Stl Bills Posted February 4, 2010 Share Posted February 4, 2010 Sign on of these guys please, who knows if they will actually hit the market thought as i could see all of them getting tagged........ From: Roshan Bhagat of FootballsFuture.com Vince Wilfork, New England Patriots (28) The Patriots acknowledged being unable to keep both of their elite defensive linemen by trading away Richard Seymour, freeing up enough money to retain Vince Wilfork. Wilfork is one of the league’s premier nose tackles and one of the cornerstones for the Patriots’ defense. The Pats shouldn’t waste much time and begin working on a long-term extension to keep him in New England. He’s already gone on the record saying he won’t be pleased if the Patriots use the franchise tag on him, but that doesn’t mean the Patriots won’t use it as a last resort if the two sides can’t agree to a deal. Wilfork moving elsewhere would be among the biggest shocks in free agency regardless of the outcomes. Aubrayo Franklin, San Francisco 49ers (30) Franklin has emerged as one of the elite nose tackles this year, helping the 49ers to field one of the best run defenses in the league this year. He doesn’t provide much against the pass, but is able to occupy blockers and hold at the point of attack with good technique and leverage. Teammate Patrick Willis is one of a number of Niners on defense that eagerly anticipates Franklin to stick around in the long-term. If the Niners can’t reach a deal with Franklin, they’re expected to use the franchise tag on him. Casey Hampton, Pittsburgh Steelers (32) Hampton played well again this season, just outside of an elite level, and remains one of the best 5-7 nose tackles in the NFL. With an expiring contract, Steelers’ owner Art Rooney has made it clear that re-signing Hampton will be one of the team’s top priorities this season. The Steelers finished, once again, with one of the best run defenses in the NFL with Casey Hampton anchoring the front line. With a number of teams making the switch to the 3-4 without a proper nose tackle, Hampton’s salary could skyrocket as an unrestricted free agent. The team has promised not to use the franchise tag on him this year. Ryan Pickett, Green Bay Packers (30) Under Dom Capers, the Packers defense has made a complete transformation into a new unit. The most impressive turnaround comes from the defensive line and the front 7’s ability to stop the run. Pickett has turned around his career in Green Bay and done a fantastic job at NT on run downs, where almost all of his snaps have come. First round pick BJ Raji saw seeing most of the snaps in passing situations. Though Pickett isn’t nearly an every down nose tackle, he’s one of the underrated nose tackles on the market. If his price ends up being out of the range for Ted Thompson, the Packers could feasibly turn to their top 10 selection and hope he performs at a high level. The first among Wilfork, Franklin, and Hampton should set a good asking price for the other free agents. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John from Riverside Posted February 4, 2010 Share Posted February 4, 2010 I wonder with the addition of the front office personnel guy if Casey Hampton may end up being a buffalo signing. It certainly fits the bill. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stl Bills Posted February 4, 2010 Author Share Posted February 4, 2010 I wonder with the addition of the front office personnel guy if Casey Hampton may end up being a buffalo signing. It certainly fits the bill. I still miss Pat Williams....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JPS Posted February 4, 2010 Share Posted February 4, 2010 Ditto on Pat Wms. Draft a fat young guy. T Cody...come on down.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Posted February 4, 2010 Share Posted February 4, 2010 More like the 4 Elite Guys could be available but won't be available. The franchise tag for a DT is $7M. The Bills will have to find one in the draft. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silvermike Posted February 4, 2010 Share Posted February 4, 2010 Yep, that's four franchise tags. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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