Buck is back, with the final portion of our look at 2009 NFL free agency signing period. Previous reports:

AFC

East
North
South

NFC

Compete conference

Denver Broncos

Key Signings/additions – RB LaMont Jordan (New England), QB Kyle Orton (Chicago), S Brian Dawkins (Philadelphia), RB Correll Buckhalter (Philadelphia).

Key Departures – QB Jay Cutler (Chicago), S John Lynch (retired), LB Jamie Winborn (FA), RB Selvin Young (FA).

The Skinny – You might have caught an occasional news blip, oh, roughly every 30 seconds or so, about the supposed friction between Bronco head coach Josh McDaniels and starting quarterback Cutler. That rift became about 1,050 miles wide after Cutler was dealt to Chicago – with former Bear signal-caller Orton landing in Denver. You might remember Orton and his neck-beard from his various Internet photo appearances in both on and off the field genre – nudge, nudge, wink, wink.

Orton’s thankfully lost the neckie, and he’s not as bad as you might think: Three so-so December games at frigid Soldier Field dragged his 2008 numbers southward. That being said, Denver isn’t known for balmy winter weather, and Orton doesn’t figure to be anything more than a decent NFL quarterback and occasional Fantasy starter; the skills (football skills, anyway) just aren’t there.

Dawkins should help shore up what was an awful Denver D last season, but whatever sleeper potential Jordan and Buckhalter might have had went out the window when the Broncs tabbed Georgia running back Knowshon Moreno as their first-round draft pick. Moreno is a great fit for the Denver offense, and could have a monster season if his body holds up to the pounding.

Kansas City Chiefs

Key Signings – QB Matt Cassel (New England), WR Bobby Engram (Seattle), LB Zach Thomas (Dallas), LB Mike Vrabel (New England), G Mike Goff (San Diego).

Key Departures – TE Tony Gonzalez (Atlanta), LB Donnie Edwards (FA).

The Skinny – The Chiefs are hoping that Cassel’s big year in ‘08 wasn’t just a product of the system in New England, but they didn’t do him any favours by trading Gonzalez to Atlanta for a mere 2010 second round draft pick. Gonzo snagged 96 catches for 1,058 yards and 10 TDs a year ago, and his hands and athleticism will be sorely missed.

If he can stay healthy, Engram could occasionally contribute some meaningful numbers working underneath the coverage, but his fantasy value will be limited by his advancing years and the presence of big Dwayne Bowe on the opposite side. The same age caveats apply to Thomas, whose glory days in Miami are nothing more than distant memories. Don’t draft Vrabel for your IDP league based on his strong years in Foxboro, but his playmaking ability might win him some favour as a spot starter in deeper formats.

Oakland Raiders

Key Signings – QB Jeff Garcia (Tampa Bay), RB Lorenzo Neal (Baltimore).

Key Departures – WR Ronald Curry (Detroit), S Gibril Wilson (Miami).

The Skinny – The second-most famous Garcia to ply his trade in the Bay Area returns to town, but he’ll likely only be an insurance policy in case JaMarcus Russell stumbles. Now, when Russell does stumble, Garcia should give the Silver and Black some serviceable play whilst dinking the ball underneath and trying the patience of Al Davis, who never met a 60-yard bomb he didn’t love.

Those bombs will likely be pointed in the direction of Raiders’ shocking no. 1 draft pick, mercurial wideout Darrius Heyward-Bey. DHB is big and fast, and if Russell keeps his game together, the combination could be lethal for years to come. We’re not sold on Russell just yet, but both he and Heyward-Bey are great speculative Fantasy picks – so long as you don’t bet too heavily on either one.

The running game figures to be improved by the bruising presence of fullback Neal, who is one of the game’s premier blocking backs. While his Fantasy worth is nil (except in formats that reward pancake blocks), Neal should boost the value of whomever lines up at tailback for the Raiders this season.

San Diego Chargers

Key Signings – LB Kevin Burnett (Dallas).

Key Departures – G Mike Goff (Kansas City).

The Skinny – The Bolts pretty much played a pat hand in the offseason, though the departure of Goff leaves a sizable hole on the right side of the O-line. The signing of running back Darren Sproles to a hefty franchise tender should signal that the Chargers are not completely sold on the potential longevity of starting tailback LaDainian Tomlinson, who has battled injuries each of the past two seasons and is about to hit the big three-oh. All those touches begin to wear an NFL back’s body down, and LT is showing signs of hitting the wall. Needless to say, (but we’ll say it anyway) Sproles is a must-grab if you draft LT in your Fantasy league this season.

