the Browns relevant."
Grade: B+
Re-signed: CB Sam Shields, ILB Jamari Lattimore, FB John Kuhn, QB Matt Flynn, RB James Starks, DT B.J. Raji, TE Andrew Quarless, OLB Mike Neal.
Veteran additions: DT Letroy Guion, RB Michael Hill, DE Julius Peppers.
Veteran subtractions: RB Kahlil Bell, C Evan Dietrich-Smith, TE Jermichael Finley, LB Rob Francois, FS M.D. Jennings, DE Johnny Jolly, WR James Jones, OT Marshall Newhouse, NT Ryan Pickett, G Greg Van Roten, QB Seneca Wallace, DE C.J. Wilson.
Draft picks: 1-Ha Ha Clinton-Dix (S), 2-Davante Adams (WR), 3a-Khyri Thornton (DT), 3b-Richard Rodgers (TE), 4-Carl Bradford (OLB), 5-Corey Linsley (C), 5-Jared Abbrederis (WR), 6-Demetri Goodson (CB), 7-Jeff Janis (WR).
Analysis: As usual, the Packers were more interested in re-signing their own players than overspending for outsiders. Peppers' addition was the one high-profile move. His performance for Chicago was up and down last season, but he graded out positively in both games against Green Bay, according to Pro Football Focus. The Packers' defensive staff has ties to Peppers and plans to use him in a hybrid "elephant" capacity in multiple spots within the defense.
"Peppers is likely to have a couple more good years, but it will be interesting to see how he fits with the defense," Polian said. "Dom Capers will make him as efficient as he can be. As usual, the Packers went about their business in a very businesslike and orderly way. They always work that way."
Riddick called the Packers' offseason "quietly solid" while noting that Clinton-Dix should perfectly complement Morgan Burnett, a player he considers overrated.
"This team is good already and just needs the QB to be healthy," Yates said.
Grade: B
Re-signed: T Zach Strief, OLB Parys Haralson, WR Robert Meachem, LB Ramon Humber, QB Luke McCown.
Veteran additions: CB Champ Bailey, FS Jairus Byrd, TE Erik Lorig.
Veteran subtractions: OT Charles Brown, DE Kenyon Coleman, FB Jed Collins, C Brian De La Puente, SS Eric Frampton, CB Jabari Greer, SS Roman Harper, LB Will Herring, FS Malcolm Jenkins, DT Tom Johnson, WR Lance Moore, S Jordan Pugh, DE Will Smith, LB Jonathan Vilma, RB Darren Sproles.
Draft picks: 1-Brandin Cooks (WR), 2-Stanley Jean-Baptiste (CB), 4-Khairi Fortt (OLB), 5a-Vinnie Sunseri (S), 5b-Ronald Powell (OLB), 6-Tavon Rooks (OT).
Analysis: Williamson gave the Saints an A grade and declared them a Super Bowl contender. Riddick gave New Orleans a B-minus. Everyone else gave them a B grade, including the GM consulted for an outside view. The move up for Cooks in the draft was universally praised. Yates pointed to Victor Butler's return to health as one of the more underrated storylines of the offseason. Reaching a long-term deal with Graham would have put this offseason over the top.
"They went all-in," Williamson said. "They traded up for Cooks, went and got Byrd, kept Graham, traded Sproles. I do not see holes in that team. That defense was really good last year and should only get better. The weakness of the offense was the receiving corps outside Graham. They got Cooks and will know how to use him."
One word of caution: Riddick, who played safety in the NFL and was a pro personnel director, did not think Jean-Baptiste was worth a second-round pick.
"He is one of those corners who got swept up in the tide of getting bigger, longer, taller," Riddick said. "He is not even close to being in the category of Richard Sherman and Byron Maxwell and Jeremy Lane. He has so much more development needed."
Grade: B.
Re-signed: C Ryan Wendell, WR Julian Edelman, TE Michael Hoomanawanui, LS Danny Aiken.
Veteran additions: CB Brandon Browner, FS Patrick Chung, WR Brandon LaFell, CB Darrelle Revis, DE Will Smith, LB Josh Hull.
Veteran subtractions: RB LeGarrette Blount, DE Andre Carter, WR Austin Collie, LB Dane Fletcher, SS Steve Gregory, TE Matthew Mulligan, LB Brandon Spikes, OT Will Svitek, CB Aqib Talib, OT Markus Zusevics, DT Isaac Sopoaga, S Adrian Wilson.
Draft picks: 1-Dominique Easley (DE), 2-Jimmy Garoppolo (QB), 4a-Bryan Stork (C), 4b-James White (RB), 4c-Cameron Fleming (OT), 6a-Jon Halapio (G), 6b-Zach Moore (DE), 6c-Jemea Thomas (S), 7-Jeremy Gallon (WR).
Analysis: Re-signing Edelman, resolving a dispute with Vince Wilfork and landing Revis to replace Talib made this offseason successful for the Patriots. Getting healthy could do even more for New England after Wilfork, Tommy Kelly, Rob Gronkowski and Jerod Mayo missed significant time last season.
