Free agency is not a cure for bad football teams, but it can help get them off life support.
Case in point: Michael Turner in Atlanta. The Falcons needed a running back like I-75 needs traffic cops, and Turner was the best free-agent back out there. So the Falcons signed him to a megabucks deal, solving two positions with one move.
By getting Turner they filled their need at running back and were free to look at another position with the third pick of the draft. They chose quarterback Matt Ryan, and I think we know how that's working out.
Anyway, Turner is the best of this year's free-agent acquisitions, with the early report cards just turned in. I know there are plenty of guys who deserve to be mentioned, but these are my favorites:
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| Michael Turner is the NFL's top rusher, so, yeah, you might say he was a good pickup. (Getty Images) |
The good
Atlanta RB Michael Turner: He sat behind LaDainian Tomlinson for years, waiting his turn to start somewhere, anywhere. Lucky Atlanta. Turner is everything the Falcons envisioned, leading the league in rushing and scoring for non-kickers. Plus, he averages 5.3 yards a carry and has more yards than he had in any season in San Diego and as many touchdowns (6) as he had in his career there. In the season opener he had more yards (220) than 30 teams and backed off critics who said the Falcons should have trusted the draft, not free agency, for their next back. Turner has done more than transform last year's 29th-ranked rushing offense into the league's second-best unit; he is helping to turn a down-and-out program around. Atlanta spent a lot of money on Turner, but it was worth it.
Miami QB Chad Pennington: So he doesn't have a bazooka to throw the ball downfield. Big deal. The guy is smart, accurate, decisive and perfectly suited for a reunion with offensive coordinator Dan Henning. Pennington has one interception all season and missed on only 10 of 49 passes his last two games -- which, it just so happened, were consecutive upsets of New England and San Diego. Pennington is supposed to be a caretaker of the position until Chad Henne develops, but I don't see him budging. A smart, smart pickup for Miami.
Philadelphia CB Asante Samuel: The Eagles spent a lot of money, too, only they spent a lot more on Samuel than the Falcons did on Turner. So it was a huge financial hit; it solved some defensive shortcomings -- namely, takeaways. A year ago the Eagles had a league-low 19, including 11 interceptions. Now they have nine, with four interceptions, and Samuel is the catalyst. He had two interceptions in the first three games, running his total to a league-high 18 over the last 2½ seasons, but he will have to pad that figure to make the Eagles' spend-at-any-cost move look wise. Give him time.
Seattle RB Julius Jones: Once the Seahawks decided Shaun Alexander wasn't the answer they looked to Jones, and all he's done is average 4.8 yards a carry, produce two 100-yard games and score twice on runs over 20 yards. A year ago the Seahawks were the league's 20th-ranked rushing unit, averaging 3.8 yards per carry; this year they're sixth-best in the NFL, averaging 4.9 yards per carry. The difference is Julius Jones.
New York Giants PK John Carney: This is what happens when a club does its homework. When Lawrence Tynes was hurt in training camp, the Giants flirted with Josh Huston before making the smart move to Carney. I don't care how old he is (44); he doesn't miss. Not only is he 13-for-13 in field goals, he hasn't botched one on his last 18 attempts and is the NFC's leading scorer. If I'm Tynes, I would start getting used to Sundays on a couch.
Tampa Bay C Jeff Faine: The Bucs paid dearly for the guy, and now we know why: He helps make the Tampa Bay offensive line one of the team's strengths. The Bucs rank third in yards per carry this season, averaging a whopping 5.3, and they piled up a season-high 178 yards against Green Bay. What's more, the offensive line did not allow a sack of Brian Griese in 67 pass attempts versus Chicago and ran that streak to 101 before it ended last weekend. No wonder Faine is an offensive team captain.
Carolina WR Muhsin Muhammad: At 35, Muhammad seemed more likely to catch a cart to the next tee than a Jake Delhomme fast ball. But the Panthers knew what they were doing when they re-signed him. He has been steady and productive, taking the heat off playmaker Steve Smith for the first time since ... well, since Muhammad was in Carolina in 2004. He leads the club in catches and yards receiving, he scored the last two games and he produced 218 yards the past two weeks. Makes you wonder what would've happened had he never left Charlotte.
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| Isaac Bruce, who will turn 36 next month, is among the league leaders in TD catches. (US Presswire) |
N.Y. Jets G Alan Faneca: No question, the Jets overpaid for Faneca, but they did it to stabilize a position they could have solved by paying Pete Kendall another million or so a year ago. But that's another discussion. Anyway, they spent a gazillion dollars on Faneca to solidify an offensive line that leaked like the Andrea Doria, and the move worked. But there's more to this than the left-guard spot. Faneca can also serve as a mentor to left tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson, which means it's an investment in two positions. I have no problem with that.
