Archuleta to da Bears and Other Misc FA News

[Bretsky]

Free agency has opened with a flurry of activity. Already, numerous teams are on the board. Take a glance at the deals, and the potential soon-to-be deals.

Tuesday, March 20

The Washington Redskins have agreed to trade safety Adam Archuleta to the Chicago Bears for a conditional sixth-round draft pick. Archuleta restructured his contract to soften the salary-cap hit the Redskins will have to take this season, and now Washington will get back a draft pick for him. Bears coach Lovie Smith was Archuleta's defensive coordinator in St. Louis and has coveted the safety since he took over as Chicago's head coach in January 2004. He finally has gotten his man.

The Denver Broncos reached agreement on a one-year deal with free-agent wide receiver Brandon Stokley. The 30-year-old Stokley also visited the New Orleans Saints but opted for the Broncos. Stokley is coming off a torn achilles, but he is expected to be ready for training camp.

The Houston Texans reached agreement with free-agent linebacker Shawn Barber on a three-year, $5 million deal that includes $2.2 million in guaranteed money.

Carolina re-signed restricted free-agent defensive tackle Jordan Carstens.

Cincinnati re-signed restricted free-agent punter Kyle Larson.

Indianapolis re-signed restricted free-agent guard Ryan Lilja.

Cleveland signed free-agent center Lennie Friedman.

Kansas City signed free-agent defensive tackle Alfonso Boone.

Philadelphia free-agent linebacker Keith Adams tried out with the New York Giants.

Monday, March 19
The Denver Broncos cut defensive end Courtney Brown after the former No. 1 overall pick failed his physical.

Chicago free-agent defensive tackle Ian Scott visited the Minnesota Vikings.

[red]

rich get richer

thats what they need is another good defensive player

[Charles Woodson]

rich get richer

thats what they need is another good defensive player

what would have been interesting is if they sent Briggs and say a 4th & 5h for archuletta and their 1st

[Partial]

Archuletta couldn't even crack Washingtons starting lineup. He was an OK special teams player for them. 6 mil per year for a special teams player. insane. He'll do alright for the Bears though. They've got a lot of talent and MB gets hurt year after year. I think he'll be a good fit.

[Charles Woodson]

Archuletta couldn't even crack Washingtons starting lineup. He was an OK special teams player for them. 6 mil per year for a special teams player. insane. He'll do alright for the Bears though. They've got a lot of talent and MB gets hurt year after year. I think he'll be a good fit.

but the interesting thing is thatn Archuletta thrived in the defense Lovie Smith ran in St. Louis, so i wonder if he will do better because of the scheme, and now he knows he has to work to get his huge contract.

[Partial]

I don't think he necessarily thrived, but he did alright. I don't think he's ever been a premier safety. He was in Lovie's defense for one year if I remember correctly. He certainly is a big, physical, in the box safety, and I don't know how that fits with the Tampa 2.

I do however think that Lovie sees a freakish athlete with loads of potential and thinks he can mould a heck of a player from him. I am skeptical.

[HarveyWallbangers]

Archuleta is Fred Smoot-like overrated.

[Partial]

Archuleta is Fred Smoot-like overrated.

Yep. He's alright but he's certainly not great. He's a freakish athlete though, so maybe the light will go on someday.

[Guiness]

From a record FA deal for a safety, to a 6th round pick!

FWIW I think Archuleta will be fine. Doesn't make sense the way he flopped last year.

[ND72]

When Archuleta played in Lovie's system he was close to, if not always on the pro bowl team. he's perfectly made for a Cover 2 system. I hate the bears, this helps their team more than some of you wanna admit to.

[Bretsky]

When Archuleta played in Lovie's system he was close to, if not always on the pro bowl team. he's perfectly made for a Cover 2 system. I hate the bears, this helps their team more than some of you wanna admit to.


Ditto; very good move by the Bears that will improve their team

[Bretsky]

Seahawks Notebook: Ruskell confirms it's time for Stevens to move on
Team had no plans to re-sign TE even before latest arrest
By CLARE FARNSWORTH
P-I REPORTER

RENTON -- Seahawks president Tim Ruskell made official Tuesday what has been apparent since before the NFL free-agent period began March 2:

The club had no intention of re-signing Jerramy Stevens, the talented but troubled tight end who was the Seahawks' first-round draft choice in 2002.

"I would say it's probably time for a change of scenery, and move on from that situation," Ruskell said after a ceremony on the shores of Lake Washington to christen what will be the team's new headquarters, the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.

The club's stance was not decided by Stevens' latest run-in with the law. But his arrest in Arizona last week for driving under the influence and possession of marijuana definitely strengthened the team's resolve that severing ties with Stevens was the prudent move.

