FinAtic8480
Active Roster
By Pat Kirwan
NFL.com Senior Analyst
(May 2, 2005) -- I got a call from a team coordinator who said, "The draft and the rookie minicamp ended and we still have two glaring needs."
That's probably true for close to 80 percent of the NFL teams. Drafting to meet all of your needs is unrealistic at best. Also, expecting undrafted rookies who get signed to be legitimate "needs" replacements is too farfetched for most coaches.
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So, once again, the clubs turn back to the available veteran free agents to complete their rosters for the upcoming season. There were good players released right after the draft ended. And within hours, days or a week, some of those players found another team.
Most good pro-personnel offices around the league study the probability of which players will be released due to high draft picks selected or salary-cap issues. It was no surprise to many front-office executives when the Houston Texans released cornerback Aaron Glenn soon after they traded for Philip Buchanon. But as one general manager complained to me, "I couldn't even get a call into Glenn before he was signed by the Cowboys."
The Bears released guard Rex Tucker on April 18 and he was a Ram by the 20th.
Nonetheless, as players get signed off the hot list, still others appear. Wide receiver Corey Bradford and safety Earl Little were the top free agents at their respective positions on the pre-draft hot list and have been signed. They were quickly replaced by Az-Zahir Hakim and Brock Marion, respectively.
The truth is, teams are looking for quality role players and veteran backups, and now they hold most of the leverage. Between now and the few June cuts, players signing in May can expect very little in guaranteed money and will be more interested in playing for a good team or simply a chance to keep collecting a paycheck.
I know Patriots fans feel a lot better now that Doug Flutie is in a New England uniform. Even though restricted free agency is now over and 15 players from my last hot list returned to their original team, I still have to wonder if quarterbacks like Tim Hasselbeck (Washington) and J.T. O'Sullivan (Green Bay) are available for little compensation now that the Redskins drafted Jason Campbell and the Packers grabbed Aaron Rodgers.
With your favorite team in mind, look and see if any of these veterans could help keep your team rolling toward the playoffs come next December:
Position 1 2 3 4 5 QB Jeff Blake Kordell Stewart Vinny Testaverde Quincy Carter Shaun King RB Anthony Thomas
(to DAL) Amos Zereoue Dorsey Levens Tyrone Wheatley FB Omar Easy Harold Morrow WR Az-Zahir Hakim Tai Streets Ike Hilliard Troy Brown Curtis Conway TE Cam Cleeland Marcellus Rivers Zeron Flemister Chad Lewis OT Bob Whitfield Victory Riley Marcus Spears Matt Willig Aaron Gibson OG Tupe Peko Dan Neil Chris Terry Frank Middleton C Rich Braham Brock Gutierrez Gennaro DiNapoli DE Kenny Mixon Travis Hall Brad Scioli DT John Parrella Norman Hand ILB Jay Foreman Zeke Moreno Nate Wayne OLB Anthony Simmons Mark Fields Warrick Holdman S Brock Marion Eric Brown Shawn Wooden Cory Hall CB Ty Law Terrell Buckley Roderick Babers Dewayne Washington
It is obvious there still is some good talent left for teams looking to add a wide receiver, a backup quarterback for insurance, a few safeties who can get young players lined up or an offensive lineman or two who can add quality depth so your starting quarterback doesn't get hurt when the first-team lineman goes down.
This week, in many NFL offices, the head coach, his coordinators, the GM and the pro-personnel director are sitting down and looking up at the hot-list board and discussing many of these players who could fill a final need.
NFL.com Senior Analyst
(May 2, 2005) -- I got a call from a team coordinator who said, "The draft and the rookie minicamp ended and we still have two glaring needs."
That's probably true for close to 80 percent of the NFL teams. Drafting to meet all of your needs is unrealistic at best. Also, expecting undrafted rookies who get signed to be legitimate "needs" replacements is too farfetched for most coaches.
NFL Networkhttp://www.nfl.com/nflnetwork/home
So, once again, the clubs turn back to the available veteran free agents to complete their rosters for the upcoming season. There were good players released right after the draft ended. And within hours, days or a week, some of those players found another team.
Most good pro-personnel offices around the league study the probability of which players will be released due to high draft picks selected or salary-cap issues. It was no surprise to many front-office executives when the Houston Texans released cornerback Aaron Glenn soon after they traded for Philip Buchanon. But as one general manager complained to me, "I couldn't even get a call into Glenn before he was signed by the Cowboys."
The Bears released guard Rex Tucker on April 18 and he was a Ram by the 20th.
Nonetheless, as players get signed off the hot list, still others appear. Wide receiver Corey Bradford and safety Earl Little were the top free agents at their respective positions on the pre-draft hot list and have been signed. They were quickly replaced by Az-Zahir Hakim and Brock Marion, respectively.
The truth is, teams are looking for quality role players and veteran backups, and now they hold most of the leverage. Between now and the few June cuts, players signing in May can expect very little in guaranteed money and will be more interested in playing for a good team or simply a chance to keep collecting a paycheck.
I know Patriots fans feel a lot better now that Doug Flutie is in a New England uniform. Even though restricted free agency is now over and 15 players from my last hot list returned to their original team, I still have to wonder if quarterbacks like Tim Hasselbeck (Washington) and J.T. O'Sullivan (Green Bay) are available for little compensation now that the Redskins drafted Jason Campbell and the Packers grabbed Aaron Rodgers.
With your favorite team in mind, look and see if any of these veterans could help keep your team rolling toward the playoffs come next December:
Position 1 2 3 4 5 QB Jeff Blake Kordell Stewart Vinny Testaverde Quincy Carter Shaun King RB Anthony Thomas
(to DAL) Amos Zereoue Dorsey Levens Tyrone Wheatley FB Omar Easy Harold Morrow WR Az-Zahir Hakim Tai Streets Ike Hilliard Troy Brown Curtis Conway TE Cam Cleeland Marcellus Rivers Zeron Flemister Chad Lewis OT Bob Whitfield Victory Riley Marcus Spears Matt Willig Aaron Gibson OG Tupe Peko Dan Neil Chris Terry Frank Middleton C Rich Braham Brock Gutierrez Gennaro DiNapoli DE Kenny Mixon Travis Hall Brad Scioli DT John Parrella Norman Hand ILB Jay Foreman Zeke Moreno Nate Wayne OLB Anthony Simmons Mark Fields Warrick Holdman S Brock Marion Eric Brown Shawn Wooden Cory Hall CB Ty Law Terrell Buckley Roderick Babers Dewayne Washington
It is obvious there still is some good talent left for teams looking to add a wide receiver, a backup quarterback for insurance, a few safeties who can get young players lined up or an offensive lineman or two who can add quality depth so your starting quarterback doesn't get hurt when the first-team lineman goes down.
This week, in many NFL offices, the head coach, his coordinators, the GM and the pro-personnel director are sitting down and looking up at the hot-list board and discussing many of these players who could fill a final need.
