Free Agency Madness 2011: A Thread for post lockout signings

bring it

DUM DUM

SI_PeterKing Peter King
Get used to the cacti, Kevin Kolb.

If the Bears sign Randy Moss, I'm finding a new team.

after 30 years, im ready to move on.

Wait, is that a thing that's being talked about? o_O

Mike Brown on Carson Palmer: "He has retired. If he is going to walk away from his commitment, we're not going to reward it."”

Dallas releasing RB Marion Barber.

he's not very good

There was a point where he was sort of incredible, but it was fleeting.

barber's head seems to go down when the team isn't doing well. i think he has a couple real good seasons in him for a winning side, like randy at ne. most likely he will be an expensive addition to a sucky team and will disappear from games, like randy at oakland.

i think he's too slow to be make any real impact in the nfl

he could be like what mcgahee was for a few years, i gues

his best seasons came as a 3rd down/platoon back before he got named starter but i would guess his ego and contract demands are beyond that now. if it weren't for the inevitable price tag i would love to have him on the pats.

If that's the case, r.i.p Lawfirm

i'll take lawfirm, thx

do the pats still have fred taylor?

after ridding themselves of laurence maroney, i couldn't see the pats opting for barber

pats also drafted two rbs, didn't they? i think fred taylor is gone.

benjy is a different kind of back. actually kind of surprised no one is taking a nibble at him on 2nd round tender. his lack of draft pedigree working in pats' favour.

fred taylor and sammy morris unrestricted free agents this year and won't be back. i don't know anything much about the new guys, and i am not real-world advocating for barber, but that model of player that would fit in nicely i think.

Wait, is that a thing that's being talked about? o_O

― Johnny Fever, Tuesday, July 26, 2011 12:10 PM (3 hours ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

yes.

I wouldnt waste time discussing Marion Barber. Running backs are a dime a dozen in this league. Plus it's like boxing, once youre shot youre shot. There's no coming back. The days of a guy like Walter Payton are long gone.

Cool, I will waste my time however I see fit though.

seattle seahawks, your 2010-11 qb will be...tavaris jackson! don't go booking any vacations on a playoff weekend folks.

2011-2

lolsquawks

facepalm

mcnabb to minnesota supposedly in the works

seahawks also signing matt leinert wheeeeee

i guess there is at least an identifiable thought process behind that

is volek being linked with anyone?

i'm still baffled by Leinart or maybe he's just another Mike Phipps idk

I think Leinart is equally as baffled by himself

supposedly he just has a shitty work ethic and has never put in the effort to turn around the deficiencies in technique he came to the league with. maybe carroll thinks he knows how to get into his head and drag out the heisman qb.

there's no way that leinart could be worse than a. whoever seattle currently has b. like the bottom 25% of nfl starting qbs

well, he certainly could be as bad as those qbs, but at least worth figuring it out

feel like me and Matt should form a club

if la canfora is to be believed jackson is being signed as the starter and leinart and whitehurst will face off for back up. but i agree that it makes sense for carroll to at least take a look at him

didn't they just trade a 2nd or 3rd rd pick for whitehurst?

lol yup

completely inept

whoa

it is weird to think but for some reason whitehurst became really hot property while third string at san diego. ironically i remember that arizona were tipped to replace leinart with him at one point.

whitehurst was never even good in college & he played at a good school

The reaction in San Diego when that trade went down was total bafflement and glee.

wait did his dad QB at Green Bay?

predicting my Dolphins still have a flimsy assed offense this year, no matter who they sign. which is a shame cuz their defense could be special!

fins being linked with deangelo williams. maybe they could squeeze one great year out of him a la ronnie and ricky.

yeah ok, his dad did play for Green Bay

i remember the elder Whitehurst being not bad

I think DW's first choice is to remain a Panther, so we'll see how that goes.

they just gave a DE a massive deal, so i doubt that's gonna happen

how & when did deangelo williams go from being one of the best rbs in the nfl to being a guy that no one should sign

Season	Team	GP	Att	Yds	Avg	Yds/G	Long	TD	Rec	Yds	Long	TD
2008	CAR	16	273	1,515	5.5	94.69	69	18	22	121	25	2
2009	CAR	13	216	1,117	5.2	85.92	77	7	29	252	30	0
2010	CAR	6	87	361	4.1	60.16		1	11	61		0

He had some health issues last year for sure.

it would be very hilarious to me if williams went somewhere else and had another 1000y season and then stewart bombed in the spotlight. and stewart's numbers were pretty crappy last year too. 2010 carolina was a horrible team on o.

xxp right, still seems weird to me that ppl are so hands off of him. he's not really old.

man that Carolina team went to hell

they're truly the worst

if cam ends up being more jamarcus russell than matt ryan they're gonna be REALLY fucked, and for a long time

i'd be surprised if the Panthers don't do everything they can to keep Williams.

i guess i don't really know anything about the salary cap or the panthers financials but they just signed charles johnson to a $72m deal

if they fall into the trap of looking at stewart's 08 and 09 numbers as back up and multiply them straight out into starter expectations then they could def see losing williams as a way to save some cash, especially as their priority seems to be keep their decent defense intact

the redskins just resigned santana moss to a 3 year 15 m deal for some reason

things are happening too fast and i can't deal

xp what the hell

that's moss retiring a skin i guess

he's not exactly john riggins

the thing to remember about the nfl is teams can cut players at like any point & incur minimal penalty

Rich Seubert and Shaun O’Hara off the G'nts

paul posluzny to the jags supposedly

apparently the bucs have to spend like $40 m to reach the salary floor

Gibril Wilson agreed to a five-year contract with the Miami Dolphins on February 26, 2009. The contract was worth $27.5 million with $8 million guaranteed.[1] ... Wilson was released on March 5, 2010.

THIS WILL TURN OUT REALLY WELL

ProFootballTalk ProFootballTalk
Seahawks battling Vikings for Sidney Rice wp.me/p14QSB-AX6

lol

i wish there were cooler free agents to grind in the rumor mill

vikings fans: are you ready?

http://purplejesus.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/mcnabb-dance.gif?w=320

fuck, that is the best gif ever

LADIES AND GENTLEMAN, DANIEL SNYDER!!!!!

AdamSchefter Adam Schefter
Washington tried weaking division opponent New York early Wednesday, reaching agreement with DT Barry Cofield on a six-year deal.

whither fat albert and his hilarious contract now? only 4-3 defenses need apply.

Hasselbeck to Tennessee. Roy Williams finally out. Even seeing Thigpen going to Miami as back-up depresses me since I know that he'll be my bye week pick in my stupid goddammed 2QB league.

augh i don't want hasselbeck at titans

I can't tell if McNabb to the Vikings is brilliant or insane

yes, it is.

brinsane

brillyaint in the head-taint

it's probably the best option they've got

so, hasselbeck to the titans for *looks down, looks up, wipes eyes, looks down again* 3 years $21 m

santonio holmes got 5 yr 50 m which is apparently the most expensive contract for a wr in nfl history

good luck, jets

that hasselbeck news has me genuinely sad but i still like it better than keeping vince

weird that vince's name hasn't come up... at all

santonio holmes got 5 yr 50 m which is apparently the most expensive contract for a wr in nfl history

good luck, jets

― J0rdan S., Wednesday, July 27, 2011 12:29 PM (7 minutes ago) Bookmark

for chrissakes this guy is not that good!

no, he is not

i mean i think it goes w/o saying that if you're paying that amount of money to a wr, he better be larry fitzgerald or calvin johnson

santonio's a great fuckin player and this isnt out of line with his value at all. one of the best route-runners in the league, great hands, is seriously explosive, has produced every year he's been in the league. i can't imagine what problem you guys have with him.

I had almost forgot that Jeff Fisher isn't coaching Tenn anymore.

It was like a rite of autumn to see how much grayer his mustache had become over the summer.

The Chargers signed Takeo Spikes, re-signed Jeromey Clary and Randy McMichael.

David Baas to the Giants.

Quintin Mikell to the Rams.

Ike Taylor stays with the Steelers.

idk tamtam nothing about his stats suggests "highest-paid receiver in the game" to me.

santonio's a great fuckin player and this isnt out of line with his value at all. one of the best route-runners in the league, great hands, is seriously explosive, has produced every year he's been in the league. i can't imagine what problem you guys have with him.

