Couple of FA LBs and WRs I find interesting.....off-season probabilities & more | FinHeaven - Miami Dolphins Forums

Couple of FA LBs and WRs I find interesting.....off-season probabilities & more

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http://www.footballsfuture.com/2010/fa/lb.html

LB:


Barrett Ruud, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (26)
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 quietly voiced dissatisfaction last offseason by skipping voluntary workouts, but has continued to keep a positive outlook to the situation. Ruud’s new deal should be in the area of what Bart Scott received this 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. 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.

Shawne Merriman, San Diego Chargers (25)
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. 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.

Karlos Dansby, Arizona Cardinals (28)
Dansby hasn’t played badly this year by any means, but he hasn’t made too many game changing plays either. The key to Dansby’s future will be what his contract expectations are. He isn’t quite worth the type of money the Ravens paid to Terrell Suggs, but at the same time, he’s one of the cornerstones to the Cardinals defense which has allowed a league low 3.0 yards per carry going into week 8. Dansby can do it all really, but can the Cardinals afford to re-sign him?

DeMeco Ryans, Houston Texans (25)
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, but if the two sides can’t reach a deal, there’s a good chance he would be willing to accept a deal elsewhere. Still, Houston will almost definitely re-sign Ryans and work around the foundation of Ryans-Cushing-Williams in the front 7.




Thomas Davis, Carolina Panthers (26)
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. Continuing his success from last season, Davis has played very well again for the Panthers. His presence is being felt in coverage where he has 2 picks and 5 deflected passes. The Panthers would be crazy to let Davis move on because he and Beason make a great punch in the linebacking corps.

Kirk Morrison, Oakland Raiders (27)
Morrison has been a guarantee in the Raiders starting lineup for his entire five year career now. He leads a unit that is solid, but unspectacular. Morrison is as sure a tackler as any in the league, but has failed to make many big plays. The Raiders should try and re-sign him, and teammate Howard who do a nice job week in and week out. However, many have suggested the poor attitude inside the Raiders’ locker room which could tempt Morrison to bolt and move to another team.

Thomas Howard, Oakland Raiders (26)
Howard’s ability to cover ground has helped him become the coverage backer he is today, but year after year, the Raiders finish near the bottom of the pack in run defense. Not to put the blame on Howard, but you have to think that the Raiders may be considering moves that reflect this. Howard is a nice blitzer and does a better job of making big plays than his teammate Kirk Morrison, but is also less stout against the run at outside linebacker. Not to use a repeated joke, but Howard does have incredible speed, which may account for something when Al Davis considers his contract re-signings.

D’Qwell Jackson, Cleveland Browns (25)
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.
Other Notable Free Agents:

Antwan Barnes, Baltimore Ravens (24) – Restricted FA
Bertrand Berry, Arizona Cardinals (34)
Chase Blackburn, New York Giants (26)
Gary Brackett, Indianapolis Colts (29)
Tedy Bruschi, New England Patriots (36)
Keith Bulluck, Tennessee Titans (32)
Brandon Chillar, Green Bay Packers (26)
Danny Clark, New York Giants (32)
Angelo Crowell, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (28)
Keith Ellison, Buffalo Bills (25)
Larry Foote, Detroit Lions (29)
Scott Fujita, New Orleans Saints (30)
Omar Gaither, Philadelphia Eagles (25)
Chris Gocong, Philadelphia Eagles (25)
Clint Ingram, Jacksonville Jaguars (26)
Rashad Jeanty, Cincinnati Bengals (26)
Derrick Johnson, Kansas City Chiefs (26)
Akeem Jordan, Philadelphia Eagles (24) – Restricted FA
Cato June, Houston Texans (29)
Rocky McIntosh, Washington Redskins (26)
Matt Roth, Miami Dolphins (26)
Jason Taylor, Miami Dolphins (35)
Zach Thomas, Kansas City Chiefs (36)
Pisa Tinoisamoa, Chicago Bears (28)
Stephen Tulloch, Tennessee Titans (24)
Mike Vrabel, Kansas City Chiefs (34)


Continue to Free Agent DB -->
Free Agents by position: QB | RB | WR | OL | DL | LB | DB | P/K

WR:

http://www.footballsfuture.com/2010/fa/wr.html


Vincent Jackson, San Diego Chargers (26)
Jackson has continued to use his size advantage to push down the field 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. On pace for nearly 1500 yards, averaging nearly 20 yards per reception, Jackson is due for a enormous raise from his mid-round rookie contract. The Chargers 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.

