One thing is for certain. This March has been a whole lot better than this time last year for football peeps. Much of the 2012 version of free agency has been spent following the wanderings of Peyton Manning. On Friday, maybe before, the San Francisco 49ers entered that little party. They entered late but I think have the best shot to get the big guy. Manning has to like what Jim Harbaugh has created in San Francisco. The defense, if not the best in the league, is in that discussion. On offense, Frank Gore and Vernon Davis are terrific. The offensive line could soon be dominant. Manning and Randy Moss get football in all the ways that Michael Crabtree doesn't. Hopefully those greats can get that guy on track. A football team led by Harbaugh, Manning and Patrick Willis is a very scary football team. One thing that I found curious about Manning's tour is the frequent visits to Durham, NC for his throwing sessions. What's up with that?
With Manning dropping the Miami Dolphins and the Arizona Cardinals from the chase it has come down to the Denver Broncos, Tennessee Titans and 49ers. It's interesting to see that those three have been somewhat frugal so far in free agency. They certainly weren't alone.
Here's how NFL Free Agency 2012 has gone in the first handful of days. Of course, we lead off with the Minnesota Vikings.
Vikings: TE John Carlson
-with Carlson and Kyle Rudolph the Vikings have their own version of the Patriots' Rob Gronkowski and Anthony Hernandez. I'm real curious to see what offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave is cooking up in Minnesota. Outside of do-everything Percy Harvin they have little proven at receiver.
Tomorrow, the Vikings have a meeting with former Panthers offensive lineman Geoff Schwartz. He's young, versatile and talented. He could help a line that needs some serious improvement. The Vikings need some DBs. There's reported interest in Alan Ball. His versatilty at both CB and S is intriguing. CBs Aaron Ross and William Middleton look interesting. S Reggie Nelson does too. There's a couple linebackers in Stephen Tulloch and David Hawthorne that could help the middle of the Vikings defense. As for receiver, with Mario Manningham now off the market I wouldn't mind Early Doucet or Steve Smith (not the Carolina one) if healthy. Outside of Harvin, Michael Jenkins had a nice rapport with Christian Ponder before he got hurt. Youngsters Emanuel Arcenaux and, in particular, Stephen Burton have nice potential.
Cardinals: G Adam Snyder
-they might be scrambling after missing out on Manning. That whole thing likely did the confidence of Kevin Kolb wonders.
Panthers: S Haruki Nakamura
LB Kenny Onatolo
-well, the special teams got better
Bears: traded for WR Brandon Marshall
QB Jason Campbell
WR Eric Weems
ST Blake Costanzo
-adding Marshall as soon as the gun sounded was one of the big moves of this young offseason. Cutler and Marshall together again. Campbell provides security that really could have helped last year. The Bears are always excellent on special teams. They're coverage units got even better by adding one of the best in Costanzo. If Marshall behaves, the Bears could be very dangerous next year.
Cowboys: CB Brandon Carr
LB Dan Connor
Gs Mackenzy Bernadeau and Nate Livings
S Brodney Pool
QB Kyle Orton
FB Lawrence Vickers
-for a team that might be strapped for salary cap cash due to league sanctions the Cowboys did a bunch. I like Carr a lot but I'm real curious to see how he responds to being one of the highest paid corners. The Chiefs didn't do a lot to keep him. The linebacker group of DeMarcus Ware, Anthony Spencer, Sean Lee and now Connor could challenge the 49ers as best in the league. The defense did a lot to improve, on paper.
Saints: G Ben Grubbs
-the Saints did a great job keeping Marques Colston. Losing G Carl Nicks hurts but they replaced him with a good one in Grubbs.
Giants: TE Martellus Bennett
-the Champs didn't need to do a lot. They have injuries at tight end and they added talent there in Bennett. Plus, they took him from a division opponent, Dallas.
49ers: WR Randy Moss
DB Perrish Cox
RB Rock Cartwright
WR Mario Manningham
-Moss will be key. I've followed that crazy kid, very closely for a very long time. I can't believe that it's been over a decade since his unbelievably explosive early days in Minnesota. The 49ers under Harbaugh provide a football environment that Moss will embrace. He's an incredibly smart receiver and football player. If Crabtree can pull his head out of his ass and follow Moss, the 49ers might finally see the talented receiver that they thought they drafted. If they add Manning and he can play like he can play, the 49ers become the Super Bowl favorites. Manningham could be catching passes from his second Manning.
Rams: CB Cortland Finnegan
C Scott Wells
DT Kendall Langford
-Finnegan is an excellent signing.
Seahawks: DT Jason Jones
-I've thought of Jones as an emerging lineman. I guess that he wanted out of Tennessee.
Buccaneers: WR Vincent Jackson
G Carl Nicks
CB Eric Wright
QB Dan Orlovsky
-the Buccaneers had a ton of money to spend. They spent a lot of it. Jackson and Nicks, with Manning and Mario Williams, were the biggest names in free agency. I'm not sure about spending the kind of money it took to get a receiver that's a whisper from 30. It was a five-year contract but the Buccaneers are probably only looking at about three at the level that Jackosn has been playing. Nicks is awesome. The Buccaneers have a lot of young talent. I'm still at a loss as to why they were so horrible last year. Maybe it was all on then head coach Raheem Morris.
