Pick 5 Free Agent Names to watch

Ahmad Bradshaw and Leon Washington are my top two picks. Nothing would make me happier than to see Leon Washington have a career day against the jets. The jets screwed that boy good. Ask any jet fan. In 2011 he'd be 1-1/2 years removed from that brutal knee injury. The man would be motivated, that's for sure!

 

I believe they already have the votes to do it.

It's the nuclear option though because the players would then be forced to work under whatever conditions the NFL imposes for maybe several years. I suspect the rules would be somewhat reasonable because the NFL wouldn't want to jeopardize the court case by becoming a bunch of ogres and completely turning the system on it's head, but free agency would be mightily restricted (although it would have to exist in some form as the players already won that right in court prior to the 1992 CBA)

 

If we sign Bradshaw, Mankins, and a compliment /competition for Fasano...it will be a HOMERUN of a offseason.

I will be happy with Zach Miller, and Mankins and call it a GREAT offseason.

 

To be honest 126 , if we signed Mankins it would be a home run. He is mashing people since he came back.

For me , I would rather get elite or near elite players than get ok/average players , but more of them.

Signing Mankins would give us side by side all pros , and we could sign a competitive TE as well. So we concur , for me , give me some elite level players this off season , and preferably on the offensive side of the ball.

 

You don't sign a Zach Miller as a complement to anyone. A complement to Fasano would be Dante Rosario or Ben Patrick.

I think this is a case where the utter lack of talent at the #2 TE position has made our appetite bigger than our stomachs. Offenses don't generally need an Anthony Fasano AND Zach Miller. They just need to not have to be dealing with guys like Jeron Mastrud, Mickey Shuler and John Nalbone...none of which should probably be in this league at all.

But I agree if you go into free agency and you walk away with Ahmad Bradshaw, Logan Mankins, and some complementary guy at TE like Rosario or Patrick...you've done really well.

 

I was interested to see Dedrick Epps get in the game against the Jets. While he's not a stunning guy at TE, he is IMO probably better than Shuler and Mastrud. Probably the only thing holding him back is mastery of the playbook.

 

I highly doubt we'd be able to land all 5, even if we tried. But I think you can walk away with 2 of those guys - maybe 3 if Ross is willing to spend. Those would be my top 5 guys to bring in for visits at least though.

 

I think you could really lure an Ahmad Bradshaw down here. Ronnie Brown will be gone. He knows that this team is committed to the ground game. He'd be splitting time with Ricky Williams who, let's face it, is ancient. He'd have to be thinking that it's only a matter of time, if even that, before he was allowed to be THE MAN down here.

I like Bradshaw's overall inside/outside game. And he would be a serious weapon if we were to be able to lure Al Saunders out of his consultant role with the Ravens and into being our Offensive Coordinator.

 

I was saying "Either / Or". Not ALL.

I was saying JUST Zach Miller and Mankins...OR Mankins, Bradshaw, and a compliment #2 TE competition type like a Rosario.

I think that should be the goal. This offense needs a major infusion of talent.

 

The strategy also makes sense when you take into account how vomit inducing it would be to spend a 1st round pick on a TE, Interior Lineman, or RB.

 

1000% agree. If I have to sit through 4 months of Mark Ingram talk I will give up football.

 

How does a Zach Miller fit at all? They just gave a contract extension to Anthony Fasano. He's not going anywhere, nor should he. Are you under the impression Miller is more athletic than Fasano? He's really not. He's a 4.87 guy. He's savvy out in pass routes, but so is Fasano.

I just don't see any reason to invest that much money in the Tight End position. I'd rather get either a free agent that complements Fasano, or a young guy to groom to complement him, eventually replace him, or both.

 

How does he fit? He is a top flight Tight End. His production dwarfs Fasano's and watching Zach Miller play has also brought me to the realization Fasano is not much better as a blocker than Zach Miller.

Zach Miller is Jason Witten. But younger and in a terrible situation for pass catchers.

 

BTW...Zach Miller was headed toward a monster season till he got hurt this year...so he is another thing Fasano is not. Consistent.

 

There are teams who have quality #1 & #2 TEs IIRC (Pettigrew & Scheffler for instance). So I don't see what's wrong with having Miller & Fasano..... or Miller and then trade Fasano. I guess it comes down to: "What's the most important thing for our offense?" and "whom do we prioritize?". Would we rather have Miller?.... or would we rather have Fasano?.... AND is having a Fasano a legitimate reason to keep us from upgrading the position if we have the opportunity.

I'd say grab Miller if we have a shot and then figure out what we're doing afterward b/c, personally, I wouldn't say "eh, we don't need a Miller b/c we already have a Fasano".

 

He ran a 4.72 at his Pro-Day.

 

So you're ok with Hartline. You're ok with Fasano. Is there anyone you're not complacent with?.... or is the offense's overall production satisfactory for your taste? lol.

 

I think the offense is being run poorly, both from a coaching standpoint as well as a QB standpoint. I think there are key role players that are missing from the offense, like a #2 TE that is actually talented enough to be worth an NFL roster spot, and a FB that either lead blocks extremely well or presents interesting options in the passing game. I think the interior OL and RB positions need total overhauls.

