Some of the Free Agents we could look at and their Scouting Reports.

[nando03]

I'm going to make a list of some of the Free Agents that are out there at positions that most of us here on Finheaven have felt that we need to upgrade. I will start in the trenches for both the O-Line and D-line and work my way out from there. They won't all be on 1 post so you'll have to check back to get other positions. The link where you can find the info I'm getting is right below this. Oh and the Grade Key is at the bottom of this post as well.

http://insider.espn.go.com/nfl/fa

As far as the O-Line is concerned Center is probably the only position I have heard lots of mentioned in regards to FA. Tackle has come up if we don't sign Vernon Carey. Carey is a UFA but our FO is currently trying to sign him. So I'll leave OT out until we find out whats going on with that. Gaurd is a weak FA class and it's probably something we'll look at in the draft.

Center:
Jason Brown Grade - 77 UFA Ravens 6'3" 320 lbs 25 yrs old:

Brown has been a mainstay on the Ravens' offensive line for the past three seasons. He has an excellent combination of size, strength and athleticism. He works well with a low center of gravity to anchor effectively versus powerful bull rushers as well as getting movement off the line as a run-blocker. He has good pop and power initially to engage defenders as well as powerful leg drive at the point of attack. He is an instinctive player who understands leverage, angles and body positioning. He is best to short set defenders as a pass-blocker and can clog up the middle on combination blocking schemes. He will struggle at times with quicker interior stunters, when he is blocking one-on-one. He isn't always effective to chip up to the second level and stay connected to moving targets. He is a tough hard-nosed player who finishes well and brings attitude to the offensive line.

D-Line: We are obviosly looking for a replacement for Fergie. Plus some depth as well. Holliday is on his way out I think so I'll list some FA DT's and DE's that I think fit our 3-4 scheme.

Defensive Tackle:
Albert Haynesworth Grade 93 UFA Titans 6'6" 320lbs 27yrs old:

Haynesworth is a massive defensive tackle that the Titans drafted in the first round of the 2002 season and has shown flashes of ability to dominate at the line of scrimmage. He has unusual quickness and agility for someone with his size and can force offenses to game plan around him. He is powerful and can use his hands to control and shed blockers with ease. He shows a good short burst to make the play. He has a tendency to play a bit erect at times, but manages to get away with it, for the most part, thanks to his natural strength. He does a good job of recognizing blocking schemes and will fight through pressure to work his way to the ball. He can rush the pocket from the inside and will even line up at defensive end to rush off the edge. He has struggled to get through a full season and has only played in all 16 games one time in his career. He will be one of the most coveted free agents on the market, but the Titans will do everything possible to get him tied up.

Gabe Watson Grade 60 UFA Cardinals 6'3" 332lbs 25yrs old:

Watson is a third-year player who only played in 11 games this past season. He has good overall size and strength. He understands leverage and he can take on blocks effectively, stack at the line of scrimmage and get off in time to make plays. His pad level can get upright, but he has a strong lower body and good hand use at the point. His reactions to blocking schemes are inconsistent. He has good upper-body strength to play off contact, but he does get walled off quickly at times. His speed and range are limited to make plays outside his area. He has enough strength to hold his ground when taking on a double team. As a pass-rusher, he lacks good initial quickness and speed up field. Watson relies on power to push the pocket, but doesn't have a wide variety of moves and will struggle to clear. Overall, he is better versus the run than the pass. He has the size and strength needed to be effective against the run, but will need to improve his reactions and use of leverage off the ball.

Defensive End:
Julius Peppers Grade 91 Panthers 6'7" 283lbs 29yrs old:
I've put Peppers in with the DE's because that is that position he has played with his previous team. Even though he'd probably be an OLB for us.

Peppers has been a mainstay on the defensive line since being drafted with the second pick of the 2002 draft and has shown flashes of brilliance and ability to dominate as a pass-rusher as well as when defending the run. But he has yet to show that he can sustain that level of play over a full season. He has excellent size and long arms that allow him to keep blockers at bay. He can be explosive off the ball and shows excellent acceleration off the edge. He can pressure the pocket with his speed rush or use a variety of counter moves when the tackle anticipates his up field rush. He can transfer speed into power to bring a decent bull rush and has a good burst to close on the pocket, once he gets free. He does have a tendency to play a bit tall at times and still needs to work on keeping his pad level down to leverage blockers. He is inconsistent when it comes to recognizing blocking schemes and fighting through pressure. He does a good job of locating the level of the ball, taking angles to get to the play and can adjust on the move. While he still can force offensive coordinators to game plan around him, he could be even a more dominating force with a more consistent and competitive nature.

