Finally, some good news!! http://miamiherald.typepad.com/spor...ins-heat-um-notes-samsons-survivor-debut.html The acquisition of Eugene Monroe would change my whole outlook for the 2014 season. Could this actually happen?
Pipe dream. Would be embarrassing for Baltimore to lose him to FA after what they paid for him in draft picks. He'll be franchised at worse.
While it would be excellent, there is no way he gets to fa. Unless pitta fails to agree a deal and they need to decide.
And if my auntie had balls... The past is gone. He future is all we can look to. Monroe probably won't make the open market unless pitta decides to stall and see what is out there
Words are wind. Still, Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun, had this to say (Link) a few day ago: So... maybe he shakes loose.
It depends on what Monroe wants. Does he want money? He can come back to Florida. Does he want to win? He'll stay in Baltimore. After being on the hopeless Jaguars for so long I suspect it's the latter.
This isn't like Albert, who is 30 and injury prone. He is worth a larger investment within reason. With Monroe and Pouncey we would have two high caliber building blocks at the key OL positions.
I don't agree with almost all high-priced FA signings. Almost impossible for them to outperform their contract. Best case with signing Eugene Monroe is that he slightly underperforms his contract. That is not a good thing.
Desperate times makes teams do desperate things...we have ONE OL that could start on any other team....ONE.... (Assuming the Martin and RI are not brought back). We have very little 'waiting in the wings'. I don't see Thomas as developing, for example. JJ wasn't scrutinized last year because of the issues at OT (left and right)... He reminds me of Samson Satele...everyone was miffed at how we let him go so easily, but the fact was, he simply was the second best OL in a bad OL, not that he was very good. Watkins, Yeatman ?? They will go after a high priced FA OT...
And doing desperate things leads to more desperate times. We literally were just in this position last offseason. Miami needed to improve their WRs, and they went after the most expensive one. In hindsight, they would have been much better off using the resources devoted to Mike Wallace elsewhere. They could have signed 2-3 mid-range OL, and given Rishard Matthews more snaps. Instead they gave Wallace a boatload of money, he didn't come close to producing to the level of his compensation, and Miami didn't devote anything to the OL, which leaves us in the position we are in today. Miami can address the OL without going after high-priced FAs. Think Brandon Gibson-types, rather than Mike Wallace-types.
Well, I don't think we see a spending spree like last year...that was an anomaly, but I foresee us getting one 'high priced' guy and then several other guys that either compete at various positions or at least compete for backup spots. I think they still see Wheeler and Ellerbe as guys they can build around, despite the poor years' both had. I really think this is a pivotal offseason, just from the sheer number of starting FAs that we have... Carroll/Patterson, Grimes, Soliai, Starks, Clemons, McKinnie, Cogs, JJ...all guys that started for us. Add in Martin who is unlikely to be back and we're potentially looking at replacing 9 starters....Now, not all those guys are/were great players, but all contributed... Hickey has a lot of work and there may not be a lot of money after re-signing Grimes, Starks/Soliai, Carroll/Patterson and perhaps Clemons... '
Absolutely it does, Stringer...but when you are faced with replacing 4 of 5 starters with no backups that looks to be able to fill in on your roster in just ONE area of your team...I'd call it desperate... As to Wallace, keep in mind that the OL was so bad last year that Wallace and the rest of the O simply didn't connect. Adjust the scheme some and fix the OL, things can be different, given that Wallace and Tanny have a year behind them... We are in the position we are in today not because of them not spending on the OL (although I agree with you and think they should have) but because 2 of our starters blew themselves up, a couple of backups didn't develop and FA. The fact of the matter is, as bad as Ireland was with OL, even he can't be held accountable for the explosion that part of the team with thru last season. I know, as a long time fan like you, that we've cried about the OL for years, but there was some hope there. Heck in the beginning of the year, we were more concerned about JJ than Martin at LT ?? At any rate, I think they go all out with a LT, something they are unlikely to be able to get in this draft (at least early in the draft...).
great LT's do not grow on trees, and they usually do not come available all that often that is only 26 and in their prime. you have to pay good money to get one and the dolphins have a huge need. you do whatever it takes to land him.
they didn't need to, they just took a guy who started every game at Monroe's position in college 2nd overall in the draft, Baltimore has a GM that can put 2 and 2 together, they did what we should've done, picked up the phone, CALL THEM AND ASK.
Its kind of a two way street though. The Jag's GM knew we were in need of a tackle, that we had pursued trading for Albert and had brought just about every FA tackle under the sun in for a workout yet he didn't call Ireland to see if there was a better offer. Something is just a little odd there.
SO that means Ireland has no pull to get info or connections. Either way someone got him and point is Ireland didn't/couldn't. As a GM you need pull, connection, power, ability to find out information before anyone else does.
Based on last year, that's true but I think they both deserve another chance and the contracts are set up so that we can effectively do that...next year...
OK fine, you have your opinion of second chances for Wheeler and Ellerbe. My opinion is that Ross should send Moose and Rocco and a few other mercenary bastards down there to serve up a monster portion of whupass on the worthless jerks. They obviously just took the money and jagged off all last year. This is what happens when a GM totally ignores the issues of character and leadership. The only time a GM should give a huge contract to a moronic jag off is if he has Mario Williams/Julius Peppers type talent. Cutting Wheeler or Ellerbe is just plain cap suicide, but they could bring down some, outside the box, discipline on them; and no, I don't really mean have them roughed up, but these guys don't deserve any coddling. They deserve the opposite.
Not tagged. But I sense the two sides (Baltimore and Monroe) are committed to finding something that works. The good players dry up out of free agency just before the bell rings. That's always the way it goes. Cincinnati is working on retaining Anthony Collins, and now there's even talk of Kansas City keeping Branden Albert. There's always been talk that the Raiders will not allowed Veldheer to escape. We're going to have to sweat this one out. My preference remains Anthony Collins unless Monroe or Veldheer actually make it to market at which point I'd like to see what the buy-in price on them really is.
I generally agree with that. But with the salary cap as it is, there is room on every team for a few overpriced players, especially when you have a starting QB on a cheap rookie contract. So, for example, a guy like Monroe might theoretically sign for $10 million per year and only give $7.5 million in value. That looks bad on its face. But if the alternative is having a guy that signs for $3 million and gives $3 million in value and then the team simply doesn't spend the remaining $7 million, is it really wiser to go that route, even if you roll over those cap savings? It may be wiser for Ross' bank account, but may still be worse for the team. Even if that $7 million gets carried over to next year, it will only be of value to us as fans if it is used, and in most instances those bigger chunks of money only get used to pay for next year's overpriced FA. All that being said, I would prefer to use the $10 million on a few lower-profile and lower priced OLs than on one high-profile one. Unless, of course, the better guys all fail to hit FA and the guys that are left are worse than the guys we had last year.
Remember this when it comes to projecting who makes it to market and who doesn't. The salary cap came in at like $133 million versus previous projections at like $126 million. That will affect teams' decision making.
Umm, Baltimore wasn't much more impressive than we were last year and they had an offensive line. For short term success, I think Miami is the better target.
Baltimore had a terrible line. Monroe was good but all the other guys sucked HARD. Even Oher was terrible in pass and run blocking.
I think they have to bite the bullet on at least one big name, just a numbers games. Besides we can cut wheeller and Wallace next year if we want.