Brandon Marshall, Denver Broncos (25)
With Orton at the helm, passes haven’t been coming in Marshall’s direction as much as they did with Cutler. Orton doesn’t lock onto one receiver nearly as much as Jay Cutler did last year and consequently Marshall’s production has diminished. Marshall’s future remains a mystery only to be solved by his contract demands. He got off on the wrong foot with Head Coach Josh McDaniels and if his price isn’t right, the Broncos could easily cut him loose and try to replace him elsewhere. No matter where Marshall lands up, he will almost assuredly receive a contract less indicative of his raw talent.

Braylon Edwards, New York Jets(26)
Edwards started his stint with the Jets impressively. He looked like a premier wideout in just his first game against Miami with 5 receptions for 64 yards and 1 (nearly 2) touchdowns. If Sanchez can get some consistency, the two of them could develop a fine connection. Edwards’ size brings a unique skill set to the Jets’ receiving corps opposite Jericho Cotchery. Don’t expect the Jets to have just made the trade to keep Edwards for a 1 year loan. They should try to work an extension after the conclusion of the season, rewarding him based on production, work ethic, and attitude.

Terrell Owens, Buffalo Bills (35)
Owens is as good as gone after this year. He’s kept quiet despite team and individual struggles, but knowing Owens, he’s internally dissatisfied with his projected 553 yard season. If TO can stay under the radar the rest of the year, he could open up more landing spots for this offseason, with a competitive team. At this point in his career, he needs to come to terms with not being the focal point of the offense and that could be something scaring teams away from Owens who seemed to garner minimal interest in free agency a year ago. Owens keeps himself in great shape and should still be able to produce as a number one receiver given a healthy quarterback option, but it’s all the baggage that comes with this star WR that make teams shy away.

Antonio Bryant, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (28)
Bryant may have cashed in a big check last year, but as predicted, he has struggled to give a repeat performance – not that it’s all Bryant’s fault with a lack of consistency from the quarterback and an arrhythmic offense in general. The Buccaneers have enough money to re-sign him, but if the cost is too much, look for the Buccaneers to allow him to walk. In a sense, they seem to be reluctant in spending money in hopes of either turning a bigger business profit or saving up for the future. Bryant should be paid like a good starting number two receiver, but may ask for more, in which he could be entering the pool with a strong crop of receivers.




Steve Breaston, Arizona Cardinals (26) – Restricted FA
Breaston is just off the pace of hitting 1000 yards again this year, but is still playing very good football behind Fitzgerald and Boldin. The Cardinals will keep him for at least this year under a restricted free agent contract. If he continues his impressive performance it could potentially signal the end of Boldin’s career in Arizona once they find an offer worthy of allowing the semi-disgruntled receiver to walk.

Kevin Walter, Houston Texans (28)
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.

Miles Austin, Dallas Cowboys (25)
Don’t expect the Cowboys to pay him quite yet, but if Austin can even continue to produce at half the level he has in the two weeks surrounding the Cowboys’ bye, he’ll be given a hefty raise and extension this offseason. The Cowboys locked up DeMarcus Ware and probably won’t want to give any more in-season extensions this year. Jerry Jones knows what happens when players are paid based solely on a strong stretch and won’t make that mistake after just a pair of extremely productive games, but don’t expect him to allow Austin to walk away.

Derrick Mason, Baltimore Ravens (35)
Mason is the consummate pro and as reliable a receiver as any in the league. He’s been a consistent 1000 yard receiver for his entire career and continues to hold that pace for this year at 35. If Mason decides that this year will not be his last, he’ll likely have an offer to re-sign with the Ravens who have been ecstatic to have his consistency and attitude on offense. If he has any place he’s always wanted to play, this could be the offseason where he readies for his last hurrah.

Other Notable Free Agents:
Jason Avant, Philadelphia Eagles (26)
Davone Bess, Miami Dolphins (23) – Exclusive Rights FA
Mark Bradley, Kansas City Chiefs (27)
Isaac Bruce, San Francisco 49ers (36)
Chris Chambers, San Diego Chargers (31)
Mark Clayton, Baltimore Ravens (27)
David Clowney, New York Jets (24)
Ronald Curry, St. Louis Rams (30)
Malcom Floyd, San Diego Chargers (27)
Domenik Hixon, New York Giants (24)
Chris Henry, Cincinnati Bengals (26)
Lance Moore, New Orleans Saints (26)
Muhsin Muhammad, Carolina Panthers (36)
Josh Reed, Buffalo Bills (29)
Brad Smith, New York Jets (25)
Bobby Wade, Kansas City Chiefs (28)
Kelley Washington, Baltimore Ravens (30)
Demetrius Williams, Baltimore Ravens (26)
Troy Williamson, Jacksonville Jaguars (26)
Jerheme Urban, Arizona Cardinals (28)



