Free Agency Grades (1 Viewer)

[Kevin Ashcraft]

I would have like to see them make a play for a WR, but all indications are that WR is the target on Draft Day.

Riddle me this:Considering the dearth of WRs on the roster, why not sign a veteran FA AND draft 1 or more to protect against another CRAPhonso Thorpe?

Hey if it were me , I would have signed FIVE new WRs

 

[ImTheScientist]

Seattle Seahawks:

Signed

Deon Grant, S Jacksonville Unrestricted Undisclosed

Will Heller, TE Seattle Unrestricted Undisclosed

Patrick Kerney, DE Atlanta Unrestricted 6 years

Josh Parry, FB Seattle No tender Undisclosed

Marcus Pollard, TE Detroit Other* Undisclosed

Brian Russell, S Cleveland Unrestricted Undisclosed

Departures J.P. Darche, LS (KC);

Grant Wistrom, DE

Jermey Stevens (not coming back)

Ken Hamlin (not coming back)

Overall I would give them a D-

I don't see how Deon Grant is a huge improvement over Hamlin (especially for the money they paid him). I also don't see how signing 30+ year old veterans that suck will improve your team. Nothing sexy what so ever about anything they have done :X

To be honest....the future is not bright for the seahawks. Just a bunch of overpaid veterans trying to get in the playoffs in a previously weak NFC West. NEWS FLASH SEAHAWK MANAGEMENT: The other teams in the division....they got a lot better, they also didn't waist a first round pick on Deon Branch and a third round pick on Nate Burelson.

Trade D-Jax for a pick and I might feel a little better about things.

 

[SCGiants]

NY Giants: F

Idiots.. drop LBs and LT with no replacement and make no move to help the situation..then they promote failure with naming Reece the ex-director of player personnel to GM..the man responsible for recommending Dayne, Wm Joseph and trade away the farm for a beeker looking fool who throws off his back foot (Eli).

THEN they sign TC to a extension.

They sign Drougns.. was that worth mentioning?

AGGGHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[redman]

NY Giants: F

Idiots.. drop LBs and LT with no replacement and make no move to help the situation..then they promote failure with naming Reece the ex-director of player personnel to GM..the man responsible for recommending Dayne, Wm Joseph and trade away the farm for a beeker looking fool who throws off his back foot (Eli).

THEN they sign TC to a extension.

They sign Drougns.. was that worth mentioning?

AGGGHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Bizkiteer]

I'd give the 'Skins a solid B+, as much because of the restraint they've shown as for any signings they've made.

Signings: London Fletcher; Fred Smoot; Ross Tucker

Resignings: Todd Wade, Omar Stoutmire, Vernon Fox, Todd Yoder, Derrick Frost

Departures: Derrick Dockery

London Fletcher: great signing who has been healthy throughout a long career and is a great leader in addition to being a solid MLB who is already familiar with the defense. He both fills a talent/leadership void at a critical spot on defense and allows Lemar Marshall to provide depth all along the line, a classic two birds with one stone scenario.

Fred Smoot: Another excellent signing. He wasn't even the second best CB available (Samuel & Clements) but the 'Skins know him and aren't worried about the Love Boat episode in Minny. He provides a capable nickel CB and CB2 if needed. Again, they saved money by going with a "lesser" talent at CB.

Todd Wade: He's a bargain resigning because the 'Skins know better than anyone that he's healthy and talented. He's already practiced at LG, and they're paying roughly 25% to him of what was paid out to the top four OG's signed in free agency, including Derrick Dockery who he replaced. This represented some excellent restraint in avoiding getting into a bidding war over a guard and still coming out of it with talent. Wade can also slide over to tackle if Samuels or Jansen are injured.

Vernon Fox: A good resigning from a capable role player who was signed late last year and played well at strong safety. This defense needs competence far more than it needs stardom at that position, and he provides that, and for a very reasonable price.

Omar Stoutmire: After leaving the team for New Orleans last year, they've brought him back to play backup S and a dime DB. He's solid in those roles and on special teams.

Ross Tucker: adds much needed depth to the interior o-line.

Todd Yoder: An unsexy resigning but he was a good blocking TE and special teamer, a good guy to have in the battle line.

Derrick Frost: retaining him as a RFA is a good move given that he's developed well with the team and has the talent to be one of the best punters in the league if he gets a bit more consistent.

I'd have to lower it a bit...maybe B- or C+ because of their lack of getting DL help. Of course, there wasn't anything out there that would fix it in one swoop, but help/depth was out there.

