One interesting side element of the whole 'Doug Free as a free agent' discussion is the fact that Free could be an interesting option for the other NFC East teams.
Bleeding Green Nation's JimmyK opines that Free "would be an absolutely perfect fit on the Eagles OL protecting Michael Vick's blindside". Ed Valentine from Big Blue View sees Free as an "enticing, if unlikely, option," as they're focusing more on the guard position and Parks Smith from Hogs Haven "would also love to steal Doug Free".
While I don't think any of these scenarios are particularly likely to happen, they did lead to an interesting and totally speculative train of thought:
If you could have one player from each NFC East team for the Cowboys' 2011 roster, which three would you pick?
My picks:
From the Eagles roster, my pick would be Quintin Mikell, who just so happens to be a free agent, but that's not the reason he'd be my choice. Sure, Vick and DeSean Jackson are enticing options, but the Cowboys are already stacked at those positions. Mikell would have the most significant - and immediate - impact on the Cowboys in 2011.
From the Redskins, my choice would be Brian Orakpo - by a mile. The guy played on a 4-12 and 6-10 team, switched from a 4-3 to a 3-4, yet still managed to total 19.5 sacks in his two seasons and made the Pro Bowl in each season as well. Now imagine if the 6-4, 260 pound pass rusher was paired with DeMarcus Ware ... Orakpo is everything Spencer should have been, and more. Please Anthony, make me eat my words this season.
For the Giants, the default option should be to take away the core of their defense, the pass rush. When their pass rush is running on high gear, that defense can be formidable. But we've also seen what happens when the pass rush is off, so from a strategic point of view, I should take a pass rusher, and the default option here is Justin Tuck. Umenyiora is already over 30 and could be leaving New York anyway, Jason Pierre-Paul has failed to impress so far and Kiwanuka's neck injury throws up all kinds of red flags.
Which players would you pick and why?