The Chargers defense garnered only 28 sacks last season – largely due to the absence of rush monster linebacker Shawne Merriman (knee) – and they addressed that need by nabbing ‘tweener linebacker and D-end Larry English with their first-round draft pick. The 6-foot-2, 274-pounder racked up 31.5 sacks and 63 tackles for loss during his career at Northern Illinois, but there are some questions as to his pass coverage skills. Merriman looks to be ready to come back, but in case he can’t, English may be asked to shoulder a big load early on.

The Buffalo Bills signed WR Terrell Owens to a one year deal on Saturday, a move which seems to be in the best interest of both parties. Owens gives young QB Trent Edwards a threat that will allow for more single coverage looks to Lee Evans. Paired with Marshawn Lynch, the skill positions in Buffalo are all quite talented. Owens should put up good numbers, but this helps Edwards the most. Also, in the past week, the Bills added QB Ryan Fitzpatrick to hold the clipboard.

The other big QB signing of the week came when the Cardinals and Kurt Warner agreed to a two-year deal. I had a feeling that it would work out all along between Warner and the Cards and that the visit to the 49ers was not too serious, just a bargaining chip. Ultimately Warner got paid, but not the amount he wanted. Now it remains to be seen if the Cards will keep WR Anquan Boldin, so the aging QB may lose a top weapon.

There have been a couple of RB signings since free agency started, and all of them have a fairly low fantasy impact. Correll Buckhalter signed a deal with the Broncos, which ensures he will be severely injured at some point next season. Derrick Ward, part of the three-headed running back attack for the Giants, signed a deal with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where he will compete for carries. Former Texas Longhorn standout and misdemeanor extraordinaire Cedric Benson has agreed to stay in Cincinnati, where he will likely be the starting running back. He had a decent year for the Bengals in 2008, so maybe he can build on that.

In WR news, the Seattle Seahawks’ signing of T.J. Houshmanzadeh took the headlines. Nobody has caught more balls the last four years than Houshmanzadeh, and he will look to establish a relationship with Matt Hasselbeck right away. TJH entertained a deal with the Vikings, which I think would have worked out better, but he opted for the northwest as he has ties to the Washington state region, having attended Oregon State. Obviously, if Hasselbeck stays healthy, his stock goes up for next year with a big new weapon at his disposal.

Days before the Arizona Cardinals nearly applied a death blow to Steeler Nation, the Pro Football Hall of Fame, in conjunction with Coors Light, released its list of the 10 coldest games in NFL history. A panel of some of the NFL’s all-time greatest players narrowed their selection down to 10 epic contests. When asked about the bone-chilling 10 games RotoRob’s reaction perhaps best summed up the players’ sentiments.

“It’s !#*@* cold.”

Without further ado, let’s take a look:

No. 10 – Tampa Bay Buccaneers (27) @ Philadelphia Eagles (10), January 19, 2003

Temperature: 26 degrees (wind Chill: 16 degrees)

Memorable Moment: With the score 20-10 Tampa, Donovan McNabb tried to rally his teammates and lead a fourth quarter comeback in the final game at venerable Veterans Stadium. In what is the defining moment of the Andy Reid era in Philadelphia thus far, Buc cornerback Ronde Barber interrupted the comeback by taking an interception 90 yards for a touchdown. Barber’s big play prompted him to say afterwards “Pro Bowl my *** baby, I’m going to San Diego damn it.”

No. 9 – Tennessee Titans (14) @ New England Patriots, (17), January 10, 2004

Temperature: 4 degrees (wind chill: -10 degrees)

Memorable Moment: Tom Brady + Best Patriots Defense during the Bill Belichick era = Home Field Advantage; Steve McNair + physical defense – washed up Eddie George = good team that cannot score quite enough.

No. 8 – Oakland Raiders (17) @ Denver Broncos (20), January 1, 1978

Temperature: 18 degrees (wind chill: N/A, but reportedly cold enough to freeze your ‘nads off)

Memorable Moment: In the game’s critical sequence, Bronco running back Rob Lytle took a handoff, dove towards the goalline and fumbled. Raider defensive tackle Mike McCoy scooped up the ball took off towards the end zone. Unfortunately for the Raiders, the play was blown dead and the officials claimed Lytle never fumbled. Television replays suggested otherwise (back in the ’70s, the instant replay was still a decade away from becoming reality). Denver scored on the next play. Oakland eventually fell 20-17. Years later, it was revealed that Raider defensive tackle John Matuszak was bothered not by the cold weather but instead partying a bit too hard a night earlier. The Broncos got word of it and took advantage.

