Notable 2012 NFL Free Agents

[Woody]

Patriots are bringing in Anthony Gonzalez for a visit. If he was signed that would be huge. He's a legit deep threat who has been afflicted by injuries...if he can stay healthy he could start, Welker and Gonzalez would be an impressive WR tandem.

 

[dwid]

So far, it's business as usual in regards to mystifying moves by both players and teams.

Hillis signing such a low ball offer means that he certainly never turned his nose up at offers from the Browns. How much less could they have offered him? Or, maybe he just really does make constantly stupid decisions. There's a chance he does well in KC, but Charles is perhaps the most talented back in the league when healthy. Let's hope they give him decent touches.

Would people stop saying Charles is the most talented back in the league? It keeps getting repeated over and over and its like people don't even realize what they are saying anymore. To be the most talented back in the league he would have to have the complete package. Able to get tough yards up the middle, pass block, excellent receiver and be a homerun threat/able to take it the outside and outrun defenders while taking the pounding of 18 to 20 carries a game over a 16 game season. Charles is a homerun threat and can catch and mostly limited to running to the outside and avoiding contact, thats it. He is probably the best homerun threat in the league but not the most talented back in the league. He is good for 12 to 14 carries a game WHEN HEALTHY. A complete back should be able to rush for 250 to 300 times a season. The Chiefs have never had the faith in Charles to do that. The average team runs the ball a little around 400 times a season, with the Chiefs on the higher side with 450 last year and 500+ the year before. Lets say they run it 450 times at the very least, that still leaves the opportunity for Hillis to get 14 to 15 carries a game. My guess is they will be closer to 2010 with 475 plus runs with each of them getting about 14 carries a game, meaning both get around 220 rushes, that would leave about 35 to 40 attempts for the other guys. Charles probably will get less to start off and probably be lucky to break the 200 mark with more carries up for grabs, most likely for Hillis. If he were going to somewhere like Jacksonville with Maurice Jones-Drew then I could see where you are coming from, but this isn't the case.


Hillis is not stupid. Here is what one article says "Injuries in Denver allowed Hillis to play some at runningback his rookie season. A similar situation occured his first year with the Browns in 2010 and he took advantage, rushing for 1117 yards and 11 tds and catching 61 passes. That was enough to convince Daboli, then Browns' offensive coordinator who now holds the same position for the Chiefs, that Hillis could be a featured back.

"a couple of injuries happend to the running backs that year and they thought I was capable of doing it," Hillis said. "The opportunity presented itself to do well at that and I felt I needed to take advantage of my opportunities and I felt like I did. At that point, I think he thought of me as more than just a fullback. Coach Daboli and I have a really great relationship. I know the playbook. It seems like a perfect fit," he said. "it was just that he believed in me and believed in what I can do. What he does works. He's proved that wherever he's been."

The Browns did not want him anymore, it is even more obvious when Holmgren came out and said Hillis leaving was for the best "for both sides." They were going to go with someone else regardless. Would you rather Charles take a few carries from him or them getting a highly touted back like Richardson or someone in FA and having Hillis sit on the bench? Hillis was going to have to this sort of deal no matter where he went. No one was going to offer him a long term contract after all of the negative propaganda that was spread about him. Daboli knows better and probably the reason the Chiefs were interested. However, Daboli is an offensive coordinator and doesn't control the contracts. The people that deal with those would have offered him the same no matter which team, a one year contract to prove he is worthy. Whites constantly have to prove themselves, there is no slipping up, missing a kid's event because your agent failed to tell you is the equivalent of beating a woman. Holding out for a game because of health issues while doing contract negotiations is equivalent to killing dogs. White players are held to different standards. He had other teams interested, but he probably felt this was the best chance of proving himself and working towards a long term contract. Not to mention the fact that the other teams might have been offering him much less and his role would be much more uncertain. He mentioned he already knows the playbook, he was installed in Daboli's offense as a halfback, in preseason there were a couple of plays at fullback but they were all route running plays. Daboli knows he is not an NFL caliber run blocker like a real fullback.

 

[jaxvid]

That's a good move for him. Best of luck to TommyZ!

