cowboyjoe
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This is my first stab at what i think the team needs to improve on with the draft and free agency. Due to our great cap guru Adam, we know that Jerry Jones can go get one very good top Free Agent without us losing any players.
Whether its possible or not to fill our needs through the draft or free agency, or trades, I will attempt to do so below.
So, first lets look at top free agents for this year that jerry jones might be able to go get to help us;
I didnt list QBs because we dont need any with kitna resigning a contract.
Running backs, we might need one, if we trade Barber; Sproles would be dymanic as a punt and kickoff returner and 3rd down back, but I doubt that the chargers would let him go, and if they did he would probably cost to much. But even wade said during the draft when the chargers drafted sproles he told the chargers coaching staff this is one impact player and you need to draft him.
Darren Sproles, San Diego Chargers (27)
It’s very difficult to measure the importance of Darren Sproles because his greatest value isn’t as a traditional runner. With Tomlinson also struggling to get the running game moving, Sproles’ lack of success pounding the ball can be partially attributed to a below average run blocking unit. Still, Sproles is best when put on a touch count and given most of his work on screens and the return game. He won’t make $6.6 million a year, like he’s making on his franchise tender, but will get a good mid-level contract rewarding him for his explosiveness and unique contributions. Sproles is one of the league’s best back-up or change-of-pace backs. As an unrestricted free agent, I have the hunch that other teams will overpay for his services, while the Chargers will rely on their history of drafting successful running backs to keep the running game alive. It could be fullback Mike Tolbert who sees his share of touches increase.
LenDale White, Tennessee Titans (25)
With the explosion of Chris Johnson as the league’s best running back this season, White has seen his carries scaled back big time. Over the last 5 games, White has been given a total of 11 carries, less than his average per game last year. According to the Nashville Tennessean, White has gone on the record saying, “I don’t want to sit here and play backup to nobody. I refuse. I don’t want to.” This is a good sign that White is as good as gone next year, putting a decent goal line, power back on the market. It’s his attitude and questionable work ethic that potential suitors will have to explore.
Leon Washington, New York Jets (28)
It’s always unfortunate to see any player get injured, but it’s all the more painful to see them go down on a contract year. The broken leg should heal in a couple months, but it will most likely eat into what could have been a big payday. Washington is similar to Sproles, but a better pure runner. Washington has the speed to turn the corner and be the great complementary back. He has added value as a kick returner where he’s among the NFL’s most feared. This summer, he turned down a number of contract offers in hopes of a huge payday in free agency, so we’ll see if he drops his asking price. If his asking price remains high, he would also risk playing for just a Restricted Free Agent contract if a new CBA isn’t reached.
Jerious Norwood, Atlanta Falcons (27)
Norwood has been largely unproductive this season thanks to injuries, but returned to the field in Week 12. With Michael Turner also battling some injuries, Norwood should get the opportunity to display his talents despite a productive Jason Snelling also pleading his case. Norwood can’t be counted on as an every down back, but will sign a contract indicative of his role as it’s been in Atlanta. He’s a back-up with plenty speed to put a scare into defenses.
Other Notable Free Agents:
Kenneth Darby, St. Louis Rams (27)
Jerome Harrison, Cleveland Browns (27)
Adrian Peterson, Chicago Bears (31)
Justin Griffith, Seattle Seahawks (30) – Fullback
John Kuhn, Green Bay Packers (27) – Fullback
Tony Richardson, New York Jets (38) – Fullback
Naufahu Tahi, Minnesota Vikings (28) – Fullback
Leonard Weaver, Philadelphia Eagles (27) – Fullback
WRs, I dont think we will sign one due to the acquistion and high price dollar of Roy Williams, but some rumors had cowboys possibly looking at brandon marshall. So, I will throw that in there, but we dont need another knucklehead wr on our team, but I will keep that open, because you never know what is on jerry jones mind.
2010 NFL Free Agent Receivers
By: Roshan Bhagat
Age as of 9/1/10. All free agents listed here are done so with an optimistic outlook that a new CBA will be agreed upon. Accordingly, only four accrued seasons are necessary to obtain an Unrestricted Free Agency status on this list.
Brandon Marshall, Denver Broncos (26)
Even after a sluggish start to the beginning of the season, Marshall has rebounded well and increased his production over the recent weeks to put over 1000 yards and 9 touchdowns on the year with 86 catches. 200 yards and 2 touchdowns came on his record-setting 21 catches against the Colts in Week 14. Marshall has proven that no matter whose throwing him the ball, he’s one of the premier possession wideouts in the league. If he can maintain a good work ethic and stay clean off the field, Marshall has everything going for him. Because of some of those off the field issues, it’ll be interesting to see how much he actually makes because the Broncos don’t seem to be ready to cut him loose.
Vincent Jackson, San Diego Chargers (27)
After getting off to a sizzling start, Jackson had cooled off over a 4 week stretch (Week 10 through 13), totaling only 9 receptions for less than 150 yards and no touchdowns. Jackson redeveloped that deadly connection with Philip Rivers beating the Cowboys for 120 yards on 17 yards per catch. Jackson still has the size advantage to stretch the field vertically and become one of the premier wideouts in the league. His ability to out-jump and out-muscle defenders on high passes makes him a real red zone and deep ball threat. Jackson will see a big raise from his mid-round rookie contract, but if he can produce at an elite level again down the stretch and in the playoffs, like he did against the Cowboys, he can still attach a couple more million to his next contract. The Chargers do have a number of key contracts expiring at season’s end and could really use the relief of an uncapped year to retain all or most of them. With the chemistry he and Rivers have developed, Jackson should be at the top of the Chargers’ priority and it would be shocking to see him become an unrestricted free agent.
Miles Austin, Dallas Cowboys (26)
WE resign him!
Braylon Edwards, New York Jets(27)
Edwards’ size brings a unique skill set to the Jets’ receiving corps opposite Jericho Cotchery, but has struggled with concentration and dropping balls as he did in Cleveland. The Jets gave up a considerable amount to land Braylon Edwards so it would be startling if they didn’t extend his stay in New York. Edwards has a winning combination working for him in New York with a promising young quarterback delivering him balls, a charismatic coach, and a team dedicated to winning ball games right now. If Edwards continues posting pedestrian numbers, the Jets will most likely look toward a more incentive-based deal.
Malcom Floyd, San Chargers (28)
Over the recent weeks, Malcom Floyd has been given more responsibilities, starting 6 of the last 7 games, in the Chargers offense and this lengthy, 6’5”, 225-pound receiver has delivered for the Chargers. Similar to Vincent Jackson, Floyd does a great job getting vertical down the sidelines to make grabs in single coverage. He uses his height and balance to come down with the ball more often than not. Floyd will be a full-time starting number two receiver next year either in San Diego or elsewhere.
Kevin Walter, Houston Texans (29)
Walter hasn’t been nearly as effective as last year, coming off an injury early in the year. For the Texans offense that hasn’t been short of scoring this year, it could be a good thing for the team. Keeping Walter under the radar could help them hang on to him at season’s end for a less competitive price. His size and style of play suggests that he should be a solid complementary receiver for a long time in the league.
Other Notable Free Agents:
Jason Avant, Philadelphia Eagles (27)
Mark Bradley, Kansas City Chiefs (28)
Isaac Bruce, San Francisco 49ers (37)
Chris Chambers, Kansas City Chiefs (32)
Mark Clayton, Baltimore Ravens (28)
David Clowney, New York Jets (25)
Ronald Curry, St. Louis Rams (31)
Domenik Hixon, New York Diego Giants (25)
Lance Moore, New Orleans Saints (27)
Josh Reed, Buffalo Bills (30)
Brad Smith, New York Jets (26)
Bobby Wade, Kansas City Chiefs (29)
Kelley Washington, Baltimore Ravens (31)
Demetrius Williams, Baltimore Ravens (27)
Troy Williamson, Jacksonville Jaguars (27)
Jerheme Urban, Arizona Cardinals (29)
Now, we all know we need a top OT or top OG, so lets look at those positions as my first prediction of what position Jerry might sign a player;
2010 NFL Free Agent Offensive Linemen
By: Roshan Bhagat
Age as of 9/1/10. All free agents listed here are done so with an optimistic outlook that a new CBA will be agreed upon. Accordingly, only four accrued seasons are necessary to obtain an Unrestricted Free Agency status on this list.
Jahri Evans, New Orleans Saints (27)
Jahri Evans is continuing to grade out as the team’s best run-blocking linemen week after week. The Saints have done a nice job of efficiently running the ball through the middle and on the right side of the line. His continual high level of play and positive, team-first attitude should translate to a high-end offensive guard contract at year’s end. Expect the Saints, who have nothing but positive things to say towards Evans, to richly reward him for his hard work and production.
Logan Mankins, New England Patriots (28)
Logan Mankins has been a very consistent player for the Patriots since he was drafted, starting all 77 games. That type of consistency is difficult to match, but with free agency inflating the value of offensive guards, the Patriots may end up letting him walk if the price isn’t right. They drafted a couple interior linemen last year and have to use some of their free money to re-sign other players. From what Mankins has said, he wants to stay on this winning franchise, but he could be one of the top players available next offseason.
Marcus McNeill, San Diego Chargers (26)
McNeill isn’t playing at an elite level this year, but is still an above average left tackle. He’s one of the “bigger” names at the left tackle position thanks to his spectacular and deservedly-hyped rookie season. McNeill has also been undercompensated the last few years playing on his rookie contract as a 2nd round pick, which may incline him to ask for more money than he “deserves.” Any of the Chargers could feasibly be had this offseason and McNeill is no different, but with some of the offensive line woes of the Chargers, McNeill may be one of their top priorities. His long-term neck and back problems could be in the back of the team’s mind as well.
