30dive Posted October 24, 2006 Author Share Posted October 24, 2006 Right on! We have, by all accounts very good skill players but we either have no idea on how to draft quality at the o/d-line, or we refuse ( or can't seem to justify) to pay the money...I think its the later. And oh I have never said Ralph was cheap.....I just think that if he wants to play with the big boys in 2006 he has to ponyup the bucks. Players today play for one of two things: winning or money.....hopefully both. And until Buffalo stsarts winning the only way to bring qulity free agents to this team is with money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bills_fan Posted October 24, 2006 Share Posted October 24, 2006 We start with a couple of these guys, say Thomas & Redding.... Top 2007 Free Agent DL By: Greg Davis QB | RB | WR | OL | DL | LB | DB | K Dwight Freeney, UFA, Indianapolis Colts Freeney originally signed for seven years in 2002, but having reached certain incentive levels in his contract has voided the final two seasons, making him a free agent at the end of this season. Freeney has posted double-digit sack totals in each of his four seasons, and has forced 23 fumbles in that time. He’s arguably the best defensive end in the league, and at worst is one of the top pass rushers around. He’s missed just one game in his career and plays with an incredible motor. With some of the best speed at his position, many teams will be lining up for a shot at a player that can apply pressure on the quarterback quite often. Jared Allen, RFA, Kansas City Chiefs The top defensive lineman that will see the market, Allen, has posted totals of 9 and 11 in the sack department over the past two seasons. The Chiefs will do everything in their power to keep him, but teams on the outside looking in could see Allen as a free agent must. He’s young, plays with a big motor, and puts pressure on the quarterback often, evidenced by his 7 forced fumbles last season. Teams will line up for the type of player that Allen is, and being an RFA doesn’t change that much. Allen makes the list because of his talent, but it’s difficult to imagine that the Chiefs would allow him to slip away on the market. Expect the Chiefs to negotiate a contract extension or possibly use the franchise tag if Allen has another great season. Vonnie Holliday, UFA, Miami Dolphins He’s been an effective defensive tackle throughout his career, and when Holliday hits the market, his experience, talent, and size will make him a desirable option for teams that need defensive interior run support. Miami won’t want to lose him, as they have a collection of veteran players who could help make a Super Bowl push in the next few seasons, but Holliday can command a decent dollar amount if he seeks a new employer. Don’t be surprised to see the Dolphins re-sign him before free agency. Other Free Agent Defensive Lineman Edward Jasper, UFA, Philadelphia Eagles Chad Lavalais, RFA, Atlanta Falcons Cory Redding, UFA, Detroit Lions Terdell Sands, UFA, Oakland Raiders Hollis Thomas, UFA, New Orleans Saints Add a couple of these guys, say Steinbach & Starks.... Top 2007 Free Agent Offensive Linemen By: Greg Davis QB | RB | WR | OL | DL | LB | DB | K Max Starks RFA Pittsburgh Steelers Starks is a starting tackle for a Super Bowl champion. That’s enough in itself to get some teams a little excited about the prospects of acquiring him. The fact that Starks is young, talented, and massive in stature—listed at 6’8”, 337 lbs.—just adds to the excitement pile. Another lineman that shouldn’t be going anywhere as the Steelers will not let Starks go without a fight. The best bet is that Starks will decide he wants to stay in Pittsburgh and sign an extension. If he hits the market, there will be a team or two willing to pay a big amount to entice the tackle to relocate. Leonard Davis UFA Arizona Cardinals Davis is a massive tackle that the Cardinals can’t afford to lose to free agency. The Arizona offensive line is already suspect, and losing Davis would be a huge step in the wrong direction, but the team may have to let him go and find a replacement if they aren’t prepared to offer decent money. Davis has shown the ability to simply be a wall of protection for his quarterback and while teams might not line up for the chance to sign him, anyone