Shallow Pool All But Dried Up

March 5^th was a day that everyone at all levels of the NFL had circled on their calendars for the past two years. It was a day that everyone knew was imminent, yet no one wanted to actually see because of the ramifications associated with it. As soon as Thursday turned into Friday, there was no longer a collective bargaining agreement and the NFL was in its first uncapped year since 1993. It also happened to be the first “real” day of the offseason and the official start of the free agency and trading period. But since the owners and players don’t take our feelings as fans into the equation and would rather act like spoiled children and whine because they got a Lexus instead of the BMW they asked for, this year’s free agent pool was one of the weakest in years as players with less than six years of work were now restricted. So with one of the most eventful times of the season effectively destroyed by apathy, the free agency period got off to a roaring…thud. As expected the few big names that were available flew off the shelves rather quickly and now we are simply left with retreads, bit players and has-beens with superstar names. But regardless of the fact that this year’s class was diminished due to circumstance, there still was quite a bit of activity over the weekend and each move will obviously affect what each team does moving forward and how they perform on the field this year. The rest of the moves in free agency will be rather minor but I do expect the trade market to heat up as we near the draft. But before I become a full-blown draftnik and immerse myself in mock drafts and scouting reports, let us take a minute to rehash the moves of the weekend past.

"Yes, I know Cutler stinks and we have no shot with him, but I love money more than winning." (AP Photo/Jim Prisching)

Peppers prefers poor passing performances. The biggest name available was snatched up in haste by the pass-rush desperate Bears. This was a move that the Bears absolutely had to make because without a draft pick until the third round this year there was no way they could have found someone to help them immediately and for some odd reason they believe they have the talent and ability to win now, which in my opinion is completely off-base. Or maybe it’s simply they have to win now or else Lovie Smith and Jerry Angelo will be out of a job. This was the only move the Bears could make so you have to give them kudos for having their priorities straight, but I am a little wary of exactly how effective he’ll be in Chicago. Peppers would have been perfect with a team that already had an effective pass rusher so he could take attention away from them while they flourished on the other side and he could use his freakish athletic ability to beat double-teams. But Alex Brown and an aging Adewale Ogunleye coming off of an ACL injury aren’t exactly what I would consider dangerous. That’s why I think Philadelphia and New England would have made more sense. Also consider that as a pure speed pass rusher he is at his best when he can pin his ears back and do nothing but rush the passer, since his run stopping ability is suspect, and that usually happens when you’re winning. But if you actually watched any of their games last year you’ll know that the Bears were rarely winning and in fact were often put at a disadvantage because their quarterback likes to throw the ball to the other team. So when faced with either playing with Tom Brady or Donovan McNabb, two guys who rarely throw picks, he decided to trust his championship hopes with Jay Cutler. I guess it really is all about the Benjamins, baby.

Antrel Rolles into the Big Apple. The moment the Cardinals set him free, Rolle became one of the biggest names on the market. While the Bears and Dolphins were also interested in his services, the Giants made him their top priority after their defense was a disaster in the second half of the season and their safety play was a big reason why. CC Brown and Aaron Rouse were terrible so they jumped at the chance to bring in a big-time playmaker to hopefully team up with burgeoning star Kenny Phillips; that is if Phillips can overcome a disastrous knee injury. Rolle cited playing with the fellow U product as a major reason he came to New York and if Phillips does indeed return at full strength the Giants safeties may go from liability to quite possibly the best tandem in the league.

David Garrard won't have to worry about Kampman any more. (Sam Greenwood/Getty Images North America)

Kampman likes anonymity. Coming off an ACL injury many teams were wary of Kampman, but not the Jaguars who have been seeking a legit pass rusher for what seems like the past decade. They have tried everything in recent years, trading up to the eight spot in the 2008 draft to select Derrick Harvey and then followed up with Quentin Groves In the second round, yet both have been underwhelming so the Jaguars felt they had to do something drastic and paying Kampman big bucks was that move. Kampman is a high-motor guy who gives everything he’s got and will be the perfect example for Groves and Harvey. Since he has never been a straight speed guy and relies more on strength, leverage and technique, he shouldn’t struggle as much as some think he might in returning from his injury. The only problem here might be no matter how well he performs will anybody care or even notice since he decided to go from small market Green Bay to small market Jacksonville. The one big difference between the two though is that while people care about football in Wisconsin, Jaguars fans aren’t too concerned about even showing up at the stadium. Maybe Kampman can change all that.

