Oh, I should note that
DE Rico Rison has re-signed, he'll lock in long term as our anchor pass rusher. That's a major reaosn why we are cap-strapped, this is the overlap year. I don't often so fat deals for only 3 years, but he was a position-switch-and-hope guy, and I didn't want to get tied up too long in case he was too light to be effective at DE. Turns out (36 sacks in two seasons) that's not a worry, so he gets to retire with us, hopefully. I trade blocked him, but got no offers at all - standard in this league that has a lot of free agents and cap space.
However, it looks like I won't/can't re-up with RB Phelps. Hard to tell if he's really good (and irreplaceable?, cue Beyonce) or if he's just the product of a system. I don't know. He wants to be paid like the 1,600 yard guy he's turned into, and I don't blame him for that... but what is a 5th year pretty good RB worth? I got him in the 5th round of the draft... could I replace him and his production that easily?
My best guess is we let him walk, he sits in free agency along with a fleet of similar veteran guys, and we try to get him back but if not, we just plunge another youngster into the job and hope for the best. It's not like some positions that are just difficult to fill - "RBs don't matter."