ABQCOWBOY
Regular Joe....
- Messages
- 58,929
- Reaction score
- 27,716
With the cap situation the way it is now, I think that we may only be able to land one more impact player through FA, assuming we can sign somebody.
If this is the case, then the question becomes who and what position?
On the surface, I'd say WR. To me, that is the one position of need that you can not draft a player and expect them to step in and be productive. Much would depend on what we thing of our young WRs but to me, we have to bring somebody in. Personally, I like Johnson out of Az. That's probably the guy I would consider as our highest FA target priority. Walker has been discussed. Moss has been talked about but I think that's a pipe dream. I for one, hope it never happens. Porter could be another guy to consider. I don't know what Kerry Colbert, of Carolina, is doing but he's another guy we should be thinking about, IMO. Great 1st season. Injured the last two but he started coming around last year. That offense went form a pretty good one, his rookie year, to a poor one the last few years. Gaffney, Hacket, both those guys I would be interested in. I don't know what the Vikes are going to do with Robert Ferguson but I think that he too is a guy that could help us.
If we are moving Fergy, then I don't buy into the whole NT is locked down with Ratliff and Johnson. I mean, Fergy is 34 and he is coming off a season ending enjury but the injury is not a career threatening injury, IMO. It's a Bicept tear. It's not a shoulder or lower body injury. He played very well in 06, he was looking very strong in 07. He is not ideal for Wade's 34 but he is, IMO, a better option then Ratliff and Johnson. I don't know that Spears would work at NT. I mean, he should but he was not very good there when they tried it at LSU or early in his career in Dallas when they tried him there. I think you gotta want to play that position. I don't know that he has the heart to be a NT. Ratliff is a better 34 DE then NT so maybe we could be considering trying to draft somebody. I really wonder what is going on with McFarland. His cap number was huge but I wonder what the base pay would be for a guy who was released (Injury?). What part of his cap hit does a team who claims him have to take on? Lots of guys in this draft that I think could help. And really, if we did decide to keep Ratliff at NT, there are lots of guys in the draft who could probably play DE in a 34. Antonio Smith is a guy I really like. I would be in real favor of trading Marcus Spears and bringing in Smith if the cap situation could work. I don't know that it can but there lots of possabilities, IMO, for DL. We need a third guy who can bring pressure. Would be great if that third guy came from the DE spot.
Signing Zack Thomas is a bit of a mystery to me. I mean, great player when he was younger. However, now, his presence would seem to mean that we have too many LBs. There are a few very decent LBs on the market right now. Briggs, Haggans, Pace lots of guys who would probably fit well into a 34 scheme. Seems weired to me. I don't know what Carp can do but I know that we are getting down to it with cap. We can't continue to carry his salary IMO. He either has to play or he has to be moved. Simple as that to me. Ayodele I don't know. He's not spectacular. He doesn't show up, 57 tackels for a 34 ILB responsible for collecting tackles. I don't know how you evaluate Ayodele's season. I don't think you call it a good one. Average might be generous, I don't know. Burnett is a bust at LB. He's a decent Special Teams guy but honestly, the guy was brought here to apply pressure and cover. He's not what I would consider good at either IMO. He's got to go, IMO. Just can't afford to keep the salary hits associated with a 2nd rd pick, who is nothing more then a ST player, going into his 4th year. You can bring in cheaper players to do the same thing and probably better. Our special teams was definatly not a strong point last year. Both Carp and Burnett are going to be interesting decisions, based on the strength of this draft and what is in FA. I don't know that we could just cut Carp. We would probably have to trade him for a bag of Popcorn TO might use for one of his TD celebrations.
RB, IMO, has to be a draft pick unless Barber is picked up by another team. If that is the case, we may still have to draft his replacement but if that's the case, then who we draft completely changes IMO. It's interesting, I don't know how much intereste JJ is going to get in FA. I could really see us holding on to Jones, if the FA market is not good for him. I mean, I could see him signing a 1 year deal or something. Heck, we could draft two RBs, as deep as this draft is. I am not in love with McFadden because I just think it's unrealistic to try and move that far up to draft him. This is a very deep draft. If Barber is claimed, we will have options. Derrick Ward is a real interesting player to me.
DBs, particularly CB is something that I think we probably address in the draft, unless we move Henry. Honestly, I could see that happening or not. I think all the quality guys in FA are going to cost way too much. Florence would probably be the guy at CB I'd most like to have but as I said before, I think he's going to get paid. Good CBs cost. I think we have to address this in the draft. Would be great if one of our young guys stepped up but, probably won't happen. Safety, well, it is what it is. We can't do anything about it.
Lastly, I might consider moving Brad Johnson. I like him as a backup option. I think he's a good backup for us but I don't know that we can afford him. Not sure what Trent Green might work for this year but I'd be interested in him if the price was not rediculous. Holcomb is a guy that I would also consider. I think maybe Tuiasosopo might be a guy to consider. Everybody will pile on Tuia but consider where he was playing and the conditions. He's seen all there is to see in the NFL. I think he would be reasonable but I don't know. I think it was a real mistake to gamble with Matt Moore last year and we paid for it. Moore could have been ready to be our backup by this time next season. Maybe even this season. I would like us to try and develop a backup QB. I love Dixon and would very much like to see us draft him if he's available down the line.
