packers11
03-04-2007, 09:59 PM
Hard to buy winning record
Going on a free-agent spending spree rarely works in the NFL
Don Pierson
On Pro Football
March 5, 2007
The free-agency season is more of an NFL plot to steal publicity from basketball and baseball than it is a sure-fire plan to improve teams.
It is football's answer to baseball's Hot Stove League. It generates interest much more than it regenerates lagging franchises.
All it takes is one Drew Brees story to keep fans searching for NFL news year-round. Brees signed with the moribund New Orleans Saints last March 14 as a free agent from the San Diego Chargers and promptly joined two of the early free-agent success stories, Reggie White and Deion Sanders, as a player who made an immediate and significant difference.
The number of dramatic difference-makers since free agency began in 1993 falls far short of the off-season excitement. But more than any other sport, football is a game of anticipation. So teams like the Washington Redskins are again poised to win the off-season championship by creating much sound and fury over signing expensive free agents, signifying little.
Redskins owner Daniel Snyder thinks the Super Bowl trophy is presented in April to the teams that throw around the most money and score the most headlines.
Sure enough, the Redskins got started by tossing a $10.5 million signing bonus to 32-year-old middle linebacker London Fletcher-Baker, who used to play for the Bills and Rams. Then they reacquired overrated cornerback Fred Smoot from Minnesota, where he spent two years and became notorious for his part in organizing the infamous "Love Boat" cruise. On the field, he was largely forgettable.
The Redskins had plenty of company on the first weekend of free agency, with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers signing not one but two quarterbacks to try to catch up with the NFC South champion Saints. After signing 37-year-old Jeff Garcia from Philadelphia, this year's version of Minnesota's Brad Johnson, the Bucs announced they had traded for the rights to Denver's Jake Plummer, who threatens retirement.
The New England Patriots, as usual, might have made the wisest move by adding stellar Baltimore linebacker Adalius Thomas, deemed as the prize free agent on this year's market. The Patriots like to collect linebackers, as they did with ex-Bear Rosevelt Colvin and ex-San Diego Charger Junior Seau.
The San Francisco 49ers outdid the Redskins and everybody else by making Buffalo cornerback Nate Clements the richest defensive player in league history with an eight-year, $80 million deal that includes $22 million in guaranteed money.
You say you never heard of Nate Clements? He played pretty well for six years in Buffalo, during which the Bills never made the playoffs.
The two most recent Super Bowl teams, the Bears and Indianapolis Colts, were among the quietest teams in free agency last off-season. The Bears added nickel back Ricky Manning Jr., backup quarterback Brian Griese and special-teamer Dante Wesley. The Colts added one of the great kickers of all time, Adam Vinatieri.
Over the years, the best teams have learned it is more prudent to spend money on their own developing or obviously great players than it is to chase veterans that other teams basically no longer want. Nobody knows players better than the teams that draft or sign them originally, and there are usually compelling reasons to either keep or release them when they become eligible for free agency.
In some cases, of course, teams simply can't afford to keep good players because of the salary cap or because they figure they can get along cheaper or better without them. Other teams are forced to plug specific holes quickly. The Bears acquired all of their offensive line starters except center Olin Kreutz in free agency in 2004 and 2005. The Bills are headed in a similar direction, signing three offensive linemen for the money it would have taken to keep Clements.
This year, because the salary-cap limit has expanded from $102 million to $109 million per club, teams have more money than ever to spend on free agency. But the best teams also know they have more money than ever to keep their best players, as the Bears did when they placed a franchise tag on linebacker Lance Briggs to take him off the open market.
A look at last year's free-agent "phenoms" reveals more smoke than fire. Here is a scorecard on the top 20 free agents who changed teams in 2006, as ranked by Pro Football Weekly last June:
1. Edgerrin James. After going from the Colts to the Cardinals for $30 million, James said, "All they need is a running back." The Cards went 5-11, same as they did without him, and couldn't save coach Dennis Green's job. The Colts, meanwhile, appeared to get along without James.
2. Steve Hutchinson. The Seahawks guard broke the bank with a $49 million deal with the Vikings that caused the league to rethink its "poison pill" contract rules. The Vikings slipped from 9-7 without him to 6-10 with him. The Seahawks slipped too.
3. Julian Peterson. The linebacker played well after jumping from the 49ers to the Seahawks, but the Seahawks fell from 13-3 to 9-7 and the 49ers improved from 4-12 to 7-9. It's not a one-man game.
4. LeCharles Bentley. The center wanted nothing to do with the 3-13 Saints and was eager to return to his hometown of Cleveland. He suffered a season-ending injury at the Browns' first practice.
5. Ty Law. The Chiefs added this mercenary cornerback shortly before the season opened. He started every game and the Chiefs made the playoffs, although their 9-7 record was worse than their 10-6 non-playoff team in 2005.
6. John Abraham. After being designated the Jets' franchise player, the pass rusher was traded to the Falcons in a three-team deal. Injuries limited him to eight games as the Falcons tumbled to 7-9 and coach Jim Mora was fired. The Jets drafted center Nick Mangold with the Falcons' pick and made the playoffs.
