Sorting through smoke, mirrors of free-agent period

On the flight out of Indianapolis last Sunday after the NFL scouting combine, I ran into agent Brantley Evans, who represents cornerback Dre' Bly.

We talked about Bly and the possibilities for his future employment because Bly was set to become an unrestricted free agent after the Rams refused to pay him more than $3 million a season.

The Lions broke the bank to sign Dre' Bly, but they could have signed a comparable corner at a cheaper price.(AP)

"He'll get paid somewhere," Evans said.

As the top corner in a bad market, Evans wouldn't be specific on what he was seeking from St. Louis, but word out of Rams camp was that he was asking for a deal that averaged $5 to $6 million a year.

"You'll probably get that," I said to Evans, "from some team stupid enough to overpay just because Bly happens to play a position of need. There's no way he's worth that."

Say hello to that stupid team: the Detroit Lions.

In one of the quickest strikes in the free-agent market, the Lions signed Bly to a five-year deal that averages close to $5 million per season with a signing bonus of $6.5 million.

There is no better indication that president Matt Millen belongs back in the television booth than this signing, for this type of money. Bly is a No. 2 corner at best, certainly not a player who should be among the highest-paid players at his position.

He wasn't even a starter until the 2002 season. What's worse is that he doesn't run that well, which means the Lions have a $5-million a year corner without speed.

"Wow," said one coach about the Bly deal. "That's --- crazy. Talk about somebody who has no speed. He isn't even a No. 2 corner. What were the Lions thinking? There were other guys just as good for a lot less money."

Lions fans should be used to this. It was last year during free agency that the team overpaid for free-agent receivers Bill Schroeder and Az-Zahir Hakim, both of whom were major disappointments last season. Millen made those moves.

It was also Millen who didn't want to draft Joey Harrington last April, but was talked out of taking cornerback Quentin Jammer by now-fired coach Marty Mornhinweg and now-fired personnel man Bill Tobin.

New coach Steve Mariucci, who comes to the Lions from the 49ers, should know better than to pay that kind of money to Bly. He played in the same division with the Rams so he knows Bly is a decent player, but no more.

Compare that to the move the Packers made. They traded a second-round pick to acquire cornerback Al Harris from the Eagles. Harris has two years left on his contract and is scheduled to make just above $1 million in each of those seasons.

Oh, he's also a better player than Bly.

It is true you never like to trade draft picks, but the Packers made a good move getting a young player whose best football is ahead of him, a guy who wasn't starting in Philly because they have one of the best starting corner tandems in the NFL.

It will be interesting to watch both Bly and Harris in the next couple of seasons. They are in the same division, playing the same position. One came at a good price, the other way overpaid.

The guess here is that in two years it will be Harris who is getting the acclaim, while Bly is being considered as a cap cut because he's too expensive.

Too bad Millen won't be around to take the heat when this signing goes bad.

Observing first weekend of free agency

• The Redskins now believe the signing of guards David Fiore and Randy Thomas gives them one of the better offensive lines in the league. It certainly does help the line, especially considering their tackle play is pretty good. But they paid a bundle to get Thomas, and guard is one position where you just don't pay big money. They paid Thomas like a tackle, giving him a deal that averages $4 million a season with a $7 million signing bonus. Guards can be made or found in the draft. Big money should never be put into that position, especially with the Redskins having a glaring need for speed outside. That said, you have to give owner Dan Snyder credit. For all the garbage he takes from the media, the guy knows how to get things done. He is proactive, not reactive. If he likes a guy, he gets him. The signing of try-hard Brandon Noble is a good move for a defense that needs players like that. End Regan Upshaw can be a factor off the edge, even if he didn't do much against Roman Oben in the Super Bowl for the Raiders. But Snyder should be more careful with that checkbook. He didn't need to pay that kind of money to Thomas, a good player but not a great one. Guards, despite how the Redskins are trying to spin the signings of Thomas and Fiore, aren't worth paying big money to sign. Washington also signed guards Tre Johnson and Lennie Friedman to one-year deals. Washington also signed Jets kicker John Hall and Bucs backup quarterback Rob Johnson So after three days, Washington has signed two starting guards, two backup guards, a kicker, a backup quarterback, a try-hard defensive tackle and a pass-rush end who did nothing in the Super Bowl. Lots of names, but is the haul really that good? That said, give Snyder an A for effort. It's too bad it's a C for execution.

• The Redskins made a trade for Rams running back Trung Canidate, which is also questionable. Personnel people in St. Louis never doubted Canidate's speed, but they did doubt his toughness. Canidate has to prove he can be the feature back, which the Redskins plan on making him. His toughness between the tackles is a question mark.

• What's all the fuss about the fullbacks in this free agency class? Those guys are nothing but glorified guards. That's another position that can be developed. Yet early there was Rob Konrad re-signing in Miami, Lorenzo Neal signing in San Diego and Richie Anderson getting some play, probably signing with the Cowboys and former coach Bill Parcells in the next day or two. Oakland's Jon Ritchie will also get some interest. Does anybody in their right mind think Neal, who got a three-year, $4.5 million contract, will be the difference in a playoff spot in San Diego? Didn't think so. He's only slightly an upgrade from Fred McCrary, the starter in San Diego last year before his release last week.

• Reuniting Terry Glenn with Bill Parcells in Dallas is like bringing together J. Lo again with P. Diddy. But if Glenn has matured, which some in Green Bay still doubt, he will be a nice addition to a team that needed a better outside threat. Glenn and second-year receiver Antonio Bryant should make things quite interesting for receivers coach John McNulty. He better bone up on his psychology courses.

