SB Nation - DeWayne Robertson

Jets Flight Connections 120909

dvdvil — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 15:52:00 -0000

Rich Cimini wants QB Mark Sanchez to sit out on Sunday. He also turns an innocent compliment by FB Tony Richardson on the running game into a negative assessment of WR Braylon Edwards.

Peter King is impressed with the Jets rushing offense, and especially with OL Coach Bill Callahan.

RB Thomas Jones is performing very well and is up for another FedEx Ground Player award. He won this before in Week 6. Vote for him here. Vote early and often.

And I also want to remind everyone that so far, only G Alan Faneca is leading the Jets in the ProBowl voting. Vote for Revis, C Nick Mangold, LB David Harris and other deserving Jets here.

Jets practice squad FB Jason Davis also likes the run game and prepares like a starter. Another young guy on the squad is LB Jamaal Westerman, and I found this article on him.

Dave Hutchinson takes a quick look at the next game and reiterates that CB Darrelle Revis could be considered the NFL Defensive Player of the Year.

Mark Cannizzaro lauds HC Rex Ryan's in-game defensive adjustments. Larry to the Izzo compares Rex to Bill Belichick.

But Newsday's Roderick Boone says don't believe the Jets defense hype. (You can't actually read the full article without paying. Seriously, what the hell, Newsday?)

Maybe he's got a point, because despite the stats, the Jets are just a .500 team.

Hopefully, that will change on Sunday. Obviously, we are expected to beat Tampa Bay.

More connections after the jump.

Nick Mangold, Giants TE Kevin Boss and CB Corey Webster, the teams's owners and some fans stepped onto the field yesterday. Mangold talks about the stadium in this video.

The New Meadowlands Stadium will have removable endzone and midfield turfs. We will actually be seeing the Jets logo at the 50 yard line next year.

Find out more about the field turf here.

Some NFL kickers will not miss the current stadium and the swirling winds within it.

Sports Illustrated rates the Dewayne Robertson draft pick as the worst trade of the decade. Meanwhile, the Patriots are pretty much the best everything. Oh, and they also talk about this thing called SpyGate.

The branches of the Belichick coaching tree are not getting along.

In the loss to the Dolphins, are the Patriots players to blame and not the coaches?

Examiner.com blames last year's Jets meltdown not on QB Brett Favre, but on Jones and Coles. Vikings TE Vishanthe Shiancoe is confident the same thing won't happen in Minnesota.

WR Laveranues Coles is still adjusting to the Bengals system. His teammate Chad Ochocinco is having fun in Cincinnati - and paying for it.

Are we rooting for the Browns on Thursday? Steelers WR Hines Ward might miss that game.

Lastly, Kerry Locklin, we hardly knew ya.

The Season May Rest on Sione Pouha's Shoulders

John B — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 13:15:22 -0000

More photos » by Bill Kostroun - AP

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Kris Jenkins was valuable in two different ways for the Jets. The first was his playmaking ability. He has unusual athleticism for a man of his size combined with great strength that allow him to overwhelm opponent blocking schemes even when double teamed. The Jets aren't going to be able to replace that. The second thing Jenkins brought was an ability to tie up blockers. Since he was such a dominant force, opponents had to dedicate at least two men to him on pretty much every play. Every blocker dedicated to Jenkins is not going to affect anybody else on the play, making life easier on the rest of the defense. The Jets have one man potentially capable of doing that, Sione Pouha.

I keep thinking back to the game in which Pouha saw his most extensive work, Week 16 of the lost 2007 season at Tennessee. Pouha led the Jets with 7 tackles that day and helped the team control the line of scrimmage for the first time all year as the Dewayne Robertson nose tackle experiement ended as a failure. Since then, the Jets have acquired Jenkins. Pouha didn't play much until Sunday, when again he held the point of attack.

I'm sure we'll see the Jets experiment a lot with different fronts. I've heard a lot of people suggest they'll show more 4-3 looks, but they were already showing them. This defense isn't Eric Mangini's where everybody must line up in the same spot on every play. The scheme might not change much. The team just needs Pouha to play with enough leverage to control the point of attack and free up other guys to make plays. The Jets will miss Jenkins' playmaking ability a lot, but if Pouha steps up, this defense can still be good, and this team can still have a good year.

