Minnesota Vikings: Free agent weekend #1

"Say Goodbye to these, Vikings!"; or, "How I Stopped Worrying About Not Signing Housh and Focused on Players that Matter."



By Nate Sandstrom

Who's in: Sage Rosenfels
Who's out: Darren Sharper, Vinny Ciurciu, Matt Birk, Maurice Hicks
Who's back: Jim Kleinsasser
Up in the air: Jay Cutler

Pretty much all talk about the Vikings this season begins and ends with the quarterback position. That was briefly interrupted when the Vikings chased — but failed to sign — an old, whiny receiver in T.J. Houshmandzadeh. Relax angry Viking fans, Seattle overpaid while Sidney Rice is entering his third year: in which many NFL receivers have had breakout season.

Houshmandzadeh said he was impressed by the way the Seahawks treated his family. I guess Vikings fans won't be privileged enough to have the Housh kids running up and down the Metrodome aisles. Fortunately, they will also miss out on paying $40 mil to a receiver who had three fewer TD catches than Bernard Berrian last year. Plus, Sidney Rice is in his third year, the one where receivers with promise typically break out in the NFL.

So let's get back to who will be throwing him the ball. Denver insists they are not trading Cutler, so I'm going to take them at their word and continue to promise that Josh McDaniels will be a disaster there.

That leaves them with newly acquired Sage Rosenfels, who was just signed to a two-year $9M deal. Rosenfels is slated to compete with Tavaris Jackson, who was 2-4 as a starter last year, including playoffs, and never-played-a-down USC alum John David Booty.

I think Sage will win the job. He can throw the deep ball and will be dangerous with Bernard Berrian. Turnovers have always been a problem for him, but he can't give the ball away more than Frerotte — and he was 8-3 as a starter.

Even if Sage falters, I saw signs of promise in Tavaris late last year. I was almost apoplectic when the Vikings took him in the second round three years ago, but I thought he improved his accuracy and gained more confidence in pulling down the ball and running — until things fell apart in the playoffs.

Matt Birk is also now gone. I can't believe Minnesota couldn't match a thee-year, $12 mil deal. Childress said Birk wanted a change of scenery. First I heard of that, but OK. My favorite response came from a fan who simply said: "Screw you, Major Dad!"

So, who are the replacements for Birk? These guys, I guess. One fan on the Star Trib site had this optimistic take:

Last time this happened?

Remember???......4 time Pro Bowl Center...7 years on the team, long time starter...very popular in the community...left in free agency for … read more big money Tampa Bay..we all thought..how do ya replace Jeff Christy??...whos this Matt Birk kid??....its part of the evolution fo a team....very grateful for Matty B and will keep patronizing his restaurant, however I also saw a guy loosing many one on one run blocks against younger linemen...he probably has 2 years in the tank...he might as well make the extra cash and we might as well groom the next Pro Bowl center.....next!

Possible? Yes. Probable? No. Birk is a big loss.

Still, at least the defense is in tact ... so far. The hearing for the Williamses's steroid controversy is June 15.

Baltimore Ravens Free Agency Week 1

There was no way for the Ravens to win this offseason. With Jason Brown, Bart Scott, Ray Lewis, Terrell Suggs, Jim Leohnard, Matt Stover, and Lorenzo Neal becoming free agents, the team was bound to struggle to improve. Each of those players contributed significantly to the team last year.

Going into the offseason, the general consensus was that the Ravens would be smart to make the following moves
- Let Leohnard walk
- Keep Suggs as priority #1
- Make a fair, but firm offer to Ray
- Make an offer to Scott, but if you can't keep him, no big loss considering the young linebackers on the team
- Try your hardest to keep Brown without breaking the bank

I would have considered Brown priority 2b. Keeping Ray or Scott being 2a and Suggs being #1.

Considering these priorities, I'd give the team a C. Suggs is still here, but only thanks to a second straight season of tag. Scott is gone (and they nearly overpaid to keep him) and we don't have Ray. Meanwhile, Brown ran to the Rams. And judging by his words on the way out, the Ravens never made a serious effort to keep him.

The Ray saga is hardly the Ravens' fault. He's acted like a childish debutaunte who has long dreamed of being courted in free agency. But still, the Ravens have to take some blame for the way it's unfolded. And by all accounts, they raised their offer from $12M in gaurantees to $17M even though he's not received a single offer of note from another team.

So the only move of signficance the team has made so far is to sign Dominique Foxworth to a substantial contract for a middle-of-the-pack player. (A contract by the way that is sure to aggravate Ray and further complicate those negotiations) But fine, if the Ravens want to build depth at corner, so be it. At first glance, this contract seems suspect at best. However, I'll give it time before I declare it foolish.

Now, they have Matt Birk in town and are expected to make an offer to him to replace Brown. This move could end up being very smart. Based on last year's success with free agents like Neal and Anderson, I would have high hopes for Birk. And presumably, the contract will be for less than Brown was demanding.

I like the restraint the Ravens have shown so far in not giving away too much money to keep older players. But was there restraint in signing Foxworth on day 1 when there were no known suitors offering similar contracts?

Hey, at least they're not giving away $41M guaranteed to a 28 year old defensive tackle whose never played a complete season.

Washington Redskins: Free-agent weekend #1

Mo' money, mo' money, mo' money
By Nate Sandstrom



Jim Zorn and Jason Taylor hold a #1 jersey last summer. One is the approximate number of sacks Taylor made in his time as a Redskins.

Who's back: DeAngelo Hall
Who's in: Albert Haynesworth, Derrick Dockery
Who's out: Jason Taylor, Shawn Springs, Marcus Washington

I'm choosing to highlight the Redskins' opening free-agency weekend with this photo of Jason Taylor to keep optimistic Redskins fans well-grounded after the Albert Haynesworth signing. Just a reminder that although their massive cash transactions occasionally work out (i.e. London Fletcher) they more often wind up like busts such as Deion Sanders, Bruce Smith, Jeff George, Brandon Lloyd, T.J. Duckett, Dana Stubblefield and now Jason Taylor.

The 'skins gave up $8.5 million, the #44 pick in the upcoming draft and a sixth-round pick next year in exchange for Taylor's 3.5 sacks on a last-place team.

Wasn't Haynesworth supposed to free-up Taylor for sacks? Oh well. Washington was the #4 yardage and #6 scoring defense in the NFL last year.

So why did the Redskins sign a $100 million contract and a $54 million deal with DeAngelo Hall to improve what was one of the best in the NFL last year? Meanwhile, the team has done little to address their biggest problems:

1) Possibly the worst kicking game in the league (last in net punt average and last in field goal accuracy)
2) An offense that was one of two in the league that failed to post 3o points in a single game and an offensive line that couldn't give Campbell time or provide a push for Portis.

They did bring back Derrick Dockery, who was cast aside by the Bills after he signed for big money there. I'm hoping Dockery will be effective this year as Bills cast-away Jim Leonhard was for the Ravens last year.

I will miss Springs and Washington, but both have been injured so much lately that I understand the decision to let them go.

Locally, the overall reaction to the signings seem to be positive, but forgive me for not feeling more enthusiastic about the opening weekend of free agency. (See forums at the Hogs, and the Post for more).