Free Agency Thread? Free Agency Thread.

That's a shame. He was good and getting better.

 

I'd have been interested in Brisiel if John Jerry had busted out like we all thought he might. Since Jerry ended up kind of mediocre, I don't feel the urgency to sign a mediocre player just because he's a system guy for this system. Now I'm in full upgrade mode, let's get ourselves a good player. I like the Kent State guy.

 

He could play tackle but I might like to get one of this draft's tackles and groom him instead. Not necessarily Joeckel, Fisher or Johnson...but perhaps Fluker, Watson, Nixon or Armstead.

 

I think Geoff Schwartz and Brad Jones are really nice value calls. I would be inclined to take both players. My preference is for Mike Goodson over Felix Jones at tailback, though.

The problem with Delanie Walker is that he and Charles Clay play similar positions and roles. I like Walker better, though. Delanie does have upside in the passing game. He's a converted wide receiver, so the fact he's such a good blocker and has a little trouble making a big impact on the passing game on a team that operates so run-heavy and has Vernon Davis to catch passes at tight end...just absolutely SCREAMS "upside" to me. This is a good player and if the Dolphins are willing to give Charles Clay some competition then I would be all for it.

Probably my favorite call from among Simon's list is Desmond Bryant of the Oakland Raiders. This is a guy that a couple of years from now we could be looking back on like we are Randy Starks...a relatively unknown mid-level free agent signing that turns out to be a starter and among the league's better guys at the position. I'm not saying that WILL happen, obviously...but it could. I wouldn't say that about just any player.

First the negative. At 6055 but only 288 lbs or so obviously this guy is not overwhelming anyone with strength or pure ability to engulf players and dominate the backfield. He's not always going to look tough as an old root against double-teams facing the power run game. Also, for being a Harvard guy with 6'6" length to him, I'm a little disappointed that he's not as dominating over the passing lanes as I'd have thought/hoped. He's also not as screen conscious as I'd hope.

But DJ would love this guy. Not because he has a nice butt or anything (he might, I haven't looked, DJ can tell us) but rather because it's obvious just from two game' worth of coaches tape on the guy that this guy takes care of himself. How do I know this?

Two things jump out at me like neon billboards on a dark highway. For one thing, this guy never stops his feet on a play. He is always working, and always using his feet to get around people, pursue the ball, or get better angles. Some guys keep their feet working on plays but aren't necessarily working a wide range. He works the entire width of the tackle box on pass rush plays trying to free himself to the quarterback, and he's just utterly relentless in that regard play for play no matter how many plays he's played in the game. That's unusual for a big man on the interior even if he is a little lighter than some of the others.

The second thing that jumps out at me is the fact that he gets stronger as the game continues. That's really just an illusion, nobody actually gets stronger for having played 2 or 3 quarters of football. But while everyone else on the field is slowing down as the game wears on, his performance is staying even...and that trait in a player can be anything from a nice luxury to special depending on how good the player is and how many downs you can justify putting him in the game. But it just goes to show you how well this guy takes care of himself. You've got to look at the details. Left Guard Clint Boling was absolutely handling him all through the first half of the Cincinnati game. The Raiders like to mix in a lot of Bear 46 type fronts with three defensive linemen head up on the guard-center-guard interior. They had him for a while head up with Boling on a lot of plays and even their normal fronts he was matched with him a lot. Boling was undoubtedly winning. Just too powerful, too disciplined for Bryant. The Raiders switched up to having Bryan work head-up on the Center in those Bear 46 fronts and then suddenly he became more successfully disruptive. But by the end of the 3rd quarter and in the 4th quarter, Bryant was matching up on Boling again and now all the sudden he was winning more than not. He was pushing Boling around, even popped up with a punch to the chest that knocked Clint straight backward onto his keester on a play. But you notice that about Bryant. Toward the end of the 2nd quarter, into the 3rd and 4th quarters, he looks stronger than he did before. He's got more gas left in the tank so the punches that weren't landing as well before are now rocking guys backward, the double-teams that were moving him before in the power game are now sledding him only inch by inch. He'd be rushing the outside shoulder of the guard in the 1st quarter and getting swept behind the QB unable to do anything, but now he's able to cut better angles back to the quarterback and actually affect him. He sheds better. Just everything in his game is getting better as the game goes on because he's got gas in the tank and some of the guys he's facing are running on fumes.

