[Abe Sargent]

Alright, let’s hit FA


Alright, stage 2 has arrived, and now we can make offers for players out here.


I want to start with RB. Now I can wait on my RB plan until next year, because Gohl wants mad money for an extension.

Out in FA world we have a few high-40s folks, and we can resign DeMarco Murray, 46/46 to a 2.550 mill, one year deal. But I don’t need anyone this year. I’m in a good place in terms of RB, but three are expiring this year. I’ve often been able to pick up a good 50+ RB for cheap, but that’s not happening this year it seems. Ah well, RB will wait until next. We’ll know more about Jose Rivers then anyway! Maybe he’ll develop into my guy?

(Although he’s down to 44/52). Meanwhile OT Myron Starks has grown to 53/71

Alright, what about the LB world? I could use a cheap, cap-friendly body, particularly at WLB since Branton played poorly last year. Preferably younger. I could go for 47/47 WLB Sio Moore, but he’s in his 9th year. Maybe I could move someone over from SLB?

I make an offer to SLB 46/46, 6th year vet Bobby Turner, for 2 years, for 1.8 this year and 2.1 next. He’s unhappy with the Vikings and looking for a new place

If I trade Goldhammer, and I don’t draft a replacement, can I find one in FA? We’ll be fine, I have 41/41 Terrence Richmond if I need.

OG Brandon Linder wants 2.12 mill in cash, the first time he’s ever wanted real money in his career, so it’s time to cut the Linder cord as my reliable backup. Ah well. Good luck! Don’t forget to write!

Any cheaper safeties out there that bring a younger game? Yes, there’s a 50.50 4th year vet, hold on. He wants 4.00 mill first year though, so no thanks. Safeties are hard to find.

Okay, how about backup QB? I like 9th year vet QB Landry Jones, 33/33 who just wants a one-year deal or 31/31 7th year Bruce Roethlisberger who wants three years. Landry is the better deal. I make QB Jones an offer.


After having great depth for me at DE, Glen Willis, at age 28, has been a great player. His contract is up in two years, and he’s making 2.5 mill this year. There is a cheap DE out there, 8th year vet Howard Snyder, 47/47, wants 2.3, then 2.6 and then 2.9. If I were to let go of DE Butler, and perhaps push yup Snyder, that’s not much of a loss. Butler is 48/48, but he always played well:

His first five years:

2016 - 0 starts, 4.5 sacks, 1 block, 6 hurries
2017 – 10 starts, 4.5 sacks, 1 block, 7 hurries, 1 knockdown
2018 – 16 starts, 11 sacks, 3 blocks, 16 hurries, 1 knockdown
2019 – 16 starts, 8 sacks, 1 block, 16 hurries, 2 knockdwn
2020 – 16 starts, 3 sacks, 4 blocks, 15 hurries, 5 QB Kn

Now, the fact that his sack total drops to its lowest ever, is scary. The fact that it didn’t drop with other stats though may just be bad luck. If he’s getting me 8-11 sacks each year, along with the other stuff, he’s worth the price upgrade to 6-8 mill. But if he’s not? That’s bad money, He was an undrafted guy I really enjoyed. But that’s not worth it.

He might also be the sort of person that’ll drop in price when hitting FA.

Meanwhile, I can chase a cheaper DE that’s just as good. Butler is a run-stopping specialist after all.

Here’s my target – 46/46, DE, 4thyear vet, wants 2 mill deal worth 1.9 and 2.4. I make Webster an offer. Again, I want to hedge my bets for next year’s cap.

I renegotiate CB Shane’s deal from last year to free up some money. I now have 14.63 mill in cap space, and of it, 7.7 for new players. With my new cash I extend RB Reggie Brooks by two years. He’ll still be in the 2 mill range (2 mill this year, then 2.12 and 2.25)

I’m making an offer to NT Brant Missouri, 5th year man from Houston. 49.49. He’ll replace DT hover, whom I’ll likely cut if I sign. I like Brant a lot.

Alright that gives me four targets. Let’s advance a week.

Stage 2 – Nothing major to report. I increase DT Missouri’s deal by 450k in signing bonus to jump ahead of the Steelers.

Stage 3 – Nothing new to report. We are in front of all of our targets.

Stage 4 – DT Missouri signs with us for 11.58 million over 4 years! Technically, he was the best DT on the board as well. I move him to LDT. I release DT Hover.

We have a bit of a leader conflict in the secondary. CB Bryan Meadows is now my leader, and SS George Ilunga has a minor conflict and CB Colton Hanks a major one. I look for someone who can come in and be a new leader and make everyone happy.

Whoa! RCB Blaine Degrange would come in and make nice with three people on my team. But he wants 5.4 mill and he’s just 42/42. Nope! How about Camden Becker, a FS who would make a little nice and is 960k and is 41/41 and a 6th year vet. That’s much better.

Stage 5 - SE Justin Blackmon signed with the Seahawks, and RB Murray the Browns.

Stage 6 – RDE Dana Webster joins us. There are a lot of players that haven’t been made offers yet in FA so I check them out.

The most intriguing UFA no one has touched is SS 50/50 Paniagua, who is a 4 mill hit immediately, and just a 4th year vet. Not bad. And safeties are hard ot get, nd it’s a youth movement from Wilson. But, Wilson is 2.2 mill, signed through this and next year, and doesn’t have any holes, and Paniagua has a huge weakness at bump and run and just a 17 in zone d. If the price drops, maybe.

Stage 7 – Nothing major

Stage 8 – Nothing

Stage 9 – We sign QB Landry Jones, NE signed SS Paniagua.

Stage 10 – We sign SLB Bobby Turner. DT Small signed with the Jets.

Stage 11 – We sign FS Camden Becker

Anyone out there with reduced demands?

Brandon Linder has dropped his one to 1.6 mill, still more than he has ever made in a year. Idiot.

Anyone out there that fell through the cracks.

Other than the badly injured CB, there are a ton of FB (For of the top six players are FB) C, Three of the top 6 are C, and TE. There is a cheap backup TE since Delaroche doesn’t want to resign – TE KC Davison, 6 year vet, 47/47. I want to hold off until post draft though.

Time to look at the draft and do some interviews:

Looks like we have some good, high quality QB Talent in this years draft with two authentic stars on the
Board, and one maybe. We have what looks to be five strong starting candidates, 1st round talent OG folks. The kind you can swap in for Deion Theo.

I interview the top five OGs to see if any fit for a trade or fall to 1.32. There is a strong TE there as well, TE Flory. I interview him. I interview the 3rd and 4th OT on the board. I interview some safeties as well. There’s a strong WLB candidate at the 3rd best on the board I check out.

Alright let’s go.


Stage 12 – Brandon Linder signs with Minnesota for the inflated price.