Teams prep for season by inking free agents

by Robert Box, staff writer

Even though the NFL season is still six months away, teams have already started building their rosters in hopes of making it to the Super Bowl. 

The first step in that process is the free agency period.  Some teams made huge news during the free agency period, both for the players they acquired and the players who were let go. 

Running backs have made some of the biggest news so far.  The Chicago Bears, the NFC champions, traded their leading rusher from a year ago to the New York Jets for their second-round pick in the upcoming NFL draft.  Jones had more than 1,200 rushing yards last year, but the Bears’ top draft pick from two years ago was running back Cedric Benson from the University of Texas. 

Jamal Lewis, who rushed for more than 2,000 yards in 2003, was released by the Baltimore Ravens in a move to save money.  The Ravens, in turn, acquired Willis McGahee from the Buffalo Bills for a number of draft picks.  This erased any hope of Lewis re-signing with his former team.  Lewis then signed with the Cleveland Browns.  This may affect the upcoming draft, since many believe that the Browns were going to draft a running back.  This may lead to the Browns selecting Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn.

In other quarterback news, the Houston Texans released the very first draft pick in franchise history, David Carr.  The team made a trade for Atlanta Falcons backup quarterback Matt Schaub. 

Carr had passed for more than 13,000 yards and 59 touchdowns in his five-year career at Houston and will leave as the franchise’s all-time leading passer.  This move may help out both Carr and the Texans.  This way the Texans can start moving in a new direction for the franchise, and Carr can find a new place to play that will certainly be able to protect him better while he is passing.  Carr was sacked more times during his time at Houston than any other quarterback in the league during that time. 

One of the more surprising releases was Joey Porter from the Pittsburgh Steelers.  Porter was considered a leader in the locker room and one of only two players to have 60 sacks and 10 interceptions.  Porter was quickly signed by the Miami Dolphins.  This will allow him to join veteran linebacker and Texas Tech graduate, Zach Thomas.  

One story to keep up with will be Joe Horn from the New Orleans Saints going to his former rival, the Atlanta Falcons.  Horn will add experience to an under-performing group of wide receivers at Atlanta.  This might turn the rivalry into a blood feud. 

Offensive linemen have been the big winners so far.  The Dallas Cowboys invested close to $50 million in former Arizona Cardinals offensive tackle Leonard Davis. After leaving the Washington Redskins, Derrick Dockery received $49 million from the Bills, and Kris Dielman received $39 million to resign with the San Diego Chargers.  That means that three player made close to $140 million in contracts.  It takes five linemen to fill a team, and it only took three to make that much money. 

Teams’ rosters will continue to change until training camps begin in the summer.  The draft will shape teams and will start to give owners a realistic impression of how good a team can really be.  One thing is for sure though, it will be fun to watch.