 

[redman]

I'd give the 'Skins a solid B+, as much because of the restraint they've shown as for any signings they've made.

I'd have to lower it a bit...maybe B- or C+ because of their lack of getting DL help. Of course, there wasn't anything out there that would fix it in one swoop, but help/depth was out there.

That was my point. I think by filling the other holes the way they did they can focus on the D-line in the draft. I think that's a far better approach than, for example, reaching on Patrick Kerney for another DE.

 

[RC94]

Giants Off-season Overview:

Additions:

RB. Ruben Droughns

Subtractions:

LB. LaVar Arrington

RB. Tiki Barber (retired)

WR. Tim Carter

LB. Carlos Emmons

K. Jay Feely

RB/KR. Chad Morton

OT. Luke Petitgout

TE. Visanthe Shiancoe

CB. Frank Walker

OT. Bob Whitfield

Re-signed:

LS Ryan Kuehl

C Shaun O'Hara

Grade = D-

The only reason I am not giving them an F is because some of these moves are ok, including letting a few of these guys go. However, promoting Reese to GM was a huge mistake and it will have long term ramifications. Reese, as SCGiants mentioned, was Accorsi’s right hand man and a driving factor behind a lot of terrible moves. The Giants needed a major change in direction in the front office and coaching and failed to do either. Coughlin can still be fired easily next year when there will be better replacements available, but Reese isn’t going anywhere for a while and it will be a major reason why the Giants will not be able to take it to the next level anytime soon.

Getting rid of Arrington and Emmons was addition by subtraction. The team is very thin at LB now, but it won’t be hard to upgrade the quality over these 2 guys. Neither has been any good for a couple of years. However, the problem is that Reese hasn’t done anything to upgrade here, including simply adding depth. Not going after free agents and with so many other needs, it will be hard to just upgrade through the draft. I really hope Wilkinson is ready to play a major role, because he is going to have to, ready or not.

Releasing Petitgout was also addition by subtraction to a degree, although I would have been ok with it if Reese has been able to re-sign him at a reduced price. OT’s are few and far between, so even an average one, which is the kindest way of describing Petitgout, still has some value. Petitgout was always injured and he has had penalty/discipline problems, but even when healthy he was above average at best. Diehl should be a lateral move at LT, although I would still prefer it if Guy Whimper can step it up and become the starter so Diehl can move back to Guard. The o-line is still relatively solid, although losing Petitgout and Whitfield reduce the depth, it doesn’t necessarily reduce the quality.

The more I think about it, the more I like the Droughns trade. Carter showed so much promise when he was drafted, but he has had 5 years at this point and has not progressed at all during that time. Injuries were a part of it, but he didn’t progress even when healthy and given the opportunity, so I think it was definitely time to give up on him. Droughns’ contract with the Giants is a good one for a player who will be more than just a backup. His style may be more similar to Jacobs’ than Tiki’s, but he will still be a good RBBC compliment and he can do some of the things that Jacobs’ isn’t that good at yet, such as 3rd down duties. Nonetheless, compared to last year, the RB position has been downgraded, which is bound to happen when you lose a player of Tiki’s caliber. It will be good enough, though, especially if the team can counter that by improving at other areas. Unfortunately, the team has so far failed to improve in other areas.

Losing Jay Feeley could actually wind up being one of the worst loses for the team. He is better than any other kicker available, as far as I can tell. This team has had some nightmares at kicker in recent years, so I wouldn’t underestimate this loss.

Overall, the Giants need quality depth at OT, DT, RB and WR and starters at CB, LB and K in particular, although a new starting-caliber LT and DT would also be nice. With so many needs and nobody coming in to fill them via free agency even simply for depth purposes, it will be impossible to fill them all via the draft. My biggest concern is that Reese won’t even fill half of them. I have major concerns about this team making the playoffs next year, unless some young players really step up on defense. There are starter needs at every level of the defense, so they still need to make a lot of changes there. Eli really has to step it up, but with his 2 primary receivers refusing to be team players and practice in NY during the off-season and his o-line depth becoming very thin, combined with losing a safety net like Tiki, it could be hard for him to take it to the next level. Reese had better show that he has some sort of plan, because so far it doesn’t look good.

