Now the offseason starts to get fun boys. Couldn't be happier with the news the past few days... re-signing Grimes and saving about $7m not using the tag. Not placing the tag on either Solai or Starks, and taking a look a D'Qwell Jackson. You may ask why just looking? Well, here is some good news that this coaching staff and FO noticed that LB was a huge issue last year. They know they have too much invested to wipe out the whole crew. But plain and simple they identified they should probably look to replace Philip Wheeler and potentially move Ellerbe outside. After seeing the deal Jackson just signed I am ok with not investing on a declining player, but woulda loved his locker room presence. Now with FA looming next week, here is my hope for how it plays out: Personally, I love this Offensive Line group for free agents and I am not mad even if we invest 4 signings on the line: #1 - Sign Eugene Monroe: The fact the Ravens are letting him test the market is plain stupid. The guy is 26 and getting better and after trading him for picks it just doesn't make sense. Monroe would come in day 1 and anchor the left side for us. But, I say this carefully...I would not pay max $$$ for him. He is very good, but not elite. #2 - Sign a guard or two: Jon Asamoah and Roger Saffold. This pairing I would find ideal, and the reason is it would give us versatility. Both are very young without too much tread on the tire. Neither are the top guard on the market and I think we could get both for relatively good deals. Asamoah can come in on day one and man one of the guard spots. Now with Saffold he can play LT, LG, RG and RT. When I look at our current roster its Pouncey, a backup in Nate Garner (who is useful), Dallas Thomas (contributed 0%, but he is a guard not a tackle), and Sam Brenner (played sparingly and held his own). Not one person out of that group can play LT in a bind. Saffold provides that along with being able to play the RT which we need or another guard. Boys, heading into the draft only needing potentially a RT or RG would be a lovely thing. Gives us a ton of flexibility in Round 1 & 2. #3 - Sign Tony McDaniel: Bring the big man back to Miami. Never really got his due with the Phins while he was here in a loaded DT group. Now with the older guys out of the fold Tony can get more time in the rotation. He is by no means the only player we add to DT, but I love this year's class when it comes to DT. #4 - Trade Jon Martin: I know it isn't a FA move but I hope it takes place sooner than later. I attempt to trade him to the Colts, in hopes for a 6th round pick. That will help compensate the loss of a pick from the McKinnie trade at the deadline. #6 - Sign Malcolm Jenkins: I have always liked Jenkins since he has been in the league and I think he is the right type of player to pair with Reshad Jones. Jenkins a former CB is a the ball-hawk we need but he also isn't afraid to lay a hit. Additionally he plays with an attitude that I'd like to see our defense play with a little more. The rest should be for depth... positions that can be addressed: OL, CB, TE. Heading into the draft you look at major needs as such: OL, DT, LB, RB, TE & CB:
While I agree with every single one of your points, it's just not cost-effective to build a line through free agency. They might bring in a stud LT and even a few lesser known blockers at a bargain, but these draft picks are eventually going to have to pan out.
I like all your ideas. I wouldn't be upset though, if we just resign Chris Clemons. IMO, he was the most under appreciated member of the defense. Saffold and Asamoah would be a fine pair of guards. I'd also be happy with Wharton and/or Schwartz. According to The Bleacher Report, those are the top 4 UFA guards. Saffold gives you the bonus of being able to move out to tackle in a pinch if need be and play pretty well, like you said, which separates him from the other possible guards. PFF likes the same guys, also Shelley Smith and Mike Pollak are a couple of decent middle tier options.
I'm feeling everything except #6, there are a lot of better options at safety than Jenkins. Byrd, Ward, Clemons, Delmas, Bush, Brown, the first 2 would be expensive but the rest are all better options that could be signed to reasonable deals.
If the only things we accomplish in FA is signing Monroe and getting anything in return for Martin, I will consider FA a huge success.
Delmas is more durable than Bob Sanders. Delmas games per season, 15, 15, 11, 8, 16. Sanders: 6, 14, 4, 15, 6, 2, 1, 2.
I feel we have too many needs to go for a top flight OT. My approach will focus on getting a respectable OL and fixing our very mediocre defense. If we can't stop the run we have no shot to win!!! CUTS. Matt Moore. Dimitri patterson. Daniel Thomas RESIGN. Bryant Mckinnie starting left tackle. 3 years 18 million. FREE AGENT SIGNINGS. Anthony Collins starting right tackle 4 years 28 million. Roger Saffold starting right guard / swing tackle 4 years 28 million. Sam Shields staring right corner 4 years 28 million. Jones-Drew starting RB 2 years 8.5 million. DRAFT first 2 picks need to be ILB and DT 1) Donald DT Pitt, Mobley ILB Bamma, Jernigan DT Florida state in this order based on how first round plays out. 2) Will Sutton DT if Mobley picked in round 1 if DT taken in first Chris Borland ILB Wisconsin. BOTH START! 3) Dakota Dozier starting LG. 4) Loston safety LSU Loston and Jimmy Wilson battle for starting free safety 5) Daniel Mccullers DT Tennessee. 6) James Wilder jr RB FSU / Storm Johnson RB UCF. 7) Connor Shaw QB South Carolina LET THE CAMP BATTLES BEGIN!!!!!!!!!!
