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http://www.sportsline.com/nfl/story/10057091

Free-agency so far: Winners, losers and who's cashed in

March 12, 2007
By Clark Judge
CBS SportsLine.com Senior Writer
Tell Clark your opinion!





There are a lot of people happy with the results of this year's free-agency -- which isn't hard to understand when you consider those people just made themselves a bundle.

Forget the lottery. You want to make it big? Join the NFL, and let your contract expire. Then sell yourself to the highest bidder.

Eighteen millions dollars for a fullback? Today's rich are the not-so-famous. A week ago, we checked the first weekend's activity. Now we're back with the scoreboard after 10 days.

Three teams free-agency helped

Adalius Thomas should be a perfect fit in the Patriots' defensive scheme. (US Presswire)
New England: It used to be that New England did a lot of bottom feeding during free-agency, picking off role players at bargain prices to fit into the next Super Bowl champion. Not anymore. The Patriots backed up the Brinks truck and unloaded millions for Adalius Thomas and Donte Stallworth. Thomas is a load and should be terrific in Bill Belichick's defense. You can play him anywhere, and the Patriots will. Stallworth can be Tom Brady's next Deion Branch ... provided, of course, he stays healthy. His addition is another gift to Brady. Last year the Patriots surrounded Brady with ordinary receivers, yet Brady had the Pats within a minute of another Super Bowl. Now, they've added Wes Welker, Kelley Washington and Stallworth -- all of whom are upgrades over Reche Caldwell, last year's leading receiver. But why stop there? The Patriots signed a hellacious blocker in Kyle Brady, and his addition offsets the loss of Daniel Graham. Oh, and did I mention the re-signing of Larry Izzo? I should. He's a marvelous special-teams guy.

Seattle: Yep, the failure to sign Kris Dielman was a blow. So the Seahawks re-upped Floyd Womack and will have him as their left guard. Given the choice, I'd take Dielman, too. But they didn't have a choice. They offered him more than San Diego, and Dielman chose the Chargers. OK, so there's one opportunity lost. But then the club signed Patrick Kerney and Deon Grant, and both moves make them better on defense. Yeah, I'm wary of Kerney, and I wouldn't pay the money Seattle did, but is he a better pass rusher than Grant Wistrom? You bet. Kerney is a high-motor guy who can get to the pocket and create havoc. The knock on him is that 1) he will turn 31 and 2) that he's coming off a pectoral injury. But he was the top defensive lineman in free-agency for a reason: He's a solid pass rusher who can play the run. Grant is a safety with great hands and great range, solid in coverage and underrated as a run supporter. Basically, he's a better all-around player than Ken Hamlin, which means the Seahawks just traded up.

San Francisco: How could free-agency not help these guys? The 49ers had zillions of dollars in cap space. Now, that doesn't mean I like their moves. Getting Nate Clements was big. Paying him $22 million in guaranteed money was fiscally irresponsible, but welcome to today's NFL. Michael Lewis is OK as a safety, but for those who think he's a solution to the 49ers' secondary woes, keep this in mind: He was a second-stringer in Philadelphia. Sure, he once was a Pro Bowl starter, but that was 2004. In 2006 he was benched midway through the season. Nevertheless, he helps a defense that allowed an NFL-worst 412 points. The signing I do like is linebacker Tully Banta-Cain. The guy can rush the passer and will help on special teams. Ashley Lelie? Don't like him. He was a bust in Denver and Atlanta, and I don't know why anything changes here. But give the 49ers this: They didn't invest a lot in him. So it's a gamble. It's a small one. What I want to see is what happens when Jerry Sullivan gets a hold of him. Sullivan is one of the top assistants in the business and might, just might, be able to make something of Lelie.


Three teams free-agency hurt
Tennessee: The Titans have done next to nothing other than re-signing Kerry Collins ... Kerry Collins? ... and throw goodbye parties for former starters. They let their top running back walk. They let their top receiver go, too. That's OK if you have suitable replacements, but I don't see any on the horizon. So Tennessee wanted Stallworth. Great. He's gone, too. I'm not sure where the Titans are headed; all I know is the club keeps subtracting bodies.

