Eric Berry visits Tuesday

[MRV52]

Seen this song and dance before, FA come here to leave without a contract and in a few days sign with other teams. Nothing changes.

 

[Carson]

 

[SlammedZero]

Definitely an intriguing visit nevertheless.

 

[TheMarathonContinues]

OK, maybe you don't get the part where we add those difference-making FAs now to the team we have now, and lose our own FAs later after we've taken our best shot at winning the Super Bowl.

We would be not losing anyone now, just maybe we're not giving Dak and Elliott extensions yet. And when we did give them extensions, maybe we let a Byron Jones or La'el Collins walk in FA instead.

Again, I don't think that's necessary. The way some fret over the salary cap is so overblown. But if it came down to taking a shot at winning it all now or retaining some players we'd lose a year or two from now, I'd take the shot every time.

I guess the confusion here is I don’t see the difference making players in free agency you are talking about. Usually players in free agency are role players or over the hill guys. It’s rare you see Von Miller in his prime or JJ Watt in his prime type players. You get the Landon Collins of the world.

 

[charron]

Well....maybe. I think I’d rather have Byron than a draft pick.

Just going by what they said so far. Byron seems to be the off man out.

 

[Beast_from_East]

He will flip us off and laugh in our face when we low ball him.

 

[gimmesix]

I guess the confusion here is I don’t see the difference making players in free agency you are talking about. Usually players in free agency are role players or over the hill guys. It’s rare you see Von Miller in his prime or JJ Watt in his prime type players. You get the Landon Collins of the world.

That's the risk factor. Is Earl Thomas a difference-making player at this point? How about Justin Houston? I don't know, but I would have taken a shot on both of them.

 

[Roadtrip635]

There is a balance that has to be struck. You can't draft like we did in 2009 and expect to win with FAs. You can't draft like we did in 2016 and expect to not win with FAs.

There's a lot of risk involved with FA but there's a lot of reward if you get it right. Not taking any chances only means you have no chance of getting it right.

You're right there is a balance that needs to be maintained, but people act like the sky is falling when any other team signs any FA, regardless of how bad that signing will likely be, or how little if any it will help.

The Patriots generally do a good job in the off season, but they also have a veteran team and rotate players to fit their schemes or able to adjust their schemes because they usually have a high turnover. Most of their success in acquiring players last year wasn't in FA, it was in trades. Here's the "big" FAs they signed last year, Jeremy Hill (IR in Sept), Burkhead (injured most of year, 3rd/4th string RB), Tobin(finally made the 53 man squad in Nov., cut 2 weeks later), Clayborn (ineffective/didn't even dress for several games), Jordan Matthews (cut). The most effective additions they made came from trades that filled holes. They do a pretty good job of trading/acquiring picks to use to acquire players.

 

[gimmesix]

You're right there is a balance that needs to be maintained, but people act like the sky is falling when any other team signs any FA, regardless of how bad that signing will likely be, or how little if any it will help.

The Patriots generally do a good job in the off season, but they also have a veteran team and rotate players to fit their schemes or able to adjust their schemes because they usually have a high turnover. Most of their success in acquiring players last year wasn't in FA, it was in trades. Here's the "big" FAs they signed last year, Jeremy Hill (IR in Sept), Burkhead (injured most of year, 3rd/4th string RB), Tobin(finally made the 53 man squad in Nov., cut 2 weeks later), Clayborn (ineffective/didn't even dress for several games), Jordan Matthews (cut). The most effective additions they made came from trades that filled holes. They do a pretty good job of trading/acquiring picks to use to acquire players.

I lump trades into free agency. Either way you are acquiring a proven talent to supplement your roster. Gilmore was a great get for them last year. Cooper was a great get for us when we got desperate at receiver. Either way you go (FAs or trades) you've got to acquire proven talent to supplement your roster or you'll never be done with the building process.