Willie Colon, Pittsburgh Steelers (27)
After catching a lot of heat after last season’s wildly inconsistent performance, Willie Colon has done a fine job at right tackle for the Steelers. He’s done a nice job keeping Roethlisberger clean and turned in one of the better seasons for a right tackle in pass protections this year. Though Colon hasn’t been able to blow people off the snap in run-blocking, he’s done an average job for a line that has done a nice job allowing Mendenhall to become a good, young runner.
Donald Penn, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (27)
Penn is one of the more underrated left tackles in football today and will be one of many talented offensive linemen set to become unrestricted free agents this year. While Penn hasn’t had his best season this year, he has proven in the pass to be one of truly balanced left tackles. Penn has done a nice job in the past of keeping the blindside clean of pressure and the Buccaneers have done a nice job this year running over left tackle. The Buccaneers should try to re-sign him quickly because a young left tackle on the market may see some high-end coin.
Daryn Colledge, Green Bay Packers (28)
Colledge is no longer viewed as the solution at left tackle in Green Bay. Mid-round TJ Lang has taken over the back-up position there. That alone is enough to make his value take a significant plunge. Colledge was even “put on notice” and warned about his subpar level of play, but has since picked it up a notch, as has the entire O-Line. His value outside of Green Bay may not be as high as it is within the organization because of a poor performance in the team’s biggest stage to date – Monday Night in Minnesota. Still, he’s an average starting offensive guard and a good pass protector in the interior. Colledge’s value will most likely be highest to the Packers because he’s a great fit for what they do and they know his true value.
Other Notable Free Agents:
Eugene Amano, Tennessee Titans (28)
David Baas, San Francisco 49ers (28)
Khalif Barnes, Oakland Raiders (28)
Alex Barron, St. Louis Rams (27)
Mike Brisiel, Houston Texans (27)
Nick Cole, Philadelphia Eagles (26)
Ryan Cook, Minnesota Vikings (27)
Tyson Clabo, Atlanta Falcons (29)
Harvey Dahl, Atlanta Falcons (29)
Mike Gandy, Arizona Cardinals (31)
Cornell Green, Oakland Raiders (34)
Rex Hadnot, Cleveland Browns (28)
Ben Hamilton, Denver Broncos (33)
Justin Hartwig, Pittsburgh Steelers (31)
Richie Incognito, St. Louis Rams (27)
Jon Jansen, Washington Commanders (34)
Charlie Johnson, Indianapolis Colts (26)
Nick Kaczur, New England Patriots (31)
Chris Kuper, Denver Broncos (27)
Deuce Lutui, Arizona Cardinals (27)
Stephen Neal, New England Patriots (33)
Rudy Niswanger, Kansas City Chiefs (27)
Chester Pitts, Houston Texans (31)
Rob Sims, Seattle Seahawks (26)
Chris Spencer, Seattle Seahawks (28)
Jason Spitz, Green Bay Packers (27)
Adam Terry, Baltimore Ravens (28)
Jeremy Trueblood, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (27)
Bobbie Williams, Cincinnati Bengals (33)
Marshal Yanda, Baltimore Ravens (25)
The 3 players here that interest me are McNeil, (but he has neck & back problems), Penn and Makins. You might see a move there to help improve our offensive line for depth and possibly find a player to help push Kosier, Adams or Columbo. Granted we have Doug Free and I have high hopes for him. Doug has to get stronger in the weight room though, thats imperative. And reports were on Robert Brewster our offensive linemen that the Cowboys really liked what they saw of him in OTAs.
Now lets look at another key area that has been some of our downfall this year with the field goal kicking.
2010 NFL Free Agent Kickers and Punters
By: Roshan Bhagat
Neil Rackers, Arizona Cardinals (34)
Rackers has played well so far, though hasn’t been called on to kick many field goals. His only miss in 16 attempts came from 48 yards out. Though he has yet to attempt a field goal from outside 50 yards, he’s connecting on over 90%. With some teams struggling to find good kickers this year, the Cardinals will probably re-sign Rackers who has been pretty consistent inside 50 yards. He’s still among the league’s best kicker and has plenty of range for kickoffs.
Stephen Gostkowski, New England Patriots (26)
Gostkowski has had a pretty average season, booting at 81% success rate, but has been mediocre for his career between 40 and 49 yards. He has done a nice job on kickoffs though, ranking in the top 5 in touchbacks. The Patriots will try to extend him, but if the asking price becomes too much for them, they should have no problem finding another kicker of his caliber.
Shayne Graham, Cincinnati Bengals (32)
After struggling early in the year, missing 3 kicks and an extra point through 7 games, the Bengals canned long-time long snapper Brad St. Louis. Since then, he’s missed only 2 kicks including 1 a 51-yarder at Heinz Field, a place known for its impossibility in connecting on long distance attempts. Graham is still one of the most consistent kickers in the league.
Other Notable Free Agents:
Jay Feely, New York Jets (34)
Garrett Hartley, New Orleans Saints (24)
Sebastian Janikowski, Oakland Raiders (32)
Jeff Reed, Pittsburgh Steelers (31)
Shaun Suisham, Dallas Cowboys (28)
Only 2 kickers interest me, so in reality I think that the cowboys should resign Folk and I think that he wants to come back to Dallas too. Maybe we can sign a former kicker like Morton Anderson or our former kicker coach A.... something, cant recall his name right now, but he always found kickers for us when he was coaching with Jimmy Johnson.
2010 NFL Free Agent Defensive Linemen
By: Roshan Bhagat
Top Defensive Ends:
Age as of 9/1/10. All free agents listed here are done so with an optimistic outlook that a new CBA will be agreed upon. Accordingly, only four accrued seasons are necessary to obtain an Unrestricted Free Agency status on this list.
Julius Peppers, Carolina Panthers (30)
Playing on a franchise tender, an enormous one-year contract, Peppers has played at a high level. With 8.5 sacks on the season, Peppers can reach double-digit sacks for the 6th time in his career. The offseason will be interesting because Peppers no longer carries the reputation for being the league’s most fear end, primarily because he’s fairly inconsistent and fairly one-dimension in comparison to say, Jared Allen. Last year vocalized his desires to stand up in a 34 defense. This year, we’ll see how the Panthers handle his expiring contract. My bet is on a tag and trade, though Carolina could also end up paying him in excess of $20 million, due to a 120% raise required to apply the franchise tag on Peppers again this offseason. He’s on the wrong side of 30 and should receive less than half that amount per year if he signs a long-term extension.
Elvis Dumervil, Denver Broncos (26)
Dumervil has become one of the league’s best pass rushers and a potential candidate for Defensive Player of the Year. He leads the league with 15 sacks, with 11 coming on 3rd down. He excels in using his long arms and hands to keep defenders off his body, despite his unconventional proportions. The Broncos will find a way to retain their most prized asset on defense, probably by throwing high-end outside linebacker coin in his direction. Dumervil has already exceeded 40 sacks and is one forced fumble away from 10 in his short 4-year career. Playing a position of great need in any good 3-4 defense, Dumervil will sit with a lot of leverage if a CBA is agreed upon and he is able to become an unrestricted free agent.
Johnny Jolly, Green Bay Packers (27)
Like Ryan Pickett, Johnny Jolly has very quietly put together a great season at defensive end for Green Bay’s front line under Capers’ scheme. Jolly has been very active up front playing contain and peeling off blocks to make plays himself near the line of scrimmage. Keep in mind that the Packers have a number of starters with expiring contracts this offseason, so Jolly could be one of the guys left out. He excels against the run, but doesn’t give much in the form of a pass rush. He’s played his best ball at defensive end in the 34, but has the size and ability to play some reps at nose tackle.
Aaron Kampman, Green Bay Packers (30)
Kampman’s struggles to OLB were blown out of proportion. Through 9 games, he did a fairly decent job considering he had been given a role unfamiliar to him. The former Pro Bowler suffered a knee injury in Week 11 against San Francisco requiring surgery and was placed on the IR a couple weeks later. 7th round rookie Brad Jones has done an ample job as his replacement, playing the position with remarkable awareness and immeasurably better athleticism. The Packers will likely allow Kampman to enter free agency and move back to his more comfortable position at defensive end. Sadly, Kampman is coming off a knee injury and is at an age where defensive ends start to lose their edge off the snap.
Ray Edwards, Minnesota Vikings (25)
Jared Allen and the two Williams men up front have paved way for left end Ray Edwards to emerge this season. According to the stats, teams have actually had more difficult running over his side than at Jared Allen. Edwards also has 6.5 sacks. The Vikings should keep try to keep the league’s best pass rush in tact by re-signing the former Purdue standout. Edwards is a complete defensive end who will have a number of interested team should the Vikings be unable to keep him.
Marcus Spears, Dallas Cowboys (27)
We need to resign him so we dont have to reach for a defensive linemen in draft.
Kyle Vanden Bosch, Tennessee Titans (31)
Vanden Bosch has started all 13 games for the Titans at defensive end, but has struggled to get to the quarterback, recording only 3 sacks on the year. He no longer carries the reputation at a feared pass rusher off the edge and has always been average against the run. He’s at a point where he’d benefit from situational play to try and boost production when he’s actually in the game. The Titans do seem interested in keeping him in Tennessee, for what it’s worth.