Buffalo: The Bills lost their top cornerback in Clements. They lost their top tackler in linebacker London Fletcher. Then they dealt away their top running back when they swapped Willis McGahee to Baltimore for three draft picks, two of them this season. Those are significant losses. OK, so the additions of Derrick Dockery, Langston Walker and Jason Whittle improve the offensive line. That's a bonus for young quarterback J.P. Losman. But the Bills are not better now than they were a month ago. There is talk of adding Corey Dillon or Chris Brown at running back, but forget it, fellas. Dillon is beaten up, and Brown can't stay on the field. Take your chances in the draft. There is enough at the position there that Buffalo can help itself in the second or third rounds.

Baltimore: The Ravens made up lost ground with the addition of McGahee, but they had to spend three draft picks -- including two this spring -- to acquire him. Now let's look at what else they sacrificed: linebacker Adalius Thomas, tackle Tony Pashos, defensive tackle Aubrayo Franklin and fullback Ovie Mughelli. So Jacksonville overpaid for Pashos. He not only started with Baltimore; he started 16 games. So what? So only one other offensive lineman on the Ravens (Mike Flynn) did that. And his loss means the Ravens could -- depending on what Jonathan Ogden does -- be looking at two tackle positions to fill. Remember, this was an offensive line that allowed just 17 sacks, second only to Indianapolis. Thomas was the big-ticket item, and he was gone the minute Baltimore passed on making him a franchise player. The All-Pro linebacker did a lot of things for the Ravens defense, and all of them good. Subtract 11 sacks, 106 tackles and the eight positions he played, and your defense is bound to suffer.


Three teams I don't get
Houston: I'm sorry, but signing Ahman Green does not fix your running game. The Texans drew up an $8 million check this season for a guy who missed 13 of his last 27 games and who, at 30, is winding down. The past two years he averaged 3.8 yards per carry and produced five 100-yard games. He had 10 in 2003. This is just another reason why the Texans should've drafted Reggie Bush or Vince Young with last year's No. 1 pick. Heck, Young is a quarterback, and I'll take him as a running back over Green. When you make a mistake on a top five draft pick it can take years to correct. Look what happened with San Diego and Ryan Leaf. The Texans just lunged at another pitch outside the strike zone, and it will cost them -- both at the bank and on the field.

Tampa Bay: I just don't know what the plan is ... if there is a plan. The Buccaneers re-sign Chris Simms, then bring in Jeff Garcia. OK, that's good for Garcia, not good for Simms. Then they sign tackle Luke Petitgout after the Giants pass. Listen, New York needs offensive linemen like the Mideast needs peace, so when the Giants give up on a guy -- particularly someone who was their starting left tackle -- you have to wonder what's left. So I wonder. Patrick Chukwurah? My lasting memory of him was blowing cookies on the field against New England. I know he can play, but he was strictly second team on a Broncos defense that faded down the stretch. You sign him, let Dewayne White walk, and that's supposed to be a good thing? Sorry, don't get it.
Cleveland: I like the Eric Steinbach signing, though not at the price the Browns paid. But then they go out and pick up running back Jamal Lewis. Granted, it's a one-year deal, but why sign him at all? He's worn out and not close to the guy who was the 2003 Offensive Player of the Year. I assume we all agree that Cleveland takes Adrian Peterson with the third pick of the draft. Then why not keep Reuben Droughns as the backup? I'll take him over Lewis at this point of their careers. And speaking of Droughns ... Tim Carter? Are you kidding me? He was an underachieving wide receiver with the Giants who always seemed to get hurt. And when he did play he dropped every other pass. He doesn't make you a better football team. Antwan Peek? Kenny Wright? Are you going to tell me you can't find comparable ... or better ... players in the draft? GM Phil Savage can. He's demonstrated it. So why collect detritus now?

