Superbowl Round 2 - Free Agent Mock, DISCUSSION & QUESTIONS

[emperorjones]

Ok, this is the round 2 thread. For round 2, you must list specific signings in free agents off the open market you will pursue. You can use all the money you have left in free agency. Refer to the Rules in the Announcement section to see how much each Free Agent costs.

Rule addition for round 2

In order to bring some reality to this and to allow the game to be more easilly judged - new rule (we can discuss before round 2 is finalized). If you sign someone who is actually franchised in the NFL, you will not be able to have that player count toward your roster for the final judging. You will be able to use the money that you reserved for such Franchise Player on other Free Agents (other than Bears that you cut in round 1) prior to finalizing your round 2 and moving on to the draft -The franchise deadline is the 3rd week of February and your Round 2 selections become official March 13

(yes Chewie, this game is going to last about another month lol).

Once you post in this thread, your round one will be finalized and locked. You must post in the round 1 thread in order for any post in this thread to count.

[Chewie]

Oh - jeez - you actually started Round 2? Now I have to do some plotting....

[Chewie]

Well, after crunching the #s, this is tougher than I thought. As GM, it is CLEAR to me that I would need to cut more players currently under contract to do exactly what I want to do. There's simply no way to address all the positions that need help via FA but I suppose making sacrifices is what this is all about...

I went into this wanting to improve in the trenches, specifically at OT (Webb blows) and DE (since I let go of Idonije) but I couldn't do both and still get a quality WR. Soooo....OT is going to have to take the hit. I hear Tice talk about how he'd have the TE and RB chip on Webb's man to help him out so I have to leave that position alone.

Going into FA, my starter needs were WR, DE, CB, and OT. My reserve needs were S, QB, and LB. And I had a mere $20.51 to spend.

I'm rolling with.....

1) Cliff Avril, DE (Lions) : $7.95m All of 26 and coming off an 11 sack season. He's inserted as a starter right away.
2) Dwayne Bowe, WR (Chiefs) : $7.05m. He'll go for around $10m in real life so I feel I'm getting a bargain here. He consistently puts up good numbers despite bad QBs. Instant go-to receiver and consistent red-zone threat that Cutler needs.
3) Neckbeard, QB (Chiefs) : $3.6m. Orton is back. I think we all saw what having 2 inexperienced QBs on the roster can do to you. If Orton had been our backup this year, we def would have made the playoffs. Zero doubt.
4) Ernie Sims, LB (Colts) : $1.32m. Hey, I had very little dough left, he just turned 27 in December and he's a former #9 overall pick of the draft. Had some good years in DET and we have zero depth. Possible starter over Roach.

Cost of 2012 free agents: $19.92m.

Amount left: $0.59m.

My holes at CB, S, and OT will have to wait for the draft. CB looks to the priority right now with Bowman and Jennings off the team and Tillman not getting any younger.

I feel I've improved the team a good deal here.

Avril > Idonije
Bowe > R Williams
Orton > Hanie
Sims > any reserve LB on the team

[DJhitek]

I've considered the direction I would go in the draft and have taken that into account in my summary. To recap, I only re-signed Bell, Steltz and Graham. I had about 23.48 in cap space....so here goes...

PLAN A:

1) Mario Williams DE 10.6 Mil - There is no one I would rather have in this FA then Mario, The Texans seem to be convinced they are better off without him but I think they are nuts. This guy would make us so good defensively it would be criminal.

2) Vincent Jackson WR 7.05 Mil - Not his biggest fan honestly, but he is a big target and can get downfield. I think he has long stretches where he just disappears in effort and concentration but I'll take anyone at this point.

3) Manny Lawson LB 4.4 Mil - A very good 4-3 LB, a little pricey but getting Lawson to be our third best LB could solidify our run defense and draft a LB with one of our third round picks and groom them instead of throwing them straight into the fire.

4) M. Bennett TE Dal $1.0 Mil - Shot in the dark, kid has a ton of physical talent but is about the biggest knucklehead on the field as I've ever seen at that position. I'd take the chance at him figuring it out with Mike Tice.


If this scenario went down, my draft would go WR, CB, S and LB in the first 4 picks.

