Free agency

A preliminary look at quality FAs available to fill our needs:

DE: John Abraham (Jets), Shaun Ellis (Jets), Hugh Douglas (Iggles), Jason Gildon (Jags), Bryan Robinson (Dolphins), Chike Okeafor (Seahawks) and Kavika Pittman (Panthers).

DT: Corey Simon (Iggles), Shaun Rogers (Lions), Kelvin Pritchett (Lions), and Luther Ellis (Broncos)

CB: Charles Woodson (Raiders), Terrell Buckley (Jets), and Aaron Beasley (Falcons)

WR: Plexico Buress (Steelers), David Patten (Pats)

TE: Bubba Franks (Packers), Ken Dilger (Bucs), Anthony Becht (Jets), and Cam Cleeland (Rams)

Offensive Guards: Marco Rivera (Packers), Joe Andruzzi (Pats), Chris Dishman (Rams), Tom Nutten (Rams), Cosey Coleman (Bucs), and Jermane Mayberry (Iggles)

My personal take on the free agent situation is that we don't need another DT or CB (as long as we re-sign Smoot and keep the current batch of DTs and DBs). I'm not keen on any of the WRs and, with the exception of Ellis, I don't care for any of the DEs available. Wynn already does a fairly solid job at left end (Ellis's position) and while Abraham has good skills as a right end, I heard somewhere that he might not be a Gibbs' type of player. All of those Guards, except Coleman and Dishman, would help our line, but we could probably get a decent guard for cheap in the draft. I think bringing back Ray Brown would provide depth along the line at both guard and tackle, and he might help Dockery get up to speed at LG. Of all the guards available, I especially like Rivera and Mayberry. With the exception of possibly Franks, I'm not sold on any of the TEs. One thing about that position in a Gibbs' offense: we need a blocker first and then a receiver second.
In the end, I think we would do well to take a WR in the first round of the draft and find a pash-rushing DE, a decent interior OL, and a TE (to provide depth) in the following rounds. Those seem to be our positions of need. Maybe I'm way off; I'd like to hear somebody else's imput on the 'Skins' "sitcheation."

You know, maybe with Gardner leaving our WR corps 'automatically' gets better. If we believe Coles toe problem isn't chronic, Jacobs is a legit 2nd round pick, and McCants fills that posession reciever role, and with do-it-all Thrash we should be set. Right? I'm not sold that McCants has a future with the 'Skins. Teams will probably wait until we release him before someone else claims him off waivers.

I would like to see played out

First:
In the Free Agent market I like us to keep Smoot, Pierce, Brown, Salevai release Barrow, and Morton Restructure with Samuels and Brunnel. That would hopefully give us the money to get Plaxico, or Jerry Porter. I'd like to take porter over Plaxico for the cheaper price tag.
Secondly I'd wait to see who the titans end up releasing because I would like to get Justin Hartwig the center and DT Albert Haynesworth. McCants I trade to the buccs, lions or jets for a late round pick. I'd go after Ellis over Abraham but I feel like the Jets will resign him so I atleast try to get either one.

In the draft either I'd take Miller, Edwards, or Williams with the first pick. if we got plaxico i'd say Miller, if not him then williams because everyone knows that kid is gonna eat the league up. But I would like Miller because with him you could trade down and still get him.

The more I think about it, the more I want to keep the guys we have. I think that Gardner is a guy we can afford to lose, as is Barrow. If Barrow gets healthy, he may be tradable as next season approaches. We really have the guys to make the passing game work. We need depth in the trenches.

I'd like to see us try to keep our defense as in tact as possible. Williams schemes require good corners. If we lose Smoot, we need to add another cover corner. Harris may be able to do it, but we need someone as good as him (at least) to back him up.

The linemen are relatively inexpensive (minus Samuals). We could add a center and some quality depth at guard then we could really do some damage with the guys we have receiving and one more second for Ramsey.
So, the guys who could go are Morton, Barrow, Gardner, McCants, Cartwright...

What's more interesting is the guys we get back...
Lavar, Daniels, Jansen, Bowen, Lott.
And the guys developing...
Clemons, Brown, Wilson, Jacobs

My plea is to:
Bring back Smoot and Pierce.
BEEF UP THE LINE!!!!
Trust Gibbs.

Shaun Ellis Has Already Resigned With Jetsand Abraham Is Garbage.
Gildon Is Old As Well As Robinson
Chiki And Pittman Are Marginal And Wont Help Us At All Compared To What We Already Have. Chiki Is Another Upshaw Imo
Simon And Rogers Will Ask For To Much Money And Pritchett And Ellis Are Grandpas By Now
Beasley And Buckley Are To Old And Woodson Has A Garbage Attitude And Injury Proan
Patten Is Another Coles If You Ad The Toe Injury To Coles And Plaxico Isnt Worth What He Will Want, He's A Mccants That Plays More
Franks Might Be To Old By Now Along With Dilger. Becht Has Never Matched What People Said Of Him Coming Out Of College And Cleeland Cant Block For Poop
Marco Rivera Is The Only Player Worth Looking At On That Entire List, But If We Have To Pay Him Like Thomas... Than No Way
Last, We Dont Need Any Tackles With What We Have, Wilson And Molarino With Jansen And Samuels Are Plenty, And We Are More Than Likely Getting Brown Back Who Would Be A Great Back Up For Another Year To Give Our Rook Tkl's Another Year Of Experience.

Thanks

The main focus of the offseason should be to secure the futures of the guys we already have on the roster. We have some spots that need improving, but our roster should remain largely the same next year as it was this past year. Getting Samuels to restructure is likely the first and most important order of business, because how his contract situation turns out will dictate what we can do in free agency. Re-signing Smoot and Pierce are also priorities.

In the event that we can't come to an agreement with Pierce, I think it would be a good move to place the transition tag on him. We would not have to worry about him signing the one-year tender; some other team would surely offer him a contract since the transition tag requires no compensation to be paid to the player's former team. In doing this, we would be able to accurately assess Pierce's market value and determine if he is worth that much to us. In the event that Barrow is able to play next year, we would likely let Pierce walk if he received a big offer sheet. But if Barrow's future looks bleak, we will likely lock up Pierce to a long-term deal.

The main positions that need upgrading through FA/Draft are WR, TE, DE, and C. I think it's imperative that we upgrade at either the WR or DE position through free agency. That will allow us to spend our first rounder on whichever postition (WR or DE) that we did not upgrade through FA, and it gives us the flexibility to trade down if the opportunity presents itself. A solid blocking TE and an interior lineman can be drafted in the mid rounds.

Has anyone heard of any teams that might be interested in Pierce? I mean the Vikings made an offer to him last year, what's to keep them from making him an offer again.

I have a feeling someone like a Lott, Clemons or Marshall is going to slip out from under our grasps sort of the way that we lost Bryan Johnson last year, although we did get a draft pick for Johnson

brunell should restructure his contract so that all he gets is his original signing bonus, and league minimum everyyear. at which point hes still being over paid but is much more cap friendly.

I would let pierce got if we franchise him and a team gives us a first for him. I think Williams could replace him easy enough. Any word on barrow?

I have a feeling someone like a Lott, Clemons or Marshall is going to slip out from under our grasps sort of the way that we lost Bryan Johnson last year, although we did get a draft pick for Johnson

I think if anyone it would be Marshall, I think we will get Clemons back because he can play DE pass situations, he is fast and big and could easily do the things Marshall did last year if we needed him too.