2012 Nfl Free Agency
-
CB Cortland Finnegan Says He Likely Won’t Be Back in 2012
December 16th, 2011 Matt Loede Posted in News
Though the Titans remain alive in the AFC playoff hunt, cornerback Cortland Finnegan believes that next week could be his final home game as a member of the team, Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean reports.
“The last home game (next week) is going to be emotional for me because that could very well be the last time I put on a powder blue uniform,” Finnegan said. “It is finally starting to hit home that this is a business.”
Finnegan, who turns in 28 in February, is scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent in March after his current three-year, $15.4 million extension from 2008 expires.
A 2006 seventh-round pick out of Samford, Finnegan became a full-time starter in 2007 and received his multi-year extension during the training camp before a 2008 season where he picked off five passes, returning one 99 yards for a touchdown, and went to the Pro Bowl. Finnegan had another five interceptions in 2009 and three interceptions and 19 passes defensed in 29 games over the 2010-11 seasons.
Finnegan expressed his displeasure with his contract situation in August, briefly leaving training camp. Still his teammates named him a team captain before the season and he was named the team’s Walter Payton Man of the Year for a second straight season, which makes his comments about his own contract situation during a time where the team is trying to make the post-season all the more surprising.
Including Finnegan, three of the four starters in the current secondary, and all but one safety (Robert Johnson, signed off the practice squad this season), are scheduled to be unrestricted free agents in 2012. Playing in a division with the Houston Texans and Indianapolis Colts, three good cornerbacks are a must, so re-signing Finnegan is surely something the Titans, who are expected to have over $30 million in cap space in 2012, would like to do.
Franchising Finnegan, at an estimated cost of between $10.4 and $10.8 million in guaranteed base salary in 2012, is another option, though an unappealing one from Finnegan’s perspective.
“I would be very upset with that. Very upset,” Finnegan said of the franchise tag. “I want to retire here. This is where I started. At the end of the day, if I am not here, there are no hard feelings.”
What would be so wrong with playing under the franchise tag? Recent long-term contracts signed by cornerbacks Stanford Routt, Leon Hall and Johnathan Joseph have included Year One cash payouts of between $14 and $15 million, with guaranteed amounts exceeding tha
-
Finnegan would make the perfect Cleveland Brown. He would be the Browns version of Anderson Varejeo , he plays with energy and gets under people's skin. He is good in coverage and in RUN SUPPORT. I know I will catch hell for this by the so-called "experts" on here, but I would love to have this guy on team.
-
Quarterbacks
Drew Brees (NO) - You must be playing Madden if you think you can lure him to help revive your struggling Redskins or Dolphins franchise-this Saint is off limits and fully locked into Who Dat nation for the rest of his career.
Matt Flynn (GB) - As far as realistic, long-term options go, Matt Flynn may be the most pursued man. In his lone regular season appearance, he moved the Packers offense up and down the field in a national game, and almost knocked off a Patriots team in their house. He lacks the ideal tools, but plenty of quarterbacks have done more with less. Flynn has been taught by and learned from the best in Green Bay and will be ready to see if his career holds more than a clipboard.
Alex Smith (SF) - Through the early portion of the season, the Niners have slowly opened up more of their offense for Alex Smith who has done nothing but make smart decisions. He's more efficient than productive, but another season or two under Harbaugh could really help him turn his career around completely. His return to San Francisco will rely upon his sustained success, improvement, and their confidence in second-rounder Colin Kaepernick.
Kyle Orton (DEN) - Orton is inconsistent and about as middle-of-the-road as they come at quarterback. He can spin the ball well, but doesn't make the quickest decisions-and sometimes not the best. He's not a quarterback that will truly impress anyone as a starter, but is comfortably one of the 32 best this league has to offer. The Broncos probably won't want him back for another round of mediocrity, but he's the type of player that will play himself into the starting lineup with a younger prospect consistently vying for his position.
Jason Campbell (OAK) - Campbell has been fairly efficient as the quarterback for the Raiders. With the Raiders finally appearing to turn the corner, they may look to retain Campbell's services on a short term deal as they continue to improve the rest of the roster and build a hard-nosed, winning environment. Unlike some of the other quarterbacks in this class, Campbell's greatest hindrance is not his skillset, but rather his confidence and vision in determining when to push the ball down the field.
Donovan McNabb (MIN) - McNabb's best years are behind him; and he's probably destined to play out the rest of his career as a back-up or a starter amongst the league's bottomfeeders. One will prolong his stay in the NFL, while the other will cut it short. One thing appears clear though. The Vikings have not had the success they anticipated coming into the year and are likely to turn to Ponder by the start of next year at the very latest. More realistically, McNabb will be riding the bench after the team's bye week.