[patryk7754]

Sign
Vincent Jackson 7.05m
Vincent Jackson is the best player left in FA that fits in our "biggest need" description so he's a no brainier.

Jared Gaither 4.7m
Jared Gaither is also a huge need at OL so at 4.7 I think he's a steal and a huge upgrade from Webb.

Pierre Garcon 4.7m
Garcon would be a huge weapon for Cutler playing next to Jackson, not to mention singing him would make it easier to make Earl Bennett one of the best slot WR in the league.

Mark Anderson 2.65m
Could be a great starter next to Peppers, but if not he'll surely be a great rotation player after getting someone in the draft.

LaRon Landry 1.55m
No brainier at 1.55m

Aaron Smith 1.185m
He's old but if he stays healthy he can be a grate rotation player on the DL

BenJarvus Green-Ellis 1.16m
Solid ball carrier doesnt fumble better then average inside goal and with Forte they would make one of the best 1-2 punches in the NFL.
1.415m left in cap

[BIGGIEsmalls 23]

@ hitek. I think that we all have to use the same website regarding our numbers. Some of your salaries are lower than that site's numbers & you're actually cheating yourself regarding Mario Williams (I'm gonna grab him also ) because he only costs $10.6 million using the site that Emp pointed us to, opposed to the numbers that you have.

It's on this page:
viewtopic.php?f=156&t=1154317

[heir_jordan22]

DJhitek you definitely didn't follow the rules that Emperorjones posted in the rules thread. Now for business.

Starting cap space: $23.485

1) CB Richard Marshall $5.3M: He is a good man-cover corner on speed receivers and would be a great compliment to Peanut. He can make big plays and is still young. He would cost less than Brandon Carr but has more speed and is therefore a better compliment to Tillman. He also gets 3 or 4 picks and 70-90 tackles year in and year out. A consistent playmaker.

2) OT Jared Gaither $4.7M: Before his back injury he was a top LT and once he replaced McNeill he played really well. Plus he's only 26 years old. If he's healthy that allows Webb to be the swing tackle or fight with Louis, Garza and Spencer for the RG spot. This may make our OL a little more injury prone but adds a HUGE amount of talent. Tice would have Gaither, Webb, C. Williams, E. Williams, Garza, Spencer, Louis and Carimi to work with.

3) DE Mark Anderson $2.65M: We need a pass rusher with speed opposite Julius Peppers. Anderson showed that he can play with double-digit sacks in limited playing time and 2 sacks in the Super Bowl.

4) WR Eddie Royal $2.35M: He is a speed receiver that we know works well with Jay Cutler. He can be a great complement to a #1 possession type receiver who can hopefully be found through the draft.

5) LB Rocky McIntosh $2.2M: He has been the leader of a good defense in Washington and would just bring more veteran leadership to an already stacked front seven. He would solidify our starting 3 at LB and allow Nick Roach to move into a reserve role.

6) QB Byron Leftwich $2.16M (1 year): He's not spectacular, but he is reliable. Taking Leftwich over Orton or Hill allows us to use money to fill bigger needs in starter roles.

7) S Laron Landry $1.55M: Laron Landry is a 27 year-old game changer. He has been injured, but at $1.55M this kid is a steal. Conte and Landry starting, with Wright and a good rookie as backups, this is a great rotation.

8) WR Devin Thomas $1M: He showed in the playoffs that he is a spectacular special teams player. He has the size and athleticism to possibly develop into a part time receiver.

9) CB Kelvin Hayen $1M (1 year): The Bears targeted him a before because he is an excellent cover-two corner. He didn't play well in Atlanta's system but could be a solid contributor once back in cover-two.


