Saturday, March 3, 2007

NFL FA, aka "The Money Pit"


It's amazing the amount of money getting thrown around so quickly this year in free agency. It is likely that it has everything to do with the significant new found cap increase this year, but I'm sure that the stupidity of some teams is contributing to the problem.


The 49ers signed CB Nate Clements to the largest deal for a defender...ever! $80M over 8 years seems a bit much. Clements is a great player but that just seems like a ton to pay him. And not to be outdone in the secondary they threw a $10M signing bonus at Michael Lewis, a SS with very limited cover skills who lost his job last year. Can't they find a SS in the draft who can't cover and hits like a LB?


OGs Derrick Dockery and Eric Steinbach received Hutchinson-like league leading guard money as well. Why? Because of each of their extensive Pro-Bowl resumes? Apparently this is the year to be a better than average player.


In one of the more curious moves, the Falcons signed Ovie Mughelli FB from the Ravens to a 6 year $18M deal with $5M up front. I get that Bobby Petrino is trying to install a power running game, but is this guy really that much better than any other 5'10"-6', 240-265lb, stiff that runs head first into a brick wall that is sitting on the waiver wire because the fullback isn't used quite as much as it used to be? Did the Ravens even have a good running game last year? Seems to me a FB worth that much money that doesn't catch 60 balls a year should be able to open holes for whoever is behind him and Ovie sure didn't do that last year. Sure looks like Petrino got a little bit overwhelmed in his first NFL free agency. A lot like a kid spending his first allowance at a gas station on Red Bull and Fruit by the Foot.


After much careful analysis, by the time the offseason is over, Bill Simmons might have enough material to throw together a Atrocious NFL GM Summit

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