B.I.G. Preseason Week 3 News - 2014 - Fridge Combat's Dynasty

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B.I.G. Preseason Week 3 News - 2014

Posted on July 29, 2015 at 10:20 AM.

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Bolts Insider

As the end of Preseason draws nearer, the NFL has apparently gone a little bit crazy with roster moves! Hordes of players have been signed and cut throughout the week. With far too many to track each one, we've included a couple of, what we believe to be, highlighted players.

Signed:

NYG - Tarell Brown CB - 1.58M - Probably not know to many, but Brown was one of the corners who helped San Fran become a shut-down defense in 2011. He's a quick corner with good fundamentals, and at 5' 11" he should flourish as a slot corner, where he is likely to play.

PIT - Antoine Cason CB - 1.4M - The former Charger has found another home for himself, in a position where he may start straight away. He will have to beat out Cortez Allen, but he may find his experience will win out. Otherwise he will be a nice locker room addition to this young secondary.

OAK - Barry Cofield DT - 1.98M - A very versatile lineman who transitioned well from a 4-3 rusher to a nose tackle. With big Dan Williams also on the team, the Raiders now have the freedom to pick and choose their defensive front, based on the play calling. It's a lot of cash, but as the only other DT on the roster, he may be a saving grace for this team in the future. The Chargers will take notice.

MIA - Jed Collins FB - 730K - Collins' career has been a very strange one. For the first three years of being an undrafted free agent, he joined the practice squad for SEVEN different teams. It wasn't until 2011 that he got his shot to start in New Orleans, where he helped raise their rushing attack from 22nd to 4th in the NFL.
This however all seemed to go unnoticed, and since 2013 he has signed to three more teams! Miami may have got a steal here, and hopefully the guy can finally find a place to call home!

NO - Le'Ron McClain FB - 850K - What, another Fullback! We hear you cry. Yes we know FB isn't sexy or interesting, but it's incredible what you can if you have a good one! McClain is possibly one of the most versatile FBs in the NFL, (think Charles Clay but not as athletic). He can block, he has some speed to be used in short yardage downs, and can also contribute in the passing game! Without Jed Collins, the Saints have made sure his replacement is up to standard!

DAL - Knowshon Moreno HB - 2.2M - With Demarco Murray now in Philly, the Cowboys may have reached a little here. Moreno, best known for his stint with Denver, (and that's it by the way), just got a big deal to replace the No.1 rushing attack in Dallas. He is not Demarco Murray, (heck, some might even say why isn't backup Lance Dunbar starting!), but he is more durable that Murray, and with the best O-line in the NFL, who's to say he can't contribute straight away?

The Right Call?: $2 million is a lot to spend on a guy when you have talented runners waiting in the wings. Even so, we will follow Moreno's progress this season. Also it was hard not to put a picture of him crying...

DET - Danario Alexander WR - 1.84M - The Receiver with glass knees is heading to Detroit! In all seriousness though, Alexander has had some shoddy luck in his career. Whenever he started hitting his stride, injury would bite him and that would be it. He's still talented, with great hands and a 6' 5" frame which should make him an easy target for Stafford. He'll start in the slot no doubt, before he inevitably gets injured. A risky signing, but we shall see.

Released:

CHI - Jeremiah Ratliff DT - For a while, many considered Ratliff the best DT in the NFL, but age and health concerns have ensured those days are gone. The undersized, 7th Rnd Pick spent a long time dominating offenses in the NFC East, but trust can't be bought, and his lack of trust for the orginization broke down, making him leave for Chicago.
He's reaching the twilight of his career no doubt, but he is still a force to be reckoned with. Unfortunately he joins a free agency loaded with aged, talented DTs, so finding a job might be tougher than expected.

STL - Isaiah Pead HB - Considered one of the top running backs in his draft, Pead has seen his football career take a tumble. After failing to break the starting lineup in his rookie season, he then suffered an ACL tear during the Preseason. He missed the entire year. Now left on the trade block, he may not see himself on a team unless he is to get lucky next year.