Total spent on Free Agents: $22.91M

Remaining Space: $0.575M

Starter Needs: WR
Reserve Needs: LB, DE, S, OL

[BIGGIEsmalls 23]

I wish that I was able to cut more players in order to do more in free agency, but my Mod made the rules so I have to follow the rules . That being said, here I go:

1.) Mario Williams (DE)---He is Julius Peppers part 2. This is a dream tandem as bookends for a defensive line & I refuse to pass it up. With Peppers, Williams, & Melton controlling the line, my 4th DT & secondary instantly becomes better.
$10.6 Million

2.) Robert Meachem (WR)---I am grabbing him because Bowe was franchised, Colsten will likely re-sign with the Saints, & Vincent Jackson is too big a financial investment for his age and lack of 100% effort during the full four quarters of a game. I'm also looking to address the position in the draft.
$2.35 Million

3.) Shaun Hill (QB)---Orton is better, IMO. As the GM, I don't want to start any controversy by bringing in an old fan-favorite that is still looking to be a starter. Hill is a more than capable veteran back-up for the same amount of money.
$3.6 Million

4.) LaRon Landry (S)---I'm rolling the dice because of injury history the last two seasons, ala Mike Brown. What makes this gamble a no-brainer, besides his speed & overall ability, is the price tag. He only costs 500k more than Steltz. I still have Conte & Major Wright waiting in the wings.
$1.55 Million

5.) Derek Landri (DT)---I'm stealing him from the Eagles. Nice guy for the rotation because he's capable of stopping the run & pressuring the QB.
$1.975 Million

6.) Erik Walden (LB)---I'm stealing this young talent from the Packers. Nice infusion of a 26yr old & talented LB to our aging group.
$1.32 Million

7.) Randy Moss (WR)---Hell, why not?
$1 Million

=

$22.395 Million

$23.485 Million - $22.395 Million = $1.09 Million left for emergency

I'm crossing my fingers that Carmini & Williams both come back healthy & ready as my starting OTs. I'm using the draft for WR, TE, CB, & OL depth .

[DJhitek]

My bad gents......I actually never read the stickied post. I'll make my edits in a second, by the rules, guards get paid like tackles and that usually isn't the case but that changes my entry.

[BIGGIEsmalls 23]

^^^^^^No problem, man. We were just trying to help u out.

I hope this doesn't screw up your round 1 decisions, as well. Maybe Emp will make an exception considering you didn't read the stickied post.

PS...I'm still unclear if we're able to spend all of our money or do we need any for surprise free agents that may become available via cuts (Barber & Omiyale are examples) in the near future.

[DJhitek]

^^^^^^No problem, man. We were just trying to help u out.

I hope this doesn't screw up your round 1 decisions, as well. Maybe Emp will make an exception considering you didn't read the stickied post.

PS...I'm still unclear if we're able to spend all of our money or do we need any for surprise free agents that may become available via cuts (Barber & Omiyale are examples) in the near future.

Nah, I'll adjust. I'm done with my edits. Great idea and I know the reasoning behind the specific salaries for certain positions. I was unaware that all O/L were lumped together in the franchise tag rule so poopoo on me.

Besides, The highest paid guard is Hutch (based off three websites I reviewed) and he makes under 7 mil so I sorely underestimated the amounts they get paid.

[heir_jordan22]

I really wish I would've made $3M more in cuts. Is it too late to cut people????

[emperorjones]

It's not too late to change round one until you have posted in round 2. Once you post round 2, your round 1 will be locked

[BIGGIEsmalls 23]

I think that Heir is talking about Barber & Omiyale type cuts, not the re-signing player part. That was a wish of mine, also . The rules don't allow for it, though.

I still have the question regarding left over money. If we're not using it later on other future free agents or being favorably judged on having money left over, then I may need to edit my round 2 in order to use it on a player now.

[Chewie]

Sign
- Drew Stanton 2.16m
- jerome simpson 2.35m
- Ben Grubbs 7.05m
- LaRon Landry 1.55m
- Mark Anderson 2.65m
- Jermichael Finley 4.05m
- Thomas Jones 1m
- Rocky McIntosh 2.2m
- Kelvin Hayden 1m


Had 24.41m in cap now I have 0.4 left in cap space

Drew Stanton, an underrated backup qb, Is a cheaper route then a Kyle orton type qb. Also he won the last four games as a starter for the Lions in 2010 and he can also bring info on the Lions offensive scheme. Ben Grubbs may not be as good as Carl Nicks but still a huge upgrade from what we have now. Signing Landry is just a huge no-brainier. Bringing Mark Anderson back would be a morale boost, also he is a younger better version of Idonije. Jermichael Finley nice blocking TE to go along with one of the best receiving ability. Having both Kellen and Finley on the field at the same time could make for one of the best TE combos in NFL. Jones is an upgrade from Barber and Bell and is a morale boost. Jerome Simpson has the potential to be a great 2nd receiver after getting a number one in the draft to go along with Finley. McIntosh would be a good role player. Hayden was the best corner for the Colts and underachieved for the falcons in my opinion and the 1m is worth the risk.

