Desperate Times, Risky Measures - Thoughts on the First Two Days of NFL Free Agency

Boy is it good to have football back.  The lockout wasn't fun for anyone, but it's resulted in a convergence of free agency and training camp that is making for the most exciting week of offseason football in league history.

The biggest news so far (outside of New England, at least), was the inevitable decision by the Cardinals to trade for Kevin Kolb.  To get their supposed quarterback of the future, Arizona gave up Domonique Rodgers-Cromartie and a 2nd round pick.  To cast an objective eye on this big decision, let's compare the statistics of four anonymous career backup quarterbacks who were traded for an expensive package in the past decade:

Player	G	GS	Cmp	Att	Cmp%	Yds	TD	Int	Rate	Y/A
Player A	7	5	96	168	57.10%	1,154	8	6	79.3	6.9
Player B	19	7	194	319	60.80%	2,082	11	14	73.2	6.5
Player C	38	2	84	161	52.20%	1,033	6	6	69.2	6.4
Player D	30	15	349	555	62.90%	3,946	23	13	88.2	7.1

You Lose Some, You Win Some

WE'RE BAAAAAAAAAACK!!!!!!!!!

As we enter what will undoubtedly be the craziest offseason period in NFL history, let's take a look at the losers and winners of the NFL lockout.

LOSERS

  

Rookies - The long-overdue installation of a rookie wage scale really hurts top draft picks.  As I tweeted on Saturday, #1 overall pick Cam Newton would have received $13 million per year in the old system.  With the wage scale, he will now get $5.5 million annually.  Even undrafted free agents took a hit, as signing bonuses for those players are now severely limited.
The good news is that once a player earns a roster spot, his minimum salary is significantly higher.  And the money that would normally go to athletes who have yet to play the game will now fund the retirement benefits of those who have left it.  And that's how it should be. 

Rebuilding franchises - You're naive if you think new coaches like Ron Rivera and Pat Shurmur haven't been communicating with their young QBs during the lockout.  But playbook copies and discreet phone conversations can't replace the on-field instruction of lost OTAs.  Teams like the Panthers and Browns will start off a step behind more established franchises. 

Coaches - Back in March, I expected coaches to bear the burden of the labor concessions, and indeed they did.  The new limits on padded practices won't have as big of an impact as some think because the game has progressed past the militaristic boot camps of the last century.  Still, every coach wants as much time on the practice field as possible, pads or not.  The elimination of two-a-days will make it tougher for coaches to hammer their principles and plans home.  I still think it's a disagrace that the men who control the games have no voice at the bargaining table. 

KID League Draft Recap

Each year, eleven of my best friends and I participate in a keeper league fantasy football league, dubbed the "Keeper? I Don't Even Like Her!" League (KID League, for short).  This post, recapping the live draft we at a bachelor party in the Poconos last Saturday, is for them.

BEST PICKS

1. Stevie Johnson, Round 3 (Colin) - Johnson broke out in his 3rd year with 1,073 yards and 10 TDs and is returning with the same QB and coaches.  And yet people passed on him for Mario Manningham and Michael Crabtree.  Believe it or not, receiving yards in Buffalo count just as much as they do in New York.

2. Sidney Rice, Round 4 (Superior) - Rice caught 1,312 yards two years ago.  He carries an injury risk, but so do Percy Harvin and Austin Collie, two receivers taken a round before him.
3. Anthony Armstrong, Round 10 (Colin) - Armstrong's receiving yards per game in his first NFL season: 58.  Tampa Bay's Mike Williams: 60.  I'd rather have Armstrong in the 10th round than Williams in the 1st.

4. Beanie Wells, Round 7 (Dave) - I drafted Ryan Williams two rounds earlier, but there's still a good chance that Wells finally rewards the Cardinals big investment in him.
5. Roy Helu, Round 8 (Stratis) - The Redskins backfield, and offense in general, is a mess, but I bet Helu gets enough trips on Mike Shanahan's RB carousel to become a decent flex player.

WORST PICKS 

I did not have a gripe with many of the early round picks, but there were some real questionable decisions in the mid to late rounds.

1. New England DEF, Round 7 (Hunt) - Even if I did support taking a top defense early, the Patriots are not a top defense.  They were 8th in the NFL in points allowed last year and 25th in yards allowed.  If you're going to reach for a defense, at least pick a decent one.