Do you think Pouha can step up?

Options to replace injured Rams

VanRam — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 12:03:35 -0000

More photos » by Al Behrman - AP

St. Louis Rams running back Samkon Gado has a rib injury. How will it impact the Rams backup RB situation?

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It's a big day today for the St. Louis Rams as they shave 21 players off their roster to meet the league's deadline for finalizing their 53-man roster before the start of the regular season. Overlapping that imposing deadline is the news that DT Adam Carriker could be out for a while with a shoulder injury and Samkon Gado, the backup runner, is nursing a cartilage damage in his rib cage. Rams GM Billy Devaney and Co. are going to be very busy today.

First, Gado. There's possibly some good news there as the official Rams site says that it's mostly a pain tolerance issue for Gado. Of course, for a running back, pain in the rib cage could be pretty dicey. I'm not convinced enough by Gado to minimize anything that could slow him down. Roster cuts always carry a potential solution or two at running back, so keep an eye on what names emerge this weekend. Gado is going to test it out in practice this week, which means a move on this front might not happen immediately. The free agent scrap pile doesn't have much left on it at the moment - Shuan Alexander anyone? - outside of some oldsters and guys who once shined in Denver's infamous system. Here's a report from Scout.com looking at some names that might be job hunting after cuts today. Running backs of interest on that list include: Jamal Lewis, Justin Fargas, Chris Henry (TEN), and Lorenzo Booker.

Fargas is the most complete, and a reduced role would cut down on the injury risk. Henry is fast and could do special teams work.

As far as Carriker goes, they could stick him on IR and go with the four DTs we mentioned yesterday. That looks kind of like an expansion team list of DTs. From that same Scout.com report, Oakland's Terdell Sands could be a roster cut, and would be an upgrade in the run stopper role. The Browns might be looking to trade Corey Williams who doesn't have a place in their new 3-4. He'd be more of the gap shooting type DT. Former Jets and Broncos DT Dewayne Robertson is still out there, sitting by his phone waiting for a call from some team desperate at DT.

One thing that helps the Rams at DT is the fact that Spags and Flajole like to use DEs in those spots on blitz packages. That could have an impact on roster decisions.

Stay tuned. We've got you covered.

Shaun Ellis' Suspension Makes Week 1 a Potentially Defining Moment for Sione Pouha

John B — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 11:57:45 -0000

More photos » by Bill Kostroun - AP

Rex Ryan will get a good look at Sione Pouha against the Texans.

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The Shaun Ellis suspension might give Sione Pouha one last chance to make an impact with the Jets. Terry Bradway took Pouha in the third round of the 2005 Draft to help replace departed Jason Ferguson. He made little impact in his rookie season. His second year was spent on injured reserve after Pouha tore his ACL. 2007 appeared to be a breakout campaign. Eric Mangini was hesitant to turn to him with Dewayne Robertson struggling. However, Pouha played himself into the lineup late in the season, appearing to come of age in a Week 16 game at Tennessee in which he dominated the point of attack playing on the nose and registered eight tackles.

This seemed to suggest big things for Pouha in the future. Based on the way he finished the season, it seemed like he had a shot to crack the starting lineup in 2008 or play an integral role in a rotation. The coup of a trade for Kris Jenkins ended that possibility, but it seemed like Sione would be a perfect backup. He would be able to give Jenkins rest. It didn't work out that way. The Jets consistently lost the battle up front with Pouha spelling Jenkins on the nose. The Jets couldn't give Jenkins more rest when he got dinged up late in the season because Pouha could not provide a stable anchor. The new coaching staff brought in a new reserve tackle, Howard Green, to take Sione's role.

Because of his experience, Pouha is likely to make the roster. How much of a role he will play is unknown. He will have a golden opportunity in the first game. Shaun Ellis is suspended. The Jets will be running short on bodies. Nobody else at end is anything more than a rotational player. Pouha will probably get a shot. If he succeeds, perhaps he'll play a role with the 2009 Jets. If not, his time in green and white will probably be that much closer to ending.

