In Part I of our “Best Offseason Pickups” series, we looked at former head coaches who joined new teams as positional coaches. In the second installment of this series, we shift our focus to the players. In particular, we are looking at free agents who opted to sign with division rivals … because the only thing better than signing a great player is simultaneously taking a great player away from a division foe.

With that in mind, here is our rundown of the best “division defectors.”

RB DeMarco Murray (Cowboys to Eagles)

This is the offseason’s most obvious example. Murray, who won the rushing title last season by nearly 500 yards, jilted the reigning NFC East champions to sign a five-year, $42 million deal with the rival Eagles. Cowboys fans gave Murray the LeBron treatment afterwards, dramatically burning his jerseys, and Murray did nothing to extinguish the flames.

“I felt that this was a great opportunity for me to win a Super Bowl, at the end of the day,” he said after signing his massive deal to replace LeSean McCoy.

It will be interesting to see how Murray’s power-running style blends into Chip Kelly’s up-tempo offense. Philadelphia plans on using a three-headed attack that will also feature Ryan Mathews and Darren Sproles, but it will be Murray who gets the lion’s share of the carries. There is no doubt Murray has stars drawn on his calendar for Sept. 20 and Nov. 8, when his will get a chance to literally run over his former employer.

WR Andre Johnson (Texans to Colts)

Talk about an upgrade for Johnson. After expressing his desire to play for a contender during the final seasons of his career, he was released by the Texans and picked up by a Colts team that has made three straight playoff appearances and comes off an appearance in the AFC Championship Game.

Not only that, but Johnson gets to catch passes from arguably the best young quarterback in the game, Andrew Luck. It’s hard to see how anyone is going to slow down Indy’s gunslinger now, as Luck has the luxury of dropping back and throwing to Johnson, T.Y. Hilton or first-round pick Phillip Dorsett. Oh, and Indianapolis has not one, but two tight ends who scored eight touchdowns last season.

There is no way for the Texans to cover all those weapons when the teams collide on Oct. 8 and Dec. 20. Houston’s best hope is to counter with a dominant pass rush that doesn’t give Johnson & Co. time to get open. If Jadeveon Clowney is healthy enough to rush opposite J.J. Watt, that may just be possible.

As an interesting side note, the Texans replaced Johnson in part by picking up a division defector of their own, signing former Jaguars receiver Cecil Shorts to a two-year, $6 million deal.

OG Mike Iupati (49ers to Cardinals)

The Cardinals needed to do something to bolster their running game after finishing last season ranked No. 31 in rushing yards per game (81.8) and dead last in yards per carry (3.3). Both of those ranking should improve after adding Iupati, a road-grader who is one of the best run-blocking guards in the league. Pro Football Focus has ranked Iupati amongst the league’s top-three guards in terms of run blocking in three of the last four seasons.

Iupati has struggled in pass protection (allowing seven sacks last season),  but blocking for a pocket quarterback like Carson Palmer should make life easier for him. He is already excited for his matchups with the 49ers on Sept. 27 and Nov. 29, assuming the rest of San Francisco’s defense hasn’t retired by then.

Iupati is not the only interior lineman to jump ship to a division rival. That also happened twice in the AFC West, with the Chargers signing OG Orlando Franklin away from the Broncos and the Raiders swiping C Rodney Hudson from the Chiefs.

The Chargers liked Franklin so much that his contract (five years and $36.5 million) is worth more annually than the deal left tackle King Dunlap signed just weeks earlier (four years and $28 million).

“From what I see this offense is definitely on the up and up,” Franklin said after signing in San Diego. “We are taking the right steps forward to being a successful offense and being one of those top five or 10 offenses in the league. It is definitely an exciting time to be a San Diego Charger. They really wanted me and I’m glad I’m here.”

As for the Chiefs, they got some measure of revenge by signing former Raiders safety Tyvon Branch to a one-year, $2 million deal.

TE Charles Clay (Dolphins to Bills)

Rex Ryan did plenty of plundering inside the division he knows so well. He took a couple of big names with him from his last stop in New York, including WR Percy Harvin, but his team’s biggest acquisition came courtesy a division rival a little further south.

The Bills landed Clay with a five-year, $38 million contract that was too rich for Miami to match after the Dolphins had slapped Clay with the transition tag. Clay dealt with knee and hamstring injuries in 2014 but still finished with 58 catches for 605 yards and three scores. He is also an improving run blocker, which is critical for an offense that plans to establish McCoy and the ground game.

By adding Clay, Harvin and McCoy, the Bills are aiming to assemble an idiot-proof offense that no quarterback can screw up, be it E.J. Manuel, Matt Cassel or Tyrod Taylor.

“I’ve watched E.J. over the last few years. He’s a young guy but you can see where he’s developing,” Clay said. “Bringing in a guy like Matt Cassel who’s done it for a long time and has played at a high level … I’m excited. And to have these weapons around them, that will make them a lot more comfortable. There is no doubt in my mind that either of these guys can come and lead this team back where it wants to be, which is back in the playoffs and competing for Super Bowls.”

As was the case with the Colts, Texans and Jaguars, this division defection was part of a three-team domino effect. The Bills released TE Scott Chandler, who signed with the Patriots, clearing the way for Clay.

Which other division defectors could shift the balance of power in 2015? Discuss with author Michael Lombardo during his weekly NFL Chat on Friday at 2pm EST. But you don’t have to wait until then … you can ask your question now!