NFL Free Agency is here, so how better to react to breaking news with the Pro Football Focus Free Agency blog.
Every deal and some of the rumors that come through, our team will be responding to. Letting you know what they think and what it means.
Day 1 live blog
Day 2 live blog
Be sure to check out our twitter feed @Profootbalfocus for constant tweets reacting to these most exciting of crazy times in the NFL. Keeping checking back and clicking refresh, this station will be manned at all times!
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Fear not, the blog is updated here!
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21:15 SIGNING! While rumors of Cullen Jenkins to the Saints remain, the Saints added a different former member of their week 1 opponent. Fullback Korey Hall joins the team as a strong run blocker with the sixth best blocking rating in 2010 as well as a good special teams player.
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21:08 SIGNING! I thought a signing was coming, and here it is. The Saints bring back safety Roman Harper. As a strong safety he excels in the run game with a +7.1 run stop rating. However it's hard to erase the memory of his game against the Seahawks in the playoffs where he allowed six catches for 125 yards and three touchdowns.
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21:00 I'm not even seeing rumors of any moves on twitter right now. The PFF Free Agent Tracker should now be up to date. I've started the process of confirming free agent signings and cuts, so a number of moves no longer have stars by them. I would not be surprised at all of their are a few more moves going on tonight.
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20:40 Rumors are heating up of Cullen Jenkins to the Saints. Everyone guessed he would join the Redskins, but they went with Stephen Bowen instead. He has experience playing in a 4-3 defense from before the Packers made the switch two years ago. He would very much help a pass rush that was one of the worst in the league in 2010 where they pretty much just had Will Smith.
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20:35 SIGNING! Things seem to be dying down, but luckily I have some punter news. The Jets agreed to terms with Chris Bryan. He began the Buccaneers 2010 season, but was done after week 5. In just 4 games, he was able to receive the 2nd worst overall grade for a punter at -5.7. He's no Steve Weatherford who became a Giant.
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20:20 RELEASE! The Rams have decided they no longer need Jacob Bell blocking for them at the price they were paying him. Of the five starting offensive linemen in St. Louis last year, Bell had the highest pass block and run block rating. I guess my wish of Greco seeing more time that I mentioned a half hour ago coulb be coming true.
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20:07 SIGNING! We mentioned it earlier, but it sounds like the signing of Al Harris by the Rams is complete. It's surprising that he was signed after not being able to catch on with the Dolphins last year. He last saw significant time in the first half of 2009 with the Packers where he only allowed half of the passes thrown his way to get caught, but for a high 15 yards per catch.
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19:54 SIGNING! The signings just keep coming. Teams have waited to sign their restricted free agents so they could focus on getting unrestricted players from other teams, but now that camps have started, the restricted signings have began. This time it's the Rams bringing back David Vobora, Chris Chamberlain and John Greco. I would love to see Greco crack the starting lineup. A run block rating of +7.1 on just 153 snaps is impressive.
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19:50 SIGNING! The Bengals join the game of musical guards, bringing in Deuce Lutui from the Cardinals. It's still confusing to us that the Bengals would choose to go a route like this when they could bring back Evan Mathis who was the pictured player in Khaled's Bargain Hunting piece. Not exactly an upgrade here in our eyes as the Bengals rough offseason continues.
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19:47 SIGNING! Along with the rest of the Bears news, they have announced they agreed to terms with restricted free agent quarterback Caleb Hanie, and exclusive rights players Kahlil Bell and Edwin Williams. The one who had the most playing time in 2010 was Williams, who was the only offensive linemen for the Bears with a positive overall rating at +4.5.
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19:45 Just a reminder, the Free Agent Tracker lets you see where everyone has gone, who all has been cut, and their 2011 player ratings. If your team needs a player, that's where to go to find out who they should add.
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19:37 SIGNING! When players tweet that they've signed a deal, it sounds pretty legitimate. Buccaneers right tackle James Lee is back with the team. He got the starting job midseason and was a mess in run blocking. Then it was his pass blocking that hurt the team with two straight games where he allowed six pressures each. The last few weeks went a little better for him.
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19:29 SIGNING! The release of Crowder makes a lot more sense now that the Dolphins brought in inside linebacker Kevin Burnett. He ranked 51st in our list of the top free agents. While Crowder may have been better against the run, Burnett can do a lot more as a pass rusher. The rest of the Dolphins linebackers were strong in pass rushing last year other then Crowder, so Burnett should fit right in.
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19:26 SIGNING! To continue with former Jets moving on, Vernon Gholston has signed with the Chicago Bears. So far he has been a huge bust, but sometimes all it takes is a second chance to get your act together. We'll see if this is one of those cases.
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19:24 SIGNING! It's the cornerback you were all waiting for, Drew Coleman has reached a 3 year deal to go from the Jets to the Jaguars. While he isn't the greatest cornerback in the world, pretty much any defensive back they could bring in is an upgrade.
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19:08 SIGNING! It's been way too long since the Redskins signed someone. This time it's one of their own guys-linebacker HB Blades. He has seen the field less and less each year, and will probably remain a backup this year.
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19:24 The free agent tracker should be up to date, so if you see anything wrong with it let me know! Rumors are that Eagle shopping Asante Samuel. I remember three years ago when he was the big news at cornerback movement, and the year before it was Nate Clements. Oh how fast things can change.
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18:53 SIGNING! Let's start my night off with a Bears signing. Continuing to join Urlacher and Briggs at linebacker is Nick Roach. He was solid in his limited snaps and could become the starter in the base formation if no other additions are made at the position.
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18:49 Hello all, it's Nathan Jahnke here. Feel free to help me out with any and all moves on twitter at @PFF_NateJahnke . I'll see what I can do keeping this up to date as well as the Free Agent Tracker.
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18:46 And with that I hand over to Nate Jahnke, to entertain and enthrall you for the rest of the evening's chitter chatter.
