It's that time of year again. The Super Bowl just ended and already the machine that is the NFL has us refocused on next season. I'm not finished marinating number SIX yet and here we go. We have a lot of players on the list this year, but not too many we have to worry about. Let's take a look first at the restricted players. Teams rarely sign another team's RFAs, but we'll go down the list anyway.
Willie Colon: I think if other sites graded him out, he would be about a C+ right now. No way anyone shows any interest. We will resign him relatively cheap.
Trai Essex: I'll pay for the cab fare to the airport. It's good that he knows the system and all and I suppose if you can get him for league minimum the learning curve is there, but he's never done anything for me as a player.
Chris Kemoeatu: Probably the best of the three? I'm not sure. It's a toss up between him and Willie. I don't expect other teams to come knocking. We'll resign him.
If Kemo and Colon continue to develop, it will work out nicely to resign them for 4-5 years while their stock is low. Next up, Unrestricted Free Agents. We're in very good shape here, the best in years. This may be the best chance for a team to repeat in recent history given their free agent situation.
Charlie Batch/Byron Leftwich: I think Leftwich thinks he can start. The thing is, who is going to give him a chance. Nobody is going to come calling Charlie. We have all the leverage. I say, let Leftwich go try the market. If he gets no starting offers, take him back as our #2. If Ben goes down, we are better off with Leftwich in my opinion. Batch runs the offense nicely when in there, but I have feeling if we need a long stretch, Lefty is the way to go. Charlie should be cheap as a #3 if he wants to stay. He's like another coach, really. If Leftwich goes, sign Batch and wait until after the draft for anundrafted free agent QB for #3.
Keyaron Fox: From what I remember, he made some nice special teams tackles as the first man down. He'll be so stinking cheap, why not resign him since he knows the system? If he goes, he goes. No loss.
Andre Frazier: See Keyaron Fox.
Sean McHugh: I'm indifferent. No loss if he goes.
Orpheus Roye: Do you know the story of the saying "Don't look a gift horse in the mouth"? Well, dude's teeth are pretty long. All he has going for him are the tricks of the trade that he's kearned over the years that help him battle youth, speed and strength. Let him walk. No offer.
Jamel White: Who in the Hell is this? Is the list I found accurate? Walk, no offer.
Nate Washington:I'm tempted to let him test the market. I like him, I really do and I want him to stay. However, if I'm playing Moneyball, the 3rd receiver is not a high paying job. We need to save those duckets for Santonio when he comes up. We didn't draft Limas Sweed to sit on the bench the entire game and he can play this position cheaper. Think about it, with Holmes, Miller and Ward running around in the secondary and Sweed ready after another full camp, I am predicting we lose Nate Washington and I'll wish him well.
Bryant McFadden: Here he is, boys, the one guy I don't want to lose this year. Sign him....tomorrow. Get 'r done.
Later this week: Draft Strategy. Dog, any issues with the FA assessment? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?
3 comments:
looks like i should read a little first. kemoeatu was offered a deal by the jets but pittsburgh resigned him for 5 years at $20 million $6 of which is guaranteed. That's not too expensive with what the cap limit is and it's about what I wanted. Three years from now that contract will look genius unless he flames out. Colon was given a tender of $2.2. I forgot to mention Starks. He's not worth what he got last year or this year.
With the signing of Kemoatu, the good news is it means the Super Bowl starting O-line will remain intact. The bad news is the Super Bowl starting O-line will remain intact. While we're on the O-line, you neglected to mention that Ken-doll Simmons was released which is addition by subtraction.
At QB Somebody has to go. You didn't mention Dennis Dixon and he's the #3 QB. Batch, I suspect, may retire if Leftwich returns to the Steelers. So either Leftwich is gone and Batch plays one more year as a #2 or Batch retires and Leftwich stays.
Didn't mention Larry Foote who is (I don't know which) either a RFA or a UFA. There's a chance he could be gone too. I hope not because Timmons is not a great run stuffer.
Orpheus Roye is one good D-Lineman in the draft from retirement. I think this happens.
Keyaron Fox is worth keeping.
Anthony Smith is also a free agent of some sort and has not been tendered an offer. I think LeBeau and Tomlin have had the shits of him. Tomlin preaches "staying humble, being grounded" and Anthony Smith is neither. He gone.
I think Bryant McFadden is gone also. They're paying crazy money to CBs who aren't as good as him and don't have 2 SB rings. Same for Nate Washington. I hear no less than 6 teams are interested in Washington.
In McFadden's case William Gay is ready to step up. Plus we'll likely draft a CB somewhere along the way this year.
To replace Washington, Limas Sweed needs to get his head out of his ass, learn to catch the ball, and not be such a damn pussy and he will be fine. In other words he needs to show huge improvement going into year 2. Plus we'll probably draft another WR this year too.
At some point in the next month or so, after some of these questions are answered, I'll post a pre-draft anaylsis. Perhaps April 1 would be an appropriate date to do so since I will most certainly look foolish on draft day no matter what I write. --Remember last year how I made that phone call to Florida to say Mendenhall was the #1 pick and we both scratched our heads. I'm still scratching mine over that pick.
i think my list was bad for sure. stupid internet. yes, i dont like smith either. i thought foote was resigned before the season started last year? will look into. and yes, i was happy as a lark sitting at wolfgang puck's eating 3 meat meat loaf, having sushi for an appetizer.....and your call ruined my night.
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