NFL Free Agency '10: Good Country for Old Men
by Rafael Vela on Mar 4, 2010 4:03 PM CST
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PrintTake a good look at this list of the top-50 free agents, on the eve of the market's opening tonight.
You notice how many old guys are on this list? The uncapped season has extended a team's ability to tender restricted free agents. Guys like Stephen Bowen and Sam Hurd are role players, and would be hitting the market tonight. In the current uncapped mode, the Cowboys are able to give them second round tenders and keep them on the roster. There's no cap harm -- tenders last one year, and with no salary cap, overpaying a bit doesn't matter.
The NFL has tied up what would be the meat of this year's crop, the marginal players who might be on the verge of becoming starters.
As a consequence, we're looking at the aged, those who carry bad contracts or both.
Let's consider offensive line. There are only five o-linemen on the top-50 list. All are over 30. None could make a strong case that they would beat out the incumbents on the Cowboys' also-aged line.
There are some interesting prospets at the top of the heap. Karlos Dansby is a player, and could work inside, but would you shove Keith Brooking out the door after his big season and block Jason Williams' development? Landing Dansby would also require outbidding a host of other suitors who have money to spend and few younger prospects to court.
The same conditions apply to safety. Ryan Clark is available, but he plays strong safety. Would he represent a big enough upgrade over Gerald Sensabaugh to justify a fat, long-term deal? Ditto for Antrel Rolle. He wants to be paid $8 million a year. In this shallow talent pool, somebody might give it to him. I doubt the Cowboys are that team.
After poring over this list, its no surprise to me that the Cowboys claim they're sitting out the early days of free agency.
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You can't sign what isn't there
maybe if some vets with bad deals are cut soon, but who on that list would automatically step in and upgrade Dallas’ 22?
In place of who?
Crayton? That’s our return guy and doesn’t deserve to just be dropped.
Williams? Isn’t gunna happen.
Ogletree? Progress stopper if Coles takes his place.
"We have to find a way to play better, there's no doubt. Overall. I'm not pointing fingers at anybody. Offense, defense, pitching -- we have to find a way to play better. The reality of this is, coming here to Pittsburgh and being swept -- personally, I feel embarrassed." -- Carlos Beltran
LOL
The rotten tomatoes are flying.
to make the jump to the next level, Odrick said today he needs to work on one area. "Just being more violent overall,'' Odrick said. "Play the game and play it right, violently.''
Rolle is better then Hamlin.
Dansby is better then Brooking and Brady James. The cowboys could sign them both if they really wanted to and just go for it this year. Worry about the possible cap later.
and if there's a cap in 2011?
what are you going to do then? Blow up the roster because they overspend wildly on a guy like Dansby who’s good but not a superstar?
The NFL doesn’t end after 2010.
Hi Dan
Can’t believe a rich guy like you trolls sites like this, Mr. Snyder
Pessimists say the cup is half-empty, while optimists say it's half-full. Well, isn't it both? Realist Larry, 2009
by Realist Larry on Mar 4, 2010 8:45 PM CST up reply actions
Julius Peppers is in the air, headed to DC!
Oh Dan. You’re at it again. Hope Bruce Allen has his tranquilizer gun.
Larry Allen benched 700 pounds. That is Leonard Davis times two.
lol – and where’s Mike Shanahan when you would need him most?
by One.Cool.Customer on Mar 5, 2010 5:17 AM CST up reply actions
Remember the contract we gave to Hamlin? I don't want to repeat bad history.
Rolle is not a Polamalu or Ed Reed…and he wants 8 mil per…? Also, factor in that Brookings is a better locker room guy…I’d sleep easy passing on Rolle and looking to the draft to upgrade.
Names on that list that interest me:
Antrel Rolle - I understand the price is high, but he’s a quality safety and would be a good fit in Dallas.
Jamal Williams - Huge, massive upgrade over Siavii. Could allow us to play both NTs on the field at the same time as well. Could buy us time to find a proper, young NT to groom.
Shayne Graham or Neil Rackers – Just sign one of these guys and let’s stop worrying about our kicking situation. Buehler is not going to magically turn into Jan Stenarud, even with some Chris Boniol pixy dust.
Actually, we could sign all three. Rolle at the large tender amount and Williams and a Kicker at the lower amount. How nice would it be to go into the draft and not having any glaring needs? This would bring us closer to that nirvana.
How is Rolle a good fit in Dallas?
He plays the same spot as Sensabaugh, the better of our two safeties, and wants to be the highest paid safety in the league, even though he wasn’t even the best safety on his own team last year. I fail to see the appeal.