The Top Five Second Guess New York Jets Roster Moves This Decade

John B — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 17:09:36 -0000

More photos » by Stephan Savoia - AP

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Second guesses are pointless. There's nothing less constructive you can ever do than look back at the past and complain about something that didn't happen. You can always make the right moves with hindsight. Hitting 100% of your decisions is impossible. With that said, today we're going to look back at the five most questionable roster moves or non moves the Jets have made this decade. Who ever said fans have to be rationale or spend time productively?

On this list, I have only included moves that have hurt the team that frustrated me at the time.

5. The Vilma trade:

I know the talking points. People say Jonathan Vilma is better in the 4-3. I think the team gave up on him in the 3-4 too soon. Part of his problem was the lack of supporting talent. It's tough to play linebacker when linemen are blowing Dewayne Robertson off the ball and getting to you easily. Vilma would have had much more room to operate if he ever got the chance to play behind Kris Jenkins. I get that David Harris is a better inside linebacker in the 3-4, but there are two inside linebackers in the scheme. Jon's life would have been easier next to Harris. Opponents would have had to make Harris the focal point instead of Vilma. Look at how successful opposing tight ends were against the Jets in 2008. Do you mean to tell me the Jets wouldn't have been better with Vilma and his cover skills in the lineup instead of Eric Barton? Barton wasn't the reason Gang Green was so good against the run.

4. The Pete Kendall fiasco:

The offensive line was one of the biggest question marks entering the 2006 season. It ended up being one of the team's primary strengths and one of the foremost reasons Gang Green had a surprising 10 win Playoff season. Kendall was a source of stability starting between a pair of rookies. During the offseason, the Jets had plenty of cap room. Kendall asked for a $1 million raise. A year earlier, Kendall reworked his deal when the Jets were in trouble with the cap. Instead of rewarding Pete by quietly giving him a raise, the team took a hard line and turned it into a public standoff. Kendall kept taking shots at the front office in the media. Eric Mangini stripped him of his starting spot and made him stay in the rookie dorms at training camp. Eventually, the Jets traded Pete to Washington for a fifth round pick. The team had no replacement at left guard. Adrien Clarke took over the slot and played brutally. He was out of the league the next year. The line took a major step back. The team went 4-12 and had to give Alan Faneca a megadeal during the offseason to address the position. If only the Jets had been willing to pay that $1 million, they could have avoided this.

3. The Justin McCareins trade:

The Jets needed a starting wide receiver. Terry Bradway gave up a second round pick for a guy who couldn't catch a cold and got progressively worse in each of his four seasons in New York. The same offseason, Baltimore was willing to part with a second round pick for Terrell Owens.

2. Bryan Thomas over Ed Reed:

It's tough to go crazy over misses in the Draft. Great players get passed over by a lot of teams. It's impossible to tell who will turn into a great player and who will be a bust. The Jets' first round pick in 2002 made no sense at the time, though. Gang Green had struggled to find quality safety play for years. The front office tried everything from signing a proven veteran like Steve Atwater and even trying to convert a college quarterback, Scott Frost. Nothing worked. Reed was the top rated safety in the Draft and fell to 22. I would understand it if the Jets looked to address another positon, but they took a defensive end, Thomas, even though they already had a pair of promising young defensive ends starting for them, Shaun Ellis and John Abraham. I think drafting by need is usually a mistake, but this was a case where best player met need. The Jets went instead to a position at which they were sent. Reed has a Defensive Player of the Year Award and five All Pro selections. Would he have been as good developing with the Jets instead of with the surrounding talent on the Ravens? Maybe not but how great would it have be to see Reed and Kerry Rhodes lining up next to each other?

1. Not trading for Randy Moss:

Nobody ever thinks of this, but the Jets were a very logical fit for Randy Moss after the 2006 season. They were an up and coming team after a surprising Playoff run. It looked like they were emerging as a legitimate challenger in the AFC East after an upset win in Foxborough in the regular season and a competitive showing up there in the Playoffs. What the Jets lacked was a gamebreaking player on offense. The Raiders were ready to give Randy Moss away. Moss wanted to go to a contender. The Jets had a ton of cap space. Moss played with Chad Pennington in college. Talk all you want about Chad's arm strength. He can get the ball 40 yards down the field. It doesn't matter how badly the ball is thrown. Moss can readjust and outleap anybody on a jump ball. Gang Green had a stable locker room after a Playoff year. The Jets could have annouced to the league they were contenders by making the bold splash of trading for Randy. Instead, the team traded for Thomas Jones and picked up assorted journeymen to fill out the roster. There was no bold move that offseason. The coaching staff and front office seemed to get arrogant. The Jets didn't have a ton of talent in 2006, and the men in charge thought the surprising run was due to coaching, not a ridiculously soft schedule. They thought they could turn any group into a winner. They were wrong. Moss went to New England and blew the gap between the teams wide open once again. The Jets gave up a fourth round pick for Kevan Barlow but wouldn't for Randy Moss.

