Tom E. Curran • E-mail

NFL officials usually spend the offseason preparing for the draft, strengthen their rosters and aiming to the start of the season. Sometimes, they pull off a brilliant move that sets up a Super Bowl run.

Other times, you simply shake your head.

So let's recap the best and worst moves of the offseason.

10 BEST MOVES

Jets go get Sanchez
In 2008, the Jets tethered their quarterbacking hopes to a recent retiree who really didn’t want to be in New York. In the end, the move was a dismal failure.

Brett Favre and the Jets faded down the stretch, Eric Mangini lost his head coaching job, the man Favre replaced — Chad Pennington — led the Dolphins to the playoffs. You couldn’t have mapped out a more dismal result for Gang Green.

But on Draft Day, the Jets lassoed a rising star instead of a falling one. Swinging a deal with the Browns, the Jets jumped from 17th to 5th to take USC quarterback Mark Sanchez. Sanchez has warmed to New York and seems already to sense the right tone to set in his new role. While it’ll take time for Sanchez to grow fully into his role as the Jets starter, at least New York has a long-term answer in place at that position.

Cowboys release Terrell Owens
You knew Dallas was set up to fail in 2008, but it didn’t become clear just how infected with losing the Cowboys organization had become until the final two games of the season.

First, in the final game at Texas Stadium, the Cowboys allowed fourth-quarter touchdown runs of 82 and 77 yards in a loss to Baltimore. In the season finale, they rolled over and played dead in a 44-6 loss to Philly and missed the playoffs. The narcissistic, me-first culture had to change.

On March 5, the first step was taken as Cowboys released Owens. That, despite owner Jerry Jones’ insisting he wouldn’t. Going forward, the Cowboys will wrestle with how to replace the immense production Owens brought in the passing game. But they won’t have to wrestle with the impact he’ll have on a team that’s too talented to be watching the postseason.

Broncos deal Cutler
We can debate for hours about who was to blame for the wedge driven between Jay Cutler and the Broncos. Was the quarterback too sensitive? Was the coach, Josh McDaniels, too naïve? Was the agent, Bus Cook, too involved?

All of the above, probably.

But what’s beyond debate is that when a player goes rogue and threatens not only the new coaching staff but the authority of the owner, that player has to go. And Broncos owner Pat Bowlen, who’s forgotten more about the ways and means of the NFL then a player like Cutler will ever know, finally gave the OK for his staff to ship Cutler to the Bears for a bounty of high draft picks and a fairly competent replacement, Kyle Orton.

Chiefs grab Cassel
If you don’t have a good quarterback, you don’t have a good shot at success. So how good will Matt Cassel be now that he’s not throwing to Wes Welker and Randy Moss? We’re about to find out.

Based on recent performance, the Chiefs and GM Scott Pioli made a shrewd and decisive move at the start of free agency to swing a deal with New England. The compensation for the franchised former backup was modest — a second-round pick for Cassel and veteran outside linebacker Mike Vrabel.

And while the Chiefs still have to get Cassel — who’s playing under the franchise tag salary of $14.65 million this year — under a long-term deal, they gave up little to a player who may give them a lot in return.

Falcons get Gonzalez
The last thing Kansas City needed during their franchise demolition/renovation project was an aging, but still talented, tight end who didn’t want to be there. One of the first things the rising Atlanta Falcons offense needed was a tight end to give Matt Ryan a wide-bodied option in the middle of the field.

You smell a win-win? I do.

So did the Chiefs and Falcons, who swung a deal just before the draft that sent Gonzalez to the Falcons in exchange for a second-round pick in next year’s draft. One team’s distraction becomes another team’s main attraction.

Giants load up defense
Based solely on the players they were getting back from injury, the Giants defense was going to be much improved in 2009. But a little free agent splurging has the Giants looking ominous.

New York grabbed defensive end Chris Canty, tackle Rocky Bernard and linebacker Michael Boley early during the free agent period. Match them up with the return of All-Pro defensive end Osi Umenyiora from a knee injury and you’ve got a big talent infusion.

Still, the reins of the defense are no longer in the hands of Steve Spagnuolo (St. Louis’ new coach), but the new defensive whiz, Bill Sheridan, is going to have a load of talent to run at the rest of the NFC East. 

Bengals sign Laveranues Coles
Once T.J. Houshmandzadeh hit the bricks for Seattle, the Bengals needed to do something to bolster their receiving corps. Opposing defense could be consistently rolled in the direction of Chad Ochocinco without another threat.