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Three guys who might want to reconsider
1. Dominic Rhodes: He signs with Oakland, which is a coup for the Raiders. For years they ignored the run; now they have Rhodes and LaMont Jordan, with fullback Justin Griffith to block for them. That's a start. But let's look at this from Rhodes' perspective: Just where, exactly, does he plan to run? I mean, could he have found a worse offensive line? The Raiders last year couldn't run and couldn't pass, and their offensive line had more holes than the Garden State Parkway. This reminds me of last year's Edgerrin James' signing, without the megabucks. James was supposed to perk up a sorry rushing attack; then people looked at the offensive line in front of him and figured out that LaDainian Tomlinson couldn't help these guys.

2. Dillon: Yeah, sure, that was a good career move asking out of New England. Just look at everyone lining up to sign him.

3. Jamal Lewis: You left Baltimore to do what ... back up Peterson? That's how this one-year deal looks. There's a future in Cleveland all right, only it's not for Lewis. It's for the next back who steps off the bus.


Three under-the-radar moves I like
1. The Giants' re-signing of center Shaun O'Hara: Shortly after the club resolved to lose O'Hara to another club he rejoined the team ... and at a relatively (and I can't stress that enough) cheap price. That's good for O'Hara, who wanted to stay in his home state, and good for a Giants team that held the line on spending and kept a key offensive lineman.

2. Indianapolis' re-signing linebacker Rob Morris. The Colts played lights out against the run in the playoffs, and people wondered what happened. Once they got past Bob Sanders and Anthony McFarland they took a look at Morris. Moving him to the outside was critical to the success of a rejuvenated defense.

3. Miami signing fullback Cory Schlesinger. Coach Cam Cameron had Lorenzo Neal in front of Tomlinson in San Diego, so he knows the value of a lead blocker. Schlesinger is a solid people-mover who can do for Ronnie Brown what Neal did for L.T. Not only that, but he picks up blitzes well. That's a bonus for the next quarterback ... whoever he may be.


My idea of a good signing
San Diego retained left guard Dielman after the club assumed it would lose him to Seattle. But here's something you almost never hear anymore: Dielman took less money to stay with the Chargers. In fact, he took millions less. Keeping him is big because Dielman is a tough, solid performer. In fact, there are people in San Diego who thought he was the team's best offensive lineman a year ago. All I know is that he played on a side where Tomlinson ran most of the time, and there has to be a reason. Keeping Dielman paired with left tackle Marcus McNeill ensures that Tomlinson keeps running left. It also keeps all of the Chargers' offensive line starters under contract through the next two years, with three of them tied up through the next five. This, folks, is why general manager A.J. Smith makes the big bucks.


My idea of a bad signing
Minnesota pays $8 million for a tight end not named Gonzalez or Gates? You have to be kidding. Nope, the Vikings shelled out $8 million for Visanthe Shiancoe, and, nope, I wouldn't have known him, either, if I didn't live in New York. The guy played behind Jeremy Shockey and did virtually nothing in his four years with the Giants. I can see taking a flyer on him, but at $8 million? Please.


Three happiest guys
1. McGahee: OK, OK, so he wasn't a free agent. He would've been one a year from now, which is one reason Buffalo scrambled to get something for him while it could. McGahee wasn't happy in Buffalo, and the natives weren't all that pleased with him, either, after that "Maybe the Team Would Be Better Off in Toronto" comment. Anyway, he gets out of Buffalo; he goes to a club (Baltimore) where he can win; and he gains a rich new contract. Suddenly, life is good.

2. Garcia: After Philadelphia passed on him, preferring to sign A.J. Feeley as Donovan McNabb's backup, Garcia started looking like the NFL's answer to Philip Nolan. Then Houston and Oakland inquired, and tell me which of those two clubs you'd like to quarterback at 37: Houston allowed 43 sacks, or 25 fewer than it did in 2005, and Oakland allowed a league-worst 72. Garcia wants to play football, not serve as someone's piñata. As it turns out, Garcia didn't have to choose either because Tampa Bay rescued him and offered a contract that pays $5 million the first season. Terrific. He can start and make money. Plus, he plays for a club that was in the playoffs two years ago. Oakland last made it in 2002. And Houston? Don't ask.