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18:37 SIGNING! Travis LaBoy is now Travis LaMan in San Diego. They're going to look to him for some extra pass rush that hasn't really been forthcoming off the edge in base situations. If LaBoy can stay healthy he could add something, but it's hard to see where he fits in on pass rushing situations with Antwan Barnes already resigned, and Shaun Phillips a mainstay.
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18:29 SIGNING!It almost feels too soon to be talking about anything none Asomugha related. But Seattle have done a great piece of business in bringing back Brandon Mebane. Mebane is one of the quickest interior defensive linemen in the league off the snap, and is a nightmare for guards. He's an utter joy to watch. Our sixth ranked DT over the past three years.
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18:22 SIGNING! Those win now Eagles also brought in Johnnie Lee Higgins and Donald Lee. But you don't care about those moves. They just brought in Nnamdi Asomugha. Holy [insert expletive].
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18:17 SIGNING! Not just a signing. The signing. Jay Glazier and Adam Schefter both reporting that Nnamdi Asomugha is an Eagle! Out of left field, the Eagles looked to have settled their cornerback woes with the trade for DRC but that's not the case. To be honest I'm stunned by this and have no clue what it means for the rest of the Eagles secondary. Could the Eagles have been working on a trade this entire time for Asante Samuel. Surely they don't plan on keeping all of them. This is a stunner and you can expect a piece from yours truly tomorrow trying to make sense of it all.
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18:11 It looks like Stephen Tulloch may have missed his chance to be a Lion. Sources confirm Nick Barnett in talks with Detroit. Two games a year to show the Packers what they're missing? Barnett is a vastly superior talent to AJ Hawk, and if he can stay healthy will be looking to show the Super Bowl champs what they're missing out. That's a big if on the health front though.
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18:03 After my somewhat marathon shift I'll be handing over to Nathan Jahnke (@pff_natejahnke) shortly. If you're getting withdrawal symptons from me being away it's @pff_khaled, though I'll be manning the @profootbalfocus twitter account until my head smashes into my computer screen.
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17:56 So we all assumed Nnamdi Asomugha to the Jets. Well, Adam Schefter says it won't be going down like that. That's a turn up for the books and means the Cowboys are in prime position. Which means Terrence Newman best start worrying about his job. Oh, and I totally called Aso to the Cowboys by the way. About the only thing I may get right.
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17:51 Looks like Kevin Burnett could be the replacement for Channing Crowder. Jeff Darlington is saying Burnett and the ‘Phins are discussing numbers. I've discussed a little with some fans on twitter on what I think they're getting by going with Burnett over Crowder. A more complete, smarter player but one who doesn't quite have the same physical skill set. My take – it would be nice if they gave Tim Dobbins a chance, but he's not the player in coverage Burnett is.
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17:48 Credit this one to Geoff Mosher of the News Journal of Wilmington. Al Harris is on his way to the Rams. Harris played 73 snaps for the Dolphins last year and didn't look great, but he was coming back from injury. File this one in the ‘meh' category for now.
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17:44 SIGNING! It's not spectacular but the Cardinals have brought in Chansi Stuckey. He's not a super talented guy but he does get open over the shorter routes. That could be big when the heavily pressured Kevin Kolb needs to dump the ball off. Or he could be cut before camp. We'll see.
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17:38 Here's one that will get Bears fans rejoicing. The Chicago Tribune reports they're looking at bringing in former sixth overall pick, Vernon Gholston. Some stats on the one time draft darling. Three years. 630 snaps (including penalties). 18 tackles. 322 pass rushes. 16 combined pressures. I don't want to use the bust word … but come on.
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17:33 Looks like Travis LaBoy is deciding between Seattle and San Diego. The interesting thing about this is what it means for the Seahawks defensive scheme. I keep saying it, but I'm confused what they'll be running. They put some 3-4 looks in to go with their over/ under 4-3 fronts, but a move with LaBoy could see them becoming more of a true hybrid.
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17:30 SIGNING! I can't say I'm happy about this move. The Panthers have added to their linebacker depth with the severely underrated Omar Gaither. He was one of my bargain buys and I really felt he could start for a team. Really plays the run well. Now he's buried on the depth chart. Panthers have two back ups linebackers (Dan Connor as well) who should be starting.
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17:23 UNSIGNING! Apparently Jared Gaither hasn't agreed to terms with the Raiders. How do I know. Because his agent tweeted it so. That's the kind of world we live in these days. Not content with that, Drew Rosenhaus informed everyone the Lions didn't offer Stephen Tulloch the money they're reported to have offered. Well he's a mood kill isn't he?
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17:20 Ralph Vacchiano confirms, straight from the horses mouth, that David Diehl is moving back to guard. So William Beatty gets his shot at LT? I'm kind of happy for Diehl. He was never cut out to be a left tackle and has been mercilessly beaten these past few years in a division that has some of the best pass rushers around. Rebuild that rep after taking one for the team for so long.
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17:10 We may have a release today over in Colts land and understandably so. According to the Indy Star, they've asked Ryan Diem to take a pay cut or he's for the chop. Diem has always been a little bit streaky, but generally a good pass protector. Until last year. He was as bad as anything on the left side, and the left side was bad. Diem was ranked 70th out of 78 tackles in our rankings. Take a pay cut? He should be paying money directly into Peyton Manning's pocket for the five sacks, nine hits and 38 pressures he gave up.
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17:03 SIGNING! Read below. League sources (courtesy of Vittorio Tafur) have confirmed Jared Gaither to Oakland.
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17:00 Possible signing coming up. Jared Gaither, the only truly franchise left tackle to hit the market in … well I don't know how long, could be a Raider. I didn't have it as a major need, and even laughed at my editor who suggested it pre draft. But Gaither, if you get past the attitude concerns, has elite talent and has always produced for Baltimore. He was our third ranked left tackle in '09, and sixth the year before. Get him on the field and he'll make your quarterback, and running game better.