The Rest:
Chris Redman (ATL)
Derek Anderson (CAR)
Shaun Hill (DET)
Drew Stanton (DET)
Brady Quinn (DEN)
David Garrard (FA)
Luke McCown (JAC)
Chad Henne (MIA)
Sage Rosenfels (MIA)
David Carr (NYG)
Mark Brunell (NYJ)
Kevin O'Connell (NYJ)
Kyle Boller (OAK)
Vince Young (PHI)
Charlie Batch (PIT)
Dennis Dixon (PIT)
Byron Leftwich (PIT)
Charlie Whitehurst (SEA)
A.J. Feeley (STL)
Josh Johnson (TB)
Rex Grossman (WAS)
Richard Bartel (ARZ) - Restricted
Max Hall (ARZ) - Exclusive Rights
Tyler Palko (KC) - Restricted
Brian Hoyer (NE) - Restricted
Chase Daniel (NO) - Restricted
Quarterbacks
Drew Brees (NO) - You must be playing Madden if you think you can lure him to help revive your struggling Redskins or Dolphins franchise-this Saint is off limits and fully locked into Who Dat nation for the rest of his career.
Matt Flynn (GB) - As far as realistic, long-term options go, Matt Flynn may be the most pursued man. In his lone regular season appearance, he moved the Packers offense up and down the field in a national game, and almost knocked off a Patriots team in their house. He lacks the ideal tools, but plenty of quarterbacks have done more with less. Flynn has been taught by and learned from the best in Green Bay and will be ready to see if his career holds more than a clipboard.
Alex Smith (SF) - Through the early portion of the season, the Niners have slowly opened up more of their offense for Alex Smith who has done nothing but make smart decisions. He's more efficient than productive, but another season or two under Harbaugh could really help him turn his career around completely. His return to San Francisco will rely upon his sustained success, improvement, and their confidence in second-rounder Colin Kaepernick.
Kyle Orton (DEN) - Orton is inconsistent and about as middle-of-the-road as they come at quarterback. He can spin the ball well, but doesn't make the quickest decisions-and sometimes not the best. He's not a quarterback that will truly impress anyone as a starter, but is comfortably one of the 32 best this league has to offer. The Broncos probably won't want him back for another round of mediocrity, but he's the type of player that will play himself into the starting lineup with a younger prospect consistently vying for his position.
Jason Campbell (OAK) - Campbell has been fairly efficient as the quarterback for the Raiders. With the Raiders finally appearing to turn the corner, they may look to retain Campbell's services on a short term deal as they continue to improve the rest of the roster and build a hard-nosed, winning environment. Unlike some of the other quarterbacks in this class, Campbell's greatest hindrance is not his skillset, but rather his confidence and vision in determining when to push the ball down the field.
Donovan McNabb (MIN) - McNabb's best years are behind him; and he's probably destined to play out the rest of his career as a back-up or a starter amongst the league's bottomfeeders. One will prolong his stay in the NFL, while the other will cut it short. One thing appears clear though. The Vikings have not had the success they anticipated coming into the year and are likely to turn to Ponder by the start of next year at the very latest. More realistically, McNabb will be riding the bench after the team's bye week.
The Rest:
Chris Redman (ATL)
Derek Anderson (CAR)
Shaun Hill (DET)
Drew Stanton (DET)
Brady Quinn (DEN)
David Garrard (FA)
Luke McCown (JAC)
Chad Henne (MIA)
Sage Rosenfels (MIA)
David Carr (NYG)
Mark Brunell (NYJ)
Kevin O'Connell (NYJ)
Kyle Boller (OAK)
Vince Young (PHI)
Charlie Batch (PIT)
Dennis Dixon (PIT)
Byron Leftwich (PIT)
Charlie Whitehurst (SEA)
A.J. Feeley (STL)
Josh Johnson (TB)
Rex Grossman (WAS)
Richard Bartel (ARZ) - Restricted
Max Hall (ARZ) - Exclusive Rights
Tyler Palko (KC) - Restricted
Brian Hoyer (NE) - Restricted
Chase Daniel (NO) - Restricted
Based on this list, lets just go see who the Browns can get in the draft. It it is RGIII, OK, if not, maybe we can find Tom Brady part deux in the 6th round.
Or, maybe Randy Lerner will want them to pick up Brian Hoyer. After all, he, like his son, was a St. Ignatius QB.
-
sign Manningham
sign Braylon
draft Hemmingway
Ja.brill Peppers - Cleveland Brown OldBrownsFan, on 02 Jun 2017 - 5:09PM said: "No you are not the work of the devil but you are deceived by the devil." Who's got it better than us? Nooooobody! -
sign Manningham
sign Braylon
draft Hemmingway
Wow. Ohio St. fans were able to get over the fact that Robiskie sucks. You need to do the same with Edwards. And I had to look up who Hemmingway is. He doesn't deserve to be in the arena league..
-
Wow. Ohio St. fans were able to get over the fact that Robiskie sucks. You need to do the same with Edwards. And I had to look up who Hemmingway is. He doesn't deserve to be in the arena league..
You need to be able to see when something is a joke my friend
... even though I won't say Braylon sucks, and I especially won't put him on the same level as Robiske
-
Putting Braylon with Robiskie is just plain silly. Braylon is more athletic and unfortunately a bigger diva. Dude needs to shut up and make plays, else he might join TO in the Arena league.
