Wesson44 Posted January 4, 2014 Report Share Posted January 4, 2014 At this point the ones in bold i would sign today....the rest are up for debate, The potential free agents include James Anderson, Zackary Bowman, Nate Collins, Roberto Garza, Devin Hester, Patrick Mannelly, Henry Melton, Josh McCown, Jeremiah Ratliff, Charles Tillman, D.J. Williams, Corey Wootton and Major Wright. The others are Taylor Boggs, Eben Britton, Landon Cohen, Blake Costanzo, Kelvin Hayden, Derrick Martin, Sherrick McManis, Jordan Palmer, Dante Rosario, Jonathan Scott, Craig Steltz and Anthony Walters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adam Posted January 4, 2014 Report Share Posted January 4, 2014 I would say Bowman, Collins, Melton, McCown Wootton, and Scott should be added. Wright if the price is wright. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncle Buck Posted January 4, 2014 Report Share Posted January 4, 2014 Assuming they stay with the 4-3, Collins & Melton would be nice, if the price is right. If Henry wants to ignore that he missed most of the season as he looks for a contract, then goodbye and fall back to Ratliff. Wooton should return as I am thinking Peppers is gone and you need an end to accompany the FA acquisition of Bennett ( I hope). I would bring back Bowman to take Peanut's place. I'd also have no problem with Anderson & Williams returning Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alaskan Grizzly Posted January 4, 2014 Report Share Posted January 4, 2014 At this point the ones in bold i would sign today....the rest are up for debate, The potential free agents include James Anderson, Zackary Bowman, Nate Collins, Roberto Garza, Devin Hester, Patrick Mannelly, Henry Melton, Josh McCown, Jeremiah Ratliff, Charles Tillman, D.J. Williams, Corey Wootton and Major Wright. The others are Taylor Boggs, Eben Britton, Landon Cohen, Blake Costanzo, Kelvin Hayden, Derrick Martin, Sherrick McManis, Jordan Palmer, Dante Rosario, Jonathan Scott, Craig Steltz and Anthony Walters. First, I don't understand why the team would bother with DJ Williams. He hasn't contributed to the NFL for the better part of two years now. (I actually thought he was injured one year with Denver before being suspended but couldn't find it). Anyhow, this next year he would be only one year younger than Urlacher was when he 'retired' and coming off a year of being injured. Almost similar to how many perceived Urlacher to be useless in his last year. Forget him, I say work on the youngsters: Bostic and Greene and move on. And if anyone stays on the "veteran side"; I'd first look at Briggs and Anderson long before Williams. Ratliff appears to have been a good late season addition so I would be ok to look at a year deal for him. Mannelly? Really? He's a long snapper....they are like Punters/Kickers...dime a dozen. Britton? Nah....Again I'm pretty sure a younger version of what Britton provided could be found elsewhere. McCown most definitely should be added to the "keep list". He has pretty much indicated he doesn't want to be a starter and wants to be in Chicago while he does it, so a deal should be made pretty simple. Wootton should be added, he's a younger Julius Peppers prototype but not as flashy...yet. Bowman showed some promise late in the year so he should be kept, with the premis that a new CB would be drafted, and that Tillman may be a Safety. I know many cringe at the prospect but for what Hester does and still managed to do this year, he should be brought back for at least one more year. He showed flashes of his old self in that Packers game and did in a few other games this last year. He still provides the potential for good field position in KR or PR when the punters try and kick away from him. But probably not to worry as he'll more than likely sign with TB. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bschmaranz Posted January 4, 2014 Report Share Posted January 4, 2014 Mannelly? Really? He's a long snapper....they are like Punters/Kickers...dime a dozen. Mannelly's been here for 16 years. If he's gonna keep playing, it'll be here. As for the punter/kicker comment, that's a little goofy of a comment man. We had the worst punter in the league this year and paid for it at least 2-3 times a game. Continuously gave the opposition prime position on nearly every drive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alaskan Grizzly Posted January 4, 2014 Report Share Posted January 4, 2014 Mannelly's been here for 16 years. If he's gonna keep playing, it'll be here. As for the punter/kicker comment, that's a little goofy of a comment man. We had the worst punter in the league this year and paid for it at least 2-3 times a game. Continuously gave the opposition prime position on nearly every drive. Not sure you comprehended the "goofiness" I intended. Didn't say keep Podlesh (heck after this year why?) but was instead suggesting that Mannely probably would want more than some youngster currently on another teams practice squad or undrafted out of college. Is there a high demand for LSers? One of the reasons I liked Clutts was that he filled in pretty admirably as temp LSer when not playing FB. That's called efficiency. Some say "goofy". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AZ54 Posted January 4, 2014 Report Share Posted January 4, 2014 In a league where FGs win most games I'll be happy to keep Mannelly around for another season for vet minimum. Vets his age get a reduced cap hit that makes it easier to keep them around. We're not going to save much money so might as well keep him. Hester can go. Hasn't done much at all this season and he does not have the short area quickness that he used to have to break tackles. He's not a bad returner but he also takes far too many fair catches on punts that should be returnable for someone who prides themselves on being an elite returner. My other reason for cutting him is that he's one dimensional (returner) and I want to add a speed WR to our roster to mix in with the big boys. I think Jacoby Ford (or someone like him) can fill this role for us and do KR/PR as well as Hester. Ford is a better WR than Hester ever was but we only need him on offense for maybe 7-15 plays a game. He hasn't done much in his career in Oakland and this past season was a complete disaster. He should be cheap as a FA as long as he understands he's not a #1 or #2 WR. I expect Marquess Wilson to step up next year and with him and Ford out there we become much more explosive. For the rest of the FAs listed in the OP the real topic isn't so much who should be brought back as who should get long term deals. I think we should bring back a guy like Steltz because safety for us is a big need and he plays special teams. That does not mean I wouldn't also like to see us draft some competition for him or sign some other FAs to compete for his role. If he got cut in camp on a contract that had no signing bonus (or very small one) I don't really care. If we don't sign them and go after another similar FA I don't care. Players in the category: Collins, Costanzo, Britton, Garza, Anderson, Wright. Players I'd like to see get long term deals: Wootton, Ratliff (only for 2-3yr because I think he can help solidify a huge need), McCown (2yr). I'd like Melton back but he may end up with a 1yr prove it deal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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