Chris Canty Grade 77 Cowboys 6'7" 304lbs 26yrs old:

Canty has established himself as a solid starter in the Cowboys' 3-4 defensive scheme. He has excellent size with long arms and natural strength. He can hold the point of attack against the run, despite his naturally-high pad level. He shows good hand use to stack blocks quickly and good recognition to blocking schemes. He can create a quick lock out with his hand use and long arms. He also sheds in time to make to plays in the short area. He does a good job of squeezing down gaps to cause lane congestion with his quick reactions and early leverage into contact. Canty has adequate lateral range to chase into the flat with good effort to make plays on the outside. In passing situations, he does a good job of pressing the pocket off the corner. He doesn't have a wide variety of moves to clear contact quickly, but he is disruptive due to his long reach. He can see over the top of linemen and does a good job of getting his hands up to deflect or tip passes at the line of scrimmage. Overall, Canty has shown steady improvement each year and he plays with a good motor. He is a durable and productive player who is best suited in a 3-4 scheme, but could also contribute in a 4-3 scheme.

Igor Olshansky Grade 75 Chargers 6'6" 309lbs 26yrs old:

Olshansky is the starting RDE in the Chargers' 3-4 defense. He contributes mainly in regular situations, but also rush inside in sub. He has been a starter since the day he was drafted in the second round in 2004. In three of his four NFL seasons, the Chargers have ranked in the league's top seven in rushing defense. He is a blue collar type football player. He has good size and strength for the position. He plays hard on every snap and is very competitive. He's at his best versus the run and he is the Chargers' most consistent run defender. He has good recognition and play awareness to blocking patterns. Olshansky has good, strong hands with the ability to control blockers at the point of contact. He plays with good pad level and leverage. He can hold up at the point of attack and displays good shed ability. He is an explosive tackler who can find the ball, but he lacks great quickness off the ball and can be sealed off at times. As a pass-rusher, he shows good effort and motor. He has been productive with his rip move to the outside, while continuing to work up field. He doesn't have the closing speed and quickness to be an effective rusher off the edge. He lacks counters and the ability to redirect.

Okay so that is it for the trenches thus far. Players that fit a Parcells "mold" as far as size at position. Next I'll do the linebackers and WR's. After WR's I will not do anymore Offensive FA's because I don't think we will be looking to add any QB's, RB's or TE's via Free Agency.

90-100: Elite Player
Player demonstrates rare abilities and can create mismatches that have an obvious impact on the game. ... Premier NFL player who has all the skills to consistently play at a championship level. ... Rates as one of the top players at his position in the league.
80-89: Outstanding Player
Player has abilities to create mismatches versus most opponents in the NFL. ... A feature player who has an impact on the outcome of the game. ... Cannot be shut down by a single player and plays on a consistent level week in and week out.
70-79: Good Starter
Solid starter who is close to being an outstanding player. ... Has few weaknesses and usually will win his individual matchup but does not dominate in every game, especially when matched up against the top players in the league.
60-69: Average Starter
A valuable roster player but not a dominant player against the better players he faces on a weekly basis. ... Gives great effort and teams are glad to have him, but he may or may not go to the next level.
50-59: Good Backup
This is a player who is really on the bubble and only starts because of a deficiency at the position. ... He lacks complete overall skills, and although he will battle, he will hinder his team's ability to play at a championship level if he is forced to be in the starting lineup consistently over a 16-game season. Teams don't mind having him on the roster but are always looking to upgrade.
40-49: Below Average Backup/Core Special Teamers
Strictly a backup player who is not capable of starting. If forced to, he is only a short-term fix. ... He might make the roster because of special-teams contributions or experience. ... He is the type of player teams consistently look to replace with an upgrade. ... He always will be a borderline roster player.
30: Developmental Player
Players with this grade have very little film to evaluate. Such players might flash potential in the preseason but don't have any regular-season performances to judge. they usually have very little experience but have to be tracked due to developmental potential.
20: Rookie (Post Draft)
No professional tape to evaluate. These players will have an evaluation based on their college tape, but we will not put a new grade on them until after their rookie seasons. They will carry the 20 grade throughout their first NFL season.
10: Evaluation in Process
Need more information

 

[nando03]

Linebackers: This might be a longer list because it will include ILB's and OLB's. I also threw Channing Crowder in there for comparisons. There has been a lot of debate about him so compare and contrast.

Terrell Suggs: UFA Grade 86 Ravens 6'3" 260lbs 26yrs old:

Suggs has been a mainstay on the Ravens' defense. He has been a solid pass-rusher in the base 3-4 scheme. He has excellent quickness and speed off the edge with enough burst to close to the quarterback. He understands leverage and how to get his opponent off balance as a pass-rusher, while using his strength and quickness to counter back inside. He uses his hands well to disengage as a run-defender and work the edge of blockers. He is a versatile player who can drop effectively in coverage and is best in underneath zone schemes. He isn't extremely fast in pure man coverage and is rarely used in that way. Suggs is an instinctive player who reacts quickly as plays unfold, which enables him to be active to the pile. He is a tough hard-nosed player who wins with effort, intelligence and athleticism.

