Category: NFL (Page 785 of 1282)

      Falcons to sign free agent TE L.J. Smith?

      February 27, 2009 /

      According to a report by the National Football Post, the Falcons have set their eyes on free agent L.J. Smith (Eagles), who became the best tight end on the market after the Titans placed the non-exclusive franchise tag on Bo Scaife.

      The Falcons brought in several run-blocking tight ends last offseason, but need to give quarterback Matt Ryan a better pass-catching target at the position. Smith has been unable to stay healthy the past two years, but he certainly has the size, speed and hands to upgrade the tight end spot and as long as the Falcons don’t overpay, he could be a quality signing.

      One notion surrounding Atlanta’s interest in Smith is that Oklahoma State’s Brandon Pettigrew, who is arguably the best tight end prospect in the draft and a player many mocks have the Falcons taking at No. 24, hurt his stock when he only ran a 4.8-forty at the scouting combine. But the more realistic idea is that the Falcons want to shore up their need for a pass-catching tight end before the draft, so then in April they can turn their sole attention to the multiple holes they have on defense.

      The Falcons have decided not to re-sign safety Lawyer Milloy and outside linebacker Keith Brooking. They might allow outside linebacker Michael Boley to walk in free agency and might not be able to re-sign cornerback Domonique Foxworth, leaving them with holes at both linebacker spots, safety and cornerback.

      Atlanta was able to re-sign Coy Wire, who replaced Boley towards the end of the 2008 season, but he’s more of a two-down ‘backer and was often replaced in passing situations. The team is also expected to give second-year player Stephen Nicholas a shot to earn one of the starting outside linebacker spots, but even with him and Wire, the Falcons are awfully thin at the position.

      If the Falcons are able to wrangle Smith off the open market, there’s a great chance they’ll address one of their defensive needs in the first round, and could even fill defensive needs in the first three rounds. USC linebacker Brian Cushing, Ole’ Miss defensive tackle Peria Jerry, Wake Forest cornerback Alphonso Smith and Western Michigan safety Louis Delmas are all possibilities for the Falcons in the first round.

      NFL

      Redskins cut Shawn Springs – more coming?

      February 27, 2009 /

      In an effort to create cap space after signing free agent defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth to a seven-year, $100 million contract and cornerback DeAngelo Hall to a six-year, $55 million deal, the Redskins are set to release Shawn Springs.

      Washington was reportedly shopping Springs, but obviously found no takers for the 34-year old corner. The Skins save $6 million in cap space with this move, which is vital because they were $1 mil under the cap when free agency began. When healthy, Springs was a quality corner for the Skins. But he couldn’t stay healthy and the cap charge was just too much.

      More cuts have to be on the horizon for Washington, but it’s hard to speculate who will get the axe at this point. Players like Jason Taylor could restructure their contracts, too, although nothing of that ilk has been reported yet.

      Surprisingly, the Baltimore Sun reports that the Redskins are currently the front-runners to sign free agent center Jason Brown. He would no doubt be an upgrade on Washington’s offensive line, but where would they get the cap space in order to make another big signing like Brown? Either Vinny Cerrato and Dan Snyder are geniuses and have some master plan that hasn’t unfolded yet or are completely screwing the Redskins for years to come.

      NFL, Rumors & Gossip

      Houshmandzadeh to visit Seahawks

      February 27, 2009 /

      According to FOXSports.com, free agent wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh will make a visit to Seattle on Friday.

      T.J. HoushmandzadehHoushmandzadeh has averaged 89 catches for 1,012 yards and seven touchdowns in five seasons as a Bengals starter. But he also will be 32 in September, which may scare some teams from offering the lucrative long-term contract Houshmandzadeh is seeking.

      The Seahawks failed to have a wide receiver crack the 500-yard mark in 2008 — the first time that had happened in a non-strike season since the franchise’s inception in 1976.

      Two of Seattle’s top four receivers — Bobby Engram and Koren Robinson — are now free agents.

