Another Free agent review

Mr. Laz · 03-04-2005, 06:23 PM

Panthers, Cowboys, Raiders early winners in free-agent market
March 3, 2005
By Clark Judge
SportsLine.com Senior Writer

Two days into free agency, and we have a winner. Correction: We have three. Will the Carolina Panthers, Dallas Cowboys and Oakland Raiders please stand up?

The three made bold moves that improve them for the coming season and could -- and, in Carolina's case, should -- return them to the playoffs. The Raiders gained the best free-agent running back out there, LaMont Jordan, one week after landing Randy Moss. Dallas helped its secondary, defensive line and offensive line a week after signing quarterback Drew Bledsoe. And Carolina just acquired the best free-agent offensive lineman, Mike Wahle, as well as coveted cornerback Ken Lucas.

OK, so Oakland still must address a defense that surrendered 442 points and ranked 30th or worse in eight categories, while Dallas has to prove it can make it to the playoffs with a quarterback who hasn't been there as a starter since 1997. But the point is: Their latest steps just moved them closer to the playoffs, where they might, just might, join Carolina next season.

Let's see why:

Oakland Raiders

It was only a week ago that critics said the acquisition of Moss and the signing of a franchise tender by Charles Woodson would detonate the Raiders' salary cap. A crash-and-burn of the roster would be necessary, they said, to accommodate the team's latest developments.

Well, it never happened. The Raiders cut a handful of second-tier players to reach the cap limit, then moved to sign Jordan, whom they tried to acquire by trade last season. His addition solves one of two problem areas -- namely, running back -- and makes the Raiders a balanced offense. I know, I know, the Raiders could have had one of the top three backs in this draft if they sat there with the seventh pick.

But they gained Moss and Jordan instead, and give them points for being aggressive. Sure, Jordan ran for only 479 yards as Curtis Martin's caddy, but Martin, it just so happened, led the league in rushing. And while Jordan's total wasn't great, it was 54 more yards than Oakland's leading rusher, Amos Zereoue.

So when does the roster purge begin? It doesn't. The Raiders will release guard Ron Stone and linebacker DeLawrence Grant, but plan to re-sign them when they complete a renegotiation of Moss' contract. That could happen as early as this weekend.

Oh, and about that other trouble spot ... that would be a pass rusher, and the Raiders will take one, maybe, two in this year's draft. Yeah, I know, they have to do more than that to solve a defense with more holes than the Nimitz Freeway, but they still have Woodson dangling out there as trade bait.

I never thought I'd say this, but I think you have to trust them here. Uh-huh, trust and the Raiders in the same sentence. Who would've imagined? They deserve it after what has happened the last week.

Dallas Cowboys

You watch Bledsoe flounder against Pittsburgh in the season finale, a game with the playoffs at stake for Buffalo and nothing at stake for the Steelers, and you wonder if he ever again will take a club to the next level.

Well, here's his chance. He has a stable of wideouts, a terrific tight end, a promising young back and an improved offensive line now that the Cowboys landed Marco Rivera. Yes, the cost was steep, but it will be worth it if Rivera keeps Bledsoe off the mat. A Pro Bowl guard the past three seasons Rivera plugs a hole in the right side of Cowboys' offensive line -- and that should help Bledsoe in gaining a comfort zone. But this is what Coach Bill Parcells likes most about Rivera: He's a big, tough guy who gives the Cowboys leadership where they didn't have it.

"He'll make the people around him better," said an NFC scout. "This is all about accountability."

Parcells promised to get bigger on defense, and he just did with the additions of 6-foot-3, 305-pound tackle Jason Ferguson and cornerback Anthony Henry. The Cowboys secondary was disappointing last season, and Henry -- a 6-1 corner who had 10 interceptions his rookie year -- is a serious upgrade from Lance Frazier. He's physical. He's a sure tackler. And he's always around the ball.