 

[simmonjm]

Dallas Cowboys A-Dallas was able to resign Marc Colombo and Andre Gurode. They also brought in Leonard Davis to fill in for Marco Rivera who was the weakest link on the offensive line. Dallas now has something they havent had since the mid 90's, continuity on the offensive line. While many are quick to criticize the Davis signing I feel that it will payoff. Davis is much better suited to play guard and should be able to create some nice lanes for Julius and Marion to run through. Jerry Jones also paid a signing bonus to Terry Glenn and has already said he will pay TO's in June. Dallas will return 10/11 starters on the offense (this is assuming Leonard Davis starts over Rivera) and 11/11 players on the defensive side of the ball if Ellis is able to come back from an achilles injury which he says he is ahead of schedule. Dallas is currently talking with Ken Hamlin who would provide some competition with the second year player Pat Watkins. Dallas has really positioned themselves to draft on a BPA basis. Dallas has no glaring needs and realistically the only position a rookie could start in would be free safety. With 9 draft picks this year im really hoping Dallas trades up and gets an impact player.

Nice analysis. I would love to see a Jimmy Johnson draft where we get about 5-6 real contributors. Who would you want to them move up for? I like Reggie Nelson but he may be too high to get without overpaying.

Bill Parcells' greatest contribution to the Dallas teams he coached occurred on draft day, when he was able to minimize Jerry Jones' influence and draft actual players. Take a look at the drafts from 1994-2004 to see what a Jerry Jones-run draft looks like. I'm betting the under on "impact players" drafted.

2002 1 1 8 8 Roy Williams DB Oklahoma   2 2 5 37 Andre Gurode G Colorado   3 2 31 63 Antonio Bryant WR Pittsburgh   4 3 10 75 Derek Ross DB Ohio State   5 4 31 129 Jamar Martin RB Ohio State   6 5 33 168 Ralph Hunter DB Virginia Union   7 6 7 179 Tyson Walter T Ohio State   8 6 36 208 Deveren Johnson WR Sacred Heart   9 6 39 211 Bob Slowikowski TE Virginia Tech 2001 1 2 22 53 Quincy Carter QB Georgia   2 2 25 56 Tony Dixon DB Alabama   3 3 31 93 Willie Blade DT Mississippi State   4 4 27 122 Markus Steele LB USC   5 5 6 137 Matt Lehr G Virginia Tech   6 6 8 171 Daleroy Stewart DT Southern Mississippi   7 7 7 207 Colston Weatherington DE Central Missouri State   8 7 40 240 John Nix DT Southern Mississippi   9 7 42 242 Char-ron Dorsey T Florida State 2000 1 2 18 49 Dwayne Goodrich DB Tennessee   2 4 15 109 Kareem Larrimore DB West Texas A&M   3 5 15 144 Michael Wiley RB Ohio State   4 6 14 180 Mario Edwards DB Florida State   5 7 13 219 Orantes Grant LB Georgia 1999 1 1 20 20 Ebenezer Ekuban DE North Carolina   2 2 24 55 Solomon Page T West Virginia   3 3 24 85 Dat Nguyen LB Texas A&M   4 4 23 118 Wane McGarity WR Texas   5 4 37 132 Hundens Zellner DE Fort Valley State   6 6 24 193 MarTay Jenkins WR Nebraska-Omaha   7 7 23 229 Mike Lucky TE Arizona   8 7 37 243 Kelvin Garmon G Baylor 1998 1 1 8 8 Greg Ellis DE North Carolina   2 2 8 38 Flozell Adams T Michigan State   3 4 8 100 Michael Myers DT Alabama   4 5 7 130 Darren Hambrick LB South Carolina   5 5 15 138 Oliver Ross T Iowa State   6 6 35 188 Izell Reese DB Alabama-Birmingham   7 7 34 223 Tarik Smith RB California   8 7 38 227 Antonio Fleming G Georgia   9 7 48 237 Rodrick Monroe TE Cincinnati 1997 1 1 22 22 David LaFleur TE Louisiana State   2 3 5 65 Dexter Coakley DB Appalachian State   3 3 23 83 Steve Scifres G Wyoming   4 3 34 94 Kenny Wheaton DB Oregon   5 4 5 101 Antonio Anderson DT Syracuse   6 4 31 127 Macey Brooks WR James Madison   7 4 33 129 Nicky Sualua RB Ohio State   8 6 24 187 Lee Vaughn DB Wyoming   9 7 23 224 Omar Stoutmire DB Fresno State 1996 1 2 7 37 Kavika Pittman DE McNeese State   2 2 19 49 Randall Godfrey LB Georgia   3 3 6 67 Clay Shiver C Florida State   4 3 33 94 Stepfret Williams WR N.E. Louisiana   5 3 34 95 Mike Ulufale DT Brigham Young   6 5 25 157 Kenneth McDaniel G Norfolk State   7 5 35 167 Alan Campos LB Louisville   8 6 40 207 Wendell Davis DB Oklahoma   9 7 34 243 Ryan Wood RB Arizona State 1995s 1 3 0 0 Darren Benson DT Arkansas State 1995 1 2 14 46 Sherman Williams RB Alabama   2 2 27 59 Kendell Watkins TE Mississippi State   3 2 31 63 Shane Hannah G Michigan State   4 3 28 92 Charlie Williams DB Bowling Green   5 4 12 110 Eric Bjornson WR Washington   6 4 31 129 Alundis Brice DB Mississippi   7 4 32 130 Linc Harden LB Oklahoma State   8 5 32 166 Edward Hervey WR USC   9 5 34 168 Dana Howard LB Illinois   10 7 28 236 Oscar Sturgis DE North Carolina 1994s 1 5 0 0 John Davis TE Emporia State 1994 1 1 23 23 Shante Carver DE Arizona State   2 2 17 46 Larry Allen G Sonoma State   3 3 37 102 George Hegamin T North Carolina State   4 4 6 109 Willie Jackson WR Florida   5 4 28 131 DeWayne Dotson LB Mississippi   6 6 30 191 Darren Studstill DB West Virginia   7 7 22 216 Toddrick McIntosh DT Florida State