Karlos Dansby: UFA Grade 85 Cardinals 6'4" 250lbs 27yrs old:

Dansby is fifth-year player who has been extremely productive, since entering the league. He has good size and strength combined with very good instincts. He is quick to read and react versus the run and is aggressive with his angles to the football. His use of hands is inconsistent to control and shed blocks, but he does a good job of slipping contact on his path to the ball. He will get caught up in traffic at times, but his aggressiveness often forces runners to re-direct. Dansby has good lateral quickness with the ability to turn and run. He also has good speed to chase down plays. He's a good tackler and can deliver with explosion on contact. He will occasionally get juked in space by quicker players that have good change-of-direction, but he is solid overall. In passing situations, he gains good depth in his zone drops and he can react quickly to the throw. Dansby understands route concepts and has enough burst to close effectively and break up plays. Overall, he's a very productive and aggressive linebacker, but this was the first year he has been healthy enough to start all 16 games during the season. He has good play speed and instincts and is versatile enough to play in a 3-4 or 4-3 scheme.

Leroy Hill: UFA Grade 79 Seahawks 6'1" 238lbs 26yrs old:

Hill is a very quick and athletic linebacker who can read and react fast. He is an instinctive run-defender that can step up quick to take on blocks or force runners to adjust at the hole. He has good change of direction with enough quickness to slip contact and make plays. He can penetrate and disrupt with his ability to shoot through gaps and he is agile enough to break down and make plays behind the line. He has good chase speed with the kind of lateral range to get to sideline and make plays in space. In passing situations, he does a good job of getting depth quickly in his zone drops. He has good awareness with a closing burst to drive on angles and break up plays. He is fluid with his movements. He can flip and run to stay tight with tight ends and mirror routes effectively in man-to-man coverage. He is also a good blitzing linebacker who times up the snap count well and can get narrow through the hole. He has yet to play in all sixteen games of a regular season, but when he's healthy he is very tough to replace.

Bart Scott: UFA Grade 78 Ravens 6'2" 240lbs 28yrs old:

Since becoming a starter in 2005, Scott has been a force in the Ravens' impressive defense. He has good size and strength as an inside linebacker to be an effective run-stopper between the tackles. He has just above-average speed, which limits his range, but has good quickness and instincts. He uses his hands well to shed or slip blockers with good lateral agility and a burst inside-out to the ball. He has good pop and power as a tackler and is a solid complement to Lewis on the inside. He understands leverage and angles to the ball, while also attacking the line of scrimmage with great run fits. He is solid reading and reacting as a pass-defender, but has had more success as a blitzer than in coverage. Scott is better in underneath zone coverage and can get exposed in pure man schemes. He is good at timing his blitzes up and shows good power and agility to beat his opponent.

Channing Crowder: UFA Grade 75 Dolphins 6'2" 250lbs 25yrs old

Crowder was one the Dolphins' most consistent performers last season. He is a good combination of size, strength and athleticism -- which has improved his overall play each year in the league. He plays with good knee bend to maintain balance and body positioning in the open field. He is a solid wrap tackler who uses his hands well to work through trash and stay active to the pile. He leverages the ball well with great vision and instincts to keep solid fits in his gap responsibility. Crowder is very athletic in coverage and can be effective in both zone- and combination-man schemes. He understands route progressions in zone coverage and can stay with backs or tight ends in man schemes. He shows great range in pursuit as a run-defender and his toughness as well as his effort makes him one of the leaders of the defense. He is a very good football player who is one of the core athletes that the Dolphins' front office will likely re-sign in the offseason.

Angelo Crowell: UFA Grade 70 Bills 6'1" 246lbs 27yrs old:

Crowell has a good combination of size, strength and athleticism. He has developed into a physical tackler who attacks the line of scrimmage with pop and power. He uses his hands well to work through trash and could slip blocks effectively. He showed good range in pursuit because he has great straight-line speed. Crowell plays high at times and this hinders his lateral agility in space. He is inconsistent to stay in his gap responsibility because he tends to over run plays at times. Leveraging the run as well as receivers in coverage is something he needs to improve on, but he has made strides in this area, since entering the league in 2003. Crowell is better attacking the line of scrimmage than in coverage or filling laterally. He had also been a solid core special teams player, prior to his injury that ended his 2008 season before it started, and showed versatility to possibly move inside at the linebacker position. He was developing nicely into a reliable starter, but his injury could set him back in the upcoming season. Crowell should be an asset to the linebacking corps as well as special teams, if he is healthy in 2009.