What move or non move since 2000 frustrates you most? Have I missed something that should be here? Am I being too hard on the front office on some of these?

Around the AFC East, Week 8: DT Rankings

John B — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 12:00:25 -0000

More photos » by Bill Kostroun - AP

The thought of coaching Kris Jenkins has to bring a smile to Rex's face.

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Tackles serve as the anchor of the defense, especially in a 3-4 scheme, which 75% of the AFC East employs. There are some real heavyweights lining up in the trenches in this division both literally and figuratively. Joined by The Phinsider, Buffalo Rumblings, and Pats Pulpit, Around the AFC East ranks the starting tackles across the division this week.

1. New York Jets

Kris Jenkins takes the top spot here. He single handedly transformed the Jets' run defense from abysmal to elite last season. He was such a disruptive force that he garnered MVP talk well into November. Even though he wore down late in the year, the Jets still gave up the least yards per carry and fewest yards per game in the division. What sets Jenkins apart, though, is his versatility. He has made the Pro Bowl playing two very different versions of tackle. In Carolina, he was an elite 4-3 undertackle, assigned with the task of winning one on one matchups and getting into the backfield. In New York, his job was to plug the nose of the 3-4, absorbing and shedding multiple blockers on any given play. The two spots require different skillsets. Jenkins has it all, speed, agility, power, and strength and has thrived at both positions. I'm not sure any other tackle in this division could dominate at both positions the way Kris has.

2. New England Patriots

If we included depth, the Pats would probably top the list. Not only do they have a 27 year old Pro Bowler in Vince Wilfork, they picked Boston College tackle Ron Brace in the second round of the 2009 Draft. Brace was overshadowed by his teammate B.J. Raji, but BC had one of the nation's top five run defenses when Raji was suspended in 2007 in no small part because of Brace. As things are, Wilfork deserves mention as one of the game's best nose tackles. Bill Belichick's 3-4 is built on a difficult to block front three. Wilfork has been the foundation for a few years now. Jarrod Mayo was one of the toasts of the NFL during his rookie year. Not to take anything away from the outstanding 2008 he had, but Wilfork tying up blockers played a big role in his rookie success.

3. Miami Dolphins

The fact Jason Ferguson only rates third here says more about the depth of the position in the East than anything bad about Ferguson. It took the Jets three years until the Jenkins trade to adequately replace him when he bolted for Dallas after the 2004 season. That 2004 campaign was the only one in which Dewayne Robertson looked like he might deliver on his top five pick promise. Robertson's success came in no small part because he played next to Ferguson, who ate up blockers. With the Cowboys and Dolphins, he has been nothing less than a solid 3-4 nose tackle. He doesn't have Jenkins' quickness or playmaking ability and is smaller and less stout than Wilfork. Still, you could do a lot worse than Ferguson.

Being a Yankees fan, I want my team to acquire every available player. When I heard the Dolphins got Jason for a late pick last year, I wished the Jets had made that move so he could back up Jenkins. Salary cap be darned. After the way Jenkins wore down at the end of the year, tell me this would have been a bad idea.

4. Buffalo Bills

Marcus Stroud would rate much higher in other divisions. He's a nice centerpiece in a 4-3 scheme. However, neither he nor Kyle Williams put up a high sack total a year ago, and the Bills ranked last in the division in yards allowed per carry and yards allowed per game. Does anybody really think these two are going to get Buffalo out of the cellar this year with all of the talent at the position in this division?

What do you think? Agree? Disagree? Let me know in the comments, and if you have your own analysis, create a free account and make a FanPost on the right hand side of the page.

Poll

Who is the division's best tackle?