― https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_i_qxQztHRI (Princess TamTam), Wednesday, July 27, 2011 12:44 PM (5 minutes ago) Bookmark

that he isn't the best wr in the nfl

that he's always played next to another really good wr

that he was apparently enough of a problem that the steelers felt okay trading him for a 4th round pick

that he was suspended last year for smoking weed

i mean, eli was (is still?) the highest paid qb...nfl contracts are largely nonsenical when comparing by position

antrell rolle is the highest paid safety iirc

nfl contracts are bizarre and often huge houses of cards, but, uh, this is a massive deal

i felt like vince was a possibility for minnesota but donovan is so much better of a call
as a titans fan, I can't help but hope dude ends as no more than a backup; don't want to watch him play ever again

last year he had > 80 yards receiving in two games.

dude is a good player and a serious big gain threat, but he does not dominate games.

the jets really need to keep sanchez happy; he's made it clear he's willing to restructure his contract if they give him weapons. you also get the sense that the jets don't really care so much about your off field behavior as it would literally be putting their foot in their mouth to bring that kinda shit up

Does anyone know if the new cba changes the way that contracts work? In the old cba the only thing that really counted was the bonus and the first year, as the later years weren't guaranteed. Is that different now?

this 'hes being paid the most b-b-b-but he isnt the very best player!!!' song and dance fans do every offseason is completely asinine. its a sports radio-type nonissue. absolutely does not fucking matter. someone becomes the highest paid ___ ever every single year, because... salaries always go up in this league. that's how it works. the jets are still in the running for nnamdi, clearly this isn't hurting their cap flexibility, so... yeah. i bet you can't make a single case for why 50m over 5 is worse than some other deal besides the fact that its 'apparently the most expensive contract for a wr in nfl history' - as if its nakedly transparent why that should be galling in of itself

idk tamtam nothing about his stats suggests "highest-paid receiver in the game" to me.

― call all destroyer, Wednesday, July 27, 2011 12:49 PM (1 minute ago) Bookmark

stats schmats, watch the tape, the guy's insanely good. stats depend too much on system and supporting cast. he's probably a top 7 WR in the game. the only knock on him is the weed thing, and from that perspective sure, maybe he's not worth it if you think he's not gonna be able to get on the field because of legal issues. but it's about the same deal as brandon marshall's, and that guy's a much bigger pain in the ass.

peter kings mmqb column talked abt more guaranteed $ in later yrs if youre hurt but otherwise i dont think much changed xp

imo what matters isnt really how much you pay, it's that you pay the right guy. haynesworth was the wrong guy to pay, and it looks like the skins are already eagerly resuming their rich tradition of nabbing the wrong guys.

"nabbing" the wrong guys.

Sorry, still can't believe that I'm going to have another season of crazy to watch in Minnesota this year.

Eric Weddle stays with Bolts

if jets get nnamdi, i'm gonna go ahead and actually make the move from watching and enjoying the jets to becoming a fan methinks

i think PTT is going OTT on holmes but i think the decision by the jets is sound. he is a good, reliable, tactically useful wr and right now they could not let him go and find anyone near as good to replace him. if 50 for 5 is the going rate then so be it.

also, i read if the jets get asomugha they stand to have close to a third of their cap tied up in 2 cbs. which would be...interesting.

DeAngelo Williams stays in Carolina 5 years 43 mil 21 guarenteed

prob best outcome for all concerned

That probably is related to the cap floor, right?

yeah, probably. also shorter signing window means you can't screw around too much or you'll lose your player, plus the negotiating window wasnt exclusive - if it was exclusive the contracts would be smaller

AdamSchefter Adam Schefter
Browns releasing QB Jake Delhomme; he would like to continue playing.

lol i bet he would

this 'hes being paid the most b-b-b-but he isnt the very best player!!!' song and dance fans do every offseason is completely asinine. its a sports radio-type nonissue. absolutely does not fucking matter. someone becomes the highest paid ___ ever every single year, because... salaries always go up in this league. that's how it works. the jets are still in the running for nnamdi, clearly this isn't hurting their cap flexibility, so... yeah. i bet you can't make a single case for why 50m over 5 is worse than some other deal besides the fact that its 'apparently the most expensive contract for a wr in nfl history' - as if its nakedly transparent why that should be galling in of itself

fwiw i largely agree with this in that it's v. hard in the nfl to draw the line from "big contract" to "serious cap trouble" (unlike in the nba for ex. when you know it the second rashard lewis puts pen to paper), and as you point out the jets have acquired a ton of good vets recently and seem to have plenty of room to work with.

This post-lockout scrum makes me realize that the actual NFL is just a big real-life keeper league.

Robert Gallery joins the Seahawks and line coach Tom Cable

Very smart signing imo

so the Vikings are going from Favre to McNabb? have they learned nothing!?

AdamSchefter Adam Schefter
Browns releasing QB Jake Delhomme

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tGcMdE4ax78/TbuzuDxvq7I/AAAAAAAAAHQ/0kDdBY4HW0w/s1600/end-of-an-era2.png

good to see the panthers locking up the core of a team that went 1-15

going for 0-16 w/ Cam this year

HUZZAH

AdamSchefter Adam Schefter
Look for Kevin Kolb being traded to Arizona for Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and a draft pick by the end of the week.

good move for Arizona, they need to do anything they can to be halfway decent so they can crush the West

yeah, that should make them the west favorites imo

Fitzgerald should be happy again, and a happy Fitzgerald is a fun-to-watch highlight reel.

i am v interested to see how this plays out.

i dunno - st. louis seems like a good pick.

okay somebody needs to talk to jerry richardson

ProFootballTalk ProFootballTalk
It's a four-year, $12 million contract with a $4 million signing bonus for Mare. A kicker.

hahahahah

here come the playoffs!

AdamSchefter Adam Schefter
More moves for the Panthers: TE Ben Hartsock has agreed to terms on a 2-year deal with the Panthers. Panthers going crazy!

I am sort of unconvinced that the Cardinals offense will be any good in the post-Haley era.

they don't necessarily have to be any good to win that division

yeah

well matt leinart resigned w/ houston

hope they trade schaub

i'd love to see how he does on a good team!

Panthers going crazy!

I have a feeling this will be true for the duration of the season.

well matt leinart resigned w/ houston

― J0rdan S., Wednesday, July 27, 2011 2:42 PM (1 minute ago) Bookmark

knew he couldn't compete with tarvaris

guys suddenly I'm v excited for football

ha, that happened to me, too. All this time I've been steeling myself for a football-less fall, even thinking negative thoughts about the game (the greed, the head injuries, etc), and now that it's back on I'm wearing sunglasses and a cowboy hat, and dancing around American flags while playing air guitar.

When does training camp start in a non-lockout year? Are there going to be a lot of injuries due to lack of conditioning?

schaub has been on a good offense at houston. were he to go somewhere else he wouldn't be any better than he has been there. and i highly doubt he is going anywhere else. matt leinart re-signing isn't going to impact that.

yah i think we know what schaub is at this point

it seems like there are quite a few teams that could use him

houston texans for example

sadly the Texas have some weird reluctance to fire Kubiak and blow up everything even though i can't see them ever becoming anything more than "decent" with that roster

if jets get nnamdi, i'm gonna go ahead and actually make the move from watching and enjoying the jets to becoming a fan methinks

― generous doler out of lollies (forksclovetofu), Wednesday, July 27, 2011 1:23 PM (3 hours ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

dont hurt yourself jumping on the bandwagon along with all the ex-cowboys fans now fronting for the Jets.

speaking of the cowboys, they're making a lot of strange moves

love that they resigned doug free as i went to high school with him (he was two years ahead of me and I don't think I ever talked to him, but it's still cool)

I guess the Fins are going after Orton. I like the sound of that, I guess. He did all the dirty work in getting Chicago to the Superbowl a couple seasons ago, and he's been a producer for a HORRIBLE Denver team. At any rate, it's an improvement over Henne.

he'll be better than henne, but mcdaniels is a genius & brian daboll is... far from that

Are we sure McDaniels is a genius

i mean, as a pure orchestrator of offense, he's pretty close imo

looks like the McNabb thing is official now.

no idea how this is going to work out for the Vikings but I would assume "it won't"

yeah, it probably won't

it might be a disaster, it might be okay -- i mean he's not awful, generally speaking -- he's just not the old donovan

I think it'll be fine. He's a good QB, and with A Pete behind him I'm sure he'll put up decent numbers until Ponder is ready.

I mean, I wouldn't want to build around him, but as a stopgap he's fine.

yeah

Also he is one of the 100 best players in football according to the players, don't forget.

Fuckin hell man, the Chargers gave Weddle too much money.

you're telling me that eric weddle doesn't deserve to be the highest paid safety in nfl history?

this shit is out of control

AdamSchefter Adam Schefter
Here are WR Sidney Rice's numbers with Seattle: fivr years up to $44 million including $18.5 million guaranteed.

i like sidney rice as much as the next guy but the guy had one good year riding brett favre's magical unicorn, he missed all of last season w/ an injury and... oh yeah his quarterback is tavaris jackson

this will turn out well

how did sidney rice willingly sign w/ tavaris jackson's new team? how & why

That sounds like the kind of shit that happens to us in the fantasy draft. "Oh, Sidney Rice is still available, cool! *Pick* Oh, shit, forgot I had T-Jack already!"

you wanna talk crazy contracts?

SI_JimTrotter Jim Trotter
Az will surrender DRC, a No. 2 pick & a new contract for kolb that likely includes AT LEAST $30 million guaranteed.

http://s.azcentral.com/home/File-/picture/50485/1/0/258/1024/

O_o

it isn't football if seattle aren't adding an overpriced wr in the offseason.

hold on, at least 30 million GUARANTEED??

oh no, the dolphins are trading for reggie bush

or, have traded for reggie bush

and, kyle orton likely tomorrow

i will now have to remind myself twice daily that reggie bush is actually terrible at football

football outsiders piece on 2011 breakout candidates

Want to be a great NFL organization? Find talent in places where other teams don't. It's one thing to find a great player in the first round of the draft, where talent is unquestioned and success is more a question of scheme and fit than anything else. When teams supplement success in the first round with great work on the final day of the draft and in rookie free agency, they create advantages up and down the roster that other teams simply can't compete with.