Curious choice for Chester. The Bears must have thought that since they already had their wallets opened they should just dump money at whoever was willing to put up with the inconsistent Cutler. That’s the only way that Chester Taylor agreeing to play alongside Matt Forte makes any sense to me. I don’t understand why either side thought this was a good idea. Taylor is the same kind of player that Forte is, except older and way more expensive. So if they were looking for a change of pace guy that would complement Forte perfectly they certainly missed in all regards. Also, what many believed was that Taylor would want to relocate to a place where he had a chance to start in the twilight of his career, so choosing the Bears makes even less sense there. Forte was a stud in his rookie year and then struggled last year running behind quite possibly the worst offensive line in football but still has loads of potential and the Bears are still enamored with him. So unless Taylor just wanted to stick it to the Vikings I can find no other reason why this makes sense because moving to Chicago doesn’t give him a better chance to start and in fact lessens his chances of winning a Super Bowl; a very curious decision for a running back on the downside of his career.

Cromartie's sick athleticism is worth the risk.

New York may soon be no-fly zone. When the Jets traded for the fertile Antonio Cromartie the rest of the AFC East must have let out a collective gasp. Cromartie has been off his game the past few years and is definitely not the most phyical guy and a pretty poor tackler. But what he does do is bring an extremely aggressive style that fits in perfectly with what the Jets do. He won’t be asked to do too much in run support and with Darrelle Revis on the other side he’ll see a ton of action and should be able to near his 2007 league-leading interception numbers. The risk of course is that he is a wreck off the field and ensuring that he plays every Sunday and isn’t involved in a custody battle or suspended by the league for being stupid. But the risk is worth the potential reward here because if Cromartie can play at a level even remotely close to his 2007 self, the Jets just improved their already tough defense tremendously. Their AFC East counterparts might want to consider turning to a power run game.

Brackett back in Indy. The Colts have historically let their linebackers walk when their contracts expire and just find another small, quick, athletic linebacker to plug right in. But Brackett was a little different than those other guys. He was the heart and soul of their defense and he was one of their better defenders against the run, which has been an area that they have struggled with this entire decade. Brackett may also have struggled in a new situation where he may have been asked to do too much, especially with the contract he may have garnered so this was the perfect move for both teams and a marriage that should last a long time. or at least until another small, quick, athletic linebacker comes along.

Megatron’s new sidekick. Ever since they drafted Calvin Johnson second overall in the 2007 draft, the Lions have been searching for a legitimate #2 receiver to put opposite him. Well, they’ve finally found that guy in Nate Burleson. I absolutely love this move because now the Lions have the firepower they’ll need to overcome the deficits their defense is bound to put them in. Burleson is still relatively young at 29 and is a precise route runner with great hands and he should thrive opposite one of the most imposing receivers in the league in Johnson. He should have no problem exploiting the single coverage he’ll face due to Johnson’s superior skill set and they should form a formidable duo for the next five years or so and with budding superstar Matthew Stafford chucking them the rock expect Ford Field to be the home of one of the more exciting offenses in the league. Now all they need is a left tackle and the Lions could get respectable in a hurry.

New Dolphin Dansby was a coveted player for his play-making ability.

Dolphins Drop Dollars on Dansby. Dansby was one of the most coveted players available and the Dolphins treated him as such, making him the highest-paid inside linebacker in the league. He is a sure tackler and has a knack for making plays; basically the ideal Bill Parcells player. With the departure of Joey Porter and uncertainty facing nose tackle Jason Ferguson, Dansby should come in and immediately assume the leadership role. The Dolphins still need to address the safety position and may need a pass rushing linebacker, but signing Dansby allows them a bit more freedom in the draft. This was a coup for the Dolphins and Dansby should pay immediate dividends.

