In the A-Team, they say, "I love it when a plan comes together." But sometimes a plan doesn't come together. The
Detroit Lions lose
Ndamukong Suh in free agency, but they have a solid fallback option in
Haloti Ngata. The 31-year-old can still contribute at a high level, giving defensive coordinator Teryl Austin a valuable piece in the middle of his defense.
The
Seahawks have more elite players than any team in football -- and they just got a great one in
Jimmy Graham! The 'Hawks now boast one of the best trios in the league, with
Russell Wilson,
Marshawn Lynch and Graham. I can hear the 12s' approval from here in Southern California.
The
Jacksonville Jaguars are one under-the-radar team that hasn't been discussed much today. I expect newcomers
Julius Thomas,
Jermey Parnell and
Jared Odrick to all be starters for them this season.
I could try to be cute here, but how could you not say
Jimmy Graham to the Seahawks is Tuesday's most intriguing move? The
Seahawks have built a monster, but they've never given
Russell Wilson a stud like Graham. The tight end's arrival will change how people look at Wilson, who will go from being the quarterback with a reputation for winning to the quarterback with a reputation for winning
and putting up huge numbers. Think
Tom Brady after the arrival of Randy Moss.
As the self-appointed president of the
Frank Gore for Canton Committee, Tuesday could not have gone better. Philadelphia was an incredible potential landing spot for the Inconvenient Truth, but he was smart to reconsider.
Andrew Luck is going to make any running back look better, and the
Colts want to run a power scheme, which suits Gore perfectly. He's a great bet to top 250 carries, with another 50 catches thrown in. The
Colts know they are on the precipice, and picking up a versatile veteran leader like Gore could put them over the top.
It's hard not to like the
Jimmy Graham trade from the
Seahawks' perspective. Sure, I've heard chatter about what Seattle will be dealing with financially next year, with an obviously expensive part like Graham added to the mix. Who cares? This is a team striking now, while it has a chance to earn multiple
Super Bowl titles. The
Seahawks are as good as any team in the NFL, and they must take whatever opportunity they can as an organization to capture another Lombardi Trophy. I think trading for Graham definitely moves them in that direction.
And when Seattle puts Graham on the field with
Marshawn Lynch, who will the defense focus on inside the 5-yard line? Please don't say
Ricardo Lockette.
I thought Green Bay hanging on to receiver
Randall Cobb -- who signed a new deal before free agency began -- and tackle
Bryan Bulaga -- who is
close to re-upping -- is a huge coup. If you're the
Packers, you go into this offseason preparing to potentially lose two starters, and instead, you get to keep both -- with Cobb
even signing for less money than he could have gotten elsewhere. It helps them immensely to be able to retain two guys like that rather than having to go out and find a way to fill their shoes. We saw how important Bulaga is to the
Packers when they had to play without him last season; by the end of 2014, I think he was as good as any right tackle in the NFL.
Everybody always says it's not about the money, but 99.9 percent of the time, it's about the money. You've got to tip your hat to Cobb for
appreciating the upside of staying with Aaron Rodgers and the
Packers and not just chasing top dollar with a lesser team.
The single best fit for any player going to any team is
Jimmy Graham to the
Seahawks. The team's receiving corps is pedestrian;
Golden Tate's absence last season was especially noticeable on third downs. But in pulling off an incredible trade for Graham, the second-best receiving tight end in the NFL (behind
Rob Gronkowski), Seattle added a playmaker who's a perfect fit for what Pete Carroll does on offense. The 'Hawks will pound the ball with
Marshawn Lynch. And because you have to respect Beast Mode, Graham is going to break free downfield. What a win for
Russell Wilson and the
Seahawks!
In my Game Rewind notes from last season, the Seattle weakness that showed up most consistently was the lack of a physical end-zone threat in the passing game -- an Achilles' heel that ended up costing Pete Carroll a chance to secure back-to-back Lombardi Trophies.
Russell Wilson and
Marshawn Lynch would tug the offense down the field, only to bog down in the condensed area of the red zone with no wide receiver or tight end capable of carving out space or winning jump balls. Now Wilson has the benefit of one of the NFL's
most unstoppable end-zone forces. It's a match made in football heaven.
