They aren't ignoring him, per se. They franchised him last season because they couldn't reach an agreement on a contract. Soliai wants to be PAID, and he will be. With the switch to a more 4-3 defense, he's not as valuable as he would be to a team running a 3-4. Kendall Langford is the guy they really need to keep. Right now, they are being frugal because they need cap room for a QB. That's why, despite what some callers to the AM sports radio shows this morning don't seem to understand, they didn't go after Vincent Jackson or Carl Nicks.
<a class="postlink" href="http://www.rotoworld.com/player/nfl/4365/paul-soliai" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.rotoworld.com/player/nfl/4365/paul-soliai</a> Shows how much I know. I thought Langford would be first. And I thought they would have a shot at Laurent Robinson. Pretty sad when you can't even get a guy to visit after he meets with the Jags!
$17 mil guaranteed for a guy who has had a breakout season when people didn't expect anything seems like a lot, especially since he had a lot of weapons around him that took the pressure off. I certainly don't see him as a #1.
Looks like the Bills landed Mario Williams: <a class="postlink" href="http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d5d8279ef2f/article/bills-fullcourt-press-of-mario-williams-leads-to-agreed-deal" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d5d8 ... greed-deal</a> If Williams is healthy and performs, it'll mean less pressure on the safeties... and Byrd is already a pretty good safety. Add in a healthy Fred Jackson and next year is looking up.
To celebrate his new contract, Williams will head to the best restaurant in Buffalo, the Sizzler three blocks from the stadium. I'm not bitter or anything.
Its sounding like it is between Denver and Tennessee in terms of who will get Manning. If Manning signs with Denver, Elway will be thrilled. Everyone and their mother knows Elway doesn't want Tebow as his QB (or, if they didn't, they do now), and the ONLY way he was going to justify benching Tebow after last season was to sign someone who is a future hall-of-famer the caliber of Manning. Elway can bench Tebow without worrying about too much backlash, because you would have to be football stupid to not start a healthy Peyton Manning over Tim Tebow. That said, if Manning signs with Tennessee, and Denver is spurned, shit is going to go down in Denver. Tebow has already had his feelings hurt repeatedly, and this just makes it more obvious they don't want him. The controversy will spark up again, and at the center of it will be a confused Elway backtracking just as fast as he can about how much he respects Tebow and wants him to be their QB. Elway will have to spend the better part of the next year massaging Tebow's balls to keep him (and his fans) happy. I was actually kind of hoping Manning would sign with some team out of left field, like the Ravens or the 49ers, but unfortunately, he isn't.
My coworker was screaming this for the first week after Manning was free. If he went to the Ravens, that'd be a Superbowl because all they'd have to do is add some youth on defense.
It would solve the "how do you bench Tebow without the fans burning down your stadium" issue. If he chooses TN, then Denver has a whole lot of cap room with all the good FA already gone. They could have signed Mario Williams or Vincent Jackson or anybody, but they went all in. I am not losing any sleep as a Dolphins fan about losing Manning. He was a 2-3 year fix at best. I admire the Dolphins for taking their shot. They were playing catch up the whole time. Now if they don't get Flynn or Tannehill, I might lose some sleep.
Gator have you been working on nicknames for Flynn or Tannehill yet? Might want to get a jump on that. ESPN just became unbearable. They are literally going helicopter OJ Simpson White Bronco (see what I did there?) chasing the 12 miles to the practice facility.
For what it's worth, Chris Mortensen is reporting: Filed to ESPN: Third team in Manning race that has emerged is 49ers - Manning worked out for Harbaugh & took physical this week
That sound you just heard was me shitting my pants. I've never wanted San Fran to fail as much as I do right now.
At this point, I hope SF gets him. I want Elway to go back to Denver and kiss Tebow's big white ass. Manning plus Vernon Davis plus Crabtree plus Moss + their defense = skurry.
In the end, SF gives him the best chance to win. Well, Baltimore actually gives him the best chance to win, but he won't be going there and they're stuck with Flacco and no Superbowls as long as Flacco is their QB.
SF is better than Baltimore. Better talent, better coaching, easier division. Baltimore's defense is old. SF is young.
Brandon Lloyd is headed to the Patriots. I had hoped they'd put in a bid for Mike Wallace but I suppose Wallace may command a huge amount of money and bidding for superstars isn't really their style. Too bad, though, I would have really enjoyed seeing what Wallace could have brought to the team. Welker in the slot, Gronkowski as a wild card, and Wallace deep down the field - with Tom Brady under center? Scary.
They also signed Anthony Gonzalez. I know that Indy fans, when Gonzalez first arrived, had incredibly high hopes for him. A LOT of people thought he was going to be come Manning's Wes Welker, but then he got hurt. And then he got hurt again. Oh, and then he got hurt again, and between the 2009, 2010, and 2011 seasons, he played 11 games. I think one time his knee exploded when he stepped on it. Not when he was hit, or rolled it, or twisted it. I think he just stepped, then crumpled to the ground and was out for the season. I understand the signing by the Pats, because it is a low-risk high-reward kind of signing. If he pans out, awesome, you have someone to replace Welker and you can let him go. If he doesn't pan out, oh well.