Robinson returns home. The Falcons secondary was an absolute disaster last year so while they prefer to build through the draft they feel like they have most of the pieces in place to compete for a championship and needed an immediate fix to their secondary woes. Enter Georgia native Dunta Robinson. Though not a top-notch corner, he is head and shoulders above what they have on their roster and was the best option available in a weak market. He is still young and has a ton of upside and will provide an immediate upgrade to a dismal unit that should also receive a boost with the return of William Moore, who was lost to injury in the preseason, as well. Their pass rush is still lackluster so Robinson may not be afforded the same luxuries he had in Houston when he had the advantage of playing behind Mario Williams, but his arrival should allow the Falcons to concentrate solely on finding one of those types of players in the draft. Any way you look at it this was a move the Falcons had to make and improves their chances of competing with the pass-happy Saints for the NFC South crown.

Let the Schwartz be with you. The Lions had one of the worst defensive lines in the league last year, if not the worst. But in a 24-hour period they have drastically improved the unit and all the credit has to go to Jim Schwartz. The former Titans defensive coordinator decided to enlist the services of his former charge Kyle Vanden Bosch, securing his services with a witching hour recruiting trip to Nashville to lure KVB to no-man’s land. But not only did he lure KVB, he also traded for Corey Williams and the pair of them improve their defensive line a hundred-fold. Corey Williams will be better of playing tackle in the Lions 4-3 than he was as an end in Cleveland’s 3-4 and though KVB may be past his prime, he will immediately be their best pass rusher and should be a valuable mentor for their young defense. When your team is young and not used to winning, you can’t go wrong bringing in a winner with a workmanlike work ethic and positive attitude. For the first time since drafting Barry Sanders, the Lions front office has actually done something right with KVB, Williams and Burleson.

Boldin is a perfect fit for the rugged Ravens. (AP Photo/Steve Ruark)

Getting Bold-in B-More. After years of rumors, the Cardinals finally decided to part ways with disgruntled wide receiver Anquan Boldin. With the emergence of Steve Breaston and Early Doucet there was no better time than now for them to deal him and as he was entering the final year of his contract they had to get something in return for him since they had no chance of resigning him even if they wanted to. The Ravens were the perfect landing spot for him too because they have a legitimate chance to win now and joe Flacco is extremely talented, he just needed some talent to throw to. While Donte Stallworth should be able to stretch the field (or so they hope since that has been said about him for the past few years yet has still to find a place that he could stick since he’s stunk so bad, and oh, yeah, he killed someone), Boldin will be a much better version of Derrick Mason, providing Flacco with a reliable possession receiver with the big-play ability that they didn’t have with Mason. You have to like this move for all parties involved, especially the Ravens who were able to secure him to a long-term deal as well that didn’t cause them to break the bank. Boldin will be a perfect fit in the locker room as well because Ray Lewis and the Ravens brass prefer tough guys who are willing to play through injuries and lead by example and Boldin is as tough and hard-working as they come.

Jones-ing in KC. Since it has taken me so long to post this due to work and utter laziness, I was able to include the recent signing of Thomas Jones in Kansas city. Jones provides the Chiefs with a bigger back to pair with the speedy Jamaal Charles, giving the Chiefs a potent backfield combination. Charles had a breakout year last season but the Chiefs still worry he isn’t big enough to carry the load over a full season. While Jones is getting a little long in the tooth and struggled in the playoffs last year, he is in phenomenal shape and with Charles in the fold he won’t be asked to carry the ball 20+ times a game like he did in New York. While Charles should wear teams down with his speed, Jones can come in and punch them in the mouth or Jones can start the game, wear them down and let Charles come in and blow them away. Either way you look at it, this was a smart move for the Chiefs and one that should make them more competitive while they try to fill in the pieces and build for the future.

I know you are all sick of reading me right about now since that was a ridiculously long post but for those of you who want to read an interesting story about a D-II prospect at the combine, head over here and check out the story of Tony Washington. Jenna Laine does an excellent job and you’ll be glad you did.