I think many people agree that this next year is a very critical year to the Bradley era and they have said they will be willing to spend. I always like to try to see how I would handle the offseason and fixing the team, as many fans do. I've been looking at sites trying to get a feel for how much money top players could command and what rounds key players could be available in the draft and try to build the ultimate offseason. I went with the most aggressive and ultimate offseason. Most aggressive in targeting as many top players as possible as well as not being blindly loyal to current players and optimistic in many of those players not being franchise tagged and players going in the draft when they should and not earlier. Here is what I came up with and I think it would make us one of the top candidates for the next super bowl.

 

FREE AGENT SIGNINGS5 million cap space remaining)

OT/OG      Orlando Franklin

OG            Mike Iupati

OT            Bryan Bulaga

TE            Charles Clay

WR           Randall Cobb

DE            Jerry Hughes

OLB          Justin Houston

CB            Byron Maxwell

S               Devin McCourty

 

My Thoughts:

*Orlando Franklin is very versatile as he has excelled at RT and LG. I would try him as LT and move Joeckel to back him up.

*Mike Iupati is one of the best LG in the NFL. Beadles struggled at times and as I said earlier this ideal mock accounts for no loyalty it is purely based on making the team the very best.

*Bryan Bulaga is one of the top RT in the NFL and with a draft not high on super OT and not possessing a decent RT Bulaga would be a very welcome signing.

*Charles Clay is a very solid TE and comes cheaper than guys like Thomas/Gresham and Cameron.

*Randall Cobb comes much cheaper than a Bryant/Thomas and gives us a very accomplished veteran WR to pair with the young core.

*Jerry Hughes was a beast at DE and we need a consistent, dynamic DE.

*Justin Houston was a beast at OLB and was a consistent, dynamic pass rusher. Imagine him and Hughes both chasing the QB.

*Bradley knows Maxwell from Seattle and comes cheaper and healthier than a Thurmond.

*McCourty is a ball hawking CF safety that can also tackle and even do man-to-man coverage. Imagine his ball skills with Cyprien.

 

NFL Draft:

Round 1: DT-Leonard Williams

Round 2: MLB-Denzel Perryman

Round 3: RB-T.J. Yeldon

Round 4: OT-Cedric Ogbuehi

Round 5: TE-Jeff Heuerman

Round 6: OLB-Jordan Hicks

Round 7: FS-Adrian Amos

 

Thoughts:

*Leonard Williams is a force in the middle and adds a young body to a good d-line.

*Denzel Perryman is a very solid MLB and with a FA class not full of top options this adds a young body to move [BLEEP] to a situational player.

*Not many confidence instilling options in free agency outside of Murray, but I felt money was better spent elsewhere. Yeldon would be the best back at this point and he adds competition to the position.

*Many projected Cedric as a 1st round pick prior to his injury and I've seen places project him down to 4th round, as he is also considered a slight project. A 1st round talent in the 4th round, yes please.

*Jeff Heuerman is a solid, but not outstanding TE. He doesn't excel in any one category, but he is very well rounded and does about everything above average. As a second option behind a guy like Clay, Heuerman is a very, very good luxury to have.

*After FA and the early rounds, the LB core is currently Smith, Perryman, Houston, with [BLEEP] as depth in the middle. Hicks has very good upside with time and as depth behind Houston and Smith he could thrive early as a situational player.

*Amos may not be ready to start right away, but again he has good upside. Add him behind a star like McCourty where he can learn and play in certain packages and he could be very good.

 

 

Overall Analysis:

 

The offensive line would be one of the best with a pairing of Franklin/Iupati/Bowanko/Linder/Bulaga. In addition to being very solid, we would even have decent depth with quality backups in Joeckel/Beadles/Ogbuehi.

 

The Receiving core would have the nice young talent with upside in Hurns/Lee/Robinson as well as an accomplished veteran in Cobb who could add a reliable target for Bortles and take some attention away from the young guys.

 

The RB group would have Gerhart who needs to step up with Robinson who has shown potential, but can't stay healthy with a full workload and added in Yeldon who would push Gerhart to prove himself. Also, with the drastically improved line, these 3 guys would have better running lanes and could excel.

 

At TE, we would have 2 very viable options. We would have a undervalued Clay as well as a very solid in every category Heuerman for depth and situational play.

 

On the defensive line, we would have a dynamic consistent edge rusher in Hughes and a huge upside force in the middle with Williams as well as the solid core from last year in Clemons, Marks, Branch, Miller and hopefully Alualu and Smith can figure it out.

 

At LB, we have young starters with bright futures in Perryman and Smith as well as one of the best rushers in Justin Houston paired with this young group. And again, we even finally have depth in Poz and Hicks.

