Losing inspires change. The Buccaneers have signed the most players from other rosters this offseason, with the Giants, Redskins and Raiders not far behind. Of the top six teams signing new players, only the Chicago Bears had a winning record.
We asked our research department to compile a list of what teams have signed the most players from other rosters since the offseason started Feb. 3. The complete table -- including every player signed -- is at the bottom of this post. Let's just look at the top five for now.
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 17 players
- New York Giants: 15
- Washington Redskins: 13
- Oakland Raiders: 12
- Chicago Bears: 11
Coach Lovie Smith and general manager Jason Licht have cleaned house in Tampa. They are building their roster with role players and starters alike. Michael Johnson, Alterraun Verner and Anthony Collins were costly players. Josh McCown will start at quarterback right away, to Mike Glennon's chagrin. They took a talented Buccaneers roster and added a lot of pieces.
As we discussed on our latest podcast, the Raiders' moves stand out because so many of their signings will play a ton. They signed at least nine starters, and traded for another in quarterback Matt Schaub.
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Now let's look at the next five:
The Arizona Cardinals are the next winning team in the top 10. Like the Bears, they have a head coach entering his second season, and they are still making huge changes to their "program." The Dolphins' new front office spent a lot of energy signing guys who would partly make up for the previous regime's mistakes.
The Seahawks' inclusion on this list is misleading. They have signed eight players from other teams, but none of them are likely to make a big impact. Their most notable pickup might be Philip Adams.
Finally, let's take a peak at the five teams that have signed the fewest players from other teams.
The Bengals and Rams signed a quartet of backups. The Packers and Cowboys invested in one big-targeted signing each on the defensive line, Julius Peppers and Henry Melton respectively.
The Saints made big news by picking up Jairus Byrd and Champ Bailey, but they have said goodbye to a lot more players. The 49ers, like much of the NFC West, have stayed quiet this offseason. They also added two backups (Jonathan Martin and Blaine Gabbert) in trades. Their two additions in free agency, Chris Cook and Antoine Bethea, directly replace departing cornerbacks.
Here's the full list of additions from other rosters this offseason:
In the latest edition of the "Around The League Podcast", the guys begin the offseason Roster Reset series with the AFC West and dive into the ATL mailbag.