7. Drew Brees. It is a one-man sport, after all. Brees made the Saints' $60 million contract look like a steal and made the Dolphins look foolish for worrying about a little detail like a reconstructed throwing shoulder.
8. Terrell Owens. Ask him if it's a one-man sport. With him, the Cowboys repeated their 9-7 record, although they made the playoffs. Without him, the Eagles bounced from an NFC East-worst 6-10 to first at 10-6.
9. Will Witherspoon. The linebacker's departure from the Panthers had a bigger impact than his addition to the Rams. Although the Rams did improve to 8-8, the Panthers were a preseason Super Bowl favorite that fell to 8-8.
10. LaVar Arrington. The Giants were desperate at linebacker so they gambled on a one-time big-name player who couldn't start for the Redskins. He ended up on injured reserve after six games.
11. Chris Hope. The perfectly named free agent, the Steelers free safety joined the Titans. The Steelers got worse (8-8) and the Titans got better (8-8) and neither made the playoffs.
12. Darren Howard. Another disenchanted Saint, the defensive end went to the Eagles, then returned to New Orleans and lost in the playoffs.
13. Charles Woodson. The cornerback got out of the black hole of Oakland and actually helped the Packers, but not enough for them to make the playoffs.
14. Adam Archuleta. The Redskins outbid the Bears for the former Ram, making him the highest-paid safety in history, only to discover he wasn't suited at all for Washington's defense. He started seven games and was benched by the 5-11 Snyders.
15. David Thornton. The Colts wished they could have kept this linebacker, who moved on to the Titans. Thornton probably wished so too.
16. Adam Vinatieri. The Patriots thought they could get along without a kicker whose points have made the difference in three Super Bowl victories. The Colts beat the Patriots in the AFC title game with help from Vinatieri field goals. He scored 11 points in the Super Bowl, and the Colts beat the Bears by 12.
17. Josh McCown. The Lions signed the Cardinals' backup quarterback and he never threw a pass.
18. Kevin Shaffer. The Falcons got one game worse after the left tackle left for Cleveland, but the Browns got two games worse.
19. Trevor Pryce. The Broncos thought this defensive lineman was washed up after getting only four sacks in the last two years. Rejuvenated with the Ravens, he made 13 sacks for a 13-3 team.
20. Jon Kitna. He wasn't getting to play in Cincinnati. The Lions figured he was a better quarterback than Joey Harrington, but they dropped from 5-11 to 3-13 with Kitna taking every snap.
Free agency is hardly a rousing success except in the selling of great expectations, which nobody does better than the NFL.
Going on a free-agent spending spree rarely works in the NFL
Don Pierson
On Pro Football
March 5, 2007
The free-agency season is more of an NFL plot to steal publicity from basketball and baseball than it is a sure-fire plan to improve teams.
It is football's answer to baseball's Hot Stove League. It generates interest much more than it regenerates lagging franchises.
All it takes is one Drew Brees story to keep fans searching for NFL news year-round. Brees signed with the moribund New Orleans Saints last March 14 as a free agent from the San Diego Chargers and promptly joined two of the early free-agent success stories, Reggie White and Deion Sanders, as a player who made an immediate and significant difference.
The number of dramatic difference-makers since free agency began in 1993 falls far short of the off-season excitement. But more than any other sport, football is a game of anticipation. So teams like the Washington Redskins are again poised to win the off-season championship by creating much sound and fury over signing expensive free agents, signifying little.
Redskins owner Daniel Snyder thinks the Super Bowl trophy is presented in April to the teams that throw around the most money and score the most headlines.
Sure enough, the Redskins got started by tossing a $10.5 million signing bonus to 32-year-old middle linebacker London Fletcher-Baker, who used to play for the Bills and Rams. Then they reacquired overrated cornerback Fred Smoot from Minnesota, where he spent two years and became notorious for his part in organizing the infamous "Love Boat" cruise. On the field, he was largely forgettable.
The Redskins had plenty of company on the first weekend of free agency, with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers signing not one but two quarterbacks to try to catch up with the NFC South champion Saints. After signing 37-year-old Jeff Garcia from Philadelphia, this year's version of Minnesota's Brad Johnson, the Bucs announced they had traded for the rights to Denver's Jake Plummer, who threatens retirement.
The New England Patriots, as usual, might have made the wisest move by adding stellar Baltimore linebacker Adalius Thomas, deemed as the prize free agent on this year's market. The Patriots like to collect linebackers, as they did with ex-Bear Rosevelt Colvin and ex-San Diego Charger Junior Seau.
The San Francisco 49ers outdid the Redskins and everybody else by making Buffalo cornerback Nate Clements the richest defensive player in league history with an eight-year, $80 million deal that includes $22 million in guaranteed money.
You say you never heard of Nate Clements? He played pretty well for six years in Buffalo, during which the Bills never made the playoffs.
The two most recent Super Bowl teams, the Bears and Indianapolis Colts, were among the quietest teams in free agency last off-season. The Bears added nickel back Ricky Manning Jr., backup quarterback Brian Griese and special-teamer Dante Wesley. The Colts added one of the great kickers of all time, Adam Vinatieri.
