| ProFootballWeekly.com asked
contributing editor Joel Buchsbaum for his thoughts on the news around the NFL. 
Seahawks sign CB Willie Williams
The Seahawks and CB Willie Williams have agreed to a two year contract. Williams had
four interceptions last season to share the team lead.
Buchsbaum: He’s an insurance policy and depth at the corner. Ideally, he’s
your fourth corner. He’s a little too small, a little too slow. But he’s started
in the past, he’s got mental toughness and he’s got a little quickness to him.
Rams sign DE Cedric Jones
The Rams have signed free-agent DE Cedric Jones, who started all 19 regular-season and
playoff games for the NFC champion Giants last season. Jones had 47 tackles, 3.5 sacks and
five passes defensed last season.
Buchsbaum: This is one of the biggest enigmas of all time. He was the fifth pick in the
draft (overall) in 1996. His measurables in terms of size, speed, strength and athletic
ability translate into first round. He plays hard. Yet his production has just been very
average. Everything is there and he was a dominating player at times in college, but he
just can’t seem to put it together.
ProFootballWeekly.com: To a certain degree, aren’t the expectations
created by being No. 5 a little unfair, because wasn’t that a four-player draft and
somebody had to go fifth?
Buchsbaum: Right. It was unfair, yet in the same sense you had guys like Tony Brackens
go later.
ProFootballWeekly.com: Who nobody would have taken at that spot though.
Buchsbaum: Right. But Jones was a reach at five, don’t get me wrong. But he would
have been a top 20 pick off his numbers and his production in college in a normal draft.
But the thing is, his expectations, yes they were high. And I don’t expect him to
play like the fifth pick in the draft. But you do expect him to play like a solid
second-round pick. Not a guy that the Giants for two years were looking to replace.
ProFootballWeekly.com: In spite of all these things we’re saying, is this
still a decent pickup for the Rams?
Buchsbaum: No question, because he’s much better than what they had. He started
every game the past two years. And he was good enough to play on one of the better
defenses. He was one of the weakest players on those defenses, but he still was good
enough to play. And the other thing is, they do so much rotating. As a rotating defensive
lineman at approximately $600,000, it’s a good deal. Just remember with the Giants,
you were talking about a guy who never made under a million.
DE Tracy Scroggins signs with Lions
DE Tracy Scroggins has signed a two-year contract with the Lions. Scroggins will be
entering his 10th season with the Lions.
Buchsbaum: Basically he’s a guy that never really developed into the big-time
right defensive end everyone thought he’d be. He had great straight line speed, but
it just never all came together for him. He has a few stretches every year when he looks
like he’s going to be a big-time rush guy, but he never seems to get it done.
Chargers sign Orlando Ruff, Raleigh Roundtree
The Chargers re-signed exclusive rights free agent Orlando Ruff and agreed to a
contract with unrestricted free agent Raleigh Roundtree.
Buchsbaum: Ruff was the starting middle linebacker last year after Eric Hill got hurt,
and (Ruff) is a fallback guy who could develop into an average player. Roundtree is a guy
that has started for them in the past. He’s a good athlete, but he was a guy they
were always looking to replace. He’s got the athletic ability to be a better player
than he has been.
Panthers sign RB Adrian Murrell
The Panthers have reached a one-year deal with free-agent RB Adrian Murrell, who has
rushed for over 1,000 yards three times in his career.
Buchsbaum: A couple of years ago he was a thousand-yard back for two teams — the
Jets and the Cardinals. He’s never been a disciplined runner. He’s always had a
problem with fumbles and dropped passes. He doesn’t always hit the assigned hole.
He’ll break some assignments. But he’s got natural running ability. He’s
better than what they had behind Tim Biakabutuka.
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