PRO FOOTBALL FREE AGENCY.COMYear Round Coverage of Player Movement in the NFL
| PRO FOOTBALL FREE AGENCY.COM Year Round Coverage of Player Movement in the NFL |
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  Floyd seeks solace from Simeon after Michael w alks out!
Meanwhile, Andy Has Eyes for Hot QB Kevin!
 T.O. mulls Mutiny Mates in Dallas! And...  Evil Billionaire Plots Take-Over! Aw, Can't we all just play football?
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No team evaluates its own personnel better—or more
bluntly—than the Philadelphia Eagles. Sentiment be damned,
under the rules of Andy Reid’s “Eagletocracy,” every
game, every practice is a try-out and any player past the peak of his
career is more likely to get a visit from the turk than a big bonus
contract. No wonder, then , that QB Donovan McNabb became concerned when the Eagles drafted Kevin Kolb in the 2nd round of this year’s draft. McNabb has been around for 9 years now and seen other players come and go. He also saw the Eagles advance in the play-offs last year without him. He remains an elite quarterback and will be one for another two or three years. But the Eagles intend to be prepared long before McNabb’s skills begin to erode. With the clock ticking—and Kolb learning in the wings—there is an increased sense of urgency for the team to win a Super Bowl with McNabb at the helm. He’ll have help at wide receiver after the Eagles signed Kevin Curtis (Rams). Curtis wanted to re-unite with Mike Martz in Detroit. When that didn’t happen, he changed agents and signed with the Eagles where he’s likely to get more catches and a much better chance for a championship. Curtis had good hands, great quickness and will be an excellent compliment to Reggie Brown. The Eagles don’t need their wide receivers to make spectacular plays (that’s why they have McNabb and Brian Westbrook), they need them to be steady and reliable. Brown and Curtis fit that bill nicely. FB Correll Buckhalter was invited to camp in 2006 only as a courtesy. He not only made the team, he showed he was fully recovered from a nasty knee injury and made huge contributions as a runner and a blocker. The Eagles rewarded him with a well deserved new contract. Defensively, the Eagles signed Montae Reagor and Ian Scott. Between them, they will make up for bust Brodrick Bunkley. Takeo Spikes helps shore up a LB group in transition and William James takes over the nickelback spot. Cap restraints forced the Washington Redskins to be uncharacteristically selective in the Free Agent market. They selected wisely (and perhaps, equally uncharacteristically), signing MLB London Fletcher-Baker from the Bills. Under DC Gregg Williams, the Redskins’ defense performed best when Antonio Pierce manned the middle, called the plays and made the adjustments. Having played for Williams in Buffalo, Fletcher-Baker knows the system provides much needed leadership on and off the field. Fred Smoot (Vikings), also knows Williams’ defense and plays with the kind of aggressiveness the system requires. David Macklin adds depth for a secondary that had none last year. An area to watch is at safety, where Sean Taylor gets his fourth running mate in as many years. Taylor played best when paired with Ryan Clark, who quietly made adjustments while Taylor played the ball. If LaRon Landry develops a similar rapport, the Redskins'’defense will perform remarkably better. Expect the offense to play better, too. Clinton Portis is healthy and rejuventated, Ladell Betts is no longer a secret, and both can catch the ball out of the backfield. Chris Cooley isn’t Tony Gonzalez, but he’s good enough, and could be great in a TE friendly system. Jason Campbell takes over at quarterback and play selection will depend entirely on his development. The team needs to find a steady replacement for departed G Derrick Dockery, but the rest of the O-line is set. The Dallas Cowboys have play-off level talent, no doubt about that. But they also have a collection of All Star Trouble Makers. Consider: Brad Johnson bridled at being a back-up in Washington, Tampa Bay and Minnesota (twice) and already said he’s not in Dallas to be a mentor; Terry Glenn has been a problem child for every coach not named Bill Parcells; Julius Jones enters his contract year unhappy about losing carries, stats and TDs to Marion Barber; Leonard Davis was a royal pain in the Cardinal clubhouse; and Greg Ellis wants a contract he’s never going to see. Then there’s T.O., the detonator cap among all that combustible material. It will be up to Wade Phillips to keep things under control and Red Adair ain’t around anymore. For the past four seasons, the Cowboys played no nonsense defense for a no-nonsense coach. Phillips’ system is more aggressive and the players have responded enthusiastically. DeMarcus Ware and Marcus Spears, in particular, should thrive in the new approach, but they may not have the overall speed to execute it. The Cowboys signed S Ken Hamlin (Seahawks), which allows Roy Williams to play like a fifth LB. However, Hamlin enters his fifth years and making him susceptible to Adam Archuleta Syndrome, in which a lost step of speed leads to chronic misery in the deep middle. Tony Romo, playing behind an improving O-Line, is a legitimate star at quarterback. If he can distribute the ball enough to keep Owens, Glenn and Witten happy, it will help keep those glowing embers from exploding into flames. Surprisingly, the New York Giants outbid several teams to acquire Super Bowl coach Bill Cowher, a move certain to revitalize the G-me-… oops, that’s next years lead. Why else, then, did the G-men retain Tom Coughlin, except to have a scapegoat handy after what looks to be a tough, tough year? The loss of Tiki Barber means the Giants will need to rely on grinding out rushing yards and smothering teams on defense. In other words, they’re already playing Cowher football. Brandon Jacobs and newly signed Reuben Droughns are old school battering rams at running back. They won’t break off Tiki-distance runs, but they should be able to move the ball effectively. It’s a shame Barber didn’t give the Giants earlier notice of his retirement plans. They could have giver Jacobs some reps at fullback, an experience that would have taught Jacobs to keep his pads lower. (Stephen Davis served a similar apprenticeship, blocking for Terry Allen, and his career blossomed because of it.) Eli Manning is at a crossroads in his career. Until he can demand the respect--and off-season presence--of TE Jeremy Shockey and WR Plaxico Burress, he will not be the leader this team needs. He has the tools, but it’s time to deliver. Michael Strahan’s hold out is a distraction, but it won’t keep the Giants from fielding a defense this year. Osi Umenyiora is a superb pass rusher and the Giants should get solid linebacker play from Mathias Kiwaunka, Antonio Pierce, and Kawika Mitchell (Chiefs.) The entire secondary should improve under new DC Steve Spagnuolo’s blitzing scheme, which plays to the strength of S Gibril Wilson. |
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