Voila. The Bengals got themselves Laveranues Coles. Even though Coles is on the wrong side of 30 (31), he’s proven to be tremendously durable. And, given that he’s caught passes from a wide range of quarterbacks, he’s been pretty productive in his nine-year career (631 catches, 8.095 yards, 44 touchdowns).

It’s hard to say whether Coles is better than Houshmandzadeh at this point, but at least Cincy avoided a dropoff.

Broncos sign Brian Dawkins
The Broncos were 26th in the NFL in passing yards allowed per game in 2008. They picked off just six passes all season. The question of whether Brian Dawkins, who turns 36 in October, can fix the Denver defense is moot. The more pressing question is, “Can he make it better?”

Given that he recorded 142 tackles, six forced fumbles and was the NFC’s Defensive Player of the Month last December is a good indication that he can. The Broncos also added corner Andre Goodman as a free agent from the Dolphins, and he’ll be in a corner tandem with the always excellent Champ Bailey.

Without a more significant pass rush in 2009, Dawkins and Co. may suffer the same fate as the 2008 secondary, but until then, Dawkins' addition remains a smart move.

Eagles boost the offense
The Eagles could have one of football's best offensive lines. They added Stacy Andrews from the Bengals and swung a deal to land one of the NFL’s most talented left tackles, Jason Peters, from Buffalo. Shawn Andrews — one of the league’s best all-around linemen — now looks like he’ll be starting at right tackle with brother Stacy next to him.

The Eagles allowed just 23 sacks in 2008, and these additions should give Donovan McNabb even more time to find wideouts DeSean Jackson and first-rounder Jeremy Maclin. Philly also added LeSean McCoy from Pitt in the second round of the draft, a key selection since veteran running back Brian Westbrook needed ankle surgery this spring and may miss a significant portion of training camp.

Redskins get Haynesworth
Albert Haynesworth was the best free agent on the market. And the Washington Redskins weren’t going to let any team beat them to the havoc-wreaking defensive tackle, signing him right out of the gates to an eye-popping seven-year, $100 million deal.

Haynesworth has the ability to transform the ’Skins’ middle of the pack defense into a daunting one. And since the class of the NFC East — the New York Giants — have one of the league’s most powerful rushing attacks headed by the rhino-like Brandon Jacobs, Haynesworth helps Washington get better in a specific area against one of its division rivals.

10 WORST MOVES

Lions take Matthew Stafford
Despite all the anecdotal evidence that shows a bad team that drafts a quarterback No. 1 overall remains bad and takes the once-promising quarterback down with them, the Detroit Lions did just that to Matthew Stafford.

The Lions weren’t just bad last year, they were the worst team in NFL history, going 0-16. Their secondary in 2008 combined for an interception. That’s right. One. They managed four as a team. But instead of getting a solid building block like linebacker Aaron Curry, they opted to start by putting the roof on first.

Now there are indications that the Lions will feed their young quarterback to the, well, lions by starting him right away. Good luck, Matt. You most definitely will need it.

Bills sign T.O.
How can adding a guy who’s almost guaranteed to get you 75 catches, 1,200 yards and a dozen touchdowns be a bad thing? Because Terrell Owens’ individual success comes at a team-wide cost.

He’s a quarterback killer as Jeff Garcia, Donovan McNabb and Tony Romo can attest. He’s a me-first player as his gesticulations, histrionics and thumb-sucking when other players get the ball have proven. He will submarine his coach’s authority. Or try to.

And he will use the Buffalo Bills as the vehicle to promote what’s really important to him: T.O.

But the Buffalo Bills — trying to avoid going 7-9 for a fourth straight season — know that no postseason likely means their time is up. So they made a deal with the football devil that’s known as T.O. Aside from their self-respect, what else did they have to lose?

Cowboys keep Wade Phillips
Really, how much more evidence did the Cowboys need? The league's most talented team went 0-4 in December and turtled in the season’s final two games losing 33-24 to the Ravens in the Texas Stadium closedown game and 44-6 in the season finale.

A year earlier, coach Wade Phillips nearly dislocated his shoulder patting himself on the back when Dallas went 13-3 yet was bounced in its playoff opener. This time, they didn’t even make the playoffs. Lame duck coaches lead to lame-ass seasons and there is no lamer duck in the NFL than Phillips.

Redskins piss off Campbell
After eight games in 2008, the Washington Redskins were 6-2. After 16 games, they were 8-8. To get from Point A to Point B took breakdowns on a few fronts — secondary, defensive line and offensive line.

