Free Agency Vs. The Draft

Westside Steve

I'd feel a little shaky about trading for Belichiks backup quarterback as Tom Brady isn't getting any younger.

I want to puke thinking about another 5 years of rebuilding after the new regime comes in and cans everybody.

Hopefully somebody will think a touch of consistency might be a good thing, ya think?

But we already have two competent backup quarterbacks. Why trade for another?

WSS

Flyin J

Its not bad to dip into FA time to time to fill holes with capable starters. You simply cannot count on the draft alone to build your team. If we fill a couple holes with a player of Frostee Ruckers caliber (G, FB, FS come to mind) it wont be expensive and anytime you upgrade the worst positions on your team with capable players you get better. The key is getting your stars through the draft.

Hate

FA can be a good way to fill positions as a stop gap. But most of the good players are getting overpaid. We need a corner, this FA has plenty of good ones. A sleeper guy like Derrick Cox would be awesome. If we could steal Mike Wallace from Pittsburgh who likely won't give him the money he wants, that would be swell too.

tampadawgs

Weeden will be fine, but since everyone on this board wants a new QB every year, here yoiu go this yrs FA coming your way...

Luke McCown – ATL

Joe Flacco – BAL

Tarvaris Jackson – BUF

Tyler Thigpen – BUF

Derek Anderson – CAR

Jason Campbell – CHI

Josh McCown – CHI

Bruce Gradkowski – CIN

Drew Stanton – IND

Brady Quinn – KC

Pat Devlin – MIA – (Ex)

Matt Moore – MIA

Chase Daniel – NO

David Carr – NYG

Matt Leinart – OAK

Charlie Batch – PIT

Byron Leftwich – PIT

Kellen Clemens – STL

Rex Grossman – WAS

tampadawgs

Here is the Top 50 FA coming your way....

Player

Team

Pos

Age

1. Ryan Clady

Broncos

OT

26

2. Jairus Byrd

Bills

S

26

3. Victor Cruz (Restricted)

Giants

WR

26

4. Andre Smith

Bengals

OT

26

5. Dwayne Bowe

Chiefs

WR

28

6. Henry Melton

Bears

DT

26

7. Greg Jennings

Packers

WR

29

8. Wes Welker

Patriots

WR

32

9. Andy Levitre

Bills

G

27

10. Joe Flacco

Ravens

QB

28

11. Sebastian Vollmer

Patriots

OT

28

12. Michael Bennett

Buccaneers

DE

27

13. Anthony Spencer

Cowboys

OLB

29

14. Steven Jackson

Rams

RB

30

15. Branden Albert

Chiefs

OT

28

16. Jake Long

Dolphins

OT

28

17. Brent Grimes

Falcons

CB

30

18. Mike Wallace

Steelers

WR

26

19. Dashon Goldson

49ers

S

28

20. Randy Starks

Dolphins

DT

29

21. Martellus Bennett

Giants

TE

26

22. Will Beatty

Giants

OT

28

23. Richard Seymour

Raiders

DT

33

24. Phil Loadholt

Vikings

OT

27

25. Aqib Talib

Patriots

CB

27

26. Jermon Bushrod

Saints

OT

29

27. Danny Amendola

Rams

WR

27

28. William Moore

Falcons

S

28

29. Kenny Phillips

Giants

S

26

30. Heath Miller

Steelers

TE

30

31. Tony Gonzalez

Falcons

TE

37

32. Philip Wheeler

Raiders

OLB

28

33. Ed Reed

Ravens

S

34

34. Chris Houston

Lions

CB

28

35. Gosder Cherilus

Lions

OT

29

36. Cliff Avril

Lions

DE

26

37. Alan Branch

Seahawks

DT

28

38. Ryan Lilja

Chiefs

G

31

39. Michael Johnson

Bengals

DE

26

40. Jason Jones

Seahawks

DT

27

41. Daryl Smith

Jaguars

OLB

31

42. Desmond Bryant

Raiders

DT

27

43. Brian Hartline

Dolphins

WR

26

44. Leodis McKelvin

Bills

CB

27

45. Danario Alexander (Restricted)

Chargers

WR

25

46. Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie

Eagles

CB

27

47. Reggie Bush

Dolphins

RB

28

48. Osi Umenyiora

Giants

DE

31

49. Dwight Freeney

Colts

DE

33

50. Brian De La Puente (Restricted)

Saints

C

28

The Gipper

@tampadawgs said:

Weeden will be fine, but since everyone on this board wants a new QB every year, here yoiu go this yrs FA coming your way...

Luke McCown – ATL

Joe Flacco – BAL

Tarvaris Jackson – BUF

Tyler Thigpen – BUF

Derek Anderson – CAR

Jason Campbell – CHI

Josh McCown – CHI

Bruce Gradkowski – CIN

Drew Stanton – IND

Brady Quinn – KC

Pat Devlin – MIA – (Ex)

Matt Moore – MIA

Chase Daniel – NO

David Carr – NYG

Matt Leinart – OAK

Charlie Batch – PIT

Byron Leftwich – PIT

Kellen Clemens – STL

Rex Grossman – WAS

Ugly...obviously the best on there is Flacco, and he probably won't be leaving Baltimore. Given this list, I will stick with Weeden and McCoy. (and somebody that knows how to coach them)

tampadawgs

Did you see there are 5 former Browns on that list

Browns149

@the-gipper said:

Ugly...obviously the best on there is Flacco, and he probably won't be leaving Baltimore. Given this list, I will stick with Weeden and McCoy. (and somebody that knows how to coach them)

for sure. Lots of crap out there.

ballpeen

To me free agency isn't the place to find your skill players....who let's those go all that often??

It's a good place to find decent plug in linemen and sometimes workman like backers and kickers.

By all means we should explore FA, but as a rule you win through the draft.

miktoxic

@tampadawgs said:

Here is the Top 50 FA coming your way....

uh, can you not post a 12 page scroll down list?

fuck Free agency. heckert has done good by us and the holy dollar bill bottom line.

linebacker, linebacker, linebacker. draft.

then corner and safety.

our D is 2 steps away from being the best in the league.

no receivers. gordon and little will be lighting it up next year once our old rookie QB settles down a piece and plays like the coaches think he can play.

guarantee= next year without any major changes we go 'at least' 9-7.

Hate

I think you can include Alex Smith on that list, he will be cut because they won't be paying his signing bonus. That is of course if Kaepernick doesn't bomb the rest of the way.

That list we could fill some needs from *if some become FAs*. Sean Smith, Derrick Cox, DRC, Michael Johnson (Bengals almost never pay their FA), Daryl Smith. The list of FAs is solid this year, you can't fix everything in the draft.