I like this entry with the exception of Simpson as he may be going to jail soon on his recent drug indictment.

[patryk7754]

Sign
- Drew Stanton 2.16m
- jerome simpson 2.35m
- Ben Grubbs 7.05m
- LaRon Landry 1.55m
- Mark Anderson 2.65m
- Jermichael Finley 4.05m
- Thomas Jones 1m
- Rocky McIntosh 2.2m
- Kelvin Hayden 1m


Had 24.41m in cap now I have 0.4 left in cap space

Drew Stanton, an underrated backup qb, Is a cheaper route then a Kyle orton type qb. Also he won the last four games as a starter for the Lions in 2010 and he can also bring info on the Lions offensive scheme. Ben Grubbs may not be as good as Carl Nicks but still a huge upgrade from what we have now. Signing Landry is just a huge no-brainier. Bringing Mark Anderson back would be a morale boost, also he is a younger better version of Idonije. Jermichael Finley nice blocking TE to go along with one of the best receiving ability. Having both Kellen and Finley on the field at the same time could make for one of the best TE combos in NFL. Jones is an upgrade from Barber and Bell and is a morale boost. Jerome Simpson has the potential to be a great 2nd receiver after getting a number one in the draft to go along with Finley. McIntosh would be a good role player. Hayden was the best corner for the Colts and underachieved for the falcons in my opinion and the 1m is worth the risk.

I like this entry with the exception of Simpson as he may be going to jail soon on his recent drug indictment.

When did that happen and what are the charges

[emperorjones]

patryk7754 you can revise the drug guy off your roster

[BIGGIEsmalls 23]

Emperor, what's the deal with our left over money?

[Chewie]

Sign
- Drew Stanton 2.16m
- jerome simpson 2.35m
- Ben Grubbs 7.05m
- LaRon Landry 1.55m
- Mark Anderson 2.65m
- Jermichael Finley 4.05m
- Thomas Jones 1m
- Rocky McIntosh 2.2m
- Kelvin Hayden 1m


Had 24.41m in cap now I have 0.4 left in cap space

Drew Stanton, an underrated backup qb, Is a cheaper route then a Kyle orton type qb. Also he won the last four games as a starter for the Lions in 2010 and he can also bring info on the Lions offensive scheme. Ben Grubbs may not be as good as Carl Nicks but still a huge upgrade from what we have now. Signing Landry is just a huge no-brainier. Bringing Mark Anderson back would be a morale boost, also he is a younger better version of Idonije. Jermichael Finley nice blocking TE to go along with one of the best receiving ability. Having both Kellen and Finley on the field at the same time could make for one of the best TE combos in NFL. Jones is an upgrade from Barber and Bell and is a morale boost. Jerome Simpson has the potential to be a great 2nd receiver after getting a number one in the draft to go along with Finley. McIntosh would be a good role player. Hayden was the best corner for the Colts and underachieved for the falcons in my opinion and the 1m is worth the risk.

I like this entry with the exception of Simpson as he may be going to jail soon on his recent drug indictment.

When did that happen and what are the charges

Here, let me google that for you...
http://lmgtfy.com/?q=jerome+simpson+indicted

[emperorjones]

Emperor, what's the deal with our left over money?

Left over money will roll into your 2013 cap, putting you in a better position for the future. Recall that one of the objectives is to position the team well moving forward.

If you use all of your cap money in 2012, then in 2013 you will be $10-11 million over the cap because $12 million of 2012 cap space is just a carry forward of unused 2011 space. So in 2013 that space will disappear, leaving you over the cap and having to make some tough decisions.