2007 NFL Free Agency Impacts

QB Matt Schaub, Houston Texans

Impact on Houston:
Ever hear of Scott Mitchell? For some reason, I'm just not buying into this whole Matt Schaub thing. While I'm not the biggest fan of David Carr, I don't think you can blame all the Texans' offensive woes on him. Even with a slight improvement, the Texans OL is brutal, giving up 43 sacks last season and 249 times over the last 5 years (the most in the NFL). They still don't have a quality WR to start opposite 5th year stud Andre Johnson, and the newly acquired Ahman Green has had a lot of trouble staying healthy over recent years. Schaub is very inexperienced, only throwing 161 passes in his 3 years backing up Michael Vick. I think Matt Schaub will be a huge bust, and won't help the Texans do any better then last year. Don't expect much out of Andre Johnson and the Houston offense.

Impact on Atlanta:
Vick has only missed 2 games over the last 3 seasons, so it's not like the Falcons were really going to use Schaub, plus, I think new backup QB, Joey Harrington is better anyways. To be honest, I don't really see how much of an impact this will have on the Falcons; Vick is the face of the franchise and the only opportunity any other QB will get is in mop up duty or if Vick gets injured. Bobby Petrino, the Falcons new head coach, is offensive minded and is very excited about the idea of working with Vick; so even if Schaub was still in Atlanta, he wouldn't do much more than hold a clipboard. The fact that Atlanta was able to swap first round picks and get a pair of second-round picks will only help make Atlanta a better team in the future.

RB Ahman Green, Houston Texans

Impact on Houston:
While Green is 30 years old and has some health concerns, over the last few years, he has brought some stability and a veteran presence that was lacking in the Texans backfield for years. The problem is, the Texans OL and overall offense is weak at best. Aside from Andre Johnson, Houston doesn't have any reliable source of offense. Since Green's amazing 2003 season, it wasn't only his injuries that held him back, but also the lack of an OL and a good offense that held him back from putting up major numbers again. While Green's veteran leadership and ability to catch the ball out of the backfield will help, don't expect the Texans offense to do very much.

Impact on Green Bay:
While Green has never been same since 2003, he has been a very consistent producer over his career. Green Bay's offensive issues weren't because of him; they lost players to free agency mostly on the OL, which has been the major reason for their offensive woes. Although Green had lost a step, he provided them with a better than average running back who was very good at catching the ball out of the backfield. Green leaves a massive hole in Green Bay's backfield, with 3rd year RB Vernand Morency #1 on the depth chart with unproven Noah Herron, and rookies Brandon Jackson and DeShawn Wynn. With Green's departure leaving a big hole at running back and no new additions to the offense, the Packers will have an even tougher time on offense this season.

QB David Carr, Carolina Panthers

Impact on Carolina:
David Carr had a rough time during his 5 years as the starter of the Texans, compiling a 24-56 record and getting sacked a ridiculous 249 times (an NFL high by the way). He needs some time to take a step back and regain his confidence. He has a lot of talent and ability, and he can have a big impact on this team, if Delhomme is injured or falters. If given the chance, with the offensive weapons Carolina has, Carr has the ability to help this team get to the playoffs and can finally demonstrate his potential that made him the #1 overall pick with this team.

Impact on Houston:
In all honesty, even though I don't think Matt Schaub is very good, the loss of David Carr really won't impact Houston. The Texans are so bad on offense that even if Peyton Manning was their QB, they wouldn't be very good. Whether it be Schaub or Carr starting as QB for the Texans, not much would be different because the OL is still as bad as it was last year when it gave up 43 sacks. After 5 unsuccessful seasons, the Texans are finally rid of their 2002 #1 pick and can now try and move in a new direction, but that won't happen till they fix the OL.

RB Dominic Rhodes, Oakland Raiders

Impact on Oakland:
Don't expect Rhodes to have very much, if any impact at all on the Raiders this year. He was arrested for drunk driving earlier this off-season and still might miss some time with a suspension. With #1 RB Lamont Jordan looking to regain his 2006 form and rookie Michael Bush looking to show why he was a 2006 Heisman hopeful before a season ending injury, there just doesn't seem to be very many carries for Rhodes. So even if Rhodes isn't suspended, don't expect to see him helping out the Raiders offense very much.

Impact on Indianapolis:
Although Rhodes was the starter during the regular season last year, everyone knew he was just keeping the seat warm for rookie sensation, Joseph Addai. While I definitely don't think losing Rhodes was a major blow to the Colts offense, I do however feel that not bringing in a reliable #2 RB who can take some of the pressure and carries off of Addai's back might hurt them. Many NFL teams are trying to adopt the idea of having 2 reliable RB's because it keeps both of them fresh throughout the season and the playoffs. The lack of one in Indianapolis might come back to hurt them in the end.

QB Jeff Garcia, Tampa Bay

Impact on Tampa Bay:
Like last season, Garcia signed a contract with a team to be the back up, but can very possibly be the starter one again. Incumbent starter, Chris Simms only played 3 games last year after his spleen ruptured, but even before that he threw 1 TD vs. 7 interceptions. After seeing what Garcia did for the Eagles when he took over for the injured Donovan McNabb, Head Coach Jon Gruden won't hesitate to pull Simms for the veteran Garcia. Even if this happens, I just don't see Garcia helping the Bucs very much. The Eagles were a very good team last year and Garcia just had to make sure he didn't make any mistakes and play within the team; the Bucs aren't that good and will be losing in many of the games, which will mean a lot more work for Garcia.

Impact on Philadelphia:
What more can you say about what Garcia did for the Eagles last year in the wake of McNabb's season ending injury? The Eagles, realizing McNabb isn't getting any younger, drafted Kevin Kolb in the 2nd round of this year's draft. As long as the Eagles don't lose McNabb to a season ending injury and are winning games, they won't even remember Garcia. With A.J. Feely (and newly acquired Kelly Holcomb), they have enough experience to cover for McNabb if he misses only a short period of time. The Eagles will be just fine without Garcia and won't miss a beat.