Kris Jenkins

202 votes

Vince Wilfork

71 votes

Jason Ferguson

27 votes

Marcus Stroud

27 votes

327 votes | Poll has closed

Cowboys Defense: Who Will Back Up The Rat?

Carl Shelton (GloryDayz88) — Fri, 22 May 2009 02:14:57 -0000

Well, the NFL Draft came and went, and the Cowboys never selected that unnamed mammoth defensive tackle whom everyone outside the organization had declared a must-have. Instead the Cowboys apparently appear comfortable doing battle with Jay Ratliff, and whoever emerges and separates himself from the pack of no-names at defensive tackle. Ratliff made it through last season virtually injury-free, and also avoided any type of late season decline. Ratliff may not be so lucky on the injury front this season. Following his first Pro Bowl selection, the Rat may have a slightly bigger target on his back, and may also see a few changes in the way other teams scheme against him. Jay Ratliff needs an occasional breather, and the team needs to know that they have someone on board who can step in should Ratliff miss any time due to injury. The Cowboys have got to get this fixed.

Maybe the team already has this fixed. They are the ones who deal with these players on a day-to-day basis. The Cowboys coaching staff has tape of every down any of these have ever played since college. Maybe there is someone on this roster already whom the team feels is the answer.

A bigger defensive tackle would add a lot to the team in the way of variety and flexibility. A larger nose tackle would at the very least give the opposing offense something different to think about whenever Ratliff comes up for air. The team has not openly expressed a lot of interest in moving Jay Ratliff outside on occasion, but having another capable nose would at least make that a possibility.

Fifth-year veteran Tim Anderson recently underwent toe surgery that will keep him out of action for up to three months. He was a long shot to make the squad before the injury, and has virtually no chance now. Tyler Casey is a converted offensive lineman from La Salle. Good luck finding any information on Casey. You know it's bad when you don't even have a bio on the team's website.

As it sits now the backup NT position is a two-horse race between the only two giant space-eaters on the team, Junior Siavii, and the newly acquired Jonas Seawright. Siavii last recorded at chartable statistic in 2005 as a Kansas City Chief. Seawright was last seen as a New York Giant in 2006, the season in which he recorded his only career tackle.

There is little nose tackle talent still to be had by way of free agency. Career underachiever DeWayne Robertson is still available, but he is the only notable name on the market. Look for the Cowboys to closely monitor the waiver wire all off season long. Maybe a solid veteran will eventually shake loose. At least in the eyes of those outside the organization, the Cowboys do not at this time have a viable backup for Jay Ratliff.

Updating the Panthers Team Needs

Jaxon — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 21:11:06 -0000

Let's start with what Fox Sports has listed as the Panthers Top 3 needs at the moment:

1. Defensive end: It's still uncertain what will happen with franchise player Julius Peppers, but either way the Panthers need to add a pass rusher. It's unlikely another team will sign Peppers to an offer sheet (that would cost them two first-round picks) but it's very possible another team would be willing to work out a deal for less. This might stretch for a few weeks, but if the Panthers do the deal they'd like to have it done before the draft. Even if Peppers stays, the Panthers still need another pass rusher. If he goes, they really need one.

If and when Peppers leaves DE suddenly becomes our biggest need. I wouldn't be surprised to see the Panthers execute one of their patented draft day trades to move up and get the guy they want. The only draw back is that this draft is not loaded with edge rushers so they may actually have to look for value here in the later rounds.

2. Defensive tackle: The Panthers don't have much depth behind starters Damione Lewis and Maake Kemoeatu, so look for them to add a mid-level veteran free agent to the mix. Last year they signed Darwin Walker and Ian Scott. Scott got hurt in training camp and was cut. Walker faded as the season went on and won't be re-signed.

No one doubts this is a huge need and many mock drafts have the Panthers taking a DT early. On the FA side, the rumor is the Panthers are interested in Dewayne Robertson:

Foremost among that group, according to two sources, is former No. 4 overall pick Dewayne Robertson, recently cut by Denver. The Panthers have told his representatives they're interested (they're allowed to since Robertson was cut), but not for the first few days.

This could be a good move but I would still want them to add a 1^st day draft pick to the mix. An inside push is critical to the Tampa 2 defense so the Panthers have a lot of work to do here.