I think you're confused
Rolle plays Free Safety.
Sensabaugh plays Strong Safety.
Ken Hamlin plays Free Safety and can be cut without financial penalty this year.
I never said Rolle’s requsted salary would be a good fit, just the player. I think he could make the biggest impact of all the available free agents. And considering Hamlin’s making $5.5 or $6M, upgrading him to Rolle is only an additional $2M, if they paid him that much. $2M doesnt seem like that much to upgrade the weakest link on your defense to a guy who made the Pro Bowl last year.
The fact that Rolle was the 2nd best safety on his own team has zero relevance.
Apologies on the position,
I thought Rolle also played SS.
That being said, regardless of how much we’re overpaying our current FS, do you really want to make a guy the highest paid player at his position so that he can be a marginal upgrade? The guy is an alright player, but he’s far from elite.
And I think it has relevance. Are you going to make Antoine Bathea the highest paid safety in the league, when he isn’t the best safety on his team (when Sanders in healthy)? I think it’s a similar situation.
Hamlin and Sensabaugh are both really SS...
more so for Hamlin…IMO, they should be reversed.
Rolle would be an upgrade over Hamlin withough question….Move Sensabaugh to FS and Rolle to SS would be ideal.
"Austin made the play, Austin saved the day" Brad Sham
williams and rolle were
Cut, so they don’t count against us as free agents. We could still sign one big time fa, and other smaller ones.
by TONYINCC on Mar 4, 2010 5:04 PM CST via mobile up reply actions
Hey Tank Johnson's available again!
"The greatest test of courage on earth is to bear defeat without losing heart."
The big problem I see
is, as you say, that because there is such a limited crop, these guys are likely to be way overpaid, and its just not worth it for us to go after them.
Dansby is one of the only guys out there I think could immediately benefit this team, and hes gonna get a rdiculous amount of money.
By the way, I read yesterday that the GIants are looking at throwing a 100 mllion at peppers. Sounded pretty legit. We’ll see if it true.
i read a report
On rotoworld, that said the giants were not going to be in the peppers sweepstakes. It said they were not happy with the free agent output they got last year, and will try to restock through the draft.
Secondly, if we are going to overpay for someone, now is the time, with no cap ramifications, it is ok to overspend, as long as we can guarantee an upgrade. Ill otagwe or rolle in heatbeat over hamlin.
by TONYINCC on Mar 4, 2010 5:19 PM CST via mobile up reply actions
Dansby will be a Dolphin this time tomorrow....
Peppers in Chicago…
"Austin made the play, Austin saved the day" Brad Sham
Alot of players over thirty with big contracts
are going to be looking for new teams tomorrow. Some of those players will have to sign for the league mini. Might be some very good older players at a good price.
What about the rams FS O.J. Atogwe, would he be an upgrade over hamlin?
Ignore the Mainstream Media, EMBRACE THE HATE!!!!
What about targeting a RFA?
Instead of looking for a future starting OT at the end of the first round, why not spend that #1 on a proven commodity?
Take Ravens LT Jared Gaither, for example. He’s just 24-years-old, started every game at LT since his rookie season (’08) and has been referred to as the heir apparent to Jonathan Ogden.
Pro Football Focus metrics ranked Gaither as the eleventh best OT in the league in ’08 (his rookie season) and sixth best last year.
that would be great especially a 27th pic
has he ben healthy? and wow he’s only 24? that’s about as young as a draft pick plus he have experience…….. that is a great point
I am wondering about
the CB the texans cut Dunta Roberson(sp)
He was their franchise player last year but he wasn’t happy being franchised so this year they cut him.
If he was that good he should be able to back up Newman and eventually take his place.
What do you think?
Go to the Battle Red Blog site and ask them, they are happy to see him go, this coming from a team that overpaid
for Jaque Reeves.
Ignore the Mainstream Media, EMBRACE THE HATE!!!!
yikes
I really didn’t pay attention, to how he played post-injury, but ill take your word. Plus I don’t want to go to a TEX-ANNES blog, I get enough from those losers at my work.
by TONYINCC on Mar 4, 2010 6:59 PM CST via mobile up reply actions
It doesn't help that the local afternoon show scott howe likes to lure in the crazy cowboy fans so he can mock us.
