Free Agency Report - Reinventing the OL

[Discipline of Steel]

Offensive guards

Joe Berger Dallas UFA
Elton Brown Arizona UFA
Milford Brown Jacksonville UFA
Cooper Carlisle Oakland UFA
Damion Cook Detroit UFA
Jahri Evans New Orleans RFA
Jason Fabini Washington UFA
Kynan Forney San Diego UFA
Justin Geisinger Washington RFA
Mike Goff San Diego UFA
Adam Goldberg St. Louis UFA
Chris Gray Seattle UFA
Geoff Hangartner Carolina UFA
Russ Hochstein New England UFA
Richie Incognito St. Louis RFA
Scott Jackson Houston UFA
Adrian Jones Kansas City UFA
Chris Kemoeatu Pittsburgh UFA
Pete Kendall Washington UFA
Evan Mathis Miami UFA
Seth McKinney Cleveland UFA
Chris Naeole Jacksonville UFA
Stephen Peterman Detroit UFA
Scott Peters Arizona UFA
Tutan Reyes Jacksonville UFA
Mark Setterstrom St. Louis RFA
Fred Wakefield Oakland UFA
Jason Whittle Buffalo UFA
Scott Young Cleveland UFA

Offensive tackles

Stacy Andrews Cincinnati UFA
Khalif Barnes* Jacksonville UFA
Wesley Britt New England RFA
Rashad Butler Houston RFA
Vernon Carey Miami UFA
Kirk Chambers Buffalo UFA
Tyson Clabo Atlanta RFA
Marc Colombo Dallas UFA
Willie Colon Pittsburgh RFA
Harvey Dahl Atlanta RFA
Trai Essex Pittsburgh UFA
George Foster Detroit UFA
Wayne Gandy Atlanta UFA
Brandon Gorin St. Louis UFA
Jordan Gross Carolina UFA
Marcus Johnson* Minnesota UFA
Daniel Loper Tennessee UFA
Fred Miller Chicago UFA
Frank Omiyale Carolina UFA
Erik Pears Denver RFA
Donald Penn Tampa Bay RFA
Rob Petitti St. Louis UFA
Jon Runyan Philadelphia UFA
Marvel Smith Pittsburgh UFA
Charles Spencer Jacksonville RFA
John St. Clair Chicago UFA
Max Starks Pittsburgh UFA
Jon Stinchcomb New Orleans UFA
Barry Stokes New England UFA
Zach Strief New Orleans RFA
Mark Tauscher Green Bay UFA
Tra Thomas Philadelphia UFA
Ray Willis Seattle UFA
Floyd Womack Seattle UFA


If we lose all of our OL free agents, there should be significant cap room to sign new bodies. Who to pick? I like Jordan Gross of course but we cant have all the best players can we?

[MeetJoeGreene]

It will be interesting to see how much interest (if any) OUR FA OL generate. I can see Kemo getting some hits, which is why we need to sign him. The rest??? I bet nary a bite.

[Oviedo]

I would not even consider interior OL as part of free agency. We have the following players who can play there Kemo (UFA), Essex (UFA), Stapleton, Colon (RFA), Hartwig and Simmons. As I think Stapleton proved Guard is the easiest position to step in and start playing.

Where we are sucking is at OT. This would be my #1 priority in free agency because I don't buy you can get anyone where we will be drafting in the draft to play LT, Maybe RT but definitely not LT.

I would do the following:

1. Go and get a LT in free agency. If you don't solidify LT then you can't fix the OL. Dumping Marvel Smith and Starks gives you the money you need. I'd even overpay for someone like Jordan Gross (maybe him and Hartwig are buddies from Carolina). This has to happen because you will not get a LT in the draft.
2. Make Kemo a reasonable offer but don't break the bank on him. If he balks move Colon to LG.
3. Resign Trai Essex because he offers the valuable position flexibility to play both Tackle and Guard.
4. Go after a potential starting RT in the one of the first two rounds of the draft depending on players available and their grades. Colon is weak at RT no matter what the coaching staff wants to admit.
5. Make a reasonable offer to retain Marvel Smith. His value will be next to nothing on the open market and he could be a valuable back up or potential starter at RT if he gets his health straight.
6. Renegotiate Simmons' contract at a lower cap hit to keep him. If he balks make him a cap casualty and go after another Guard/Tackle in free agency.

Wildcard: Hills develops into solid Tackle in the off season.