Top Five Off-Season Acquisitions

With most of the acquisitions already being completed and with team mini camps in full swing, it's time to look back at a crazy winter and spring full of bold moves made by desperate teams, as well as a few on the verge of taking the next step.


5. Joey Porter, LB, Cardinals: His production in tackles has gone down a bit over the years, but the 33-year old Porter, former Steeler and Dolphin, is a great pick-up for Arizona.   Porter signed a three-year contract with the team just two weeks after Karlos Dansby signed with Miami (what a coincidence, the two basically just flip-flopped).  Arizona lost a great coverage linebacker in Dansby but were able to pick up a solid pass-rusher in Porter.  Maybe a little more than what I would've paid for ($24.5 million; $17.5 million guaranteed), but if he plays up to his ability it will be well worth it in the end.

4. Julius Peppers, DE, Bears: He would be higher on this list, but I think the Bears are just paying way too much money for the coveted D-end ($91.5 million with $42 million guaranteed in the first three years), and because of that he may under-perform to many's standards.

3. Anquan Boldin, WR, Ravens: Last year Flacco lacked a strong receiving corps, with veteran Derrick Mason being his go-to guy.  Now, not only does Flacco have Mason back, but he also has Boldin and his play-making ability after the catch.  Because of Boldin, I think Baltimore is ready to take the next step.  The best part?  They locked him up for four years with only $10 million in guaranteed money.  Not a bad price for a top-10 wide-out.

2. Brandon Marshall, WR, Dolphins: Much like Baltimore, Miami had a young quarterback under center with limited weapons on the offensive side of the ball last season.  With Marshall now in the lineup, young quarterback Chad Henne now has a go-to primary receiver who, like Boldin, is fantastic after the catch and is bound to make big plays.  Marshall is locked up for four years too and only cost Miami two draft picks.

1. Donovan McNabb, QB, Redskins: The Jason Campbell era in Washington is finally over and the Skins are ready to start over with a brand new head coach (Mike Shanahan) and signal-caller (the 33-year old McNabb).  Despite his age, McNabb is a great fit to turn the Skins around.  He hasn't seemed to have lost much over the past couple of years and is motivated to get revenge on his former team, who he will be playing not once, but twice, each year.

Best FAs still out there:

*Brian Westbrook, RB
*Jamal Lewis, RB
*Brad Hoover, FB
*Terrell Owens, WR
*Muhsin Muhammad, WR
*Kevin Curtis, WR
*Flozell Adams, OT
*Orlando Pace, OT
*Chester Pitts, G
*Kevin Mawae, C
*Leonard Little, DE
*John Henderson, DT
*Derrick Burgess, OLB
*Clint Ingram, OLB
*Keith Bulluck, OLB
*Antonio Pierce, ILB
*Fred Smoot, CB
*Anthony Henry, CB
*Darren Sharper, S
*Gibril Wilson, S
*Tyrone Carter, S
*Shayne Graham, K