No. 7 – New York Giants (7) @ Green Bay Packers (16), December 30, 1962

Temperature: 13 degrees (wind chill: N/A, but when your pee freezes before it hits the ground, it’s friggin’ cold)

Memorable Moment: The weather proved to be the game’s defining factor with winds up to 40 miles per hour. Jim Taylor scored the game’s lone touchdown for Green Bay, while offensive lineman Jerry Kramer booted three field goals to secure the Pack’s second NFL title.

No. 6 – Oakland Raiders (13) @ New England Patriots (16), January 19, 2002

Temperature: 20 degrees (wind chill: N/A, but apparently cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey…no, I don’t get that either)

Memorable Moment: Unless you lived under a rock for the past 10 years, this is known as the “Tuck Game” and is mostly noted for the ill-fated call that eventually turned a Brady game-ending fumble into a mystifying game-tying field goal by Patriot kicker Adam Vinatieri. This is the game that got the Patriot dynasty off the launching pad and started to turn that Brady fellow into a star.

No. 5 – New York Giants (23) @ Green Bay Packers (20), January 20, 2008

Temperature: -4 degrees (wind chill: -24 degrees)

Memorable Moment: A brief interlude if I may…one of my friends refers to Brett Favre as ‘old red nose’ for his penchant to resemble Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer during games in this type of weather. With the Giants reeling and the Packers controlling the ball in overtime, Rudy with his nose so bright fired his final pass at Lambeau Field as a Packer…into the hands of Giant cornerback Corey Webster. A few plays later, the Giants went to Super Bowl XLII and one of America’s greatest mini-series began: Brett Favre Holds America (and the Packers) Hostage!

No. 4 – Oakland Raiders (10) @ Pittsburgh Steelers (16), January 4, 1976

Temperature: 11 degrees (wind chill: N/A, but cold enough to cross the Mississippi on foot)

Memorable Moment: The best moment of the game, besides the fans storming the field like lunatics, came prior to the start of the game. It was alleged by Raider owner Al Davis that the Steeler grounds crew didn’t take the best care of the Astroturf at Three Rivers Stadium. In fact, Davis believed that the crew allowed tears to occur in the tarp covering the field. The precipitation that hit the area that week led to patches of ice all over the field. Thus, Oakland’s greatest offensive asset – team speed – was deemed moot. With the Oakland aerial assault grounded, the Steelers won the AFC title 16-10 and eventually defended their world title.

No. 3 – Los Angeles Raiders (23) @ Buffalo Bills (29), January 15, 1994

Temperature: 0 degrees (wind chill: -32 degrees)

Memorable Moment: Another Raider entry? Are we sure this poll wasn’t conducted by Steeler fans looking to highlight Raider shortcomings? It does seem a little bizarre that a somewhat warm weather team like the Raiders has been involved in this many frozen classics. At any rate, when the clock hit zero in the fourth quarter, the Bills vanquished the Raiders and advanced to another AFC title game. Soon after the game, you could hear America collectively groaning “oh no, here we go again.” At least for Raider fans that day it wasn’t another 51-3 debacle.

No. 2 – San Diego Chargers (7) @ Cincinnati Bengals (27), January 10, 1982

Temperature: -9 degrees (wind chill: -59 degrees)

Memorable Moment: The game itself wasn’t very good. However, seeing players try to catch the ball in this weather was almost laughable at times. Making matters worse for San Diego was the fact that it had just been in the epic playoff tilt against Miami a week earlier. In these conditions, the Chargers laboured to score points. By the way, I’ve never understood the pandering towards the ’81 Chargers that occurs from time to time. They played poor defense, weren’t a great running team and were by and large one-dimensional. Sure, they had skill players, but that doesn’t always pay the bills in the clutch.

No. 1 – Dallas Cowboys (17) @ Green Bay Packers (21), December 31, 1967

Temperature: -13 degrees (wind chill: -48 degrees)

Memorable Moment: The weather tales from this one are legendary. Cowboy Hall of Fame receiver Bob Hayes ran pass patterns with his hands in his pants. Meanwhile, a referee had a whistle stick to his lips. As for the game, the Packer dynasty — on its last legs — outlasted the Cowboys for the second straight season to win the NFL championship. Green Bay quarterback Bart Starr snuck in from one yard away to give Green Bay its last NFL title under head coach Vince Lombardi. Everyone is so quick to romanticize the ’58 NFL title game, but this is the definitive game in league history. While maybe not as influential, it’s one of the most historic battles of all time.