For the uninitiated, this list is not like the prospect lists you read about in the world of baseball. Because the top prospects in college football are stars on national television before they get taken in the first round of the NFL draft, there's not much utility in listing them here. Instead, we use a combination of statistics, measurables, context and expected roles to compile a list of under-the-radar players whom we expect to make an impact in the NFL, both in 2011 and beyond. To focus on these players, we limit the pool to guys who fit the following criteria:
• Drafted in the third round or later, or signed as a college free agent
• Entered the NFL between 2008 and 2010
• Fewer than five career games started
• Still on a rookie contract

Today we're bringing you the top 10 on our list; yesterday we brought you Nos. 11-25. On Thursday, we'll wrap up the series by ranking all 32 NFL teams by their under-25 talent.

10. Jordan Shipley, WR, Cincinnati Bengals
Eighty-five players qualified for the leaderboard in our receiver statistics by being targeted on 50 passes or more. Of those 85 players, only one -- Austin Collie -- had a catch rate greater than the 70 percent figure put up by Shipley last season. Shipley's catch rate was actually slightly ahead of the other slot receivers he's often compared to: Wes Welker and Danny Amendola. He even posted the best DVOA of the three, along with the only positive receiving DVOA by any qualifying Bengals receiver. Shipley isn't going to be a star, but he's going to be a contributor on the next effective Bengals offense.

9. Lardarius Webb, CB, Baltimore Ravens
While Webb was expected to miss time recovering from a torn ACL, he made it back to the lineup in Week 2 and played the rest of the way as a nickel cornerback. Unfortunately, he was far from 100 percent, and it showed. Teams picked on him as the weak link in an already limited Ravens secondary, and while he responded with 10 passes defensed, he was also in coverage on eight plays that produced 20 yards or more. Another year removed from surgery, he should blossom into a starting-caliber cornerback on one of the league's best defenses.

8. Tashard Choice, RB, Dallas Cowboys
Choice is already fully-formed as a receiver and pass blocker. Unfortunately, he got lost in the shuffle in 2010 behind Marion Barber -- who will be released -- and Felix Jones, effectively disappearing from the lineup before returning in Week 13 with a 100-yard game against the Colts. You may have noticed his absence when fullback Chris Gronkowski missed the block that led to Tony Romo's season-ending collarbone fracture. With Romo's return, expect Jason Garrett to place a premium on keeping his quarterback healthy, which could mean more time for Choice in the lineup. Last year's 3.7 yards per carry average is really the product of small sample size; Choice's abilities are better represented by his 4.8 yards per carry career average.

7. Shonn Greene, RB, New York Jets
Poised to take over as the lead back on a run-happy team after a great 2009 playoff run, Greene struggled to hold onto the ball in Week 1 (admittedly against the Ravens) and spent the rest of the season in a timeshare with LaDainian Tomlinson. Nobody doubts Greene's ability to run effectively with the ball in his hands, but with a quarterback as limited offensively as Mark Sanchez, the running back's role as a pass blocker and dump-off receiver is essential. Young backs often struggle with those dark arts before improving with time, so don't fret: Greene's still on pace to be a very good running back.

6. Geno Atkins, DT, Cincinnati Bengals
At first glance, Atkins doesn't look like a great prospect; he had three sacks in a full season while playing for a mediocre defense. With Atkins, though, it's the more subtle stuff that suggests he has serious potential. For one, Atkins is a defensive tackle. Getting even three sacks as a rookie is a positive sign. There's also a lot bubbling under the surface suggesting that his sack rate could rise, too. While preseason stats aren't consistently meaningful, he produced 4.5 sacks in five games. And during the regular season, Atkins led the team in our advanced pass rush metrics by a good amount. He had nine quarterback hits, four more than any other Bengals defender, while his 17.5 hurries outpaced the rest of the lineup by five. A great pass-rusher with the size to play inside in a 4-3 is rare indeed, but it looks like the Bengals have that in Atkins.

5. Danny Woodhead, RB, New England Patriots
Although he was bound to receive umpteen amounts of hype upon succeeding as a member of the league's best offense, Woodhead deserves to be noted as a wildly efficient player in an incredibly cheap backfield. Woodhead was second amongst running backs in receiving DVOA, and with three additional carries he would have led qualifying backs in rushing DVOA. The easy comp is Kevin Faulk, but Faulk was never this effective. A better statistical comp is Charlie Garner, whose career wouldn't be a bad return for a guy the Patriots picked up for nothing.

4. Jamar Chaney, LB, Philadelphia Eagles
Since Andy Reid took over as the main man in Philadelphia before the 1999 season, the Eagles have struggled to find useful, consistent linebackers to play in their famously aggressive defense. High draft picks like Matt McCoy and veteran acquisitions like Ernie Sims seem to fail with equal aplomb. Their new hope is Chaney, a seventh-round pick in the 2010 draft who took over at middle linebacker after Stewart Bradley dislocated his elbow. By the end of the season, the Eagles were talking about moving Bradley to the strong side and leaving Chaney in as an every-down linebacker. Truthfully, it's a mystery how Chaney fell to the seventh round. An undersized, speedy linebacker that's conversant with pass defense is something every team needs in a shotgun-friendly league. Although Philly will continue to rotate its other linebackers, expect Chaney to be a mainstay for the Eagles going forward.

3. Wallace Gilberry, DE, Kansas City Chiefs
If you're looking for a good rule of thumb when it comes to evaluating the potential impact of young defensive linemen, there's one simple rule: Sacks trump everything. If you can get to the passer as a young player, you will have a job in the NFL. It's that easy. And although Gilberry was an undrafted free agent who the Giants signed and quickly released, he's exhibited an ability to make plays as a pass rusher since the Chiefs signed him. After a 4.5-sack season in 2009, Gilberry contributed seven sacks, eight quarterback hits and 10 hurries for the Kansas City defense in 2010. In each category, that was behind only Tamba Hali for the team lead, despite the fact that Gilberry started just two games. The only issue for Gilberry is opportunity: At defensive end, he's playing behind two top-five picks in Glenn Dorsey and Tyson Jackson, and he's probably too big to play outside linebacker in the 3-4. He could be a double-digit sack guy if he moves to a team that plays a 4-3, which could happen in 2012.

2. Morgan Burnett, S, Green Bay Packers
The Packers traded up to grab Burnett in the third round of last year's draft, and when starter Atari Bigby was placed on the physically unable to perform list to start the season, Burnett went straight into the starting lineup. He impressed before tearing an ACL in Week 4, which ended his season. He'll be healthy for the beginning of the 2011 season, and as a solid all-around player with great athleticism, he's going to get better with experience. With Bigby not tendered a contract and the best secondary in the league around him, Burnett should end up maturing into the next great Packers defensive back.

1. Jared Cook, TE, Tennessee Titans
Cook is a Jermichael Finley clone in terms of size and pedigree, with one pound and two slots in the draft separating them as far as measurables. The scary thing is that Cook is a significantly better athlete than Finley, putting up a 4.49 40-yard dash and 41-inch vertical leap at the 2009 combine, one year after Finley put up a 4.82 and had a 27.5-inch vertical. Like Finley, Cook was basically a shiny bauble with little use until his second pro season, although Finley broke out in training camp, whereas Cook was barely on the field before Week 11. Once Cook got his chance, though, he delivered.

Over the final seven games of the season, Cook produced 26 catches for 303 yards and his first NFL touchdown, including a 96-yard game against the Chiefs in Week 16. And this was with Kerry Collins and Rusty Smith at quarterback. With a full year as the starter ahead of him in 2011, Cook should be an occasionally dominant receiver as the No. 2 option in Tennessee's passing offense, running past safeties worried about Chris Johnson. He could become a regular Pro Bowler, beginning as early as this season.

25. David Nelson, WR, Buffalo Bills
Our last cut in turning the Top 26 into a Top 25 last year was WR Steve Johnson of the Bills; while Johnson was best-known for his drop against the Steelers, he had quite the breakout season. We're not going to make the same mistake twice. While the Bills aren't exactly known for having an explosive passing game, Nelson could help make things easier for Johnson and Lee Evans by serving as an effective option out of the slot. Nelson finished his season with touchdowns in three straight games before suffering a season-ending rib injury against the Patriots. With the Bills likely to spend another season trailing in most of their games, Nelson should see a lot of time in three-wide sets.

24. Stevenson Sylvester, LB, Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers don't generally put rookies right into the lineup, at least on defense. They give players one or two years on special teams or in part-time roles while they can learn how the system works. Despite playing mostly special teams last year, this 2010 fifth-round pick from Utah has been set up as the heir apparent to 36-year-old inside linebacker James Farrior. Sylvester is an aggressive, high-motor player, although he dropped in the draft because scouts felt he was somewhat undersized (then again, 6-foot-2, 231 pounds is not much different from Lawrence Timmons). Pittsburgh linebackers coach Keith Butler has praised Sylvester's feel for blitzes, an important part of playing inside linebacker in coordinator Dick LeBeau's defense.