      Hopefully Housh enjoys blocking because if he signs with Seattle, he’ll be doing a lot of it in Greg Knapp’s West Coast Offense. Not that he wouldn’t be a fit for the Seahawks because they do need dependable wide receivers (some mock drafts have the Hawks taking Texas Tech wideout Michael Crabtree in the first round), but Knapp has been known to frustrate receivers before (Terrell Owens and Peerless Price are just two examples) and Housh isn’t the type to bite his tongue if he’s unhappy about his role.

      Housh also told ESPN 950 that if the Eagles want him that he’d, “be an Eagle tomorrow.” But does Philly want him?

      NFL, Rumors & Gossip

      Jets sign underrated free agent LB Bart Scott

      February 27, 2009 /

      One of the small notions when it comes to the NFL offseason is never to sign a free agent defender from the Baltimore Ravens. Because usually once they get out of the Ravens’ 3-4 defensive scheme, they never live up to their high free agent billing. (See Ed Hartwell for just one example.)

      But considering the man that ran the Ravens’ defense for the better part of a decade is now the head coach for the New York Jets, it was probably safe to take the chance on Baltimore free agent linebacker Bart Scott.

      According to the National Football Post, the Jets signed Scott to a multi-year deal on Friday, which Adam Schefter of the NFL Network reports will probably be worth roughly $8 mil a year. Scott will reunite with his former defensive coordinator, Rex Ryan, who is now the Jets new head coach.

      Scott was overshadowed by teammates Ray Lewis and Terrell Suggs over the past couple years, but he’s one of the more underrated linebackers in the AFC. Over the past three seasons, he’s posted at least 60 solo tackles and in 2005, he added 9.5 sacks and two interceptions. Scott has good size and strength and he’s an excellent tackler. He also can be an effective blitzer and at 28, he still has plenty of football left in him.

      Scott will hopefully shore up a linebacker position that was a weak spot for the Jets’ defense last year. Scott will join David Harris in the middle of NY’s 3-4 defense, while ’08 free agent signing Calvin Pace will occupy one outside linebacker spot and Bryan Thomas will battle first round disappointment Vernon Gholston on the other.

      The key will be what Ryan can do with Gholston, who is a physical marvel and a pass-rushing talent, but was also completely befuddled in his rookie season and didn’t get onto the field much. If Ryan could somehow turn Gholston into a junior Terrell Suggs, the Jets will have one of the better linebacker corps in the league next year.

      NFL

      Redskins sign Haynesworth for $100 mil – are Snyder and Cerrato out of their minds?

      February 27, 2009 /

      The Washington Redskins have agreed to terms with free agent defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth on a seven-year, $100 million contract. The deal also includes $41 million in guaranteed money and the deal could reach $115 million in total.

      Redskins fans are either jumping for joy right now or jumping off a bridge. If they’re smart, they might take the latter route, because Vinny Cerrato and Dan Snyder might have just sunk the fate of the franchise into one player.

      Haynesworth is no doubt the best free agent on the market. His blend of size and athleticism make him one of the most feared defensive tackles in the league and he can dominate on a weekly basis. He truly can be a one-man wrecking crew when he wants to and is talent is unquestioned.

      That said, there’s a very good chance now that Haynesworth is the highest paid defensive player in the league, that he could become awfully complacent. There’s an even better chance that he never lives up to his contract and this could be a move that costs Cerrato is job (which I’m sure Redskin fans wouldn’t mind).

      The other issue here is that the Skins didn’t have any cap space to begin with. They started the free agency period $1 mil under the cap, so how they were able to sign Haynesworth to a $100 million contract is beyond me. Massive cuts have got to be coming because Haynesworth is set to receive $41 million in the first three years. Shawn Springs is probably a goner, but who else?

      On the bright side, if one player was worth the money this free agency period, it was Haynesworth. He’ll make life easier for guys like Jason Taylor and Washington defensive coordinator Greg Blanche will probably sleep well this weekend knowing the possibilities he has with his front seven. It’s not like the Redskins overpaid for a mediocre talent; Haynesworth is elite, but for the sake of Redskin fans, I hope he plays elite throughout the length of his contract.

      NFL

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