Figured it probably best to make a new thread for the offseason, rather than filling up the Super Bowl thread. Free agency and the draft to come, exciting times. Free agency starts on March 11th, and for those of you unaware, it's like the NFL's version of Deadline Day, except it comes at the start because most teams have already agreed new deals with players, so 90% of noteworthy players will move on the very first day. It can get pretty frantic, but it's great fun. Then, on May 8-10, we've got the 2014 NFL Draft, which is the most fun part of the year for football geeks like me. So much to obsess over between now and then, and hopefully some of you guys will get into the draft spirit too. I know I'm plugging it again, but please check out insidethewarroom.wordpress.com, the UK's only draft dedicated website, run by a great guy who deserves more plaudits than he gets - I'll have something of my own going up on there very soon which I'd hope you'll all check out. Also follow @InsideWarRoom on Twitter, it's no effort at all. So until March, we can have fun thinking of the players on our team we're desperately hoping will sign new deals, and exciting looking players on other teams. For anyone not familiar with parts of the offseason and the draft and all that, ask in here and me or one of the other more experienced heads in here will try to help.
Sounds pretty exciting! Although now that the season's other, Sundays just won't be the same. I'll even miss regularly hearing "The NFL on Sky sponsored by Chrysler, one American institution brought to you by another" As for the Vikings, the obvious choices to keep are Petersen and Patterson. I would also release Ponder and keep Cassel as a back up QB and hope to bring in the next Peyton Manning or Tom Brady during the draft. Having only seen the Vikings play once, I can't really say much about their other players.
Peterson and Patterson are both under contract. AP signed a seven year deal a couple of seasons back, and Patterson has just finished his rookie year. Bar something huge, they'll be around for a while yet. Cassel has already agreed to be released.
According to Fox, Cassel has been released but apparently the Vikings want him to stay. http://www.myfoxtwincities.com/story/24641459/vikings-qb-matt-cassel-to-test-free-agency I'm not sure what this 'test free agency' means, but I think it means he's gonna see if he gets any better offers. So he could return, although it does seem a bit unlikely. We definitely need a new quarter-back though. Josh Freeman has also left apparently.
He doesn't want to stay, he probably thinks he's too good to be a backup and has been told he won't be a starter for Vikings - newsflash for him, he isn't too good to be a backup. "Test free agency" is just a thing people say when they're leaving, they're going to enter the free agent market etc. It doesn't mean he's going to pop out, see his offers and then pop back in, it basically means he's gone.
Nice one Dan. I always feel a bit of remorse when the season finishes. From what I've read about Josh, the growing consensus is that he's a bit lazy.
Quite a few decent Chiefs players that could potentially be a free agent: Brandon Albert Dexter Mccluster Geoff Schwartz Tyson Jackson Quintin Demps Hopefully some of these will be retained.
Sounds like the Seahawks are looking to cut Sidney Rice to save cap room, and maybe Zach Miller too. At the very least, see if Miller can restructure his deal, so that we can tie down Golden Tate and Michael Bennett, who are both impending free agents.
I'd be happy with just any kind of vaguely capable Safety (if only we could afford Byrd, although he'd probably only end up like another Nnamdi anyway), keeping hold of Maclin would be nice too though I suppose. How is this crop of rookie Safeties looking Danielle? I'm too lazy to look myself, of course.
Think there are about 31 teams in the NFL praying for Jairus Byrd. I know I am, even with his ridiculous wage demands. As for the draft... it's a conclusive not great. HaHa Clinton-Dix (brilliant name) from Bama seems comfortably the best, and some people think Calvin Pryor of Louisville isn't far behind (he'll probably go in the first). As for the others... eh, Deone Bucannon from Washington State is pretty good, Jimmy Ward from NIU, and Ed Reynolds from Stanford will all probably go on day 2. Maybe a couple more, but those are the only ones I actually know at this point. EDIT: Others projected day 2 are Terrence Brooks from FSU and Ahmad Dixon from Baylor. Dunno if they're any good or not personally, plenty of time to watch them though. Combine soon
Just gotta know where to look in the lower rounds, just look at the nobodies that Seattle drafted in Round 3 onwards in recent years From the starters in the Super Bowl... Russell Wilson - Round 3 2012 Doug Baldwin - undrafted 2011 JR Sweezy - Round 7 2012 Alvin Bailey - undrafted 2013 KJ Wright - Round 4 2011 Walter Thurmond - Round 4 2010 Byron Maxwell - Round 6 2011 Kam Chancellor - Round 5 2010 Richard Sherman - Round 5 2011 They are there, just gotta find them
There are always good finds in lower rounds. Jamaal Charles was a 3rd round pick for Chiefs. Nick Foles was a 3rd round pick for Eagles.
For the Vikings it is all about defence in free agency. There are no good QBs who look to be going into it, and our defence is ****, bar a couple of players. The best thing about the Zimmer appointment as HC is he is a really well respected defensive coach so he should know how to sort out our awful D. In terms of Vikings players leaving, the most notable are Jared Allen, Kevin Williams and Eversen Griffen. All of which are defensive linemen Cannot see Allen staying as he will want way too much money than he is worth as an ageing player on a not very good team. He will probably go to someone who has a really good shot at winning the superbowl next year so he can try and get a ring before it is too late. Williams may re-sign but is also getting on and it completely depends on the sort of deal he wants. And Griffen I really hope does re-sign, think he could become a bit of monster playing as a DE. If Allen and Williams leave that will leave us in great shape cap wise to hopefully target a couple of the top defensive players who hit the market. We pretty much need players everywhere on D so there are loads of possibilities of who to target.
