DT Daryl Gardener becomes a FA

Washington Post says:
"Defensive tackle Daryl Gardener settled his dispute with the Denver Broncos yesterday,and secured an agreement that he will become a free agent. Under the terms of the settlement, the Broncos agreed to release Gardener in June and to allow Gardener and his representative to begin exploring deals with other teams immediately, NFL sources said last night.
Gardener's top choices likely will include the Washington Redskins, with whom he spent the 2002 season, and the Cincinnati Bengals. "

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A47845-2004Mar10.html

Skins should sign him! He would immeadiately become the best DT on the team. I don't think Brandon Noble will be fully healed from such a bad knee injury. It takes a full year to recover from just an ACL injury. Brandon tore his ACL, MCL and dislocated his knee cap (which in all likelyhood tore his patella tendon). He is not going to be the same player this coming season. It will take more time. We should still keep Brandon Noble on the roster though.

I agree, but do we have the $$ to sign him? He is going to want a big pay day I'm sure.

I know there will be abundance of posts saying that he has character issues and will be disruptive in the locker room, etc... But I think he played great for us and would be the final building block on our D-Line. Now we can focus on Taylor or KWII...

Here's a question to you smart folks: Don't we have a cap hit on the books right now from when we released him? What happens to that hit if we resign him?? Does it go away? Or can it be merged with his new contract??

I'd be very interested to find out....

I have concerns about his back problems as well.

I think after his adventures in Denver he won't have much leverage in seeking a big money deal, he'll likely have to settle for a cheap one year deal.

I'd give him a look for a cheap, incentive filled deal.

I think concerns about his back pale in comparison to his off the field troubles and his behavior problems.

I agree, but do we have the $$ to sign him? He is going to want a big pay day I'm sure.

I know there will be abundance of posts saying that he has character issues and will be disruptive in the locker room, etc... But I think he played great for us and would be the final building block on our D-Line. Now we can focus on Taylor or KWII...

Here's a question to you smart folks: Don't we have a cap hit on the books right now from when we released him? What happens to that hit if we resign him?? Does it go away? Or can it be merged with his new contract??

I'd be very interested to find out....

I don't think we took any cap hit for him, if I remember correctly he signed a one year deal with us and we simply chose to not re-sign him.

Here's a question to you smart folks: Don't we have a cap hit on the books right now from when we released him? What happens to that hit if we resign him?? Does it go away? Or can it be merged with his new contract??

I'd be very interested to find out....

He only signed a one year contract with us two years ago. So there was no dead money cost to our cap in regards to D. Gardner.

OK - Thanks guys.

I think that him, Noble, and Griffin would be a nice interior rotation!

I definitely like him better than "Worn" Sapp!!

I have concerns about his back problems as well.

He doesn't have to be a full time starter. With the other talented DT on the roster, Gardener could play on key plays like third and longs or third and short, like Jumpy Geathers did. This guy is great at smashing the pocket. Something we haven't had since he left.

If I could get Gardner for a real cheap deal i would sign him. But I think he's gonna go to the bongals.