So it's easier to stay updated on perhaps our biggest need come here to see who is still available.

Tier 1

Paul Posluzsny MLB -- JAGS
Stephen Tulloch MLB -- LIONS
Kevin Burnett LB -- DOLPHINS
Barrett Ruud MLB -- TITANS
Lofa Tatupu MLB

Tier 2

Nick Barnett LB -- BILLS
Channing Crowder MLB
Kirk Morrison MLB
Rocky McIntosh LB
Stewart Bradley LB -- CARDINALS
James Anderson OLB -- PANTHERS
Quincy Black OLB -- BUCS
Manny Lawson OLB -- BENGALS
Clint Session OLB -- JAGS
Leroy Hill OLB

Tier 3

Brandon Siler MLB -- CHIEFS
Ernie Sims OLB -- COLTS
Stephan Nicholas LB -- FALCONS
Thomas Howard OLB -- BENGALS

Tier 4

Anthony Waters MLB
Tavares Gooden LB
Nick Roach LB -- BEARS


This isn't the full list of Free Agents just players who stand a good shot at drawing our interest.

my money is on one of these

Tulloch,
Anderson
McIntosh
Ruud
Barnett
Bradley

scratch these guys off the list

• Panthers re-signed OLB James Anderson (5 years, $22 million)
  
• Buccaneers re-signed OLB Quincy Black (5 years, $29 million; $11.5 million guaranteed)
  
• Falcons re-signed OLB Stephen Nicholas (5 years, $17.5 million)
  

Did I mention I love what Jax is doing on defense especially at LB. Very good group. Smith at strongside Poz in the middle with Session on the weakside. If only we had backers like that. . .

Curious move the Bengals signed Thomas Howard. Could Keith Rivers be available for trade (ie an Osi deal)?

Possibly but they needed a SLB and Howard can play there. They have a lot of potential in that LB group.

any chance the Giants want Bulluck back on the cheap?

I really don't think so. Bullock said he wanted more playing time I don't think he'll get that here. It almost seems like we are ready to hand it over to Sintim and have Tracy and Herz battle it out for his back up spot.

Coughlin to Sintim and Beatty, "Sink or Swim".

56 Crazed Dogs wrote:any chance the Giants want Bulluck back on the cheap?

Nah I doubt it, he is headed to detroit imho.

Reese is in the middle of a huge youth movement at LB and we want to upgrade, speed, athleticism and coverage which unfortunately is no longer what Bulluck is

Kawika Mitchell is much more likely

Pizan wrote:Did I mention I love what Jax is doing on defense especially at LB. Very good group. Smith at strongside Poz in the middle with Session on the weakside. If only we had backers like that. . .

but some serious $$ too


Jaguars sign LB Paul Posluszny (6 years, $42 million)

Jaguars sign OLB Clint Session (5 years, $30 million)


but you are right, they did need it

Pizan wrote:Possibly but they needed a SLB and Howard can play there. They have a lot of potential in that LB group.

Thats true

Howard, Melualuga and Rivers is a good trio

Channing Crowder added after Dolphins release him.

Pizan wrote:Channing Crowder added after Dolphins release him.

Thie dolphins signed Kevin Burnett to team inside with Dansby

Nick Roach was signed by the bears

Schwartz not showing interest in Tulloch rather Barnett, with an apparent need at the position is not a good sign at all.

Pizan wrote:Schwartz not showing interest in Tulloch rather Barnett, with an apparent need at the position is not a good sign at all.

They signed Tulloch, maybe they want both

cue Barrett Ruud Mr Reese

This is annoying, here is the deal the Lions got Tulloch with

---

Sources: Stephen Tulloch joins Lions

The Detroit Lions have signed former Tennessee Titans linebacker Stephen Tulloch to a one-year deal worth $3.35 million, including $1.8 million guaranteed, league sources tell ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter.
The 26-year-old Tulloch has led the Titans in tackles each of the past two seasons.
In
2010, his first season as a full-time starter in the Titans' linebacker
corps, he had a career-high 160 tackles, including 111 solo takedowns.

Thanks and even better news.

Lofa Tatupu asks for his release, and he’ll get it profootballtalk.com


Make it happen Reese.

Barnett signs with Bills, and Pete, Ruud signed with the Titans.

Tatupu is clearly our best candidate in the middle at this point. If we want to make an upgrade at LB we have to act fast.

We'll have the same results as last year with the Eagles if we don't get more athletic at LB.

Pizan wrote:Barnett signs with Bills, and Pete, Ruud signed with the Titans.

Tatupu is clearly our best candidate in the middle at this point. If we want to make an upgrade at LB we have to act fast.

We'll have the same results as last year with the Eagles if we don't get more athletic at LB.

What about Rocky McIntosh, Leroy Hill and Manny Lawson?

None are true MLB's. Tatupu is getting interest from the Raiders and Skins. Hopefully we jump in.

Pizan wrote:None are true MLB's. Tatupu is getting interest from the Raiders and Skins. Hopefully we jump in.

I think Goff is ok at MLB, I think OLB is the bigger issue

Fewell has mentioned that he wants Goff to take a bigger role with more snaps


Goff is solid at MLB and is getting better; we need the playmakers at OLB, both Boley and Sintim didn't get it done imho.

Fewell seems to like what he seems from Sintim, but he is being limited at this stage.

Goff is serviceable. He's a good run defender but is a HUGE liability in coverage, which is exactly why he was replaced by the Grant on passing downs and nickle packages. His lateral speed and change of direction speed isn't good at all which makes for poor coverage and an especially bad match up vs Philly.

Boley was our best backer last season by a long shot, he's one of the more effective blitzers in the league. And a good all around backer. Because Boley is our best backer we expect him to be this big time playmaker. Thats being twisted as he's not a good backer and he's the problem. Thats just not true at all.

Sintim still has the biggest upside. We just can't expect too much from him since he's returning from that knee injury.

Ideally I would like 3 new backers. I want to give Sintim a shot first but I like that we added Herzlich. What we see with Goff is what we get. I'd like to upgrade MLB now with a player like Tatupu. I would also add someone cheap like Ernie Sims who is good vs the run and blitzes effectively. Although he is a liability in coverage he could back up Boley and if Sintim struggles Boley could play SLB and Sims WLB.

Manny Lawson is in Cincinnati

hmm potential deal for Osi with Keith Rivers?

Lawson, Melualuga and Howard is a good trio

Keith Rivers would be an amazing return. I'd do that deal without hesitation.