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16:55 RELEASE! It's gone a bit quiet so I'll drop some expected news. Carolina have released John Kasey. This was inevitable after they spent a lot of money on Olindo Mare. No word on whether Kasey is carrying on, but he's an accurate kicker who could come in when some young whippersnapper proves not up to it.
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16:46 It's the move all Rams fans have been hoping for. Not content with their collection of receivers either unproven or coming off injury (oh, and Danny Amendola), they're looking to trade for unproven and injury prone Anthony Gonzalez. You probably couldn't script it so the Rams went after anyone less appropriate given their needs at the position.
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16:42 SIGNING! The Rams, also known as a ‘The Team That Is Determined Not To Give David Vobora A Starting Gig', have brought in another linebacker. They were aiming for our bottom ranked 4-3 OLB in Scott Shanle, but he resigned with the Saints. So they've found the next best (or worst) thing in Zach Diles. He finished one spot ahead of Shanle after disastrous year in coverage. He allowed 49 of 54 balls thrown his way to be completed, at an average of ten yards. That's crazy. Diles was a lot better in '09 so it will be interesting to see where he's at in 2011.
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16:30 Some slight technical issues. Hearing some rumors that Dolphins are interested in Dashon Goldson. Besides the fact I want to see more of Reshad Jones, is there a more overrated (Davin Joseph withstanding) free agent than Goldson. Outside of four picks in 2009 what has he really done since becoming a starter? I'll tell you what. Finished with our lowest coverage grade for a safety in 2009 and a -5.4 grade in 2010. He's not the answer at free safety. Unless the question is how do we make our defense worse.
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16:20 SIGNING! Dallas are a bit desperate for defensive ends, so they'll be happy to resign Marcus Spears. Still, $19.8m over five years (per Adam Schefter) is an awful lot to spend on a guy who at his best, is a solid player. Before he went down injured, he'd earned himself a +8.6 run defense grade for the year. Oh, and managed just three combined pressures.
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16:16 Interesting that Miami is looking at Manny Lawson. He's going to want starters money, and the Dolphins are set at OLB with both Cameron Wake and Koa Misi. Doesn't seem like a great fit, especially with Miami taking an OLB off the field on nickel, second down plays.
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16:12 SIGNING! It's punter time! Steve Weatherford quite obviously is a lazy man. He couldn't be bothered to leave New York so he's replacing Matt Dodge for the Giants. Well it's better to knock something for a touchback, than to shank it four yards. End of season aside, Weatherford has a good year and finished fifth overall in our punter rankings.
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16:06 RELEASE! Big surprise in that it appears Channing Crowder has been but by the Dolphins. Crowder is a great fit in a 3-4 defense, if you take him out of obvious passing situations. Never seemed to recover momentum after tough 2009 season, but finished with +14.0 grade this against the run. He can contribute.
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15:56 A new rumor courtesy of Rich Cimini. The Jets aren't just focusing on their game of scrabble. No, they realize they need to add some wide receivers since some of them have gone walkies. That means they're looking at James Jones. Does Mark Sanchez really need a guy who drops so many balls it feels like it's going out of fashion?
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15:53 SIGNING! It was a done deal earlier by all accounts, but the Jags have confirmed the signing of Dawan Landry to a five year deal. No news on the amount yet. Landry is a nice story. Came into the league, played well and then a very serious injury. Got back onto the field and looked a shell of himself his first back. One year removed from injury he finishes our number four ranked safety on the year. Only concern is if the Jags try to use him at FS. Because you know, he's not.
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15:43 RELEASE! After his season ended prematurely last year, Mark Tauscher has been cut by the Packers. No real surprise given they've drafted two tackles in the first round in consecutive years. Tauscher is pretty much done if last year is anything to go by. He gave up 16 combined sacks, hits and hurries in four games and wasn't much better in the run game. He's not even a stop gap at this stage.
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15:40 SIGNING! It was spoken about earlier and confirmed now. Stewart Bradley is an Arizona Cardinal. Presumably any discarded Eagles are now being welcomed with open arms. I cannot confirm with the ‘Peoples Champion', Freddie Mitchell is one the phone to Ken Whisenhunt right now. As for Bradley, he could prove a better fit in a 3-4. It's something I'm looking forward to watching. He's just never lived up to the billing in Philadelphia.
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15:28 Things I never thought I'd hear in the same sentence. ‘Adam Sndyer‘, ‘doing', and ‘great'. Apparently accordingly to Josh Morgan the turnstile tackle is having a ball playing center. Good he have found his perfect position? Or is a teammate talking him up? You decide!
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15:12 Monson out, the younger, better looking and more debonair, Khaled Elsayed is in the house. Only I've got no reports. I'll reiterate what a monster Ty Warren is. 3-4 teams should be interested in a guy like him. Heck any team looking to getting better against the run should be looking at him.
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15.01 RELEASES! And just before Sam Monson signs out again it's a big one. The Patriots have released Ty Warren, as well as Nick Kaczur and Alge Crumpler. Warren has been a monster for them in the past against the run and that could be a significant move. Haynesworth as we know is not the keenest person on earth at taking up blockers and two-gapping in a defense, so somebody is going to have to fill Warren's void. Crumpler had become one of the league's better blocking tight ends for the Patriots but was on a crowded depth chart at the position and Nick Kaczur ends an ultimately underwhelming time in New Endland as he failed to ever quite live up to his potential there.
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14.56 Chad Ochocinco can remain Ochocinco it seems. He was seen at Patriots practice today sporting a #85 sweatshirt. No confirmation yet on whether Ocho had to part with his fetching set of gold teeth to get the deal done. Oh, and here's what we had to say about him.
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14.53 SIGNING! The Rams have agreed to terms with the guard they've been linked with all day, Harvey Dahl, according to the St Louis Post-Dispatch. Dahl brings a mean streak to the Rams and graded well across the board for us last year, ranking as our 20th rated OG on the season. The Rams needed the upgrade and Dahl is a good one for them.
