| Did you ever win one of those shopping sprees
where you’re given a certain amount of time to run through the store and grab as much
as you can, regardless of the price? Well, I never have, nor have I seen one except on TV
game shows, but I believe we are witnessing the equivalent in the NFL in the form of the
Broncos’ and the Patriots’ free-agent expeditions. The difference is that the
Broncos loaded their cart with moderate-priced but healthier and higher-quality ground
beef, whereas the Patriots went straight for the easy, cheap TV dinners. As of Sunday
night, the Broncos had somehow managed to sign 17 free agents, re-sign 11 of their own
free agents and give a multiyear extension to DT Trevor Pryce. The Patriots aren’t
far behind, having signed 13 free agents, re-signing 11 of their own and giving QB Drew
Bledsoe a multiyear extension.
Are Mike Shanahan, Scott Pioli and Bill Belichick all in cahoots, running two teams? I
highly doubt that, simply because the directions these teams took in free agency were very
different, despite the similarities in the strategies.
The Broncos are adding depth behind high-quality starters and trying to win now. The
Patriots are rebuilding team chemisty and locker-room presence, as well as adding depth.
But they needed to look more toward building a competitive all-around starting lineup.
One of the biggest questions here is: How are these two teams able to make all these
moves? The Broncos were an estimated $5.7 million below the salary cap back in February,
just before the start of the free-agency period. The Patriots were an estimated $2.9
million over the cap. The answer is simple, and twofold: Both teams cut high-priced
players and signed better-quality players for rock-bottom prices.
First off, let’s look at the players the two teams either cut or just didn’t
re-sign. The Broncos dumped high-priced veterans such as LB Glenn Cadrez and DT Keith
Traylor and voided the contract of CB Ray Crockett. The Patriots followed the same general
plan, cutting players such as OG Max Lane, CB Antonio Langham and LB Chris Slade. They
also lost DT Chad Eaton, whose asking price was more than they wanted to pay.
After having followed a similar game plan to this point, the two teams then embarked on
different strategies, with the Broncos looking as though they chose the right path.
The Broncos signed players who could make a difference and should be in their starting
lineup — CB Denard Walker, DT-DE Leon Lett and DT Chester McGlockton. Plus, QB Steve
Beuerlein could start if Brian Griese is injured, as he has been in past seasons.
The Patriots, however, added depth and character players as though they had just won
the Super Bowl and were patching up holes. How else can you explain signing players such
as backup QB Damon Huard, DE Anthony Pleasant, CB Terrance Shaw, LB-ST Larry Izzo and WR
Torrance Small? Where were the Patriots when Walker, signed by Denver, was on the market?
I can understand the Patriots not going after Lett or McGlockton, given the team’s
obsession with putting problem-free players in New England uniforms. That’s an
honorable, dignified reason that I can respect. But Walker would have solved a major
problem area for them without much (if any) baggage. Maybe $26 million over six years
(plus a $4 million signing bonus) was out of their range, but you have to pay for quality,
and Walker is a young enough player with whom to start building a defense.
Given the fact that the Pats will be moving into a new stadium in 2002, they
could’ve taken a hit in payroll for a year, since they’ll probably more than
make up for it two years from now with ticket sales. And you can’t even use the
argument that they paid so much to Bledsoe that they couldn’t afford it, because the
Broncos’ two major re-signings — Pryce and Griese — totaled more than the
amount of Bledsoe’s extension per year.
Instead, the Patriots chose to build their depth first by offering the smallest
possible amount to any free agent they pursued and loaded the deal with incentives. They
didn’t completely focus on depth — they did sign FB Marc Edwards and WR Charles
Johnson, who will both likely start — but the majority of the Patriots’ pickups
seemed depth-related. Those are the types of signings that will get you to the playoffs
later rather than sooner.
The Broncos had the right idea, and it will show in the next few years. |