Ferguson will fit nicely with La'Roi Glover, whose seven sacks were second most on the club. The Cowboys defensive line was little more than adequate, with opponents jamming them for 4.3 yards a carry, and Ferguson is the big body the Cowboys missed next to Glover. I'm not wild about overpaying 30-year-old free agents, either, but he fills a need. He's solid against the run. He makes occasional sacks. And he had 18 pressures and two forced fumbles last year.

Look at things this way: Dallas did all this, and still has two first-round draft picks. Yeah, I think they improved.

Carolina Panthers

So the Panthers lost their top receiver. Big deal. I wouldn't have paid what Muhsin Muhammad was asking for, either. You don't blow up a salary cap for a 32-year-old wide receiver. So Carolina let him walk, which is just fine considering Steve Smith should return this year.

But it's not Smith or Muhammad I'm concerned with here. It's guard Mike Wahle and cornerback Ken Lucas, who joined the team Thursday.

Wahle is a rock-solid offensive lineman who can play guard or tackle, but offensive coordinator Dan Henning indicated the Panthers will keep him at left guard. That doesn't mean you'll never see him at tackle. You could. With seven offensive linemen activated for games, the Panthers have flexibility here they didn't in the past. Wahle should stabilize an offensive line that changed partners too often last season when only two of its members started every game. Wahle hasn't missed a start in four seasons, and if I'm Jake Delhomme I like that.

Then there's Lucas, and file him under big cornerbacks. The 6-foot Lucas was one of the top three free agents at his position and fits in perfectly with coach John Fox's aggressive, physical defense. He's tough. He can play up or back. He has great anticipation. He doesn't miss tackles. And he led Seattle in interceptions and passes defensed last year.

"You look at how good these guys should be when they get (Kris) Jenkins back," said an AFC general manager, "and I believe that if anyone -- and I mean anyone -- makes plays behind that front seven, it's going to be hard to score on them."

With Ricky Manning, Chris Gamble and Lucas, the Panthers have three cornerbacks who can make plays, and lots of them. Atlanta, beware.