At 288 lbs and with the arm length that you'd generally find on a 6'6" player...I think when he came out at his pro day and did 35 bench reps, that kind of told you what kind of attention he pays to his body and what kind of work ethic he has that way. I think that turned out to be a valid predictor.

When it comes to a Harvard player, you're kind of hoping to see a guy that's pretty smart and savvy...if you'll allow me the stereotype. I think where that shows up is in his attention to detail and discipline in his hand use. His feet aren't the only thing that never quit on a play. His hands never quit, either. He's always using them to create better leverage for himself and to shed blockers. And when you boil it down, he's just a pretty good athlete. He can stunt around players and move around the offensive line trying to find his way to the quarterback. He can hustle to the football when it gets to the second level. He's not quite a Sheldon Richardson that way, but he's not all that far off it either. He's disciplined enough with his hands and purely strong enough that you can trust him in the middle of your nickel defensive line, working over the center and being blocked by multiple players. He's versatile enough to be the guy that takes advantage of a single matchup to get in on the quarterback, and he can also be the guy that uses his athleticism and strength to engage multiple blockers in order to free up other guys to the quarterback.

I think that if Miami is making the decision to let Randy Starks walk, they would do well to get hold of this guy and see how deep the rabbit hole goes as he learns more and is able to recognize plays and passing lanes better. Even if they don't allow Starks to walk then they would do well to sign him to play consistently on their nickel lines which in some games could see him playing 50-60 snaps a game.

 

He's already been mentioned, but I am growing to be a fan of the idea of signing Domenik Hixon of the Giants. I really like him and think he's coming into his own as a wide receiver. He's got tremendous tangibles, which is something I don't think a lot of people necessarily realize about him, in that he's 6'2" and ran a 4.39 at his pro day.

He's obviously not your marquee signing. But in a free agent period where (if it were up to me) you tell Brian Hartline to take a hike and then you sign Greg Jennings to replace him at nearly the same money level, getting a Domenik Hixon as a value mid-level signing would be a good way to round out the attack on the position before you head into the Draft and take up two more guys. I don't know exactly how much Hixon will sign for but I doubt it could be more than $3-4 million a year.

 

The corner group is just tough to figure as you don't know whether Derek Cox will escape Jacksonville or not. They're trying to keep him. They may even tag him.

After that if Cary Williams is asking for Brandon Carr money then you can forget about that. Keenan Lewis interests me but not at the same $8-9 million level Sean Smith is supposedly asking.

If Sean Smith really has come off his $7 million asking price and is thinking $8-9 million a year, he's not in the plans anymore. Can't give him that kind of money.

I like Dimitri Patterson a lot when healthy but two things bug me about him. One is when I heard that he actually told coaches in Cleveland he didn't want to go out on the field until he was 100% because he didn't want to put out any bad tape. I believe that preceded his surprising release after having just signed a 3 year deal this year. That BUGS me. I love what he shows on tape from the SLOT position but he's got no versatility to play the outside (usually leads to disaster) and if he's a bad attitude player then forget it. He's 31 years old, you don't need that in a 31 year old. The second thing that bugs me is that, sure enough, he comes here and in his second game pulls up lame with an "ankle" in the New England game. Sure, it could be a legit injury. Could be.