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14.44 Another round of interests – James Jones apparently has 3 teams looking for him. That's really all there is on that, nobody is talking about which teams they are, or what they're offering. Vikings?
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14.39 According to Joe Buscaglia, 4 or 5 teams have contacted OT Charlie Johnson, but the Bills are not one of them. Presumably that means that of the 4 or 5 teams only the Bills have been watching him play much.
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14.24 SIGNING! and my first gig is to break some signing news, with Sean Jensen reporting that the Bears have reached an agreement with Anthony Adams to return for another two years. Adams is ostensibly a run stuffer for the Bears, in that he can't generate much pressure, but he's only really had one good season doing that since we've been grading (in '09). If he can repeat that, he's a decent retainment, but his 2010 was all kinds of mediocre.
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14:22 After at an times gruelling session I'm handing over to Sam Monson (@SamMonson) who is fresh off a couple of radio interviews. The big star that he is and all.
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14:19 Good news for Stephen Tulloch fans. After it looked like he burnt some of his bridges and was running low on MLB'n options, the Lions are still interested. I'll tell you this, getting Tulloch and Justin Durant? Well that would be huge. Their defensive line loves getting up field, and at least now they'll have two linebackers who can shed some blocks and make some plays.
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14:13 Everyone has been saying to me, “Khaled, you're a great guy and we think you're swell. But where's the updates on the free agent full backs?” Well just for my groupies I've got an update. Vonta Leach is attracting the interest of five teams according to Pro Football Talk. Those teams? The Giants, Ravens, Broncos and Cowboys, as well as the Texans. My take on Leach? He makes some highlight reel blocks, and when it all comes together he can look tremendous (see week one last year when he annihilated Gary Brackett). But he's no Ovie Mughelli. Leach jumped up to third in our rankings after finishing 26th a year before. Let's be clear though. The league as it is. Well full backs have lacked value as much as they do now.
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14:09 Has something been lost in communication? Leroy Harris is waiting for a call from the Titans regarding resigning. Only the Titans aren't calling. Awkward. Given how Harris played last year, it's no real surprise the Titans are in a hurry to pick up the phone. He finished with our fourth lowest score for a guard. Still given that our second lowest score went to Davin Joseph and he got paid, Harris can at least tell teams he played better than a $52m guard.
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14:00 Here's one that may annoy some Chiefs fans. Todd Haley has said their priority is resigning their own guys. Someone Aubrayo Franklin just got real worried. The Chiefs do need to lock down Tamba Hali (and to a lesser extent Brandon Carr and Wallace Gilberry) but they aren't good enough right now to build on a softish schedule from last year. Both Manny Lawson and Matt Roth are there, perfect to complement Hali so why not use that massive amount of cap room to make a deal?
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13:46 Keep up to date with our Free Agent Tracker. Filled with grades for players from last year. What more could you want?
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13:39 The Jets have made an offer! They're looking to bring in a defensive back! Yes that's right, it's Eric Smith! Wait, you thought I meant Nnamdi Asomugha? Oh what's that you say, you knew what I was doing and never suspected for a second I was talking about Aso. Well aren't you clever. In any case Jets are going after Eric Smith. The Broncos were looking at him yesterday but Smith is best served in the Jets scheme. They'll make him look better than he is. Surprising that he's more of a priority than Brodney Pool.
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13:34 Numbers are in for Ray Edwards. Falcons have signed him up for five years at $30m, with $11m guaranteed. Charles Johnson may be a better player, but is he worth that much more? Will be interesting to see what Atlanta does in their sub package defense. Could quite easily kick Edwards inside with Jonathan Babineaux, and have Biermann and Abraham coming off the edges. That may prevent their coverage unit getting quite so badly exposed. It may even mean they stop using the zone blitz so much. Who knows.
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13:28 The Ray Edwards deal has slowed everyone down. Twitter is a flurry with people retweeting Jay Glazer's original tweet, with people seemingly unaware that any NFL fan that is following them, is already following Jay Glazer.
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13:08 SIGNING! Been a while since we've had a big one go down, and it's the top guy from my top 51 free agents. Jay Glazier beats everyone to the punch in announcing Ray Edwards got his wish, and is now the Falcons sloppy seconds. I mean starting defensive end. Sure Atlanta wanted Charles Johnson, but Edwards is more than a consolation prize. One of the best defensive ends over the past three years and one of the most productive pass rushers. The only negative for Edwards is that once he starts putting up good numbers, he'll have to listen to everyone say it's because John Abraham is playing opposite him. Five year deal reported.
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13:01 UNSIGNING? Jason LaCanfora reports no deal has been done for Willis McGahee to the Broncos. I apologize to all those who have rushed out to get their Broncos jersey's with McGahee's name on it. On second thoughts, if you're buying a McGahee jersey you probably got what you deserved. Just kidding.
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12:54 RELEASE! The Bengals have said goodbye to Antwan Odom. Odom has struggled to stay healthy and his pass rushing reputation is largely built on a four game stretch at the beginning of 2009. You know the game where he picked up five sacks when the Packers figured Daryn Colledge could play left tackle? Someone will bring Odom in, because that memory will live in their minds. I wouldn't count on him staying healthy or contributing too much though.
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12:50 RELEASE! The 49ers have parted ways with both Joe Nedney and Eric Heitmann. If you remember Hartmann he picked up his injury during the outdated and infamous nutcracker drill that Mike Singletary used. Hartmann was an above average center and now his career is in doubt. A real shame.
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12:39 RELEASE! Another Jags one. Tyron Blackenridge is gone. We have him graded pretty well for his work on punt coverage. Other than that … well, he's not the biggest loss in Jacksonville.
