Eagles, Pats, 'Skins, Bucs among best and worst offseasons of 2009

ATLANTA FALCONS

The Good ... The Falcons stayed the course under the direction of head coach Mike Smith and general manager Thomas Dimitroff. That duo made fewer moves this offseason because less was needed coming off an 11-5 season in which every key acquisition appeared to pay dividends. The moves they did make were solid if not spectacular and the intensity of the offseason practices indicated this is not a franchise interested in resting on last season's achievements.

Tony Gonzalez is still an elite talent at tight end who will make second-year quarterback Matt Ryan even better. Getting Gonzalez's services for this season without having to give up anything until next season makes the move even better. Mike Peterson is a favorite of Smith's and should join Curtis Lofton to give the Falcons an improved linebacking corps. Atlanta supplemented its veteran pick-ups by drafting a rolling bucket of butcher knives in defensive tackle Peria Jerry. Safety William Moore is a physical phenom who may play right away and defensive end Lawrence Sidbury was a dominant pass-rusher for the FCS Richmond Spiders and might help out on the other side of John Abraham immediately.

But ... The Falcons still lack both quality and depth in the secondary and losing cornerback Domonique Foxworth didn't help. The interior defensive line is still young and undersized and there is nobody other than Abraham who has proven they can get to the quarterback. The loss of Keith Brooking and Lawyer Milloy leaves a hole in the locker room Smith hopes Peterson can help fill.

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS

The Bad ... Where do I start? The Bucs started the offseason by firing a proven winner and Super Bowl champion in head coach Jon Gruden, as well as a general manager in Bruce Allen who single-handedly got the team from salary-cap purgatory to an enviable financial situation -- while generally fielding competitive teams in the process. Those two were replaced by a guy who has never called signals in the NFL, Raheem Morris, and an executive, MarkDominik, whose initial financial decisions have been dubious at best. Among the duo's first transactions was the release of all-time favorites and role models for younger players like Derrick Brooks and Warrick Dunn

Dominik's financial acumen must be called into question considering the moves he has made thus far. He gave $10.5 million in guaranteed money to wide receiver Michael Clayton, who hasn't been a legitimate receiving threat since his rookie season. I thought this was a production-oriented business. Then, he gave a contract extension totaling $20 million in guarantees to Kellen Winslow shortly after acquiring him from the Cleveland Browns. The money given to a player with known knee issues is not nearly as concerning as the fact the pact was signed even though Winslow still had two years remaining on his rookie contract. What message does that send to guys like Barrett Ruud and Donald Penn? All they've done for the past three seasons is everything asked of them by the organization, yet no new contract is in the offing for either one -- despite Ruud having only one year remaining on his rookie deal and Penn being a restricted free agent.

But ... The move to sign Derrick Ward was solid. He is a proven commodity who the Bucs didn't need to break the bank for, and he should help whomever ends up winning the starting quarterback job. Also, the trade to get Winslow for second- and fifth-round picks was fine from a draft-choice compensation perspective. The problem was giving him the new deal in front of proven pewter stalwarts like Ruud and Penn.

DENVER BRONCOS

The Bad ... The Jay Cutler situation was a debacle no matter what you say about how Cutler and his agent, Bus Cook, handled it. The Brandon Marshall saga hasn't ended, but it's been ugly so far. The No. 1 need for the Broncos was young talent in the front seven on defense, especially in light of the move to the 3-4, and they drafted only one player who will contribute (Robert Ayers).