23. Daniel Te'o-Nesheim, DE, Philadelphia Eagles
A SackSEER favorite, Te'o-Nesheim spent most of his rookie year on special teams. In the meaningless Week 17 game, though, the Eagles gave him a start at defensive end and let him just rush Stephen McGee to his heart's content. He finished the game with a sack and a quarterback hurry while holding up effectively against the run. He'll be in the rotation at defensive end this year for legendary defensive line coach Jim Washburn. The hope is that Washburn can do for Te'o-Nesheim what he did for another high-motor defensive end: Kyle Vanden Bosch.

22. Donald Butler, LB, San Diego Chargers
Butler is the only player on this list yet to take an NFL snap, owing to a torn Achilles tendon that ended his rookie year before it started. Heading into last year, the third-round pick was talked about as a potential starter at inside linebacker, which has been a troublesome position for the Chargers to fill over the past few seasons. The team could use his David Harris-style play against the run, and while the Achilles tear might slow him down at the beginning of the season, don't be surprised if he's starting by the end of the year.

21. Blair White, WR, Indianapolis Colts
Let's make this clear: White isn't a great player. He's a decent wide receiver with good size who happens to be in the best offense for a player with his skill set. And while he's currently fifth on the depth chart at wideout, he's behind two players (Austin Collie and Anthony Gonzalez) with severe injury issues, and a third guy (Pierre Garcon) who can be wildly inconsistent from play to play. In other words, if everything goes right, White could carve out a very meaningful role in one of the league's best passing attacks. And the odds of things going right for him are higher than they are for any other fifth wideout in football.

20. Doug Legursky, OL, Pittsburgh Steelers
One of the many Steelers reserves to step in on the offensive line during the regular season, Legursky was thrust into the national spotlight as the replacement for the injured Maurkice Pouncey in Super Bowl XLV. Despite expectations that he would struggle mightily against the Packers' frequently dominant front three, Legursky had a solid day in the biggest game of his career. At the very least, he's a versatile reserve with steel nerves. He could compete for a starting spot at guard in training camp this season.

19. Ed Dickson, TE, Baltimore Ravens
With Todd Heap's career as a starter winding down, the Ravens drafted Dickson and Dennis Pitta in 2010, hoping that one of them would develop into Heap's replacement. So far, Dickson looks like the better of the two, having stepped into the starting role while Heap missed time with an ankle injury at the end of last season. Dickson is a naturally a speedy tight end with good hands that remains a project as a blocker. Expect his role in the passing game to increase in 2011, with the hopes that he'll take over as the starter in 2012.

18. Desmond Bryant, DT, Oakland Raiders
A Harvard graduate playing for the Raiders is, on its face, comical. Getting past the fish-out-of-water jokes might be tough, but Bryant has emerged as a valuable rotation player on one of the league's best defensive lines. Twenty-one tackles don't seem all that impressive, but Bryant showed an impressive ability to penetrate and make plays in the backfield, including six defeats and 2.5 sacks.

17. Chris Ivory, RB, New Orleans Saints
After injuries to Pierre Thomas and Reggie Bush, the Saints were forced to hand over the reins of their running game to Ivory, an undrafted free agent out of Tiffin University. Ivory promptly produced a 59 percent success rate, the best of any back in football, on his 137 carries. Although he offered nothing as a receiver and wasn't a great blocker, his contributions as a runner for the league-minimum salary were nothing short of extraordinary. He needs to improve on the small stuff and work on holding onto the ball (35 touches per fumble just won't cut it), but he should be part of an above-average rotation at halfback starting now.

16. Erik Walden, LB, Green Bay Packers
Walden wasn't even the first afterthought to show up at linebacker for the Packers; Frank Zombo won a roster spot in training camp and then became a starter, only to go down with a knee injury in Week 14 that kept him out until the Super Bowl. That gave Walden, a veteran of four NFL teams in two years, a spot in the starting lineup. All Walden did was win Defensive Player of the Week in the season-ending win over the Bears, thanks to a three-sack performance. He served as an effective spy in the Packers' nickel package, and if he doesn't make the team this year, he'll bounce back somewhere as a linebacker specializing in pass defense.

15. James Starks, RB, Green Bay Packers
A speed score favorite (106.3) taken in the sixth round of the 2010 draft, Starks spent most of the year as a rumor tossed around by Packers fans desirous of an effective replacement for the injured Ryan Grant. And while his eventual run as the starter during Week 17 and the playoffs was a success owing partly to huge carry totals and middling run defenses, he did show the potential to be an eventual starter at the pro level. In 2011, he should be part of a one-two combination with Grant, although he could lose snaps to nominal third back Brandon Jackson because of the latter's ability as a pass-blocker.

14. Emmanuel Sanders, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers
Sanders inherited the slot receiver role vacated by Mike Wallace before the season, impressed coaches with his blocking ability during camp, and then emerged as a valuable part of the team's three-wideout sets during the second half of the season. Forty-five of his 50 targets came after Week 9, and he had just one target all year in a two-wideout set. He didn't show the promise Wallace did as a rookie, but Sanders is on pace to become the No. 2 two wideout behind him once Hines Ward bows out.

13. Andre Roberts, WR, Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals' coaching staff became more and more enamored with this third-round pick as the season went on; by the final two weeks, he was basically playing ahead of starter Steve Breaston. With Breaston gone, Roberts' speed, athleticism and health should give him the No. 2 receiver job ahead of Early Doucet. His poor rookie DVOA rating of minus-39.7 percent can be blamed in large part on last year's awful quarterback situation. Ten of the 25 incomplete passes to Roberts were marked by our game charters as "overthrown," including a quick hitch pass behind the line of scrimmage.

12. Derek Hardman, OL, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
It's hard enough to be a rookie in the NFL. For Hardman, it was harder than most. After being cut in training camp and falling to the practice squad, he was added to the active roster during the season once injuries started to beset the Bucs. After guard Davin Joseph went down with a foot injury, Hardman was placed into the lineup to replace him. One problem: As a college tackle, he had never played guard before. Hardman ended up doing a fine job in Joseph's stead, and he'll be in the mix for a starting job somewhere along the line next season.

11. Matt Flynn, QB, Green Bay Packers
Sure, he got to play with some of the best offensive talent in football during that narrow loss to the Patriots, but remember: He was replacing Aaron Rodgers. A guy who could do a reasonable impression of Rodgers in most weeks would be worth a lot of money, and while he struggled in relief of Rodgers against the Detroit Lions, Flynn showed more poise than anyone could have expected against the Patriots before that ugly final drive. Even if he doesn't take another snap for the Packers, he'll end up competing for a starting job somewhere down the line.

not an fa signing, but patriots acquire albert haynesworth for a 2013 5th-rounder

didn't see that one coming = understatement of all time

is the idea that he'll be a 3-4 DE or is he going to be a DT in the sub-package 4-3, which i guess if it was used 50% of the time last year is not really a sub look anymore. or are ne bucking the trend and flipping back to 4-3 fulltime, which would explain the weird excess of linemen and paucity of linebackers. wilfork, stroud and haynesworth all on the same line: today, yesterday, and the day before yesterday, together at last.

i really have no idea what they're up to but yeah i figure they'll be in the 4-3 at least 50% of the time

reiss weighing in with key stat - 32nd in league on 3rd down D last year - all of a sudden making me think that i could learn to love this trade

yeah they obv needed to do something, the interesting part is solving the prob via d-line and not olb.

i do love the trade, in that they are giving up nothing and barely even paying the guy.

yeah, my only reservation is that he is clearly a gigantic douche, and much more proactively douchey than randy or corey dillon were, for ex. i think/hope the right ppl are there to get him on the right track for a couple years of solid play.

Are we sure McDaniels is a genius

― polyphonic, Wednesday, July 27, 2011 5:44 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

Hahahaha, that comment and the Marion Barber thing. You're really killing it during this free agency period.

so i am reading that a key element of the bush move to miami is that they are guaranteeing he will be a feature back and will not be one piece in a committee-style approach. this is yet another fascinating storyline for the coming season. i want reggie to succeed. i don't know why but i really want him to pull this off.

haynesworth!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9aWuTmFCF4I

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFzp3uHua40

fuck, that second video is so funny

http://o.onionstatic.com/images/articles/article/17976/SB-Haynesworth-R_jpg_630x1200_upscale_q85.jpg

^ the stuff of nightmares

Hahahaha, that comment and the Marion Barber thing. You're really killing it during this free agency period

What did I do with the Marion Barber thing? Post that he got cut?

Crazy old polyphonic, posting transactions.

if you're getting info on twitter this article is really worth reading:

http://jasonschreier.com/2011/07/27/twitter-killing-journalism/

btw - it's not a bitchy article, it's actually pretty funny

Jim Irsay:

Colt fans,we started this process being OVER the cap,we are trying 2 create cap room n sign some of r own F.A.,cap restricts certain moves

We didn't make a NFL record 9 straight playoff births with bad cap management n dumb signings of other people's problems,we like 2 pay r own

jim irsay's textspeak tweets creep me out immeasurably

jim irsay creeps me out immensely

didn't see this coming

AdamSchefter Adam Schefter
Bills reach agreement with former Jets WR Brad Smith on a 4-yr, $15 million deal.

that's a decent chunk of change for a kick returner/wildcat qb

Usama Young to Browns. At least it's a warm defensive body.

xp especially considering that WR isn't one of the Bills' most pressing needs.