Redskins: WR Pierre Garcon
WR Josh Morgan
S Brandon Merriweather
CB CedricGriffin
-the Redskins are the other team that was looking at salary camp sanctions. Like the Cowboys, it didn't stop them. They were the most active on the first day. Brandon Carr and Pierre Garcon were at the top of my Vikings wish list. I'm glad that the Vikings didn't get in a bidding war with owners, Dan Snyder and Jerry Jones, that rarely lose bidding wars. If Morgan can stay healthy he could be terrific.
Bills: DE Mario Williams
-this was the big one. Williams spent about three days at the Bills facility before he signed his contract. I always wonder if kidnapping charges can be filed when that happens. Very suspicious. 6 years for anywhere from 96-100million dollars. 50 of that guaranteed. He's now the highest paid defensive player in the league. It's funny now, and in my opinion always was funny, that the Houston Texans were widely criticized for taking Williams ahead of Reggie Bush in the draft. It just goes to show you once again that the media rarely knows a thing. One of the wonderful developments of the 2011 season was the emergence of the Texans' defense. Most of that was done without Williams. Proof again of how good Wade Phillips is as a defensive coordinator. Williams was very good as a 3-4 linebacker. He's even better as a 4-3 defensive end. The Bills got themselves a terrific football player.
Bengals: G Travelle Wharton
CB Jason Allen
-the Bengals were asleep until yesterday
Browns: DEs Frostee Rucker and Juqua Parker
-Frostee and Juqua rushing the passer!
Broncos: S Mike Adams
-probably waiting on Manning. I wonder what Tim Tebow is thinking.
Colts: DE Cory Redding
S Tom Zbikowski
-I really like both of these signings. New coach Chuck Pagano know them well as he coached them both as defensive coordinator of the Baltimore Ravens. With Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis I have to think that Redding will move inside from his 3-4 end position with the Ravens.
Jaguars: WR Laurent Robinson
QB Chad Henne
-for a young, emerging receiver it's puzzling that Robinson is with his fifth team. Was last year's breakout a mirage. He's also had potential. Maybe he's just now "getting" the NFL. If he continues to improve Blaine Gabbert should be happy. Gabbert probaly was the most shaky of the rookie QBs last year. Henne will push him and provide insurance. Both are smart signings.
Chiefs: TE Kevin Boss
RB Peyton Hillis
QB Brady Quinn
T Eric Winston
-the Chiefs really wanted to sign John Carlson. He apparently cut his Kansas City visit short to fly to Minnesota. I like hearing those things but only when it's in the Vikings favor. Boss was the fall back but a very good fall back. Hillis is very talented and a bit crazy. Winston is a nice addition.
Dolphins: DB Richard Marshall
-like the other teams hoping for Manning I think that the Dolphins were holding off doing other things. Marshall's a very good football player.
Patriots: DLs Jonathan Fanene, Marcus Harrison and Trevor Scott
S Steve Gregory
WR Anthony Gonzalez
WR Brandon Lloyd
-players that interest Bill Belichick always interest me. He's able to see players more in terms of what they can do in specific situations rather than what they have done. Sometimes he'll gamble on his team's ability to influence a talented head case. Albert Haynesworth and Adalius Thomas. Sometimes they work, Randy Moss. Sometimes they don't, Haynesworth, Thomas. Anyway, his interest in Gregory prompted me to look at the player more closely. I like the kid and I wish that I had followed him more. I was only really familar with Eric Weddle in the Chargers defensive backfield. I think that Fanene will be a very good player for the Patriots. Gonzalez too.
Jets: WR Chaz Schilens
QB Drew Stanton
-I like Schilens
Raiders: CB Ron Bartell
G Mark Briesel
-the Raiders had to cut so much salary to get under the cap that they couldn't really do too much. They didn't.
Chargers: LB Jarrett Johnson
FB LeRon McClain
WRs Robert Meachem, Eddie Royal
QB Charlie Whitehurst
S Atari Bigby
-I think that Chargers general manager is an ass so I like it when his moves look like ones made by an ass. I was disappointed with what the Chargers have done so far. They lost Vincent Jackson but they got younger and perhaps more versatile with Meachem and Royal. Meachem, although not as big, provides the same sort of deep threat as Jackson. Royal could be dynamite with Philip Rivers. Johnson and McClain are terrific football players. Adding Whitehurst is interesting. A few years ago, the Chargers were grooming him as a very good backup to Rivers when they Seahawks came calling. They wanted that potential franchise QB and saw it in Whitehurst. The Cardianls saw it too. A minor bidding war brought a decent return to the Chargers. The Seahawks got their potential franchise guy only to replace him with Tarvaris Jackson a year later. Now the Chargers get him back and the Seahawks are now chasing after Matt Flynn.
Titans: G Steve Hutchisnon
-the last team waiting on Manning. I hope that Hutchinson ends his career on a high note. I loved his time with the Vikings. He and Antoine Winfield were, by far, the Vikings greatest free agent additions. Hutchinson should end up in Canton. I wish that something could have been worked out between the Vikings and Hutchinson. Fantastic football player. He visited the Seahawks. I'm glad that he didn't return to them. He deserves better. If Manning doesn't go to San Francisco, I like him in Tennessee with Hutchinson.
The Falcons, Lions, Eagles, Packers, Ravens, Texans and Steelers have done nothing but sign their own free agents, so far. The Eagles went insane last summer so that could be the reason for sitting quiet. The Lions wisely spent their cap space for the next half dozen years on an extension with Calvin Johnson. The Falcons, Packers, Ravens, Texans and Steelers are in pretty good to great shape and can wait for the bargains and/or the draft.
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