Over the years, the best teams have learned it is more prudent to spend money on their own developing or obviously great players than it is to chase veterans that other teams basically no longer want. Nobody knows players better than the teams that draft or sign them originally, and there are usually compelling reasons to either keep or release them when they become eligible for free agency.
In some cases, of course, teams simply can't afford to keep good players because of the salary cap or because they figure they can get along cheaper or better without them. Other teams are forced to plug specific holes quickly. The Bears acquired all of their offensive line starters except center Olin Kreutz in free agency in 2004 and 2005. The Bills are headed in a similar direction, signing three offensive linemen for the money it would have taken to keep Clements.
This year, because the salary-cap limit has expanded from $102 million to $109 million per club, teams have more money than ever to spend on free agency. But the best teams also know they have more money than ever to keep their best players, as the Bears did when they placed a franchise tag on linebacker Lance Briggs to take him off the open market.
A look at last year's free-agent "phenoms" reveals more smoke than fire. Here is a scorecard on the top 20 free agents who changed teams in 2006, as ranked by Pro Football Weekly last June:
1. Edgerrin James. After going from the Colts to the Cardinals for $30 million, James said, "All they need is a running back." The Cards went 5-11, same as they did without him, and couldn't save coach Dennis Green's job. The Colts, meanwhile, appeared to get along without James.
2. Steve Hutchinson. The Seahawks guard broke the bank with a $49 million deal with the Vikings that caused the league to rethink its "poison pill" contract rules. The Vikings slipped from 9-7 without him to 6-10 with him. The Seahawks slipped too.
3. Julian Peterson. The linebacker played well after jumping from the 49ers to the Seahawks, but the Seahawks fell from 13-3 to 9-7 and the 49ers improved from 4-12 to 7-9. It's not a one-man game.
4. LeCharles Bentley. The center wanted nothing to do with the 3-13 Saints and was eager to return to his hometown of Cleveland. He suffered a season-ending injury at the Browns' first practice.
5. Ty Law. The Chiefs added this mercenary cornerback shortly before the season opened. He started every game and the Chiefs made the playoffs, although their 9-7 record was worse than their 10-6 non-playoff team in 2005.
6. John Abraham. After being designated the Jets' franchise player, the pass rusher was traded to the Falcons in a three-team deal. Injuries limited him to eight games as the Falcons tumbled to 7-9 and coach Jim Mora was fired. The Jets drafted center Nick Mangold with the Falcons' pick and made the playoffs.
7. Drew Brees. It is a one-man sport, after all. Brees made the Saints' $60 million contract look like a steal and made the Dolphins look foolish for worrying about a little detail like a reconstructed throwing shoulder.
8. Terrell Owens. Ask him if it's a one-man sport. With him, the Cowboys repeated their 9-7 record, although they made the playoffs. Without him, the Eagles bounced from an NFC East-worst 6-10 to first at 10-6.
9. Will Witherspoon. The linebacker's departure from the Panthers had a bigger impact than his addition to the Rams. Although the Rams did improve to 8-8, the Panthers were a preseason Super Bowl favorite that fell to 8-8.
10. LaVar Arrington. The Giants were desperate at linebacker so they gambled on a one-time big-name player who couldn't start for the Redskins. He ended up on injured reserve after six games.
11. Chris Hope. The perfectly named free agent, the Steelers free safety joined the Titans. The Steelers got worse (8-8) and the Titans got better (8-8) and neither made the playoffs.
12. Darren Howard. Another disenchanted Saint, the defensive end went to the Eagles, then returned to New Orleans and lost in the playoffs.
13. Charles Woodson. The cornerback got out of the black hole of Oakland and actually helped the Packers, but not enough for them to make the playoffs.
14. Adam Archuleta. The Redskins outbid the Bears for the former Ram, making him the highest-paid safety in history, only to discover he wasn't suited at all for Washington's defense. He started seven games and was benched by the 5-11 Snyders.
15. David Thornton. The Colts wished they could have kept this linebacker, who moved on to the Titans. Thornton probably wished so too.
16. Adam Vinatieri. The Patriots thought they could get along without a kicker whose points have made the difference in three Super Bowl victories. The Colts beat the Patriots in the AFC title game with help from Vinatieri field goals. He scored 11 points in the Super Bowl, and the Colts beat the Bears by 12.
17. Josh McCown. The Lions signed the Cardinals' backup quarterback and he never threw a pass.
18. Kevin Shaffer. The Falcons got one game worse after the left tackle left for Cleveland, but the Browns got two games worse.
19. Trevor Pryce. The Broncos thought this defensive lineman was washed up after getting only four sacks in the last two years. Rejuvenated with the Ravens, he made 13 sacks for a 13-3 team.
20. Jon Kitna. He wasn't getting to play in Cincinnati. The Lions figured he was a better quarterback than Joey Harrington, but they dropped from 5-11 to 3-13 with Kitna taking every snap.
Free agency is hardly a rousing success except in the selling of great expectations, which nobody does better than the NFL.