NFL free agency is back again, and what better time than during spring break. College students all across America can take a break from mind-numbing studying and hope their team gets better before they leave for the exotic beaches of Cancun.
Within the first three days of the free agency period, NFL teams have already spent $174 million to acquire 39 players for their respective teams. In light of these statistics, this has been one of the fastest-paced starts to free agency ever. I don't even think Paris Hilton gets this much action.
Instead of that mental image haunting us for the rest of the day, let's briefly recap who has done what.
The Cleveland Browns, the poster child of mediocrity during the past decade, have gotten out and started to play with the big boys. They started off strong with the acquisition of defensive tackle Shaun Rogers, who, when motivated, is one of the most unblockable tackles in the game. That was huge. Teaming him with former Packers defensive tackle Corey Williams will shore up a better defensive unit than last year.
Adding another playmaker to the offense in ex-Patriot wide receiver Dont?(c) Stallworth gives re-signed quarterback Derek Anderson another great weapon, along with Braylon Edwards, Kellen Winslow, and Jamal Lewis. General Manager Phil Savage did a great job this year with free agents; however, there is one minor issue. With no draft picks in rounds one through four, it makes you wonder if all these deals were worth it.
Surprisingly, the New England Patriots have been very quiet so far, only re-signing receiver Randy Moss. Yes, it is a big deal, but they have lost arguably their two best cover men in the secondary: Asante Samuel and Randall Gay.
Also, there are rumors floating around that safety Eugene Wilson already has one foot out the door. Luckily, the Patriots have the seventh pick in the draft, thanks to the 49ers.
Don't worry Buffalo, I haven't forgotten about the Bills. This year, the Buffalo faithful were given another solid-but-nothing-spectacular off-season. Now I say that because, although the addition of Pro Bowl defensive tackle Marcus Stroud is filling a huge hole, he did seem a bit disinterested during his time in Jacksonville last year.
Barring injury, or him mailing it in, I do believe that the Bills have been on the right track since last year's draft. The addition of linebacker Kawika Mitchell does well to beef up the linebacking core.
The Bills need to be healthy on the defensive side of the ball, considering this killed them last year. And don't forget, Buffalo fans, the trio of Trent Edwards, Marshawn Lynch, and Paul Posluszny are guys that a team can definitely build around.
With the draft on the horizon, the Bills could go a few different directions. Look for them to possibly grab Texas wide out Limas Sweed to compliment Lee Evans. Sweed is a beast and a terror in the red zone, measuring in at 6-foot-4, 215 pounds. He also runs a low 4.5 and is a great worker who will fit right in.
Malcolm Kelly, a wide receiver from Oklahoma, could fit in the mix as well. He'll need to run well in his pre-draft workout to justify the pick.
In the second round, I have the Bills again looking to the offensive side of the ball in tight end Fred Davis from USC to fill the void left by Kevin Everett. Davis is one of the most reliable pass-catching tight ends if the draft. He had a fantastic senior campaign and was the number one target for USC's John David Booty. Davis has some upside and should be able to help the Bills right away.
In the later rounds, the Bills will need to address their lack of depth in the defensive secondary. If Buffalo follows through in signing free agent wide out Bryant Johnson or tight end Ben Troupe, the team will address their lack of the depth in the defensive secondary earlier in the draft.
To make things even crazier this off-season, football fans were treated to a depressing announcement on Tuesday, when Brett Favre finally called it quits on a Hall of Fame career. Some people will knock his decision, but as far as I am concerned the man wanted to go out on top. He reminded us that even a 38-year-old could still play at the highest of levels.
Shows like "Pardon the Interruption" and "SportsCenter" have been asking where his place amongst Montana, Unitas, and Bradshaw is. I don't think you can compare athletes of different eras to one another because the game is vastly different.
Brett Favre has been one of the top signal callers in the NFL for the past 17 years. This is the same guy who didn't need to look off a safety and still throw a rocket into his receiver's arm. Like many, I am sad to see him hang it up.
After only a month of official off-season, there is already great hope and expectations for next year. We have lost a legend, but with every loss of a star, a new one is born and seeing who that is should be exciting.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
