utopia1dc's Dallas Cowboys friend's fan blogs

While the current tally for New England during free agency doesn’t include DE Julius Peppers or WR Anquan Boldin, I’d say the Pats are having a decent off-season. The only free agent they signed, LB Marques Murrell, isn’t a marquee free agent. But the Patriots had success keeping their free agents.

Of the 15 free agents, six I absolutely wanted back: LB Tully Banta-Cain, CB Leigh Bodden, RB Kevin Faulk, K Stephen Gostkowski, OG Logan Mankins, and NT Vince Wilfork. Of those six, three re-signed. And OG Stephen Neal re-signed as well, which is a bonus.

Most recently Bodden unexpectedly came back. He was wooed by Houston but ultimately returned for four years, $22.5 million. So Bodden got the payday he was searching for and remains on a playoff-caliber team, something that wasn’t guaranteed with the rising Texans.

Continue reading "Can't Keep Them All"

As soon as I turned off my laptop and turned on my tv, I learned the Patriots reached an agreement with OG Stephen Neal. While not an elite player at his position, he's been solid for the Pats for years at right guard. Now New England has to get Logan Mankins signed.

Meanwhile, in search for receiver help, Buffalo's Josh Reed is scheduled to visit Monday. He's an ideal slot receiver, but nothing more. He failed as a starter with the Bills and joining an organization like the Patriots won't provide him with more opportunities to do anything more than be a third option. But given a choice, I'd rather Reed over David Patten, whom the Patriots recently signed. No offense to what Patten did for the Pats in the past, but he's aging. I'd rather someone with more left in his career.

Continue reading "Quick Update"

As I tweeted during the opening hour of NFL free agency: "I'm not sure who's in the Bears front office right now, but I like him." A day and a half later, I stand by that statement. My Chicago Bears ended up going "hog wild" in free agency after all, signing defensive end Julius Peppers, running back Chester Taylor and tight end Brandon Manumaleuna on Friday.

It was a complete departure from the norm for a Bears front office that is very particular about spending money on players it doesn't know. Anyone who says the Bears are cheap hasn't been paying attention. They shell out the money, but only for players they already have under contract. This year it was different. With no first or second round draft picks, Jerry Angelo and Lovie Smith had to swing for the fences in free agency or they'd be on the chopping block for sure after the 2010 season. After a fantastic Friday, it's time to examine the moves the Bears made and how they improve the team going forward.

Continue reading "Bears open their wallets to sign marquee free agents"

Most fans dream of the free agents the Patriots can sign when open season starts. Usually those dreams don’t include the team’s free agents.

On an active opening day to free agency, the Patriots decided to take care of their own instead of shopping for new arrivals. They first re-signed OLB Tully Banta-Cain and later reached an agreement with NT Vince Wilfork.

The truth is, New England doesn't have to make a splash in free agency this year. They had to keep key players from leaving the Gillette Stadium pool.

Of New England’s 14 free agents, half of them I hope re-sign with the team. By retaining Banta-Cain and Wilfork, that leaves five I hope go nowhere: CB Leigh Bodden, RB Kevin Faulk, K Stephen Gostkowski, G Logan Mankins, and G Stephen Neal. As for everyone else (DE/LB Derrick Burgess, DE Jarvis Green, P Chris Hanson, LB Pierre Woods, RB Chris Taylor, and TE Ben Waston; LB Junior Seau retired) , the Pats can do better, although I would make an exception for Green.

Continue reading "Home Takes Priority"

Not even an hour into NFL free agency, ESPN's Adam Schefter is reporting that big fish defensive end Julius Peppers and highly touted running back Chester Taylor will both visit the Chicago Bears on Friday. Brad Biggs is also reporting that tight end Brandon Manumaleuna will also pay a visit.

My quick reaction is that of complete shock. I'm not really sure who these Bears are. They're acting like Dan Snyder and the Redskins (who are now just sitting back and waiting on free agents). It's been a complete switch. Jerry Angelo and Lovie Smith are all-in.  

We all knew Peppers was going to be a high priority for Angelo since he's head and shoulders the best DE on the market. Lovie Smith even flew to Carolina to pick him up. That's "the Bears' deal to lose" according to Peppers' agent. Done deal.

