National Football League's offseason is set to have another kickoff with free agency getting underway at 3:00 pm Central Standard Time or 4:00 pm for those out East or 1:00 pm for the Pacific folks. Basically, Twitter is probably going to collapse with players already signed to new deals with new teams which is weird seeing as free agency just began. Yet regardless, there will be guys with new deals before you know it. People will love to give out the 'Championships are not won in March' quote which is very true, but here are some of the things I will be keeping an eye on in the coming weeks.1. Will Darrelle Revis get cut and what will be the interest level - First of all, Tampa Bay would be foolish to release arguably the best corner in the game. Sure, there could be some constraints in Lovie Smith's Cover 2, but to pass on that sort of talent seems foolish. New England and San Francisco could be interested suitors which should terrify the rest of the league. Honestly, I have to think to the Bucs are not this stupid of a franchise to just give up on Revis after one year of having him on the roster.
2. It sounds like James Jones and Evan Dietrich-Smith have played their last games in Green Bay - By the grace of Vincent Lombardi, something could change, but it appears like the Packers are set to lose a couple offensive weapons. We will not go into what the loss could mean for the team rather talk about their addition to the rumored teams. Jones is being looked at by Detroit and New York Jets right now. He could really help both teams and if Detroit gets Jones along with another receiver in the first three rounds, they become downright nightmarish on offense. EDS sounds like he might make a move to New York with the Giants to help rebuild that offensive line.
3. Who wins Lamarr Houston in the NFC North? - One of the free agents I mentioned when rumors began about Green Bay wanting free agents was Lamarr Houston. Packers apparently agreed with me, and they had discussions about bringing him into the fold. Chicago Bears have the same idea, and since they are likely getting rid of Julius Peppers plus not being able to get Michael Bennett, Houston might be the play for Chicago. The thing that worries me is despite Green Bay having more money, Houston spent most of his time playing in a 4-3 system making Chicago have more an alluring destination than Green Bay. But what the hell do I really know
4. Byrd is not really the word - No one has any idea where Jairus Byrd is going. Like virtually none. There are rumors of 'mystery team' (WAIT A SECOND, FOOTBALL, STOP TAKING BASEBALL'S WORDS) giving him somewhere in the nine million dollar range at safety. We know it will probably not be Buffalo so who comes out winning the Byrd sweepstakes? My assumption is T.J. Ward will want him to make up his mind quickly to set the pace for safeties. If the football media has more sources than JSTOR are not making guesses on Byrd, I probably should not either.
5. How much will Philadelphia makeover their defense? - Eagles are known for making some splashes in free agency in the past decade, and while they improved over the last couple of weeks, Philadelphia still needs to make their defense into something else. They could definitely get some help in the defensive secondary, and they could probably use another pass rusher. Philadelphia could stay put and hope some of their young guys pan out better with another year although Eagles management usually takes the approach of making a strike early instead of playing the wait and see.
6. What contender gets Steve Smith - There are all sorts of rumors flying around about Smith possibly not being in a Carolina uniform come next season, and if that does occur, many teams will be interested in Smith, all with likely Super Bowl aspirations. What if Denver decided to ditch Eric Decker and take Smith for less money, could you imagine Smith in the slot with Peyton Manning? Or how about Seattle who lacks receiving talent and could use another badass on their roster? If Smith really wants to get back at Carolina, he goes Favre and takes probably a smaller deal to play for New Orleans which once again is an offensive orgasm. Smith might not be a great receiver anymore, but the guy can still ball out.
7. Will Washington pull a Washington? - Let's face it, it was kind of boring last offseason not having Daniel Snyder making some outrageous contract offer. It is time for Danny boy to make something happen. Whether Washington is giving a ton of money to Aqib Talib, or Arthur Jones gets a pay day from this team, we need something drastic from Washington to know that I am officially alive. If we do not get something of this nature, I expect a Robert Griffin subtweet or this whole offseason is pointless.
8. Hakeem Nicks.... The most interesting man in Free Agency - As a fantasy owner with high expectations, I can tell you firsthand how bad of a season Nicks had for the Giants in a contract year. He hand-delivered a bag of shit to me by the end of it. Many people swear Nicks has number one wide receiver talent and will not get the money from New York so where will it come from? Oakland? Maybe Carolina? What about Cleveland to pair him with Josh Gordon? Buffalo is another option worth thinking about it. I do not know if Nicks will get number one money, but he is an interesting study.
9. Who takes a chance at Michael Vick? - This is another real interesting player in the free agency market. My assumption is Vick will have some options to sign with teams as a starter versus being a backup yet I do think some would pay the price to have him being a solid number two. Even though they have Terrelle Pryor, Oakland would be a great fit for Vick. Just seems to fit him perfectly like Mike Vick would be beloved and take full advantage of the situation. I also do not hate the idea of him playing for Tampa Bay with Lovie Smith. He will have some suitors.
10. Who delivered the 'holy shit' moment of the offseason - San Francisco and there is no doubt in my mind about it. The thing is the Niners know they need to keep up with the Jones which includes a crowded neighborhood of Seattle plus growing Arizona and St. Louis. They also have an awkward situation with their head coach and the front office. They need to throw off the scent for a little awhile meaning a splash will come and sound like a thunderous boom.
Charlie.
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