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QuikSand · 04-29-2005, 08:48 AM

Late Free Agency Begins

After the first round of free agency, we have a little news.

First, we welcome in an undrafted rookie punter to compete for the starting job. Back in about the fifth round of the draft, I openly mused “You know, I wouldn’t mind having a punter named ‘Spoilsport’.” Well – now, I have my chance. Spoilsport Earhart is aboard for a rookie minimum salary (two year deal) and will compete with Donovan Embry for the starting duties. My scout rates Embry as 34/42 (making $310,000 on the second year of a URAF contract) and Embry as 26/59 making $230,000. With the nickname working for him, Spoilsport is the leader for the job, I reckon.

I have an offer in for veteran kicker Tyler Gambill as well. The 7th year kicker is has been pretty effective in his career, with 73.7% on FGs, and 100% on PATs. However, I am up against a big contract, it seems – Las Vegas is offering him a five year deal worth over $9 million, and under league rules that means it must have at least $1.8 million in signing bonus. I can’t imagine paying millions in bonus to a kicker… just doesn’t fit with my way of doing business. So, it looks like we will miss out on him – I may look through the rookie rubble and see if there’s someone who would be an improvement on Donald Mizer (77.6 FG%, but rated only 30/30).

The early signs are that 5th round draft pick S Adrian Walker is going to be a bust… so we’ll have a decision ahead whether to even offer him a contract. I may leave him unsigned through training camp, and make the decision afterward. He looks like one of those typical guys whose future potential ratings make him look fairly attractive -- he has future ratings in the 75-100 range for man and bump coverages and is rated overall a 14/40. But the usual career path sees him declining, and after a couple of years he’ll look like about 17/25 and not worth a damn. We’re already over our roster limit and safely under the salary cap, so it’s not like we’re scrambling for depth on this club.

A similar case in point with CB Donovan Snyder – a guy I considered with my 5th round pick, but passed on. He has some nice skills, and my scout rates him as 12/42. I have a bid in, but a bigger bid is in from Fritz’s French Ticklers. My best guess is that Snyder, too, will be the handful of sand, and in time will wither away to nothing. I don’t think I need to make any investment – certainly not a guaranteed investment – in a guy like him, so we’ll probably watch him head to the Ozarks.

We are one of several teams bidding for the services of FB Bob Parise, a guy I like but who is an obvious FA target. Our team has three fullbacks already – it would be very hard to justify making roster space for Parise. But, if we land him, we’ll give him a look – he’s got good pass blocking skills and might make a decent TE if we picked him up.

We have a few more rookie bids in as well – but nothing really worthy of profiling, at least until we land the players. My socks have not been knocked off by anyone in this undrafted rookie crop.

04-29-2005, 08:48 AM	#28
QuikSand lolzcat Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Annapolis, Md	Late Free Agency Begins After the first round of free agency, we have a little news. First, we welcome in an undrafted rookie punter to compete for the starting job. Back in about the fifth round of the draft, I openly mused “You know, I wouldn’t mind having a punter named ‘Spoilsport’.” Well – now, I have my chance. Spoilsport Earhart is aboard for a rookie minimum salary (two year deal) and will compete with Donovan Embry for the starting duties. My scout rates Embry as 34/42 (making $310,000 on the second year of a URAF contract) and Embry as 26/59 making $230,000. With the nickname working for him, Spoilsport is the leader for the job, I reckon. I have an offer in for veteran kicker Tyler Gambill as well. The 7th year kicker is has been pretty effective in his career, with 73.7% on FGs, and 100% on PATs. However, I am up against a big contract, it seems – Las Vegas is offering him a five year deal worth over $9 million, and under league rules that means it must have at least $1.8 million in signing bonus. I can’t imagine paying millions in bonus to a kicker… just doesn’t fit with my way of doing business. So, it looks like we will miss out on him – I may look through the rookie rubble and see if there’s someone who would be an improvement on Donald Mizer (77.6 FG%, but rated only 30/30). The early signs are that 5th round draft pick S Adrian Walker is going to be a bust… so we’ll have a decision ahead whether to even offer him a contract. I may leave him unsigned through training camp, and make the decision afterward. He looks like one of those typical guys whose future potential ratings make him look fairly attractive -- he has future ratings in the 75-100 range for man and bump coverages and is rated overall a 14/40. But the usual career path sees him declining, and after a couple of years he’ll look like about 17/25 and not worth a damn. We’re already over our roster limit and safely under the salary cap, so it’s not like we’re scrambling for depth on this club. A similar case in point with CB Donovan Snyder – a guy I considered with my 5th round pick, but passed on. He has some nice skills, and my scout rates him as 12/42. I have a bid in, but a bigger bid is in from Fritz’s French Ticklers. My best guess is that Snyder, too, will be the handful of sand, and in time will wither away to nothing. I don’t think I need to make any investment – certainly not a guaranteed investment – in a guy like him, so we’ll probably watch him head to the Ozarks. We are one of several teams bidding for the services of FB Bob Parise, a guy I like but who is an obvious FA target. Our team has three fullbacks already – it would be very hard to justify making roster space for Parise. But, if we land him, we’ll give him a look – he’s got good pass blocking skills and might make a decent TE if we picked him up. We have a few more rookie bids in as well – but nothing really worthy of profiling, at least until we land the players. My socks have not been knocked off by anyone in this undrafted rookie crop.