3. Stallworth: Another guy who looked as if he might be in trouble, especially after the Philadelphia Inquirer ran that story about his being involved in a drug treatment program. Then he signs a six-year contract with New England that could be worth as much as $33 million. OK, so it looks more like a one-year deal when you look at the $8 million in bonuses due next February and March. Nevertheless, at those figures, Stallworth becomes the No. 1 receiver for Tom Brady. And that's a good thing. Look what it did for Branch's career.


Biggest gamble
Offensive lineman Leonard Davis. Dallas made him one of free-agency's big winners when it rewarded him with a $50 million contract after he did nothing with Arizona. With the re-signing of tackle Marc Columbo, the Cowboys can make Davis their right guard. Good. That's the perfect spot for him. He demonstrated he can't play left tackle, where he allowed eight sacks and committed nine false starts last season. But he could be the next Larry Allen at guard. One problem: Critics said he was undercharged at Arizona; that he lacked motivation. Their question: How is paying him $50 mil going to motivate him now? Ah, that's where the gamble is.


Surest thing
Thomas gets my vote now that he's in New England. Pete Prisco and I disagree on the guy, but one thing we share is a belief that he can star in an unorthodox defense. Well, he just met one, with Belichick running so many looks at opponents that the Pats defense sometimes seems to be auditioning for Sybil. Guaranteed: Belichick will keep Thomas moving so much opponents will have a hard time tracking him. That's good for New England; bad for opponents.


Just asking but ...
• If Kansas City intends to get younger and faster, what's with the signing of soon-to-be 34-year-old Donnie Edwards?
• Does New England remind you of Philadelphia in 2004, when the Eagles broke from tradition and went after Jevon Kearse and Terrell Owens?
• Think Seattle wishes it matched Steve Hutchinson's offer sheet a year ago?
• How long does Jake Plummer stay retired?
• Who takes the bait and signs San Diego's Michael Turner to an offer sheet?

The one thing Judge doesn't get is the fact that many of these players go to teams for one reason......

Money.

Unless, they are winding down a career and want a ring. Then they may take less money for a contender.

Judge thinks this is a sport, but the bottom line for these players is what are you gonna pay me?!

Everyone is ga ga over the Adalius Thomas signing and if he goes out and pulls a LeCharles Bentley in training camp, then where will be the I told you so's be?

Just like the NCAA final four, it's all a crap shoot.

This guy is on crack to think Rueben Droughns is better than Jamal Lewis at any time, in any stage of their careers.

Jamal can rush for a thousand yards in his sleep, with a bumb knee. Rueben in his best year as a pro scored what 2 touchdowns to go with his 1,000 + yards?

Rueben was a career back up, who had a career year with us, and will never repeat it again.

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Tully Banta-Cain

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Dang, I didn't know he signed already. Niners got two guys I would have liked.

It's pretty odd that he states Dockery will help improve the Bills line but doesn't mention that he got the same money as Steinbach. Yet then proceedes to say we overpaid for Steinbach who is universally ranked as a better guard in free agency.

And I don't know how many people would want Droughns over Lewis at this point in time. Especially considering Lewis was running on ankle spurs all year, couldn't cut and still got 9 TDs and decent yardage. At worst it is a lateral move, at best it is a good upgrade. I guess in his opinion releasing Droughns and getting nothing for him at all is better than adding depth at the WR position. Whatever...

Tim Carters contract is up in '08 and off our books. That means we got rid of Droughns contract and cap hit, took on a cheaper guy, and his contract is caput too.

Not a fan of the bias this author has put into this article. Dockery is NOT steinbach, got almost the same exact deal (with more signing bonus i think) yet we overpaid.