San Francisco WR Isaac Bruce: Another guy I would've ticketed for early retirement. When the 49ers acquired him I thought it was to have Bruce act as a mentor for their young receivers ... and it was. But it turns out he's also the best of their receivers. He's smart. He's still quick. And he knows how to find the end zone. He doesn't lead the team in catches, but his 20.5-yards per reception does. So do his two TD receptions. He signed a two-year deal for $6 million, and, yes, the 49ers are getting their money's worth.
Arizona DE Travis LaBoy: With Bertrand Berry sidelined, LaBoy was called on to start last weekend. He responded by leading the Cardinals in tackles and sacks, and you better keep an eye on him. He already has a team-high four sacks and looks like a lead-pipe cinch to make it to double figures for the first time in his career.
Dallas LB Zach Thomas: When I talked to a scout in Texas about the Cowboys he told me to check out Thomas, saying he was playing some of the best football of his career. He's right. If he holds up -- and that is always the question with Thomas -- he makes the Cowboys look smart. Hey, he already makes them look smart. His 57 tackles lead the team, and they include four games where he had 10 or more stops and three where he led the club. More important, he's as good in the locker room as he is on the field, and judging from what's going on, the Cowboys may need a strong voice there.
Denver C Casey Wiegmann: I wasn't sure why the Broncos would be interested in a 35-year-old center and thought it might be evidence that the scouting in Denver was beginning to slip. Yeah, sure, and Mike Shanahan doesn't know offense. With Tom Nalen out for the season, Wiegmann has taken over as the team's starter -- and so far, so good. "It's really like we never lost Tom," said quarterback Jay Cutler. Not only is Denver on top of the AFC West; its offense is rolling, with Cutler sacked twice. That's a tribute to the guy making the calls in the center of the line. Casey Wiegmann, come on down.
The bad
Cleveland WR Donte' Stallworth: I will make this short. The Browns signed Stallworth to a seven-year, $35 million deal to see him do ... what? Yeah, I'm waiting, too. He injured himself prior to the season opener and hasn't been seen anywhere but the training room since. He promises to play in Monday's game with the New York Giants, but let's see if he can make it through the pregame warmup without re-injuring himself.
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| Donte' Stallworth still hasn't played in the regular season for the struggling Browns. (Getty Images) |
New Orleans DE Bobby McCray: Man, did I miss on this guy. I thought he could help the Saints produce a pass rush by returning to his 2006 form in Jacksonville when he had a team-high 10 sacks. Apparently, the Saints agreed. They signed him to a five-year, $20 million contract, and now they're awaiting a return on the deal. Through five games he has one more sack than you and me -- and that was in the season opener. I'm not sure what's going on here, but McCray has not been the "great player" teammate Charles Grant predicted.
Minnesota S Madieu Williams: Another guy sitting on the sideline watching the NFL pass him by. Minnesota, which valued Williams for his coverage skills, made him one of the highest-paid safeties when it spent $33 million on him. But it did the wise thing and covered itself by drafting Arkansas State safety Tyrell Johnson, just in case. Well, Williams has been hurt, and Johnson has been starting. I know some CPAs who would like to go over that signing again.
Cincinnati TE Ben Utecht: I loved the guy in Indianapolis and thought he could be a big help to the Bengals. Apparently, so did the Bengals, who envisioned using him as a third wide receiver. Nice try. Utecht has five catches and hasn't been a factor in a disappointing passing game. I don't know what the problem is, but the Bengals must get it -- or Utecht -- straightened out. This guy should be more than a hood ornament.
Miami WR Ernest Wilford: The Dolphins gave him a $6 million signing bonus, figuring he would do for them what he did for Jacksonville -- namely, lead the team in catches. One problem: One reception doesn't make the cut.
Cincinnati DE Antwan Odom: This is another move I thought would pay off. Odom was one of the best-kept secrets in Tennessee and figured to make a lot of money on the open market. He did, pocketing $29.5 million in a five-year deal before going on extended vacation. Fourteen tackles and one sack is not what the club had in mind when it backed up the Brink's truck, but I'll cut him some slack: He didn't play in preseason because of a foot injury and had four tackles in his third start last week.
Philadelphia DE/LB Chris Clemons: The Eagles needed pass rushers, especially after the release of Jevon Kearse, and Clemons seemed like a logical choice. He had eight sacks with Oakland in limited duty and figured to fit in beautifully with defensive coordinator Jim Johnson's rotation of pass rushers. Not so fast. Clemons, who signed a five-year deal, has been no factor -- with no sacks, no tackles and no juice.
The atrocious
Oakland WR Javon Walker: Al Davis won't pay his head coach, but he will pay stiffs like Walker to take up space on the roster. Mike Shanahan was right to cut this guy loose, especially with suckers like the Raiders sitting out there. They pay him a fortune, then watch him do precisely what Shanahan predicted -- zilch. Walker has four catches this season, which is a good series for Brandon Marshall, and he didn't exactly win over former coach Lane Kiffin. I knew there was a reason Lane had to go.