3. Offensive line depth: The Panthers cut Jeremy Bridges on Wednesday (Feb. 26) and with Geoff Hangartner (signed with Bills) and Frank Omiyale (signed with Bears) gone, the Panthers have lost their depth on the O-line. They will look to add a few younger players here and they did draft two guys last year in the seventh round -- tackle Geoff Schwartz and guard Mackenzy Bernadeau -- although neither played in 2008.

This didn't seem like much of a need until the Panthers made their cuts and other teams pounced on our unsigned FA's. I can almost guarantee the Panthers will spend another late round pick or two on offensive line depth. I also wouldn't be surprised to see them bring Bridges back at a lower price if he doesn't get any looks elsewhere. I will be curious to see how last year 7^th round picks Schwartz and Bernadeau progress up the depth chart (if at all).

I'm thinking our #4 team need is Cornerback. It's pretty safe to say the only reason CB Ken Lucas is still on the roster is the Panthers are still looking to move him or maybe package him in the Peppers deal. There is no other reason to keep him on the roster since they have already made it clear they want to move him. I don't see the Panthers spending an early pick on the position but they will add some depth for the nickel-back position in case CJ Wilson can't make that move. Given the Tampa 2 relies on good tacklers versus ‘shut down' corners I expect Gamble and Marshall to be the starting corners with maybe a FA being signed to play the nickel this season.

5^th Team Need is WR. I'm not convinced the Panthers are more than two deep at this position. Though I would like to think either Dwayne Jarrett, Ryne Robinson or Jason Carter are quality slot receivers none are proven over a season and none could fill in adequately should one of the top 2 go down. I'll tell you though; I would have a hard time signing off on a high pick for a WR when there are so many other pressing needs on defense. But if one of the top speed guys was there it could pay big dividends on the offense.

So let's hear it Panther fans. I'm sure some votes for a QB will be one that gets discussed. Agree? Disagree? Check my new poll in the right sidebar on this issue as well.

Chiefs Not the Busiest but Having the Best Off Season in the AFC West

Chris Thorman — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 13:59:08 -0000

I know it's always fun to give Broncos, Raiders and Chargers fans a good ribbing now and then about their respective teams but the joke is really on the AFC West.

The Chargers, 8-8 last year, won their final four games of the year to snatch the divisional crown away from the bumbling Broncos. The Chiefs and Raiders were never in it. As a whole, the teams of the AFC West averaged about 5.5 wins each last year and no team's record was over .500.

So, you'd expect a lot of changes in personnel in the AFC West after such a poor showing by, well, everyone. The Broncos have been by far the busiest AFC West team in free agency and the activity dwindles as you go from the Chiefs, to the Raiders and to the Chargers.

The Chiefs cut a few salary cap heavy veterans and traded for a franchise quarterback and a defensive leader. Not too shabby for the first three days of free agency.

Let's see how the rest of the AFC West fared in the first wave of free agency.

Denver Broncos

Cap space before free agency: ~$37 million

ADDITIONS (8)	SUBTRACTIONS (15)	RE-SIGNED (0)
RB J.J. Arrington (FA, ARZ) RB Correll Buckhalter (FA, PHI) WR Jabar Gaffney (FA, NE) FS Renaldo Hill (FA, MIA) G Matt McChesney (waivers, MIA) LS Lonie Paxton (FA, NE) DT Darrell Reid (FA, IND) S Brian Dawkins (FA, PHI)	RB Anthony Aldridge (waivers, WSH) CB Dré Bly (cut) DE John Engelberger (cut) CB Domonique Foxworth (FA, BAL) RB Alex Haynes (cut) TE Nate Jackson (cut) LB Niko Koutouvides (cut) S John Lynch (retired) S Marquand Manuel (cut) TE Chad Mustard (cut) RB P.J. Pope (cut) DT Dewayne Robertson (cut) WR Cliff Russell (cut) DT Josh Shaw (cut) LB Jamie Winborn (cut)

It says something about how unhappy your new head coach is with the team when there have been 23 transactions on your team and nobody was re-signed. New Denver head coach Josh McDaniels wants no part of Mike Shanahan's legacy, even QB Jay Cutler.