The station is hardup for tex-anns fans that he has a post game show just for them, the town is mostly cowboys fans by a 70-80 percent margin at least. But here he is pimping the tex-anns, I think it is because they are getting paid to; if he wanted to do a cowboys post game show the station would have to pay for it. And for any tex-ann fan thinking that they have a foot hold in CC needs to think again. This past year when they finally had a monday night game against the titans they were advertising their usual monday night coverage as a special tex-anns game night with a prize. Guess what the prize was, it was a signed football commemerating the opening of Cowboys Stadium. Even Scott knew that he needed cowboys swag to get a crowd to show-up. I wanted to call in to rib him about how he had no tex-anns swag, but the guy would just change the subject to something that favors his argument.
Just today he was talking about how dallas might have had Julius Peppers on the top of their list, it just amazes me he is in south texas and he is completely inept as to the pulse of the team that counts in this state.
Ignore the Mainstream Media, EMBRACE THE HATE!!!!
He is in Corpus Christi, he is a Chargers fan.
Market it is hard to say, I live here in Corpus and short of paying for xm or sirius I am kinda stuck with his show on my drive home (about 40 minutes). I will sometimes turn over to the 760 station out of San Antonio but they focus a lot on the spurs, and I am not into B-ball until the playoffs start.
The guy will create a debate topic like “who would you take straight up trade, the Rivers or Romo?” Does he throw out Matt Schaub, no he is baiting boys fans. The topic is flawed because the NFL is not fantasy football, the team that drafted Rivers gave up alot more than dallas did for Romo, that should be a consideration. Romo needed more time before he was going to be ready (maybe two years) but we will never really know. Scott will then sit back to wait for knee-jerk boys fans who cannot make a cognizant point on this topic. I just think he is trying very hard to avoid making his show a cowboys heavy show, but I think he takes it too far. Now he will criticize the tex-anns but it is in a more of a “auuww there there they will be in the playoffs next year”. He constantly mocks us for the 10% of the fans who always believe SB or bust every year; and uses the pharse all the cowboys fans I talk to say this. Well you live in TX, so the 10% is going to be substantially larger than the 10% crazy you get from the tex-anns, it just sounds like an excuse.
Ignore the Mainstream Media, EMBRACE THE HATE!!!!
lucky i dont have
Satelite radio, this guy sounds like every other tex annes fan. They haven’t done squat, but they sure can bag on the boys. Oh well, lil brother syndrome I guess. I hope to god we whip their butts next year. I am thinking about going to houston for that game.
by TONYINCC on Mar 4, 2010 8:52 PM CST via mobile up reply actions
Yeah I had the same thought about going but I want to go to Cowboys stadium before I go there.
Ignore the Mainstream Media, EMBRACE THE HATE!!!!
I heard the Texans stadium is really nice and up-to-date too.
BTB League Consolation Ladder Champ...thought you knew.
by Aaron Novinger on Mar 4, 2010 8:58 PM CST up reply actions
Forgot they're playing in Houston!
I’m totally gonna get tickets to that one.
BTB League Consolation Ladder Champ...thought you knew.
by Aaron Novinger on Mar 4, 2010 8:58 PM CST up reply actions
He's not good at all.
He used to be good and then he had a horrific leg injury. It’s actually a miracle he’s still playing. But since his injury he has been just terrible, as has his attitude.
Here is an example of what I was talking about
http://www.battleredblog.com/2010/2/24/1324387/good-bye-dunta-robinson
Ignore the Mainstream Media, EMBRACE THE HATE!!!!
robinson
asked the Texans not to tag him..and their GM agreed..then they offered him a big contract and he said NO to it..Then the Texans franchised him and he pouted, sat out and didnt come back til i believe, the 1st reg. season game (which he wrote "Pay me Rick " ,for Rick Smith, the Texans GM, on his shoes)..he had no OTA’s, or training camp last year, after returning from the injury for like 4-5 games the season before…
"Let me tell you sumthin' son ! an ass whippin' hurts no matter what kinda shape your in ! " Stone Cold Steve Austin
ryan clark?
i wouldnt want anyone from the pitt secondary not name troy polamoalausualq
What the French?! Toast!
2 guys we can sign !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
1. Joey Porter- situational pass rusher ( 8 sacks with Dolphins) give D.Ware a break……… there is no guarantee Brandon Williams will come back A -1 status…
2. Darren Sharper- make more plays in the secondary then Ken Hamilin PERIOD………. We can draft a corner to play safety or draft a safety to develop behind Sharper if we cannot get a legit grade FS in the draft.
The guys seem as if they can work on 1- 3 year deals the age vets but we might find value and more leadership within these guys plus the knowledge they bring would be great.
Why do we want to load up on old guys?
I’d rather give Victor Butler and Williams snaps at backup OLB than block their development with an aging Joey Porter, who fell off a cliff last year in terms of explosive ability.