looking for a tackle will have him high on the list. The Cardinals are more than likely going to push to re-sign him before he hits the market. Mike Gandy, UFA, Buffalo Bills A relatively young starting left tackle, Gandy had been blocking for Willis McGahee over the past two seasons, and this season could go a long way in making Gandy an appealing free agent. He has talent, but isn’t considered among the league’s best linemen. However, a decent starting left tackle doesn’t just drop from the sky, so expect him to garner interest from a handful of teams, if Buffalo doesn’t re-sign him before the market opens. Other Free Agent Offensive Linemen Jordan Black, UFA, Kansas City Chiefs Dwayne Carswell, UFA, Denver Broncos Derrick Dockery, UFA, Washington Redskins Nat Dorsey, RFA, Cleveland Browns Chris Gray, UFA, Seattle Seahawks Norm Katnik, RFA, New York Jets Ryan Lilja, RFA, Indianapolis Colts Sean Locklear, RFA, Seattle Seahawks Vincent Manuwai, UFA, Jacksonville Jaguars Roman Oben, UFA, San Diego Chargers Brian Rimpf, RFA, Baltimore Ravens Eric Steinbach, UFA, Cincinnati Bengals Todd Steussie, UFA, St. Louis Rams Floyd Womack, UFA, Seattle Seahawks And add one of these guys, perhaps Samuel?.... Top 2007 Free Agent DB By: Greg Davis QB | RB | WR | OL | DL | LB | DB | K Nate Clements, UFA, Buffalo Bills Clements should be the top target of teams looking for help in the secondary. He’s young, highly regarded, and very talented. Buffalo would like nothing more than to have him signed to an extension as quickly as possible, but his talent—he does have two Pro Bowl selections—may lead him to test the market. Without an extension, the Bills must decide if they are willing to franchise tag Clements once again to guarantee his presence on the gridiron for one more season. Since Clements has not been adversely affected by NFL officiating changes, most NFL teams will pursue the cornerback if he hits the market. Other Free Agent Cornerbacks Roc Alexander, RFA, Denver Broncos Jordan Babineaux, RFA, Seattle Seahawks Jason David, RFA, Indianapolis Colts Randall Gay, RFA, New England Patriots Nick Harper, UFA, Indianapolis Colts David Macklin, UFA, Arizona Cardinals Asante Samuel, UFA, New England Patriots Other Free Agent Safety Tyrone Carter, UFA, Pittsburgh Steelers Deon Grant, UFA, Jacksonville Jaguars Ken Hamlin, UFA, Seattle Seahawks Michael Lewis, UFA, Philadelphia Eagles John Lynch, UFA, Denver Broncos Donnie Nickey, UFA, Tennessee Titans Tony Parrish, UFA, San Francisco 49ers Ernest Shazor, ERFA, Arizona Cardinals B.J. Ward, RFA, Baltimore Ravens Gibril Wilson, RFA, New York Giants And I think you'll see us looking much better!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
apuszczalowski Posted October 24, 2006 Share Posted October 24, 2006 Sorry, but seeing a list that has Gandy as being a top choice in FA I don't trust anything they have to say Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inkman Posted October 24, 2006 Share Posted October 24, 2006 I think the easiest solution is that this team needs to build both the OL and DL... Yes. They made this point with NE on Sunday. Seymour, Warren, and Wilfork were all high picks and are the foundation for that D. On their OL, they really have a hodge-podge of high/low draft picks and FA. I think NE is just better at recognizing talents and more importantly putting them in a place where they can succeed. I felt we were heading in the right direction with Fowler, Reyes, Tripplett, McCargo but perhaps their talents were overestimated or being misused. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ganesh Posted October 24, 2006 Share Posted October 24, 2006 Sorry, but seeing a list that has Gandy as being a top choice in FA I don't trust anything they have to say 815450[/snapback] Unfortunately that is all that is available in FA next year.....Teams lock up their good LTs....even SF has Jennings even though he is injured most of the time... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bills_fan Posted October 24, 2006 Share Posted October 24, 2006 Teams lock up their good LTs. Which is why if Peters works out, we go RT. