By Rock Mayock 11:00 p.m. | Gird your loins because the April 25, 2013 NFL Draft is bearing down upon us. As teams ready their war rooms in preparation for the next generation of drafts busts, they are simultaneously seeking to backfill their rosters with proven talent. Enter the fray known as free agency. This year’s crop of available free agents is a smorgasbord of former Raider castoffs that are currently looking for work because they are either old or too expensive for the Raiders to resign. Here is an evaluation of the big name free agents that are still available.
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Quarterback: The top QB that is available, while at the same time not formally being on the market, is Carson Palmer (HP3). If Reggie McKenzie unable to restructure HP3’s guaranteed $13 million salary due this season, he will invariably be cut be cut by the cash strapped Raiders. Quite frankly the free agent market is slim pickens after HP3. Heisman Leinart is unlikely to be resigned by the Raiders, therefore he will be available. Also available are Kevin Kolb, Jason Campbell, Josh Johnson, Brady Quinn, Vince Young and Rex Grossman. None of these free agents are overly appealing and all come with baggage. Kolb robbed the Cardinals of valuable draft picks. Campbell is serviceable as a spot starter but he is not a franchise QB. Who in the hell is Josh Johnson? Brady Quinn is hunky but sucks. Vince Young is an uncoachable bankrupt train wreck that not even Norm “The Guru” Chow could reach. Even though Rex Grossman made it to a Super Bowl, he still sucks. Basically it’s HP3 or bust for any team actively shopping for a veteran QB or #1 overall draft pick.
Running Back: After Adrian Peterson all other running backs in the NFL are disposable. There is currently a plethora of used up running backs available on the free agent market. Ahmad Bradshaw (used up), Beanie Wells (sucks), Peyton Hillis (sucks and used up), Brandon Jacobs (screwed up knees), Cedric Benson (used up) and Michael Turner (overrated) are all still available. All of these backs were decent in their prime but every single one of them is on the downhill side of the their career. For the front office, the FOOTBALLPHDS recommend signing one of these guys to back up a young workhorse. For your fantasy team, pick up Benson or Turner off the waiver wire.
Tight End: Ever since the arrival of Tony Gonzalez and Antonio Gates, the tight end position has been redefined. The prototype for the modern era tight end is The Gronk because tight ends are no long used for blocking schemes, they’re used to stretch defenses vertically. The unfortunate thing for the big name tight end free agents is that none of them fit this new mold. Fred Davis (serviceable but not a superstar), Dallas Clark (old as dirt) and Kellen Winslow (HE’S A SOLDIER! But he sucks) are all currently on the market. Only Davis is a legitimate plug and play starter since he has the ability to get vertical provided that he has recovered from blowing out his Achilles tendon.
Wide Receiver: You know the free agent market is bad when the best available player is sorry ass Darrius Heyward-Bey (can’t catch). The only reason DHB appeared to be turning the proverbial corner is that HP3 was his quarterback. Due to the fact that the NFL has transitioned from a vertical stretch the field game to a quick slant slot receiver game does not bode well for players like DHB. Joining him in this category are the fossils known as Randy Moss (old), Braylon Edwards (older) and Brandon Lloyd (shitty). These guys are all as useful as a truck of dead rats in a tampon factory. Good luck finding a job fellas.
Offensive Line: Even with Jake Long off the market, there are still plenty of good choices available. Andre Smith (fat!), Eric Winston, Winston Justice (danger!), Ryan Harris and Sebastian Vollmer are all still ready to be signed. For any tackle starved team that misses out on the Luke Joeckel/Eric Fisher sweepstakes, anyone of these players will be an immediate Game 1 starter. Get your signing pens out.
Defensive Line: Just as with the offensive line market, the pool of defensive line free agents is also pretty deep. The most notable player waiting to be signed is Elvis Dumervil. Due to the Bronco’s inability to operate the technological mystery known as a “fax machine,” Dumervil is the third best available free agent behind Carson Palmer and Jake Long. Also available are Dwight Freeney (old one trick pony), John Abraham (old), Osi Umenyiora (excellent pick up if you have the money), and Richard Seymour (ancient with behavioral problems). Dumervil and Umenyiora are the cream of the crop and will make an immediate impact both on the field and in the locker room. If Uncle Al was still around there is no question that one or both of them would be dressed in silver and black.
Linebacker: The newest name to hit the linebacker free agency market is former Bears’ star Brian Urlacher. The only problem is that Urlacher is old and broken down. Then again, so is everyone else that is still floating around. Available free agents include Daryl Smith, Karlos Dansby, Nick Barnett and Larry Grant. Anyone of these guys can still play but they will not provide the pass rush that defenses require.
Secondary: There are a multitude of former Raiders available to fill secondary gaps on any roster. Nnamdi Asomugha (forgot how to play defense post Al Davis), Michael Huff, Charles Woodson (we didn’t realize he was still in the league), Ronde Barber (old), and Brent Grimes all remain unsigned. Unfortunately all of these guys are getting on in years and the first thing to go is always foot speed which will limit their ability to play press man coverage.
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The FOOTBALLPHDS expert opinion is that it is better to seek value through the draft than it is to overpay of aging/past their prime free agents. With that in mind, sign whom ever you like! Buy the talent and hope for the best.
Rock
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