Continue reading "Peppers, Taylor and Manumaleuna visiting Bears on Friday"

With less than five hours before free agency begins, let me get a few thoughts out of my mind:

Be sure to sign the Leigh Bodden thank-you card. He’s not coming back. He’s the second-best corner back available in free agency after Houston’s Dunta Robinson. It shouldn’t take him long to find an offer that he can’t pass up. His gamble to sign a one year deal with a promise from the Patriots that they wouldn’t franchise him will pay off. He erased his years with Detroit, including the 0-16 season, from everyone’s mind. Wish you luck at your next career stop, Leigh, as long as it’s not with an AFC East team.

Want to know what’s the value of LB Adalius Thomas? None. It’s not that there aren’t any teams that want him, but no team will make a trade offer for a guy they know the Pats want to dump. They know the divorce is coming, so they’ll wait until New England cuts him and sign Thomas without giving up compensation. One of those teams rumored to be interested in Thomas as a free agent is the New York Jets, where Thomas would be reunited with his former defensive coordinator, Jets head coach Rex Ryan. Guess which two games Thomas circles on his calendar if he matriculates to the Jets?

Continue reading "Hours Away"

With NFL free agency kicking off at midnight on Thursday, the Chicago Bears need to make a huge splash. They have no first or second-round draft picks to spend money on and a salary cap-less year on the horizon, priming them to be major players in free agency for the first time I can remember. I'll take a look at a few positions and players the Bears should be targeting in free agency.

Defensive End

Julius Peppers (Carolina)

Undoubtedly the biggest fish in the free agent pool, the 30-year old defensive lineman would bring instant pass-rush to a Bears defense that is sorely lacking. In Lovie Smith's much maligned cover-two scheme, getting pressure with your front four is key. Adewale Ogunleye's impending departure and the death of Gaines Adams makes signing Peppers a no-brainer. When he wants to he's one of the best pass-rushers in the league. Every now and again he'll take plays off (or seasons, as evident by his 2.5 sack 2007), but he's racked up double digit sacks in six of his eight years in the NFL.

Continue reading "Free Agency Preview: Chicago Bears"

It’s been a cold week for NFL runningbacks. After years of service, both San Diego’s LaDanian Tomlinson and Philadelphia’s Brian Westbrook were unceremoniously cut by their respective teams.

Tomlinson and Westbrook combined for 18,485 yards rushing and 175 touchdowns on the ground, but were shown no appreciation for years of hard work.

But if you think they had it tough, name the fullbacks that cleared the path for Tomlinson and Westbrook during the prime of their careers.

If you named more than just Lorenzo Neal with San Diego, you’re doing great. Fullbacks play in the shadows of stars even though the runningbacks follow in the footsteps of their obscure security escort. Only if the fullback becomes synonymous with the halfback do they get a piece of the limelight: Emmitt Smith and Darryl Johnston; Roger Craig and Tom Rathman. Otherwise fullbacks are treated as dispensable and easily replaced.

Continue reading "Remembering Mosi"

Two Patriots made headlines recently. We’ll tackle these two issues in chronological order, one day at a time.

Over the weekend wide receiver Randy Moss said he believes this will be his last season with the Patriots after his contract runs out. He takes no offense to it, as it’s the business of the NFL and he’s familiar with how New England does things, not just from a Patriot perspective, but from his viewpoint at his previous stops.

Moss has always been the type to speak honestly…when he speaks. This is a time fans wished Randy extended his in-season press avoidance a little into the off-season.

It is a realistic analysis by Moss. He’s seen how cold and heartless the Pats move forward by leaving behind long-time stalwarts. Moss didn’t have to wait long to see first hand how head coach Bill Belichick emotionlessly make decisions. It was just Randy’s second year with New England that he saw QB Matt Cassel, LB Mike Vrabel, and DL Richard Seymour, three players with 20 combined years of service with the Pats, traded for draft picks and salary cap relief.

Continue reading "Stayings or Goings Part 1"

Free agency starts in about three weeks, but teams have been waiting more than a month for the shopping season to commence. I don’t know the complete list of free agents available, though already there are a few high profile names out there. But which of these players fit New England?

Despite the dire need for an OLB that can get to the passer, I’m not interested in Julius Peppers. I’m relatively sure he can make the transition from DE to OLB in a 3-4, but the price will be exorbitant. Nor do I have any interest in soon to be released Joey Porter. He’s too much of a personality to fit into the Patriots Way and is very likely to clash with the no-nonsense Bill Belichick. Belichick still has his head-butting with Adalius Thomas fresh in his mind and Bill wouldn’t want to put himself through that again.

Continue reading "Window Shopping"