Oh, and put me on record as the Davis signing being an embarrassing amount of money to pay an OG, particularly one who was drafted as a tackle and allowed to walk in FA by the Cardinals who are about as needy for good linemen as any team in the NFL. This is Dallas' version of the 'Skins signing Adam Archuleta last year. If his enormous salary doesn't impact Dallas' ability to fill other needs, then that's great, but I can't imagine that being the case over time.

Davis is a great blocker when he gets his hands on people but due to his mammoth size he is one of the slowest/strongest men in the entire NFL. With that being said why play Davis at LT or even RT were you must rely on speed to counter the pass rushing DE's and LB's? Davis has the potential to be a dominating G. Early in his career he played G and was nearly voted to the probowl. Davis also brings alot of versatility to the Dallas offensive line since he can play G and T (albeit he is not a star T). It was also reported that your Redskins and Giants were offering Davis more money then Dallas but he opted to play in Dallas because of his roots to Texas. Dallas did not set the market they followed it, Im sure if we look back there was not 1 other team who would have paid Adam Archuleta what the Redskins did. Davis's contract is not cap strapping. With the amount of growth to the salary cap Davis's contract could look pretty nice in about 3-4 years. Also he played in Arizona I have a hard time writing someone off because they did not succeed their i.e. Simeon Rice, Thomas Jones. I can gaurantee you that Davis will be a 16 game starter (barring injury) he will not be riding the bench like Archuleta did early in the season. Also Steinbach signed a similar contract is a swingman (G & T) and has not made a pro bowl just like Davis but yet everyone applauds the Browns for the signing. Dallas had alot of cap room and wanted to upgrade their team and Davis was the right fit.

 

[redman]

Davis is a great blocker when he gets his hands on people but due to his mammoth size he is one of the slowest/strongest men in the entire NFL. With that being said why play Davis at LT or even RT were you must rely on speed to counter the pass rushing DE's and LB's? Davis has the potential to be a dominating G. Early in his career he played G and was nearly voted to the probowl. Davis also brings alot of versatility to the Dallas offensive line since he can play G and T (albeit he is not a star T). It was also reported that your Redskins and Giants were offering Davis more money then Dallas but he opted to play in Dallas because of his roots to Texas. Dallas did not set the market they followed it, Im sure if we look back there was not 1 other team who would have paid Adam Archuleta what the Redskins did. Davis's contract is not cap strapping. With the amount of growth to the salary cap Davis's contract could look pretty nice in about 3-4 years. Also he played in Arizona I have a hard time writing someone off because they did not succeed their i.e. Simeon Rice, Thomas Jones. I can gaurantee you that Davis will be a 16 game starter (barring injury) he will not be riding the bench like Archuleta did early in the season. Also Steinbach signed a similar contract is a swingman (G & T) and has not made a pro bowl just like Davis but yet everyone applauds the Browns for the signing. Dallas had alot of cap room and wanted to upgrade their team and Davis was the right fit.

