2013 FA Thread (Updates on OP) New: Merling, Brace, Pashos, Trueblood, EJBig, Tapp, White, Williams, MATTHEWS; Re-up: Rex, Hall, Davis, Paulsen, DY, RJax, Lich, Sundberg, Baker, Sav, Golston, Kehl, Polumbus; Paycuts: Carriker, Moss, BMeri, J. Wilson

[DC9]

A special breakfast-for-dinner version of rotoworld.com nuggets (Mrs. DC9 is a crazy one sometimes):

Free agent Austin Collie (knee) is "optimistic" he'll be ready for training camp.
Collie ruptured his right patellar tendon in Week 3 and missed the rest of the season. It remains to be seen which camp he'll be in, though, after the Colts announced that they will not be re-signing the injury-riddled slot receiver. Patellar tendon tears are tough injuries to come back from.

ESPN's John Clayton mentioned the Ravens and Patriots as teams that would make sense for free agent S Charles Woodson.
Woodson, 36, only has a few years left in the tank, so he's fully expected to try and find a starting gig with a Super Bowl contender. Baltimore and New England would qualify, as would Denver, whom Clayton's colleague, Ed Werder, mentioned on Friday afternoon. The Ravens would make sense if Ed Reed leaves via free agency. Woodson can sign with a team immediately.

DallasCowboys.com's Bryan Broaddus expects a Tony Romo extension to get done by March 12.
March 12 is the first day of the new league year, and it's when big money spending gets underway with free agency kicking off. Romo has one year left on his deal, and it carries a $16.8 million cap hit. ESPN Dallas' Calvin Watkins believes an extension in the three- to five-year range worth around $12 million annually will be the solution to lowering the 2013 cap number.

Free agent DT Chris Canty said he "might be willing" to give the Panthers a hometown discount if they show interest in him.
Canty has yet to hear from Panthers GM Dave Gettleman, whom he knows from their days with the Giants, but Canty has heard from a few players. OLB Thomas Davis sent Canty a text that read, "It's time for you to come on home." Canty grew up in Charlotte and went on to play his college ball at Virginia. He'd be a great fit in Carolina, as they are super thin on the interior. Canty has visited the Chiefs and Titans since being released by the Giants ten days ago.

Free agent DE Cliff Avril "would love" to get Mario Williams money.
Williams signed a six-year, $100 million deal with the Bills last offseason that included $50 million guaranteed. "I would love to get Mario's deal. Who wouldn't? Those are some great numbers. My thing is I want to keep getting better... The sky is the limit as far as that. Those are some great numbers, hopefully we can get somewhere near there," Avril said. Avril, 27 in April, turned down a three-year, $30 million offer from the Lions last year and went on to notch 9.5 sacks in 2012. He's arguably the top free agent on the market.

Bucs free agent FS Ronde Barber is still undecided if he'll return next season.
Barber was non-committal when asked about the possibility of retirement after the season, but the soon-to-be 38-year-old would presumably be welcomed back. Despite playing on arguably the worst pass defense in the NFL, Barber graded out as the No. 11 safety by Pro Football Focus. An impending free agent, the Bucs would need to re-sign Barber is he decides to return.

[HighOnHendrix]

I think people go overboard on the Cousins for picks stuff at this point. He might net is value in the future, however, this isn't hockey or baseball where a prospect is traded for a high end pick and a player after a single season. Furthermore, keeping your assets in football is much more important than it is in other sports due to a lack of developmental leagues.

I hear you but it's also the league where guys like backups Rob Johnson, Matt Cassell, Matt Flynn, Kevin Kolb, Matt Hasselbeck, Charlie Whitehurst, and Matt Shaub garner trades for picks in the hopes that the team receiving their services can polish them into legit starters. When something happens over and over we start to expect it as fans. That annnnnnnnd it's been the theory since the day he was drafted.

[J-bomb]

early morning cinnamon rolls/bacon and eggs from rotoworld.com:

This one smarts for me, I really want McAfee:
The Indianapolis Star considers free agent P Pat McAfee a candidate for the Colts' franchise tag.
Colts beat writer Mike Chappelle would be "stunned" if McAfee got away after finishing fifth in the NFL in gross punting average (48.2) in 2012, while ranking a rock-solid 15th in net (40.3). McAfee will turn 26 years old this May.

Saints ILB Curtis Lofton agreed to convert a $5 million roster bonus into a signing bonus, lowering his 2013 salary cap number.
The move cost Lofton no money, but will affect the Saints' future salary cap. It did clear $4 million for 2013. Lofton, who turns 27 in June, finished his first season as a Saint with 123 tackles, two forced fumbles, and seven pass breakups. He'll be a 3-4 inside linebacker in new DC Rob Ryan's scheme.

The Indianapolis Star's Bob Kravitz reports that the Colts will not re-sign free agents Dwight Freeney and Austin Collie.
We already knew Freeney wouldn't be back. The "news" is Indianapolis' decision to part with Collie, who is coming off a ruptured right patellar tendon in addition to several previous concussions. One Colts source told Kravitz that, "If Collie had come along the same time as (Peyton) Manning, and had stayed healthy, he would have put up Welker like numbers." We wouldn't be surprised to see Collie reunite with Manning in Denver, replacing Brandon Stokley at slot receiver.

