Looking into the crystal ball, here's how I think it plays out:
Long - franchised. We have too many holes to fill in the draft to add LT to the list. We'll see how he plays during his franchise season and if he still struggles then we let him walk after that.
Starks - wave bye bye. He's gone. Too expensive and we can kick Odrick inside fulltime where he belongs. We'll be drafting another DE is off season to add more depth to the line.
Hartline - perfect #2 WR for this offense, he gets extended.
Smith - wildcard. If the money's right, resign him as a #2 CB. If he comes in demanding top 10 CB money, put on the Colts game tape and then start negotiating with him. He WILL have a cap friendly contract or he can kick rocks. Let someone else try to coach the softness out of him.
Bush - some what of a wildcard but most likely gone. If Bush will sign a cap friendly contract as a utility type reciever threat running back that he should be then by all means sign him back. Daniel Thomas has one more season after this one to develop any kind of running instinct before he gets cut.
Most likely we'll be looking at the 2014 draft to get a new LT and RB. Thomas won't cut it and Miller isn't an every down back. Perhaps Long returns to his old self next season but I'm not holding my breath. The other big question is exactly how much cap room will we have for 2014 after Ireland screws up the 2013 off season.
Long - franchised. We have too many holes to fill in the draft to add LT to the list. We'll see how he plays during his franchise season and if he still struggles then we let him walk after that.
Starks - wave bye bye. He's gone. Too expensive and we can kick Odrick inside fulltime where he belongs. We'll be drafting another DE is off season to add more depth to the line.
Hartline - perfect #2 WR for this offense, he gets extended.
Smith - wildcard. If the money's right, resign him as a #2 CB. If he comes in demanding top 10 CB money, put on the Colts game tape and then start negotiating with him. He WILL have a cap friendly contract or he can kick rocks. Let someone else try to coach the softness out of him.
Bush - some what of a wildcard but most likely gone. If Bush will sign a cap friendly contract as a utility type reciever threat running back that he should be then by all means sign him back. Daniel Thomas has one more season after this one to develop any kind of running instinct before he gets cut.
Most likely we'll be looking at the 2014 draft to get a new LT and RB. Thomas won't cut it and Miller isn't an every down back. Perhaps Long returns to his old self next season but I'm not holding my breath. The other big question is exactly how much cap room will we have for 2014 after Ireland screws up the 2013 off season.