Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Thursday, August 11, 2011
NFL Teams Going After Rival's Free Agents Like Never Before
(Photo Credit: http://static.nfl.com/static/content/catch_all/nfl_image/s_smith_080203_IA.jpg)
In the modern era of NFL free agency, it has become commonplace to move from one location to the next. It's also becoming an industry trend for players to leave their old teams to sign with their biggest rivals.
Case in point: Ex-Giant Steve Smith signed with the Eagles yesterday. Smith says the Eagles wanted him more, which is just as much about him spiting the Giants for not showing serious interest in bringing him back than it is about Philadelphia wanting him.
This also isn't the first example of a New York player going to his former team's biggest rival this offseason. Former Jets defensive end Shaun Ellis, an 11-year veteran who was drafted by New York in 2000, took a similar path last week when he signed a one-year contract with the Patriots.
While Smith is in the prime of his career, Ellis is nothing more than a rotational lineman at age 34. Both players will have an impact on their new teams, but let's start with Smith.
From the Giants point of view, I understand. They have a budding superstar in Hakeem Nicks and a former third wide receiver in Mario Manningham who looks primed to breakout and become a solid No. 2. Smith is also a question mark thanks to microfracture knee surgery.
They drafted Ramses Barden last season and have guys like Domenik Hixon and last year's pre-season standout Victor Cruz, so it's not like the Giants don't have a few guys vying for playing time. Regardless, Eli Manning is going to miss Smith.
Manning has proven to be turnover-prone throughout his career, throwing at least 17 interceptions in four of his six seasons as a full-time starter. He threw a career-high 25 last season, which I believe to be a direct result of Smith's injury issues.
In the first eight games of the season, in which Smith caught at least four passes in all eight, Manning threw 11 interceptions. In the final eight games, where Smith played in just one game and caught only one ball, Manning threw 14 interceptions, a rise almost half an interception per game.
Manning had just one game without an interception during the season's second half; he had three such games with Smith in the lineup.
The Eagles recognized this and also saw the value in signing Smith for cheap (yes, $4 million is cheap for a Pro Bowl-caliber player). They are deep at receiver even if Jeremy Maclin's personal issues take him into the regular season and can afford to wait a few weeks while Smith gets healthy.
Even if Smith doesn't return at a high level, the Eagles will take advantage of his absence when they play the Giants. With a revamped secondary and Jason Babin added to rush the passer, Manning will struggle against Philadelphia without his favorite security blanket.
Nicks and Manningham are big-play receivers and neither can replace what Smith did for the Giants. Manning's receiving options look limited this season, especially with Kevin Boss' departure - although I like Travis Beckum.
Smith should have a larger impact on the field in Philadelphia than Ellis in New England, but the former Jet will help Bill Belichick in many other ways.
Ellis knows the Jets organization in and out, especially their defensive schemes over the past few seasons under Rex Ryan. Like Smith, he didn't feel wanted by the organization and will likely be looking to spite the Jets.
What Ellis can't do on the field anymore, he will likely do in the film room and on the sidelines. He knows the defense, he knows the players he will be lining up against and he knows how to beat them.
Whether he can do it himself anymore, Ellis will help everybody else along the New England line when it comes to playing against New York.
He won't make the on-field impact that Jets castoff Danny Woodhead made when he signed with New England early last season, but don't think he won't be an asset to the Pats. Bill Belichick wouldn't have signed Ellis if he didn't think he would help in some way.
It's too early to tell what will happen when the Jets and Pats square off and the same goes for the Giants and Eagles. But the defection of Smith and Ellis to bitter division rivals sways the pendulum slightly towards Philadelphia and New England. At least for now.
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Jets re-sign Harris, going after Umenyiora?
(Photo Credit: http://profootballzone.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/14.jpg)The Jets assured their "Core Four" will remain together for another three seasons by re-signing linebacker David Harris to a four-year, $36 million deal, including $29.5 million guaranteed, the most for a linebacker in NFL history.
This deal confirms that Harris, Darrelle Revis, D'Brickashaw Ferguson and Nick Mangold will remain in green and white until 2014, when Revis' restructured contract expires.
After the Jets gave Santonio Holmes $50 million and Antonio Cromartie $32 million, many wondered whether Harris would remain unsigned by the team heading into next offseason.
New York knew they couldn't afford to let Harris hit free agency in 2012, not with Bart Scott aging and the premium on middle linebackers in their 3-4 defense. The team also saved $6.4 million dollars on the 2010 salary cap by backloading the deal.
The Jets may find themselves in cap hell in a few seasons but they're playing for a championship right now, future be damned. With an extra $6.4 million this season, what else could the Jets possibly do?
With Shaun Ellis still unsigned and first-round pick Muhammad Wilkerson behind the eight-ball thanks to the lockout, the rumors have begun to swirl about the Jets poaching another player from the Giants to bolster their pass rush - disgruntled defensive end Osi Umenyiora.
Umenyiora believes he's a top-five defensive end. I don't, and I don't think many people around the NFL do either. The Giants were reportedly looking for a first-round pick in exchange for Umenyiora, but have since realized that nobody is willing to part with one.
Under the new collective bargaining agreement, which significantly lowered rookie salaries and signing bonuses, high draft picks have even more value now than ever. Teams already overvalued their first-round picks in the pre-lockout days, meaning now most NFL squads won't be so willing to part with their top picks.
I think the Giants can legitimately expect a second-rounder in return for Umenyiora, especially from a good team who won't have a second-round pick that lands inside the top 50 or even the top 60.
AFC rivals Baltimore and New England are also interested in the Giants defensive end, meaning the Jets will have some competition if they throw their hat into the ring. If anything, trading for Umenyiora to keep him away from Bill Belichick would be a win for New York.
Any team that trades for Umenyiora will have to sign him to a new contract, even though he has two years left on his current deal. The Jets just freed up enough cap space to cover a large portion of the contract they would have to give Umenyiora.
This is a match made in heaven. The Jets desperately need a pass rusher along the defensive line, have the money to pay Umenyiora and have shown a willingness to move draft picks for immediate help.
After trading a fifth-rounder and third-rounder respectively for Santonio Holmes and Antonio Cromartie last season, the Jets would be making a huge blunder if they refused to move a second-rounder for Umenyiora this season.
Holmes and Cromartie were impact players the moment they stepped on the field for New York, much more so than any fifth or third-round pick would have been.
This team is trying to win now and everybody knows it. Make the move now, worry about the money later. It's not like they haven't been playing by that strategy all along.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
