Free Agency Winners and Losers

It has been a little less than a week since NFL Free Agency began. The action has cooled down since then with only a few key players left in play to sign with respective teams. Most of the surprising cuts made by the Los Angeles Rams a few weeks ago (ie. Jared Cook, James Lauranitis, and Chris Long) are still available and could be signed soon. Outside of them, there are very few "sexy" options left on the field.

Just like in the regular season and draft, Free Agency has it's winners and losers. This could be due to which players were signed by a team, who was re-signed, and even if the team just did next to nothing. Here are our three winners and two losers from this past week:

Jacksonville Jaguars
Key Additions: Malik Jackson, Chris Ivory, Tashaun Gipson
Key Losses: None

Jacksonville did a great job in back-to-back years with Free Agency. With a steady passing offense, the Jags chose to better their run game. Chris Ivory had just come off of a pro-bowl season with the Jets and is still hungry for carries. Ivory and Yeldon could be the one-two punch the Jags need to have a balanced offensive game in the upcoming years.

The young team also addressed the biggest problem for themselves, defense in general. Outside of Linebackers, the Jags were weak at every defensive position. Signing Malik Jackson off of a top 10 defensive lineman season was key and will help when Dante Fowler Jr. comes in next season. They also improved at defensive back. They signed Tashaun Gipson of the Browns and Prince Amukamara of the Giants to help their depleted core of corners and safeties. If the mock drafts are correct in saying the Jags will take DB Jalen Ramsey from Florida State with the fifth overall pick, this could be a top-10 defense come next fall.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers 
Key Additions: J.R. Sweezy, Brent Grimes, Doug Martin
Key Losses: Logan Mankins

The Bucs had a very different season this year under the leadership of the first overall pick, Jameis Winston. Better offensive game was the big thing for this team considering they used six of their seven picks last year on offensive weapons.

It was announced that Logan Mankins would retire two days before Free Agency opened up. He was the leader of the offensive line, being the 11-year vet while the others were within their first few seasons. J.R. Sweezy had a bit of a down year last season, but he did finish ranked the 4th best right guard in the league. Sweezy will help make way for Doug Martin. After two seasons of being injured, Martin picked up where he left off in his rookie year. He will be the workhorse back, but will still switch out with Charles Sims when needed.

The Bucs' big problem like the Jags is defense (Seriously Florida teams, get it together)(You too, fins). They were incredibly inconsistent. One week, they would have two interceptions and five sacks. The next week, they would not touch the ball at all. Signing Brent Grimes was a good move because it gives veteran leadership in the secondary and a huge playmaker. Seriously, this guy could be the difference between 9-7 and 7-9.

Tennessee Titans
Key Additions: DeMarco Murray, Rishard Matthews, Ben Jones
Key Losses: None

The Titans will have the top pick this year, and they desperately needed playmakers everywhere. Starting with Matthews, he provides the speed the team needs in the passing game. With him, Delanie Walker, and Dorial Green-Beckham at receiver, Mariota will not have too hard of a time finding someone to throw to on Sunday.

Mariota will also have some more protection with Ben Jones being added to the offensive line. He will play along side Taylor Lewan and quite possibly Laremy Tunsil next season. Which brings us to the biggest part of the Titans' Free Agency finds.

How on earth did the Titans get the 2014 OPOY for a fourth-round pick?!?!?!? My best guess is cap issues with his contract and they did not enjoy the attitude he showed during the season. Either way, Tennessee got a decent weapon for their run game. They just need to utilize him better than the Eagles did this year.

Losers
Denver Broncos
Key Additions: Mark Sanchez
Key Losses: Peyton Manning, Brock Osweiler, Malik Jackson

It seems to be the plan of most players after a Super Bowl win: show me the money or I walk. Wilfork and Revis, Tate and Bryant, Kruger and Boldin, Jacobs and Manningham. These are just two names from each team that won each of the past four Super Bowls to leave and sign with another team. You can add these names above to the list.

The Broncos are now in a state of "what comes next?" Do they truly believe that Sanchez will be the starter? Most people will probably say no, but it will depend on how early the Broncos will draft a quarterback this year. They also lost Jackson and Trevathen on the defensive front. They were able to restructure DeMarcus Ware's deal so they could still go for one of the top players left to replace the two key pieces.

Cleveland Browns
Key Additions: None
Key Losses: Johnny Manziel, Travis Benjamin, Alex Mack

Oh, the Browns. No matter what happens, they can always find a way to be the worst at things. Let's start with the quarterback. Manziel was cut due to his immaturity around drinking and partying. This was well documented on Sportscenter throughout his short carrier.

Travis Benjamin looked to be one of the only bright spots on the entire team. He was just 34 yards shy of his first 1,000-yard season. He averaged over 14 yards per catch. And they let him walk. I hope Gary Barnidge likes being double-covered.

If it was not bad enough, the Browns lost one of the top centers in the league. It is hard not to be surprised at this point by what happens in Cleveland. Now Crowell and Johnson will have almost no where to run without the anchor on the line. The only hope for them is to move the second pick from last year, Cameron Erving, from Guard to Center. That's what he entered the draft as, give the guy a shot. Seriously, what more do the Browns have to lose?