 

[Truthteller]

Here's some very good and unexpected news. A very popular white safety is heading back to the area where he grew up and the state he attended college. At this moment, his new team has an ex-Pro Bowl free safety, but only 3 strong safeties and all are ex-undrafted guys that can't play (even the DWF's acknowledge this)...Hopefully he'll finally be given a fair chance to start full time going forward. Matter of fact, if I didn't believe that the caste sytem existed, I would have a hard time figuring out why he's never been given more of a chance to be an entrenched starter in the NFL:

http://www.indystar.com/article/201...e-agent-safety-Tom-Zbikowski?odyssey=nav|head


P.S: I've been updating the first post in this thread as soon as one of our guys signs. A scorecard of sorts?

 

[backrow]

Steltz is staying put...

roto:
Bears re-signed S Craig Steltz to a two-year contract.

The five-year veteran graded out above average across the board last season, according to Pro Football Focus. Although Major Wright and Chris Conte will remain the starters, Steltz is a valuable insurance policy and special teamer.

 

[dwid]

Steltz is staying put...

roto:
Bears re-signed S Craig Steltz to a two-year contract.

The five-year veteran graded out above average across the board last season, according to Pro Football Focus. Although Major Wright and Chris Conte will remain the starters, Steltz is a valuable insurance policy and special teamer.

I love how rotoworld spins even the best information about a player. "Above average across the board" which really meant, he graded out as the best defensive back on the team in terms of coverage and run support, and they went through quite a few because of injuries. Not only did he grade out as their best safety, he was graded as the 12th best safety out of 86 who qualified in the league, I believe he wound up playing both spots throughout the season.

"He played the majority of snaps in the last five weeks of the season, and didn’t allow a pass for more than 7 yards while logging 13 stops over that time. He might be the biggest wild card of the group."


so 12th best out of 86 is little bit higher than above average. It was expected for Chris Conte to make some rookie mistakes but he should be a great free safety for years to come. Steltz should be starting at SS, otherwise he could have started somewhere else at either FS or SS. However, Wright going into the season as a starter doesn't mean much, if you google his name you will see a variety of injuries that have sidelined him in his brief career. Maybe another Bob Sanders type. Conte had a foot sprain that put him on IR but nothing other than that, at least that I am aware of. He was put on the NFL all rookie team by pro football weekly and Pro Football Writers of America.

 

[Truthteller]

I love how rotoworld spins even the best information about a player. "Above average across the board" which really meant, he graded out as the best defensive back on the team in terms of coverage and run support, and they went through quite a few because of injuries. Not only did he grade out as their best safety, he was graded as the 12th best safety out of 86 who qualified in the league, I believe he wound up playing both spots throughout the season.

Weenie world definitely has an agenda. As I posted earlier in this thread, even African-American writers that follow the Bears have given Steltz props for playing great down the stretch in 2011. One (on ESPN) went as far as noting the Bears are real lucky no other team signed him for obvious starters money.

Weenie world (run & often edited by Gregg Rosenthal) also took some shots at Tommy Z. today, hi-lighting only the negatives and not the positives from his recent years in Baltimore. So they (Rosenthal?) won't give Craig Steltz (a blonde, blue-eyed German) the respect even black writers in Chicago will...And they punk the Polish Tommy Z. every chance he gets. They even went after Matt Giordano last year, claiming he was nothing more than "special teamer" and depth-guy, when he played great in 2011 -- had 5 or 6 Ints.

Checkout how they (Rosenthal?) praised the Japanese safety that was a career backup in Baltimore:

Haruki Nakamura - DB - Panthers

Panthers agreed to terms with S Haruki Nakamura on a three-year contract, according to Scout.com's Aaron Wilson.
Nakamura has been a premier special teamer since entering the league...He played just 39 defensive snaps last year, according to Pro Football Focus, but Nakamura has the skills to merit a bigger role. Coming off a disappointing season, FS Sherrod Martin could be on the hot seat.

So a guy that had less than 40 snaps last season at safety "merit's a bigger role", but Steltz who thrived as a starter for 6 or 7 weeks doesn't? He's only good for special teams and depth at safety hwell:

Caption: Gregg Rosenthal, Rotoworld (weenie world), which is owned by NBC.

 

[backrow]

rotoworld is spin master central. always a negative one on a white player and pretty positive on black ones.

 

[Don Wassall]

Weenie world (run & often edited by Gregg Rosenthal) also took some shots at Tommy Z. today, hi-lighting only the negatives and not the positives from his recent years in Baltimore.