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12:33 RELEASE! The Jaguars had to make some roster room for all those moves right? Well we told you Harvey was gone and now we're telling you Vince Manuwai is gone. Manuwai had a weird year. When he was motivated he was pretty beastly. That game against Cleveland may still be giving Ahtyba Rubin nightmares. Unfortunately there were times he was just as bad (such as when Oakland and John Henderson came rolling into town). He could still offer something to plenty of teams in need of help at guard.
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12:25 SIGNING! Not the biggest surprise in the world, but Willis McGahee is going to Denver. He's signed a three year deal, and is in a situation which should give him more carries than he had last year. It has been a while since he's looked like a back to scare a team, but he fills a need and won't cost much.
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12:22 SIGNING! Not sure when this happened but the Saints are bringing back Danny Clark. I'm not sure what happened to Clark. He was a star in Oakland and has bounced around the league since, yet's he has always played well. A prototypical two down linebacker, he's always had one of the stronger run defense grades of all 4-3 outside linebackers, and is no liability in coverage. Nice move by the Saints, though they're swamped at linebacker.
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12:18 RELEASE! Jay Glazer breaks news, like my old man breaks wind (allegedly). It's not a good day to be a defensive end selected eighth overall, with Derrick Harvey has joined Jamaal Anderson in being cut today. Harvey actually developed into a decent run defender, but he never generated pressure consistently (or even inconsistently). There should be less of a market for him, than there will be for Anderson.
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12:15 INJURY! Detroit picked up Eric Wright but they may be tempted to go back into the market after Alphonso Smith broke his foot. That's going to be painful. Smith was a surprise success in Detroit, though his play fell off when he was on the field in the second half of the season. You'll probably remember his performance in that Patriots game for all the wrong reasons.
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12:06 It feels like a long time since anything happened. So while we wait for Nnamdi Asomugha's version of ‘The Decision', check out some cornerback numbers in regards to how much he has been thrown at. Unreal.
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11:51 More unconfirmed signing reports. Jason Snelling could be on his way to St Louis (and he could be giving Harvey Dahl a lift) with reports he's signed to be the backup to Steven Jackson, and one would assume their third down back. Snelling isn't a guy you can rely on over a long period of time to carry the load, but when he's fresh he can prove tricky to bring down. He's a big upgrade on what St Louis had for obvious passing situations. Any move that prevents Steven Jackson having to pick up blitzes, is likely an improvement.
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11:46 Here's one I didn't see coming. Stewart Bradley is apparently very close to signing a deal with Arizona. You have to give Arizona congratulations. They've managed to pick up a not inexpensive free agent at one of the few positions they don't actually have much of a need for. Better still they've done it with Bradley. More hype than performance, there's a reason why the Eagles were prepared to let him walk. He's never had a year where he's graded positively at Pro Football Focus. Kudos, Cardinals. Kudos.
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11:35 SIGNING! Here's one that slipped under the radar. Seattle resigned former franchise player Leroy Hill. Hill didn't get on the field last year due to injury and suspension, but has always played well when he's got on the field. The Seahawks have more money invested in their less talented players (Tatupu and Curry) than the guys who actually produce (Hill and Hawthorne). Be interesting to see how they get Hill onto the field (my guess they once again take David Hawthorne off on third downs despite his excellent play). Additionally Mike Williams has implied that the Seahawks have wrapped up a deal for Brandon Mebane. Could it be?
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11:28 St Louis fans have been looking for a guard, and they could be about to get one of the nastiest in the league. With reports emerging that Atlanta is focused on resigning Justin Blalock, Harvey Dahl has taken a hint that he's not as wanted as he once thought. Personally I wish the Rams would give John Greco a shot at right guard (if he gets healthy), but Dahl will do for them. He's not quite as imposing as his rep suggests, but he's not likely to make too many mistakes, and will play right up to (and beyond) the whistle.
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11:16 What the heck? This is a trade rumor so crazy you couldn't even pull it off on Madden. But, and this is where it gets tenuous, a source close to Shane Lechler is saying that the Texans are trying to swap Lecher for Amobi Okoye. That's just odd. Never mind the Raiders don't need any defensive tackle help, but still? This must be some sort of joke that got lost in translation. If it's true then it may be the only time a 24 year old, former first rounder gets offered in exchange for a punter, and gets declined. Raiders are better off with Lechler.
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11:09 SIGNING! And it's significant. Peter King's (hey, nobodies perfect) tip to shine in 2010 Matt Moore, has signed a two year deal with the Dolphin. This probably means Denver wanted to much for Kyle Orton. The happiest man about this move? Chad Henne. It's no competition when you're going up against Matt Moore. Jimmy Clausen got a lot of stick last year, but when he played, Moore was arguably worse (outside of one game against SF when he was actually quite superb). One thing Dolphin fans may like about him is he isn't afraid to throw the ball down field. One thing they won't like is this lack of fear of throwing downfield is matched only by a lack of fear of throwing interceptions.
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11:06 RELEASE! The Jets have released Kevin O'Connell. Why does this matter? Well it clears up a little bit more room for Asomugha. O'Connell mustered up 23 snaps in 2008. Since then he's the guy who holds the clipboard, when the clipboard guy gets a paper cut.
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11:00 Broncos seem to be looking for cheap options to fill their DT spots. Brandon Mebane is a guy they simply don't have the money for. They're looking pretty lightweight on the line right now. If I was a fantasy guy I'd be liking the match ups for running backs against that defense.
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10:54 Well the 49ers appear to have folded in the high stakes game for Nnamdi Asomugha. The Jets are still favorites, and Aso wants to play there but do they have the cash? Meanwhile those rumors that Dallas are interested are getting stronger and stronger. I called it before free agency, had given up on it yesterday, and am no curious again. Things are picking up in the race for the top free agent.
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10:46 SIGNING! The Lions have resigned Dylan Gandy to a two year deal. Low key signing and one that is all about depth. Gandy got on the field for 32 snaps last year, and in 2009 struggled to get any push in the run game. He knows the system and they'll be hoping won't be called upon to play.
