I cut the orginal article up a little bit
From CNNSI Don Banks:
Who are the candidates to become this year's Coles, the kind of on-their-way-up third-year veteran who opposing teams might identify as being a far better bet for stardom than anyone they could land in the draft's first round? Should they make it to restricted free agency in early March, players like Carolina receiver Steve Smith, Miami defensive end Adewale Ogunleye, Tennessee receiver Justin McCareins, Baltimore linebacker Edgerton Hartwell, San Francisco running back Kevan Barlow and New York Giants cornerback Will Peterson figure to be near the top of every wish list.
Smith, coming off his monster January playoff run for the Panthers, is the kind of talent who is best situated to elicit a Coles-like offer, although Carolina is working hard to sign him to a contract extension and keep him off the market. But if no deal gets done and it comes down to tendering him, expect Panthers GM Marty Hurney to slap a first and third-round tag on him without hesitation. Ditto for Dolphins GM Rick Spielman and Ogunleye, who had a breakout season in 2003, registering a team-high 15 sacks.
"I guess you could point to Washington last year, but I really think the restricted market got a little more attractive to people about three years ago. There's only so many avenues you have to improve yourself. If you believe that the right fit is there, you're going to take a shot at a player. Whereas five or six years ago that might not have been the feeling. Before, it was if you put the first-round tender on a guy, you knew you'd be okay. Now you never know, especially with teams with lower first-round picks.''
Despite Miami's cap crunch, Spielman has the job of protecting the most attractive defensive player in restricted free agency, and that's why the Dolphins will tender Ogunleye with both a first- and third-rounder if they can't resign him before March 3. Ogunleye was undrafted, all but mandating that Miami put a high tender on him.
"You have to be more cautious now,'' Spielman said. "No one hardly ever lost a guy with a first-round tender on him a few years ago. You were safe with a one on a guy. At worst you were going to have someone else do the deal for you, save you all that aggravation, and then you just matched it.
"But people are a lot more aware that you have to be prepared to possibly lose a player, even with a first-round tender. Once upon a time there wasn't a lot of movement, but last year there was and it was mostly by Washington in coming after those Jets.''
From CNNSI Don Banks:
Who are the candidates to become this year's Coles, the kind of on-their-way-up third-year veteran who opposing teams might identify as being a far better bet for stardom than anyone they could land in the draft's first round? Should they make it to restricted free agency in early March, players like Carolina receiver Steve Smith, Miami defensive end Adewale Ogunleye, Tennessee receiver Justin McCareins, Baltimore linebacker Edgerton Hartwell, San Francisco running back Kevan Barlow and New York Giants cornerback Will Peterson figure to be near the top of every wish list.
Smith, coming off his monster January playoff run for the Panthers, is the kind of talent who is best situated to elicit a Coles-like offer, although Carolina is working hard to sign him to a contract extension and keep him off the market. But if no deal gets done and it comes down to tendering him, expect Panthers GM Marty Hurney to slap a first and third-round tag on him without hesitation. Ditto for Dolphins GM Rick Spielman and Ogunleye, who had a breakout season in 2003, registering a team-high 15 sacks.
"I guess you could point to Washington last year, but I really think the restricted market got a little more attractive to people about three years ago. There's only so many avenues you have to improve yourself. If you believe that the right fit is there, you're going to take a shot at a player. Whereas five or six years ago that might not have been the feeling. Before, it was if you put the first-round tender on a guy, you knew you'd be okay. Now you never know, especially with teams with lower first-round picks.''
Despite Miami's cap crunch, Spielman has the job of protecting the most attractive defensive player in restricted free agency, and that's why the Dolphins will tender Ogunleye with both a first- and third-rounder if they can't resign him before March 3. Ogunleye was undrafted, all but mandating that Miami put a high tender on him.
"You have to be more cautious now,'' Spielman said. "No one hardly ever lost a guy with a first-round tender on him a few years ago. You were safe with a one on a guy. At worst you were going to have someone else do the deal for you, save you all that aggravation, and then you just matched it.
"But people are a lot more aware that you have to be prepared to possibly lose a player, even with a first-round tender. Once upon a time there wasn't a lot of movement, but last year there was and it was mostly by Washington in coming after those Jets.''
