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Old 07-25-2018, 08:59 AM   #201
QuikSand
lolzcat
 
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Annapolis, Md
Okay, I have said that I don't expect much in free agency. That's nominally true, but we do have several signings this stage -- nothing earth shattering, but still worth noting here.

The most interesting to me is signing veteran RB Julio Henson, away from the defending AFC #1 seed Patriots. So, why would we be spending $9m/yr on a 45/45 rated running back, when we just traded for and extended our 75/75 rated RB1 Brody Carpenter?

Well... (#WarnerWolfVoice) let's go to the video tape (/Wolf).

Last season, our guy Carpenter was our main ball carrier, and posted 273-1166 for 4.27 ypc and 8 TD. A decent season.

The last two seasons, also as the RB1 for a winning team, Henson averaged 198-1098 for 5.5 ypc and 13 TD. That's great.

Now... the Patriots were not even in the bidding for this guy. So, it very well could be that they just feel they have a plug-and-play system that will turn their RB1 into a stats horse. Definitely a possibility, I claim no deep insight into game planning in general, especially for the running game.

But...Henson does have one thing. A standout rating, and it's in the right place - 97 Hole Recognition. Sprinkle in a 64 Breakaway and a slightly higher endurance than Carpenter... and maybe that makes the obviously lesser guy the better guy, at least for purposes of toting the rock on first and ten. I don't know, but with cap space to spare, I will take this risk. The real risk is when we get to the once-a-season (here) decision on who gets the ball. Do I take a third of the workload away from my two horses and give it to this low-rated ratings stud? Perhaps I do, indeed.

Less interesting signings...

Two defensive linemen, both auditioning for a marginal role. 8th year Bryan Palazzo is decent, good enough to play, but the role for him might be marginalized by emerging youngsters -- our 2nd round draftee above and last year's top pick LB Upshaw are both contenders to claim meaningful playing time this year. DT Lester Miller is a fill-in with no chem connection, a longshot to land here. Both are on $5m/yr deals with no carrying charge.

6th year LB Bennett Cooley will play, but never be a star, I don't expect. He's a 6th year do-it-all-fairly-well guy who will fit with our chemistry -- basically the only guy fitting that bill that I could find. We are going to lose veteran LB Caden Matthews this year (happiness management oversight), and have some aging drift there anyhow, so he should be a 5-year contributor, likely a 70-tackle sort of guy at SILB, I'd guess right now.

We grabbed a couple young affinity OL, but neither have starts so they will be bubble guys for us. I don't see any starts at OL opening up for us anytime soon, and if we're a contender (we should be thinking that way) then I don't want to fiddle around too much with starting roles in a one-shot league.
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