Other Notable Free Agents:
Mark Anderson, Chicago Bears (27)
Derrick Burgess, New England Patriots (32)
Phillip Daniels, Washington Commanders (37)
Ryan Denney, Buffalo Bills (33)
Jarvis Green, New England Patriots (31)
James Hall, St. Louis Rams (33)
Reggie Hayward, Jacksonville Jaguars (31)
Jevon Kearse, Tennessee Titans (33)
Travis Kirschke, Pittsburgh Steelers (35)
Anthony Montgomery, Washington Commanders (26)
Chike Okeafor, Arizona Cardinals (34)
Darryl Tapp, Seattle Seahawks (25)
Top Defensive Tackles:
Vince Wilfork, New England Patriots (28)
The Patriots acknowledged being unable to keep both of their elite defensive linemen by trading away Richard Seymour, freeing up enough money to retain Vince Wilfork. Wilfork is one of the league’s premier nose tackles and one of the cornerstones for the Patriots’ defense. Once the season ends, the Patriots should start immediately trying to get him under contract so not to give him an option to walk. If he hits free agency, there are a number of teams that will heavily court Wilfork at a premium position.
Richard Seymour, Oakland Raiders (30)
Al Davis wont let him go!
Aubrayo Franklin, San Francisco 49ers (30)
Franklin has emerged as one of the elite nose tackles this year, helping the 49ers to fielding one of the best run defenses in the league this year. He doesn’t provide much against the pass, but is able to occupy blockers and hold at the point of attack. If the Niners can’t reach a deal with Franklin, they’re expected to use the franchise tag on him.
Casey Hampton, Pittsburgh Steelers (32)
Hampton has played pretty well this season, just outside of an elite level with a contract set to expire at the end of the year. The Steelers are among the top 3 teams in run defense this year and lead the league from a raw yardage standpoint. With a number of teams making the switch to the 3-4 without a proper nose tackle, Hampton’s salary could skyrocket through free agency. Great championship teams like the Steelers won’t overpay for players and that could be the case here. Hampton, earlier this season, hinted toward a move away from Pittsburgh if the money warrants it.
Ryan Pickett, Green Bay Packers (30)
Under Dom Capers, the Packers defense has made a complete transformation into a new unit. The most impressive turnaround comes from the defensive line and the front 7’s ability to stop the run. Pickett has turned around his career in Green Bay and done a fantastic job at NT on run downs, where almost all of his snaps have come. First round pick BJ Raji is seeing most of the snaps in passing situations. He’s one of the under-the-radar tackles in the league. The Packers should look to retain Pickett, but if he ends up costing too much, the Packers already have some coin committed to Raji who has also played remarkably well in shared snaps. Losing Pickett would be a big blow to the depth of the Packers DL.
Tony Brown, Tennessee Titans (29)
While some of the Titans’ defensive line has struggled this season, Tony Brown hasn’t been one of them. Actually, he’s one of the underrated defensive tackles in the league and one of the best pass rushers from the interior. He is a quick, penetrating UT that the Titans are expected to re-sign. After losing Haynesworth last year, losing Tony Brown would be a big blow to the front line.
Other Notable Free Agents:
Kendrick Clancy, New Orleans Saints (32)
Barry Cofield, New York Giants (26)
Jason Ferguson, Miami Dolphins (35)
Kedric Golston, Washington Commanders (27)
Tank Johnson, Cincinnati Bengals (28)
Travis Johnson, San Diego Chargers (28)
Fred Robbins, New York Giants (33)
Clifton Ryan, St. Louis Rams (26)
The most important move to me, is for the cowboys to resign Spears and Hatcher, so we dont have to reach for a defensive linemen. Jerry may go here for a big jump like he did with charles haley, but I dont think he will, just too much money for top defensive linemen, but you may see someone like Hampton signed, if we lose Savaii.
2010 NFL Free Agent Linebackers
By: Roshan Bhagat
Age as of 9/1/10. All free agents listed here are done so with an optimistic outlook that a new CBA will be agreed upon. Accordingly, only four accrued seasons are necessary to obtain an Unrestricted Free Agency status on this list.
Shawne Merriman, San Diego Chargers (26)
With his first two sacks since returning from injury coming in week 8, Merriman doesn’t seem to be exactly the same player he was prior to his injury, which is to be somewhat expected. He lacks the explosiveness he had in the past, but some of that should return after this offseason as it continues to heal. The Chargers defense has been a large liability so it becomes a question whether or not the team wants to even commit that much money to a player who has been pretty unproductive. What the Chargers do with Merriman will be a decision based on the ultimate risk-reward analysis, as well as a decision reflecting which of their many free agents they choose to and are able to retain. Remember that the team also drafted pass rusher Larry English in the first round last year. The best guess is that the Chargers will place a franchise tag on Merriman, so as to not commit a long-term deal, but also not to allow the former All-Pro to just walk away.
Barrett Ruud, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (27)
Locking the young middle linebacker up should be a priority for the Buccaneers and with all the cap room they have, it’s a little surprising they haven’t already gotten it done. Ruud is one of the league’s best pure tacklers and has great instincts. Ruud’s new deal should be in the area of what Bart Scott received the past offseason (6 years, $48 million) from the Jets. He’s the leader of the defense now and will consistently be among league leaders in tackles for the next several years, as he is again this year. The Bucs should and will lock him up at some point in the near future, but it’s just about both sides agreeing on the terms.
Karlos Dansby, Arizona Cardinals (29)
Dansby has played okay for the Cardinals, but isn’t making the number of impact plays we’ve seen out of him even in the past. Quite frankly, the linebackers as a unit have been a big problem for the defense this year. At the top of his game, Dansby is one of the better scheme-diverse linebackers in the league and will likely have a number of teams lined up ready to woo him this offseason. The Cardinals may re-sign him, but after this season, it won’t be quite as big a loss as some would have expected prior to this season.
DeMeco Ryans, Houston Texans (26)
Ryans has been a stalwart for the Texans, displaying consistency from game-to-game and year-to-year. With rookie sensation Brian Cushing next to him, the Texans have the beginnings of a good front 7. Ryans would like a long-term contract with the Texans, and Houston will almost definitely re-sign Ryans to keep intact the foundation of Ryans-Cushing-Williams front 7. If the two sides can’t reach a deal, there’s a chance he would be willing to accept a deal elsewhere.
Kirk Morrison, Oakland Raiders (28)
Morrison has been a fixture for in the Raiders starting lineup for his entire five year career now. Morrison is as sure a tackler as any in the league, amassing 100 for his 5th straight year. He doesn’t make many big plays from MIKE linebacker, but is the most consistent down-to-down player the Raiders have. Of all their priorities this season, Seymour and Morrison should be 1-2 on the list, respectively. If they lose Morrison, the porous run defense will become that much worse.
Thomas Davis, Carolina Panthers (27)
Davis started his career on a sour note at safety, but has since converted to become a superb outside linebacker. Next to Jon Beason, the Panthers have a very nice young corps that they should be able to maintain over the next decade. Prior to his injury, Davis continued his success from last season, giving the Panthers great production out of his position. His presence is most sorely missed in coverage where he had 2 picks and 5 deflected passes before the torn ACL in his right knee. The Panthers should still bring him back for next year, but probably on a shorter contract to make sure Davis hasn’t lost his agility in and out of cuts that made him great in coverage.
D’Qwell Jackson, Cleveland Browns (26)
Even after missing one game, D’Qwell Jackson remained the team leader in tackles and was one of the cornerstones of the Browns defense. He injured his shoulder in a loss to the Steelers, which has forced him to the Injured Reserve and has ruined his contract year. With few pieces to build around, the Browns will chart his recovery and try to re-sign him based on how he’s progressing.
Thomas Howard, Oakland Raiders (27)
Howard’s ability to cover ground has helped him become the coverage backer he is today. Yet year after year, the Raiders finish near the bottom of the pack in run defense. Not to put the blame solely on Howard, but his play definitely reflects his inadequacies in playing through blockers. Howard is a nice blitzer and does a nice job of knifing through blocks to make plays in the backfield, but when he misses, he leaves a big void wide open behind him. Howard doesn’t have the bulk to go head on and stand up guards and that could be a big reason why Oakland pushes him down on their list of priorities.
Other Notable Free Agents:
Bertrand Berry, Arizona Cardinals (35)
Chase Blackburn, New York Giants (27)
Gary Brackett, Indianapolis Colts (30)
Tedy Bruschi, New England Patriots (37)
Keith Bulluck, Tennessee Titans (33)
Danny Clark, New York Giants (33)
Angelo Crowell, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (29)
Keith Ellison, Buffalo Bills (26)
Larry Foote, Detroit Lions (30)
Omar Gaither, Philadelphia Eagles (26)
Chris Gocong, Philadelphia Eagles (26)
Clint Ingram, Jacksonville Jaguars (27)
Rashad Jeanty, Cincinnati Bengals (27)
Derrick Johnson, Kansas City Chiefs (27)
Cato June, Houston Texans (30)
Rocky McIntosh, Washington Commanders (27)
Matt Roth, Miami Dolphins (27)
Scott Fujita, New Orleans Saints (31)
Jason Taylor, Miami Dolphins (36)
Zach Thomas, Kansas City Chiefs (37)
Pisa Tinoisamoa, Chicago Bears (29)
Stephen Tulloch, Tennessee Titans (25)
Mike Vrabel, Kansas City Chiefs (35)
Merrimann, is one player that intrigues me, I dont think we will make that move for him, but thing to think about is this; the chargers have 4 count them 4 key players to resign. Sproles, McNeil, Merriman, and LT. Something has to give, other thing to think about, what did Wade Phillips do last year, he signed 2 of his former players, Igor and Brooking.