 

[DanA]

I’m okay with Heath/Wood playing FS and Berry play SS. My big issue with Heath last year was missed tackles around the LOS. Playing him more as a high safety than box safety solves that.

 

[Floatyworm]

I hope like hell we sign him.

He's better than Heath and his leadership skills are unquestioned. Remember how Woodson helped Roy early in his career? Eric could do the same. He was beloved in Kansas City and we could use him if nothing else to stabilize the position.

If Garrett is really all about culture - here's your guy.

Honestly..torn on this one. I can see your point....but he has missed so much time w/ injury and life threatening stuff. I think we might be better off w/ a high draft choice...if I had to choose.

 

[Established1971]

Futbol, has been berry berry good to me

 

[Roadtrip635]

I lump trades into free agency. Either way you are acquiring a proven talent to supplement your roster. Gilmore was a great get for them last year. Cooper was a great get for us when we got desperate at receiver. Either way you go (FAs or trades) you've got to acquire proven talent to supplement your roster or you'll never be done with the building process.

Gilmore was the year before and they had to make a move since they let Butler walk. You may lump Trades and FA together, but the value is usually not the same. This time of year especially, FAs will usually be overpaid relative to their production and their old teams didn't want/couldn't pay to keep them, if they were really that valuable the old team would usually try and work a deal. Teams really value draft picks, especially this time of year and it's probably a better value to trade a pick for a productive player under contract. You can get a really good, productive player for a 3rd or 4th rd pick, especially considering the bust rates of 3rd/4th rd picks. You can find solid players for even lower picks.

We do need to get better at improving the roster through other avenues, but signing overpriced FAs usually isn't the way to go. I also maintain that safety isn't the biggest need, it's pass rush, improving the pass rush makes the whole defense better. It won't matter to have a better safety when their QB has all day to throw, someone will get open. We have to be able to collapse the pocket and stop the run at the point of attack first.

 

[gimmesix]

Gilmore was the year before and they had to make a move since they let Butler walk. You may lump Trades and FA together, but the value is usually not the same.

You're right, and he also was a free agent acquisition.

I found this video showing where the roster for the 2018 Super Bowl champions came from, and I think it is a good example of how using the draft, trades and free agents goes hand in hand. It also shows you don't hit on every free agent playing as big a role as their contract might dictate. But what it does show is that it takes a combination of these things, including high-priced and low-priced FA acquisitions, to get it done.

That this is even debatable is hard for me to understand. It's like some have bought into this myth that paying a couple of high-priced FAs means you have to dismantle your team. It's a tool that has to be used properly but still needs to be used if you are going to contend for Super Bowls.

 

[OmerV]

I hope like hell we sign him.

He's better than Heath and his leadership skills are unquestioned. Remember how Woodson helped Roy early in his career? Eric could do the same. He was beloved in Kansas City and we could use him if nothing else to stabilize the position.

If Garrett is really all about culture - here's your guy.

He was better than Heath, but after missing 29 of the last 32 games the Chiefs have played we don’t really know what he is. I’m keeping my fingers crossed he is finally healthy and the Cowboys are the beneficiary.

 

[InTheZone]

FYI he wasn't ranked much higher than Heath according to PFF

 

[Cowfan75]

If we can't have ET's leadership, get Berry's.

 

[KingintheNorth]

Gilmore was the year before and they had to make a move since they let Butler walk

Gilmore and Butler played together in 2017. Butler left before the 2018 season. They year they signed Gilmore, they also placed a 1st round tender on Butler.

 

[KingintheNorth]

I’m okay with Heath/Wood playing FS and Berry play SS. My big issue with Heath last year was missed tackles around the LOS. Playing him more as a high safety than box safety solves that.

Get him off the field. He's a liability everywhere.

 

[TheMarathonContinues]

Seen this song and dance before, FA come here to leave without a contract and in a few days sign with other teams. Nothing changes.

IT happens....but I'd also take note that when a player choses a team to visit first........that's usually the team they end up on.