| ProFootballWeekly.com asked
contributing editor Joel Buchsbaum and editor-in-chief Ron Pollack for their thoughts on
some of the hottest topics in the NFL. 
Rams sign Fields
A big part of the Rams’ plan to rebuild their defense is adding speed. That’s
exactly what they get from OLB Mark Fields, who signed with the team Tuesday. Fields’
contract is reportedly two years in length and worth $4.5 million, including a $2 million
signing bonus. He will be the Rams’ starting weak-side linebacker. Fields, who was
released last month by the Saints in a salary-cap move, is considered one of the fastest
linebackers in the league. He was third on the Saints in tackles last season with 103. He
also had two sacks and one pass defensed.
Buchsbaum: He’s a good addition. He’s got tremendous speed, he’s a big
hitter and he’s a physical player. He’s not an instinctive player.
Pollack: What’s not to like about this move? The Rams have a ton of starting spots
to fill on their defense, and to be able to get a Pro Bowl player is fantastic for them.
The Rams want speed for their defense. Fields gives them speed. The Rams want quality
players for their defense. Fields gives them a quality player. Usually when a Pro Bowl
player gets cut from another team, it’s because he’s getting near the end of the
line and the team doesn’t want to have to pay big bucks for a player who could hit
the wall at any time. That’s not the case here. Fields is in the prime of his career
and has a lot of juice left.
ProFootballWeekly.com: How will he team up with London Fletcher?
Buchsbaum: They bring speed and hitting. Fletcher’s gotta play more disciplined,
though.
Williams to join Rams?
Cardinals franchise free-agent CB Aeneas Williams is being courted by the Rams.
Williams, a 10-year veteran and six-time Pro Bowler, was in St. Louis on Tuesday. Because
he counts $4.179 million against the Cardinals’ salary cap, the team is looking to
deal him.
Pollack: We’ll just have to wait and see how this plays out. The Rams are also
trying to pry Samari Rolle loose from the Titans. Rather than speculate on what may or may
not happen, let’s talk about what Williams would bring to the table if the Rams get
him. This is a guy who has had a terrific career. Even though he has been named to six Pro
Bowls in his career, Williams strikes me as a guy who still hasn’t fully gotten his
due nationally. He’s getting up in years and probably has lost a step. That said, he
is still a quality corner. He’s smart, sees the game in front of him very well and
still makes plays. Given that the Rams need to find as many quality players as possible to
fill in the blanks on defense, this is certainly an interesting situation.
Bears sign Washington
The Bears continued to bolster their defensive line Tuesday, signing free-agent DT Ted
Washington to a three-year contract worth $7.5 million, including a $2.5 million signing
bonus. Washington, who last season earned his third Pro Bowl bid in four years, is
regarded as one of the league’s top run-stoppers. In his 10-year career, Washington
has started 128 of 155 games, with a consecutive-starts streak of 83.
Buchsbaum: He’s a big addition. He can’t play every down, but as a run-down
defender, he’s probably as good as anyone in the game.
Pollack: Yeah, weight tends to be an issue with him. Yeah, his age is going to be an
issue at some point. But you know what? This is a guy who is going to make the Bears’
defense a lot better right now. High-quality run-stuffers can massively improve a defense.
They don’t get noticed as much as the glory-hound pass rushers, but run-stuffers do
all the dirty work necessary for a defense to be good and for everyone else to be able to
do their jobs. If Washington plays like he has in the past, Brian Urlacher will step up in
class even more than he already displayed last year. Urlacher has the opportunity to be a
superstar of the highest level. Heck, that was probably true before this signing. The
addition of Washington, though, really increases Urlacher’s upside. Urlacher was
great last season mostly playing on instinct. Imagine how much better he can be with more
experience and Washington clearing a path for him. The key for Urlacher is for the Bears
to avoid throwing too much at him. While they want him to grow his understanding of the
game, if they throw too much at him, it could make him lose the explosiveness he displayed
by playing so aggressively. That said, the future looks enormously bright for him.
ProFootballWeekly.com: Is he the type of player who can make people around him
better?
Buchsbaum: He makes everyone around him better because he’s gotta be double-teamed
all the time. On the other hand, (the Bears) still don’t have the great speed rusher
who he can really enhance. But the concerns teams had is that he’s 33 years old and
he’s always 30 pounds overweight.
ProFootballWeekly.com: How do you envision the Bears’ rotation given all the
bodies they have at defensive tackle?
Buchsbaum: I think it would be a rotation with (Mike) Wells, (Jim) Flanigan — who
may be the odd man out — (Keith) Traylor and Washington, with one of the ends,
(Bryan) Robinson, playing inside on passing downs. But I really don’t think they can
afford all four, and I think at least one of those guys is going to go.
Seahawks sign Robertson
The Seahawks continued to turnover their defense, signing former Titans FS Marcus
Robertson to a contract reportedly worth $3.9 million over three years. Robertson, who was
released by the Titans in a salary-cap move, became the fifth veteran free agent to sign
with Seattle this offseason. He has started 117 of his 135 career games, intercepting 22
passes. Last season he started 15 games but failed to pick off a pass. He finished third
on the team in tackles (92) and was named an alternate to the AFC Pro Bowl team.
Buchsbaum: He’s a very solid player. He’s smart, he’s a leader, he
anticipates well, he gets a good jump on the ball. He’ll help them.
ProFootballWeekly.com: What do you think of the Seahawks’ revamped defense?
Buchsbaum: They’re putting together a defense that they hope can win for them now
because almost all of the guys they brought in, except for (Jeremy) Staat who’s a
backup, are over 30.
Redskins sign Rasby
Former Lions TE Walter Rasby signed with the Redskins on Tuesday. The seven-year
veteran spent the last three seasons in Detroit. He caught only 10 passes for 78 yards
last season and will be used more as a blocker in Washington.
Buchsbaum: He’s a decent backup tight end, period. He can block, which Marty
(Schottenheimer) likes. Marty likes a lot of tight ends. He likes tight ends who can
block.
Chargers re-sign Jacox
The Chargers re-signed Kendyl Jacox to a one-year contract Tuesday. Jacox, 25, is
entering his fourth season with the team. He signed as a rookie free agent in 1998 and has
started 14 of his 43 career games.
Buchsbaum: They feel he can be their center of the future, and he can also play guard.
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