Now lets look at DBs, this is the other position that interests me, mainly due to one thing. Newman is getting older and maybe slowing down. While at the same time, he is getting knicked up and injured some, which has cost us some games, along with Newman letting a San Diego Chargers WR run right by him in the game that we lost, and Newman was the person that tried to get Jenkins to lateral to him, while in the cowboys vikings game, Sidney Rice go right by Newman, while Newman just stood there. An all pro cb with that much experience shouldnt allow that. Next, I am not sure if any of you are aware of it or not, but when Rice blew by Newman, over on the other side if you look at film, Berriman blew by Jenkins who barely got a chuck on him and Berriamn then blew by Ken Hamlin for an easy 10 yards downfield, with Berrimann being wide open a good 7 to 10 yards behind K Hamlin.
I think this team needs a ball hawking safety that can cover deep or maybe put newman on the slot wr and see if scandrick can man the other corner. But we all know how ken hamlin didnt earn his money this year like Roy Williams.
2010 NFL Free Agent Defensive Backs
By: Roshan Bhagat
Top Cornerbacks:
Age as of 9/1/10. All free agents listed here are done so with an optimistic outlook that a new CBA will be agreed upon. Accordingly, only four accrued seasons are necessary to obtain an Unrestricted Free Agency status on this list.
Carlos Rogers, Washington Commanders (29)
Though he’s had a couple poor games, Rogers has strung together a very nice season this year. He’s been targeted only 47 times this year and has had several shutdown games. Rogers is a good cover corner and in the league’s top 10. He does a nice job of contesting passes and is rarely caught completely out of position. With Brian Orakpo and the pass rush heating up in recent weeks, Rogers has the ability to make some gambles and collect his first pick of the season. Rogers doesn’t force turnovers or come up strong in run support, but he will be the best corner to become a free agent this year if Washington doesn’t throw some top-end coin in his direction.
Rogers interests me, and we would be stealing him from the skins, only thing i would do is ask jay ratliff about rogers, since both came from the same college.
Dunta Robinson, Houston Texans (28)
After holding out for nearly the entire offseason, Dunta Robinson stepped in and played pretty poorly, allowing a number of intermediate catches against him. Over the last few weeks, Robinson has stepped up his play and limited the damage. With an entire offseason of workouts, Robinson can return to form and be one of the better corners in the league, but it’ll be interesting to see how the situation plays out next offseason after an up and down season this year. The Texans may not be ready to commit top-end money and if Dunta isn’t given it, he may try free agency if Houston doesn’t place the franchise tag on him yet again.
Richard Marshall, Carolina Panthers (25)
Marshall has put up gaudy tackling numbers in his first three seasons, averaging over 80 per season. Starting opposite Chris Gamble, Marshall has actually played very well this season. He hasn’t given up many big plays and come up with a couple picks himself. Marshall loves to get physical and is likely to be rewarded by the Panthers at the end of the season with a long-term deal.
Leigh Bodden, New England Patriots (28)
Bodden has rebounded well from his last year’s poor performance on the Lions. He’s picked off 5 passes on the year and gotten his hands on 16 others. Other than 2 or 3 below average games, Bodden has played at a high enough level to help a thin Patriots secondary. With rookie Darius Butler coming into his own and little else, the Patriots should re-sign Bodden to a multi-year deal to bring some continuity to the unit.
Other Notable Free Agents:
Ralph Brown, Arizona Cardinals (31)
Nick Harper, Tennessee Titans (35)
Walt Harris, San Francisco 49ers (36)
Anthony Henry, Detroit Lions (33)
Ellis Hobbs, Philadelphia Eagles (27)
Roderick Hood, Cleveland Browns (28)
Marlin Jackson, Indianapolis Colts (27)
Tim Jennings, Indianapolis Colts (27)
Ken Lucas, Seattle Seahawks (31)
Karl Paymah, Minnesota Vikings (27)
Stanford Routt, Oakland Raiders (27)
Deshea Townsend, Pittsburgh Steelers (34)
Fabian Washington, Baltimore Ravens (27)
Top Safeties:
Nick Collins, Green Bay Packers (27)
After seeing Collins blossom into one of best safeties last year, earning a Pro Bowl invite, the Packers wanted to see if he would perform at that high level once again. Almost through the regular season, Collins has done just that, playing at a level indicative of his talent and as one of the 5 best safeties in the league. The former second-round selection from Bethune-Cookman plays a very unique game. Collins isn’t always in the exact right position and plays aggressively in coverage, but has elite recovery speed to account for any error in his position. Collins has picked off 6 passes through 13 games and should be paid handsomely by Green Bay this offseason, or even before.
Antoine Bethea, Indianapolis Colts (26)
Antoine Bethea is every bit as talented and important to the Colts’ secondary as the renowned enforcer, Bob Sanders, who’s on the IR this season. Despite earning a Pro Bowl selection in 2007, Bethea is still highly unrecognized. He’s consistently one of the Colts’ leading tacklers as a result of his sound angles and quick closing speed around the line of scrimmage. He is a little susceptible in coverage, but has the ability to play both strong safety and free safety. The Colts will likely choose to re-sign Bethea, if it comes down to him and the injured Marlin Jackson.
Roman Harper, New Orleans Saints (27)
Roman Harper can be compared to Bethea in a number of regards as one of the more underrated safeties in the league. His ability around the line of scrimmage in run support is among the best in the league. Harper leads the Saints in tackles for loss and is only 2 off Vilma’s pace for the league leader in tackles. Both of the Saints’ safeties are set to become free agents this year.
O.J. Atogwe, St. Louis Rams (29)
Atogwe is a four-year starter for the Rams at the backend of their secondary, giving them consistent production. Though his impact plays were down this season, Atogwe was on pace to break his personal best for tackles this season prior to his shoulder injury, which forced him to the IR. After designating him their franchise player, last season, the Rams were unable to get a long-term extension done. Coming off injury, the Rams will be cautious, but also realize Atogwe is one of the better players on the team
Other Notable Free Agents:
Will Allen, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (28)
Atari Bigby, Green Bay Packers (28)
Tyvon Branch, Oakland Raiders (23)
C.C. Brown, New York Giants (27)
Daniel Bullocks, Detroit Lions (27)
Josh Bullocks, Chicago Bears (27)
Ryan Clark, Pittsburgh Steelers (30)
Hiram Eugene, Oakland Raiders (29)
Sean Jones, Philadelphia Eagles (28)
Dawan Landry, Baltimore Ravens (27)
Danieal Manning, Chicago Bears (28)
Jarrad Page, Kansas City Chiefs (26)
Brodney Pool, Cleveland Browns (26)
Mark Roman, San Francisco 49ers (33)
Gerald Sensabaugh, Dallas Cowboys (27)
Roy Williams, Cincinnati Bengals (30)
Now, if we can pick up one of these players, without having to draft one, and this player has the impact that Keith Brooking had, but on the offense, then lookout. Thats what I think this team needs, another key veteran like Brooking that will fire up our offense some and put some fire into them.
Now, lets look at some key positions that our overlooked.
1. Fullback; I know we have deon anderson, but how many times has anderson been hurt and when we needed him, he couldnt play, and in actuality we lost a game due to his not being able to play. To my memory too many times. If we can get a bruising fullback in the draft, say from 3rd to 5th round, go for it. I think this team is missing that idenity. Remember how in 2007, Barber would run over people and he fired up the team, we are missing that to a degree. I think a big bruising fullback like another Moose would help this team. I know we have Witten, Bennett and Phillips, and they are all good players, especially on blocking, but i think we are missing to some degree the hard hitting style of a Moose or the way barber was running over people in 2007. Having that again, I think would fire up our offense again like keith brooking does on defense.
2. Most overlooked position to some degree. Kickoff returner and punt returner. Lets first start with crayton. Remember, it wasnt till crayton was fumbling on punt returns and some fumbles in some games and wade demoted Crayton. Then, we got Rossum who gave Crayton some tips, and crayton rededicated himself. Then we saw improved play on punt returns, but nothing super game breaking on punts to a degree like a desean jackson, etc.
Now, lets look at our kickoff returns, have you seen the way ogletree and felix jones have hestitated and tip toed on kickoff returns? We need a punt and kickoff special teams impact player and there are some in the draft this year. Just look at what joshua cribbs and what the bears wr devin hester have done. Heck the bears even drafted another player that is dynamic on punt returns nad kickoffs too.
3. Like I mentioned above, we need to draft a OT or OG high in the draft, we need a young stud on our offensive line that opposing teams fear like when the cowboys had larry allen or erik williams. Even Nate Newton said this team needs a young stud on the offensive line that opposing teams fear. And when you need to get that 3rd and one, you can.
4. Again, I dont think the cowboys will draft a wr high in the draft, because of roy williams and having to sign miles austin to a big contract too, but you never know with jerry jones. I did hear also that the cowboys the past 2 weeks have looked at 2 key offensive tackles in the draft, and at Dez Bryant.
5. Again, I think we are ok at defensive back, but newmans breakdowns in big games and ken hamlin not playing up to par scares me.
6. And a kicker finally, we lost 2 key games last year, and if we had gotten a decent kicker when folk missed one in the denver or first giants game, we might have played that game against the vikes in cowboys stadium. Even when walking out of the tunnel after the game, wade turned to mickey spagnola and said, you know its our own fault for having to play here, if we had one of of those other games, we would be playing in our own stadium.
So, if we can fill one of our key needs through a top free agent signing, like when we got deion sanders or traded for charles haley and thomas everett, then we can focus in this years draft on qualty impact players not quanity like we did last year. Yeah, remember even some of you told me that i was all wet when in my mock drafts i put the cowboys down in drafting 11 to 13 players in the draft. Some of you, hehe, said no way and i was wet and nuts. Well, you saw what happened, we drafted 12 players didnt we? Then this team can get back onto the winning track in the playoffs and be a dominate team.
