[Izulde]

First half of free agency, here we come.

This time I actually remember to check and see who I should send to the Summer League. Since Dick Stafford has the biggest gap between current and future, the difference being that of slub and serviceable, he's the easy selection.

There's not much in the way of our restricted free agents that I'm all that gung-ho about re-signing, but there's a few that I'll return.

Week 1 Re-signings
SS Larry Miller (1 year, $50k)
LT Chad Kramer (2 years, $160k)
P Ricardo May (1 year, $50k)
MLB Gabe Jackson (1 year, $50k)
SLB Luther Randall (1 year, $50k)

By the numbers we need a QB, RB, LB and 8 players overall. We'll be adding a lot more than the minimum 8 between free agency and the draft, I can tell you that much.

Week 2 Losses
RG Gene Hickerson (4 years, $2.28 mill. - Minnesota (Cleveland) )
-Ouch. I wanted this guy really badly and off he goes to the dumbassed Vikings.

LDT Jim Colvin (4 years, $2.42 mill. - Indianapolis Re-Sign)
-Another top-tier free agent goes away. Luckily there's another DT I really like, if he hasn't been snatched up already.

SLB Rommie Loudo (3 years, $1.1 mill. - Denver)
-Cashes in on his high tackle season for us and picks up a nice deal off the Broncos.

SS Andy Nelson (4 years, $1.62 mill. - Jacksonville (Indianapolis) )
-Wow, we just keep getting hammered left and right in our efforts to bring in top notch free agents. Luckily, like with Colvin, there's someone else I'm eyeing up.

Week 3 Signings
SS Ross Fitchener (3 years, $790k - Cleveland)
-Extraordinarily consistent strong safety who averaged exactly 81% pass defense his last three years with the Browns and had 4 interceptions his first two seasons. Great upgrade for our secondary and Larry Miller's immediate replacement.

FS Don Fleming (4 years, $2.10 mill. - Cleveland)
-Say hello to the other Browns' starting safety of the universe's first three years. Apparently these guys are best friends because we've just directly imported both of Cleveland's safety starters and -really- made our secondary a nightmare for opposing QBs. Both Fitchener and Fleming were fantastic in Cleveland, where the cornerbacks weren't as good as Johnny Sample and Irv Cross. Can you say Miami Dolphins #1 secondary in the NFL? I knew you could.

Week 3 Losses
DE Nate Borden (1 year, $100k - Dallas)
-Played okay for us last year, but really, with Dick Stafford showing signs of becoming a pretty good DE, Borden's time was up.

Week 4 Signings
LG Fuzzy Thurston (6 years, $4.18 mill. - Green Bay)
-Long contract and a steep price to pay for the mentor guard, but he's a former 1st Team All-Pro Guard (1961) who has two Super Bowl rings from his Packers days. He's a fantastic player and will allow us to move injury-prone Mark Mathias back to the dual backup role.

SILB Dave Lloyd (4 years, $2.85 mill. - Cleveland)
-Think we're done raiding the Browns' defense? Not a chance in hell as we snag Lloyd, who will be our starting MLB for the next four years. Kept getting better and better the last three years and is due for a real break-out season this year or next.

Week 4 Losses
WR Boyd Dowler (6 years, $5.68 mill. - Green Bay re-sign)
-This guy is sick. You want to know how sick? Two consecutive seasons of 2,000+ receiving yards, including 2,442 yards last year!. That's the kind of record that may never be broken. Then again, it helps having a guy like Bart Starr throwing to you. The dude's incredible and there was some serious cash being floated his way but he took the lesser deal to stay with the Packers, where he's a fan favorite.

Week 5 Signings
DT Henry Jordan (5 years, $3.33 mill. - Green Bay)
-I keep right on raiding the two teams with two Super Bowl appearances and gleefully so. Jordan's a great all-around DT and he'll start alongside Penguin Culpepper for sure. It's just a matter of what side each one will line up on.

Week 5 Losses
FS Brett Woodard (1 year, $60k - Baltimore)
-Played decently for us last season, but the Ravens can have him after the upgrade we made.

And I'll continue this later. Feel fatigued all of a sudden.