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Best and worst moves of the 2017 NFL offseason
The Patriots added Brandin Cooks to give Tom Brady yet another weapon. Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports

Best and worst moves of the 2017 NFL offseason

The 2017 NFL offseason had plenty of high-profile and surprising moves. While every team believes the players they brought in will contribute, the fact of the matter is some will succeed while others will flounder.

The following features the best and worst moves of the offseason as we approach the start of the 2017 NFL season.

 
1 of 24

Best: Patriots trade first-round pick for Brandin Cooks

Best: Patriots trade first-round pick for Brandin Cooks
Bob DeChiara / USA Today Sports Images

With a 40-year-old quarterback and a 65-year-old head coach, there's good reason for the Patriots to go all-in this season. Thanks to that duo's success, the Pats are arguably the greatest dynasty in history, but the window could close quickly. Cooks immediately becomes New England's No. 1 wideout and is a perfect fit for the offense.

 
2 of 24

Worst: Eagles sign Torrey Smith for three years, $15 million

Worst: Eagles sign Torrey Smith for three years, $15 million
Bill Streicher / USA Today Sports Images

Philadelphia desperately needed to address its wide receivers in the offseason, but it remains to be seen if Smith will help. A premier deep threat early in his career, Smith had a total of 53 receptions in two seasons with the 49ers. Now at age 28, this signing could go bad quickly if he continues his declining production.

 
3 of 24

Best: Chiefs trade up to draft Patrick Mahomes

Best: Chiefs trade up to draft Patrick Mahomes
Denny Medley / USA Today Sports Images

Chiefs fans have been clamoring for a young quarterback for years. They finally have their man in Mahomes after trading two first-round picks and a third-round pick to get him. Unlike current starter Alex Smith, Mahomes has a huge arm and made highlight-reel plays in college at Texas Tech. The move may hurt a team that has Super Bowl aspirations this season in the short term, but it was the right move for the long haul.

 
4 of 24

Worst: Bears trade up to draft Mitchell Trubisky

Worst: Bears trade up to draft Mitchell Trubisky
Erich Schlegel / USA Today Sports Images

After signing Mike Glennon, the Bears made a bizarre trade up one spot in the draft to take Trubisky. It was clear that the 49ers weren't going to take the North Carolina quarterback, but Chicago didn't want to take the risk and gave San Fran two third-round picks and a fourth-round pick for a college player with limited experience.

 
5 of 24

Best: Ravens sign Danny Woodhead

Best: Ravens sign Danny Woodhead
Evan Habeeb / USA Today Sports Images

Baltimore's offense got much more versatile by signing Woodhead, who is basically a slot receiver at running back. The Ravens have struggled to generate much of a running game in recent seasons, but using Woodhead in the flat can have a similar impact and become a perfect complement to Terrance West.

 
6 of 24

Worst: Bills let Mike Gillislee walk

Worst: Bills let Mike Gillislee walk
Timothy T. Ludwig / USA Today Sports Images

Gillislee averaged 5.7 yards per carry in consecutive seasons behind LeSean McCoy, but the Bills let him walk to the rival Patriots as a restricted free agent. Given McCoy's age (29), the team is taking a massive risk.

 
7 of 24

Best: Panthers sign Julius Peppers

Best: Panthers sign Julius Peppers
Jeremy Brevard / USA Today Sports Images

Peppers returns to where he started his career on a one-year deal, and he will serve as a situational pass rusher at age 37. He had 7.5 sacks in a similar role for the Packers last season, while Carolina's pass defense struggled last season despite 47 sacks, second most in the NFL.

 
8 of 24

Worst: Bears sign Marcus Cooper

Worst: Bears sign Marcus Cooper
Mark J. Rebilas / USA Today Sports Images

Cooper was a special teamer for much of his time in Kansas City before getting traded to Arizona last year. He played for the Cardinals out of necessity, so a three-year, $16 million contract for Cooper seems quite steep. He will certainly be challenged in Chicago.

 
9 of 24

Best: Titans sign Eric Decker

Best: Titans sign Eric Decker
Raymond Carlin III / USA Today Sports Images

Decker played only three games with the Jets last season due to injuries, but he averaged 82 receptions for 1,085 yards and 10 touchdowns from 2012-15. If nothing else, he's a great red zone threat at wideout for the Titans on a low-risk one-year deal.

 
10 of 24

Worst: Browns sign Kenny Britt for five years, $60 million

Worst: Browns sign Kenny Britt for five years, $60 million
Ken Blaze / USA Today Sports Images

It's fair to say the Browns are buying high on Britt after his first career 1,000-yard season. He never had more than 48 receptions in a season before 2016, so Cleveland is taking a giant risk.

 
11 of 24

Best: Lions sign T.J. Lang

Best: Lions sign T.J. Lang
Reinhold Matay / USA Today Sports Images

Establishing the running game has been a major issue for Detroit recently, averaging just 3.7 yards per carry last season. Added Lang to the interior of the offensive line is a step in the right direction, and it takes away from the rival Packers.

 
12 of 24

Worst: Panthers sign Matt Kalil for five years, $55 million

Worst: Panthers sign Matt Kalil for five years, $55 million
Jim Dedmon / USA Today Sports Images

Kalil joins his brother in Carolina after playing only two games in Minnesota last year due to injury. While his brother, Ryan, has been a regular Pro Bowler at center, Matt has struggled since his rookie season. Kalil's contract was the going rate for a left tackle, but that doesn't mean he will be a major asset.