Davis has the ability to be a great drive blocker. His mobility and athleticism are not good enough to count on him to get to the second level, much less to pull as guards are often called upon to do. As for Davis' contract, it's ridiculous. There's no way around it. Dallas has committed to paying an underachieving offensive guard $20M in guaranteed money. This isn't unique to Davis - I say this about all of the guards who got paid similarly to Davis including Dockery . . . but Davis was the highest paid among them. It's a crazy signing that reeks of desperation.

As for the Redskins and Davis, he visited but I can't find anywhere a report that says that the Redskins offered him anything and yet people are quoting this like gospel. I saw the comment by Davis that he signed with Dallas because he grew up in Texas and "it wasn't about the money" but that's it. Do you have a link to that?

 

[SCGiants]

Giants Off-season Overview:Additions:RB. Ruben DroughnsSubtractions:LB. LaVar ArringtonRB. Tiki Barber (retired)WR. Tim CarterLB. Carlos EmmonsK. Jay FeelyRB/KR. Chad MortonOT. Luke PetitgoutTE. Visanthe ShiancoeCB. Frank WalkerOT. Bob WhitfieldRe-signed:LS Ryan KuehlC Shaun O'HaraGrade = D-The only reason I am not giving them an F is because some of these moves are ok, including letting a few of these guys go. However, promoting Reese to GM was a huge mistake and it will have long term ramifications. Reese, as SCGiants mentioned, was Accorsi’s right hand man and a driving factor behind a lot of terrible moves. The Giants needed a major change in direction in the front office and coaching and failed to do either. Coughlin can still be fired easily next year when there will be better replacements available, but Reese isn’t going anywhere for a while and it will be a major reason why the Giants will not be able to take it to the next level anytime soon.Getting rid of Arrington and Emmons was addition by subtraction. The team is very thin at LB now, but it won’t be hard to upgrade the quality over these 2 guys. Neither has been any good for a couple of years. However, the problem is that Reese hasn’t done anything to upgrade here, including simply adding depth. Not going after free agents and with so many other needs, it will be hard to just upgrade through the draft. I really hope Wilkinson is ready to play a major role, because he is going to have to, ready or not.Releasing Petitgout was also addition by subtraction to a degree, although I would have been ok with it if Reese has been able to re-sign him at a reduced price. OT’s are few and far between, so even an average one, which is the kindest way of describing Petitgout, still has some value. Petitgout was always injured and he has had penalty/discipline problems, but even when healthy he was above average at best. Diehl should be a lateral move at LT, although I would still prefer it if Guy Whimper can step it up and become the starter so Diehl can move back to Guard. The o-line is still relatively solid, although losing Petitgout and Whitfield reduce the depth, it doesn’t necessarily reduce the quality.The more I think about it, the more I like the Droughns trade. Carter showed so much promise when he was drafted, but he has had 5 years at this point and has not progressed at all during that time. Injuries were a part of it, but he didn’t progress even when healthy and given the opportunity, so I think it was definitely time to give up on him. Droughns’ contract with the Giants is a good one for a player who will be more than just a backup. His style may be more similar to Jacobs’ than Tiki’s, but he will still be a good RBBC compliment and he can do some of the things that Jacobs’ isn’t that good at yet, such as 3rd down duties. Nonetheless, compared to last year, the RB position has been downgraded, which is bound to happen when you lose a player of Tiki’s caliber. It will be good enough, though, especially if the team can counter that by improving at other areas. Unfortunately, the team has so far failed to improve in other areas.Losing Jay Feeley could actually wind up being one of the worst loses for the team. He is better than any other kicker available, as far as I can tell. This team has had some nightmares at kicker in recent years, so I wouldn’t underestimate this loss. Overall, the Giants need quality depth at OT, DT, RB and WR and starters at CB, LB and K in particular, although a new starting-caliber LT and DT would also be nice. With so many needs and nobody coming in to fill them via free agency even simply for depth purposes, it will be impossible to fill them all via the draft. My biggest concern is that Reese won’t even fill half of them. I have major concerns about this team making the playoffs next year, unless some young players really step up on defense. There are starter needs at every level of the defense, so they still need to make a lot of changes there. Eli really has to step it up, but with his 2 primary receivers refusing to be team players and practice in NY during the off-season and his o-line depth becoming very thin, combined with losing a safety net like Tiki, it could be hard for him to take it to the next level. Reese had better show that he has some sort of plan, because so far it doesn’t look good.