• The Saints' pursuit of Steelers left tackle Wayne Gandy doesn't bode well for Kyle Turley, who is all but traded. The Saints were looking to get a first-round pick for Turley, but the signing of Gandy may change that. Teams now know that Turley is on the way out -- no matter what. Gandy will be a solid player for the Saints, but the money they paid to get him opened some eyes around the league. He got a five-year deal that averages $5 million a season. That may seem high, but Miami was offering $4.6 million and Gandy has family in Miami. The Saints also signed middle linebacker Orlando Ruff, a hard-thumping run-stuffer who is a little stiff and veteran corner Ashley Ambrose, who should team with Dale Carter outside if the Saints don't acquire a top corner in the draft. As for Turley, there are five teams that have expressed interest in acquiring him. They are Houston, Jacksonville, Denver, St. Louis and San Diego. Turley is still a top-notch tackle, but he wore out his welcome with the Saints by alienating his teammates. If the Rams got him, they would play him at right tackle because they have Orlando Pace at left tackle. The Rams put the franchise tag on Pace, but they hope to sign him to a long-term deal. His agent, Carl Poston, has asked for a $24 million signing bonus on any deal. Good luck. Aside from the Rams, the other four teams would likely use Turley at left tackle, although the return of Tony Boselli in Houston could impact that if the Texans did trade for Turley. Miami, which lost out on Gandy, has not made formal contact with the Saints about Turley.

• Let's get the Jake Plummer deal done in Denver already. He will be the Broncos' quarterback next year, with the signing likely coming this week. That will be one heck of a signing for the Broncos. At 28, he still has plenty of good football left in his right arm. A new address will do wonders for Plummer.

• The Broncos are hoping to sign Washington defensive tackle Daryl Gardener and Philly defensive end Hugh Douglas. If they get those two, they are said to want to move Trevor Pryce back inside to tackle where he would form one heck of a tackle duo. Douglas would provide the outside pass rush Denver lacked last year. He's 32, though, so they have to be careful with the Douglas contract structure.

• Any agent with a defensive player for a client should call the Chiefs -- right away. They're looking hard for help. Kansas City has focused all its early attention on the defensive side of the ball, and rightfully so. When you have a defense as bad as it had last year, something has to be done. The Chiefs are also interested in Douglas. They like Eagles linebacker Shawn Barber, but word is that he's asking for $4 million a season. Nice player, Barber. But $4 million a year?

• Emmitt Smith says he still wants to play. And he will. But any team willing to sign him has to realize that the Smith they will get no longer has the burst into the hole and can't knock people back as he once did. He also wasn't good enough to convince Bill Parcells, who loves veteran backs (remember Ottis "3.2-per rush" Anderson) to keep him around. Smith has every right to play on, but NFL teams also have every right to avoid paying him anything thing more than a veteran's minimum. The Cowboys have to do something at the running back spot. Troy Hambrick has potential, but can Parcells rely on him? Some in the organization think Michael Wiley is actually the better player. Running back is a position that Dallas might address in the second or third round of the draft.

• In the biggest let's-hope-potential-pays-off signing, the Colts signed Denver defensive tackle Montae Reagor to a six-year deal with a $2 million signing bonus. The deal can be worth $18.5 million. Reagor has started one game in his four years and has four sacks. But he has the speed and quickness that coach Tony Dungy and defensive coordinator Ron Meeks like in their system. He will replace Brad Scioli, who the team wanted back. Scioli turned down a five-year contract with a $5 million signing bonus from the Colts before they signed Reagor. The Colts did overpay for center Jeff Saturday when they signed him to a five-year deal on the eve of free agency. Saturday is decent at making the calls at the line of scrimmage, and that is key with Peyton Manning under center, but in terms of getting push in the middle for the run game, he is below average. He struggles badly with a man on his nose. But the Colts front office made re-signing Saturday a priority, which was a strange decision considering the Colts will let linebacker Mike Peterson walk. Peterson, by the way, is said to be asking for $4 million a year for his new contract.

• The Saints and Patriots were also interested in acquiring Harris. Green Bay got him when it agreed to give up its second-round pick. The Packers also offered a deal of a third-round pick and linebacker Nate Wayne for Harris. The Eagles passed until they got a second-round pick. They had been seeking a first-round pick for Harris.

• Look for the Bills to extend an offer sheet to Bengals linebacker Takeo Spikes. The Bills love him as a player and feel that if they structure a deal the right way, the Bengals might not match the offer. Bengals coach Marvin Lewis has told some people around the league that if a guy doesn't want to be in Cincinnati then he doesn't want him around. Spikes has made it clear he wants out. Spikes is a good player who can run well, something the Bills need.

Odds & ends

• The Bucs are looking to possibly sign Carolina quarterback Rodney Peete to be their backup. But before that happens, the Panthers have to figure out if they can land a starting quarterback. If they don't, they would want Peete back.

• Those lead-footed safeties, the guys with the big hits and the not-so-great cover skills, haven't exactly been flying off the shelves. Among those in that class are Sammy Knight, Rodney Harrison and Lee Flowers. The Raiders have an interest in Harrison, while the Vikings are said to be high on Flowers. These hard-hitting safeties that can't run are on their way out in the NFL.

• The Steelers will make a push to acquire a safety. They want either Corey Hall of the Bengals or Dexter Jackson of the Bucs.

• Cardinals receiver David Boston has not received much play on the market yet, which is strange because he's arguably the most talented player available. Teams are concerned about his off-field behavior and past troubles.