FearTheBeard
FearTheBurke
I think for the most part we are pleased with the job the FO has done thus far this offseason. On the other hand I think it's clear we are lacking key performers in certain areas and depth at others. I am a believer in filling holes with short term deals to open up the draft. With that in mind there is still work to be done to help shape this roster before the draft.
It's important to consider this roster's needs currently:
1. OG: It is thoroughly concerning that we haven't so much as sniffed the FA market at guard, with the exception of declining Dan Connolly.
2. WR: We are being linked to the top available receivers on the market, and we have to be with our oldest WR being Preston Parker... gotta get some experience in the room.
3. MLB: Market was weak to begin with, has only gotten dryer.
4. CB: Ask yourselves what happens if Jamar Taylor gets injured AGAIN. Are you comfortable with Will Davis being your starter on the outside for an extended period?
Outside of those 4 needs, none are glaring. Depth at RB and DT would be ideal but not necessarily a need.
Concerning the salary cap, in my estimation we have just over $10.5M available in cap space with $3M more coming available after June 1st with the cutting of Phillip Wheeler. That additional $3M will be enough to cover our draft class so lets say team wants about $4M entering the offseason. That leaves us with just $6.5M to play with, pending a Mike Pouncey extension that could realistically free up around $3M on the cap this year.
With those figures in mind, it becomes pretty clear we can only shell out one mid-level contract realistically. Really it becomes unlikely we can add anymore than 3 cheap guys.
At guard I think the market has more or less dried up. Speaking from what we've witnessed an heard, guard seems to be low on the pecking order. I think there's three options out there, only two of which I could see coming to fruition:
1. Trade for Evan Mathis. That would likely be all she wrote for the offseason, but it would free up the draft. Bringing on Mathis' contract pretty much costs us the rest of FA but solidifies our offensive line for the next two seasons. I'd love this move if we shelled out a 5th, the guy is a rock and we have to protect our QB. We can't make this mistake four straight seasons...it's disgusting. If we don't go big for a guard, I don't think you have any other choice in round 1 personally.
2. Sign Stefen Wisniewski. This one is the least realistic. We haven't been linked to him and his situation is really unclear. I know I liked what I watched of him this season at center and at guard his rookie year. This would be my move 100% but with little interest be shown it raises questions. Does he want to stick at center? Is he asking for too much? Last we heard about him was he was seeking $3M annually which would be a bargain, but I have no doubt that his requests are greater than that. Anything south of $5M annually I'm all over, but again I don't see this as realistic since we're yet to show interest.
3. Go cheap. This is what I think they'll ultimately do as they seem to do annually regarding the OL. They'll bring in some has-bin or some flawed kid and hope for the best. The guy I'd target is Mike Pollak at near the vet minimum. He fits the athletic profile and has been an adequate pass protector in spot duty over the course of his career. There's other guys I'd like to look at like Rob Sims, but they don't fit our system and I doubt we'd consider them. Although not like Colledge was some spring chicken either.
Verdict: Sign Mike Pollak for 1 year @ $870K
Wide receiver is tricky. I think it's important to have a proven guy opposite Stills to take the pressure off him, I don't think he's ready to be the primary outside guy. Love Stills game but he's more of a complimentary target at this stage. I also think if we want to go cheap and focus on having a veteran in the room (which is the absolute minimum we should do) there are a couple options.
1. Michael Crabtree. We've already been linked to him and had him in. He's unspectacular but still a quality player who a year removed from injury and with a new QB could provide value. Armando's rumored figures of 3/15-18 scare me and I wouldn't give him that. If he can be had on a prove it for say $4M annually max....then I seriously consider it. He's the most talented guy left on the market. Still better than Hartline.
2. Greg Jennings. Might be better suited to a slot role at this stage in his career, but still a viable option outside. On the decline without a doubt but fits what we want to do on offense. For something in the neighborhood of what Crabtree is looking for it makes sense. Still better than Hartline.
3. Reggie Wayne. Now we get into the vets that are really running on their last legs. Reggie is still competent and maybe he'd like to finish his career returning home. He'd be a great presence in the room and can hold the fort down until the kids develop enough to pass him. He can be had for $2M or less. Still better than Hartline.