Winners..Cleveland Fan
Loser:Clark Judge
Why:
I just don't get what THE JUDGE(Here come the judge, here come the judge) is thinking about..he doesn't know squat about Cleveland and whats going on , yet he writes a article about how they overpaid one of the best FA's on the market..
And how RD IS BETTER than Lewis..and how Tim Carter is a focal point of the team and the other FA's we signed are not better than what we could get in the draft..oh DANG IT...I forgot the draft isn't even here yet..
Dang it again..Judge didn't know we were MERELY going to address two/three areas this offseason..
Just asking but how many more needlebrain articles written by wanna-be beat Hacks are going to be published now till preseason?
We're wondering what sentence the Judge is serving from apparantly illegal Bracket Bustin for March Madness

No one ( that I know of ) on this board has anything nice to say about the media and their treatment of the Browns .. But since 99 they have more on than the posters on this board ! .. Sorry , but the truth shall set you free

Yes bias,

The biased writer who says Leanard Davis could be the next Larry Allen (GUARD!!!!!) but Steinbach isn't a good value.

Davis got more than Steinbach, doesn't play guard, but he is a "good" signing, even though he is suggesting that he play guard for more money than Steiny.

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The guy does not have a favorable opinion of our signings. So what? Am I biased because I don't like the color cyan or prefer my eggs hardboiled and not over easy?

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No but if you said you don't like eggs at $3, and then go on to say fatter eggs for $4 is a value when you want to use them for hash browns.

Ok Clark I´ll play and educate you on the team you don´t get (maybe because you don´t bother, lol?)

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Cleveland: I like the Eric Steinbach signing, though not at the price the Browns paid.

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From the Top 5 FA OL group Steinbach (along with Dielman) was No.1 in cost/performance ratio....

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But then they go out and pick up running back Jamal Lewis. Granted, it's a one-year deal, but why sign him at all? He's worn out and not close to the guy who was the 2003 Offensive Player of the Year

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Because Lewis + WR Carter > Droughns at the same price...it´s that easy

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I assume we all agree that Cleveland takes Adrian Peterson with the third pick of the draft. Then why not keep Reuben Droughns as the backup?

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1. Lol, take a look around here..."we all agree", ROFL...here´s the only true sentence about the Browns..."I assume"...yeah, Judge, you assume that about sums it up

2. Because paying your backup RB 4mil is just stupid

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I'll take him over Lewis at this point of their careers.

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Let´s make a poll...you´re in the vast minority here bro

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And speaking of Droughns ... Tim Carter? Are you kidding me? He was an underachieving wide receiver with the Giants who always seemed to get hurt. And when he did play he dropped every other pass. He doesn't make you a better football team.

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You are right about Carter...but Carter > Nothing

He doesn´t make us better? Well, nor does "nothing"....at least Carter has more talent and upside than "nothing"

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Antwan Peek? Kenny Wright? Are you going to tell me you can't find comparable ... or better ... players in the draft? GM Phil Savage can. He's demonstrated it. So why collect detritus now?

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Sure, those are just depth signings and sure you can find waaay better players in the draft....but then the Browns need also better players, even starters at G, DE, NT, CB, T, QB......too bad we just have 3 1st day picks to upgrade

Again, it's the guy's OPINION. It apparently differs from yours. Big deal.

The only bias I see in many of these sports entertainment articles comes from the inferiority complexes of those who read the articles and can't stomach an opinion the differs from their own.

So the guy doesn't like Lewis, or he doesn't like Steinbach, or he'd rather have Droughns than Carter. I could care less. The guy probably has no concept of what our GM is trying to accomplish in Cleveland.

If you think differently, good for you. They are all nothing but opinions.

Well, here we go (again)... as soon as someone is critical of decisions Browns management has made, everyone gets defensive and says the author doesn't know what they are talking about. Sooner or later, we (the fans) will be right, but since 1999 we have not been right when we justify what the Browns do, especially in the off season.

