Early Thoughts on Winners and Losers
An early look at some free agency winners and losers:
Winners:
49ers: Okay, maybe they overpaid for cornerback Nate Clements. But he makes the defense better. So does safety Michael Lewis. Ashley Lelie isn't a great receiver but he has speed and that should open up space for tight end Vernon Davis and tailback Frank Gore.
Buccaneers: Even if Jake Plummer retires, they're still better off at quarterback with Jeff Garcia in the fold. Kevin Carter provides another pass rusher on defense and today's signing of Luke Petitgout helps the offensive line.
Seahawks: Patrick Kerney wasn't all that productive the last two seasons in Atlanta. But if he regains his previous pass-rushing form the Seahawks defense has a handful of players who are really tough to block.
Patriots: Are these really the Patriots? The team that won Super Bowls with bargain-basement free agents got a big one in Adalius Thomas. But he should fit in. A wide receiver could be next, whether it's signing Donte Stallworth or trading for Randy Moss.
Chargers: Getting guard Kris Dielman to stay was a surprise.
Losers:
Ravens: They've lost Thomas, Tony Pashos, Ovie Mughelli and Aubrayo Franklin after cutting Jamal Lewis.
Bills: Derrick Dockery is a pretty good young player. But he's not a dominant offensive lineman at this point and a $7 million-a-year contract for him is a little odd while you're allowing Clements and London Fletcher to exit.
Cowboys: They paid a lot for Leonard Davis, who's been a disappointment in the NFL, and they might be in trouble if they have to turn to the just-signed Brad Johnson at quarterback.
Raiders: They didn't get the quarterback they needed in Garcia.
Dolphins: They failed to agree to a reworked contract with Carter to retain him and they've released a string of offensive linemen, plus tight end Randy McMichael and quarterback Joey Harrington. Losing Harrington isn't a loss, you say? The quarterback competition is now Daunte Culpepper vs. Cleo Lemon. They need to sign linebacker Joey Porter, who's said to be down to the Dolphins or Bengals.
By Mark Maske |
March 6, 2007; 10:45 AM ET
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Posted by: Brian"The Brain"Billick | March 6, 2007 11:45 AM
D. Dockery with false start and holding penalties probably cost the 'Skins a couple of places in the offesive yds rankings just by himself.
Posted by: Stick | March 6, 2007 11:47 AM
so where do the skins stand with Brunell, Smoot and Fletcher? lol
Posted by: yo mama | March 6, 2007 12:06 PM
The St. Louis Rams are by far the biggest losers because they signed an average receiver, Drew Bennett, to a six-year $30-million contract while the worst needs are on defense - especially at linebacker.
As for the Cowboys singings, if they lose Colombo, the Davis signing looks silly, But if he is part of a solid, experienced line, he'll work out.
Posted by: dungy1 | March 6, 2007 3:30 PM
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As usual Mark you underestimate us. You had us as "losers" last year when we lost Kemo,Weaver,Demps, and Zastudil. How did we upgrade? Ngata,Koch and Landry cheap draft picks that outperformed the overpaid scrubs that left. Same thing will happen this year.