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dundy249 Posted October 24, 2006 Share Posted October 24, 2006 So, let's see how champions were made, in terms of big-name free agent signings: Pittsburgh: Roethlisberger, no, Parker, no, Bettis, traded for a million years ago, Ward, no, Randle-El, no...Cedrick Wilson? I think he used to be a Niner. On defense, Polamalu, no, Porter, no, Kimo Van O, no, hmmm. New England: Brady, no, Dillon, no, Branch, no, Light, no, Bruschi, no, Vraebel, no, Samuel, no, Wilson, no, Harrison - okay, there's one. Also, I guess Antowain Smith was a big-time free agent. Ish. Roosevelt Colvin, maybe? Tampa Bay: Brad Johnson WAS a free agent, I'll give you that. So was Michael Pittman, I think. 815283[/snapback] Dillon-yes And Tampa Sucks? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bflojohn Posted October 25, 2006 Share Posted October 25, 2006 I would make a play for Terdell Sands, DT, from the Oakland Raiders. He is a massive man who is still a bit raw, but the Raiders are compelled to play him because he has vast potential. If he pans out, you'd solve some of the NT woes this team has, and the 3-technique guys like Tripplett and McCargo could then flourish because they would only draw single blocks versus double-teams. Daniel Graham is supposedly a free agent and subtracting him from New England would be a win-win for him and the Buffalo Bills. He could be the main target from the TE position, as far as getting into the deep middle of the field for JP Losman. I think Leonard Davis is being played out of position by the Arizona Cardinals. His best position, by far, is as a road-grading OLG. His presence in Buffalo as a OLG would be welcome, IMO. Three players, some sound improvements!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bills_fan Posted October 25, 2006 Share Posted October 25, 2006 I would make a play for Terdell Sands, DT, from the Oakland Raiders. He is a massive man who is still a bit raw, but the Raiders are compelled to play him because he has vast potential. If he pans out, you'd solve some of the NT woes this team has, and the 3-technique guys like Tripplett and McCargo could then flourish because they would only draw single blocks versus double-teams. Daniel Graham is supposedly a free agent and subtracting him from New England would be a win-win for him and the Buffalo Bills. He could be the main target from the TE position, as far as getting into the deep middle of the field for JP Losman. I think Leonard Davis is being played out of position by the Arizona Cardinals. His best position, by far, is as a road-grading OLG. His presence in Buffalo as a OLG would be welcome, IMO. Three players, some sound improvements!! You think Davis over Steinbach? INteresting. Thanks for the tip on Sands, I've never seen him play, but I'll take a look. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkyMannn Posted October 25, 2006 Share Posted October 25, 2006 I wasn't questioning whether you intend to spend the money wisely. I was simply saying it's not easy to do. At least not as easy as you're making the solution sound. 815298[/snapback] Both of you have good points on this. But for a parallel situation, look at the Sabres. Bring in solid yet not superstars, ie: Drury, Briere, Spacek, etc........ Consider we are not in salary cap hell, but yet have the same results of hell without ever having the hope and opportunity of at least once spending big with the chance to win Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silvermike Posted October 25, 2006 Share Posted October 25, 2006 Corey Dillon was a trade. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bflojohn Posted October 25, 2006 Share Posted October 25, 2006 Bills_fan, I didn't neccessarily pick Leonard Davis over Eric Steinbach! I'm simply using examples of players that may be available next offseason. Personally, Steinbach might very well be a better pick-up, but he is likely to be in Steve Hutchinsons' price range, so I say no way on that account!! I've seen Sands play and it is ALL in front of him! The Raiders may go the way of transitioning Sands if he's a UFA or tender him the highest offer in the offseason, making him virtually untouchable!! Daniel Graham, out of the possibles I mentioned could turn out to be the most viable candidate, but other teams will be vying for his services too!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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