I agree with 99% of this but though Pettigout was full of mental mistakes imo you don't just let one of the better LT in the game go without a proven replacementt..especially when Eli gets nervous quick and throws off his back foot with any type of pressure and also with a new RB who is not as swift to cut the hole (also who needs more room) than a smallish Barber did. I wholeheartedly agree with losing Feely was pretty bad. Kicking in the Meadowlands is tough when that swirling wind starts and Feely has been one of the best kikers we had in a while. I was also not too happy to see another WR from the U come in... this most likely means he will be joining Shock and Plax in Miami instead of NY..although I am not sure if he was a no show or not this year. Eli has NO timing with plax or shock.. this also makes me question if its not plax and shock.. reason I say is Toomer seemed to have no problems and is a polished vet who had what? 5 seasons >1000 yds? MAYBE Shock and Plax aren't playing 100% when they know they aren't getting the ball... maybe I am wrong and its all Beekers fault. Either way it looks to be a long decade coming though I pray I am wrong.

 

[pizzatyme]

Colts C

Lost to FA- June, Reagor, Stokley, Harper, Rhodes,

Re-signed- Rob Morris, Lilja, Klecko, Gardner

Added Via FA- ____________

The Colts are strapped against the Salary Cap, so it is expected that they'd go lightly in the FA pool.

I think they will sign Freeney and go LB in the 1st round of the draft. Then I'd hope they go DT twice in the next 4 rounds and OG once.

The only FA defector that really hurts IMO is Harper. and that is minimally. The Colts have depth at DB and LB so I expect Keiaho to get the first shot to replace June at WLB.

My wish is that the Colts were to package their 1st this year and 2nd next year to move up to get Patrick Willis, but that won't happen.

Maybe they get Poslozny and he turns out to be a stud?!

 

[ImTheScientist]

The Giants.....

 

[djcolts]

Colts CLost to FA- June, Reagor, Stokley, Harper, Rhodes, Re-signed- Rob Morris, Lilja, Klecko, GardnerAdded Via FA- ____________The Colts are strapped against the Salary Cap, so it is expected that they'd go lightly in the FA pool.I think they will sign Freeney and go LB in the 1st round of the draft. Then I'd hope they go DT twice in the next 4 rounds and OG once.The only FA defector that really hurts IMO is Harper. and that is minimally. The Colts have depth at DB and LB so I expect Keiaho to get the first shot to replace June at WLB.My wish is that the Colts were to package their 1st this year and 2nd next year to move up to get Patrick Willis, but that won't happen.Maybe they get Poslozny and he turns out to be a stud?!

I agree with the C grade. I would have given a D if they didn't re-sign Rob Morris - they had to make that signing (can't lose 2 LB starters - losing one is not terrible).I really don't know which position the Colts will draft in round 1. I could see DT, LB, or WR in round 1 depending on who is highest on their draft board. I expect at least one LB, DT, and RB in the 1st 4 rounds (4 picks - a 1st, a 3rd, a 4th and either a 3rd or 4th for losing Edge as a comp pick). I also expect the annual mid-round OG pick.

 

[gump]

 

[redman]

Colts CLost to FA- June, Reagor, Stokley, Harper, Rhodes, Re-signed- Rob Morris, Lilja, Klecko, GardnerAdded Via FA- ____________The Colts are strapped against the Salary Cap, so it is expected that they'd go lightly in the FA pool.I think they will sign Freeney and go LB in the 1st round of the draft. Then I'd hope they go DT twice in the next 4 rounds and OG once.The only FA defector that really hurts IMO is Harper. and that is minimally. The Colts have depth at DB and LB so I expect Keiaho to get the first shot to replace June at WLB.My wish is that the Colts were to package their 1st this year and 2nd next year to move up to get Patrick Willis, but that won't happen.Maybe they get Poslozny and he turns out to be a stud?!

I agree with the C grade. I would have given a D if they didn't re-sign Rob Morris - they had to make that signing (can't lose 2 LB starters - losing one is not terrible).I really don't know which position the Colts will draft in round 1. I could see DT, LB, or WR in round 1 depending on who is highest on their draft board. I expect at least one LB, DT, and RB in the 1st 4 rounds (4 picks - a 1st, a 3rd, a 4th and either a 3rd or 4th for losing Edge as a comp pick). I also expect the annual mid-round OG pick.

The C grade may be kind insofar as they've lost three significant guys to free agency and have signed nobody of note, while their primary conference rival - the Patriots - has been extremely active and productive in free agency and has greatly improved their position. That could be seen as fiddling while Rome is burning.