Patrick Chung fans are rooting for this:
ESPN's Ed Werder suggested on NFL Live Friday that S Charles Woodson will target the Broncos and Patriots as suitors in free agency.
"I would look for Woodson," said Werder, "... to look at a team like Denver or New England." Released by Green Bay on Friday, Woodson is eligible to sign with a team immediately. At 36 years old, Woodson figures to target a Super Bowl contender entering quite possibly the final season of his NFL career.[COLOR="Gold"]

---------- Post added February-16th-2013 at 05:59 AM ----------



Did you go to Park View? My mom and her 400 brothers and sisters went there.

Yes I did class of 94...

[2cents]

Yes I did class of 94...

Class of 83

[skinsfan4128]

Sigh.

Cousins isn't going anywhere. I don't know why that's still a discussion.

No offense, NC, but you cannot say that with any true conviction. Though I believe Cousins will be back next year, the truth is there may be some teams out there willing to come calling for his services based on the resume (albeit limited) he compiled this past season. I can name off a handful of teams that could possibly have plausible interest (that may actually make a appealing offer.

1. KC. Yeah, we know that former Feebles coach A. Reid has taken over there, but he is a WCO guy and could possibly have interest in Cousins considering Shanny runs a form of it and that Reid has absolutely nothing to work with there. (Might make for a nice situation for Reid to introduce a possible "face of the franchise".
2. Oakland. Yeah, they have C. Palmer, but who really gives a ****. Dude hasn't done **** since his days in Cincy. And they certainly don'[t possess anything exciting behind him. Not to mention, they still live up to the Vampire Al Davi's legacy in making really ludicrous decisions (though I will not say trading for Cousins would be a numbskull decision, just that they take the "Vinny" approach).
3. NYJ. I mean, hell, they traded for Tebow, hate Sanchez, and McElroy doesn't excite junior varsity coaches. I know that they have a new GM, so the usual stupidity might actually tame down. But he'll be looking to infuse some excitement into a fanbase that has guys like Fireman Ed not wanting to jump off the Empire State Building.
4. Arizona. Is there a more laughable QB situation than that in Arizona? That, coupled with a new coaching regime, could quite possibly entice them to look for a new face of the franchise. Hell, they went after Kolb, didn't they?
5. Bills. Yeah, i know they say they're keeping Fitzpatrick, but have ya'll seen the 'house cleaning' going on there with the new coaching staff? Honestly, that regine is wanting to make some convincing changes to their fan base. Cousins could represent that turn in the right direction.

I just listed five teams that could have potential interest in Cousins. Though I truly feel Shanny will keep him, you cannot say with any certainty that he wouldn't make a move should a team come calling with a "can't refuse" offer.

[NewCliche21]

No offense, NC, but you cannot say that with any true conviction. Though I believe Cousins will be back next year, the truth is there may be some teams out there willing to come calling for his services based on the resume (albeit limited) he compiled this past season. I can name off a handful of teams that could possibly have plausible interest (that may actually make a appealing offer.

1. KC. Yeah, we know that former Feebles coach A. Reid has taken over there, but he is a WCO guy and could possibly have interest in Cousins considering Shanny runs a form of it and that Reid has absolutely nothing to work with there. (Might make for a nice situation for Reid to introduce a possible "face of the franchise".
2. Oakland. Yeah, they have C. Palmer, but who really gives a ****. Dude hasn't done **** since his days in Cincy. And they certainly don'[t possess anything exciting behind him. Not to mention, they still live up to the Vampire Al Davi's legacy in making really ludicrous decisions (though I will not say trading for Cousins would be a numbskull decision, just that they take the "Vinny" approach).
3. NYJ. I mean, hell, they traded for Tebow, hate Sanchez, and McElroy doesn't excite junior varsity coaches. I know that they have a new GM, so the usual stupidity might actually tame down. But he'll be looking to infuse some excitement into a fanbase that has guys like Fireman Ed not wanting to jump off the Empire State Building.
4. Arizona. Is there a more laughable QB situation than that in Arizona? That, coupled with a new coaching regime, could quite possibly entice them to look for a new face of the franchise. Hell, they went after Kolb, didn't they?
5. Bills. Yeah, i know they say they're keeping Fitzpatrick, but have ya'll seen the 'house cleaning' going on there with the new coaching staff? Honestly, that regine is wanting to make some convincing changes to their fan base. Cousins could represent that turn in the right direction.

I just listed five teams that could have potential interest in Cousins. Though I truly feel Shanny will keep him, you cannot say with any certainty that he wouldn't make a move should a team come calling with a "can't refuse" offer.

So who would be RGIII's back up, meaning the likely starter for the first part of the year?

It's Cousins.

Unless it's a first and third, I'm not letting Cousins go. I don't think that we realize how important that he is to the team. I'm too tired to explain and probably won't remember writing this, so I'll continue later.

[chipwhich]

So who would be RGIII's back up, meaning the likely starter for the first part of the year?

