Tuesday, March 13, 2012

A Rundown of the First 6 hours of NFL Free Agency 2012

Free Agency usually doesn't disappoint each year for NFL fans.  This year hasn't been any different.  The funny thing is that on Day 1 we have players resigning with their own team.  The sad thing is that the Redskins are still signing free agent Wide Receivers and trying to break the bank on the first day.  The curious thing is the Miami-Chicago trade.

1.  The 2 biggest free agents are still not signed.  Peyton Manning reportedly has the list of teams down to 4.  Broncos, Dolphins, Cardinals, and Titans.  More and more it looks like Manning will be experiencing a Mile High rush.  But like A.J. Smith has said, don't ask Peyton where he is going, go to the decision maker and see Archie.  As for Mario Williams, the Buffalo Bills are putting on a full court press to get him to sign.  Rumors have the Bills offering to make Williams the highest paid defensive player in the NFL.  If the Bills pull off that signing and sign Robert Meachem like they expect, they will be the big winners on day one.

2.  The Redskins are hot after wide receivers.  After last year signing Jabar Gaffney and Donte Stallworth, the Redskins have been signing wideouts like Kirstie Alley eats hotdogs.  There lots of Wideouts heading to Washington.  Pierre Garcon and Josh Morgan have been signed.  Rumors also have the Skins wanting to sign another WR.  My question is this:  If you draft Robert Griffin III, why get the receiving corps that makes big money the next two years?  He will have to get experience and realize that the way to really win in this league is with the arm, not the legs.  And it does take those running QBs a couple of years to really have that sink in.

3.  There are many Free Agents that can change games out there.  In fact from the Pro Football Talk Top 50 Free Agents, as of 10:49 ET, only 7 have been signed.  Only 2 out of the Top 10.  And of those 7, 5 have signed back with their old teams.  Resigning with their old teams are Marques Colston with the Saints, Reggie Wayne with the Colts, Dwight Lowrey with the Jaguars, Red Bryant with the Seahawks and Terrell Thomas with the Giants.  Add the various people like Carlos Rogers deciding to return to their former teams and that is one of the storylines coming out of this day.

4.  The Dolphins deciding to trade Brandon Marshall to the Bears for 2 3rd Round Draft Choices.  Over the past couple of seasons, the NFC North has quietly been adding offense.  Now look at the division.  The Packers score like they are on a video game.  Megatron looms large in Detroit.  And now the Bears have their Triplets of Marshall, Cutler, and Forte.  I'd include Minnesota, but Peterson has a knee injury, Harvin could be shut down any day and Ponder needs protection.  For a division that used to be known for defense, they are getting downright offensive in their philosophies.

5.  The fans in Minnesota, Seattle, Cincinnati, and other cities in America that haven't signed a free agent yet are up in arms.  They shouldn't be.  The teams usually know what they are doing.  Well, maybe not in Cincinnati.  But why pay full price for a second tier Free Agent on the first day.  the prices will come down and all teams will be signing free agents.  So far, the best signing according to me is the 49ers signing Randy Moss.

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