03-04-2005, 06:23 PM	Topic Starter
Mr. Laz Don't Tease Me Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: KS Casino cash: $11047037	Another Free agent review Panthers, Cowboys, Raiders early winners in free-agent market March 3, 2005 By Clark Judge SportsLine.com Senior Writer Two days into free agency, and we have a winner. Correction: We have three. Will the Carolina Panthers, Dallas Cowboys and Oakland Raiders please stand up? The three made bold moves that improve them for the coming season and could -- and, in Carolina's case, should -- return them to the playoffs. The Raiders gained the best free-agent running back out there, LaMont Jordan, one week after landing Randy Moss. Dallas helped its secondary, defensive line and offensive line a week after signing quarterback Drew Bledsoe. And Carolina just acquired the best free-agent offensive lineman, Mike Wahle, as well as coveted cornerback Ken Lucas. OK, so Oakland still must address a defense that surrendered 442 points and ranked 30th or worse in eight categories, while Dallas has to prove it can make it to the playoffs with a quarterback who hasn't been there as a starter since 1997. But the point is: Their latest steps just moved them closer to the playoffs, where they might, just might, join Carolina next season. Let's see why: Oakland Raiders It was only a week ago that critics said the acquisition of Moss and the signing of a franchise tender by Charles Woodson would detonate the Raiders' salary cap. A crash-and-burn of the roster would be necessary, they said, to accommodate the team's latest developments. Well, it never happened. The Raiders cut a handful of second-tier players to reach the cap limit, then moved to sign Jordan, whom they tried to acquire by trade last season. His addition solves one of two problem areas -- namely, running back -- and makes the Raiders a balanced offense. I know, I know, the Raiders could have had one of the top three backs in this draft if they sat there with the seventh pick. But they gained Moss and Jordan instead, and give them points for being aggressive. Sure, Jordan ran for only 479 yards as Curtis Martin's caddy, but Martin, it just so happened, led the league in rushing. And while Jordan's total wasn't great, it was 54 more yards than Oakland's leading rusher, Amos Zereoue. So when does the roster purge begin? It doesn't. The Raiders will release guard Ron Stone and linebacker DeLawrence Grant, but plan to re-sign them when they complete a renegotiation of Moss' contract. That could happen as early as this weekend. Oh, and about that other trouble spot ... that would be a pass rusher, and the Raiders will take one, maybe, two in this year's draft. Yeah, I know, they have to do more than that to solve a defense with more holes than the Nimitz Freeway, but they still have Woodson dangling out there as trade bait. I never thought I'd say this, but I think you have to trust them here. Uh-huh, trust and the Raiders in the same sentence. Who would've imagined? They deserve it after what has happened the last week. Dallas Cowboys You watch Bledsoe flounder against Pittsburgh in the season finale, a game with the playoffs at stake for Buffalo and nothing at stake for the Steelers, and you wonder if he ever again will take a club to the next level. Well, here's his chance. He has a stable of wideouts, a terrific tight end, a promising young back and an improved offensive line now that the Cowboys landed Marco Rivera. Yes, the cost was steep, but it will be worth it if Rivera keeps Bledsoe off the mat. A Pro Bowl guard the past three seasons Rivera plugs a hole in the right side of Cowboys' offensive line -- and that should help Bledsoe in gaining a comfort zone. But this is what Coach Bill Parcells likes most about Rivera: He's a big, tough guy who gives the Cowboys leadership where they didn't have it. "He'll make the people around him better," said an NFC scout. "This is all about accountability." Parcells promised to get bigger on defense, and he just did with the additions of 6-foot-3, 305-pound tackle Jason Ferguson and cornerback Anthony Henry. The Cowboys secondary was disappointing last season, and Henry -- a 6-1 corner who had 10 interceptions his rookie year -- is a serious upgrade from Lance Frazier. He's physical. He's a sure tackler. And he's always around the ball. Ferguson will fit nicely with La'Roi Glover, whose seven sacks were second most on the club. The Cowboys defensive line was little more than adequate, with opponents jamming them for 4.3 yards a carry, and Ferguson is the big body the Cowboys missed next to Glover. I'm not wild about overpaying 30-year-old free agents, either, but he fills a need. He's solid against the run. He makes occasional sacks. And he had 18 pressures and two forced fumbles last year. Look at things this way: Dallas did all this, and still has two first-round draft picks. Yeah, I think they improved. Carolina Panthers So the Panthers lost their top receiver. Big deal. I wouldn't have paid what Muhsin Muhammad was asking for, either. You don't blow up a salary cap for a 32-year-old wide receiver. So Carolina let him walk, which is just fine considering Steve Smith should return this year. But it's not Smith or Muhammad I'm concerned with here. It's guard Mike Wahle and cornerback Ken Lucas, who joined the team Thursday. Wahle is a rock-solid offensive lineman who can play guard or tackle, but offensive coordinator Dan Henning indicated the Panthers will keep him at left guard. That doesn't mean you'll never see him at tackle. You could. With seven offensive linemen activated for games, the Panthers have flexibility here they didn't in the past. Wahle should stabilize an offensive line that changed partners too often last season when only two of its members started every game. Wahle hasn't missed a start in four seasons, and if I'm Jake Delhomme I like that. Then there's Lucas, and file him under big cornerbacks. The 6-foot Lucas was one of the top three free agents at his position and fits in perfectly with coach John Fox's aggressive, physical defense. He's tough. He can play up or back. He has great anticipation. He doesn't miss tackles. And he led Seattle in interceptions and passes defensed last year. "You look at how good these guys should be when they get (Kris) Jenkins back," said an AFC general manager, "and I believe that if anyone -- and I mean anyone -- makes plays behind that front seven, it's going to be hard to score on them." With Ricky Manning, Chris Gamble and Lucas, the Panthers have three cornerbacks who can make plays, and lots of them. Atlanta, beware.
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