 
13 of 24

Best: Raiders sign Marshawn Lynch

Best: Raiders sign Marshawn Lynch
Kirby Lee / USA Today Sports Images

Lynch fell into Oakland's lap as he comes out of retirement to play in his hometown. The Raiders have two 2016 draftees behind Lynch if the veteran isn't able to perform at age 31, so the risk is minimal.

 
14 of 24

Worst: Raiders sign Cordarrelle Patterson

Worst: Raiders sign Cordarrelle Patterson
Kirby Lee / USA Today Sports Images

An elite kick returner, Patterson has been a complete bust as a wide receiver over his four-year career, averaging just 10 yards per reception and 33 receptions a year. Giving Patterson $8.5 million over two years is far from insignificant, and he must perform well as a wideout to be worth the money.

 
15 of 24

Best: Colts sign Kamar Aiken

Best: Colts sign Kamar Aiken
Tommy Gilligan / USA Today Sports Images

The Colts wanted to challenge former first-round pick Phillip Dorsett and can do so after signing Aiken. While Aiken fell out of favor in Baltimore last season, he emerged as the No. 1 wideout in 2015 with 75 catches for 944 yards. Indy now has quite the depth at the position.

 
16 of 24

Worst: Chiefs cut Jeremy Maclin

Worst: Chiefs cut Jeremy Maclin
Brian Spurlock / USA Today Sports Images

Cutting Maclin made sense in the long term, with the Chiefs saving future cap space. The problem is that the defending AFC West champs already have a Super Bowl-caliber roster, and the move unquestionably made the 2017 roster worse. They go into the season heavily relying on second-year speedster Tyreek Hill to fill the void.

 
17 of 24

Best: Eagles sign Alshon Jeffery

Best: Eagles sign Alshon Jeffery
Bill Streicher / USA Today Sports Images

Jeffery has been no stranger to injuries and often had his motivation questioned, but he's a perfect fit for a one-year deal. He gets that in Philadelphia, where he will easily be the most talented receiver Carson Wentz has ever worked with. The ceiling is what Jeffery produced in 2013, with 89 receptions for 1,421 yards.

 
18 of 24

Worst: 49ers sign Kyle Juszczyk

Worst: 49ers sign Kyle Juszczyk
Stan Szeto / USA Today Sports Images

Give new head coach Kyle Shanahan props for adding plenty of players in the offseason, but the cost could be detrimental. Juszczyk became the highest paid fullback in the league at a position that's going out of style with a four-year, $21 million contract. No other fullback in the league has a contract totaling even $9 million.

 
19 of 24

Best: Giants sign Brandon Marshall

Best: Giants sign Brandon Marshall
William Hauser / USA Today Sports Images

Marshall fell into the Giants' lap, but it was still a fine move. He gets to stay in New York on a one-year deal, taking the attention off of star wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. and perhaps teaching him how to avoid punching holes in walls and fighting kicking nets.

 
20 of 24

Worst: Buccaneers sign DeSean Jackson

Worst: Buccaneers sign DeSean Jackson
Kim Klement / USA Today Sports Images

Jackson rebounded last year after an injury-plagued 2015 season with a league-leading 17.9 yards per reception and more than 1,000 receiving yards for the fifth time. He adds a deep option for Jameis Winston, but players of Jackson's profile tend to break down early. Now at age 30 and turning 31 in December, Jackson seems unlikely to fulfill the value of his three-year deal.

 
21 of 24

Best: Chiefs sign Bennie Logan

Best: Chiefs sign Bennie Logan
James Lang / USA TODAY Sports

The Chiefs let Dontari Poe walk in the offseason, only to replace him with Logan. The players come at a similar cost, but Logan is more astute at stopping the run, an area the Chiefs needed to address more.

 
22 of 24

Worst: Falcons sign Dontari Poe

Worst: Falcons sign Dontari Poe
Dale Zanine / USA Today Sports Images

Falcons front office member Scott Pioli has shown a loyalty to players he drafted while GM of the Chiefs, and Poe is one of them. While Poe was an elite defensive tackle early in his career, he's struggled with back issues over the last two seasons, accumulating a total of 2.5 sacks over two years. The move is a risk for Atlanta, even on a one-year deal.

 
23 of 24

Best: Rams sign Andrew Whitworth

Best: Rams sign Andrew Whitworth
Kirby Lee / USA Today Sports Images

Left tackle has been a major issue over several years for the Rams with their failures in the draft. Even at age 35, Whitworth has proved to be a major asset recently, making consecutive Pro Bowls. It's a spot the Rams have desperately needed to address for a long time.

 
24 of 24

Worst: Jets sign Josh McCown

Worst: Jets sign Josh McCown
Adam Hunger / USA TODAY Sports Images

What in the world? The Jets have almost no chance of competing this year, yet they signed a 38-year-old quarterback who has failed to stay healthy in recent seasons. They also didn't take a quarterback in the draft. 2016 draftee Christian Hackenberg hasn't looked close to ready, but it's hard to see how McCown helps his cause. The Jets almost look like they're trying to go 0-16.

Seth Trachtman is a fantasy sports expert and diehard Kansas City Chiefs fan. He doesn't often Tweet, but when he does, you can find him on Twitter @sethroto.

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