For a value signing I go back to a guy that was one of my favorites in the Draft coming out in 2009, that being Christopher Owens in Atlanta. This guy could be an excellent slot player and unlike some of the slot-only guys, I think he may be able to play some on the outside if you really need him to in a pinch. He was only drafted in 2009 and he's still learning and developing. After some poor performances in 2010 and 2011 he kind of got shelved a little bit this year. But he played extensively against New Orleans and Carolina this year, and he played really well. He wasn't a slot in those games, either. He was a pick-off guy in college, had a lot of interceptions. I think he could make some plays on the football as he gets more mature and consistent.

Another guy who might be worth a gamble is Mike Jenkins of Dallas. Yeah I know he got a reputation (much as Cromartie) for not liking to help much in the run game. But his pure coverage numbers this year were fine and he's got the versatility to work both the slot and the outside. A lot of times you see this...guys with lofty draft standing just take time to "get it" at that position. DeAngelo Hall is a lot like that, as were Chris Houston and Antonio Cromartie. Might even throw Darius Butler in that pile, based on how he played with Indy this year. Sometimes those reclamation projects pan out.

But if you're in the mood for a proven guy, Derek Cox never makes it to free agency, and you're turned off by the price tags of Cary Williams, Keenan Lewis and Sean Smith, then you could do a lot worse than taking a run at Chris Houston. I've watched enough of his coaches tap this year to say that he's become a solid corner that can really help you keep a lid on receivers. His coverage numbers are really good this year. He only got 2 picks this year but he got 5 last year so he has that ability.

 

To recap guys that I like so far:

RB - Mike Goodson

TE - Martellus Bennett, Delanie Walker

WR - Greg Jennings, Domenik Hixon

OL - Geoff Schwartz

DE - Antwaan Barnes

DT - Desmond Bryant, Derek Landri

LB - Brad Jones

CB - Derek Cox/Chris Houston, Mike Jenkins, Chris Owens

S - William Moore/Kenny Phillips, Rashad Johnson

 

To be more detailed about this...

Estimated Cap Space: $46.0 million

Cuts: CB Richard Marshall (+$3.4), CB Dimitri Patterson (+$4.6), K Dan Carpenter (+$2.7)

Re-Signing: OT Jake Long (-$10.5)

Free Agent Signings:
RB - Mike Goodson (-$2.5)
TE - Martellus Bennett (-$4.0), Delanie Walker (-$2.5)
WR - Greg Jennings (-$7.0), Domenik Hixon (-$3.0)
OL - Geoff Schwartz (-$2.0)
DE - Antwaan Barnes (-$1.5)
DT - Desmond Bryant (-$3.5), Derek Landri (-$1.5)
LB - Brad Jones (-$2.0)
CB - Derek Cox/Chris Houston (-$7.5), Mike Jenkins (-$3.0), Chris Owens (-$1.0)
S - William Moore/Kenny Phillips (-$4.5), Rashad Johnson (-$1.5)

FA Departures: CB Sean Smith, DT Randy Starks, WR Brian Hartline, RB Reggie Bush, TE Anthony Fasano, FS Chris Clemons, DT Tony McDaniel

Average Signee Salaries: -$57.5 million
Discounted (1st Year): -$51.8 million
Less Released Salaries: -$41.0 million
Discounted (Top 51): -$37.2 million
Add Draft Pick Salaries: -$43.2 million

Final Cap Space: $2.8 million

Trade Block (as opportunities arise): DE Jared Odrick (-$0.3), WR Davone Bess (+$2.7), Daniel Thomas (+$0.5), Charles Clay (+$0.5)

Draft NEEDS: Kicker, Corner, Receiver, Defensive End, Defensive Tackle, Swing Tackle, Quarterback, Tailback

 

My list is in no way a prediction of what they will do. I've made it very clear in the past that they value things differently than I do.

 

I'm not making any judgments about Jeff Ireland here. I'm just saying it's been very clear in the past he doesn't value the same things or the same players as I do.