Larry Allen benched 700 pounds. That is Leonard Davis times two.
these giuys still can play
ill take Porter 8 sacks over Butler 3 any day…… plus Brandon is just no guarantee.
Sharper 10 ints…. Hamlin how many?
These guys can help… Just these two guys.. U can give them the same deal they gave Keith Brooking.
I saw Dallas pass on Joey Porter once and he was dynamic in Miami … Miami did not release Porter he RELEASE HIMSELF FROM MIAMI
Who we going to sit for an old man
Ware or Spencer with his 8 sacks the second half of the season. Porter is trouble and he would stunt the growth of the new guys.
KICK ASS every day!!!
by squidlo97 on Mar 4, 2010 7:34 PM CST via mobile up reply actions
Porter as a back up not a starter.....
stunt the growth of who? Brandon was our best olb prospect coming out of the draft .but that guy knee has ben shredded it would not b wise to count on him…
That injury is had to come back from.. Greg Ellis did it but only in fear of loosing his job.
Porter trouble are u serious? Name one incident? That guy got fire..
I was very surprised that the Chargers cut Jamal Williams
He was only due a $1MM bonus.
He’s been one of the league’s top NTs for the past 5 years. Is it possible they doubt his ability to stay healthy?
Larry Allen benched 700 pounds. That is Leonard Davis times two.
He's a 12 year vet
who has also had injury problems lately.
OTOH, this is the type of player if healthy Dallas might pursue, a guy who comes cheap and can give you 25 snaps a game.
But he didn’t play much last year. This one is probably on the Dallas medical staff as much as anything.
I could see that at as a potential signee.
There are some ifs. I read he has a history of knee injuries, but he missed ‘09 because of a triceps injury. Doesn’t sound as if he’d need to rehab.
If they don’t draft a NT or don’t expect to, then I could see big Jamaal with a star on his helmet.
BTB League Consolation Ladder Champ...thought you knew.
by Aaron Novinger on Mar 4, 2010 7:47 PM CST up reply actions
Initial rumor is SD will try to re-sign him
Williams was let go simply because the Chargers don’t believe he is worth $6 million (a $1 million roster bonus and $5 million salary). The great nose tackle will test the market, but the Chargers desire to sign him back for less money. He would be well worth half that $6 mil, even though I think the plan will be to play him about 30 snaps a game to keep him strong and healthy.
to make the jump to the next level, Odrick said today he needs to work on one area. "Just being more violent overall,'' Odrick said. "Play the game and play it right, violently.''
Tricky bastages.
I dig your sig, btw. Really like that Odrick guy. Sounds like a destroyer.
BTB League Consolation Ladder Champ...thought you knew.
by Aaron Novinger on Mar 4, 2010 8:29 PM CST up reply actions
Thank you sir
I saw it on a draft site and thought it was sig worthy. Odrick between Rat and Spencer could be a nightmare scenario for opposing offenses.
to make the jump to the next level, Odrick said today he needs to work on one area. "Just being more violent overall,'' Odrick said. "Play the game and play it right, violently.''
Come to Dallas, play 30 snaps a game here
by AustonianAggie on Mar 5, 2010 9:41 AM CST up reply actions
I know it is relative
I’m 38 and it hurts a little to hear a guy is 34 and over the hill and washed up.
It's fun to do bad things. -Latarian Milton
cromartie to jets
For a 2011 3rd round pick, damn, that is cheap.
by TONYINCC on Mar 4, 2010 9:49 PM CST via mobile reply actions
On sportscenter they just said that there is a deal in the works to trade Cromartie to the Jets for 3rd in the 2011 draft.
Ignore the Mainstream Media, EMBRACE THE HATE!!!!
bolts from the blue has a link update
http://www.boltsfromtheblue.com/2010/3/4/1357495/chargers-get-a-2011-third-round#comments
Ignore the Mainstream Media, EMBRACE THE HATE!!!!
Jets Stacked at CB
Wow Revis and Cromartie that could be like the old school Raiders with Hayes and Haynes. Interesting.
I could see Jamal Williams with us
He would be perfect for us. He could spell Ratliff and he would also be getting to the point that he wants to play for a ring. We could be that team. Also, he does knows Wade Phillips defense well. Hell, the year that they switch to a 3-4, that was when Williams career took off. He would be a perfect fit. We could then use a later round draft pick on a NT, that we could develop under Williams.
I say leave Rolle alone. We should make an offer on Atogwe. He could generate the ints that we so desperately need. He is an interception machine. He also could be wanting to play for a winner. He could play and we could have Alan Ball as a back up. This could work. I just don’t want the Eagles to get him. That would suck.
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