Given all that, your characterization of me being ok with the status quo is both unfair and ignorant.

 

If this regime stays in place, I wonder if Marion Barber isn't an option for a low round pick, or if he is cut outright.

These guys love their ex-Dallas players. While Barber hasn't been that great this year, I wonder if he might do better ina more run oriented offense

 

Hartline as our number 2 isn't a problem, imo. He's really underrated and stepped up big time when Marshall went down.

 

Unfortunately Barber probably would be an option for them, but I don't think he should be. Then again, can't be much worse than what we've got.

 

I want backs that make people miss. Ricky Williams and Ronnie Brown don't make people miss. Their missed tackle percentages are 45th and 39th out of 56, respectively. Ahmad Bradshaw makes people miss. DeAngelo Williams makes people miss. Marion Barber does not.

 

I wouldn't mind Barber as long as they still spend a fairly high pick on a back. I think he's a solid complimentary guy, but he can't be THE guy IMO. I agree with CK that they need a guy that can make people miss and make some plays for the offense. In the few games I've seen him I absolutely love Ryan Williams for that reason. He can make guys miss in a number of ways and has the speed to make you pay if you do miss.

 

I agree, I also like Ryan Williams.

 

Jeff Ireland wouldn’t even trade a 7th for Barber if that inflated contract comes with.

 

You pionted out offense was run poorly from the QB standpiont, I agree, What in your opinion is our best realistic option for next year. Free agent, trade, draft 1 round, or sitick with henne maybe draft someone in 3-4 round.

 

Chad Henne is probably the best option for 2011. That's just the truth.

 

Sorry, that was mostly friendly sarcastic teasing actually. It wasn't meant to be crass. I don't literally feel that you think the offense is fine, but I have seen you stand up for Hartline and now Fasano..... and since Bess and Marshall arent being replaced, that reduced our option potential for upgrade. I was just curious, if push came to shove, would you reduce Hartline to the #4 role or upgrade Fasano if our options were limited in FA?

For instance, lets say that the only player we could grab in FA is Zach Miller. Would you take the upgrade at the position or make due with Fasano (not knowing who would be playing behind him)?

 

I honestly can't see any way the Cowboys don't cut him. He's now behind Jones and Choice and at that price tag there's no way they keep him.

 

I didn't hear the sarcasm. My apologies for getting testy.

 

No, it was my bad Chris. I reread it and it sounded harsh even though I had a grin when I was writing it.

 

I truly don't believe you target a Zach Miller. I was very happy with this TE position in 2008 when we had Fasano and Martin, it was one of the strengths of the team. Anthony Fasano truly is a very good player and we should be happy to have him. I would like to get back to THAT...and that doesn't require a big money deal for Zach Miller. Who is to say you don't pull yourself in a Dante Rosario and then voila, you're back to that kind of production out of the position? It really isn't THAT hard to get good play out of the #2 TE role. It's a testament IMO to how dumb they've been, or at the very least how NOT committed they've been to acquiring a guy with any amount of talent and experience...that they have such poor play from that #2 position.

As for Hartline I'd be very opportunistic about it. If you get a shot at a dynamic player in the Draft, and it makes sense relative to who else is available, of course you take him. But that guy's not going to relegate Hartline to a #4 role right away, he's going to have to fight his way up. To be frank I think Hartline is a very good player and he could break out in his 3rd year next year the same way Davone Bess is breaking out in his 3rd year this year. People are too hung up on the idea that Hartline is slow and he's not. He doesn't have 4.4 speed but he does have 4.52 speed and his 100 meters would be faster than you'd expect from a guy with 4.52 speed in the 40, because he has good transition. He really screwed the pooch at the beginning of the year in several ways but he was on a tear after that.

Miami needs play calling that makes sense, running backs that can actually break a damn tackle and maybe once in a while hit the perimeter of the field, and better QB play. If they get that, we have the potential to be humming on offense. I mean right now we're screwed, the interior OL is the weakest part of the line, and yet both our backs are inside bangers at this point. One of them isn't fast enough to hit the outsides, and the other is but is so hesitant in the backfield it doesn't matter anyway, especially as we're not getting good blocking from the #2 TE or FB.

 

I agree Henne might be the best option and that's not so much a statement in support of Henne as it is a lack of anything worth starting at QB. I still think Palmer or Orton are long shots, and the way they're playing lately shouldn't really excite anyone anyway. Honestly, I think the two best veteran options are probably going to be Alex Smith and Vince Young and are either of them really better than Henne? They could and probably will draft someone, but you're still looking at a learning curve and a likelihood of them taking at least one "redshirt" year.

 

It's sad if Kyle Orton and Alex Smith are the best choices.

 

I agree with you Pad. I stated this in another thread, but it holds true. It is simply obvious to me that this regime, from the top down, has no confidence in Chad Henne and there is no question that somebody else would be playing if we had a reasonable "somebody else" on the team.

I also suspect that they have their eye on a vetran and a young guy.