Defensive Notes

As expected, the vast majority of the big names that changed teams the first day of free agency were on the defensive side of the ball. Sure Anquan Boldin and perhaps Nate Burleson or Chester Taylor will go off the board earlier in fantasy drafts, but it's fantasy defenses that should be most affected.

Here's a quick rundown of some of the bigger moves.

Julius Peppers: Chicago's defensive reputation has greatly exceeded its performance the last couple of years, which is why the team has struggled since going to the Super Bowl after the 2006 season. After finishing 8th or higher in sacks for three straight seasons, they've been down at 22nd and 13th in the last two. They were down at 12th in takeaways last year after ranking in the top 8 the previous four years. So Peppers, one of the league's premier pass rushers, should help their defense return to among the league's top 10 fantasy groups.

In Carolina, which has been a mediocre to poor fantasy defense anyway the last several years, Peppers will be missed. In the last three seasons, Charles Johnson is the only other Panther to have a season with even 6 sacks.

Karlos Dansby, Antrel Rolle: Miami's signing of Dansby could be huge. At 28 years old and having averaged 114 tackles and posted respectable numbers (for a linebacker) in terms of sacks and forced turnovers throughout his career, he should be the centerpiece of a Dolphins defense that underachieved down the stretch last year. He'll also be paired with new defensive coordinator Mike Nolan, one of the offseason's more underrated coaching moves. We'll likely be high on Miami's defense this year.

Rolle, who signed with the Giants, is a playmaking safety going to a team that really needs help in the secondary. It's hard to shake the thought that he has some holes in his game, most notably in terms of coverage, but on a team with a pass rush like the Giants, maybe he'll be this year's Darren Sharper. New York's defense needed a complete overhaul after last season; with a new coordinator (Perry Fewell) and key starter, like Miami, it has some pieces in place.

This is starting to look like a rebuilding year for the Cardinals. They couldn't do anything about Kurt Warner retiring, and have the personnel at wideout to withstand the loss of Boldin. But losing two of their best starters on the defensive side of the ball will hurt.

Dunta Robinson: Atlanta's defense had almost nowhere to go but up, so adding Robinson to the secondary is a big upgrade. He's a big-time cover corner who is immediately the team's best defensive back. Atlanta needs more help on the defensive side of the ball, but Robinson is a step in the right direction, and the Texans will miss him. It's fair to note that Houston wasn't a particularly good pass defense even with Robinson, however, so don't expect dramatic changes in either team's defensive performance next year.

Kyle Vanden Bosch: It's cute seeing the Lions trying to upgrade their woeful defense with veterans. Vanden Bosch is 31 years old and hasn't put up more than 4.5 sacks in either of the last two seasons. Detroit also traded for tackle Corey Williams, who had back-to-back 7-sack seasons in Green Bay but flopped in Cleveland, totaling 4.5 sacks the last two years. Can either of these players hurt the Lions' defense? No. But this is a team that badly needs to build through young, talented defensive players, and lots of them. Vanden Bosch's loss will likely be felt in Tennessee, which has lost half of what was a pretty good defensive line two years ago when they were the AFC's No. 1 seed.

Vince Wilfork, Gary Brackett: As is often the case in free agency, the biggest moves might have involved players that didn't change teams. The Patriots held onto their nose tackle, the Colts locked up their middle linebacker. If the Saints do the same with safety Darren Sharper in the next day or so, these will end up being among the weekend's best signings.

--Andy Richardson

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