NFL Offseason Thread: Combine & Free Agency Version

The Game Room
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I made this argument in the McNabb thread:

I don’t know what the chance of this happening is and I don’t know the perceived mindset of the front office out there, but it’s just a damn perfect fit for both parties from where I’m sitting.

You have think that the Redskins would be very tempted to settle for just a 4th rounder for him and if I’m the Panthers I’d even go as high as a 3rd. A similar case could be made for Buffalo but I think they’ll have a harder time extending Campbell should he deserve it.

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This is a change of pace, but apparently Bears TE Desmond Clark was a no show at their workouts on Monday. It’s bizarre since he was there for all of last week. Things don’t look good for Clark on the roster because the addition of Manumaleuna means they have 4 TEs with a system that doesn’t really value the TE position. I have to wonder why he no-showed today though. Was it just coincidence and he’ll be back later in the week? Did something happen at the facility that pissed him off? Is there a trade or a roster move in the works that he was informed of?

I can’t imagine that Clark will have much trade value at his age and with he log jam the Bears have at the position, but he’s still a guy that can help a team that needs a TE who can actually block and catch.

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Can the Redskins rely on McNabb starting all 16 games? As injury-prone as he is, I would think they’d hold onto Campbell through at least this uncapped year.

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Apparently Campbell is pretty icy about the way he was informed of the decision to bring in McNabb…

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Well, McNabb is a 'Skin and the Rams just released Bulger. Guess we know who #1 will be. Welcome to St. Louis Mr. Bradford!

I wonder if they shopped Bulger around and did not get any offers since he was owed $8.6 mil.

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Yeah, I can’t imagine anyone paying him that much. The real question will be if anyone gives him a shot to come in and start for them.

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I think a QB needy team like the Bills or Carolina would be fools not to at least give him a look. His fall in production in STL had a lot to do with playing behind an O-line that collapsed under injuries three years in a row and throwing to receiver corps that kept shedding talent and replacing it with slop until it reached a point last year when his O-line started to jell but the WR corps was reduced to players who were not fit to even be backups and special teamers anywhere else in the NFL. Get him a solid O-line and halfway decent receivers and he could produce again, if not be a star.

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This is true of almost every QB in the league. The teams that “need a QB” also need improvement on their O-lines and need better receivers.

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Here’s a neat little video showing Rich Eisen of NFL Network running a 40 and being “raced” against some of the actual athletes running. It’s pretty amazing how fast these guys are.

390

Should we make a new thread for the draft runup?
I was thinking we could do a mock with the Dopers who follow each team the closest making the picks.

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Rumors are going all over the place about the Lions trading for Albert Haynesworth. Haynesworth is upset with being the nose tackle in a 3-4, he’s rubbing Shanahan wrong, Shanahan supposedly told the brass to explore trade possibilities.

Most of his $32 million signing bonus is already paid out, so he can be moved.

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Haynesworth is always upset with something. For a man who could break me in half by breathing on me, he’s an incessant whiner. He’ll never be happy.

I would be all over this. I’d like the Packers and can take any other team (or teams) that you like.

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I can handle the Giants, especially with their first rounder being a unanimous no-brainer.

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Matt McCoy. I mean, for whatever that’s worth.

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I definitely think a new draft thread will be required, but I figure we should wait until the Monday before the draft to start it so that we’re not 4 pages deep with McNabb/Haynesworth/Campbell/TO/Favre blather before they even start talking about signing the #1 overall pick.

I suspect there will be quite a few fat contract extensions and free agent signings in the coming weeks to keep this thread relevant.

I’d be all over the Mock Draft. I’ll take the Bears* obviously, and I can probably handle anyone else that’s unclaimed. That should probably get it’s own thread.

    • Presuming that anyone is willing to go into the 3rd round and beyond, I suppose that’s a long shot though!
396

Speaking of which…
Alex Brown struck a deal with the Saints today to be their new Left DE and replace Charles Grant. Supposedly he’s earning $6M over 2 years, quite a pay cut from the $10.5M he was due over that same period in Chicago.

This is a great deal for both teams. I’m really happy for Brown. He deserves to be part of a good team and I’ll be pulling for him in New Orleans. He’ll be a fantastic addition to that team and he’ll make an already good locker room even better. This confirms that he was overpaid, but I’m not sure the Bears are dramatically better saving $2.5M/year. It’s interesting that Brown will probably be moving to the left side in N’awlins since he played his entire career on the right side and his need to move to the left supposedly contributed to his release in Chicago. All in all, I think Brown will be a force against the weaker pass blocking Tackles in Gregg Williams aggressive system.