4. Nate Washington. Again another guy on the decline, but another consummate professional. Got a bit more tread than Reggie, and still better than Hartline.
Verdict: Sign Reggie Wayne for 1 year @ $1.75M. Not going to be amazing or anything but I think we go cheap, and he's a great veteran to add to the locker room with another 50 catches in him. As long as we add one of these guys I'll manage, we have some talented youth. Top 2 guys would block them, bottom two would leave the door open.
At MLB options are scarcer than they were at the start. I wanted Nate Irving and thought he got a fair contract, but really not much of a loss or a great football player. This is a position I probably leave be and hope works out in the draft. If it doesn't, stick Misi in there and his play should at least be passable behind this DL. Options include Rolando McClain who's fit on South Beach is a recipe for disaster. Mason Foster I wouldn't rule out, but he simply isn't very good. Slim pickings.
Verdict: Misi in the middle, backed up by Sheppard entering the draft.
At CB the options have dried up. I've had this debate with enough people, but I think this group needs to add one more veteran to cover their asses. I really liked this CB class but don't think we were proactive enough in finding a boundary guy. Rashean Mathis went for peanuts, Sterling Moore went cheap, Patrick Robinson went cheap and so did Alan Ball. Patrick Robinson made a lot of sense. Big fan of the McCain signing as a slot guy, but if I could have it back I would've signed Moore and Robinson for around the same price. As it stands there's only one CB on the market worth getting a shot at a boundary spot/providing veteran depth. Tarrell Brown is that guy for me, and I think you can bring him in cheap for a deal in the neighborhood of $2M or less.
Verdict: Sign Tarrell Brown for 1 year @ $1.75M.
The other positions I mentioned that we could look at include DT and RB. I think 1-tech is a bigger need since I like Anthony Johnson better than AJ Francis as an interior pass rusher. I'd grab a run stuffer, and it would be Pat Sims on the cheap. I'd like to bring Knowshon back if the cap allows it, but that would happen after the draft if at all.
So my FA class for the remainder of FA looks like this:
- WR Reggie Wayne: 1/$1.75M
- CB Tarrell Brown: 1/$1.75M
- NT Pat Sims: 1/$1.5M
- G Mike Pollak: 1/$870K
What's yours look like?
It's important to consider this roster's needs currently:
1. OG: It is thoroughly concerning that we haven't so much as sniffed the FA market at guard, with the exception of declining Dan Connolly.
2. WR: We are being linked to the top available receivers on the market, and we have to be with our oldest WR being Preston Parker... gotta get some experience in the room.
3. MLB: Market was weak to begin with, has only gotten dryer.
4. CB: Ask yourselves what happens if Jamar Taylor gets injured AGAIN. Are you comfortable with Will Davis being your starter on the outside for an extended period?
Outside of those 4 needs, none are glaring. Depth at RB and DT would be ideal but not necessarily a need.
Concerning the salary cap, in my estimation we have just over $10.5M available in cap space with $3M more coming available after June 1st with the cutting of Phillip Wheeler. That additional $3M will be enough to cover our draft class so lets say team wants about $4M entering the offseason. That leaves us with just $6.5M to play with, pending a Mike Pouncey extension that could realistically free up around $3M on the cap this year.
With those figures in mind, it becomes pretty clear we can only shell out one mid-level contract realistically. Really it becomes unlikely we can add anymore than 3 cheap guys.
At guard I think the market has more or less dried up. Speaking from what we've witnessed an heard, guard seems to be low on the pecking order. I think there's three options out there, only two of which I could see coming to fruition:
1. Trade for Evan Mathis. That would likely be all she wrote for the offseason, but it would free up the draft. Bringing on Mathis' contract pretty much costs us the rest of FA but solidifies our offensive line for the next two seasons. I'd love this move if we shelled out a 5th, the guy is a rock and we have to protect our QB. We can't make this mistake four straight seasons...it's disgusting. If we don't go big for a guard, I don't think you have any other choice in round 1 personally.