Im not opposed to signing Braylon if he is willing to hop in for the right price. It might be a low investment considering how Burress was a decent for the Jets.
-
Putting Braylon with Robiskie is just plain silly. Braylon is more athletic and unfortunately a bigger diva. Dude needs to shut up and make plays, else he might join TO in the Arena league.
Im not opposed to signing Braylon if he is willing to hop in for the right price. It might be a low investment considering how Burress was a decent for the Jets.
Good point. Plus I still have the jersey
and TO isn't even in the Area League, he is in the Indoor Football League, which is apparently different
-
WIDE RECEIVERS
Reggie Wayne (IND) - The Colts are an organization that tends to take care of their own. Though they're in a precarious position after signing Manning long term and with Robert Mathis looking for his own deal, the Colts will have to make room. On the bright side, the new CBA couldn't have come at a better time for the Colts who would have been due to dole out a large sum for a potentially high draft pick.
Wes Welker (NE) - Through 5 games, Welker is on pace to break the season record for receptions and shatter the record for receiving yards. It's safe to say heÕs Brady's favorite target on 3rd downs to move the chains and virtually impossible to cover out of the slot due to his quickness, intelligence, and hands. You have to think Brady will make a push to keep him around if the front office shockingly has other plans.
Vincent Jackson (SD) - Partially due to his actions and injuries, the Chargers have been reluctant to sign Vincent Jackson to a long-term extension. If there's any animosity between the two parties, this could be the time where there's a split. Still, the best guess is that the team will pay Jackson like a number one receiver and keep him in San Diego.
DeSean Jackson (PHI) - Jackson is the perfect weapon for the Eagles offense that relies upon big plays. Though the organization was unwilling to cave to his offseason demands, they'll have to think long and hard about doing everything in their power to retain Jackson. Though Maclin may be the better overall receiver, Jackson's vertical ability has a great impact on the way defenses approach the Eagles' offense. Though based on his comments and actions of several months ago, it appears that Jackson could be lured away from Philadelphia with a lucrative offer.
Dwayne Bowe (KC) - One subpar season aside, Dwayne Bowe has emerged into the number one receiver the offense needs. He's a big body and a good route runner with a large catching radius. His most impressive attribute is his body of work around the goal line. He's a complete mismatch with the fade, slant, and back shoulder passes and has shown the propensity to make the acrobatic catches on numerous occasions.
Marques Colston (NO) - When healthy, Colston is a match-up nightmare for any corner. He's an incredibly physical receiver and a sure-handed, polished route runner. When he's available, he brings another dimension to the Saints offense that none of their other talented weapons possess. Though Brees has proven capable of running the offense without him, they're even more dangerous with him.
Steve Johnson (BUF) - Still working on his meager rookie salary, Johnson figures to be a big part of the Bills' long term plans. On a team with few superstars, the Bills can afford to lock up Johnson long term and maintain an effective passing attack. After he and fellow free agent Ryan Fitzpatrick are locked up, Bills fans can breathe easier about the bright future of their offense.
Brandon Lloyd (STL) - Lloyd's next contract will largely depend upon his production over the remainder of the season. Though he hasn't been as explosive and consistent as a year ago when he broke out at age 29, he still appears to be a dangerous receiver with the league's largest catching radius.
Robert Meachem (NO) - Meachem is one of the younger receivers that could be a nice pick-up for an offense with a larger workload to offer. He's a good downfield threat and has nice instincts in the red zone. Unlike Colston, Meachem is more of a luxury for the offense.
Mario Manningham (NYG) - With Manningham and Cruz behind Hakeem Nicks, the Giants have found a nice threesome. They seemed disappointed in Steve Smith's decision to bolt for Philadelphia without the option to match the contact, so there's no question the front office will look to keep the remainder of their receiving corps intact.
Mike Wallace (PIT) - Restricted - No receiver in the league forces safeties back like Wallace. His deep speed is second to none on the perimeter and he capitalizes on it with the ability to run those vertical routes proficiently. He's improving in other areas of his game and is an extremely valuable piece to the Steelers' offense.
Any of these guys would be an improvement over what we have even if they had a broken leg and stood along the sidelines for a year.
-
Getting a big name free agent + RGIII + another offensive first rounder would be pretty exciting
-
sign Manningham
sign Braylon
draft Hemmingway
I don't know, maybe we should go for William Faulkner, Aldous Huxley, George Orwell, John Steinbeck and Graham Greene.
-
I'd shit bricks if we were ever able to nab Manningham or Mike Wallace. Both would be great here in Cleveland.
Porter would be a gamble but with the amount he'll probably be offered by most teams, it could be a low-risk high-reward situation.
Hello! It looks like you're interested in this conversation, but you don't have an account yet.
Getting fed up of having to scroll through the same posts each visit? When you register for an account, you'll always come back to exactly where you were before, and choose to be notified of new replies (either via email, or push notification). You'll also be able to save bookmarks and upvote posts to show your appreciation to other community members.
With your input, this post could be even better 💗
Register Login