Wide Receivers: These are coming in the next post. LB's were long and WR's will be long as well. Coming soon!!!

 

[#1dolphinsfan]

i would love to have Jason Brown

 

[ryanosaur2000]

I have to say that Terrell Suggs would be my choice out of the FA linebackers above. He has been a great player for Baltimore and would bring much needed attitude to defense. He would also complement Porter quiet nicely and give O-lines another player to worry about.

 

[nando03]

Wide Receivers:
T.J. Houshmandzadeh UFA Grade 83 Bengalst 6'1" 199lbs 31yrs old:

Houshmandzadeh is an eight-year veteran who has been very dependable over the last five years. He's an experienced receiver who can also return punts and kicks, if needed. He has solid size and strength. He is a very good route-runner working over the middle. He accelerates quickly in the stem and can sell routes to get defenders turned in coverage. He can sink his weight at the breaks and he runs out of a cut with a good burst to separate. He gets his head around fast and locates the ball quick with his eyes. His hands, concentration and toughness are solid. He can make the tough catch in traffic and hang onto the ball when the hit comes. He can adjust quickly to the ball and pluck it clean away from his frame. He doesn't get bumped off of routes easily when teams try to get physical with him. He also knows how to use his body to shield defenders at the point of the catch. Houshmandzadeh is fast enough to stretch the defense vertically and he can make smooth adjustments to the ball over his shoulder. He's a better short-to-intermediate receiver due to his toughness and concentration in traffic. If the ball is thrown too high, he has good leaping ability and he can high-point the ball over defenders without losing concentration. After the catch, he has enough strength to shake off loose tackles and get up field quickly.

Nate Washington UFA Grade 67 Steelers 6'1" 185lbs 25yrs old:

Washington is an up-and-coming player. He has a long, athletic build with big hands and long arms. He has remarkable body control and is vertically inclined with excellent speed to simply run past many defensive backs. He also gets off the ground very well and is an excellent all-around leaper. These talents still mask some of his inconsistencies though. As a ball-catcher, he is very inconsistent and while he has improved, he still drops too many easy receptions. But, he does make up for it in some ways with his ability to make the highlight reel reception. His route-running and ability to decipher coverage need improvement. He rounds off too many routes and at times, doesn't recognize his duties as the hot receiver. The future looks bright for Washington, if he continues to improve at the consistent rate he has throughout his young career.

Hank Baskett UFA Grade 60 Eagles 6'4" 220 lbs 26yrs old:

Baskett is a three-year player who is coming off a career best season in catches and scoring. He has very good size with excellent leaping ability to make plays over smaller defenders. He is a good overall athlete who runs well. He has a long stride and can cover ground quickly, when he's running vertically. He shows adequate burst out of his breaks, but is not overly sudden to create separation. He has improved his strength to compete versus tight coverage or against physical corners. He does a good job of extending to catch the ball outside of his frame against tight coverage. He'll compete for the ball in a crowd and his leaping ability makes him an even bigger target. Baskett also has value as a special teams contributor and was a special teams captain in 2007. He still has upside as a receiver and should continue to improve on offense.

Miles Austin RFA Grade 59 Cowboys 6'3" 216lbs 24yrs old

Austin is a third-year backup receiver who can also return kicks. He has good overall size and speed and is a developing receiver who is showing improvement as a route-runner. He is effective on slants, skinny posts and go routes due to his good acceleration in the stem and adequate quickness at the breaks. However, he has some trouble creating separation when making hard cuts and doesn't consistently sink his weight or use efficient footwork. His hands are adequate, but he will occasionally lose focus and look to get up field too quickly before securing the catch. He is effective after the catch and shows good acceleration with the ball in his hands. Once he gets the ball in space, he has enough finishing speed to create big plays with his long stride. Austin has value and developmental potential. He's not a finished product as a receiver, but he's versatile enough to contribute in several phases of the kicking game.

Malcolm Floyd UFA Grade 55 Chargers 6'5" 225lbs 27yrs old:

Floyd is a backup receiver who played in 13 games with two starts. He is very tall with a pretty well-defined frame. He has long arms, big hands and creates matchup problems -- particularly in the red zone. He has deceptive speed, the ability to adjust ability and sideline awareness. He has decent hands and can catch the ball outside his frame. He has flashed a quick burst and acceleration after the catch with adequate run instincts. He takes too much time to reach full speed and could work on his body language and overall route running. He isn't real sudden and doesn't bend his knees real well to explode out of his breaks. Floyd is an intriguing young receiver with potential.