 

[djcolts]

Colts C

Lost to FA- June, Reagor, Stokley, Harper, Rhodes,

Re-signed- Rob Morris, Lilja, Klecko, Gardner

Added Via FA- ____________

The Colts are strapped against the Salary Cap, so it is expected that they'd go lightly in the FA pool.

I think they will sign Freeney and go LB in the 1st round of the draft. Then I'd hope they go DT twice in the next 4 rounds and OG once.

The only FA defector that really hurts IMO is Harper. and that is minimally. The Colts have depth at DB and LB so I expect Keiaho to get the first shot to replace June at WLB.

My wish is that the Colts were to package their 1st this year and 2nd next year to move up to get Patrick Willis, but that won't happen.

Maybe they get Poslozny and he turns out to be a stud?!

I agree with the C grade. I would have given a D if they didn't re-sign Rob Morris - they had to make that signing (can't lose 2 LB starters - losing one is not terrible).I really don't know which position the Colts will draft in round 1. I could see DT, LB, or WR in round 1 depending on who is highest on their draft board. I expect at least one LB, DT, and RB in the 1st 4 rounds (4 picks - a 1st, a 3rd, a 4th and either a 3rd or 4th for losing Edge as a comp pick). I also expect the annual mid-round OG pick.

The C grade may be kind insofar as they've lost three significant guys to free agency and have signed nobody of note, while their primary conference rival - the Patriots - has been extremely active and productive in free agency and has greatly improved their position. That could be seen as fiddling while Rome is burning.

The C is meant to be kind (and a grade higher than a C would be inappropriate) and taking in mitigating factors as basically they had no cap room at all to sign any of the 3 main guys they lost because of 1) Freeney being franchised and not yet signed to a long-term deal and 2) Corey Simon's situation is nowhere near resolved and may not be resolved until after June 1st.They've lost 3 guys, 2 of them starters, a 3rd had a great playoff run (and a mediocre regular season), but I wouldn't call any of the 3 "cornerstone" guys. That may happen next year when the losses in 2007 will pale compared to what they could lose in 2008.

 

[RC94]

Giants Off-season Overview:Additions:RB. Ruben DroughnsSubtractions:LB. LaVar ArringtonRB. Tiki Barber (retired)WR. Tim CarterLB. Carlos EmmonsK. Jay FeelyRB/KR. Chad MortonOT. Luke PetitgoutTE. Visanthe ShiancoeCB. Frank WalkerOT. Bob WhitfieldRe-signed:LS Ryan KuehlC Shaun O'HaraGrade = D-The only reason I am not giving them an F is because some of these moves are ok, including letting a few of these guys go. However, promoting Reese to GM was a huge mistake and it will have long term ramifications. Reese, as SCGiants mentioned, was Accorsi’s right hand man and a driving factor behind a lot of terrible moves. The Giants needed a major change in direction in the front office and coaching and failed to do either. Coughlin can still be fired easily next year when there will be better replacements available, but Reese isn’t going anywhere for a while and it will be a major reason why the Giants will not be able to take it to the next level anytime soon.Getting rid of Arrington and Emmons was addition by subtraction. The team is very thin at LB now, but it won’t be hard to upgrade the quality over these 2 guys. Neither has been any good for a couple of years. However, the problem is that Reese hasn’t done anything to upgrade here, including simply adding depth. Not going after free agents and with so many other needs, it will be hard to just upgrade through the draft. I really hope Wilkinson is ready to play a major role, because he is going to have to, ready or not.Releasing Petitgout was also addition by subtraction to a degree, although I would have been ok with it if Reese has been able to re-sign him at a reduced price. OT’s are few and far between, so even an average one, which is the kindest way of describing Petitgout, still has some value. Petitgout was always injured and he has had penalty/discipline problems, but even when healthy he was above average at best. Diehl should be a lateral move at LT, although I would still prefer it if Guy Whimper can step it up and become the starter so Diehl can move back to Guard. The o-line is still relatively solid, although losing Petitgout and Whitfield reduce the depth, it doesn’t necessarily reduce the quality.The more I think about it, the more I like the Droughns trade. Carter showed so much promise when he was drafted, but he has had 5 years at this point and has not progressed at all during that time. Injuries were a part of it, but he didn’t progress even when healthy and given the opportunity, so I think it was definitely time to give up on him. Droughns’ contract with the Giants is a good one for a player who will be more than just a backup. His style may be more similar to Jacobs’ than Tiki’s, but he will still be a good RBBC compliment and he can do some of the things that Jacobs’ isn’t that good at yet, such as 3rd down duties. Nonetheless, compared to last year, the RB position has been downgraded, which is bound to happen when you lose a player of Tiki’s caliber. It will be good enough, though, especially if the team can counter that by improving at other areas. Unfortunately, the team has so far failed to improve in other areas.Losing Jay Feeley could actually wind up being one of the worst loses for the team. He is better than any other kicker available, as far as I can tell. This team has had some nightmares at kicker in recent years, so I wouldn’t underestimate this loss. Overall, the Giants need quality depth at OT, DT, RB and WR and starters at CB, LB and K in particular, although a new starting-caliber LT and DT would also be nice. With so many needs and nobody coming in to fill them via free agency even simply for depth purposes, it will be impossible to fill them all via the draft. My biggest concern is that Reese won’t even fill half of them. I have major concerns about this team making the playoffs next year, unless some young players really step up on defense. There are starter needs at every level of the defense, so they still need to make a lot of changes there. Eli really has to step it up, but with his 2 primary receivers refusing to be team players and practice in NY during the off-season and his o-line depth becoming very thin, combined with losing a safety net like Tiki, it could be hard for him to take it to the next level. Reese had better show that he has some sort of plan, because so far it doesn’t look good.

