The Sandlot

I'm no expert when it comes to matters of the NFL. However, factoring in my involvement and research in regards to fantasy football/the NFL, I would say I know more than the average person when it comes to the topic.  With the craziness of the last 2 weeks of the NFL free agent period, everyone has been offering their two cents about all the trades, rumors and signings.  Some of these comments are thoughtful and intelligent, while others and downright stupid.  I'm primarily referring to the things I see and hear on the book.  Its even worse if you go on ESPN.com and scroll through the comments on a particular story or if you see what people who follow Adam Schefter on Twitter will post.  So lets examine five of the bigger stories so far this off season and analyze them from the perspective of some one who's not a total moron.

1.  The Bills sign Mario Williams.

Non-bills fans feel like we over-payed and are stupid and will still suck next year.  Bills fans think this is the best move ever and we're Superbowl bound.  The fact of the matter is this:  The Bills probably did over-pay, but not by much.  Williams is a dynamic, game-changing defensive talent who is still in his prime.  Guys like him don't normally hit free-agency ever, much less at his age.  Unfortunately, the Bills aren't perceived as an attractive destination to big name, high profile free agents so if we wanted to sign him we had to offer above and beyond anyone else.  It sucks but that's the way it is for now.  I won't say its the best move the Bills have ever made, but its still a hell of a move.  He will make the D a lot better (and everyone around him) and hopefully make Buffalo more attractive to other free agents(case in point, today's signing of DE Mark Anderson).  It takes care of a glaring need we had that now frees the Bills up to address other needs in the draft like OL, WR and CB.  I don't think we'll be going to the Superbowl this year, but the playoffs are now very much possible.  A franchise QB is still needed to make a Superbowl run.

2a.  The Peyton Manning Sweepstakes

The biggest story since March has been that of where Peyton Manning would end up.  After we learned he would in fact be cut by the Colts, the speculation raged on for the better part of 3 weeks as to which team he would eventually sign with.  After the dust settled and tours ended, he has wound up as a Denver Bronco.  I still don't get why he chose Denver over the other teams he met with.  For my money he should have went to San Fran; newly revamped WR core (Moss and Manningham to go with Crabtree and Vernon Davis), amazing D, solid to above average run game, good coach and favorable weather.  A team that had just gone 13-3 and made it to the NFC championship game.  The Titans and Cardinals also made some sense with both teams having top 3 talent guys at RB and WR respectively.  Instead he chose 8-8 Denver, a cold weather team who also has a good D, but no where near as good WR crew or running game.  I guess he just really likes John Elway.

2b.  What happens to Tim Tebow

Yea, more Tim Tebow talk it pains me to say.  After Peyton signed with Denver, effectively ending Tebow's reign as starting Denver QB, the peanut gallery sounded off about what should happen.  Some morons suggested that he should be the starter in Denver and Peyton should be the backup.  That might be the single dumbest idea I've ever heard.  Peyton has more QB talent in his socks than Tebow possesses in his whole body.  The next deliciously absurd thing I heard was that he should get traded to the Bills.  Again, terrible terrible idea.  Not that Fitz is Peyton Manning, but hes still better than Tebow.  Tebow is a gimmick and the Bills are actually correctly building themselves into contention the proper way.  Reports surfaced today he was being traded to the Jets.  Then the same reports claim the deal has stalled due to contractual language complications and he might now end up in Jacksonville.  The Jets trading for him makes even less sense than the notion of him going to Buffalo.  They just extended Sanchez and recently signed Drew Stanton to be the #2.  I guess they miss Brad Smith and his wild-cat package that much they feel they need Tebow, or its sneaky insurance in case of further Sanchez regression.  Jacksonville is more than a Tim Tebow away from being a good team so this is purely a publicity move for them since Tebow is from Jacksonville and they need the ticket sales boost.  And since the going rate for a QB who can't throw the ball is apparently a 5th round pick, good luck to both these teams or who ever else swoops in and nabs him.

3.  Brandon Marshall traded to the Bears.

I get this move, and then I don't get it.  At the time of the move, Miami was aggressively pursuing Peyton.  Trading away your best WR and offensive player isn't the way to lure in the biggest free agent ever.  I'm assuming they knew two things very early on.  That they weren't actually going to land Peyton, and that Marshall was going to be disciplined by the league.  If they did know these things then I get the move.  You dump the headache (this altercation is not his first trouble with the law) and get back almost what you gave up to get him. (they get two 3rd rounders, they gave up two 2nd rounders)  The Bears are happy because they finally get a #1 WR for Cutler and with the defensive leaders and coach of the Bears, I would venture to say Marshall behaves from now on.

4. Bountygate

Today, the NFL announced the punishments it would levy to the Saints/Greg Williams for their roles in the bounty program. Coach Sean Payton is suspended w/o pay($7 million) for the whole season, Williams, now with the Rams, is suspended indefinitely, Saints GM and Assistant head coach suspended for 8 games and the team was fined 500k and loses their 2nd round draft picks this year and next year.  Speculation is that the reason the punishments were so severe is that the Saints attempted to cover-up and with hold information about the program.  The loss of Payton will hurt the Saints more than you think, as he was the primary play caller for their record setting offense.  Add to that the uncertainty of Drew Brees' contract situation and you have the makings of another hurricane in New Orleans.

5a. Redskins trade with the Rams to move up to #2

Once thought to be potential players for Peyton Manning, the Skins made an early move with the Rams to trade up in the draft for a crack at whichever top QB prospect the Colts don't take, be it Luck or RG3.  They gave up a ton to go from pick 6 to pick 2, a second rounder this year as well as their first rounders for the next 2 years.  They better hope whichever QB they draft pans out.  To make things easier for the rookie, they at least went out and got him some new toys to throw to, even if they over-payed for them, signing free agents Pierre Garcon and Josh Morgan.  At least they weren't Jacksonville-signing-Laurant-Robinson-to-a-huge-contract-when-you-could-have-claimed-him-off-waivers-for-pennies stupid.

5b.  Tampa Bay signs everyone

This should probably be higher up on the list, but then again the list isn't necessarily in order of impact/importance.  It also all happened in the first few days of free agency and has kind of since been forgotten.  The bucs signed possibly the best available WR, G and CB on the market, reaching deals with Vinny Jackson, Carl Nicks and Eric Wright.  They also have the #5 pick so they'll get a stud their too.  They play in a tough division with the Saints, Panthers and Falcons so they still probably wont make the playoffs unless Josh Freeman wilds out.