Free agency starts tomorrow

[jjakq27]

It will be interesting to see who the Bengals go after. I think they might be able to upgrade their defense with a guy like Pat Williams from Buffalo, Sammy Knight from Miami or Ed Hartwell from the Ravens. This will obviously affect who they might select in the draft.

Also I see where the Bengals have offered contracts to Reggie Myles, Rashad Bauman, Kenny Watson and Marcus Wilkins. I think it is important to retain some of these role players for special teams and team depth.

I haven't heard anything about the Bengals cutting anyone loose at this time.

http://bengals.com/press/news.asp?iCurPage=0&news_id=2778

Bengals Tender RFAs

3/1/2005 - 9:55 a.m.

The Bengals today announced that the team has made tender offers to four unsigned players, all entering their fourth NFL season. The players are CBs Rashad Bauman and Reggie Myles, HB Kenny Watson and LB Marcus Wilkins. They are due to become restricted free agents tomorrow.

The tenders are reportedly one-year, $655,000 offers.

By making the tenders, the Bengals gain the right to retain the players by matching any offer sheets they would sign from another team. The players could also remain with the Bengals by signing the tender offer for 2005, or by negotiating a longer-term contract with Cincinnati.

All four players were tendered at a dollar amount which qualifies as their “draft-status level” under the NFL’s Collective Bargaining Agreement.

In the case of Bauman, who entered the NFL as a third-round draft choice, this means that should the Bengals decline to match an offer to him, the new team signing him would be required to compensate the Bengals with a third-round draft choice.

In the cases of Myles, Watson and Wilkins, who entered the NFL as free agents, the Bengals would not be compensated if they declined to match.

[jjakq27]

There are some interesting names on this list. Any takers?

http://www.cincypost.com/bengals/2005/beng...03-01-2005.html

Bengals' free-agent prospects

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The NFL's free agency period begins Wednesday. The Bengals aren't expected to be big spenders in this year's market but should have room under the league's salary cap to add a couple of veteran free agents to their roster as well as re-sign some of their own. This is a list of some of the top potential unrestricted free agents (in alphabetical order) at different positions the team has said it would like to address this offseason:

Player Pos. Year 2004 team

Rich Braham C 11 Bengals

Kendrell Bell LB 4 Steelers

Plaxico Burress WR 5 Steelers

Jason Ferguson DT 8 Jets

Morlon Greenwood LB 4 Dolphins

Ed Hartwell LB 4 Ravens

Reggie Hayward DE 4 Broncos

T.J. Houshmandzadeh WR 4 Bengals

Rob Morris LB 5 Colts

David Patten WR 8 Patriots

Carl Powell DL 6 Bengals

Pat Williams DT 7 Bills

Publication Date: 03-01-2005

[shworge]

espn.com had a good piece on the top 32 free agents. They had the Bengals targeting Pat Williams, TJ, and Kendrell Bell (to play strongside backer).

[TJJackson]

The one that would get up the biggest upgrade would be Edgerton Hartwell. It doesn't hurt at all that we'd weaken a division foe while strengthening ourselves as well.

That said, we'd lose out if a bidding war occurs. Minnesota wants linebackers worse than we do, and has a lot more money to spend.

The same article (I believe) indicates that the Bengals have no interest in either of the two quality centers also available on the FA market. I think that's a big mistake, frankly. I think they represent the best bang for the buck, as both are quality but not star players...the kind of players the Patriots have picked up for years in FA.

Of the 4 we tendered, the most important is Reggie Myles due to his Pro Bowl level play on special teams coverage units.

[jjakq27]

Jason Ferguson signs with the Cowboys...Pat Williams is going to visit NY and Minnesota. I hope he comes here too (before it's too late).

"Jets' nose tackle Ferguson going to Cowboys

Wednesday, March 02, 2005

BY DAVE HUTCHINSON

Star-Ledger Staff

When the clock struck midnight, Jets unrestricted free agent nose tackle Jason Ferguson turned into a Cowboy.

Ferguson, who anchored the Jets run defense last season, rebuffed the Jets' offer and will sign with the Cowboys and former Jets coach Bill Parcells, someone with knowledge of the situation said early this morning.

Terms of the contract were unavailable.

The move left the Jets, who felt they were close to a deal with Ferguson, scrambling to find a replacement. They're eyeing Bills free agent defensive tackle Pat Williams, trying to get him to fly to New York today. Williams is believed to have several bidders, including one from the Vikings.

Ferguson, 30, will be reunited with Parcells, who drafted him in the seventh round out of Georgia in 1997. He played three seasons under Parcells and one season with while while Parcells was in the Jets' front office.

The nine--year pro is coming off a career season in which he had 59 tackles and 3 1/2 sacks. He was coveted because of his ability to play in a 3-4 alignment, a scheme the Cowboys will employ this season."

[jjakq27]

I noticed that Brock Gutierrez is on Kirwan's list at Center. He played center for the 49ers last year. Perhaps we should bring him back.

http://www.nfl.com/draft/story/8242133

The free agency hot list

By Pat Kirwan

NFL.com Senior Analyst

INDIANAPOLIS (March 1, 2005) -- Free agency is ready to begin, and as always there will be a quick reaction to the top candidates by teams that have targeted the players they want.

In seven to 10 days, there should be close to 20 players on new teams. But that doesn't mean the free-agent list will shrink by the same number. In fact, I expect the list to grow; for every high-priced free agent signed, another player or two will be released to make roster and salary-cap room for the new player.

Here's my opening "hot list" of players who should be targeted by clubs preparing to use free agency to improve their teams for the 2005 season. Don't forget that the two teams that made it to the Super Bowl were active in acquiring veteran talent last year, so the notion that a team can ignore free agency is simply not true. Players lost have to be replaced, free agents who are an upgrade from the players teams are already paying will get a long look, and last-minute cuts to get under the 2005 salary cap will create last-second needs.

Does anyone think the Eagles got to the last Super Bowl without Terrell Owens and Jevon Kearse? Was the trade for Corey Dillon about the most important offseason decision Bill Belichick and the Patriots made? Those are two very clear examples.

Pos. 1 2 3 4 5

QB Kurt Warner Brad Johnson Jeff Garcia Jay Fiedler Vinny Testaverde

RB LaMont Jordan Anthony Thomas Derrick Blaylock Amos Zereoue Correll Buckhalter

FB Patrick Pass Jim Finn Greg Comella Heath Evans

WR Derrick Mason Plaxico Burress Travis Taylor Tai Streets Corey Bradford

TE Freddie Jones Stephen Alexander Anthony Becht Itula Mili Jermaine Wiggins

OT Kareem McKenzie Fred Miller Jonas Jennings Victor Riley Floyd Womack

OG Marco Rivera Cosey Coleman Jermaine Mayberry Ben Hamilton Dan Neil

OC Rich Braham Robbie Tobeck Brock Gutierrez Ethan Albright

DE Kevin Carter Chike Okeafor Reggie Hayward Derrick Burgess Marques Douglas

DT Pat Williams Jason Ferguson Tony Williams Chris Hovan Seth Payne

LB Jeremiah Trotter Ed Hartwell Kendrell Bell Ian Gold Chris Claiborne

S Kenoy Kennedy Adrian Wilson Sammy Knight Idrees Bashir Robert Griffith

CB Samari Rolle Gary Baxter Ken Lucas Fred Smoot Anthony Henry

These are by no means the only quality free agents, but it's a good starting point to watch the signings over the next two weeks.