Let's Rummage through the Bargain Bin

Phil Plantier

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Mar 7, 2002
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From now until training camp, there will be some older free agents looking for work. Here's a list (every list has an annoying amount of ad clutter):

https://overthecap.com/free-agency/

(you can click on "2021 Team" to sort by available FAs)

Anyone catch your fancy? I wonder if Melvin Ingram would do a make-good deal...
 

Eck'sSneakyCheese

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WRs - Taywan Taylor, Dede Westbrook - Taylor is super shifty, Westbrook is super speedy. I loved Taylor coming out of college. Reminds me a lot of Tyler Lockett. Westbrook has been solid in Jacksonville despite the fact that their offense has lacked an identity. Game breaking speed.
OL - Jermaine Eluemunor - familiar with the system, can play all over the line.
CB - Gareon Conley - high draft pick with great measurables and is still young. Would love to see what he could do under a better coaching staff.
 

E5 Yaz

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It's amazing how quick things change in the NFL. There's a number of unsigned guys that many teams would want 3-4 years ago.

Meanwhile, is The Ghost really unsigned?
 

BigSoxFan

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It's amazing how quick things change in the NFL. There's a number of unsigned guys that many teams would want 3-4 years ago.

Meanwhile, is The Ghost really unsigned?
Shoot, 2 years ago Jurrell Casey was making his 5th consecutive Pro Bowl and now, at 31, he’s basically done. Like you said, tons of good (or formerly really good) players on that list.
 

E5 Yaz

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Shoot, 2 years ago Jurrell Casey was making his 5th consecutive Pro Bowl and now, at 31, he’s basically done. Like you said, tons of good (or formerly really good) players on that list.
Not to mention nearly an entire Chiefs offensive line
 

Phil Plantier

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The two I don't get are Kawann Short and Olivier Vernon. Weren't they both at least worth their contracts last year?
 

dcdrew10

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Meanwhile, is The Ghost really unsigned?
Ghost has had a really weird couple of years. Last year he was <70% on field goals, almost all issues were in the 40-49 yard area, where he was 5-10, but he was 7/8 at 50+ yards. In 2029 he was injured and <75% on PATs. Seems like a guy who gets a training camp flier or is a vet replacement for the first guy to get hurt or kick his way off a team.
 

Mloaf71

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Ghost has had a really weird couple of years. Last year he was <70% on field goals, almost all issues were in the 40-49 yard area, where he was 5-10, but he was 7/8 at 50+ yards. In 2029 he was injured and <75% on PATs. Seems like a guy who gets a training camp flier or is a vet replacement for the first guy to get hurt or kick his way off a team.
Didn't Vinatieri have a weird year (2003) like Ghost's last couple before bouncing back and being rather consistent in Indy? I guess Ghost is much older than Vinatieri when he had the bad years, so maybe he's toast.
 

dynomite

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Speaking of bargain bin... old friend Danny Amendola is looking for work, and I’m not sure how to feel. Anyone have a strong feeling?

He’s 35, but he’s coming off two productive seasons with the Lions, including last season when he had 46 catches for 600 yards and returned a few punts. It’s not a perfect fit, and Amendola has said a few times that he didn’t love everything about playing for Belichick — but playing for Belichick and Patricia seems to be his thing.

On balance, I think it would be nice to add a reliable veteran to that WR room — at least during training camp — and nice to add someone else who can reliably return punts, and nice to have injury insurance.
 

dcdrew10

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Didn't Vinatieri have a weird year (2003) like Ghost's last couple before bouncing back and being rather consistent in Indy? I guess Ghost is much older than Vinatieri when he had the bad years, so maybe he's toast.
It's hard to say; I was never a kicker, but it seems like one little thing can really mess with their mechanics and kickers can be prone to a bad season, but Ghost's season probably wasn't bad enough to warrant retirement. He was eighth in the NFL in PAT % and is only really bad FG% was in the 40-49 range.

His FG % stats look weird to me. He was most accurate from 50+, by far and it isn't even a SSS.

Distance %
20-29 67% - 2/3
30-39 80% - 4/5
40-49 50% - 5/10
50+ 89% - 7/8


The 60% on 30-49 yard combined is a bit worrisome, since that seems to be the largest proportion of FGA and the important range for a kicker to be able to make 75%+ of those kicks. 2020 was Ghost's worse season for the 30-49 yard kicks by a long shot. Other than his second season when he missed half the year, Ghost hadn't had a year of less than 76% FGM from that distance, and only twice in his career has he been below 80%. His career percentage for 30-49 yd FG is 84%. Again, I know nothing about kicking other than it's really freaking hard, but it seems like there was some sort of mechanical issue or minor injury that messed with him last year, because it was such an aberration.

He clearly still has a leg; his touchback percentage was in the middle to higher end of his career and his kickoff average yardage was within a yard of the last four years, though neither of those data points takes strategy into account. His PATs are fine and he can still kick off, so he will likely get a job, if he wants one. I would not be mad if the Pats had to sign him if Folk got injured or went to hell.
 

tims4wins

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On Gost, important to remember he had that awful first game where he missed 3 FG and a PAT. After that game (including playoffs) he was 46 for 47 on PAT and 19 for 24 on FG. The FG% still isn't awesome but he was a perfectly solid kicker last year, seemingly.