Considering the NFL's expansive marketing reach, the day may eventually come when the swallow of remedy agency is marked with the drop of a giant, appear football in Times Squ be.
For now, traditional measures will credibly work.
Like popping the cork.
BEST FITS: Where each free agent would excel
When the "new confederacy division" begins at 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday, nearly five hundred free agents will be looking for jobs. Between the 32 teams, more than $400 million in overall salary chapiter room will be available.
You know what comes undermentioned: Floodgates. At least for the first wave of free agents. And lots bubbly.
Still, five things I'm wondering about:
? Where's the star power?
A socio-economic class ago, Peyton Manning embarked on an ext leftovered tour to find his next NFL home. Fittingly, he took his time before settling on the Denver Broncos, because his bearing on the market was an NFL version of Haley's Comet.
For marquee commodities this time, try running game back Reggie Bush and a trio of wideouts: Greg Jennings, microphone Wallace and Wes Welker. That's a far cry from, say, Reggie White, Manning, Deion Sanders (the first two times) and Drew Brees as the best impact free agent signings during the salary detonator era.
FREE AGENCY: When buying a team goes wrong
There are another(prenominal) names you may recognize, including tackle Jake Long (No. 1 overall, 2008), and maturation pass rushers James Harrison, Dwight Freeney and Osi Umenyiora. And Ed Reed, in the discussion among the greatest safeties ever but an old head now, gets to test to the market, too.
notwithstanding, so often the best silver spent on free agents comes with mid-level bargains.
? Can you believe anything that anybody says?
During the NFL scouting combine last month, Minnesota Vikings GM Rick Spielman (bless him) stood at the podium and declared: "We have no intent to trade Percy Harvin."
Monday, the Vikings traded their best receiver and dynamo kick returner to the Seattle Seahawks for triune draft picks, including a first-rounder.
Moral: Never say never.
NFL: Who's likely to travel by? Teams ranked from 1-32
Same goes for Anquan Boldin, who declared to NBC Sports Radio amid the euphoria of the Super rolling victory that he would retire if he couldn't remain with the Baltimore Ravens.
Now the big-play wideout is headed to the team that he helped defeat in Super Bowl XLVII, the San Francisco 49ers, traded for a sixth-round pick after refusing to cut his $6 million salary -- and backing off his contention that it was Ravens or bust.
It's that time of year. When it come personnel moves, things change.
That's why the possibility that Atlanta Falcons tight supplant Tony Gonzalez will delay retirement and return for a seventeenth season looms as another huge essential "free agent" play.
? Is Paul Kruger destined to crash after landing place a mega-sized free agent deal?
Think of the tens of millions of dollars collected on the free agent market by so many an(prenominal) former Ravens defenders over the years: Adalius Thomas. Lionel Dalton. Ed Hartwell. Duane Starks. Jarret Johnson. Not exactly bang for the buck. Now it's Kruger's turn. Apparently, the Colts and the Browns are poised to lead a bidding war for a player who had nine sacks in 2012 and started seven games in four years?
Kruger's a solid player, but he's not a game-changer like Terrell Suggs. He's also actually fortunate for the grooming in a system that is well-grounded on surrounding talent. Kruger will get paid. Some rate him as top-rated outside linebacker in free agency. Buyer, beware.
? Where's the money?
Heading into Monday, nine teams had at least $20 million in room under the $123 million salary cap. Bet their phones were packed during the three-day, pre-market window that allowed teams and agents to get a feel for the market. The most cap space? Look to the AFC North. The Cleveland Browns have more than $47 million in space, while the Cincinnati Bengals had more than $40 million available. Still, the Bengals books are less forgiving when considering some of the homegrown talent they are looking to keep -- including tackle Andre Smith, linebacker Rey Maualuga and defensive end Robert Geathers. The Browns -- with a new braintrust headed by CEO Joe Banner, GM Mike Lombardi and coach Rob Chudzinski -- have a great fortune for their re-boot. If they don't squander it.
? Are the Redskins cursed?
It still seems a moment strange that the capital of the United States Redskins (and to a much lesser degree, the Dallas Cowboys) were wham so hard for salary cap violations during an "uncapped" year in 2010. Washington was docked $36 million in cap space over two years, perhaps a causa it dumped DeAngelo Hall on Monday. There's a comes around-goes around lesson, too. The penalties stemmed from Washington structuring deals -- including Hall's -- that weighed heavily on dumping money into uncapped year. Yet maybe this is also about karma for the Team With the Racist family name -- which is also under attack in federal authentication court -- that under the Dan Snyder ownership has rarely gotten it right in free agency.
Materials taken from USA Today
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