The signing of veteran free agent Marcus Pollard the same day Stevens was arrested gives the Seahawks four tight ends. Will Heller was re-signed to join Ben Joppru and Leonard Stephens.

None of these players possess Stevens' combination of size, speed, soft hands and athletic ability. But they don't have his history of off-field problems, either.

"I was disappointed, and I feel badly for him and his family," coach Mike Holmgren said. "I've come under the gun in years past about not taking a harder line with some of our players.

"But people don't really know what goes on behind the scenes."

In drafting Stevens, Holmgren went against his own policy of not selecting players with character issues. He did it with assurances from Stevens that the legal problems he had at Olympia's River Ridge High School and the University of Washington would not resurface.


Instead, Stevens spent seven days in jail in 2003 after violating his probation from earlier offenses.

"I like him personally," Holmgren said. "I think when he was healthy and played for us, you couldn't ask for a harder worker. He did a nice job for us as a football player.

"But if you get in too many jams, you have to kind of deal with life's issues more than the athletic issues. I really wish him well, and I hope things work out for him."

Some looked at the Pollard signing as a desperation move, after the Seahawks' bidding war with the Denver Broncos for free-agent tight end Daniel Graham. Pollard is 35, and caught only 12 passes for the Detroit Lions last season.

Ruskell countered that, saying that Pollard's age "was my concern, too. But when you watch the tape from last year, the guy still has his quickness, he's still a tenacious blocker and he still has good hands. It defies the age, and he's not been an injury guy during his career. So we felt good about it."

PURSUING ENGRAM: If Ruskell has anything to say about it, free-agent wide receiver Bobby Engram will be back for a seventh season with the Seahawks.

"We want to get that done," Ruskell said. "We're having some pretty intense talks right now."

Engram was the club's leading receiver in the run to the Super Bowl in 2005. He missed nine games last season after being diagnosed with a thyroid condition.

GRAY MATTER: The club continues to talk with veteran guard Chris Gray about returning for a 15th NFL season, his 10th with the Seahawks.

"We'd like to see him come back," Ruskell said. "He's still wrestling with the decision of playing or not playing. So we'll have to let that take some time."

Even if Gray returns, and despite the re-signing of free-agent guard Floyd "Pork Chop" Womack, the team will continue to look for more offensive linemen in free agency and the draft. The dwindling list of available free agents still includes guards Cooper Carlisle, the ex-Bronco who has visited the Seahawks; and Edwin Mulitalo, who was released recently by the Baltimore Ravens.

Any additional signings will be more for depth than big-splash acquisitions.

"We don't have our numbers yet, so we need to keep looking at that market," Ruskell said.

H

[the_idle_threat]

None of these players possess Stevens' combination of size, speed, soft hands and athletic ability.

Methinks they're overstating things a bit. Stevens' "soft hands" have had a helluva lotta drops over the years. A Pro-Bowler he ain't.

[MadtownPacker]

archuleta is a smug, arrogant piece of garbage like his new coach. I consider him a downgrade to the bears defense.

[KYPack]

archuleta is a smug, arrogant piece of garbage like his new coach. I consider him a downgrade to the bears defense.

Man, you are a mean SOB.

Archuleta was lost in space last season. He never got comfortable in that Washington D. Lovie plays that Tampa 2. Mike Brown plays over the top, so they are looking for Archuleta to be the other safety. I don't know if the boy can handle that job or not.

The Bears were hurtin' at those spots after Brown went out.

[HarveyWallbangers]

The thing is: Archuleta can't cover. He helps in the box, but I think his coverage skills were exposed in Washington. Teams will be going at him a lot this year in Chicago.

[Zool]

Chicago still has Green and Brown if I remember correctly. Wont Archuleta be just a backup?

[HarveyWallbangers]

Chicago still has Green and Brown if I remember correctly. Wont Archuleta be just a backup?

Green signed with Seattle last year. He got injured again.

[Zool]

Oh yeah. Forgot about Manning at S for them.

[ND72]

The thing is: Archuleta can't cover.


That's why he's good in cover 2. he doesn't have to cover, he just has to go to an area and tackle.

[HarveyWallbangers]

I disagree somewhat. He did okay in St. Louis, but was vastly overrated. Just 3 interceptions and 23 pass deflections in 6 years? That's pathetic. He's better in the box. The safeties have to stay deep and have coverage skills in a cover-2. Sure, a lot of times he'll just be double covering a receiver that a corner has, but receivers are oftentimes left by the corner (staying in his zone) to the safety in the scheme. Sure, John Lynch was successful, but he was underrated in his coverage skills in his prime. Once he got old, Tampa Bay didn't want to have anything to do with him. Archuleta got majorly exposed last year, and I think you'll see teams go after him.