Whether its possible or not to fill our needs through the draft or free agency, or trades, I will attempt to do so below.
So, first lets look at top free agents for this year that jerry jones might be able to go get to help us;
I didnt list QBs because we dont need any with kitna resigning a contract.
Running backs, we might need one, if we trade Barber; Sproles would be dymanic as a punt and kickoff returner and 3rd down back, but I doubt that the chargers would let him go, and if they did he would probably cost to much. But even wade said during the draft when the chargers drafted sproles he told the chargers coaching staff this is one impact player and you need to draft him.
Darren Sproles, San Diego Chargers (27)
It’s very difficult to measure the importance of Darren Sproles because his greatest value isn’t as a traditional runner. With Tomlinson also struggling to get the running game moving, Sproles’ lack of success pounding the ball can be partially attributed to a below average run blocking unit. Still, Sproles is best when put on a touch count and given most of his work on screens and the return game. He won’t make $6.6 million a year, like he’s making on his franchise tender, but will get a good mid-level contract rewarding him for his explosiveness and unique contributions. Sproles is one of the league’s best back-up or change-of-pace backs. As an unrestricted free agent, I have the hunch that other teams will overpay for his services, while the Chargers will rely on their history of drafting successful running backs to keep the running game alive. It could be fullback Mike Tolbert who sees his share of touches increase.
LenDale White, Tennessee Titans (25)
With the explosion of Chris Johnson as the league’s best running back this season, White has seen his carries scaled back big time. Over the last 5 games, White has been given a total of 11 carries, less than his average per game last year. According to the Nashville Tennessean, White has gone on the record saying, “I don’t want to sit here and play backup to nobody. I refuse. I don’t want to.” This is a good sign that White is as good as gone next year, putting a decent goal line, power back on the market. It’s his attitude and questionable work ethic that potential suitors will have to explore.
Leon Washington, New York Jets (28)
It’s always unfortunate to see any player get injured, but it’s all the more painful to see them go down on a contract year. The broken leg should heal in a couple months, but it will most likely eat into what could have been a big payday. Washington is similar to Sproles, but a better pure runner. Washington has the speed to turn the corner and be the great complementary back. He has added value as a kick returner where he’s among the NFL’s most feared. This summer, he turned down a number of contract offers in hopes of a huge payday in free agency, so we’ll see if he drops his asking price. If his asking price remains high, he would also risk playing for just a Restricted Free Agent contract if a new CBA isn’t reached.
Jerious Norwood, Atlanta Falcons (27)
Norwood has been largely unproductive this season thanks to injuries, but returned to the field in Week 12. With Michael Turner also battling some injuries, Norwood should get the opportunity to display his talents despite a productive Jason Snelling also pleading his case. Norwood can’t be counted on as an every down back, but will sign a contract indicative of his role as it’s been in Atlanta. He’s a back-up with plenty speed to put a scare into defenses.
Other Notable Free Agents:
Kenneth Darby, St. Louis Rams (27)
Jerome Harrison, Cleveland Browns (27)
Adrian Peterson, Chicago Bears (31)
Justin Griffith, Seattle Seahawks (30) – Fullback
John Kuhn, Green Bay Packers (27) – Fullback
Tony Richardson, New York Jets (38) – Fullback
Naufahu Tahi, Minnesota Vikings (28) – Fullback
Leonard Weaver, Philadelphia Eagles (27) – Fullback
WRs, I dont think we will sign one due to the acquistion and high price dollar of Roy Williams, but some rumors had cowboys possibly looking at brandon marshall. So, I will throw that in there, but we dont need another knucklehead wr on our team, but I will keep that open, because you never know what is on jerry jones mind.
2010 NFL Free Agent Receivers
By: Roshan Bhagat
Age as of 9/1/10. All free agents listed here are done so with an optimistic outlook that a new CBA will be agreed upon. Accordingly, only four accrued seasons are necessary to obtain an Unrestricted Free Agency status on this list.
Brandon Marshall, Denver Broncos (26)
Even after a sluggish start to the beginning of the season, Marshall has rebounded well and increased his production over the recent weeks to put over 1000 yards and 9 touchdowns on the year with 86 catches. 200 yards and 2 touchdowns came on his record-setting 21 catches against the Colts in Week 14. Marshall has proven that no matter whose throwing him the ball, he’s one of the premier possession wideouts in the league. If he can maintain a good work ethic and stay clean off the field, Marshall has everything going for him. Because of some of those off the field issues, it’ll be interesting to see how much he actually makes because the Broncos don’t seem to be ready to cut him loose.
Vincent Jackson, San Diego Chargers (27)
After getting off to a sizzling start, Jackson had cooled off over a 4 week stretch (Week 10 through 13), totaling only 9 receptions for less than 150 yards and no touchdowns. Jackson redeveloped that deadly connection with Philip Rivers beating the Cowboys for 120 yards on 17 yards per catch. Jackson still has the size advantage to stretch the field vertically and become one of the premier wideouts in the league. His ability to out-jump and out-muscle defenders on high passes makes him a real red zone and deep ball threat. Jackson will see a big raise from his mid-round rookie contract, but if he can produce at an elite level again down the stretch and in the playoffs, like he did against the Cowboys, he can still attach a couple more million to his next contract. The Chargers do have a number of key contracts expiring at season’s end and could really use the relief of an uncapped year to retain all or most of them. With the chemistry he and Rivers have developed, Jackson should be at the top of the Chargers’ priority and it would be shocking to see him become an unrestricted free agent.
Miles Austin, Dallas Cowboys (26)
WE resign him!
Braylon Edwards, New York Jets(27)
Edwards’ size brings a unique skill set to the Jets’ receiving corps opposite Jericho Cotchery, but has struggled with concentration and dropping balls as he did in Cleveland. The Jets gave up a considerable amount to land Braylon Edwards so it would be startling if they didn’t extend his stay in New York. Edwards has a winning combination working for him in New York with a promising young quarterback delivering him balls, a charismatic coach, and a team dedicated to winning ball games right now. If Edwards continues posting pedestrian numbers, the Jets will most likely look toward a more incentive-based deal.
Malcom Floyd, San Chargers (28)
Over the recent weeks, Malcom Floyd has been given more responsibilities, starting 6 of the last 7 games, in the Chargers offense and this lengthy, 6’5”, 225-pound receiver has delivered for the Chargers. Similar to Vincent Jackson, Floyd does a great job getting vertical down the sidelines to make grabs in single coverage. He uses his height and balance to come down with the ball more often than not. Floyd will be a full-time starting number two receiver next year either in San Diego or elsewhere.
Kevin Walter, Houston Texans (29)
Walter hasn’t been nearly as effective as last year, coming off an injury early in the year. For the Texans offense that hasn’t been short of scoring this year, it could be a good thing for the team. Keeping Walter under the radar could help them hang on to him at season’s end for a less competitive price. His size and style of play suggests that he should be a solid complementary receiver for a long time in the league.
Other Notable Free Agents:
Jason Avant, Philadelphia Eagles (27)
Mark Bradley, Kansas City Chiefs (28)
Isaac Bruce, San Francisco 49ers (37)
Chris Chambers, Kansas City Chiefs (32)
Mark Clayton, Baltimore Ravens (28)
David Clowney, New York Jets (25)
Ronald Curry, St. Louis Rams (31)
Domenik Hixon, New York Diego Giants (25)
Lance Moore, New Orleans Saints (27)
Josh Reed, Buffalo Bills (30)
Brad Smith, New York Jets (26)
Bobby Wade, Kansas City Chiefs (29)
Kelley Washington, Baltimore Ravens (31)
Demetrius Williams, Baltimore Ravens (27)
Troy Williamson, Jacksonville Jaguars (27)
Jerheme Urban, Arizona Cardinals (29)
Now, we all know we need a top OT or top OG, so lets look at those positions as my first prediction of what position Jerry might sign a player;
2010 NFL Free Agent Offensive Linemen
By: Roshan Bhagat
Age as of 9/1/10. All free agents listed here are done so with an optimistic outlook that a new CBA will be agreed upon. Accordingly, only four accrued seasons are necessary to obtain an Unrestricted Free Agency status on this list.
Jahri Evans, New Orleans Saints (27)
Jahri Evans is continuing to grade out as the team’s best run-blocking linemen week after week. The Saints have done a nice job of efficiently running the ball through the middle and on the right side of the line. His continual high level of play and positive, team-first attitude should translate to a high-end offensive guard contract at year’s end. Expect the Saints, who have nothing but positive things to say towards Evans, to richly reward him for his hard work and production.
Logan Mankins, New England Patriots (28)
Logan Mankins has been a very consistent player for the Patriots since he was drafted, starting all 77 games. That type of consistency is difficult to match, but with free agency inflating the value of offensive guards, the Patriots may end up letting him walk if the price isn’t right. They drafted a couple interior linemen last year and have to use some of their free money to re-sign other players. From what Mankins has said, he wants to stay on this winning franchise, but he could be one of the top players available next offseason.
Marcus McNeill, San Diego Chargers (26)
McNeill isn’t playing at an elite level this year, but is still an above average left tackle. He’s one of the “bigger” names at the left tackle position thanks to his spectacular and deservedly-hyped rookie season. McNeill has also been undercompensated the last few years playing on his rookie contract as a 2nd round pick, which may incline him to ask for more money than he “deserves.” Any of the Chargers could feasibly be had this offseason and McNeill is no different, but with some of the offensive line woes of the Chargers, McNeill may be one of their top priorities. His long-term neck and back problems could be in the back of the team’s mind as well.