Top Tight Ends:
Owen Daniels, Houston Texans (26)
After breaking out of the gates with what appears to be a career year in the making, don’t anticipate Daniels to back down from his lofty contract demands. He’s been targeted the most of any tight end in the league and is on pace for 89 receptions, 1136 yards, and 11 touchdowns. Those are numbers indicative of an elite tight end in any era and better than many number one wideouts. As Daniels continues his emergence as one of the league’s very best, he’ll be paid as such this offseason. The Texans did add some other tight ends through last year’s draft, but will work hard to keep him in Houston even if it means applying the franchise tag on him

Tony Scheffler, Denver Broncos (26)
Update: Scheffler hasn’t been the weapon he could be with his great athleticism and soft hands. Instead, the Broncos have used him more frequently in their offensive sets this year, but also have asked him to block more often. Scheffler had a big Monday Night game against San Diego where he showed his potential by eclipsing the 100 yard mark. While he hasn’t publicly voiced any dissatisfaction, which isn’t surprising considering the 6-0 start, Scheffler may very well be dissatisfied with his role. At season’s end, he is just as likely to leave Denver as he is to stay.


Other Notable Free Agents:
Alge Crumpler, Tennessee Titans (31)
Anthony Fasano, Miami Dolphins (25)
Daniel Fells, St. Louis Rams (25)
Jeff King, Carolina Panthers (26)
David Martin, Miami Dolphins (30)
Randy McMichael, St. Louis Rams (30)
Billy Miller, New Orleans Saints (32)
Leonard Pope, Arizona Cardinals (25)
Bo Scaife, Tennessee Titans (28)
Derek Schouman, Buffalo Bills (24)
Alex Smith, New England Patriots (27)
L.J. Smith, Baltimore Ravens (29)
Matt Spaeth, Pittsburgh Steelers (24)
Ben Watson, New England Patriots (28)


Continue to Free Agent OL -->
Free Agents by position: QB | RB | WR | OL | DL | LB | DB | P/K
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Our final record-(7-9)

My ideal mock draft should FA goes mostly LB and WR depth.

1:Rolando McClain,ILB out of Alabama(6'4",258)
[40-yrd. 4.68 unofficial]

need I say more?Hopefully we lose a couple mroe games,and set ourselves up for a real ILB.

2: Dan Williams,NT out of Tennessee(6'2",327)
[40-yrd. 5.23 unofficial]

Soliai didnt impress me at all,and even if he turns it around,he can always return to the shell of his former self,so stay on the safe side,and get a 3-4 NT.Has the size Ireland talked about,"he's gotta be 6'2-6'4",at about 340 lbs. more or less".

3:perry Riley,OLB out of LSU(6'1",249)
[40-yrd. 4.63 unofficial]

couldnt find any footage on the guy,but LSU players tend to turn out to be decent(scratch JaMarcus Russell),and who knows,he coudl be something special with proper coaching.He has the upside witht he size for the 3-4,and he plays in a similar system,not to mention the top-end speed already at 250 pounds.

4:Shay Hodge,WR out of Mississippi(6'0",207)
[40-yrd. 4.59 unofficial]

this guy is lsated for the 5th or 6th round,but after his performance in the loss to Miss St.,hes going to move up.Im really suprised by his size.He looks much taller on t.v.I would have guessed he were at least 6'3".Still,he just seems like a player thats going to give his all,day-in and day-out.I really like this guy,and IMO has AT LEAST #2 potential.

6:Kyle McCarthy,SS out of Notre Dame(6'0",210)
[40-yrd. 4.58 unofficial]

[leads ND in INTs with 5 so far,and runs pretty well,and is another 4 year man at school,which is what Ireland usually goes for]

6b:Joique Bell,RB out of Wayne State(5'11",224)
[40-yrd. 4.54 unofficial]

looks like he can play SPs too....check out his will to make a play from 1:16-1:27.....just a real football player

check this vid out... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGNMt1ZzJ3Q

his stock is currently on the rise,and looks like a BP kind of player.4 years in school,about to graduate,runs well and can get to the outside.

6c:K.J Wright,OLB out of Mississippi St(6'4",245)
[40-yrd. 4.65 unofficial]

good upside.

7:Cam Thomas,NT out of North Carolina(6'3",328)
[40-yrd. 5.09 unofficial]

mostly depth,cause after Soliai,whos there?

7b:Stephen Williams,WR out of Toledo(6'5",200)
[40-yrd. 4.52 unofficial]

really intriguing prospect.Runs a 4.52,but you watch him play,his quickness and acceleration are rare for a guy 6'5".Good hands,but probably has to sharpen his routes and consistancy.
 
vincent jackson and kirk morrisson omg! i would be so happy if we got these two guys!

although they are not the best they seem like legitimate guys we can actually get.
 
the thing is Morrison is a life long raider fan and loves being a raider.. he was also born there.