I agree with 99% of this but though Pettigout was full of mental mistakes imo you don't just let one of the better LT in the game go without a proven replacementt..especially when Eli gets nervous quick and throws off his back foot with any type of pressure and also with a new RB who is not as swift to cut the hole (also who needs more room) than a smallish Barber did. I wholeheartedly agree with losing Feely was pretty bad. Kicking in the Meadowlands is tough when that swirling wind starts and Feely has been one of the best kikers we had in a while. I was also not too happy to see another WR from the U come in... this most likely means he will be joining Shock and Plax in Miami instead of NY..although I am not sure if he was a no show or not this year. Eli has NO timing with plax or shock.. this also makes me question if its not plax and shock.. reason I say is Toomer seemed to have no problems and is a polished vet who had what? 5 seasons >1000 yds? MAYBE Shock and Plax aren't playing 100% when they know they aren't getting the ball... maybe I am wrong and its all Beekers fault. Either way it looks to be a long decade coming though I pray I am wrong.

I don't think Petitgout is one of the better LT in the game and I think Diehl can replace him fairly well. I would still rather have Diehl at guard and a better LT, but I am not sorry to see Petitgout go.IIRC, Moss stayed in NYC last off-season and practiced with Eli and the rest of the team. Unfortunately, he battled injuries and therefore didn't make any sort of impact last season, but I think he will improve this year provided he can stay healthy. I agree with you about Plax and Shockey and definitely blame them at least in part for the lack of timing with Eli and the lack of confidence Eli has in them. I would love to replace both Plax and Shockey, but physically they are both very talented and hard to replace. I don't see things getting much better with these 2, though, so I really hope Moss steps it up and provides Eli with a reliable WR he has timing and a relationship with. We will see if Moss stays in NYC or follows the other 2 down to Miami. It's a real shame about Plax and Shockey, though, because if they wanted to be team players and wanted to actually develop a relationship with Eli and the rest of the team, it could be a very dangerous offense.Overall, I have a bad feeling that this team is headed in the wrong direction. Eli will get a lot of the blame, but in my opinion there is a ton of it to go around and Eli doesn't deserve as much of it as he gets. The defense needs some major upgrades, and I don't see any of it happening at this point. The front office deserves most of the overall blame in my opinion, and I don't see that changing any time soon.

 

[ThePittbully]

Saints..Good: Re-signing guys like Thomans, Stinchcomb, and Shanle. Adding Simmons/LB and Kaesviharn/S give depth or outright upgrades over the exisiting talent. Johnson/TE can be a great addition if he can stay healthy. Bad: Losing Horn/WR hurts a lot. The other guys lost in FA have been role players and weren't expected to return anyway. Grade: B-/C+; We haven't added an undisputed playmaker on either side of the ball yet. I expect that to change with the draft. However, an experienced WR is not going to found there. That badly needs to be addressed in FA.

Yea I would have loved for new orleans to pick up Kevin Curtis or Brandon Stokely. Or a linebacker like Cato June or Adalius Thomas. But Simmons was a decent pickup in that department. Im hoping the team makes good use of the draft. I give them a B- or C+