 

And one benefit with a released player is that they don't count toward the compensatory formula. The Dolphins could have up to 10 players walk in free agency that end up qualifying for inclusion in the compensatory pick formulas (which means contract worth more than $1 million per year). They are:

QB Matt Moore
WR Brian Hartline
TE Anthony Fasano
RB Reggie Bush
OT Jake Long
OG Nate Garner
DT Randy Starks
DT Tony McDaniel
CB Sean Smith
FS Chris Clemons

This assumes it would be a stretch for Ty Culver to end up getting more than $1 million a year in his next contract. Also, Miami will re-sign some of these guys, though we don't know which yet. But every player we sign that is a free agent off an expired contract, will cancel one of the above players lost in the compensatory formula. Between 2 and 3 of the above have the ability to convert into 3rd round compensatory picks, IMO.

 

Ah for the hell of it...

Position Breakdown:

QB - Ryan Tannehill, Pat Devlin
RB - Lamar Miller, Mike Goodson, Jonas Gray, Daniel Thomas, Marcus Thigpen
FB - Jorvorskie Lane
TE - Martellus Bennett, Delanie Walker, Charles Clay, Michael Egnew, Kyle Miller
WR - Greg Jennings, Domenik Hixon, Davone Bess, Rishard Matthews, Armon Binns, Jeff Fuller, Brian Tyms
OT - Jake Long, Jon Martin, Will Yeatman, Jeff Adams, Andrew McDonald
OG - Richie Incognito, Geoff Schwartz, John Jerry, Chandler Burden
OC - Mike Pouncey, Josh Samuda
DT - Paul Soliai, Desmond Bryant, Derek Landri, Kheeston Randall, Chas Alecxih
DE - Cameron Wake, Jared Odrick, Derrick Shelby, Olivier Vernon, Josh Kaddu
LB - Karlos Dansby, Kevin Burnett, Koa Misi, Brad Jones, Jason Trusnik, Johnathan Freeny
CB - Derek Cox/Chris Houston, Nolan Carroll, Mike Jenkins, Chris Owens, Bryan McCann, Julian Posey, DeAndre Presley
DS - Reshad Jones, Kenny Phillips/William Moore, Rashad Johnson, Jimmy Wilson, Kelcie McCray
ST - John Denney, Brandon Fields

Draft Picks (what the hell, for fun):
R01 - WR Cordarrelle Patterson, Tennessee
R2A - DT Kawann Short, Purdue
R2B - CB Robert Alford, Southeastern Louisiana
R3A - OG Brian Winters, Kent State
R3B - DE Devin Taylor, South Carolina
R4A - OT Xavier Nixon, Florida
R4B (compensatory) - CB Nickell Robey, USC
R05 - WR Marquess Wilson, Washington State
R7A - RB Dennis Johnson, Arkansas
R7B - DE Joe Kruger, Utah
UDFA - PK Brett Baer (Louisiana-Lafayette), PK Brandon McManus (Temple), RB Cameron Marshall (Arizona State), QB Peter Lalich (California-PA), WR Chad Bumphis (Mississippi State), WR Jheranie Boyd (North Carolina), TE Levine Toilolo (Stanford), TE Justice Cunningham (South Carolina), OG Mark Popek (South Florida), OC Joe Madsen (West Virginia), OT Alex Hurst (LSU), DT Jose Jose (Central Florida), DE Quanterus Smith (Western Kentucky), LB Tom Wort (Oklahoma), LB Jake Knott (Oklahoma State), CB Kayvon Webster (South Florida), CB Greg Reid (Valdosta State), CB D.J. Hayden (Houston), FS Corey Broomfield (Mississippi State)

Yes I signed Jose Jose purely because of his name.

 

In situations such as Fred's it seems to me usually what happens is the home team gives him a discounted short term contract offer and the player takes it to stick close to what he knows while he tries to recover from the injury. I think it likely Fred stays in Washington.

For that matter, Brent Grimes might stay in Atlanta for the same reasons.