But I liked what Morrison said to Braylon Edwards here :lol:

[youtube]kjObSWZS6nA[/youtube]
 
A lot of you are going to be highly disappointed after this team refuses to sign top players.
 
A lot of you are going to be highly disappointed after this team refuses to sign top players.

This team has spent money but they build the foundation through the draft. The foundation has been built and the next step is to fill in the holes. The FO may not have signed the players you wanted but they spent real good money on Starks, Smiley, Groves, Wilson, Pennington and then spent more good money re-upping their own.
 
__________________
My Offseason Plan:

1. Re-sign L.Polite, R.Brown, D.Bess

^^ change your sig.. Polite was resigned for 2 more years after this one during the off season.. Keeping that in your sig after all this time makes it look like you don't follow the team to other people here.

http://miamiherald.typepad.com/dolp...-signs-2year-extension-with-the-dolphins.html

The Dolphins have signed fullback Lousaka Polite to a two-year extension for the 2010 and 2011 seasons.

Polite, picked up as a free agent last October, started five of the Dolphins remaining 11 regular season games. In addition to his blocking, he picked up first downs on six of his seven third-and-1 carries. Before signing Polite, the Dolphins had gone through Boomer Grigsby (waived after one game) and Casey Cramer (injured, then waived Dec. 20) searching for fullback play they felt was up to snuff.



Polite began his NFL career with Dallas in 2004, where current Dolphins football czar Bill Parcells was head coach. His current contract, which will pay him $620,000 this season, was set to run out after the 2009 season. Agent Peter Schaffer said they began talking about an extension with the Dolphins at the Senior Bowl.
 
Well according to this... Morrison has a very good overall rating, but he looks to be the worst MLB in the league when it comes to coverage (as if we needed more of that)

http://www.profootballfocus.com/by_...e=r&runpass=&teamid=-1&numsnaps=25&numgames=1

Remember that Gibril Wilson, who was another Raider, had one of the worst coverage numbers of all safeties last season.. And that carried over with the Dolphins this season.

Football metrics analyst KC Joyner talked about Wilson's bad coverage metrics during the off season.. And he was worried about the Wilson signing. He predicted Wilson would be good against the run but awful in coverage in one of his radio shows during the off season.

Joyner was also very high on Randy Starks saying he was by far Miami's best defensive linemen (with a crazy high 27% metric rating last season, which is very high for a 3-4 DE), and Joyner said Starks is primed for a break out year this season... when many here were doubting him and wanted him gone right after the South beach incident..

And Starks has played like a Pro Bowler this season.
 
I would love to have Karlos Dansby in a Fins uniform next year. I have heard that when they Franchised him that he was quite upset with the Cardinals FO. He also stated that he would not talk to them about contract extensions and he can not be franchised by the Cards again. I think he will go into FA this year and I believe when he did a interview in Tampa before the SuperBowl he said he would like to play in Miami.
 
I just dont see them signing any of the big name FA's on this list either. However I dont think we can fill all the holes that we have with this draft therefore, they are going to have to hit on a FA if we are going to compete with the elite teams next year. With that in mind I think at WR Malcom Floyd might be the best option. He is the big, physical WR that the trifecta likes and he has shown that he can get deep. He would also compliment the WR's that we already have and more than likely will be available as SD has to worry about Jackson and a couple of other big name FA's.

I also dont think that Mclain is going to be available where we pick unless we move up into the 8-10 pick range and certainly above DEV which has Chicago's pick.They should be looking at the second teir of ILB's like M Johnson, S Lee, B Spike's etc. Also, I believe that they will be looking for a strongside OLB. I believe that all of the OLB's that the Fins have are better on the weakside including JT and Porter. The one exception might be Anderson but he is so inconsistant it is hard to really know. The team really misses the 2008 version of Matt Roth so that is the area I think they will focus on at OLB. Brandon Graham really seems to fit that mold perfectly and would be able to split time with JT his first year which would really helpful. Finally NT is going to be a tough postion to fill. I agree that Dan Williams seems to be a really good fit but I dont think that he drops to our pick in rd 2. some people actually have him climbing into the bottom of rd 1. Plus he is somewhat of a one year wonder and the trifecta really is leary of one year wonders especially with their high picks and as someone said earlier they are not likely to select a NT high unless they feel pretty certain about him. Look for guys like J. Ross or M Neal in the 3-4 rd area and then maybe a late rounder to compete.
 
A lot of you are going to be highly disappointed after this team refuses to sign top players.

Well i think they had to build a foundation so they needed cheap developable players and we have that and will continue to draft that. However they know we need "chunk" players - guys that can make big plays and score from a distance. I think they know you have to pay for that. I agree they won't break the bank but I think they saw that finding it on the cheap like Wilford won't happen. They were going to pay for Pace so I believe IF the right guy (WR) is there they will grab him.
 
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