Brian Dawkins is a decorated safety who will turn 36-years old in October. J.J. Arrington and Correll Buckhalter are the exact type of running backs you'd expect the old Broncos to sign (and subsequently get injured). Considering Denver was down to it's 7th running back or something close to that last year, it's probably a good idea to nab at least two of them in free agency.

To add to those sub par signings, WR Brandon Marshall was arr ested over the weekend and charged with disorderly conduct. ESPN is speculating that an 8-game suspension in 2009 could be in order for Marshall. Whatever the punishment is, it's good to see a great rival WR go down the tubes. Even if nothing comes of this latest arrest, you know Marshall is going to get arrested again. And again. And again. He's that stupid.

Verdict: Lots of movement by the Broncos but little of it was in a forward direction.

Oakland Raiders

Cap space before free agency: ~$8 million

ADDITIONS (1)	SUBTRACTIONS (5)	RE-SIGNED (3)
QB Bruce Gradkowski (waivers, CLE)	WR Ronald Curry (cut) DE Kalimba Edwards (cut) FB Justin Griffith (cut) OT Kwame Harris (cut) S Gibril Wilson (cut, MIA)	CB Nnamdi Asomugha CB Chris Johnson P Shane Lechler

If it wasn't for the whole winning thing or putting together a solid football team, it wouldn't be that bad to be an Oakland Raider. CB Nnamdi Asomugha was re-signed in mid-February to a deal that guarantees him $28.5 million in the first two years of his contract. I mean, if you hang around in Oakland for a couple of seasons and keep your mouth shut, Al Davis is going to throw you a bunch of cash.

Right now, the Raiders don't even enter my thoughts as AFC West competitors. And they probably won't until Al Davis leaves his ownership post. Despite putting together a Super Bowl team in the early part of this decade, Davis has fallen even further off of literal rocker in the last few seasons.

Verdict: Still the Raiders, which is like being the Keystone Cops of the NFL.

San Diego Chargers

Cap space before free agency: ~$14 million

ADDITIONS (0)	SUBTRACTIONS (1)	RE-SIGNED (1)
	LB Anthony Waters (cut)	G Kynan Forney

The big news isn't about any of the Charger's moves but only about one potential move- LaDainian Tomlinson. Rumors have surfaced mentioning the New Orleans Saints as a potential LT landing spot but nothing concrete has occurred. Moving LT would be contract related, as the Chargers will have to re-sign QB Philip Rivers to a huge contract next season.

The Chargers were the most stable team personnel wise in the AFC West, which may account for part of their lack of activity in free agency.

Verdict: Still the most talented team in the AFC West but the gap is closing quickly.

Poll

Which AFC West team did the best in the first wave of free agency?

Chiefs

930 votes

Raiders

4 votes

Broncos

160 votes

Chargers

7 votes

1101 votes | Poll has closed

Denver Broncos--Monitoring Team Needs--Free Agency to the 2009 Draft

Jeremy Bolander — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 19:09:17 -0000

Keeping track of a team's dynamic roster gain/loss throughout the offseason is one of the keys to understanding their draft day moves and choices. Enter Monitoring Team Needs, an at-a-glance way of checking up on your team's latest roster flux, as we count down through Free Agency, and into the days before the 2009 Draft.

Below is a table that breaks down this roster flux, showing who has come and gone, as well as updating the neediest areas of the team and some of the top names that have a good chance of being available when they pick in the Draft. Draft prospects are linked to their Mocking the Draft Profiles and any names or positions highlighted in bold should be considered either to be positions of particular need and emphasis, or players of particular relevance and interest to the team's situation. Below the chart we will discuss some of the names and situations described, and as always, you can join in on the discussion in the comments.

See you below the fold!