Willie Colon, Pittsburgh Steelers (27)
After catching a lot of heat after last season’s wildly inconsistent performance, Willie Colon has done a fine job at right tackle for the Steelers. He’s done a nice job keeping Roethlisberger clean and turned in one of the better seasons for a right tackle in pass protections this year. Though Colon hasn’t been able to blow people off the snap in run-blocking, he’s done an average job for a line that has done a nice job allowing Mendenhall to become a good, young runner.
Donald Penn, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (27)
Penn is one of the more underrated left tackles in football today and will be one of many talented offensive linemen set to become unrestricted free agents this year. While Penn hasn’t had his best season this year, he has proven in the pass to be one of truly balanced left tackles. Penn has done a nice job in the past of keeping the blindside clean of pressure and the Buccaneers have done a nice job this year running over left tackle. The Buccaneers should try to re-sign him quickly because a young left tackle on the market may see some high-end coin.
Daryn Colledge, Green Bay Packers (28)
Colledge is no longer viewed as the solution at left tackle in Green Bay. Mid-round TJ Lang has taken over the back-up position there. That alone is enough to make his value take a significant plunge. Colledge was even “put on notice” and warned about his subpar level of play, but has since picked it up a notch, as has the entire O-Line. His value outside of Green Bay may not be as high as it is within the organization because of a poor performance in the team’s biggest stage to date – Monday Night in Minnesota. Still, he’s an average starting offensive guard and a good pass protector in the interior. Colledge’s value will most likely be highest to the Packers because he’s a great fit for what they do and they know his true value.
Other Notable Free Agents:
Eugene Amano, Tennessee Titans (28)
David Baas, San Francisco 49ers (28)
Khalif Barnes, Oakland Raiders (28)
Alex Barron, St. Louis Rams (27)
Mike Brisiel, Houston Texans (27)
Nick Cole, Philadelphia Eagles (26)
Ryan Cook, Minnesota Vikings (27)
Tyson Clabo, Atlanta Falcons (29)
Harvey Dahl, Atlanta Falcons (29)
Mike Gandy, Arizona Cardinals (31)
Cornell Green, Oakland Raiders (34)
Rex Hadnot, Cleveland Browns (28)
Ben Hamilton, Denver Broncos (33)
Justin Hartwig, Pittsburgh Steelers (31)
Richie Incognito, St. Louis Rams (27)
Jon Jansen, Washington Commanders (34)
Charlie Johnson, Indianapolis Colts (26)
Nick Kaczur, New England Patriots (31)
Chris Kuper, Denver Broncos (27)
Deuce Lutui, Arizona Cardinals (27)
Stephen Neal, New England Patriots (33)
Rudy Niswanger, Kansas City Chiefs (27)
Chester Pitts, Houston Texans (31)
Rob Sims, Seattle Seahawks (26)
Chris Spencer, Seattle Seahawks (28)
Jason Spitz, Green Bay Packers (27)
Adam Terry, Baltimore Ravens (28)
Jeremy Trueblood, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (27)
Bobbie Williams, Cincinnati Bengals (33)
Marshal Yanda, Baltimore Ravens (25)
The 3 players here that interest me are McNeil, (but he has neck & back problems), Penn and Makins. You might see a move there to help improve our offensive line for depth and possibly find a player to help push Kosier, Adams or Columbo. Granted we have Doug Free and I have high hopes for him. Doug has to get stronger in the weight room though, thats imperative. And reports were on Robert Brewster our offensive linemen that the Cowboys really liked what they saw of him in OTAs.
Now lets look at another key area that has been some of our downfall this year with the field goal kicking.
2010 NFL Free Agent Kickers and Punters
By: Roshan Bhagat
Neil Rackers, Arizona Cardinals (34)
Rackers has played well so far, though hasn’t been called on to kick many field goals. His only miss in 16 attempts came from 48 yards out. Though he has yet to attempt a field goal from outside 50 yards, he’s connecting on over 90%. With some teams struggling to find good kickers this year, the Cardinals will probably re-sign Rackers who has been pretty consistent inside 50 yards. He’s still among the league’s best kicker and has plenty of range for kickoffs.
Stephen Gostkowski, New England Patriots (26)
Gostkowski has had a pretty average season, booting at 81% success rate, but has been mediocre for his career between 40 and 49 yards. He has done a nice job on kickoffs though, ranking in the top 5 in touchbacks. The Patriots will try to extend him, but if the asking price becomes too much for them, they should have no problem finding another kicker of his caliber.
Shayne Graham, Cincinnati Bengals (32)
After struggling early in the year, missing 3 kicks and an extra point through 7 games, the Bengals canned long-time long snapper Brad St. Louis. Since then, he’s missed only 2 kicks including 1 a 51-yarder at Heinz Field, a place known for its impossibility in connecting on long distance attempts. Graham is still one of the most consistent kickers in the league.
Other Notable Free Agents:
Jay Feely, New York Jets (34)
Garrett Hartley, New Orleans Saints (24)
Sebastian Janikowski, Oakland Raiders (32)
Jeff Reed, Pittsburgh Steelers (31)
Shaun Suisham, Dallas Cowboys (28)
Only 2 kickers interest me, so in reality I think that the cowboys should resign Folk and I think that he wants to come back to Dallas too. Maybe we can sign a former kicker like Morton Anderson or our former kicker coach A.... something, cant recall his name right now, but he always found kickers for us when he was coaching with Jimmy Johnson.
2010 NFL Free Agent Defensive Linemen
By: Roshan Bhagat
Top Defensive Ends:
Age as of 9/1/10. All free agents listed here are done so with an optimistic outlook that a new CBA will be agreed upon. Accordingly, only four accrued seasons are necessary to obtain an Unrestricted Free Agency status on this list.
Julius Peppers, Carolina Panthers (30)
Playing on a franchise tender, an enormous one-year contract, Peppers has played at a high level. With 8.5 sacks on the season, Peppers can reach double-digit sacks for the 6th time in his career. The offseason will be interesting because Peppers no longer carries the reputation for being the league’s most fear end, primarily because he’s fairly inconsistent and fairly one-dimension in comparison to say, Jared Allen. Last year vocalized his desires to stand up in a 34 defense. This year, we’ll see how the Panthers handle his expiring contract. My bet is on a tag and trade, though Carolina could also end up paying him in excess of $20 million, due to a 120% raise required to apply the franchise tag on Peppers again this offseason. He’s on the wrong side of 30 and should receive less than half that amount per year if he signs a long-term extension.
Elvis Dumervil, Denver Broncos (26)
Dumervil has become one of the league’s best pass rushers and a potential candidate for Defensive Player of the Year. He leads the league with 15 sacks, with 11 coming on 3rd down. He excels in using his long arms and hands to keep defenders off his body, despite his unconventional proportions. The Broncos will find a way to retain their most prized asset on defense, probably by throwing high-end outside linebacker coin in his direction. Dumervil has already exceeded 40 sacks and is one forced fumble away from 10 in his short 4-year career. Playing a position of great need in any good 3-4 defense, Dumervil will sit with a lot of leverage if a CBA is agreed upon and he is able to become an unrestricted free agent.
Johnny Jolly, Green Bay Packers (27)
Like Ryan Pickett, Johnny Jolly has very quietly put together a great season at defensive end for Green Bay’s front line under Capers’ scheme. Jolly has been very active up front playing contain and peeling off blocks to make plays himself near the line of scrimmage. Keep in mind that the Packers have a number of starters with expiring contracts this offseason, so Jolly could be one of the guys left out. He excels against the run, but doesn’t give much in the form of a pass rush. He’s played his best ball at defensive end in the 34, but has the size and ability to play some reps at nose tackle.
Aaron Kampman, Green Bay Packers (30)
Kampman’s struggles to OLB were blown out of proportion. Through 9 games, he did a fairly decent job considering he had been given a role unfamiliar to him. The former Pro Bowler suffered a knee injury in Week 11 against San Francisco requiring surgery and was placed on the IR a couple weeks later. 7th round rookie Brad Jones has done an ample job as his replacement, playing the position with remarkable awareness and immeasurably better athleticism. The Packers will likely allow Kampman to enter free agency and move back to his more comfortable position at defensive end. Sadly, Kampman is coming off a knee injury and is at an age where defensive ends start to lose their edge off the snap.
Ray Edwards, Minnesota Vikings (25)
Jared Allen and the two Williams men up front have paved way for left end Ray Edwards to emerge this season. According to the stats, teams have actually had more difficult running over his side than at Jared Allen. Edwards also has 6.5 sacks. The Vikings should keep try to keep the league’s best pass rush in tact by re-signing the former Purdue standout. Edwards is a complete defensive end who will have a number of interested team should the Vikings be unable to keep him.
Marcus Spears, Dallas Cowboys (27)
We need to resign him so we dont have to reach for a defensive linemen in draft.
Kyle Vanden Bosch, Tennessee Titans (31)
Vanden Bosch has started all 13 games for the Titans at defensive end, but has struggled to get to the quarterback, recording only 3 sacks on the year. He no longer carries the reputation at a feared pass rusher off the edge and has always been average against the run. He’s at a point where he’d benefit from situational play to try and boost production when he’s actually in the game. The Titans do seem interested in keeping him in Tennessee, for what it’s worth.
