The whirlwind that was the 2011 NFL free agency has, for the most part, come to and end. All the headline grabbing names have been signed, and with the exception of a couple hold outs, all NFL’s stars are in camp somewhere across the country.
Don’t be fooled into thinking the reminder of free agency is worthless however. Green Bay proved last season that having good depth is one of the most import traits a team can have, and adding solid role players through free agency is one way to do that.
Here’s a look at some recent moves that teams are hoping will improve their depth in 2011.
Derrick Mason goes from one young QB to another
What it means: Wide receiver Derrick Mason has spent the last several years playing for one of the league’s top young quarterbacks in Baltimore’s Joe Flacco. After the Ravens released him due to salary cap issues, Mason had a couple teams that pursued him before he settled on playing for the Jets in 2011. He’ll play with another rising star, Mark Sanchez, and he’ll have some top tier wide receiver talent playing along side him in Santonio Holmes. Mason won’t have to be a world class receiver in New York, but with some solid contributions from the 37 year old veteran, the Jets may help Mason get the Super Bowl ring that has eluded him his entire career.
TE Bo Scaife signs a one year deal with Cincinnati
What it means: After being franchised for back to back years in Tennessee, tight end Bo Scaife was very optimistic about finding a lucrative contract in free agency. The market (or lack thereof) he found had to be extremely disappointing, but honestly shouldn’t have been unexpected. He hasn’t performed particularly well for the last several seasons, and there just isn’t a big need for a player of his style across the league. Still, it’s a cheap deal with little risk on Cincinnati’s part, and a tight end always tends to benefit from playing with a young quarterback. It’s not a signing that will make the Bengals playoff contenders, but it certainly won’t hurt their chances of showing improvement this season.
S Jordan Babineaux chooses Tennessee over Seattle
What it means: Jordan Babineaux elected to play for a familiar coach (Titans defensive coordinator Jerry Gray) over the team he’s spent the last seven years with. He will likely put pressure on current starting SS Chris Hope, whose play has noticeably declined in recent years. Head coach Mike Munchak has already stated that the job is up for grabs, and it will be an interesting battle to watch during the preseason.
The Lions try to offset the injury to Leshore with Harrison and Bell
What it means: The Lions have been a sleeper playoff pick this year, but those chances took a hit this week when rookie running back Leshore was hit with a season ending Achilles injury. They attempted to minimize the loss by signing two veteran running backs, James Harrison and Mike Bell. While neither guy will have the same potential that Leshore would, both still may have something to contribute to the Lions this year. Harrison is capable of getting hot for a game or two (he set the single game rushing record 2 years ago), and Bell practically had last year off and will bring fresh legs to Detroit.
Other Noteable Transactions:
Atlanta re-signs RB Jason Snelling
Baltimore signs RB Ricky Williams
Jacksonville signs QB Todd Bouman
New England signs DLs Shaun Ellis and Gerard Warren
New Orleans signs C Olin Kreutz
San Deigo re-signs WR Malcom Floyd
St. Louis signs LB Ben Leber
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