Or kickoff return, considering they have Spiller.

jets fans loved brad smith. i don't know if he has something about him more than what is obvious. but i wouldn't want to spend too much mental energy puzzling out the reasoning of jets fans or the bills front office.

looks like the Kolb thing is official

good for them; that division is so wide open it can be argued that they shouldn't even get a playoff spot

AdamSchefter Adam Schefter
Kevin Kolb-to-Cardinals trade done. Eagles get Rodgers-Cromartie and a 2nd. Kolb gets 5-year, $63.5 million deal, including $21 mil gtd.

oh this should turn out splendidly

uiafjowoeuifnsuodfnandf

$63.5 million for Kevin freakin Kolb!?!?

and this is under the NEW CBA???

I was about to defend Kolb but his career stats are not very impressive!

do they think he can be an "elite" QB? he just strikes me as one of those 2nd stringers for the Lions

Yeah, he's a Kitna for the new decade.

smith has **INTANGIBLES**

so orton to the dolphins has apparently fallen thru, feel like they should just go for it all & sign vince young. a vince young/reggie bush/brandon marshall nucleus would be the most "madden fantasy draft" team ever. also one of them would kill another halfway thru the season. if all three didn't get hurt first.

i dunno, i feel like anyone can get along in Miami

not if brandon marshall is involved

i don't see why they shouldn't just go for it. they're gonna be stuck in 8-8 hell if they don't make some radical moves now. orton/bush seemed like such a good fit. so what, denver's gonna start tebow? yowsa, yowsa, yowsa

I think Miami would be lucky to get to 8-8 regardless (and I say that as a fan), but stranger things have happened.

oh i would love for the dolphins to get vince young

i think he can still be really good

good in a "gives your team a chance to win" way

xxp yeah I forgot they were in a division with the jets and pats...that'll make it tough

vince has a bad rep right now so this would be the time to "buy low"

THE PATS GOT OCHOCINCO

AdamSchefter Adam Schefter
As @ClaytonESPN reports, Patriots have acquired Chad Ochocinco after he accepted a restructured 3-year contract http://es.pn/pZwX1v

bill trolling the nfl. there is no way you can possibly spin this into a good idea.

btw i like young at miami more than i like orton there

goddammit Pats, stop trying to make me into a fan

ok, here is my glass half full analysis of the ocho trade:
maybe the shitstorm around this will take some of the media glare away from the haynesworth trade and make his transition a little easier.

2 draft picks. if either of those is higher than 4 this is a terrible trade.

ocho is a 6 & 7

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=snzEkMtzUIw

They acquired one of the most likable players and one of the least.

Greg Olson traded to Panthers

LOL MARTZ

there was some deal y'day with rosenhaus emailing teams to say bears would listen to offers for olson and then immediately sending a follow up rescinding it. man, martz hates TEs. this is boneheaded imo.

agreed it's not like he's gonna be the qb for three more years -- dude was a good TE

I don't like the moves themselves, but it's nice to see Jerry Richardson going all in now that the CBA stuff is over.

Marcedes Lewis is just coming into his own at Jax, so I don't see Greg Olson doing too much there besides 18 holes on Fridays.

that would probably be true, if he had been traded to jacksonville

hahahaha

lol I read "Panthers" but thought "Jaguars"

y'know, those teal teams are all the same.

if you voltron them together they form the teal cats. miaaaaowww.

i had no idea willie colon was only 28. i thought he was on his way out for some reason. mebbe conflating him with willie parker.

fuckin ocho man. i hope bill forces him to wear a lineman number and have johnson on his jersey, and then cuts him week one.

wait is he going to have to change his name, doesn't hernandez wear #85 for the pats

Chad Catorce

xxp i think the pats are a bit smarter than that

ochocinco!!! fantastic news.

he might not have a ton left in the tank but what the hell, i think he was always meant to come here for a year or two.

he might not have a ton left in the tank but what the hell, i think he was always meant to come here for a year or two.

― call all destroyer, Thursday, July 28, 2008 11:07 PM (3 years ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

Texans reach agreement with former Bengals CB Joseph on a five-year deal.

crazy day today

ohh, great steal by houston

i think you could make the argument that he's a more sensible long term signing than asomugah

NO signs SD RB Darren Sproles to 2 year contract.

wau @ patritos + ocho. still no way i could root 4 ne & belichick but this seems like abt the greatest thing that could happen in the nfl imo

sproles at new orleans?? i don't get that at all.

replaces bush pretty much?

they didn't need bush tho!

yeah... payton really liked him, apparently

i guess you don't know how many games you are going to get out of pierre thomas, and i guess ivory isn't really expected to be a factor in the pass game. but with those 2 and ingram i thought they were set.

i like sproles and i'd like to see more of him but seems like he is destined for even fewer touches.

Theory: Brees is the perfect quarterback for short receivers because even if they were tall he couldn't throw over his line anyway.

"BILLLL! BYYYYAALLLL!"

If the Bears sign Randy Moss, I'm finding a new team.

― Bill Magill, Tuesday, July 26, 2011 9:57 AM (3 days ago)

Would Roy Williams result in the same outcome? I mean, at least Moss is a spectacle.

at least moss can play

This isn't signing-related, but I just saw this photo of Eli that needed sharing:

http://l.yimg.com/a/p/sp/tools/med/2011/07/ipt/1311709129.jpg

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_xH_3QWuqIK0/SxE1ipd3SnI/AAAAAAAAASk/Wq-7ZvE5Alo/s400/FRAGGLE-ROCK_486739a.jpg

Greg Olson traded to Panthers

― polyphonic, Thursday, July 28, 2011 6:13 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

What?????

Would Roy Williams result in the same outcome? I mean, at least Moss is a spectacle.

― Johnny Fever, Friday, July 29, 2011 9:08 AM (1 hour ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink
at least moss can play

― call all destroyer, Friday, July 29, 2011 9:17 AM (1 hour ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

Did you see Moss lastt year? Sure the guy "can" play, but does he want to play? I used to love Moss, but he's a flat out quitter.

Willams blows. Would much rather have Burress.

i've been wanting ocho to get free of cinci for years, so this is delightful news... even if it is the pats. i've always loved his interplay with belichick, i know BB respects ocho for being a crazy hard worker and i'm sure he'll fit in great in NE

poor carson palmer :(

god, the Bengals need to just suck it up and trade Palmer already

torpedoing the franchise just to prove a point is pretty much the worst

Seriously thinking about just auto-drafting this year.

moss (on joining NE) / haynesworth: 30, physical skills intact, decline in production due to not trying = more to give, something to prove
ocho: 33, physical skills waning, decline in production despite working hard = nothing more to give, nothing really to prove. does ocho think is he going to drop into foxboro and become randy mk2? how does he respond a few games in when it becomes clear he is not going to show up and have a 23 TD season?

well he's there mostly to get welker open for the short pass, right?

and if he does (or even doesn't) do that particularly well, they're strong superbowl contenders and the ring is what he has to show up for.

well the more i look at it ocho actually put up decent numbers last year in a bad offense. also palmer flat out sucked last year, his arm strength was nowhere near where it used to be.

i think he'll see the ball a decent amount but he's not stupid, he knows that the ne system does not create star wideouts.

yeah I do think Ocho is a good signing for him. just strange considering the Moss thing, you'd think the Pats would just stay away from those types of players as a rule

idgi--they're completely different.

um, except for the final year the "moss thing" was that he was consistently amongst the best wr in history, so more of that please

2007 NE 98 rec 1,493 yd 23 td
2008 NE 69 rec 1,008 yd 11 td
2009 NE 83 rec 1,264 yd 13 td

ocho is a reaction to not being able to move the ball versus the jets in the playoffs. as rex bragged, the jets D could make the field very short because there was no true deep threat. they completely took away the middle and their good coverage took away the sides. ocho is not going to stretch the field anymore. his best value will be as an outside option, and will he do better than branch - who got nothing against the jets - in that situation? is he going to be cool with just running tons of curl routes?

the way to beat the rexyjets is the same way it has been each time they have done it - get sanchez to throw you the ball. that's what they need to focus on, and maybe fat albert will help.

i think you're overcomplicating it--it's a reaction to the fact that they need a wr who's better than deion branch, because deion branch is old and sucks.

idgi--they're completely different.

i mean players who make a spectacle of themselves or become bigger than the team by being in the news all the time. obviously i'd rather have someone like Ocho who seems to be a good guy all things considered, but the Pats don't fuck around. they benched Welker during a playoff game for making foot references during a press conference which doesn't even register on the OchoCinco scale.

bill barnwell has a good couple paragraphs on kolb today

http://www.gq.com/sports/profiles/201107/eric-weddle-free-agent-signing

Interesting piece here

12:05 PM: Ed McGuire calls with an updated offer and contract proposal from the Chargers. While on the phone, Canter tells McGuire that he'd been arguing with his wife earlier. McGuire, in a moment of levity, asks Canter to put her on the phone:...I think I'd like dealing with her more. Canter's wife gets on the line and says,...Hi Ed. Eric wants $50 million over 5 years. McGuire laughs and responds,...Put your husband back on the phone, please.

ocho is not the ocho of old, but he could still be a productive wr

actually i think he's going to do great and will probably be NE's best signing this year

just surprising, is all

So Matt Moore to Miami eh? "Eh" is about right.

ray edwards is a falcon. a slight upgrade over jamaal anderson.

http://i56.tinypic.com/28ck7z7.png

also:
http://i51.tinypic.com/52f5sn.png

http://a0.twimg.com/profile_images/1467831915/Brady_and_Ocho_greeting.jpeg

sorry to bomb the thread with this shit but it is pretty hilarious

lol @ "King of Lambs"

Ty Warren cut!

