Post by Mr Bismarck's Electric Donkey on Oct 13, 2008 17:09:52 GMT
2013 FREE AGENCY
With free agency around the corner I sit down and write out a list of the top players that we're going to be chasing this year.
It doesn't take long to write out "pretty much anyone" and then I take the rest of the day off. Or I try to, but Tennessee get on the phone and offer me Safety Michael Griffin and their 4th round pick for Quarterback Xavier Baer.
I tell them I'll get back to them later. Much later.
As per usual, the start of free agency is quite quiet, as people run about trying to find out what ridiculous sums of money every body wants. We put our feelers out to some of our own players, but that doesn't include Nolan Sewell who enjoyed his time in Oakland so much last year that he doesn't even negotiate with us, he just signs for the Rams for a paltry $990,000 for one year.
Thankfully, Karlos Dansby did make himself at home in Oakland last season and he signs a new deal with us for $2.27m over two years. A day later another outside linebacker joins him in the shape of former Bengal Marcus Howard.
We're trying to get away from the one year deal this year if possible, to start getting some team cohesion up. So when first choice backer Channing Crowder balks at doing anything other than one year we switch our attention to Howard and he signs on for four years for $13.55m.
In the subsequent seven days linebacker Boss Bailey bolts for Baltimore and Antonio Gates switches conferences to sign for the Falcons. Annoyingly, Center Steve Justice turns down a two year offer from us to go to Tampa Bay for one year.
Tight End Zach Miller re-signs and will probably end up starting next year. He can't block, but he's a good receiver.
Defensive End Ralph McGregor was listed as the best free agent available this season and was way too rich for my tastes - he signs for San Francisco this week for $28.4m over just three years.
The Jets then stroll in and leave with defensive end Lee Small which is really annoying, as he turns down a two year offer to stay in Oakland for a less valuable one year offer to move to the east coast.
Thankfully we add some depth to our roster in the shape of Tight End Fred Davis who has all of the blocking Zach Miller doesn't have and none of the catching Zach does. Some sort of gene splicing is in order.
Bernard Pollard also resigns at Safety, after a very steady season last year and then linebacker Emmanuel Gimmaro comes over from Kansas City - another triumph for stealing from within your division - to split time with Karlos Dansby.
I'm feeling quite smug about my dealings with the Chiefs and then they go and sign Willie Parker to split time in their backfield with Larry Johnson. I need to sign more linebackers.
To fill out my own backfield, I resign LenDale White and then I replace my one punter with one other punter, (are you listening, owners?) in the shape of Durant Brooks.
Our final two moves are to help out our front seven as we grab Kris Marcum from the Jets - a defensive end to replace the one they stole from us, (who's laughing now, you buggers?!), and then Bryant Weibel from the Bears - another DE.
After all that shenanigan-ing, our roster looks a lot more healthy and we're ready for the draft. Sort of.
Red = Drafted.
Green = re-signing.
Blue = Free Agent signing.
With that gap now at HB1, it's looking more and more likely that the Why of Fry will be my number one pick, unless I get some incredibly attractive trade offer.
With free agency around the corner I sit down and write out a list of the top players that we're going to be chasing this year.
It doesn't take long to write out "pretty much anyone" and then I take the rest of the day off. Or I try to, but Tennessee get on the phone and offer me Safety Michael Griffin and their 4th round pick for Quarterback Xavier Baer.
I tell them I'll get back to them later. Much later.
As per usual, the start of free agency is quite quiet, as people run about trying to find out what ridiculous sums of money every body wants. We put our feelers out to some of our own players, but that doesn't include Nolan Sewell who enjoyed his time in Oakland so much last year that he doesn't even negotiate with us, he just signs for the Rams for a paltry $990,000 for one year.
Thankfully, Karlos Dansby did make himself at home in Oakland last season and he signs a new deal with us for $2.27m over two years. A day later another outside linebacker joins him in the shape of former Bengal Marcus Howard.
We're trying to get away from the one year deal this year if possible, to start getting some team cohesion up. So when first choice backer Channing Crowder balks at doing anything other than one year we switch our attention to Howard and he signs on for four years for $13.55m.
In the subsequent seven days linebacker Boss Bailey bolts for Baltimore and Antonio Gates switches conferences to sign for the Falcons. Annoyingly, Center Steve Justice turns down a two year offer from us to go to Tampa Bay for one year.
Tight End Zach Miller re-signs and will probably end up starting next year. He can't block, but he's a good receiver.
Defensive End Ralph McGregor was listed as the best free agent available this season and was way too rich for my tastes - he signs for San Francisco this week for $28.4m over just three years.
The Jets then stroll in and leave with defensive end Lee Small which is really annoying, as he turns down a two year offer to stay in Oakland for a less valuable one year offer to move to the east coast.
Thankfully we add some depth to our roster in the shape of Tight End Fred Davis who has all of the blocking Zach Miller doesn't have and none of the catching Zach does. Some sort of gene splicing is in order.
Bernard Pollard also resigns at Safety, after a very steady season last year and then linebacker Emmanuel Gimmaro comes over from Kansas City - another triumph for stealing from within your division - to split time with Karlos Dansby.
I'm feeling quite smug about my dealings with the Chiefs and then they go and sign Willie Parker to split time in their backfield with Larry Johnson. I need to sign more linebackers.
To fill out my own backfield, I resign LenDale White and then I replace my one punter with one other punter, (are you listening, owners?) in the shape of Durant Brooks.
Our final two moves are to help out our front seven as we grab Kris Marcum from the Jets - a defensive end to replace the one they stole from us, (who's laughing now, you buggers?!), and then Bryant Weibel from the Bears - another DE.
After all that shenanigan-ing, our roster looks a lot more healthy and we're ready for the draft. Sort of.
QB Xavier Baer Mack Doyle Jonathan Collier
HB LenDale White Neal Birney
FB Philip Fafinski
FL Ronald Curry Leo Klaff
SE Herb Hill Malcolm Patton
TE Zach Miller Fred Davis Keith Kenny
LT Amos Fairweather
LG Andre Mayes
C Kris Walker
RG Howard Foote Carlos Richardson
RT
P Durant Brooks
K
LDE Bryant Weibel
DT Karl Brooks
DT
RDE Kris Marcum Peter Davis Brock Siglar
SLB Karlos Dansby Emmanuel Gimmaro
MLB Kirk Morrison
WLB Marcus Howard
CB Nnamdi Asomugha
CB Tyvon Branch Ethan Stepnoski
SS Bernard Pollard
FF Michael Huff
Red = Drafted.
Green = re-signing.
Blue = Free Agent signing.
With that gap now at HB1, it's looking more and more likely that the Why of Fry will be my number one pick, unless I get some incredibly attractive trade offer.