I think the Pats did a great job - they signed a player at a position of need who can do a TON of thiings for them. I think the Bills did a fine job, too, by improving their lines, but I don't think that means we did a bad job, we just have a different strategy. Build through the draft.
New England went out and got 2 of their Top 5 needs in a pass rush specalist OLB in Adalius Thomas and a blocking TE to replace Daniel Graham in Kyle Brady. Buffalo on the other hand improved their Offensive Line greatly with the signings of Langston Walker and Derrick Dockery. Jason Whittle isn't a scrub either as he'll probably provide some veteran depth on their line. Both of them did a lot on Day 1 of Free Agency and Buffalo continues to surprise me and if they keep this up, they could very possibly be ready to surpass the Jets in '07 and beyond, especially if they do NOT deal away Willis McGahee.
I agree. Both teams have really upgraded for next season. But they are not making smart decisions because they are screwing themselves for the future. This is the kind of thinking that always gets Washington in trouble. The same thinking that had San Fran and Tennessee in salary cap hell for the last three or four years. I hope the Pats and Bills keep making big money deals while the Jets make quiet signings and develop draft picks. In two or three years, the Jets will be sitting pretty.
The Pats have allready slaughtered us this off season. A great FA signing and 2 first round draft choices. I'm sure they also saved some bucks by cutting Dillion after they allready got a year of experience for he's replacement. We don't need a solid draft, we need a spectacular draft.
Those deals won't kill the teams for the future...this is a new NFL salary cap landscape we are living in. It is also a new FA landscape and "quiet signings" now mean low quality players due to the lack of available talent after the first 30 guys or so. Many will say that the Jets "build through the draft"...two things on that: 1) Those same people will be saying "the draft is a crapshoot" come April 2) The Bill and Pats didn't give up their right to draft by signing FAs, so they will have added quality players via FA and have the same opportunity as the Jets to add more player through the draft, both with higher picks than the Jets.
Indeed. If we are to come in and try to have another split regular season series against New England we best have a spectacular draft or we better start signing some bigger name FA's (Porter & Dielman).
I agree with what Cimini says in his blog: "The Bills are idiots. How can you give $18 million in guarantees to a guard? I don’t care if Derrick Dockery (Redskins) is the next Jerry Kramer; you don’t give that much to a guard. What if he turns into Cosmo Kramer? Then you have real problems. Clearly, the Bills wanted to make a splash on a day in which they lose CB Nate Clements and Fletcher. The same criticism goes to the Browns, who gave G Eric Steinbach $17 million in guarantees. Buffalo and Cleveland: Dumb and dumber."
They may not be worth that kind of cash (that's the same amount + more in guarentees than Steve Hutchinson received last offseason from Minnesota) but they will still be very valuable leaders on both lines and will improve both teams' lines dramatically, something both Cleveland and Buffalo needed to protect their young Quarterbacks.
Fletcher and Clements will hurt that defense. Man, that is too much to pay for a corner by the way. Niners are looking to blow that cash in a big hurry.
