A new Cold War is brewing, but it does not involve Russia’s recent attempt to annex Crimea. Rather, it pits two domestic superpowers against each other in one of the most exciting arms races in recent memory. The battlefield: the National Football League’s AFC. The combatants: the New England Patriots and the Denver Broncos.
The two sides most recently came face to face in last year’s AFC Championship Game. With a trip to the Super Bowl on the line, the Broncos’ offense proved too much for the Patriots as Denver cruised to a 26-16 victory. Two weeks later, Peyton Manning and company fell to the Seattle Seahawks, joining New England among the ranks of teams that have recently failed to achieve professional football’s ultimate goal. With eyes turned toward the 2014 season, both teams made significant splashes during the free agency period that began March 11. Championships are won and lost in the games played between September and February, but important steps in determining real winners and losers are made during the offseason. Keeping that in mind, let’s see who has gained the upper hand in this rivalry.
The first significant transaction involved a free agent jumping directly from one side to the other. Aqib Talib, former top cornerback for the Patriots who was sorely missed after a hip injury knocked him out of last year’s AFC Championship Game, inked a lucrative, six-year $57 million contract with Denver. After New England opted not to assign Talib the one-year franchise tag designation, this move made a lot of sense for the Broncos as their own top cornerback from last season, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, also hit free agency. When healthy, the 28-year-old Talib is a definite upgrade for the Broncos, since he is widely considered to be one of the top five defensive backs in the NFL and is strong in both man and zone coverage. Further bolstering its secondary, Denver added former Cleveland Browns safety T.J. Ward to shore up the back end of a defense that gave up a whopping 48 points in the Super Bowl. Ward signed a four-year $23 million contract, and the hard-hitting 2013 Pro Bowl replacement will bring a new toughness to Denver.
Another key development came after the Dallas Cowboys released seven-time Pro Bowl defensive end Demarcus Ware. Denver’s General Manager John Elway was quick to pick up the former first-round pick and his 117 career sacks on a three-year $30 million deal. These three moves alone seem to have changed the identity of the Broncos from Peyton Manning’s pass-happy offensive juggernaut to a defensive force to be reckoned with. Tom Brady and the Patriots would be cowering on the East Coast if not for their own shrewd maneuvers.
After ranking 18th in opponent passing yards allowed last season and having lost their top defensive back at the beginning of free agency, the Patriots found themselves in dire need of secondary help. Such aid did not take long to materialize. Just 24 hours after the Broncos announced their acquisition of Talib, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers released Darrell Revis, the consensus best corner back in football. Within the next day, Revis was spotted at Boston’s Logan Airport, and his two-year $32 million pact with New England was announced shortly afterwards. Revis’ contract is misleading in that it is actually a one-year deal for $12 million. The second year of the agreement carries an astronomical $25 million salary cap charge that makes it all but certain he will either be released or signed to a renegotiated contract following this season. But the quality of the player justifies the one-year rental. Just days after signing Revis, New England further improved its pass defense by signing former Seahawks cornerback Brandon Browner to a three-year $17 million deal. Though Browner will have to serve a four-game suspension to start the 2014 season for violating the league’s substance abuse policy, he will also bring a reputation as one of the NFL’s most physical cornerbacks. The defensive duo of Browner and Revis stands out with its skills in man-on-man coverage and will afford Coach Bill Belichick the luxury of essentially taking away the two best receivers from any Patriots opponent.
These defensive maneuvers were accompanied by the Broncos’ addition of receiver Emmanuel Sanders and the Patriots’ signing and loss of pass catchers Brandon LaFell and Julian Edelman, respectively. But the ability of these teams and their Hall of Fame quarterbacks to put points on the board was never in question, and it is the defensive acquisitions that will make the difference in the teams’ 2014 performances. On that side of the ball, it seems clear that the Patriots came out ahead. The Broncos certainly addressed more positions of need, but they did so while committing a total of $110 million to three players while the Patriots essentially spent $29 million on two (assuming Revis’ second year does not come into play). The “throw gobs of money at star players” approach to free agency used by the Broncos’ Elway works to win headlines in March, but when the season begins, it is a different story.
One need only look to the 2013 Atlanta Falcons for a cautionary example. The Falcons lost in the 2012 NFC Championship Game, and many pundits considered them one or two missing pieces away from a 2013 Super Bowl. During the ensuing offseason, they committed big money to veteran running back Steven Jackson in the hopes that the move would put them over the top. Unfortunately, season-ending injuries to key players forced Atlanta to turn to its reserves — an area the Falcons had neglected in order to pay for starters. Lacking viable replacements, the Falcons limped to the end of the season, finishing 4-12.
The Broncos are making the uncertain gamble that they will be blessed with good health this coming season. Across the country, the Patriots and their “next man up” philosophy came out ahead by making high upside moves that will not prevent them from filling the holes caused by inevitable injuries.
Jack Blasberg ’16 is not an NFL free agent, but if you want to throw gobs of money at him, you can contact his agent at john_blasberg@brown.edu.
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