Anyway, these are my random thoughts on FA and the draft.
If this is the case, then the question becomes who and what position?
On the surface, I'd say WR. To me, that is the one position of need that you can not draft a player and expect them to step in and be productive. Much would depend on what we thing of our young WRs but to me, we have to bring somebody in. Personally, I like Johnson out of Az. That's probably the guy I would consider as our highest FA target priority. Walker has been discussed. Moss has been talked about but I think that's a pipe dream. I for one, hope it never happens. Porter could be another guy to consider. I don't know what Kerry Colbert, of Carolina, is doing but he's another guy we should be thinking about, IMO. Great 1st season. Injured the last two but he started coming around last year. That offense went form a pretty good one, his rookie year, to a poor one the last few years. Gaffney, Hacket, both those guys I would be interested in. I don't know what the Vikes are going to do with Robert Ferguson but I think that he too is a guy that could help us.
If we are moving Fergy, then I don't buy into the whole NT is locked down with Ratliff and Johnson. I mean, Fergy is 34 and he is coming off a season ending enjury but the injury is not a career threatening injury, IMO. It's a Bicept tear. It's not a shoulder or lower body injury. He played very well in 06, he was looking very strong in 07. He is not ideal for Wade's 34 but he is, IMO, a better option then Ratliff and Johnson. I don't know that Spears would work at NT. I mean, he should but he was not very good there when they tried it at LSU or early in his career in Dallas when they tried him there. I think you gotta want to play that position. I don't know that he has the heart to be a NT. Ratliff is a better 34 DE then NT so maybe we could be considering trying to draft somebody. I really wonder what is going on with McFarland. His cap number was huge but I wonder what the base pay would be for a guy who was released (Injury?). What part of his cap hit does a team who claims him have to take on? Lots of guys in this draft that I think could help. And really, if we did decide to keep Ratliff at NT, there are lots of guys in the draft who could probably play DE in a 34. Antonio Smith is a guy I really like. I would be in real favor of trading Marcus Spears and bringing in Smith if the cap situation could work. I don't know that it can but there lots of possabilities, IMO, for DL. We need a third guy who can bring pressure. Would be great if that third guy came from the DE spot.
Signing Zack Thomas is a bit of a mystery to me. I mean, great player when he was younger. However, now, his presence would seem to mean that we have too many LBs. There are a few very decent LBs on the market right now. Briggs, Haggans, Pace lots of guys who would probably fit well into a 34 scheme. Seems weired to me. I don't know what Carp can do but I know that we are getting down to it with cap. We can't continue to carry his salary IMO. He either has to play or he has to be moved. Simple as that to me. Ayodele I don't know. He's not spectacular. He doesn't show up, 57 tackels for a 34 ILB responsible for collecting tackles. I don't know how you evaluate Ayodele's season. I don't think you call it a good one. Average might be generous, I don't know. Burnett is a bust at LB. He's a decent Special Teams guy but honestly, the guy was brought here to apply pressure and cover. He's not what I would consider good at either IMO. He's got to go, IMO. Just can't afford to keep the salary hits associated with a 2nd rd pick, who is nothing more then a ST player, going into his 4th year. You can bring in cheaper players to do the same thing and probably better. Our special teams was definatly not a strong point last year. Both Carp and Burnett are going to be interesting decisions, based on the strength of this draft and what is in FA. I don't know that we could just cut Carp. We would probably have to trade him for a bag of Popcorn TO might use for one of his TD celebrations.
RB, IMO, has to be a draft pick unless Barber is picked up by another team. If that is the case, we may still have to draft his replacement but if that's the case, then who we draft completely changes IMO. It's interesting, I don't know how much intereste JJ is going to get in FA. I could really see us holding on to Jones, if the FA market is not good for him. I mean, I could see him signing a 1 year deal or something. Heck, we could draft two RBs, as deep as this draft is. I am not in love with McFadden because I just think it's unrealistic to try and move that far up to draft him. This is a very deep draft. If Barber is claimed, we will have options. Derrick Ward is a real interesting player to me.
DBs, particularly CB is something that I think we probably address in the draft, unless we move Henry. Honestly, I could see that happening or not. I think all the quality guys in FA are going to cost way too much. Florence would probably be the guy at CB I'd most like to have but as I said before, I think he's going to get paid. Good CBs cost. I think we have to address this in the draft. Would be great if one of our young guys stepped up but, probably won't happen. Safety, well, it is what it is. We can't do anything about it.
Lastly, I might consider moving Brad Johnson. I like him as a backup option. I think he's a good backup for us but I don't know that we can afford him. Not sure what Trent Green might work for this year but I'd be interested in him if the price was not rediculous. Holcomb is a guy that I would also consider. I think maybe Tuiasosopo might be a guy to consider. Everybody will pile on Tuia but consider where he was playing and the conditions. He's seen all there is to see in the NFL. I think he would be reasonable but I don't know. I think it was a real mistake to gamble with Matt Moore last year and we paid for it. Moore could have been ready to be our backup by this time next season. Maybe even this season. I would like us to try and develop a backup QB. I love Dixon and would very much like to see us draft him if he's available down the line.
Anyway, these are my random thoughts on FA and the draft.