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Just for kicks, Kiper and McShay have posted a new Mock Draft for ESPN Insiders.

They agree on the top 4 this time, Bradford, Suh, McCoy and Okung in order and I see little reason to question any of those. Probably the biggest question is not if the Redskins will go with an OT but if they’ll agree that Okung is the best available and the best fit for them. Shanahan picked a star in Clady last time around in Denver, I suspect he’ll make the right choice here, but his O line tends not to be traditional in makeup.

They both disagree on the Chiefs and Seahawks. Kiper has Berry going to KC and McShay has Berry going to Seattle. Both have the other team taking an OT, but they have different players as the 2nd OT taken, Kiper has Trent Williams going to Seattle and McShay has Bulaga going to KC. I think I’d split the difference and project both teams going with an OT causing Eric Berry to slide.

Dez Bryant presented an interesting disagreement between them. Kiper has him going to Cleveland 7th and McShay has him sliding all the way down to the fellow Ohioans at 21 overall. I think Kiper is closer to the mark on this one, with the lack of talent at WR this year I doubt Bryant slides that much and I think Holmgren will be very tempted to start building his west coast offense this way especially after how much trouble he had in Seattle making due with middling talent and undersized guys.

Kiper has the Raiders going wonky and taking Jimmy Clausen, while McShay has lightened up on his Claussen hate and sent him to the 49ers at 17. With the Raiders anything is possible but I can’t imagine that they draft another 1st round QB. Either Davis will dig in and give Russell another year or he’ll give up and bring in a veteran like Campbell or Bulger.

Further down the draft they both agree on Jason Pierre-Paul going to the Titans 16th overall and that’s a pretty logical choice considering their needs. They also agree that Maurkice Pouncey will be a Steeler at 18. Logical and exactly what they need. They both like pass rusher Brandon Graham for the Falcons with the next pick and WR Demaryius Thomas to the Ravens at 25.

Neither guy has physical freak Taylor Mays going higher than 27th. I think he’d be a steal that low, I hope he doesn’t last for the Vikings at 30 like Kiper projects. Both have the Packers going with an O Lineman but Kiper has G/T Iupati and McShay likes OT Charles Brown. It’s tough to envision the Packers not going for a Tackle, hopefully whoever he is he sucks.

They both have 7 Offensive Lineman going in the first round. Impressive class if that’s the way it shakes out. Only 2 RBs make an appearance, and one of those guys is only on one list and there are just 2 WRs projected and 1 TE. All in all, with the 2 QBs, that’s an extraordinarily light skill position class making up between 6 and 7 guys in the first round.

Fun stuff.

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OOOooooo. Look at Mr. ESPN Insider! Mr. Big Britches!!! OOooooooo!! :stuck_out_tongue:

(Is it worth it? This is the only time of year that I think about joining for the draft information, but there are just so many sources for free and I don’t really respect Kiper’s opinion all that much.)

Seems like every year, there is a guy who I can’t even fathom why is talked about in the first round. Jason Pierre Paul is that guy this year. I have no idea (outside of apparently nice “measurables”) why this guy is considered anything more than a 3rd round developmental project. He’s weak, has no real pass rush moves, isn’t very strong against the run, and has very little production. This beast had a whopping zero total sacks against studly teams like Wofford, Western Kentucky, and Charleston Southern, and only 6 all frickin year in a crappy division. He’s raw, played only one year Div 1 football, and gets by on his athleticism not his skills. I’ve only seen a bit of his tape, and while he certainly can make some nice plays, I saw nothing that made me go “WOW”. Maybe after a few years if he bulks up and learns the position, he’ll develop into a great player, but taking him in the first round is, IMHO a completely wasted pick.

I am counfounded by the “draft experts’” reaction to Mays too, because he strikes me a lot like JPP. Outstanding measurables, but not much production. But Mays is a 4 year starter from USC and has a bit more versatility. Yet Mays seems to the bottom half of the first round.

I think the OT/DT/DE positions in the first round are more a function of need and position rather than sheer talent. I think there are some damn good RBs, WRs, and TEs that can be grabbed after the first round and make teams very happy.

I’m fascinated with the second round this year. With the break overnight and the lower cost of moves, I expect much more trading up and down this year and I like the talent in the second and third rounds. It’s a pretty deep class I think. Should be fun.

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“Fellow Ohioans”?
:slight_smile:

I think the Bengals pass on Bryant, actually. I think they will take Mays if he’s still there. The Bengals need another safety.

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Dude, the ESPN Insider is TOTALLY worth it. It comes with a subscription to the magazine, too.