Caption: Gregg Rosenthal, Rotoworld (weenie world), which is owned by NBC.

I just went to Weenieworld and as it turns out this is King Weenie Rosenthal's last day with them:

http://www.rotoworld.com/articles/nfl/40119/310/finish-line-is-near

Of course, since Weenieworld is owned by NBC he will be replaced by another reliable Cultural Marxist. Though they do seem to have one blurb writer who isn't anti-White; now and then a White player is unexpectedly praised, or at least not written about negatively.

 

[northwinds]

@dwid: Where are you getting the info that Steltz graded out as the 12th best safety in the league....I can't follow the links

 

[white defensive back]

Patriots are bringing in Anthony Gonzalez for a visit. If he was signed that would be huge. He's a legit deep threat who has been afflicted by injuries...if he can stay healthy he could start, Welker and Gonzalez would be an impressive WR tandem.

I hate to be a party pooper but Gonzalez has no chance in New England or anywhere. He is the Greg Oden of the NFL. People on this site say whites don't get as many chances to prove themselves in the NFL than less qualified black players but Gonzalez is the antithesis of this. This guy could get a concussion opening a birthday card. I wish him luck but I am not holding my breath. Maybe if Edelman moves to corner permanently and Gonzalez stays healthy he could be the 3 or 4 guy but I am not holding my breath.

 

[dwid]

@dwid: Where are you getting the info that Steltz graded out as the 12th best safety in the league....I can't follow the links

Pro Football Focus

http://www.profootballfocus.com/blog/2012/01/25/2011-tackling-the-safeties/

[h=2]2011 Tackling: Safeties in Coverage, Top 20[/h]
7. Craig Steltz 228 snaps in coverage 12 tackles in coverage , 0 misses.

2011 Tackling: Safeties, Top 20

7. Craig Steltz 388 snaps 33 total attempts 2 misses

I can't find the first hand information where he ranked 12th overall in all faces of the game (the main one being missing is coverage, the other two categories deal with just tackling), but the fact that he didn't allow a pass for more than 7 yards probably would put him in the top.

I got the information from http://www.windycitygridiron.com/2012/2/28/2822116/2012-chicago-bears-roster-turnover-safety and it has been quoted other places as well. Can't find the individual rankings, the site does have a section called premium stats, maybe its under there, I will have to look harder. Also from the first link it says this: There are only five teams that have two safeties currently under contract with positive overall ratings in 2011.

here is what windycitygridiron says:Craig Steltz - Free Agent - All Steltz does when given an opportunity to get on the field is play solid fundamentally sound football. The knock on him is his speed, but he looks fast enough when he plays. PFF had him graded as the Bears best safety with a +4.8, good for 12th overall. I'm not sure how much of a market there'll be for Steltz, but if given a better opportunity to start elsewhere, I think he'll leave.

 

[Don Wassall]

The Chiefs have signed Eric Winston and Brady Quinn. Winston should help a lot in the running game; Quinn may get an opportunity to start if Matt Cassell falters.

 

[backrow]

Pats did sign Gonzalez!

Patriots signed WR Anthony Gonzalez, formerly of the Colts.

Once one of the most promising young receivers in football, Gonzalez has seen his career all but ended by injuries. Primarily sidelined by knee issues, the 2007 first-round pick has appeared in just 10 games since 2008. If he can get and stay healthy, it's possible he'd be a shrewd low-cost flier on the Patriots' part, but he'll be far from guaranteed of earning a roster spot.

they've also signed DE/OLB Trevor Scott (Raiders)

 

[Don Wassall]

The Patriots also signed WR Brandon Lloyd, who led the NFL in receiving in 2010 but who has been mediocre most of his career and is also a head case.

 

[Highlander]

The Colts sign former Raven's Safety, Zbikowski.

SF signs WR Mario Manningham. No surprise there anymore. Too bad.

 

[referendum]

I like the Chiefs signing Winston, as he will be replacing a black tackle there, and helping Hillis in the run game.

 

[Leonardfan]

It looks like Denver is going to do its best to run Tebow out this offseason either by getting Peyton Manning or picking up one of the QBs that will be bumped from a roster of the team he signs with. It's a pretty big slap to the face of Tebow who was integral to having the Broncos reach the playoffs.