Ty Warren, Alge Crumpler and Nick Kaczur released

crumpler not a surprise, kaczur had to go and won't really be missed, ty'ron is a real puzzler.

seems like a case of salary vs. recent production. he may be back under a different deal.

crumpler will be missed for sure.

wilfork + haynseworth = run at us bro

nmandi + revis = throw at us bro

fucking loving this rivalry.

cap saved by warren release is 200k supposedly. i hope they are intending to bring him back.

so v. young to iggles huh? good luck.

not sure why all these guys are willingly signing themselves into being back ups

altho it's a decent gamble by VY -- andy reid can use mobile qbs well & vick is no sure thing to stay healthy ever

i mean, as a backup he's a great option i guess but vick is gonna get hurt at some point and vince is not somebody who i want starting four games near the end of the season; he takes time to warm up.

AdamSchefter Adam Schefter
How's this for a turn on Nnamdi Asomugha sweepstakes. Jets are out. Nnamdi's about ready to make up his mind.

lol

in vince young's case you can blame a paucity of interest, at least according to Clayton:

http://twitter.com/#!/ClaytonESPN/status/96297563157835777

cowboys are out on nnamdi too!

i'm terribly saddened that the jets and cowboys will be missing out on this great player

who's left? the niners...? the ravens...? .... THE RAIDERS?

do the texans have room to sign him too?

srs who is IN

schef sez eagles

well then

AdamSchefter Adam Schefter
Nnamdi looks headed to the...Eagles.

the eagles are easily my favorite team in the nfl

not even mordy's posts can sway me

same but least favorite

so asante, nnamdi & DRC is p sick

nnamdi is a done deal

lol tamtam

HOLY SHIT

big homie got paid

AdamSchefter Adam Schefter
Nnamdi deal: 5 yrs, 60 million, 25m gtd.

wow i totally forgot that they just traded for drc. this is wild.

i wish the eagles & patriots could just play 16 straight games

grudging props to the eagles for this getting broken at 6:20 and having a press conference scheduled for 7:00

vick, vy, mccoy, desean, maclin, nnamdi, asante, drc

andy reid's crazy fat ass

lol

liking the idea of vy & vick on the field @ the same time

The Carolina Panthers and No. 1 overall pick Cam Newton reached an agreement on a four-year deal worth over $22 million that is fully guaranteed, according to a source.

Newton's contract is worth $56 million less in overall money than the St. Louis Rams gave Sam Bradford, last year's No. 1 overall pick, and roughly $28 million less in guaranteed money than Bradford's deal.

imo Great! Make a fucking rookie EARN his lottery winnings.

the old rookie contracts were one thing that i agreed needed to be changed drastically

not like $22m is anything to sneer at

yeah i agree about the rookie salaries, everything else about the owners i disagreed with. whatever they were i don't remember anymore

*owners demands

i basically sided with the players on most things /IWW rep

imo Great! Make a fucking rookie EARN his lottery winnings.

― Johnny Fever, Friday, July 29, 2011 7:06 PM (8 minutes ago) Bookmark

lmao yeah. make those slaves pick that cotton even harder.

also, Princess TamTam was on last night (TCM), it was something

lol someone mentioned that to me in another thread. i actually wasnt aware of it when i made this username, but im glad everyone enjoyed the movie~

i turned it on right when this happened:

J. Baker: You people still have slaves? (it was the 30's apparently)
Frnech guy: Yes (motions to arab), he's a Negro

lmao

lmao yeah. make those slaves pick that cotton even harder.

I really hope you're taking the piss here.

lol wtf

JeffDarlington Jeff Darlington
Sources: The Dolphins have agreed to a four-year contract with LB Kevin Burnett, who will be signed to replace Channing Crowder at ILB.

who is kevin burnett

some random fool from the chargers

polyphonic, you have a scouting report for me?

LOL GOOD LUCK CHICAGO

AdamSchefter Adam Schefter
Official now: Bears agreed to terms with former Jets DL Vernon Gholston and former Cowboys WR Roy Williams.

oh dear

if teams HAVE to spend cap money where are the Browns and Bengals and etc in all this? where are they indeed

they're off hiding and pretending that no one will notice

which they prob won't

polyphonic, you have a scouting report for me?

He didn't really jump out at me in a good or bad way. Here's Scouts Inc.

Comment: Burnett is a good-sized linebacker with athleticism, good quickness, agility and body control. He gets good depth in his pass drops and shows route recognition as well as the ability to read the quarterback's eyes. He is not as effective playing the run as he can struggle taking on blockers and tends to give ground too easily. He has a tendency to play with a narrow base, and needs to work on playing with more of a knee bend and under his pads. Score: 62

Cameron Wake is a 65, if that gives you a sense of his skill level.

well cameron wake is a good fucking player

Actually I think that was written last offseason, before Wake piled up all those sacks.

oh

Basically he is a decent third or fourth LB. Nothing special.

word

for a brief moment I almost thought Nnamdi might stay in Oakland. Because I am a deluded cracksmoker. But I would MUCH rather see Nnamdi at the Eagles than the Jets. For personal hatred reasons mainly. Sigh. Buhbye Nnamdi, you were lovely.

they were talking about the old Raiders on clevo talk radio - now the Pats get the veteran flotsam from the league like the Raiders used to, the Raiders can't make it work anymore cuz their team is constantly in disarray unlike the old days

repeat

lol kolb zinged philly in his first press conf--talking about how clean and nice phoenix was by contrast.

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2011/07/25/20110725arizona-underwater-mortgages.html

not even mordy's posts can sway me

ur the worst

\(o_O)/

:'(

-_-

~/\~\o/~/\~

lol is that a dude being circled by sharks

yes

asomugha is a smart mofo imo. he has deftly sidestepped the intense spotlights of the NY market and an ott contract. eagles are gonna be cool to watch this year.

interesting comments from ty warren about how he had already felt the defensive scheme was moving away from him so release no big surprise. sad times ;_;

man, i read this all wrong

peter king is saying that asomugah turned down the jets, took less money to go to philly, and thinks they have a better shot at winning a title

this makes me happier in my heart than ever before

Mordy, your Iggles better take good care of my baby...

didn't realize that asomugah is actually making less money per year in this deal than he did in his past 2 years w/ the raiders

you know, i agree with roberto; i just wanted nnamdi in a market where I could see him opposite revis every week!
philly looking like they played the lockout better than anyone

Miami Dolphins doing the best they can to ensure I'll never buy one of their jerseys ever again

like who on the offensive side will still be there in two years

Amobi Okoye cut

Cullen Jenkins to the Iggles

Rams reached agreement with former Jaguars wide receiver Mike Sims-Walker on a one-year deal.

I like that move a lot.

Yahoo News' scrolling news articles had a picture of Peyton Manning w/ the caption "NFL star refuses record deal" under it. Was disappointed to find out Peyton wasn't approached by Young Money records only to rebuke them.

sims-walker is no great shakes but he is approx 10x better than any other receiver at st louis so that is a decent pick up for them and a very good spot for him to land.

not sure if chicago is the right spot for marion barber but 5m for 2 years is reasonable. i had a feeling someone would get suckered into paying big. bears signings have been on the underwhelming side so far.

They're buying low on a lot of guys, which can be smart but also can be a good way to load up on shitty dudes.

PLAXICO = JETS

for real?

really: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/01/sports/football/plaxico-burress-signs-with-jets.html

Good move i think but a real cross your fingers and hope kinda thing.

well he'll do well now that he's out of the NY med--....oh wait

3m seems like too much for Plax imo. Has he been doing some showcase workouts?

If Santana Moss is worth 15 over 3 years I'll happily take Plaxico for 3m/1y

Browns pay kicker Phil Dawson 119 million guaranteed over 2 months to meet salary cap

^from my new blog

http://www.davidmorse.org/news/images/BradysBits.jpg

probably should stop drinking in the afternoon

sigh

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/6821345/brandon-marshall-miami-dolphins-reveals-personality-disorder

If Santana Moss is worth 15 over 3 years I'll happily take Plaxico for 3m/1y

― polyphonic, Sunday, July 31, 2011 9:16 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark

Moss is the more productive player, he's younger, and he didn't just get out of prison.

