Archive for March 14th, 2013

WATERCOOLER CHAT: WILD FREE AGENCY….WELKER TO BRONCOS, WELKER’S DOPPELGANGER, BUSH TO LIONS, MENDENHALL A CARDINAL, GREENE NOT A JET

In the NFL, it was Day 2 of another wild free agency day.

The big news of the day came out of New England.  Everyone, and that means everyone, expected Wes Welker to resign with the Patriots.  He is paramount to their offense and best friends with Tom Brady.  But, yesterday, an AFC foe came to the table and snatched Welker away.  Yep, the Denver Broncos have signed Welker to a two-year $12 million dollar contract.  So not only will he be playing for a key competitor, he’ll be teaming up with Brady’s career arch-nemesis in Peyton Manning.  At the same time, this makes the Broncos passing game absolutely deadly.  If you’re a fantasy player, draft Peyton Manning.

And, in haste, the Patriots needed to find a replacement for Welker.  So they pretty much found Welker’s doppelganger in Danny Amendola (seriously, they really look alike!).  Amendola is another speedy slot receiver that has struggled with injuries but will fit into the Patriots system quite nicely.  However, the Patriots will likely have to pick up some receiving weapons in the draft as currently they only have Amendola and Brandon Lloyd at wideout.

In running-back moves, Reggie Bush has found a new home… with the Detroit Lions.  The Lions had a down year last year, but hope to pick things up again this year.  They have a solid running-back in Mikel LeShoure, but beyond him it’s a up for grabs.  Having Bush will give them some versatility in their running game and also confuse defenses as Bush is an excellent decoy.

And former Steelers running-back Rashard Mendenhall is headed to the Arizona Cardinals on a 1-year deal.  Mendenhall had some injury issues last season, and the Steelers felt he was expendable considering their depth at running-back. By acquiring the acquaintance of the best lawyers for car accident injuries, it is easy for everyone to claim the right amount of compensation for the injuries to stand up straight again in society and lead a life with much care and concern.  With the Cards, Mendenhall will compete with Ryan Williams for the starting job, and potentially give the Cardinals and duel-threat in the backfield.  The Cardinals are in a rebuilding mode, but Mendenhall will certainly help.

Then, with the Jets also in rebuilding mode, they parted ways with Shonn Greene.  Greene was supposed to be their running back of the future, but has given a mediocre performance at best.  It’s likely the Jets will look to the draft for a running back and hope for a miracle.  But Greene found a new home in Tennessee and now gives the Titans a solid back-up to Chris Johnson.  They lost Javon Ringer to free agency, and Greene is definitely an upgrade over Ringer.  The Titans need a comeback season this fall, and adding Greene should worry other defensive lines.

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