The whole reason they had any resemblance of a running game was due to the fact defenses had to account for Tebow at all times. McGahee's resurgence was due more to this than anything he was doing himself. I am hoping Tebow gets traded during the draft. I know Chan Gailey is a pretty big caste whore but I think he wanted Tebow in Buffalo and he would at least develop Tebow and cater the offense to Tebow's strengths in throwing the ball.

 

[Don Wassall]

Alex Smith is finally starting to get some interest, from the Dolphins and Seahawks. It's digusting that no teams even interviewed him until now, given how well he played all last season and how clutch he was in leading the 49ers to the NFC conference title game.

 

[sport historian]

The last few days they've been saying Peyton Mannning is interested in going to the 49ers. Manning has supposedly narrowed his choice down to Denver, Tennessee, or San Francisco.

 

[Riddlewire]

Flynn to the Seahawks.
3 years, $26 million.

 

[Don Wassall]

Flynn to the Seahawks.
3 years, $26 million.

Nice, he replaces a black quarterback. At this point, I'd like to see Alex Smith sign with Miami and Peyton with SF. If Manning signs with Tennessee then Jake Locker's going to be on the bench for years to come; if he signs with Denver then Tebow is screwed.

 

[Riddlewire]

Surely a three year deal means Carroll will bench Duh'varis now, right?

As for Manning, he's 6'5" and 36 years old. Age and physical abuse are harder on the very tall. I don't think he'll be effective after two more seasons. And his first season in Denver will be a real struggle if he takes too much contact. With Denver 5,000ft higher than Indianapolis, the lower oxygen concentration will mean greater recovery time for his injuries. He would acclimate, but he could be in for a lot of discomfort early on.

 

[sport historian]

Peyton may sign with the 49ers because they are closer to the Super Bowl than the Broncos and Titans. After all, they would have made it last year without a couple of fumbles.

I'm sure he wants to get into another Super Bowl and win it more than anything else.

 

[Thrashen]

Nice, he replaces a black quarterback. At this point, I'd like to see Alex Smith sign with Miami and Peyton with SF. If Manning signs with Tennessee then Jake Locker's going to be on the bench for years to come; if he signs with Denver then Tebow is screwed.

Agreed. With Flynn now the heavy favorite to start in Seattle, I’ve compiled a list of the (likely) starting NFL quarterbacks, highlighting those who are non-white…

Bills – Ryan Fitzpatrick
Dolphins –Matt Moore
Patriots – Tom Brady
Jets - Mark Sanchez
Ravens – Joe Flacco
Bengals – Andy Dalton
Browns – Colt McCoy
Steelers – Ben Roethlisberger
Texans – Matt Schaub
Colts – Andrew Luck
Jaguars – Blaine Gabbert (Pending Tim Tebow trade)
Titans – Jake Locker, Matt Hasselbeck, or Peyton Manning
Broncos – Tim Tebow (Pending Peyton Manning signing)
Chiefs – Matt Cassel
Raiders - Carson Palmer
Chargers – Phillip Rivers
Cowboys – Tony Romo
Giants – Eli Manning
Eagles - Michael Vick
Redskins – Robert Griffin III
Bears – Jay Cutler
Lions – Matthew Stafford
Packers – Aaron Rodgers
Vikings – Christian Ponder
Falcons – Matt Ryan
Panthers – Cam Newton
Saints – Drew Brees
Buccaneers – Josh Freeman
Cardinals – Kevin Kolb
Rams – Sam Bradford
49ers – Alex Smith, Colin Kaepernick (Pending Peyton Manning singing)
Seahawks – Matt Flynn

Several of these five non-white quarterback situations are subject to change. For instance, should Josh Freeman continue his poor play, he could be replaced by any three of the white QB’s on the roster (Dan Orlovsky, Rudy Carpenter, and Brett Ratliff). Michael Vick is endlessly—injured, 31 years old, and could easily be replaced by white backups Mike Kafka and/or Trent Edwards. Mark Sanchez signed a contract extension, but his poor play could also warrant a benching in favor of white backups Greg McIlroy or Drew Stanton. Cam Newton could regress in 2012, but his undeniably-great rookie season will not soon be forgotten. Given how many draft picks were sacrificed for “RGIII,â€￾ it would be quite prudent for Daniel “Super Jewâ€￾ Snyder to allow him to be the uncontested starter for at least five seasons.