It's Cousins.

Unless it's a first and third, I'm not letting Cousins go. I don't think that we realize how important that he is to the team. I'm too tired to explain and probably won't remember writing this, so I'll continue later.

Agreed.

This talk of Cousins being traded is really silly.

[Burgold]

Agreed.

This talk of Cousins being traded is really silly.

Yeah, there are two reasons that Cousins is probably untradable this year.

1) With RGIII's health we need a qb that we can rely on and expect our backup to play.

2) With the second half of the bs cap penalty due, Cousins is cheap and any vet backup is going to cost a heck of a lot more than him which we can't afford.

[MrJL]

Yeah, there are two reasons that Cousins is probably untradable this year.

1) With RGIII's health we need a qb that we can rely on and expect our backup to play.

2) With the second half of the bs cap penalty due, Cousins is cheap and any vet backup is going to cost a heck of a lot more than him which we can't afford.

yes, that's true, but if you look at the post that started the question about Cousins being here, the person who started it question if Cousins would be here in 2014, not 2013

[Burgold]

Ah, didn't go back that far. I think there's a very good chance if RGIII progresses that in 2014 Cousins will be on the block. They won't let him go cheap, but for a first or maybe even a second, he'll get a chance to make his name and forturne elsewhere.

[TheShredSkinz]

Just to respond to a few posts on the page....

1. Moss, the money he makes is too much and I unlike others here believe the wr class this year is very strong in the middle rounds. Our offense and
protecting our QB is the no. 1 priority of the team so IMO the 2nd rd. pick will be spent on RT or WR unless there is a run on WR and a top DB slips.


2. Fletch, the money he makes is too much. Yes, he started playing better as the whole team did when we went on the run. He's starting to miss tackles
and get burnt unlike the Fletcher i want to remember. I hope he retires in that it will save the team money and keep the team from pushing him out the
door like Favre.

3. With our depth on the DL, iis Carriker expendable??

4. If offered a 1st or early 2nd. Cousins is gone. Sorry, i trush the Shanahans can find another QB with KC's skillsets.

[Chump Bailey]

I really don't understand why some want to part ways with Carriker. There is a huge drop-off in production when he is absent and it's not a coincidence IMO.

[DC9]

Knowshon Moreno could be a candidate for release.
Moreno is entering the final year of his rookie contract, and it carries a $3.28 million cap hit for 2013. Dan Pompei of the National Football Post writes that some people question whether Moreno has worked as hard as he should have after being the No. 12 overall pick in the 2009 draft. After Willis McGahee went down with a knee injury, Moreno was a savior at the running back spot for the Broncos, but the team is said to still be looking for players at the position.

The Packers plan to discuss a long-term deal with restricted free agent CB Sam Shields.
The Packers will place at least a second-round tender on Shields, and could look to sign him to an extension rather than pay him the roughly $2 million he would count against the cap on a one-year deal. Shields missed significant time due to injury in 2012, but will return in a starting role with Green Bay.

The Philadelphia Inquirer says the Eagles could have interest in free agent SS Patrick Chung.
Chung is unlikely to be re-signed by the Patriots after being a sub-package player in 2012. With the Eagles looking to upgrade at safety, Chung could be targeted as an upgrade on Kurt Coleman.

The Nashville Tennessean reports the Titans are expected to use the franchise tag, and that the "most likely" candidate is free agent Jared Cook.
Per beat writer Jim Wyatt, the Titans "don't want to lose" Cook, but a long-term deal isn't expected "any time soon." The Titans could apply the tag as early as Monday, but will likely make one more run at nailing down a long-term pact. The deadline for the tag is March 4. CBS' Jason La Canfora reported in late January that Cook appeared to have "no future" in Tennessee, but Wyatt is the most reliable voice on Titans matters. We expect the perennially underutilized and underproductive Cook to get one more chance in Nashville.

[Bangee7]

I really don't understand why some want to part ways with Carriker. There is a huge drop-off in production when he is absent and it's not a coincidence IMO.

I'm one of those people who wonders if Carriker is expendable...here's why -

1) the Salary cap crunch we're under - some big contracts have to go
2) he's got a sizeable contract
3) he's coming off a serious injury, with no guarantees of return to previous form

We have a large amount hitting our cap invested in the DL next year (Bowen, Cofield, Carriker)
Only Two of those 3 played the entire season.

Hope that helps explain my question of IF he is expendable


Hail!

[NewCliche21]

I'm one of those people who wonders if Carriker is expendable...here's why -

1) the Salary cap crunch we're under - some big contracts have to go
2) he's got a sizeable contract
3) he's coming off a serious injury, with no guarantees of return to previous form

We have a large amount hitting our cap invested in the DL next year (Bowen, Cofield, Carriker)
Only Two of those 3 played the entire season.

Hope that helps explain my question of IF he is expendable


Hail!

I'd love to see an analysis as to how good his "previous form" was. I just don't think of him as an impact player and didn't really notice when he was gone (though that was just Week Two).

We also have Jarvis Jenkins who will hopefully be continuing his late-season surge.