He's not all that much more productive. Burress's final season wasn't good but the two before that were very good. He's a legit red zone target.

And I think we've seen that dudes can play well after prison! ;-)

Perhaps Burress can be the shot in the leg the Jets need.

Nobody's gonna take a chance on Tiki, I take it?

i'm sure someone will at some point in the season

He will make an excellent backup in the UFL.

ugh can Tiki just go away please

Packs just signed Jones

Looks like it's gonna be Jennings/Jones/Nelson/Driver (as 4th option!) w/ Kobb and of course one of the best TE's in the league

That offense is gonna be sick, no way any team can cover all those guys. The only way to beat the Packers O this year is probably gonna be with a big front 4

i am actually surprised that the pack went back to james jones. rodgers can't really have any confidence in throwing the ball to him. and driver figures to finally disappear this year. if jordy nelson continues his progress they'll have a solid 1-2 tho, even if greg jennings is way overrated. line looked less horrible in the playoffs. an nfl standard running back would be useful.

do ppl think jennings is overrated?

i've seen him talked about as a top 5 receiver. that dumb nfl poll had him as the 15th best wr which seems closer to the truth to me.

I can't judge Greg Jennings objectively. I love that dude.

my instinct would be to definitely place him top 10 and possibly top 5.

greg jennings is awesome. i've always thought of him as underrated until maybe this last season. he's a similar player to holmes - incredibly fluid, amazing route-runner, great hands, explosive, great with ball in hands - that's a complete skillset right there. i'd say a guy like brandon marshall gets a lot more hype despite being an inferior player. not sure i can think of 10 guys better than him.

http://i.imgur.com/0pv7s.gif

let's not forget that time that greg jennings but the packers on his back and scored a 98 yard touchdown against the saints with a broken leg

he is also handsome imo

lmao thanks for reminding me of that jordan

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1P0yfq2wDvU

lets go into the mind of a greg jennings *doodlydoodly doot*

thanks to the ilnfl players for stepping up and demonstrating my theory about greg jennings being overrated.

i think jennings has too many '2 receptions, 30 yards' type games to be the top 5 guy, even if he has the physical skills. i would hate to have to rely on him , ie i wouldn't dream of swapping him for roddy if i am atlanta. he benefits from being in exactly the right place at exactly the right time.

man, it is crazy the conversations you can get into when you just throw out a post to (unsuccessfully) get a rise out of frogbs.

lol

i think jennings has too many '2 receptions, 30 yards' type games to be the top 5 guy, even if he has the physical skills. i would hate to have to rely on him , ie i wouldn't dream of swapping him for roddy if i am atlanta. he benefits from being in exactly the right place at exactly the right time.

LET ME GET THIS STRAIGHT

You wouldn't trade one of the best two or three receivers in the NFL for one of the ten best?

BREAKING NEWS, EVERYONE

i would hate to have to rely on him

i, too, would hate having to rely on greg jennings *team demolishes falcons, eventually wins super bowl* get that shit outta my face bitch!!!!!

nah i love roddy but he's an entirely different kind of player - bigger, more physical, less explosive, less of a route technician. they'd probably complement each other well

i was using roddy as an example of a particular type of player in a particular type of role - top receiver in a team with not much else going on in the way of targets. what i am saying is, i think jennings' off days would be exposed in that situation.

CAPITAL LETTERS EXCLAMATIONS POINTS!!!!!!!!!!

the dolphins re-signed jason taylor, a minor move on the field but a major move in my heart

CAPITAL LETTERS EXCLAMATIONS POINTS!!!!!!!!!!

I think we can all agree on this.

i am actually surprised that the pack went back to james jones. rodgers can't really have any confidence in throwing the ball to him. and driver figures to finally disappear this year. if jordy nelson continues his progress they'll have a solid 1-2 tho, even if greg jennings is way overrated. line looked less horrible in the playoffs. an nfl standard running back would be useful.

I pretty much disagree with everything in this post

Iggles picking up Ronnie Brown?

Cool, but I'm sad he's already entered the back-up phase of his career.

makes sense for them -- can catch the ball

wow, strongest off-season for iggles in my lifetime of memories i think

saints got abrauyo franklin

Zach Miller to the hawks.

Hope you all enjoyed the brief Raiders renaissance.

Miller? Fuck.

sadraiderfan.gif

reportedly 5 teams interested in osi u but none of them willing to give a first, unsurprisingly. ravens and pats apparently 2 of 5. maybe pats really looking at 4-3 base. could really do with collecting a real 4-front DE if so.

I'd love to see Osi in NE. The Giants will screw him into staying in NY though.

lol @ the idea of giving a first for this guy

if there really are 5 teams involved i guarantee one of them will hit the panic button and give up a too high pick, altho it won't be NE or Bal

miller to the hawks is a real good look for atlanta

seahawks bro

oh. fuck that.

hahah i get the hawks and the falcons confused at least three times a year

Bye Ronnie, will miss u ;_;.

Wb JT 99 tho

how much fucking cap room do the eagles have?

yeah I've been wondering exactly how the Eagles can afford to sign all these players. I normally know nothing about financials but I thought the cap was put in place to prevent teams from doing this!

nfl cap doesn't really prevent anyone from doing anything.

so what's their payroll going to be this year?

http://www.eaglescap.com/

http://www.dailypress.com/features/family/home-garden/dp-eagle-release-20110728,0,5985719.story

lot of peopleon my twitter feed hating on the eagles for these moves - are we gonna be like the heat this year? awesome if so

this is a lot different from what the Heat did though. if anything the Phillies situation with the two top FA pitchers landing in the same spot is a lot more similar. it will mean boatloads of coverage for them but they're only like a tenth as detestible as Miami

esp since Asomugha is no Lebron. Asomugha is a huge philanthropist, media-shy, humble dude
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nnamdi_Asomugha#Philanthropy

lol chill out, every athlete is a philanthropist

good point, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lebron_James#Philanthropy is like a mile long

to be fair, it remains to be seen if Asomugha, Jenkins, and Young have a party in which they declare that they're probably going to win 7 titles

lol mordy

there's no need to defend asomugah, for one -- he signed a free agent contract, it's a pretty common thing

and anyway, it's also okay to hate athletes that are "good" people. lebron james is a "good" person. dwyane wade is a "good" person. most athletes are good people, in fact! most people are good people, actually. i hate a lot of them. it's cool.

this is gonna sound weird but that's really *why* I hate Lebron - it would be so cool if he just officially "turned heel" like Randy Moss or something but he's not going to do it

lebron will remind you many times that "the decision" raised $3 million for boys & girls clubs

I think something we probably should all be reminded of more often is that "The Decision" was like 90% ESPN's idea

i still can't believe that Peyton Manning joined the Eagles this is insane yall. wait, what now? a corner back and some role players? what...but...i saw on the news... the new Heat, right? am i right? YEAH

It's definitely unfair that they got Adrian Peterson.

I think it's a tribute to the fans that ppl realize how special a cornerback and some "role players" can be. What? They didn't sign the most visible offensive position players?! Who cares about defense!

wait, what are you talking about

the point is that comparing the eagles to the heat is dumb bcuz they didn't sign 3 of the 15 best players in the nfl all at once

no one is besmirching defense

exactly, philly fans have a lot to be pleased with, it is the media folx desperate for a story that have blown this into something it isn't. the idea of other teams fans hating on the eagles for some smart pick ups is something else.

oh, ok. i just meant that saying that signing asomugha isn't a big deal bc he isn't peyton or peterson is kinda silly.

like if the criticism is legitimate, it's legitimate whether they signed peyton or asomugha imo. not to say that the criticism is legitimate. kinda wandering off into a side point here.

Yeah, to me this is pure media desperation. I don't get the sense that the fan reaction to this is anything like Lebron going to Miami.

Think of it this way ... Chris Bosh is a pretty good player. Not quite as good as Nnamdi but comparable. If he had been the only player who signed with Miami over last summer would anyone have even talked about it?

in Toronto they would have!! poor guys :(

Another difference is that the Raiders chose not to keep Nnamdi, and the Titans chose not to keep Young. And also that Nnamdi was almost going to be a Jet, which is already a sort of superteam itself? And in a bigger market?

Yeah, pretty much all the Eagles/Heat "dream team" comparisons are dumb.

That said, I don't know why more people didn't make the Phillies/Heat comparison when that happened

frogbs otm

phillies/eagles is the more applicable comparision in the acquire-the-best-player-available & rich get richer storylines.

iggles werent that far off or at least closer than anyone else 2 beating GB last yr

hey, they have GB to thank for everything though
if they hadn't knocked Kolb out they may still be starting him!!

bryant mckinnie is taking a "year off" to deal with his cholesterol.

i hope this means that serena williams rap album he was working on makes it out this year

lol, i just saw the story about miami fans booing henne and chanting for kyle orton. when your fans hate their QB so much that they rabble-rouse for kyle orton...sweet jesus. seems like it might be a long ol season for the fins.

http://i.imgur.com/orqSa.png

lol, i just saw the story about miami fans booing henne and chanting for kyle orton. when your fans hate their QB so much that they rabble-rouse for kyle orton...sweet jesus. seems like it might be a long ol season for the fins.

