Signing Free Agents a year out of football

[kernowboy]

Signing Free Agents a year out of football

What are fellow posters view of signing players who have been a year out of football? I wonder if there is really much difference from signing players who have either been cut or UFA who have not been tendered offers from their teams. In today's league there seems to be the option to

a) either pay huge amounts for players who sometimes do not do as well in new surroundings
b) sign veterans where the concern is how much is left in the tank
c) signing backups to big money deals which can represent a gamble

There also seems to be a trend now with the large cap space for teams to sign their own younger veteran backups with upside to larger deals further compressing the Free Agency market into the very expensive upgrade or the potentially marginal upgrade.

Some teams seem to have success in giving players out of football for a year a second chance and I fail to see why the Bills can't have a look at this.

1) Signing costs would be low and salary bonuses could be based on performance indicators
2) Players don't initially succeed for a variety of reasons (coaching changes, environment, niggling injuries)
3) Players signed are likely to work hard even if they haven't demonstrated this before as they are 'drinking in the last gasp saloon'
4) If the gamble doesn't pay off the cost of doing this is minimal

three players I would like the Bills to take a look at are

Rocky Calmus, ILB, 6ft2, 235lbs .. could be at least a solution at MLB for 2-3 years
Tyrone Calicio, WR, 6ft4, 212lbs .. maybe failed because he was too close to home
Charles Rogers, WR, 6ft3, 225lbs .. been injured and one strike away from a years suspension due to silliness with pot but surely the accountants can work a way to pay him the veteran minimum and have his bonus and signing on fee returnable if he falls foul again

If they don't agree to the terms and conditions offered, then we immediately know they are not interested in football or prepared to work hard

Just my thoughts on the issue

[BillsNick]

I don't have a problem, since they are cheap as hell. What can it hurt to see what's out there.

[clumping platelets]

Tyrone Calico :up:

Rocky Calmus :up:

Charles Rogers :down:

[OpIv37]

Here's the issue as I see it:

It's the age of free agency and the salary cap. Player salaries are high and the GM's must do everything they can to put a quality team on the field without going over the cap, so occasionally teams will have to take a chance on reclamation projects- signing has-been or never-was players and hoping they take advantage of the opportunity and step it up.

The problem comes in when a team does this TOO much, because you know the success rate isn't going to be too high. This off-season, we signed/resigned Royal, Price, Davis, Denney, Courtney Watson, Tripplett (I put him in here because he wasn't a starter), Bowen, Reed..... all guys who fall into this category.

Price and Denney turned out to be decent. Watson didn't even make the team. Reed did exactly what Reed has always done- a few spectacular moments peppered in a generally mediocre season. The rest of the group was extremely disappointing (Davis was disappointing as a receiver but to his credit, did contribute on ST).

The point is that teams have to limit their reclamation type moves- I'm not opposed to signing a player a year out of football based solely on that fact, but we have to be selective about how many careers we try to resurrect in a single season and who those players are.

[bigbub2352]

The only issue i have is that there is a reason that 32 teams gave up on these guys, now i am all for second chances but sometimes these guys are a locker room problem, then again sometimesa these guys come back more focused and determined than ever, it really is a 50-50 shot with these type players, I would luv the Bills to look at Tyrone Calico, good size and showed potential with a carasel at QB while Mcnair was there and often injured, like him comin out of college

[PECKERWOOD]

Shouldn't Odell Thurman be included in that list?

[bigbub2352]

i think odell thurman is still under contract he was suspended for a year

[ryjam282]

I would love to see Calico brought in. He showed some big improvement before his injuries in Tennessee.

[jamze132]

Let's not forget, there are 31 other teams that felt these players couldn't help them... there is a reason they are our of football right now. Not saying that can't make a comeback though, I'm just saying.

[oak tree 12]

Here's the issue as I see it:

It's the age of free agency and the salary cap. Player salaries are high and the GM's must do everything they can to put a quality team on the field without going over the cap, so occasionally teams will have to take a chance on reclamation projects- signing has-been or never-was players and hoping they take advantage of the opportunity and step it up.

The problem comes in when a team does this TOO much, because you know the success rate isn't going to be too high. This off-season, we signed/resigned Royal, Price, Davis, Denney, Courtney Watson, Tripplett (I put him in here because he wasn't a starter), Bowen, Reed..... all guys who fall into this category.

Price and Denney turned out to be decent. Watson didn't even make the team. Reed did exactly what Reed has always done- a few spectacular moments peppered in a generally mediocre season. The rest of the group was extremely disappointing (Davis was disappointing as a receiver but to his credit, did contribute on ST).

The point is that teams have to limit their reclamation type moves- I'm not opposed to signing a player a year out of football based solely on that fact, but we have to be selective about how many careers we try to resurrect in a single season and who those players are.

reed had a good productive year,i'de rather have him @ #2 than price,davis was brought in as depth,and was productive on special teams.

[clumping platelets]

Josh Reed is a #3 WR..........he will excel in that role

[dolphan117]

Charles Rogers is such a shame, second pick in the draft and what, 4 years later(?) gets cut and doesn't get picked up by anyone. My guess is he ends up in somebody's TC next year with a final shot to make it but its an awful shame to see how a guy with that much raw talent just fell off the NFL cliff.