I haven't posted lately because there simply is NO football news. I don't care who is getting paid, getting sued, getting ripped off, getting taken advantage of, or getting a raw deal. I think the NFL is a corrupt business and the owners, players and coaches are all stealing money. Eventually this ridiculous lockout thing will be over and we can get back to football. Right now there can be no trades, releases, or FA signing. It will be very interesting to see what our opening day squad looks like. It's all speculation for the time being, but experts a saying it will be impossible to keep Harris, Holmes, Edwards, Cromartie, Eric Smith, Brad Smith... as well as Ellis, Pool and Coleman. Many times I have heard Mr. T say that the Cap can be manipulated so that we can always keep the players we really want. So, working under that premise, who are the players we can't live with out?
Personally I won't cry if we let Ellis Pool and the Smith's all test the FA market, once it's back in effect. Years ago we let Brandon Moore test the waters and re-signed him a few days later. No one is interested in the Big Kat, so he will be back for short money. Why would he want to leave now? We will probably retain Eric Smith as well. He is a excellent special teamer and has evolved into a solid safety. I don't see a long line of teams chasing Pool either.
As for Brad Smith, he will have a lot of options. He would fit very well in New England or Philadelphia. I hate to see him go, but I can't see giving up 3 to 5 million a season from or Cap to a guy who contributes on 5 to 10 plays a game.
The guys I would simply let walk would be Cromartie and Coleman. I have very little to say about these guys. They are B minus talent and Cromartie comes with waaaaaay toooo much baggage. We can't get buy with only Revis and Wilson, so if we let these guys walk we will need to address the holes they leave behind in the draft and FA market.
That leaves Harris, Holmes and Edwards. Harris is technically under contract because he was franchised before the lock out started. That is probably just a precautionary move. I think once we get back to business they will work out a long term contract for him. He is a solid ILB and a good citizen off the field. I would love to see him step up as a leader, but you can't be something you are not.
As for the Holmes/ Edwards dilemma, I feel that we can work out a way to keep both of them. But, should we keep both of them? My first question is which WR is the more valuable of the two? Edwards is a physical freak. His size and speed are a rare find. He showed last year that he can make the big play when it counts and also put to rest all of the talk about his bad hands and or bad vision. He caught everything that was thrown his way. He had a DUI arrest this past season, but I was really impressed with how he handled it. His attitude was great in 2010 and he worked hard in the off-season.
Holmes is a very different personality. He has a horrible attitude and is a lose cannon. That being said, he is unquestionably a top 10 receiver in this league. There is no other WR out there I would rather have on my team with the game on the line than #10. I am not sure if I have ever come across a player in my 25 years of watching football that has that same look in their eyes when it counts. A lot of guys talk about being 'prime time' players, but how many have proved it in the Superbowl with one minute left on the clock?
His 2010 campaign with the Jets was fantastic. His game winning plays in November... 3 weeks in a row vs. Detroit, Cleveland and Houston, plus his game winner against thee Pats in the playoffs are all the references I need to see on his resume to say that we need to hold on to him. He won't be cheap and he is a ticking time bomb, but we stole him for a 5th rounder from Pittsburgh, and if your whole season comes down to one play... he suddenly becomes worth it. He is the top priority.
So, should we keep them both? Answer: yes. They make each other better. But, can they continue to co-exist together? Two huge ego's who bit their tongues during a contract year for both of them. If we pay them and give them multi-year deals the whole dynamic could change. Especially if there are incentives built in based on performance. It could get nasty very quick.
As for the draft... If we don't move around Phil Taylor should be our pick, and he is the big space filler I have been asking for since 2006. He will be there waiting and I would be shocked if we skipped him. That being said, there are some teams in the top half of the first round that have a multitude of holes to fill that would be very interested in moving down. The teams picking in the last few spots of round 1 may be one great player away from the Superbowl. I know of one from New York that is on the cusp of winning it all.
I don't see any reason to move up, but because of all of the hype surrounding all of the QB's in this draft, and the lack of competent starters at that position in the NFL, a bunch of VERY talented impact players will drop in our laps at spot 28.
If Mark Ingram was there, I would take him. Ingram, Greene and McNight could be a perfect 3 headed beast moving forward, Tomlinson is done. I am also very interested in D.J. Williams from Arkansas. He is the perfect compliment at TE to Keller and he may still be on the board when we pick in round 3. I would trade up to get him him anywhere in round 3 because I think he will be a very productive player.
We need to also address the D-line and I would look for a WR as well. I would dump Cotchery for an additional 3rd rounder and pick up a slot guy for less money. Unfortunately we can't trade a player to pick up more picks =(
The back up QB spot is also a big question mark for us. Wouldn't be shocked to see Pennington back in the green and white.