STL - Scott Wells C - (I don't know why this guy is rated OVR 63, but whatever!) If any team out there is need of a guy at C, don't hesitate to grab Scott Wells! The long-time Packer is extremely durable, (missing only one game between 2006-2012!), and highly experienced. After a stint with St. Louis, it's too bad to see that his career might be over from here, but let's hope someone realises his value!

DET - Lance Moore WR - The long-time Steeler is now a free agent. It is a shame as he is very talented as a slot receiver, but taking a chance on Danario Alexander, the Lions decided they would go for youth and athleticism. Let's hope it doesn't come back to bite them!

NYJ - Daryl Richardson HB - From 6th Rnd Pick, to solid backup in St. Louis, even beating out much higher rated player Isaiah Pead. Unfortunately, he won't be backup in New York this year. Based on his short stint on a team, he may not have enough upside to be signed, but we believe someone should at least give the kid a shot.

NYJ - Jason Babin OLB - Babin's career hasn't been as special as expected, after being a 1st Rnd Pick. He had a great stint with the Eagles at DE, but his production hasn't been what people had hoped. He may still find a job, but he would better going back to the DE spot.

PHI - Matt Barkley QB - NFL life has certainly been turned on it's head for Barkley. Formerly considered the top Heismann candidate, his stock took a slide after poor play and injury side-lined him for his senior year. He did not throw at the combine and was eventually picked in the 4th Round by Philly.
Now it looks like that dream has fallen further as he hits free agency. Still, he is young and has potential to grow into a solid backup if groomed correctly. We may see him on a team yet.

Fall From Grace: From Heismann candidate to free agent, Barkley's career has taken a turn for the worse.

MIA - LaMichael James HB - After breaking all sorts of records at Oregon College, and guiding them to a Rosebowl win, James is now on the street. There is often such a disconnect between great players in college and how it translates at the pro level. That said, James is completely unfounded territory at this point in his NFL career, so if some team does take a swing at him, they may be in for a great surprise!

CIN - Eric Winston OT - The journeyman tackle is on the move again, but this time not to a new team. Winston has bunch of pelts on the wall, and any team seeking O-line help would do well to get on the blower.

Trades:

NO - Trade D. Hawthorne MLB + 6th Rnd for L. Wilson TE - SEA - David Hawthorne is heading back to Seattle, the place where he made his bones. He'll play second to fiddle to Bobby Wagner, but should help the young man behind the scenes some. He knows the city and he knows the system.
On the flip-side, the Saints get a replacement for Jimmy Graham, or at least someone to play the same position. This does seem ludicrous though, trading away your star player to a team, only then to make another trade for a player of the same position? Why not keep the other guy?
Either way, the Saints get a replacement pass-catching TE, and lose more picks. Not what we would have done, but apparently their system relies on that TE position.

Injuries:

CAR - C. Tillman CB - Brk. Ankle (23 weeks) IR - Fans in Carolina are gonna be so bummed about this. They finally get the chance to have a legitimate starting corner, only to lose him for the rest of the season in a meaningless game. Management can't be too happy either! With a bunch of pelts on the wall, an injury like this at Tillman's age could spell the end of a career. We hope that he recovers and gets one more year on the field.

Preseason Strikes!: The argument for 'no more Preseason' couldn't be more vividly realised here. Without including the loss of contracts and money from teams, but also the well-being of the players.

OAK - C. Lofton MLB - Disc. Ankle (5 weeks) - Oakland will miss Lofton, who offered a force at MLB. Luckily the signing of Barry Cofield and talent at OLB, should allow backup Nick Roach to pick his spots and contribute as much as possible.

BUF - J. Hughes DE - Brk. Thumb (4 weeks) - Two injuries to big players on the Bills team this week. Both will miss a couple of regular season games. The loss of Hughes will be masked some by the rest of the talent on that D-line, but the news that he will be replaced by former OLB Manny Lawson, (at 240lbs!), seems a daft idea!

BUF - L. McCoy HB - Pulled Groin (4 weeks) - Rex Ryan blew up news headlines when he picked up running back extraordinaire McCoy, so it's tough he'll be without him for a bit. Luckily they still have Fred Jackson who is a MORE than capable backup. Expect the offense to run as normal for the weeks McCoy is gone.

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