The Falcoholic's Atlanta Falcons Free Agent Targets: Carl Nicks

But this is a huge departure from our current thinking on the offensive line. Smithitroff seem to prefer drafting and developing an offensive line, using later round picks and undrafted free agents. Signing the top FA guard for 9 million a year is a TON of money, and not even at the more elite position of LT where we also have uncertainty brewing. I’m not so sure they don’t sign a cheaper LT and try to force T-Rex arms into the RG position, where his run blocking might really shine (throwing him there mid season was a mistake, lets see what an offseason of training can do).

Even if we cant get nicks if he proves too expensive hopefully we can get a player that has his type of capability.

if we could land that dude. I think you meant unlikely that the Saint’s would use the franchise tag on him, but I am not so sure. They won’t need it on Brees, they will easily reach an agreement there, Peyton and Brees are a match made in heaven. Colston vs Nicks, I think Nicks gets the tag. All Pro guards are harder to find than quality WRs and Brees makes a good WR look great with ball placement.

and it would be great to get him. But the tag usually gets applied in a contentious situation where a longer term agreement can’t be reached. I don’t see that being the situation with Brees. He and Peyton are good for each other, have it going real well and I am sure Brees feels some loyalty given the Saints took a chance on him after his shoulder injury.

Glad you brought it up, I will be watching how this develops with interest.

Failing Nicks, who else would be a good FA addition to the line?

We always seem to burn out free agency with a top-dollar acquisition. Sometimes it works (for a few years) like Michael Turner, other times we are saddled with players being paid well in excess of their value (Robinson and Edwards). Maybe multiple, mid to low level acquisitions like Hayden might be more prudent.

You could get simone like Finnigen from the Titans who odd more shut down than Robinson

The most important thing about an oline is to keep the front clean so a qb can step up, side pressure is easy to avoid. We seen it this year hawley kept getting bulled into ryan therefore leaving him no room to step up. We also better pray we hit on a LT somewhere in the draft. Finally i think we need to resign HD and Lofton maybe beerman and pick up either Laron Landry,Michael Griffin, or Mario Williams if we dont resign abe. BTW keep dunta you will all see him do work this year with our new DC trust me

Last first round O lineman before we moved up for Sam Baker was 1993 Lincoln Kennedy and 1992 Bob Whitfield it would be nice to have a pair like that back.

OG it’s manageable in my opinion, LT Demetrius Bell from Bills is a better option and most needed position.