"They are living for today with the Revis signing and living for tomorrow by drafting Garoppolo," Williamson said. "They key for them is getting injured players back. Gronk is a huge key and they do not know what he is right now."
Five of the seven Patriots players earning at least $5.5 million per season either missed much of last season or have underwent serious surgeries in the past couple seasons, or both. That list includes Revis, Danny Amendola, Gronkowski, Mayo and Wilfork. The others are Tom Brady, 36, and Logan Mankins, 32. Mankins played every game last season after missing at least six in two of the previous three.
"They could run into a problem if everyone hits the wall at the same time," Polian said. "They backed themselves up with younger players, but there is a lot of age in key areas on that team."
Grade: B
Re-signed: DL Frostee Rucker, K Jay Feely, DL Matt Shaughnessy.
Veteran additions: TE John Carlson, CB Antonio Cromartie, RB Jonathan Dwyer, LB Larry Foote, WR Ted Ginn, G Ted Larsen, OT Jared Veldheer.
Veteran subtractions: CB Javier Arenas, SS Yeremiah Bell, LB Jasper Brinkley, CB Antoine Cason, G Daryn Colledge, LB Karlos Dansby, TE Jim Dray, OT Mike Gibson, RB Rashard Mendenhall, WR Andre Roberts, RB Alfonso Smith, TE Kory Sperry, DE Ronald Talley, OT Eric Winston, LB Dontay Moch, TE Jeff King, RB Ryan Williams.
Draft picks: 1-Deone Bucannon (S), 2-Troy Niklas (TE), 3a-Kareem Martin (DE), 3b-John Brown (WR), 4-Logan Thomas (QB), 5-Ed Stinson (DE), 6-Walt Powell (WR).
Analysis: This offseason has been about what the Cardinals have done -- addressing their offensive line and secondary -- as well as what they did not do. They did not force the selection of a quarterback early in the draft, they did not rush into a deal with Cromartie and they did not re-sign Dansby at all costs. They did move quickly to sign Veldheer as their starting left tackle. They waited on Cromartie and got him on a $3.5 million yearly average salary. They took another shot at adding the speed that coach Bruce Arians covets at receiver by signing Ginn and drafting Brown.
"I am hot and cold on their draft," said Riddick, who gave the Cardinals a C-plus grade overall. "Bucannon in the first, I thought he was better than Calvin Pryor. The second-round pick, Niklas, I am worried there are some longevity concerns. John Brown is a flier at receiver, blazing fast."
Polian wondered during the draft what the Cardinals had seen in Thomas, the raw Virginia Tech quarterback Arizona drafted in the fourth round, but there were no sure-fire quarterback prospects in this draft and there are never any in the fourth round.
"Fixing their offensive line was huge, their defense got better and maybe they got their quarterback of the future," Williamson said.
Grade: B
Re-signed: DL Jonathan Babineaux, DL Peria Jerry, G Joe Hawley, T Mike Johnson.
Veteran additions: CB Javier Arenas, G Jon Asamoah, G Gabe Carimi, WR Devin Hester, DE Tyson Jackson, TE Bear Pascoe, DT Paul Soliai, CB Josh Wilson, FS Dwight Lowery.
Veteran subtractions: TE Chase Coffman, WR Kevin Cone, FS Thomas DeCoud, DB Dominique Franks, LB Omar Gaither, G Sean Locklear, LB Stephen Nicholas, G Garrett Reynolds, CB Asante Samuel, FB Jason Snelling, OT Jeremy Trueblood, FB Bradie Ewing, WR Brian Robiskie.
Draft picks: 1-Jake Matthews (OT), 2-Ra'Shede Hageman (DT), 3-Dezmen Southward (S), 4a-Devonta Freeman (RB), 4b-Prince Shembo (OLB), 5a-Ricardo Allen (CB), 5b-Marquis Spruill (ILB), 7a-Yawin Smallwood (ILB), 7b-Tyler Starr (OLB).
Analysis: The Falcons lost tight end Tony Gonzalez to retirement and arguably overpaid in free agency, but they should be tougher to push around.
"Getting Jake Matthews is giant," Williamson said. "He will be a starting tackle for the next 10 years, assuming he stays healthy. Matt Ryan was under a lot of pressure last year. Gonzalez being gone will hurt, especially in the red zone, but Freeman could start. Julio Jones will come back. Roddy White has to be healthier."
Riddick questioned whether the Falcons had enough outside pass-rush.
"They have moved toward a power 3-4 and they tried to improve the offensive line," Polian said. "They achieved that goal. Whether the power 3-4 works out or not remains to be seen, but they have a plan."
Grade: B
Re-signed: G Chris Snee, RB Peyton Hillis, S Stevie Brown, K Josh Brown, LB Jon Beason, QB Curtis Painter, CB Trumaine McBride, DT Mike Patterson.
Veteran additions: DE Robert Ayers, CB Zack Bowman, OT