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10:38 Kevin Seifert of ESPN makes a lot of good points here as to why Michael Jenkins to the Vikings makes a lot of sense. I wouldn't argue with any of that. Jenkins missed the start of last year but came back and was that dependable receiver that Kevin spoke about. He's better than anything they have on the roster currently, not named Percy Harvin.
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10:35 I haven't heard anything about Aubrayo Franklin, one of my top free agents and prototypical nose tackle. Why is that? There isn't any real competition out there, so any team needing a nose tackle should get on the phone to him. Problem is, only KC seem in need of one. It wouldn't surprise me if both sides are waiting for the other to show their hand. Franklin to the Chiefs just makes too much sense given what's happened so far.
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10:32 Bye-bye Monson, hello Khaled Elsayed (@pff_khaled for those so inclined). Let's see what's been happening.
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10.23 It sounds like the Miami Dolphins move for Kyle Orton has fallen on stony ground. Much like they sang the praises of Tony Sparano immediately after signing him to an extension having spend the previous few days feverishly trying to replace him, they have just come out in full support of Chad Henne, who they have in no way just been trying to replace…honest.
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10.13 SIGNING! The Bengals have agreed to re-sign RB Brian Leonard to a two-year deal according to Joe Reedy. Leonard is a versatile third down back for the Bengals when he's not hurdling people for fun. He'll assume the same role he has for the past few seasons – not getting many carries, but making some key receptions on third downs and pass protecting.
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10.11 The Jaguars have been trying to get themselves a safety all free agency and Adam Schefter is reporting that they might finally be about to get it done. Dawan Landry is apparently expected to ink a 5-year deal with them later today. Landry is very much an in the box kind of safety, mixing perfectly with Ed Reed's single high abilities in Baltimore. The Jaguars seem to be loading up to stop the run this season, which is interesting in a division where the guys to beat air it out all day.
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10.04 Roy Williams was only able to get a 1-year deal out of the Bears. Yeah, I know he's shown pretty much nothing in quite some time, but I still figured he'd be able to command more than that. The Bears have also secured the services of Sam Hurd according to Clarence Hill, which might actually end up being a far more significant move if Roy can't find the talent that got him drafted as high as he was and took him to a Pro-Bowl.
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10.00 RELEASES! Mark Brunell‘s financial solvency took a hit today with the Jets cutting the veteran QB. He was due over $1m in salary this year. It's possible, and indeed likely that they'll pick him up again for less money. They also waived CB Will Billingsley and G Marlon Davis. Neither of those moves should make you lose sleep.
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09.53 The Atlanta Journal Constitution are reporting that, having had some time to lick their woulds after missing out on Charles Johnson, the Falcons just might pursue Ray Edwards afterall. I've felt for some time that Edwards was a perfect fit in Atlanta. He gives them a reliable pass-rush presence opposite Abraham and plays the run well too. He's basically the player they wanted Jamaal Anderson to become but he could never manage it. He's also only 25 years old and ripe for a big, long-term deal.
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09.48 TRADE! The details of the Reggie Bush deal are finally coming out, and it's not exactly a blockbuster… According to their official twitter account the Miami Dolphins have sent DB Jonathon Amaya to the Saints as well as a conditional draft pick for Reggie Bush. Amaya played a total of 9 snaps last season in his lone game on defense but also saw time on special teams from Week 8 onwards, where he racked up a really quite impressive 13 special teams tackles in just half a season.
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09.38 After some initial confusion Vince Young will be being released, and not waived. That's an important distinction because it allows a team to pick him up without claiming his current (excessive) contract, and also irrelevant of their position in the waiver claims order. Is it really possible that the Eagles could snag DRC, and a 2nd round pick, AND upgrade at backup QB whilst saving some $ all in the same few days?
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09.29 Adam Schefter describes the Kyle Orton trade as being on life support. If it does fall through that will make things very interesting, because most of the other potential landing spots made moves for QBs already, and Orton's deal in Denver is probably prohibitively high to keep him around as a backup if they're going with Tebow. If they can't get him moved to Miami they may have to release him at some point.
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09.25 In a relatively cryptic tweet Rich Cimini says that he expects Mike Tannenbaum and Rex Ryan to be high-fiving each other soon. Of course anyone that saw Hard Knocks knows that could just be the lunch-order having been made, but it could also mean Nnamdi!
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09.16 RELEASE! Ed Bouchette is reporting that the Steelers have released Flozell ‘The Hotel' Adams. Adams apparently wouldn't take a pay cut to become the backup RT after the Steelers paid to re-sign Willie Colon. Adams was still a solid enough run blocker last season, but he was a pass protecting liability, and the Steelers haven't lost much by cutting him loose. It's not a good sign when you're cut in favor of starting Jonathan Scott at LT, and it's actually the right move. Time to pack it in for the Hotel wethinks. That or find a team that exclusively runs the ball, a good old fashioned 1920s offense.
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09.05 The free agency guru Adam Schefter is reporting that the chances of the Jets landing the big one – Nnamdi Asomugha – are at about 80%. Any neutral has to love that as a prospect. Two things motivate a player around the age of 30 – they either want one more huge payday, or they want to chase a Super Bowl. This is the decision that likely weighs on Aso – does he chase more money at several destinations, or does he chase the Super Bowl with the Jets, for likely less money?
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08.49 The deal that Michael Koenen signed with Tampa is one of the biggest ever handed to a punter, at 6 years, $19.5m with a $6m guaranteed portion per Jason LaCanfora. Tampa have money to burn, so it stands to reason anyone they sign is getting locked up long term and for plenty of green.
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08.40 Osi Umenyiora is said to be unlikely to report to the start of camp today and is asking to be traded or offered a new deal. While he does generate pressure, we've never graded Osi higher than 20th overall as a 4-3 DE over a season. He's been a consistently better than average-to-good player, but he's not the elite DE that he seems to think he is, and wants to be paid like. He generated exactly 1 more pressure than Israel Idonije managed last season.