Quarterback Jason Campbell was not the problem. He was accurate, tremendously careful with the football, a game manager. Yet when the Broncos put the “For Sale” sign out on Jay Cutler, the Redskins got in line and tried to land him. Despite Campbell’s steady maturation as a quarterback since being drafted 25th overall in 2005, Washington was ready to turn its back on him for a QB who was acting like baby.

Clearly, the idea of leadership at the most important position was took a backseat to arm strength.

Broncos and Bucs Miss Out on Cassel
It was like missing the bus on your first day of school. Both the Broncos and Buccaneers blew their chances at getting the best available quarterback by sleeping at the switch on Matt Cassel.

Once the Patriots franchised Cassel in mid-February, any team was free to make inquiries and lay groundwork. But with new coach/GM combos in both Denver and Tampa, it didn’t get done. And then when word came down the Chiefs were in the process of securing Cassel, the Bucs and Broncos sprung into action with too-little/too-late offers.

As a bonus, the Broncos wound up missing out on Cassel and torquing off Jay Cutler so much that coach Josh McDaniels had to go through an arduous and image-destroying process of getting Cutler dealt to the Bears.

Bucs deal for Winslow, pay him big bucks
Kellen Winslow is 25 and a talented tight end. But his knee — destroyed in a motorcycle accident in 2005 — is not good. And no matter how young, willing and talented he may be, that knee will dictate how effective he’ll be going forward.

Aware of this, Winslow’s been agitating for a new contract. Cleveland didn’t want to give him one, not with two years left on his present deal. But they found a team that would be willing to. Tampa Bay.

So the Bucs sent Winslow to Tampa in exchange for a second and a fifth-round pick. And the Bucs turned around and gave a player whose knee is, in the words of ProFootballTalk’s Mike Florio, held together by duct tape and bubble gum, a six-year, $36 million deal with $20 million guaranteed.

Raiders reach for Darrius Heyward-Bey
For a college player, being selected in the NFL Draft should be a climactic achievement worthy of celebration. It’s a milestone moment that marks all a young man sacrificed and accomplished to get to that position.

Darrius Heyward-Bey didn’t get the chance to revel. The Raiders took him with the seventh overall pick.

Since virtually nobody else fancied Heyward-Bey a top 20 pick, the kid became emblematic of another Raiders mistake before he even got his hat and jersey. Now he’s playing under the pressure of his draft status while the receiver most considered the draft's best wideout, Michael Crabtree, is just 20 minutes away in San Francisco. And Crabtree was on the board when the Raiders picked.

Patriots give away Cassel
Where. Was. The. Fire? Before free agency was even a day old, the Patriots were in the midst of cutting a deal that sent Matt Cassel to Kansas City for a second-round pick.

With outside linebacker Mike Vrabel tossed in as a bonus.

Cassel, who the Patriots franchised in February, was the best available quarterback this offseason. With four seasons under his belt, the final one leading the Patriots to an 11-5 record, speculation flew that the Pats could get at least a first and a third-rounder for him. But the Patriots didn’t want to wait. Confident Tom Brady’s knee was going to be OK, afraid of having to pay Cassel his $14.65 million tender and anxious to get into the free agent fray themselves, New England sent Cassel and their smartest defender Vrabel out of town for a song.

Vikings play footsie with Favre
Brett Favre played in two consecutive Super Bowls. A dozen years ago.

Yet his name and the word “championship” keep finding their way into the same sentence despite abundant evidence that, when the stakes are highest, he will make epic mistake after epic mistake.

The Jets got a taste of it last year. The Vikings have lined up to get themselves a piece of it this year.

So Favre, with an arm likely diminished by recent biceps surgery, prepares to join a Vikings team that has a championship-caliber defense and an all-world running back. And he brings the media circus, overblown expectations and uncertainty about how deep his commitment runs. Have fun with that, Minny!

Browns hire Mangini
He’s smart. He’s got a great, dry wit. He certainly knows football. But Eric Mangini consistently hit the exact wrong note with his team in New York and — fired after last season and hired quickly in Cleveland — he’s resumed doing the same thing on the shores of Lake Erie.

Mangini herded his rookies onto a bus for a 10-hour ride to Connecticut to volunteer at a charity camp he runs each spring. Then he hopped on a plane to the same camp. He’s gone off on team personnel for wearing sunglasses during practice.

In short, he’s tone deaf and he’s got a team that isn’t that good. And that’s not a surefire recipe for success.

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