― Roberto Spiralli, Wednesday, August 3, 2011 9:50 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark

pretty much

they were chanting for tyler thigpen last year, so

Have sat through Raiders chanting for...hmmm...Kerry Collins...Tuiasosopo...Walters...Jamarcus...Gradkowski...
Pretty much every Raiders season is a long season. Ugh.

I just realized that I started Derek Anderson and Tyler Thigpen for a combined 21 games in the last 3 years of Fantasy Football

God that Miami thing makes me hate my fanbase more. I'm not big on Henne, but fans who boo at a practice are fuckwits. I don't like booing in general, but at least during a game I understand it more, even if I think it's misguided.

"I can't rule anything out...I'm giving you the only answer I can give you," Tony Sparano said about possibly exploring Brett Favre.

please, make this happen

well they've already gone 0-16, what could go wrong?

the dolphins didn't go 0-16

i'm still trying to wrap my head around how they win from 1-15 to 11-5 in just one season

that's what eric mangini, brett favre, a tom brady injury, and a little bit of luck will get you

i was just wondering if mangini had a job this yr -- hes gonna be an espn analyst --

http://www.boston.com/sports/blogs/thebuzz/2011/08/mangini_joins_e.html

so sorry, 1-15.
So i guess that's what could go wrong.

i was just wondering if mangini had a job this yr -- hes gonna be an espn analyst --

http://www.boston.com/sports/blogs/thebuzz/2011/08/mangini_joins_e.html

― johnny crunch, Thursday, August 4, 2011 3:28 PM (3 minutes ago) Bookmark

yuck

Yeah, if you're gonna be awful, the Jon Gruden route is the way to do it. I hope Gruden stays on MNF for another 10 years.

I'm still surprised that Mangini's had a career for this long!

espn is so weird... like, it just seems like they scoop up unemployed ppl connected to football every off season w/o regard to whether or not they should be on tv, or have anything interesting to say about anything? it's like a retirement home

gruden is the best -- i haven't laughed harder at tv all year than i did during his qb camp w/ terrel pryor

Adam Schefter reported this afternoon that the 49ers sent out an e-mail to every team in the league to try to trade Mays. One front office of another team told Schefter it has never seen a team just mass e-mail a trade availability like that.

so i guess taylor mays fulfilled the prophecies

Which means sooner or later, Favre's gonna have a terrible announcing or analyst gig. He may be even worse than Troy Aikman and Troy Aikman's repeated concussions. The only player-turned-analyst I can think of that actually worked well is Charles Barkley. Shaq will probably be on this list too.

I love Gruden for so many reasons, he's definitely the "best worst" announcer, especially since you easily can mimic him through an entire game. "Now this guy, Chris Kluwe, he's gonna punt the ball. That's just what he does. No one does it better than this guy. He's a guy that knows how to punt. When it's 4th down, and you need a punt, he's who you call on. He'll be ready."

The only player-turned-analyst I can think of that actually worked well is Charles Barkley

This is a bizarre opinion. Like 99% of analysts are former players. You don't like any of them?

yeah that's a stupid statement

I'm just saying the one that came to mind off the bat. I forgot Bob Uecker! Though he's way more famous as a broadcaster.

Who do they have on Fox; Jimmy Johnson, Howie Long, and Terry Bradshaw? With Troy Aikman announcing? It's like the whole thing where so many teams are coached by former players...no doubt those guys have the experience, but are they really the best suited to TV work? Its like Mitch Hedburg said..."You're an excellent cook...can you farm?"

Why, who are you guys fans of? Obviously I'm not able to remember the entire list but I do think that like 90% of the analysis and commentary on TV is garbage

i think mangini is less of a stiff then he came across as when he was a hc.

chris collinsworth

rich gannon is pretty decent iirc. phil simms wasn't awful for a while there. i could prob give you more names but i'm forgetting the diff guys that work for fox/cbs.

there are really good nba analysts -- webber, kenny smith. van gundy.

also if you think about, like, local announcers, you have a lot of pretty good guys that were ex players.

i mean, obviously tons of them suck balls & have nothing interesting to say and are maddening most of the time. but not always.

xp - I actually wasn't aware that he ever played. But yeah, he's pretty good, in fact probably the best one out there (though that's mostly by default)

Van Gundy is pretty good, but he was never an NBA player. Coach-turned-analyst seems to work much better. As far as local guys go - I can only really speak for Wisconsin; the Brewers announcers are decent, but the play-by-play guy is much better than the ex-player who does color commentary, who doesn't seem to understand baseball at all. The Bucks announcers are ex-players who can call the game fine but don't really have the voice for it and complain a lot when the team is losing (which is often)

I mean, I'm not trying to say "Barkley is good and everyone else sucks", but ex-players obviously have a much better chance of getting on TV despite lacking any real TV skills. Troy Aikman is actually pretty good in this regard but I'd much rather have someone who went to school for this, you know?

it's funny, i'm reading joe posnanski's book on the 'big red machine' right now & he talks intermittently about how much the press liked joe morgan and how well spoken he was & you really get the sense that he was just destined to be a broadcaster. and... he was terrible.

Rodney Harrison? Ron Jaworski? Michael Strahan? Tim Ryan? Paul Maguire? John Madden? Don Meredith?

oh yeah, harrison is truly the best

TIKI BARBER

John Madden's kind of a weird case. That's another guy I forgot actually did play at some point. Not sold on Strahan yet though he does seem pretty smart (compared to the rest of those guys)

i <3 Gary Matthews!

My favorite sports talking head is the Braves' Joe Simpson (11 undistinguished seasons as a player, 73-84). Aikman is good, Chucky and Jaws are a good team imo...Dick Vermeil was quite good in the couple of games I've heard him do. Back to baseball, John Smoltz was a good pitching analyst in the brief period of doing Braves games...dunno if he's developed any stylistic ugliness over the past year or so.

I think coaches are often very good at the job, but that seems sort of irrelevant when you're claiming that someone who comes from a broadcast background would be better at the job than someone who used to be part of an NFL organization, whether it be player, coach, or GM. I appreciate guys like Mayock and Charles Davis who never played in the league, but at least they played college ball. It really helps for the analyst to have some fundamental understanding of football.

I do agree with that poly, but I think that coaches by nature have to be good with words and speech, while players don't even really have to speak English. Obviously some playing experience does help but the approach of "let's grab some former NFL hotshot" like Favre (who is apparently destined for this) really sucks.

Obviously some playing experience does help but the approach of "let's grab some former NFL hotshot" like Favre (who is apparently destined for this) really sucks.

In my opinion this stuff just sorts itself out. The guys who have nothing to offer in the studio, like Joe Montana, eventually quit. The guys who say are either decent at their craft or at least have a folksy charm that appeals to the rubes. There are very few examples of guys who offer nothing who stay in the announcing game for long.

Terry Bradshaw >:(

Howie Long is just as bad as Bradshaw.

Fox pregame >>>>> CBS pregame

The teams with cap space, a day before all teams must be in compliance, are as follows: Buccaneers ($ 29,560,000); Chiefs ($ 28,431,000); Jaguars ($ 28,000,000); Browns ($ 27,620,000); Bengals ($ 27,164,000); Broncos ($26,542,000); Bills ($ 23,460,000); 49ers ($ 22,570,000); Bears ($ 19,300,000); Seahawks ($ 16,387,000); Cardinals ($ 14,603,000); Redskins ($ 11,450,000); Packers ($ 11,106,000); Jets ($ 8,920,000); Dolphins ($ 8,446,000); Colts ($7,925,000); Titans ($ 7,127,000); Saints ($ 7,027,000); Patriots ($ 5,264,000); Chargers ($ 5,031,000); Eagles ($4,604,000); Ravens ($ 3,558,000); Panthers ($ 1,915,000); Vikings ($ 938,000); Falcons ($811,000); Giants ($623,000); Rams ($621,000).

The teams in the red are: Raiders ($15,246,000); Steelers ($8,597,000); Lions ($7,793,000); Cowboys ($6,671,000); and Texans ($3,358,000).

The Lions are in the Red?

what is compliance actually? everyone has to be under cap or everyone has to spend up to cap?

Howie Long is just as bad as Bradshaw.

he's easier to look at though :S

Under the cap with your top 51 salaries.

The salary floor is a league average thing, I believe.

Donte Whitner agreed to a 3-yr, $11.75M deal with $4 million gtd with 49ERS.

well hopefully that works out better than nate clements

whitner is at or near the top of his game. good signing for them. he prob could have done better tho, maybe the market is low for safeties right now.

hm, i think heard the salary floor will be in effect next year?

Braylon Edwards to the 49ers on a 1-year deal
Legedu Naanee to the Panthers

is legedu any good?

He makes an excellent third receiver, very willing to go over the middle. Good size, good routes. Former QB.

wanted the dolphins to sign naanee -- love big dudes like that

I hear David Boston is available.

pats just signed this guy

http://www.xerxy.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/the_wolfman.jpg

gonna be super weird seeing him line up in blue

Bye Ricky ;_;