DENVER BRONCOS 2008 Record and Rank: 8-8 2nd place	Team Needs	Likely Draft Targets (rd)
	NT, 3-4 DE, FS, ILB, RB, OLB, C/G	ILB, Rey Maualuga, USC(1st) 3-4 DE, Evander Hood, Missouri (2nd-3rd)
Free Agents Acquired	Current Free Agents	Free Agents Lost/PlayersLost
WR, Jayson Foster (res/fut) WR Matt Willis(res/fut) OL Mitch Erickson(res/fut) OT Clint Oldenburg (res/fut) DL Matthias Askew(res/fut) DL Ryan McBean(res/fut) CB Rashod Moulton (res/fut) TE Adam Bergen (res/fut) G Matt McChesney (undisclosed)	QB, Patrick Ramsey UFA RB Andre Hall ERFA RB Michael Pittman UFA WR Darrell Jackson UFA DL Kenny Peterson UFA LB Nate Webster UFA WR Edell Shepherd UFA RB Tatum Bell UFA OL Erik Pears RFA DL Ebeneezer Ekuban UFA CB Karl Paymah UFA FS Marlon McCree UFA	RB Anthony Alridge (cut) RB PJ Pope (cut) RB Alex Haynes (cut) TE Chad Mustard (cut) TE Nate Jackson (cut) C Tom Nalen (retired) DL John Engleberger (cut) DT Dewayne Robertson (cut) DT Josh Shaw (cut) LB Niko Koutivides (cut) WR Cliff Russell (cut) LB Jamie Winborn (cut) CB Dre Bly (cut) SS Marquand Manuel (cut)

Of particular interest for the Broncos is the 'purge' of defensive players across the board. Starters and backups alike have been let go, including last year's draft day trade, DT Dewayne Robertson, and CB Dre Bly. All told, the moves are expected to net the team an additional $20-30 Million in cap space.
Like many teams throughout the league, Denver signed a number of unheralded players to Reserve/Future contracts, which basically means that the player is signed to be in training camp. Typically these contracts are one year deals, and are often used to sign practice squad players. Denver in particular targeted WR, defensive line, and offensive line depth, all positions that are expected to take hits in free agency and retirements this year, with all of Denver's WR depth being UFAs.
Reports indicate that outside of DT Kenny Peterson, none of the currently scheduled UFAs for Denver are going to be resigned, resulting in up to 11 more players, mostly on defense following the earlier 11 player purge. A sure sign that Denver is rebuilding, since over half of those 22 players were starters in 2008. Peterson, who has worked with new head coach Josh Mcdaniels before, has been approached about a new contract, with nothing currently projected. Many of the rest were given permission already to look for new contracts elsewhere, and all have been notified that they will not be resigned before the start of Free Agency.
The money saved by the earlier cuts should push the Denver salary cap space into the $50million range, putting them in positon to do as they please in free agency this year. However, word is that they will be signing up to 8 new players, mostly on defense, and that should take a serious bite out of that space. With that in mind, the expectation is that they won't be pursuing any of the 'hot' commodities. The names surfacing right now are CB Ron Bartell, perhaps the most consistent defender on the Rams, and CB Bryant McFadden, form the Steelers. Bartell will seem like the safer bet of the two, and early rumblings say that McFadden is looking for a big payday, almost guaranteeing that he won't be resigned by Pittsburgh, who sees hima sa replacable commodity.
Defensive Line Needs: At the Combine McDaniels gave a firm indication that Denver would be running a 3-4 base defense, which immediately catapulted NT and 3-4 DE to the top of Denver's need list. Dallas' Chris Canty, and NE's Mike Wright could be good additions at DE, where Denver currently has Marcus Thomas and Tim Crowder, but they would be only the beginning. The draft looks weak for mid round and later DEs, but there are some halfway suitable projects towards the end of the draft. One name to watch will be Mitch King, Iowa. 6'2 282, and he has the ability to sit down and anchor, has the team mentality needed at the position and the football intelligence prized by McDaniels' former regime in NE. At DT Denver would love for BJ Raji to slip to them, but a more logical scenario would be for a guy like Ron Brace, Boston College, int he 2nd or 3rd, or a project like Terrance Taylor, Michigan, in the 5th or later.
Defensive Player first: Every indication is that Denver will be looking defense with the first pick, and standout ILB Rey Maualuga should be in their sights at #12. It is a high enough position of need right now not to be a luxury, and he is a great player with rare explosiveness.
C/G need is being reduced quickly for Denver, with the signing of OG Matt McChesney(Dolphins), and with talk of reworking Pro Bowl C Casey Wiegmann's contract to ensure he stays at least two more years. However, with impending retirements looming within the next two to three years for Wiegmann and G Ben Hamilton, it remains a concern to get additional starting quality depth lined up behind them.