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08.37 Slow morning for free agency news. Teams seem to be taking the morning time to get as many of their draft picks signed as possible – those are the guys they need to concentrate on getting into camp asap.
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08.17 We could probably have seen this coming, but safety Atari Bigby won't be re-signing with the Packers, according to Chad Toporski. Third round draft pick Alex Green has been given the #20 jersey that used to be owned by Bigby, and with other options at the position, Bigby is just surplus to requirements in GB.
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08.15 The deal that Eric Wright signed in Detroit is just a 1-year deal, which probably shows they're as twitchy as we are by his up and down career so far. Long on talent and potential, but they don't want to commit to him until he can step up and prove it.
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08.01 SIGNING! The Chiefs have now lost 2/3 of their D-line from 2010 with Shaun Smith signing in Tennessee. This is yet another case of the scoop being broken by the player himself over twitter, with Smith saying “Shout out to Chiefs nation…I dearly miss you guys but I had to make a serious decision and I am going to the Titans”. KC needs to be certain they know what they're doing with that D-line, because on paper now it's looking pretty patchwork, with no real evidence to date they can leave it in the hands of the LSU twosome and be ok.
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07.59 Some pretty big moves between the time I was last on and now, be sure to keep checking the site for reaction pieces (and the Fantasy section too for all the Fantasy implications), as we're hard at it, covering free agency from every angle for you guys. Also the Free Agent Tracker has 2010 PFF Grades up on it so you can check how your new free agent graded for free.
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07:49 While I go off to work on a piece looking at what's left of my top 51 free agents, I'll hand you over to Sam Monson. Be nice to him – he's only small.
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07:45 You have to wonder if Atlanta has just cleared up enough cap room to maybe make a splash in free agency once again. I don't know, maybe for a left defensive end who can play the run and rush the passer. If you haven't guessed I'm talking about Ray Edwards. Let's see how this plays out.
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07:38 RELEASES! Atlanta has said goodbye to two former first round picks in Michael Jenkins and Jamaal Anderson. Neither is much of a surprise given that Anderson is paid too much for a guy who is just a run defender, while Jenkins spot was always in doubt when Julio Jones was drafted. Both though could contribute given the right situation. We had Anderson as our sixth rated defensive end versus the run so he could find a starting gig as a two down guy. Jenkins has great size and his hands were exceptional last year, but he just didn't fit in with Atlanta trying to get more explosive. Plenty of teams should have interest for a player that will never light it up, but is a reliable target for his QB (and ranked 22nd in our WR rankings from last year after missing time).
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07:03 The Patriots haven't made a trade in a while, but it seems like they're bringing back one of their own. Not ready to entrust Nate Solder, Matt Light looks set to be brought back. Not surprising, the only interesting thing is where they fit him. As a rookie Sebastian Vollmer was much better on the left side than the right, and didn't really turn in the star performances last year at RT. Meanwhile Light is still an able run blocker, but age is sapping him of his pass protecting powers. I'm adding two and two here and saying Vollmer at left tackle, Light at right tackle.
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07:00 SIGNING! And there we go. Roy Williams is now a Bear. Let's call a spade a spade. Williams wiwas terrible in Dallas. He dropped more catchable balls than anyone in the league. He didn't qualify for this study because he didn't get open enough/ earn the trust of his QB, but his 15.33% of catchable balls dropped since becoming a Cowboy is staggering. Still maybe reuniting with Mike Martz will turn things around for him. It worked wonders for Brandon Manumaleuna. Oh, hang on …
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06:41 After a gruelling morning session at the gym where the guns got reloaded, I'm back in time for the day to kick off. What will happen today? Seems certain that Roy Williams is going to be a Bear, with the deal just awaiting confirmation. That will probably get us started but on the heels of some cuts, and with a ridiculous amount of good players still available, it won't be the last deal of the day.
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04:32 I'm still here but surprisingly nothing is going on at this hour of the morning. I think I'll head to the gym then so the PFF Free Agent station is likely to be unmanned for the next hour and 30. Scary times. While you're waiting for any news check out what our fantasy side has been doing. React pieces on pretty much every signing and how it relates to the fantasy world. These guys are great. I should know, I was in a league with them last year and they turned me into the '08 Lions.
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03:48 Or will I? It seems like a good idea to remind people there are still some quality free agents about. Why not too long ago I wrote this piece about my top 51 free agents that could help your team. Over half of them are still left. Heck, there are still a lot of bargains to be had as well!
03:45 And for people interested in how we grade, have a look at what we do. On that note I'll be sitting by the computer eagerly awaiting any sign of news.
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03:40 It's oh so quiet … so for you insomniacs out there (or people just catching up) check out a bit about what we do. Especially for the oodles of new fans we've picked up the last few days, here's a little introduction video about PFF and what we offer. I know we're plugging a product but would you rather we did it at 3:40 in the morning, or bang in the middle of the day?
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03:00 So let's round up what has happened in the last 24 hours.
● The Patriots traded for Albert Haynesworth (analysis of the move here) and Chad Ochocinco (analysis of the move here)
● Arizona finally for their man. But is Kevin Kolb worth the risk?
● Super productive pass rusher Jason Babin has become an Eagle once again
● Houston no longer have such a big problem. They signed secret superstar Danieal Manning and Johnathan Joseph.
● Willie Colon has returned to Pittsburgh to help their floundering offensive line.
● The Bears cut Brandon Manumaleuna (here's why), traded Greg Olsen away and brought in Matt Spaeth. Only one of those moves makes them better.
● The Redskins defense looks to be moving to one more gap, especially with the signing of my secret superstar Stephen Bowen.
● Club handed defensive lineman Cullen Jenkins is yet to move despite being the most productive pass rusher inside over the past few years.