Other Notable Free Agents:
Mark Anderson, Chicago Bears (27)
Derrick Burgess, New England Patriots (32)
Phillip Daniels, Washington Commanders (37)
Ryan Denney, Buffalo Bills (33)
Jarvis Green, New England Patriots (31)
James Hall, St. Louis Rams (33)
Reggie Hayward, Jacksonville Jaguars (31)
Jevon Kearse, Tennessee Titans (33)
Travis Kirschke, Pittsburgh Steelers (35)
Anthony Montgomery, Washington Commanders (26)
Chike Okeafor, Arizona Cardinals (34)
Darryl Tapp, Seattle Seahawks (25)
Top Defensive Tackles:
Vince Wilfork, New England Patriots (28)
The Patriots acknowledged being unable to keep both of their elite defensive linemen by trading away Richard Seymour, freeing up enough money to retain Vince Wilfork. Wilfork is one of the league’s premier nose tackles and one of the cornerstones for the Patriots’ defense. Once the season ends, the Patriots should start immediately trying to get him under contract so not to give him an option to walk. If he hits free agency, there are a number of teams that will heavily court Wilfork at a premium position.
Richard Seymour, Oakland Raiders (30)
Al Davis wont let him go!
Aubrayo Franklin, San Francisco 49ers (30)
Franklin has emerged as one of the elite nose tackles this year, helping the 49ers to fielding one of the best run defenses in the league this year. He doesn’t provide much against the pass, but is able to occupy blockers and hold at the point of attack. If the Niners can’t reach a deal with Franklin, they’re expected to use the franchise tag on him.
Casey Hampton, Pittsburgh Steelers (32)
Hampton has played pretty well this season, just outside of an elite level with a contract set to expire at the end of the year. The Steelers are among the top 3 teams in run defense this year and lead the league from a raw yardage standpoint. With a number of teams making the switch to the 3-4 without a proper nose tackle, Hampton’s salary could skyrocket through free agency. Great championship teams like the Steelers won’t overpay for players and that could be the case here. Hampton, earlier this season, hinted toward a move away from Pittsburgh if the money warrants it.
Ryan Pickett, Green Bay Packers (30)
Under Dom Capers, the Packers defense has made a complete transformation into a new unit. The most impressive turnaround comes from the defensive line and the front 7’s ability to stop the run. Pickett has turned around his career in Green Bay and done a fantastic job at NT on run downs, where almost all of his snaps have come. First round pick BJ Raji is seeing most of the snaps in passing situations. He’s one of the under-the-radar tackles in the league. The Packers should look to retain Pickett, but if he ends up costing too much, the Packers already have some coin committed to Raji who has also played remarkably well in shared snaps. Losing Pickett would be a big blow to the depth of the Packers DL.
Tony Brown, Tennessee Titans (29)
While some of the Titans’ defensive line has struggled this season, Tony Brown hasn’t been one of them. Actually, he’s one of the underrated defensive tackles in the league and one of the best pass rushers from the interior. He is a quick, penetrating UT that the Titans are expected to re-sign. After losing Haynesworth last year, losing Tony Brown would be a big blow to the front line.
Other Notable Free Agents:
Kendrick Clancy, New Orleans Saints (32)
Barry Cofield, New York Giants (26)
Jason Ferguson, Miami Dolphins (35)
Kedric Golston, Washington Commanders (27)
Tank Johnson, Cincinnati Bengals (28)
Travis Johnson, San Diego Chargers (28)
Fred Robbins, New York Giants (33)
Clifton Ryan, St. Louis Rams (26)
The most important move to me, is for the cowboys to resign Spears and Hatcher, so we dont have to reach for a defensive linemen. Jerry may go here for a big jump like he did with charles haley, but I dont think he will, just too much money for top defensive linemen, but you may see someone like Hampton signed, if we lose Savaii.
2010 NFL Free Agent Linebackers
By: Roshan Bhagat
Age as of 9/1/10. All free agents listed here are done so with an optimistic outlook that a new CBA will be agreed upon. Accordingly, only four accrued seasons are necessary to obtain an Unrestricted Free Agency status on this list.
Shawne Merriman, San Diego Chargers (26)
With his first two sacks since returning from injury coming in week 8, Merriman doesn’t seem to be exactly the same player he was prior to his injury, which is to be somewhat expected. He lacks the explosiveness he had in the past, but some of that should return after this offseason as it continues to heal. The Chargers defense has been a large liability so it becomes a question whether or not the team wants to even commit that much money to a player who has been pretty unproductive. What the Chargers do with Merriman will be a decision based on the ultimate risk-reward analysis, as well as a decision reflecting which of their many free agents they choose to and are able to retain. Remember that the team also drafted pass rusher Larry English in the first round last year. The best guess is that the Chargers will place a franchise tag on Merriman, so as to not commit a long-term deal, but also not to allow the former All-Pro to just walk away.
Barrett Ruud, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (27)
Locking the young middle linebacker up should be a priority for the Buccaneers and with all the cap room they have, it’s a little surprising they haven’t already gotten it done. Ruud is one of the league’s best pure tacklers and has great instincts. Ruud’s new deal should be in the area of what Bart Scott received the past offseason (6 years, $48 million) from the Jets. He’s the leader of the defense now and will consistently be among league leaders in tackles for the next several years, as he is again this year. The Bucs should and will lock him up at some point in the near future, but it’s just about both sides agreeing on the terms.
Karlos Dansby, Arizona Cardinals (29)
Dansby has played okay for the Cardinals, but isn’t making the number of impact plays we’ve seen out of him even in the past. Quite frankly, the linebackers as a unit have been a big problem for the defense this year. At the top of his game, Dansby is one of the better scheme-diverse linebackers in the league and will likely have a number of teams lined up ready to woo him this offseason. The Cardinals may re-sign him, but after this season, it won’t be quite as big a loss as some would have expected prior to this season.
DeMeco Ryans, Houston Texans (26)
Ryans has been a stalwart for the Texans, displaying consistency from game-to-game and year-to-year. With rookie sensation Brian Cushing next to him, the Texans have the beginnings of a good front 7. Ryans would like a long-term contract with the Texans, and Houston will almost definitely re-sign Ryans to keep intact the foundation of Ryans-Cushing-Williams front 7. If the two sides can’t reach a deal, there’s a chance he would be willing to accept a deal elsewhere.
Kirk Morrison, Oakland Raiders (28)
Morrison has been a fixture for in the Raiders starting lineup for his entire five year career now. Morrison is as sure a tackler as any in the league, amassing 100 for his 5th straight year. He doesn’t make many big plays from MIKE linebacker, but is the most consistent down-to-down player the Raiders have. Of all their priorities this season, Seymour and Morrison should be 1-2 on the list, respectively. If they lose Morrison, the porous run defense will become that much worse.
Thomas Davis, Carolina Panthers (27)
Davis started his career on a sour note at safety, but has since converted to become a superb outside linebacker. Next to Jon Beason, the Panthers have a very nice young corps that they should be able to maintain over the next decade. Prior to his injury, Davis continued his success from last season, giving the Panthers great production out of his position. His presence is most sorely missed in coverage where he had 2 picks and 5 deflected passes before the torn ACL in his right knee. The Panthers should still bring him back for next year, but probably on a shorter contract to make sure Davis hasn’t lost his agility in and out of cuts that made him great in coverage.
D’Qwell Jackson, Cleveland Browns (26)
Even after missing one game, D’Qwell Jackson remained the team leader in tackles and was one of the cornerstones of the Browns defense. He injured his shoulder in a loss to the Steelers, which has forced him to the Injured Reserve and has ruined his contract year. With few pieces to build around, the Browns will chart his recovery and try to re-sign him based on how he’s progressing.
Thomas Howard, Oakland Raiders (27)
Howard’s ability to cover ground has helped him become the coverage backer he is today. Yet year after year, the Raiders finish near the bottom of the pack in run defense. Not to put the blame solely on Howard, but his play definitely reflects his inadequacies in playing through blockers. Howard is a nice blitzer and does a nice job of knifing through blocks to make plays in the backfield, but when he misses, he leaves a big void wide open behind him. Howard doesn’t have the bulk to go head on and stand up guards and that could be a big reason why Oakland pushes him down on their list of priorities.
Other Notable Free Agents:
Bertrand Berry, Arizona Cardinals (35)
Chase Blackburn, New York Giants (27)
Gary Brackett, Indianapolis Colts (30)
Tedy Bruschi, New England Patriots (37)
Keith Bulluck, Tennessee Titans (33)
Danny Clark, New York Giants (33)
Angelo Crowell, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (29)
Keith Ellison, Buffalo Bills (26)
Larry Foote, Detroit Lions (30)
Omar Gaither, Philadelphia Eagles (26)
Chris Gocong, Philadelphia Eagles (26)
Clint Ingram, Jacksonville Jaguars (27)
Rashad Jeanty, Cincinnati Bengals (27)
Derrick Johnson, Kansas City Chiefs (27)
Cato June, Houston Texans (30)
Rocky McIntosh, Washington Commanders (27)
Matt Roth, Miami Dolphins (27)
Scott Fujita, New Orleans Saints (31)
Jason Taylor, Miami Dolphins (36)
Zach Thomas, Kansas City Chiefs (37)
Pisa Tinoisamoa, Chicago Bears (29)
Stephen Tulloch, Tennessee Titans (25)
Mike Vrabel, Kansas City Chiefs (35)
Merrimann, is one player that intrigues me, I dont think we will make that move for him, but thing to think about is this; the chargers have 4 count them 4 key players to resign. Sproles, McNeil, Merriman, and LT. Something has to give, other thing to think about, what did Wade Phillips do last year, he signed 2 of his former players, Igor and Brooking.