2. Sign Stefen Wisniewski. This one is the least realistic. We haven't been linked to him and his situation is really unclear. I know I liked what I watched of him this season at center and at guard his rookie year. This would be my move 100% but with little interest be shown it raises questions. Does he want to stick at center? Is he asking for too much? Last we heard about him was he was seeking $3M annually which would be a bargain, but I have no doubt that his requests are greater than that. Anything south of $5M annually I'm all over, but again I don't see this as realistic since we're yet to show interest.
3. Go cheap. This is what I think they'll ultimately do as they seem to do annually regarding the OL. They'll bring in some has-bin or some flawed kid and hope for the best. The guy I'd target is Mike Pollak at near the vet minimum. He fits the athletic profile and has been an adequate pass protector in spot duty over the course of his career. There's other guys I'd like to look at like Rob Sims, but they don't fit our system and I doubt we'd consider them. Although not like Colledge was some spring chicken either.
Verdict: Sign Mike Pollak for 1 year @ $870K
Wide receiver is tricky. I think it's important to have a proven guy opposite Stills to take the pressure off him, I don't think he's ready to be the primary outside guy. Love Stills game but he's more of a complimentary target at this stage. I also think if we want to go cheap and focus on having a veteran in the room (which is the absolute minimum we should do) there are a couple options.
1. Michael Crabtree. We've already been linked to him and had him in. He's unspectacular but still a quality player who a year removed from injury and with a new QB could provide value. Armando's rumored figures of 3/15-18 scare me and I wouldn't give him that. If he can be had on a prove it for say $4M annually max....then I seriously consider it. He's the most talented guy left on the market. Still better than Hartline.
2. Greg Jennings. Might be better suited to a slot role at this stage in his career, but still a viable option outside. On the decline without a doubt but fits what we want to do on offense. For something in the neighborhood of what Crabtree is looking for it makes sense. Still better than Hartline.
3. Reggie Wayne. Now we get into the vets that are really running on their last legs. Reggie is still competent and maybe he'd like to finish his career returning home. He'd be a great presence in the room and can hold the fort down until the kids develop enough to pass him. He can be had for $2M or less. Still better than Hartline.
4. Nate Washington. Again another guy on the decline, but another consummate professional. Got a bit more tread than Reggie, and still better than Hartline.
Verdict: Sign Reggie Wayne for 1 year @ $1.75M. Not going to be amazing or anything but I think we go cheap, and he's a great veteran to add to the locker room with another 50 catches in him. As long as we add one of these guys I'll manage, we have some talented youth. Top 2 guys would block them, bottom two would leave the door open.
At MLB options are scarcer than they were at the start. I wanted Nate Irving and thought he got a fair contract, but really not much of a loss or a great football player. This is a position I probably leave be and hope works out in the draft. If it doesn't, stick Misi in there and his play should at least be passable behind this DL. Options include Rolando McClain who's fit on South Beach is a recipe for disaster. Mason Foster I wouldn't rule out, but he simply isn't very good. Slim pickings.
Verdict: Misi in the middle, backed up by Sheppard entering the draft.
At CB the options have dried up. I've had this debate with enough people, but I think this group needs to add one more veteran to cover their asses. I really liked this CB class but don't think we were proactive enough in finding a boundary guy. Rashean Mathis went for peanuts, Sterling Moore went cheap, Patrick Robinson went cheap and so did Alan Ball. Patrick Robinson made a lot of sense. Big fan of the McCain signing as a slot guy, but if I could have it back I would've signed Moore and Robinson for around the same price. As it stands there's only one CB on the market worth getting a shot at a boundary spot/providing veteran depth. Tarrell Brown is that guy for me, and I think you can bring him in cheap for a deal in the neighborhood of $2M or less.
Verdict: Sign Tarrell Brown for 1 year @ $1.75M.
The other positions I mentioned that we could look at include DT and RB. I think 1-tech is a bigger need since I like Anthony Johnson better than AJ Francis as an interior pass rusher. I'd grab a run stuffer, and it would be Pat Sims on the cheap. I'd like to bring Knowshon back if the cap allows it, but that would happen after the draft if at all.
So my FA class for the remainder of FA looks like this:
- WR Reggie Wayne: 1/$1.75M
- CB Tarrell Brown: 1/$1.75M
- NT Pat Sims: 1/$1.5M
- G Mike Pollak: 1/$870K
What's yours look like?
