dryheat44

Asomugha is great, but almost certainly tagged. Ditto Dansby. Ray Lewis and Bart Scott will be eligible.

There is one guy out there, however, who will probably do more to benefit this team than most other "sexy" additions, and I don't believe anybody's mentioned him.

Want a hint? He plays in the AFC West.

Want another? In Oakland.

Still stuck? Shane Lechler. We know that BB values the kicking game more than most coaches, and we know how highly he values field position. I think Hansen's done a good job, but I think Belichick would love to get his hands on a weapon of Lechler's caliber.

Just call Oakland our farm team.

__________________
When it's third and 10, you can have the milk drinkers and I'll take the whiskey drinkers every time. -- R.I.P. Max McGee

mgteich

There are lots of players Belichick will like to get his hands on. Our key free agent target should be Mike Wright (New England Patriots) who will be a free agent on February 27th.

dryheat44

I can't imagine giving Wright a big raise he'll likely want as somebody who's probably made less money than many of us in his career. I like him, even back as UDFA, but he's eminently replaceable. He might be replaced by LeKevin Smith or Titus Adams, to say nothing of rookies or veteran free agents.

If he wants to take a below-market multi-year deal, then great. But I don't see it as any kind of priority.

__________________
When it's third and 10, you can have the milk drinkers and I'll take the whiskey drinkers every time. -- R.I.P. Max McGee

BradyManny

Good thinking, agree Hansen has been OK - but that's a sure upgrade, and anytime you can upgrade a position cost efficiently, it's worth looking into.

Not that we're going to be punting much at all next year once Brady's back anyway

Patriot_in_NY

Lechler is probably gonna come with a hefty price tag (for punters anyway). I can't see BB digging too deep into his pocket for that position. Kicker perhaps, not a punter.

Canada's #1 Pats Fan

I agree that BB places an emphasis on the kicking more than some coaches, but do you really feel that he is prepared to tie up some 'considerable' cap money into a kicker. He didn't with Vinateri and he is a kicker that sees the field more than a punter. Just a thought.

tanked_as_usual

wright is actually more important than jarvis green since wright has put a bunch of time in at each spot on the DL.......green's play has been very spotty, and I think his money is better spent elsewhere and replace him with a draft pick

Ochmed Jones

Can Lechler kick in the cold and/or wind? I admit I have not seen enough Oakland games to get a read on him, which is sad on my part since Oakland punts so much. Didn;t Lechler botch a punt against us this past season?

Ochmed Jones

BB needs to do whatever it takes to pry Nnamdi out from under Al's thumb.

Plan of attack.

1.) Send Al Davis lots of flowers and candy, with posted notes that read, "I'm sorry! BB"

2.) Include with the flowers and candy tapes of the great Oakland teams of the 70's and early 80's.

3.) With the flowers, candy and tapes include a card that reads, "Al, your team could be great like your teams of old if you didn't have Nnamdi dragging down your defense. In return for Nnamdi, I will send you San Diego's second round draft pick and the next Mike Haynes off our roster, DB Spann."

4.) Before enacting step one of plan, pay the Davis caregiver a boat load of cash to swap out Al's regular meds with chicklits.

Success almost guaranteed.

mgteich

I understand that you think that Mike Wright is an expendable scrub. I agree that the market for him is higher than that. I agree that Wright will not take a below market deal. Why would anyone? You would replace him with Titus Adams (LeKevin already has a roster spot) and potentially go into 2010 with Warren, Adams and Warren as you defensive line.

Wright is as valuable as Jarvis Green and should command similar money. I would want to re-sign Wright and extend Green, instead of expecting to replace them with JAG's.

If the QB situation is solved before March 1st, I expect Wright to be signed to a Jarvis Green type contract in the first week of March. I also expect us to quickly re-sign Hochstein, Paxton, Evans, Gaffney and Lew Sanders. With these singings and the tenders to Woods and Britt and the ERFA's, we wold then be ready for the rest of the off-season.