Now lets look at DBs, this is the other position that interests me, mainly due to one thing. Newman is getting older and maybe slowing down. While at the same time, he is getting knicked up and injured some, which has cost us some games, along with Newman letting a San Diego Chargers WR run right by him in the game that we lost, and Newman was the person that tried to get Jenkins to lateral to him, while in the cowboys vikings game, Sidney Rice go right by Newman, while Newman just stood there. An all pro cb with that much experience shouldnt allow that. Next, I am not sure if any of you are aware of it or not, but when Rice blew by Newman, over on the other side if you look at film, Berriman blew by Jenkins who barely got a chuck on him and Berriamn then blew by Ken Hamlin for an easy 10 yards downfield, with Berrimann being wide open a good 7 to 10 yards behind K Hamlin.
I think this team needs a ball hawking safety that can cover deep or maybe put newman on the slot wr and see if scandrick can man the other corner. But we all know how ken hamlin didnt earn his money this year like Roy Williams.
2010 NFL Free Agent Defensive Backs
By: Roshan Bhagat
Top Cornerbacks:
Age as of 9/1/10. All free agents listed here are done so with an optimistic outlook that a new CBA will be agreed upon. Accordingly, only four accrued seasons are necessary to obtain an Unrestricted Free Agency status on this list.
Carlos Rogers, Washington Commanders (29)
Though he’s had a couple poor games, Rogers has strung together a very nice season this year. He’s been targeted only 47 times this year and has had several shutdown games. Rogers is a good cover corner and in the league’s top 10. He does a nice job of contesting passes and is rarely caught completely out of position. With Brian Orakpo and the pass rush heating up in recent weeks, Rogers has the ability to make some gambles and collect his first pick of the season. Rogers doesn’t force turnovers or come up strong in run support, but he will be the best corner to become a free agent this year if Washington doesn’t throw some top-end coin in his direction.
Rogers interests me, and we would be stealing him from the skins, only thing i would do is ask jay ratliff about rogers, since both came from the same college.
Dunta Robinson, Houston Texans (28)
After holding out for nearly the entire offseason, Dunta Robinson stepped in and played pretty poorly, allowing a number of intermediate catches against him. Over the last few weeks, Robinson has stepped up his play and limited the damage. With an entire offseason of workouts, Robinson can return to form and be one of the better corners in the league, but it’ll be interesting to see how the situation plays out next offseason after an up and down season this year. The Texans may not be ready to commit top-end money and if Dunta isn’t given it, he may try free agency if Houston doesn’t place the franchise tag on him yet again.
Richard Marshall, Carolina Panthers (25)
Marshall has put up gaudy tackling numbers in his first three seasons, averaging over 80 per season. Starting opposite Chris Gamble, Marshall has actually played very well this season. He hasn’t given up many big plays and come up with a couple picks himself. Marshall loves to get physical and is likely to be rewarded by the Panthers at the end of the season with a long-term deal.
Leigh Bodden, New England Patriots (28)
Bodden has rebounded well from his last year’s poor performance on the Lions. He’s picked off 5 passes on the year and gotten his hands on 16 others. Other than 2 or 3 below average games, Bodden has played at a high enough level to help a thin Patriots secondary. With rookie Darius Butler coming into his own and little else, the Patriots should re-sign Bodden to a multi-year deal to bring some continuity to the unit.
Other Notable Free Agents:
Ralph Brown, Arizona Cardinals (31)
Nick Harper, Tennessee Titans (35)
Walt Harris, San Francisco 49ers (36)
Anthony Henry, Detroit Lions (33)
Ellis Hobbs, Philadelphia Eagles (27)
Roderick Hood, Cleveland Browns (28)
Marlin Jackson, Indianapolis Colts (27)
Tim Jennings, Indianapolis Colts (27)
Ken Lucas, Seattle Seahawks (31)
Karl Paymah, Minnesota Vikings (27)
Stanford Routt, Oakland Raiders (27)
Deshea Townsend, Pittsburgh Steelers (34)
Fabian Washington, Baltimore Ravens (27)
Top Safeties:
Nick Collins, Green Bay Packers (27)
After seeing Collins blossom into one of best safeties last year, earning a Pro Bowl invite, the Packers wanted to see if he would perform at that high level once again. Almost through the regular season, Collins has done just that, playing at a level indicative of his talent and as one of the 5 best safeties in the league. The former second-round selection from Bethune-Cookman plays a very unique game. Collins isn’t always in the exact right position and plays aggressively in coverage, but has elite recovery speed to account for any error in his position. Collins has picked off 6 passes through 13 games and should be paid handsomely by Green Bay this offseason, or even before.
Antoine Bethea, Indianapolis Colts (26)
Antoine Bethea is every bit as talented and important to the Colts’ secondary as the renowned enforcer, Bob Sanders, who’s on the IR this season. Despite earning a Pro Bowl selection in 2007, Bethea is still highly unrecognized. He’s consistently one of the Colts’ leading tacklers as a result of his sound angles and quick closing speed around the line of scrimmage. He is a little susceptible in coverage, but has the ability to play both strong safety and free safety. The Colts will likely choose to re-sign Bethea, if it comes down to him and the injured Marlin Jackson.
Roman Harper, New Orleans Saints (27)
Roman Harper can be compared to Bethea in a number of regards as one of the more underrated safeties in the league. His ability around the line of scrimmage in run support is among the best in the league. Harper leads the Saints in tackles for loss and is only 2 off Vilma’s pace for the league leader in tackles. Both of the Saints’ safeties are set to become free agents this year.
O.J. Atogwe, St. Louis Rams (29)
Atogwe is a four-year starter for the Rams at the backend of their secondary, giving them consistent production. Though his impact plays were down this season, Atogwe was on pace to break his personal best for tackles this season prior to his shoulder injury, which forced him to the IR. After designating him their franchise player, last season, the Rams were unable to get a long-term extension done. Coming off injury, the Rams will be cautious, but also realize Atogwe is one of the better players on the team
Other Notable Free Agents:
Will Allen, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (28)
Atari Bigby, Green Bay Packers (28)
Tyvon Branch, Oakland Raiders (23)
C.C. Brown, New York Giants (27)
Daniel Bullocks, Detroit Lions (27)
Josh Bullocks, Chicago Bears (27)
Ryan Clark, Pittsburgh Steelers (30)
Hiram Eugene, Oakland Raiders (29)
Sean Jones, Philadelphia Eagles (28)
Dawan Landry, Baltimore Ravens (27)
Danieal Manning, Chicago Bears (28)
Jarrad Page, Kansas City Chiefs (26)
Brodney Pool, Cleveland Browns (26)
Mark Roman, San Francisco 49ers (33)
Gerald Sensabaugh, Dallas Cowboys (27)
Roy Williams, Cincinnati Bengals (30)
Now, if we can pick up one of these players, without having to draft one, and this player has the impact that Keith Brooking had, but on the offense, then lookout. Thats what I think this team needs, another key veteran like Brooking that will fire up our offense some and put some fire into them.
Now, lets look at some key positions that our overlooked.
1. Fullback; I know we have deon anderson, but how many times has anderson been hurt and when we needed him, he couldnt play, and in actuality we lost a game due to his not being able to play. To my memory too many times. If we can get a bruising fullback in the draft, say from 3rd to 5th round, go for it. I think this team is missing that idenity. Remember how in 2007, Barber would run over people and he fired up the team, we are missing that to a degree. I think a big bruising fullback like another Moose would help this team. I know we have Witten, Bennett and Phillips, and they are all good players, especially on blocking, but i think we are missing to some degree the hard hitting style of a Moose or the way barber was running over people in 2007. Having that again, I think would fire up our offense again like keith brooking does on defense.
2. Most overlooked position to some degree. Kickoff returner and punt returner. Lets first start with crayton. Remember, it wasnt till crayton was fumbling on punt returns and some fumbles in some games and wade demoted Crayton. Then, we got Rossum who gave Crayton some tips, and crayton rededicated himself. Then we saw improved play on punt returns, but nothing super game breaking on punts to a degree like a desean jackson, etc.
Now, lets look at our kickoff returns, have you seen the way ogletree and felix jones have hestitated and tip toed on kickoff returns? We need a punt and kickoff special teams impact player and there are some in the draft this year. Just look at what joshua cribbs and what the bears wr devin hester have done. Heck the bears even drafted another player that is dynamic on punt returns nad kickoffs too.
3. Like I mentioned above, we need to draft a OT or OG high in the draft, we need a young stud on our offensive line that opposing teams fear like when the cowboys had larry allen or erik williams. Even Nate Newton said this team needs a young stud on the offensive line that opposing teams fear. And when you need to get that 3rd and one, you can.
4. Again, I dont think the cowboys will draft a wr high in the draft, because of roy williams and having to sign miles austin to a big contract too, but you never know with jerry jones. I did hear also that the cowboys the past 2 weeks have looked at 2 key offensive tackles in the draft, and at Dez Bryant.
5. Again, I think we are ok at defensive back, but newmans breakdowns in big games and ken hamlin not playing up to par scares me.
6. And a kicker finally, we lost 2 key games last year, and if we had gotten a decent kicker when folk missed one in the denver or first giants game, we might have played that game against the vikes in cowboys stadium. Even when walking out of the tunnel after the game, wade turned to mickey spagnola and said, you know its our own fault for having to play here, if we had one of of those other games, we would be playing in our own stadium.
So, if we can fill one of our key needs through a top free agent signing, like when we got deion sanders or traded for charles haley and thomas everett, then we can focus in this years draft on qualty impact players not quanity like we did last year. Yeah, remember even some of you told me that i was all wet when in my mock drafts i put the cowboys down in drafting 11 to 13 players in the draft. Some of you, hehe, said no way and i was wet and nuts. Well, you saw what happened, we drafted 12 players didnt we? Then this team can get back onto the winning track in the playoffs and be a dominate team.