I'm not agreeing or disagreeing with the author here, just observing the tradition of the Browns message boards - disagree with any critical observations of the Browns and pass it off as 'they don't know what they are talking about'; even though year after year our team has been terrible, which would hint to there being miscalculations on behalf of the Browns management. Until that trend ends, most/many decisions will receive criticism in the media.

"There go da Judge"

No, I can stomach it when it is even remotely accurate. The guy acts like we were trying to ge some stud for Rueben droughs, and I bet if we asked him he would have no clue about cap hits, and salaries, and why we made such a move.

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The guy probably has no concept of what our GM is trying to accomplish in Cleveland.

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I agree, and this guy placing his bias, that everything Cleveland does is overpaid, or a dumb move, ro doesn't make sense. Isn't that a bias?

pimping leanard Davis as Larry Allen is laughable. (on a side note) Larry allen can bench 700 pounds.

Larry Allen is one fo the best linemen this league will ever see. So IMO, him pimping Davis as Allen, and knocking steinbach is laughable, and bias.

Couldnt have said it better my self...This is just me But I feel the author hit the nail on this one ! all but the JL part imo I see him haveing atleast 2 more good years in him.

Okay, I'm not gonna bash the guy on his opinions about the Droughns trade, or signing Jamal Lewis. I think Carter has a lot to prove before he makes the team, (like that he can run a route and catch the ball,) and Jamal needs to show that his surgery will get him back close to form. Eric Steinbach was a no brainer IMO, that's how bad we needed a guard, and yeah he was expensive, but so was every other top 5 FA this year, (and some lessers ones,). I won't roll my eyes at his assumption that we take Adrian Peterson either, though that is a huge assumption based on a one year signing, especially given the deep RB class next year. But this is just silly:

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Antwan Peek? Kenny Wright? Are you going to tell me you can't find comparable ... or better ... players in the draft? GM Phil Savage can. He's demonstrated it. So why collect detritus now?

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We have so many needs and only so many draft picks. Yes, Phil probably can find better or comparable picks in the draft, but he must feel these guys can help shore up their positions or he wouldn't have signed them. Does that mean we don't draft an OLB or a CB? No, but it's not as urgent of a need now. Even if he does end up drafting them, he only ends up strengthening two positions we're thin at anyway. Besides, wouldn't all free agents qualify as detritus?

I'm so bored.

If he doesn't know, then he is writing a bunch of garbage out of ignorance. He is a sports writer trying to come off as intelligent about a subject. Maybe he should have a clue about what he is writing about.

No one ( that I know of ) on this board has anything nice to say about the media and their treatment of the Browns .. But since 99 they have more on than the posters on this board ! .. Sorry , but the truth shall set you free
I was being totally sarcastic..but it's apparant that you buy into everything the media says about the Browns..

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I was being totally sarcastic..

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You!? No way!

No problem CDawg...but what about going into specifics with your rationale.....I did it, please do it with my conclusions...where do you specifically disagree and why..."since 99 [censored]" doesn´t qualify as an argument on my points...sorry, I´m not defending everything since 99, that´s for sure...but this article just lacks information, sorry.....you disagree? Great, but what about hitting the content of an argument? Go ahead, I´m curious where you disagree..

j/c:

I can see both sides in this argument.

First of all, it grows tiresome to hear all the posters defend every move Savage makes, only to see that the questions/concerns were legit.

On the other hand, I think Savage did some good things in FA this year and I'm not sure if I would have listed them where the author did. That doesn't make him wrong.......or right.

Bottom line: I think it's been an up and down FA period for Savage.

I love the Steinbach signing. I was incorrect when I said that the Browns getting Steinbach was nothing but a pipe dream. I give Savage a lot of credit for signing the guy.

I actually like the Lewis acquisition. I think he is better than RD. I think he can still be effective. He also made it possible to not address the RB position early in the draft this year.

I don't really like the RD for Carter trade. I would have kept him and used him in a rotation w/Lewis. I think RD could have got a few series a game w/Lewis getting the bulk of the carries. I think RD is a better player than Carter. I would not have released RD outright and any plans to do so were flawed.

