Free agent period will separate best front offices from the

Free agent period will separate best front offices from the rest
Posted by Gregg Rosenthal on July 10, 2011, 10:32 AM EDT
money

We don’t know when free agency will start. We do know that the craziest period of NFL player movement is on its way, which gives front offices a unique opportunity to separate from one another.

“What’s going to happen is you’re going to have some inexperienced general managers and owners go crazy early on,” one longtime G.M. told SI.com’s Don Banks. “They’re going to think, ‘I’ve got to go out and do something crazy. This is my window of opportunity.’ But I think that’s absolutely the wrong move.

“There are so many free agents and so many guys out there that if you’re just patient, you can wind up with some good players at really good value and not put yourself out there [at risk] with a couple mega-deals.”

We agree with all of that, especially the good value part. There are essentially two free agent classes available because of the restrictive 2010 rules. On top of that, teams were hesitant to hand out long-term deals before the lockout, which left even more quality players available. On Friday’s PFT Live, we talked about the impressive depth of this free agent group.

Good front offices should be able to find young, quality value without overpaying. Still, some teams will go gaga for veterans.

“That’s going to happen, I promise you,” the general manager told Banks. “A couple of these guys are going to say, ‘Hey, we’re going to be aggressive. We’ve got a fat wallet and we’re raring to go.’ I just hope those teams are in our division. Because when you go back over the history of free agency, it rarely works out with the big-money guys. Just look at the last five years or so, with Albert Haynesworth, Joey Porter or Terrell Owens.”

Front offices may only get a few days to learn the new rules before they start spending. It’s going to be a fascinating time to watch how teams work.

This free agent period should reverberate for years after, rewarding those teams that were most nimble and wise identifying talent.

WR and RT depth is what should be addressed in this FA.

NT also. Since we currently have zero under contract. We NEED to bring back Shaun Smith. Then we obviously just drafted Powe.

We need to get an OT, WR, NT, and I say a MLB as well.

If that ILB gets away from the Bills, I would splurge to get him.

I would splurge on a CB (if Carr doesn't resign), NT and an OT that can play both sides, but SS and ILB the Chiefs just need good competition for Lewis and Belcher. No need to break the bank. For a slot receiver, I'd be OK with spending a lot to bring in the guy Pioli and Haley covet (Breaston, maybe Lance Moore). But I'd also be OK with paying a cheaper, yet still proven guy.

I hope we bring back Carr unless its for Nnamdi Asomugha. I don't think we need to splurge on a NT either unless we can't get back Smith or at least Edwards... I'm pretty confident in Powe's future. Another Wr would be very nice. That way we can spread McCluster all over the place trying to cause whatever mismatch we can with him.

NBA lockout could lead Nate Robinson to try the NFL
Posted by Michael David Smith on July 12, 2011, 7:45 PM EDT
Oklahoma City Thunder v Dallas Mavericks - Game Two Getty Images

With the NBA’s lockout just starting and likely to last several months, and the NFL’s lockout (we hope) nearing its conclusion, one NBA player is talking about giving pro football a try.

Nate Robinson of the Oklahoma City Thunder, a 5-foot-9 point guard who has won the Slam Dunk Contest three times, says he’s hoping some NFL team will consider giving him a shot in training camp.

“I might go play football,” Robinson told SLAM. “Do something that nobody’s tried to do.”

It might sound like a joke, but Robinson says he’s serious, and it’s not totally unreasonable to think he could do it. Robinson was a pretty good cornerback at Washington before he decided in 2003 to focus full-time on basketball. And in a column at NFL.com, Gil Brandt, the former Cowboys executive, writes that if Robinson had been around during Brandt’s time in Dallas, the Cowboys would have brought him to camp.

However, saying Robinson could do it is a lot different than saying Robinson will do it. As our buddy Kurt Helin pointed out at ProBasketballTalk, if Robinson wants the $4.5 million remaining on the final year of his current NBA contract, there’s no way he’s going to risk a serious injury in an NFL training camp, where he’d be putting his body on the line just for a shot at an NFL minimum salary.

On the other hand, if Robinson really wants to play football, and if he thinks the NBA lockout could wipe out the entire season, maybe attempting to play football is worth the risk of injury. It would be fun to watch Robinson give it a shot.

Lets do it.

That's the kind of circus that isn't worth taking the time to piss on. That and the arrogant prick named Tiki Barber who will never play another down in the NFL.