Day Nine
Big Signings
DE Duane Clemons re-signs with the Bengals Clemons, the #9 DE in free agency, was a key signing for the Bengals, who are coming off of a season where they can build off of a better than expected performance. Clemons signed for $4.72 M/3-years. No other team made him an offer.
ILB Don Davis signs with the Falcons The Falcons are having a very nice free agency themselves on defense. Davis becomes another key signing for them, as they make the Patriots worse once again. David didn't play at all last year for New England, but he was good enough to be the #6 best free agent ILB in this class. Davis accepted a $2.87 M/3-year deal, and turned down lesser financial offers from the Bengals and Skins. The Patriots didn't make an offer (of course).
S Anthony Dorsett re-signs with the Raiders The Raiders signed another key guy to rebuild their shattered team, and the Cardsa lose out on one of their big ticket free agents. Dorsett was if not the best, one of the best remaining free agents in this class. He came into this as the #2 free agent S, behind only Terrell. Dorsett also signed cheap to return to his 2003 employers, signing for $6.83 M/3-years. Only one team offered less than the Raiders. Dorsett truned down offers from us, the Bengals, the Jags, the Vikings and the Eagles. Jacksonville and Philly in particular should be upset. The Jags offered the most per year and the most years, while the Eagles had the highest 3-year offer.
G Jamie Nails signs with the Falcons The Falcons got a big signing when they got one of the top remaining line free agents to sign. Nails, formerly of the Dolphins, was the #3 G in free agency and the best guard remaining unsigned. Unlike other big ticket free agents, Nails followed the money, signing for $12.38 M/4-years. Nails took the Falcons' offer over ones from the Panthers, Bears, Vikings and Browns. Nails will replace Claridge in the Falcons' offense and fill one of the few offensive holes they had. The Fins didn't make an offer.
DE Brady Smith signs with the Skins The Falcons have their one loss of an otherwise good day. Former Atlanta defensive end Smith, the #10 DE available in free agency, signed a $2.40 M/2-year contract with the Skins, another team that has done well for itself on defense. No other team made an offer for Smith, including the Falcons. Ironically, Smith's signing is somewhat retribution by the Skins for the Falcons' signing of star corner Champ Bailey (although the Falcons won out on that one bya good margin).
T Spencer Folau signs with the Vikings The signing of Nails and now Folau makes the remaining line class razor thin. Folau, the #5 T in free agency, became another big signing for the Vikings, who are beginning to build a quality class themselves. The former Saints T signed for $9.83 M/3-years, which was the best offer he received. He also got offers from the Ravens, Browns and Bears. The Saints did not give Folau an offer.
NOTES FROM DAY NINE
The signing of Dorseet to the Raiders nixed one of my offseason plans, so I made an offer to backup safety Arturo Freeman, a starter-quality player trapped in a talent-laden defensive backfield. Hopefulyl I wil be able to close the deal with him.
It was somewhere around now that I also decided to make an offer to...Marc Bulger. I know at least one of you will like that.
Bulger just made sense to at least get an offer. He looked good enough to compete with Blake for the starting job, and he had the best upside of any quarterback in the class besides Manning. I wasn't really interested in a passer, but Bulger wasn't getting any interest and the quarterback draft was weak. I knew I would at least want a better bvackup for Blake than I had last year, so I made Bulger an offer.
CR