SycoSurfer

I know we have a good bit of draft picks to look for quality backups, but the draft is never a sure thing. So it is a good thing we have alot of cap room and there are plenty of solid FA's to go after. Not to mention a few guys that we might be able to try and get away from teams.

CB-Chris McCalister is the best one out there. He is young very talented and unrestricted! He has won a Super Bowl and is on a Ravens team still trying to recover from what they lost last year. I think he would love to come to a team with a powerhouse O where a mistake is not going to make him look as bad. In Baltimore a mistake might cost them a game here him making a mistake would prolly be an upgrade from Dale Carter making one.

LB-Takeo Spikes everyone knows where we are weak and he wants out of Cincy. Will we be able to pry him away from Marvin Lewis? Hard to say as of now cause Marvin LOVES to have great LBs so he might be hard to get even though he wants out. Frustrating I know but what can we do?

RB-Olandis Gary is a unrestricted FA. I know he would be a backup, but dont you think he would be alot better than what we have now? We havent had a SOLID backup since we got rid of Chad Morton and he was a scat back not really waht we were looking for. Gary is a proven runner and has good hands. He might be looking to start somewhere, but if not he would make a good investment incase we lose Deuce.

LB-Mike Petersen is solid and a possible upgrade we could use, but then again is he worth a big contract? No, but if he comes cheap we could use him.

FB-Jim Finn I dont know if you guys member this guy, but he is about 280 and pounds the ball up the middle. Do we need a short yardage back? It sure wouldnt hurt... not to mention our FBs arent great so he isnt that bad if he can help us out here are there.

LB-Wali Rainer is another solid LB that hasnt gotten alot of attention. Would be an upgrade, but not a superstar... only if he comes cheap.

K-Morten Anderson... I know he is getting up there, but he proved last year he still has a good leg and since he wants to play till he is 45 why not let him finish where he started? I like Carney, but he doesnt have the leg Morten has.

FB-Rob Konrad would be a giant improvement at FB. He is a solid blocker with good hands and will be a great pick up. Not to mention it would prolly piss off Ricky!

FB-Jon Ritchie would be the best FB to pick up. He is a warrior. He does everything he can to make the play and gives it his all on every play. I love this guy. He is not being used like he should in Oakland and is prolly looking to go somewhere that will use him. With Oakland passing more and more Ritchis is prolly looking more and more to get out and play more. Maybe in NO!

QB-Charlie Batch I know he is somewhat forgotten, but a few years ago he was a starter in Detroit putting up decent numbers with NOTHING on his team. We will prolly need a back up with Jake more than likely leaving. Batch isnt as hot as he was last year, but still a quality guy to have.

LB-Rob Fredrickson is a lil bit older than the other guys that could help us in the long run, but he could play a year are 2 and help our younger LBs develop. He is still solid.

S-Kwamie Lassiter- Still one of the top safeties in the league and with both of our guys looking to be gone he would help out a major need we MIGHT have.

LB-Keith Brookings I think we all know that he would be leaps and bounds above Charlie Clemmons and if it werent for the more marketable names he would be a probowler EVERY year. I think he might be the best MLB in FAs most of the others are OLB, but dont expect him to come cheap and trying to get him from Atlanta it will be a fight!

LB-Roosevelt Colvin another great young OLB trying to get out of Urlachers shadow. I think he might be a guy that isnt as good as expected, but still solid enough to upgrade our weak position of LB.

LB-Chris Claiborne he has played inside and outside never lived up to the hype but has been a solid performer. Most likely wont be back in Detroit and might be a guy we can pick up fairly cheap compared to some of the other "Names" out there. Claiborne is the guy I would most like to see up persue after Keith Brookings.

Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila is a DE pass rush specialist... However he is restricted. GB does have good depth and might not be able to offer him a good contract. We might be able to pry him away. If I remember correctly he was undrafted so therefore we might not have to give up much to get him.

FB/TE-Jim Kleinsasser he is a good blocker and a solid receiver out of the backfield or when lined up at TE. Could add quality and depth at either position.