 

In the secondary, we have a very good Bradley mold CB in Maxwell to pair with a young Colvin who looks to have a bright future. We could also move Gratz to a situational CB to yet again create depth. And finally we have one of the best FS in McCourty to pair with an improving Cyprien and we add Amos for imagine that depth.

 

 

 

Basically, we would have not only very good starters, but quality players in depth. Obviously, things never happen as planned. Guys get franchise tagged or other teams overpay for a player, but I feel if we pulled this off, the team would almost be a favorite for the Super Bowl. Best thing, we would even still have a small amount of cap space, but do to the youth and talent level, who needs it.

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You reaaaalllly think a team would sign NINE free agents? Any team?

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This is fantasy for me. I doubt it would ever happen. I would be happy to land hopefully 3 of those guys but thats a stretch. 

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You are talking about the next Madden on Playstation, right ?

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We want Justin Houston, but will end up with Justin Huston..  Like those Nike knock off's you see at flea markets.. 

 

 

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You reaaaalllly think a team would sign NINE free agents? Any team?

 

To be fair, he did say it in his title that is was "extremely agressive/extremely optimistic fa and draft".  So not to sure what you were expecting.

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Wow !!   What a very well thought out post.

 

Thanks !! 

 

I like redefining the line

I like the fact that you didn't just list the top free agents as potential signees

I like DT & MLB in rounds 1 and 2

I'm not sold on Yeldon in round 3.  Bama RBs scare me since they run through huge holes.  I'd go with Ameer Abdullah (Neb) or Duke Johnson (UM) if either are available.

 

TE is always critical for a young QB so we need to hit on that position which you addressed in free agency.

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You reaaaalllly think a team would sign NINE free agents? Any team?

 

 

When a team has a glaring hole at almost every position, has no depth, and has over 60 million to spend, no they probably still wouldn't sign 9 free agents, especially considering a couple of these guys will probably end up being franchised. As I stated, this was my most aggressive/optimistic offseason that could potentially be completed, but do to the way things operate, won't legitimately happen.

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<p style="color:rgb(40,40,40);font-family:helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">OT/OG      Orlando Franklin  -- 6 million

<p style="color:rgb(40,40,40);font-family:helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">OG            Mike Iupati  -- 8.5 million

<p style="color:rgb(40,40,40);font-family:helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">OT            Bryan Bulaga  -- 6 million

<p style="color:rgb(40,40,40);font-family:helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">TE            Charles Clay  -- 6.5 million

<p style="color:rgb(40,40,40);font-family:helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">WR           Randall Cobb  -- 9 million

<p style="color:rgb(40,40,40);font-family:helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">DE            Jerry Hughes  -- 8 million

<p style="color:rgb(40,40,40);font-family:helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">OLB          Justin Houston -- 15 million

<p style="color:rgb(40,40,40);font-family:helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">CB            Byron Maxwell  -- 8 million

<p style="color:rgb(40,40,40);font-family:helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">S               Devin McCourty  -- 9 million

<p style="color:rgb(40,40,40);font-family:helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"> 

<p style="color:rgb(40,40,40);font-family:helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">That's about $76 million per year flat.  Probably $60 million or so for the first year realistically - sans draft picks and other free agents.  We could do it, but it would probably require moving Lewis and/or Poz as well.

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I expect another quiet free agency.

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I expect another quiet free agency.

OP is a lot more correct than you.

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To be fair, he did say it in his title that is was "extremely agressive/extremely optimistic fa and draft". So not to sure what you were expecting.

Extremely optimistic and unrealistic aren't the same thing.

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theyve been telling us theyre gonna be big spenders but we also got the vibe that they were going to bring in a big time OC. so idk anymore.

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Coughlin when asked if winning will be a focus: "What the hell else is there? This is nice and dandy, but winning is what all this is about."

Lot's of pipe dreams on the board these days.

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I would have used the word "fantasy" instead of "optimistic" for this one....

 

It was a fun read anyway, just nowhere is the realm of possibility.

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I like OP's idea with a few nitpicks. It is however like stated, A pipedream. Just give us decent offensive free agents.

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Can't wait to see whats next. 

All those free agents and five million in cap space remaining. I shudder to think what your credit card statement looks like. 

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All those free agents and five million in cap space remaining. I shudder to think what your credit card statement looks like.

Superb owl or bust!

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"Before you criticize a man, walk a mile in his shoes. That way, if he gets angry, he's a mile away and barefoot."

Lot's of pipe dreams on the board these days.

And here I was, being slightly optimistic that the Patriots would swap rosters with us in the offseason. You're telling me I should downgrade that to somewhat doubtful?

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Just gimme Cobb , MCCourty, 2 of the OPs listed OLineman and Leonard Williams in the draft.


If you can find a TE somewhere in the next 2 rounds with some athletic ability.

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