The signing of Peek and Wright do nothing for me. I just say......why? I am not seeing how these guys will help improve the team. FAs should improve the team.

I do like that Savage did not top the SF offer for Clements or that he didn't go crazy and sign a stiff like Davis.

I am a little concerned that we did not get a better cb, such as Harper or Hood in FA.

Our FA period is not as bad as the author claims and not as good as most posters claim.

You know Dawg your starting to get under my skin ! .. My comments where made tongue in cheek .. However , if you want carry this on .. Just What is OUR Win / Loss record since The Return ???? The media has crucified us on every front & rightfully so .. They HAVE been Right more than the vast ############ of posters on this Board and includes ME TOO ! ..

You want to fight , go find Peen !

Opinions are like......

And this guy is one.

U hit the nail on the head here bro ... I met him and King at a Browns TC practice 4 years ago ... they were both doing TC tours ... they were both there to watch the PM practice .. so i stood by them and listened .. they talked about everythign but football ... witch is fine .. but what i noticed .. they watched practice for about 20 minutes ... then they had their backs turned and were actually facing a covered fence for the next hour or so ... then they said they were going inside to get out of the heat and ready to interview bOtch ..

the part of practice they watched was the WR's ..

then i read what they said ... they said this guy looked good and that guy looked great and then quoted a bunch of what bOtch told them .. i just LMAO as these guys were nuttin more than parrots for bOtch .. and they said NOTHING ABOUT OUR WR'S .. the only group they actually watched ..

i knew right then that clark was a MORON .. and i have never had any respect for King since then ...

Clark is a JACKASS ..

i will say that him and Vic Carruci are also GENIUSES .. they know nuttin about football yet continue to make a living writing about it .. how is beyond me .. but u gotta give them credit for GETTING PAID for sumptin they ABSOLUTELY SUCK AT ..

Yep, I don´t care about "good" or "bad" labels for FA...

I look at it from player to player....

Steinbach >>> Andruzzi....big upgrade at LG

Peek > McMillan/Thompson/Stewart......upgrade at 3rd OLB, especially pass rushing

Wright > Ralph Brown.....he got 625K SB for 3 years, that´s a depth sign

J.Lewis > Droughns....slight upgrade move with bigger upside


I really think Savage was counting on Clements...and didn´t see much better upgrade options for Holly for #2 spot....and I agree, Hood and others "might" be better than Holly...but they are not worth the long term commitment, esp. the older ones like Harper....so he went the cheap vet route with Wright

Shaun Smith > Kelley....would be true backup NT
Robaire Smith >> McKinley.....upgrade at DE


that´s the way I look at it....where did we get worse? At S maybe if Pool/Hamilton can´t play at Russells level.....overall I see improvement

"Then why not keep Reuben Droughns as the backup? I'll take him over Lewis at this point of their careers."

No debate, no rant...thats all I got to print - he don't have a clue.

The reality is that Savage is still trying to plug the holes in the damn.

A couple of the holes were his own creation (Coleman and Andruzzi) so there is no favortism for "his guy".

Finding decent NFL players is a challenge. But some good players that will help a team win won't be pro-bowlers. Some players (e.g. Peek) become available and may suit the Browns better.

No team has an endless cap amount. San Diego generally stays out of the FA market it they identify that a current player is worth keeping, with Dielman being the exception, because SD did not want to pay market value, and in the end, they did not.

WARNING...tangent ahead!

just curious...what writers, if any...L...do you Xs and Os folks think are good?...

i only know how writers impress/fail to impress me, but i know relatively little about the real inner workings of the game...that said, locally, i think Pluto's the only consistently good one...MaryKay is ok sometimes...nationally, i like two of NFL.com's guys...Kirwan, and to a lesser extent, Brandt...Pasquarelli is ok...all the CBS and yahoo guys are stealing $, IMO...am i way off base?...