T/G-Mike Rosenthal is a huge man that started at RT this year for the Giants. He has played Guard in the past. We could use another big man with questions about Turley still out there. Fontenot getting old and Wally Williams likely out the door.

G-Doug Brzezinski a solid linemen up in Philly. Could start at RG moving Bentley to Center.

QB-Koy Detmer- a veteran who looked good in relief of McNabb this year. Not a game breaker, but a guy who can get the job done.

DE-Hugh Douglas- ProBowl caliber who would look real nice opposite Darren Howard with Grady Jackson in the middle. Who you want to double and who you want to sack your QB? This would be a great pickup, but show me the money!!!

QB-Rob Johnson a solid QB who has shown some signs of being great, but at the same tyme shows why he left Buffalo.

QB- Shaun King never given much to work with, but maybe the home town guy comes to us to have more weapons and a chance to show TB why he should have been kept!

I know a few of these guys arent serious ppl we might go after, but some of them would help us out greatly. Also with Barrett Robbins not likely going back to Oakland maybe we can try to make a deal for him instead of chancing it witht he draft. We take a chance on a ProBowler. What would you rather? I say give me the probowler. Ppl make mistakes, and recover rookies sumtymes never get the development. So why not take the proven guy? Just a thought.

Let me know what you guys think.

lumm0x

-McAlister will surely get tagged out of reach.
-Spikes is the most likely candidate to move. He is apparently upset that Cincy tagged him at all. They only have the right to match and Brown is known to be cheap, thus, he\'s gone from Cincy.
-There are too many teams interested in upgrading a starting RB to let Gary assume a backup role. Great thought but I\'m sure he can start somewhere.
-Petersen is a playmaker, when healthy. He will seek more money and the Colts will likely step up. He\'s OLB though and wouldn\'t be such an upgrade on Hodge or Allen to risk pushing them back again. I like the idea of the outside speed they would bring.
-Finn, Ritchie and Konrad all would be upgrades on T. Smith in some areas. I think only Ritchie could equate his blocking. Konrad definitely is the more West Coast FB with his recieving ability, but how much $$$? I love Kleinsasser, he would fit the bill perfectly. Tough, can catch, and his motor never stops.
-Rainer& Fredrickson are not starters anymore. They are plugs to fill a hole or good depth at best. There is no way in hell the Falcons let Brookings come to NO!!! The hometown kid sells tickets and Arthur Blank will keep him. Claibourne is a enigma and worth grabbing. He should be a great LB.....he must do it. Colvin is a great pass rusher but that\'s where his game ends. Like you say, moving out of Urlacher\'s shadow might be the worst thing he could do.
-Batch will probably re-sign to back up Madox with Stewart walking. Detmer and Rob Johnson I personally don\'t like, but Shaun King would a great backup if Delhomme gets a new gig. I think getting King would be a wise move.
-Lassiter will get too much money and he\'s not even in the top 3 safeties available in FA. Might as well pay Knight than get him. I\'d rather get Tebucky Jones or Izell Reese for their speed and Donovan Darius is a Knight knock off so why bother again if you could just resign the guy who knows your defense.
-Grant and Howard are coming along great. No need to spend big bucks on pass rush specialist when our two young guys got sacks even when the rest of the D did nothing to help them. Douglas will get better money from KC and KGB was the product of a good Packer D-Line just like ND Kalu was in Philly.
-Rosenthal and Brzezinski would be welcome additions. I don\'t think wither would start if we retain Turley and thus keep Fontenot one more year. I think by keeping Victor Riley and Bubba Miller it is sending a message that our O-Line of the future will look something like this:
LT- Someone other than Turley (next year)
LG- K. Jacox
C-B. Miller
RG- Bentley
RT- V. Riley
- As for Morten I\'d love to have him finish up as a Saint, but only if Carney gets a job elsewhere first. Carney has proven to be clutch and I would like to see him stay. If not I would take the Great Dane back in a heartbeat....he never should have been allowed to leave.

Cheers