When Does the Work on Offense Begin?

[Sez.EJ]

Originally Posted by Flugel

Last year Seattle landed TJ Houshmandzedah, Buffalo landed TO, KC landed Matt Cassel, Chicago landed Jay Cutler and Orlando Pace, Washington added Albert Haynesworth, Tennessee added Nate Washington, Tampa added Winslow (even if that was by trade)... Which of those teams actually improved from the previous year? I also saw guys like Jabar Gaffney, Torry Holt, Laverneus Coles and Dennis Northcutt moving around to new teams but not making them any better for it. Braylon Edwards went to NY and never accomplished anything close to what Laverneus Coles did there in recent years.

NOBODY has been burned more than the Tennessee Titans when going after the TOP free agent WRs over the years. They paid BIG $ for Yancey Thigpen and David Givens for a job well done BEFORE Nashville. They got zero from both guys. When I think of the shortcomings of free agency - I think of Daniel Snyder in Washington DC.

Perhaps Holmgren and Heckert took a long look at what Savage did with overextending us in free agency as well as some from last year that didn't pan out and came up with these doughnut holes: Donte Stallworth? Shaun Smith? LeCharles Bentley? Jason Fisk? Ted Washington? Matt Stewart? Antwaan Peek? Robert Royal? John St Clair? Lee Ann "Porkchop" Womack? Ryan Tucker? Trent Dilfer? Joe Andruzzi? Kevin Shaffer? Gary Baxter? Jamal Lewis? Reuben Droughn? Shantee Orr? Tim Carter? Rex Hadnot? Darnell Dinkins? Seth McKinney? Kenny Wright? Ken Dorsey? Corey Ivy? Hank Poteat? Ethan Kelley? J'Vonne Parker?

Not for nothing, but we were busy paying up the wazoo for a FA punter (Zastudil) while it was our backup punter pinning more opponents inside their 5-15 yard lines. We also started winning in the absence of Shaun Rogers right? And if my memory serves me right - didn't we already have Antonio Bryant here? Was he at all a fan favorite or did he get consistently blasted for dropping passes and sporting a bad attitude?

Shep, we've gone the DIVA WR route with Braylon Edwards, Antonio Bryant and Donte Stallworth. Which one's talent consistently superceeded his baggage here in Cleveland? There's 3 names nobody was happy with for any reasonable length of time.

Needless to say, I'm not REALLY gonna worry about what LaConfora thinks of our free agency signings this year. He hasn't been here watching 1 free agent after another over the years cashing their paychecks from better playing days in the rear view mirror. NOR has he seen how often we knee jerked and overpaid the crap out of guys like Kevin Shaffer. The supply and demand of QBs isn't handing out All Pros to everyone in need Shep. Don't even tell me David Freakin Whitehurst excites you simply because Pete Carroll likes him. Do I need to remind you that Pete Carroll was the same guy that told America Matt Sanchez wasn't ready for pro football yet?

I think we're being smart not to let free agency hold us hostage at the expense of bringing in promising young prospects from the draft. It's been a LONG time since we've been treated to 12 draft picks or the luxuries that may come with such a thing.
- Tom F

ANDRE RISON... say no more

[TheBestPlayersPlay]

I would love love love to get Tate here as well. He's got to be rising up draft boards though ...would anyone be surprised if he was the first WR taken? I don't think I would. Move up into the end of the first round to snag Tate, move up in the second round to snag McCoy ...I'll take it. Haden/Berry, Tate, McCoy ...that puts our future as a franchise light years ahead of where we are now. (providing they live up to expectations, knock on wood)