Last year, McKinnie signed with BALT for 2 yrs/$6.3 million. His salary with Miami last year after being traded was $1 million. You want to give him 6 mil a year for 3 years?
Thanks for the info could not find his numbers from last year and was a guess on my part. That means we save money. I LIKE THAT
Been hearing that the Jets are going hard after a guard and prefer Jon Asamoah. While Asamoah is my preference due to his age and athleticism, there is one name I have overlooked tremendously who we have been rumored to have interest in... Zane Beadles - Den. Peyton Manning had a pretty amazing season up until that last one in February and a big part of that was the guy had one of the cleanest pockets I have ever seen. Beadles has started every game for the Broncos the past four years and is still 27 years old. To me this OL class is stacked and while LT may have the big headline names, I'd sit here and argue all day that the Guard class might be the deepest. Wharton, Schwartz, Asamoah, Colon, Beadles, Rinehart, Nwaneri, Smith, and Laovuo (Could throw Roger Saffold in this group as I feel he is a better Guard). That is a total of 9 names who are all a huge upgrade at guard and we should be able to sign at least one if not 2 of them. Yes, investing money to 3 OL with a extension for Pouncey might not be the best move financially but if we make concious deals then we can address other needs and skill positions in the draft. So, I have seen a lot of people gushing over Darren Sproles and while I think he could help our team I just don't view him as the missing link in what we need at RB. To me there is another player from NO I would prefer and that is Pierre Thomas. Thomas is still just 29 and has never been a workhorse but he provides something we need in a decisive runner, good locker room guy, and is a great in the screen game. Whether its a trade (maybe for Martin) or signing him if there is a chance he is a guy I'd love to have. I think one thing we will notice with Lazor is putting players in space to make plays. Sherman was not just terrible at Route Concepts but terrible at making adjustments pre-game, in-game, post-game whatever. I look at our offense and at WR we have weapons that can be similar to what Philly had. Mike Wallace/DeSean Jackson - both are two of the fastest players in the NFL. I'd say DeSean is a better player in space while Wallace has better straight line speed. Either way I view Lazor licking his chops with the possibilities with Wallace. Brian Hartline/Riley Cooper - Cooper is a bigger WR than Hartline with greater length. But, Hartline is a more refined receiver than Cooper. Either way I see them playing similar roles but with Hartline with more of a possession WR. Brandon Gibson/Jason Avant - Both players man the slot. Avant is a declining player the reason why he was released. Gibson was starting to get me excited before his injury. Take away a few drops here and there I think he can be a good weapon in this offense. Charles Clay/Zach Ertz - neither player is known much for their blocking but both superior atheltes. Ertz is a larger target but Clay has so much versatility it is insane. Either way the Eagles got Ertz involved more as the season went on. Unfortuanetly for us we don't have a Shady McCoy in the backfield who mgith be the most dangerous weapon at the RB position. We don't have a in-line TE like Brett Celek, and while Gibson is coming back from injury the Eagles have a better WR like Jeremy Maclin returning. We do have depth though. Rishard Matthews quietly had a good year, and Armon Binns has been tendered and if he returns he brings us a big red zone WR like a Riley Cooper. Either way we shore up the OL, find a do it all RB, and maybe add one more WR/TE who can add a dynamic piece to our offense then we are looking in good shape as long as RT17 can throw them the ball and take the next step.
What I fear about free agency is this. Why the hell would anybody choose to come to Miami for about the dame amount of money as somewhere else? This place is a mess. Locker room issues Lame duck coach In the same division as the Pats Most likely not a playoff team The only real thing we have to offer is $$$$. What else are we going to sell to top prospects who are going to be starters wherever they go?
Zane got beat like a drum this year, factor in he had a QB that got rid of the ball quick, and I think we have better options elsewhere. Roger Saffold and Shelley Smith both graded out well and faced the front seven of Seattle, Arizona and SF 6 times last year and Carolina once. That's impressive IMO.
Unfortunately things like money, weather, state taxes play a bigger factor to most alpha male's than what you mentioned.