● Wild cat sensation Brad Smith got overpaid by Buffalo.
● And much, much more. Check out all the links for some information on the players, and check out what we said yesterday and on Wednesday to catch up with analysis to all the deals and rumors floating around.
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02:51 SIGNING! The last catch up signing and it's not the ones the Lions were hoping for. They wanted Johnathan Joseph or Josh Wilson, and they got … Eric Wright? He ended the year with our second worst grade in coverage and has never played up to the talent levels he's supposed to have. If you're a Lions fan you have every right to be underwhelmed by this move.
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02:47 SIGNING! I keep talking about it, but I'm fascinated by what the Seahawks are doing with their defense. They seem to be making moves to speed up their move to a proper hybrid defense and they've made another one. Former Cardinal Alan Branch has signed on for two years at $8m (with half of that guaranteed). In my opinion the only thing that has held Branch back has been a lack of consistent playing time. I can't see that changing in Seattle if Brandon Mebane gets resigned.
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02:45 SIGNING! Thinks are getting straight up nasty when it comes to punters. We already told you about the Jaguars flipping the bird by nabbing Matt Turk from the Texans, and now the NFC South has just played it's part in the latest installment of ‘Punter Wars'. Tampa Bay, fresh from wasting money on poor offensive linemen, have decided to give Michael Koenen a six year deal. Koenen was our eighth ranked punter last year. Don't be fooled by his numbers, he got a lot of balls downed in the 20. He's also one of the top kick off guys in the league, finishing third in that department.
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02:43 SIGNING! More ‘good' news for Bucs fans. Jeremy Trueblood has resigned for two years. Back in 2008 we thought Tampa Bay had two of the best young tackles in the game. Now one of them is a back up and the over one of the most overrated players in the league. Trueblood's play has fallen off a cliff the past two years.
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02:39 SIGNING! The inevitable happened and Vince Young signed a one year deal to back up Michael Vick. It's not the worst scenario for Young. Vick is never far from missing a game, and the Philadelphia has the deep threats that Young is able to take advantage of. If that doesn't segue into a link about deep passing in the NFL then I don't know what does.
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02:34 SIGNING! I almost choked on my oatmeal reading this one. Davin Joseph, a man who has ranked 81st (2010), 76th (2009) and 58th over the past three years has ‘earned' a seven year, $53m deal with $19m guaranteed. Joseph has been beyond poor as a Buc for a long time, but the combination of a small market, hype and thinking he has the tools to succeed have led to one of the biggest wastes of money I've ever seen. Maybe a scheme change will suit him, but that's ridiculous money. I actually mistyped ‘woe' instead of ‘wow'. Both equally applicable.
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02:31 SIGNING! The Seahawks have brought back Junior Siavii, our 53rd ranked DT from last year. It's a move so devoid of excitement that I'm going to tell you what I'm eating for breakfast. Oatmeal with chopped strawberries in it. Yum.
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02:29 SIGNING! Oh no they didn't! You can mess with another team on the field, but you don't go and steal their punter. The Jaguars, reeling from the loss of our 20th ranked punter Adam Podlesh, have taken their fury out on the Texans. Their fury being signing up Matt Turk, our 22nd ranked punter. Could the gap between 20th and 22nd be what finally ends up costing Jack Del Rio his job?
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02:25 EXTENSION! After watching James Anderson and Thomas Davis get shiny new deals, Jon Beason was probably feeling a little bit left out. But he didn't sulk or moan, and the man Jeremy Shockey calls Mr Smith has decided to pay him. Five years, $25m guaranteed and $50m total. I'll say it now. Beason is a good player, but he's not yet consistently played like a guy who should be earning that money. He may have the talent, but he's just too streaky at the moment. One game excellent, the next game less than ‘meh'. Still, the Panthers are building a nice base for the future.
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02:19 RETIREMENT! Forget what I said about the 49ers having issues with Joe Nedney ending up on IR because it seems a bigger issue could be that he's retiring. That's the word from Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle. Impressive career.
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02:12 SIGNING + RELEASE! The Chargers have been busy. They've seen something they like in Dante Hughes, and something they didn't like in Donald Strickland. This isn't too much of a surprise, with Strickland losing playing time to Hughes down the end of last year. San Diego are one of a number of teams taking a continuity is key approach. Will it pay off? You'll have to wait until the season starts to find out. As an add on SD have also said goodbye to Kris Wilson.
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02:02 SIGNING + RELEASE! The 49ers must have tired of accurate kicker Joe Nedney ending up on IR. They've cut him and signed one time reliable kicker David Akers to a three year deal. The kicker market is, as ever, notoriously fickle.
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01:56 Thank you Rick, now let's see what I've missed. Ooh! Prepare to be dazzled with news! But first, an update on Nnamdi Asomugha. The Jets are the primary team in for him now. In a move that may surprise some that will make the Jets cornerbacks ‘pretty good'. If they can't find a third cornerback look for teams to throw the ball relentlessly at Kyle Wilson. Even when Wilson is on the sidelines teams will still be targeting him.
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01:45 What's that? Alright! Khaled is back and ready to man the controls – good thing too, I was about to take you all on some sleep deprived not-sure-where-reality-ends kind of ride if I had kept going. Khaled, sir, it's all yours.
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01:30 Ah, the live blog night shift. This is when all the really juicy stuff happens, or so they told me when we were signing up for this thing. Day 3 begins (or Day 2 lingers deep into the night, hard to tell at this point). A few more worthy stories bumping around the internets now and I'll see if I can get some of them up here before forehead hits keyboard. To start: it broke about an hour ago that Danieal Manning has agreed to become a Texan for 2011 and a few years after that. A 4-year, $20m deal secures the second part of a re-worked Houston secondary.The Texans jumped out of the Nnamdi game at some point earlier today and immediately got to work re-designing the defensive backfield by getting it done with Joseph and now Manning. Nice work, Houston people.
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