Pete Prisco's top 10 Free Agents. Clements top 7

[vicmantak]

http://www.sportsline.com/nfl/story/9219766/1

[Jan Reimers]

Clements certainly has a reputation. I wonder if Prisco actually saw him play last year, however.

[ddaryl]

regardless of how anyone thought NC played last year, he is still the best CB on the market.

BUT, maybe NC's decline had much to do with the Bills decline in general, rather then NC just playing terrible.

Fix the Bills DL, and maybe upgrade one of the S positions with younger talent and NC will be back in form IMO.

[ryjam282]

Chris Hope would be a nice addition to the defensive backfield for us. I watched a bunch of Steelers games (I had Parker and Ward on my fantasy team). He would be a nice replacement for Vincent IMO.

[patmoran2006]

I dont think cutting Vincent is an option this year..
Salary cap space is precious to a team that needs a lot of work.. And cutting Vincent would actually cost more money than it would save.

I think we have to live with him for at least another year back there.

As far as Nate, I think if our defense was playing at the level it did in 2004 then bringing him back would be priority no. 1.... but with help needed on the front four we're better off getting someone at around half his price and signing a DT or DE in FA.

[!Papacrunk!]

Out of that list, I hope the Phins make a play on Bentley and or Peterson. Hopefully Peterson's achilles is back to being 100% and he could return back to form, I guess I've heard that he really likes Saban from their Michigan State days.

[Typ0]

If he leaves...we better get a good draft pick for him.

[ParanoidAndroid]

Out of that list, I hope the Phins make a play on Bentley and or Peterson. Hopefully Peterson's achilles is back to being 100% and he could return back to form, I guess I've heard that he really likes Saban from their Michigan State days.

Who cares?

j/k

[gr8slayer]

We need Nate, do the right thing Ralph!

[vicmantak]

Nate Clements, BUFF [102 tackles, 2 INT]


Clements has always been a good fit in Buffalo, and this season he did a solid job replacing Antoine Winfield as the team's primary corner. The 2 interceptions are not indicative of Clements' cover ability, as his 102 tackles reflect the amount of time he spent bringing down ball carriers who slipped through the pourous Buffalo run defense. Bigger than one might think, Clements was a very physical presence, forcing three fumbles, while remaining a ball hawk in the secondary, defending 13 passes.
Yet, for all of his statistical accomplishments, Clements failed to show the flare and athletic superiority of the game's elite corners. That, however, hasn't stopped him and his agent from seeking to make Clements the NFL's highest paid corner. Although it is highly unlikely he will be paid more than the current leader in salary, Champ Bailey, it is guaranteed that his asking price will take him out of Buffalo. An above average defender, and only 26 years old, Clements would be a tremendous loss to the Bills. However, numbers like 50-60 million dollars will be too much for a team that is more than a player away from solving their problems. Look for Clements to bolt to the highest bidder, with little regard for intangibles such as a winning team or a defensive system that plays to his strengths (see: Duane Starks, Arizona).

GOOD FITS: Cleveland, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Arizona, New York Jets, St Louis EARLY PICK: A lot of familiar names pop up, and that is to be expected. However, Clements, while younger and healthier than Woodson, will also be pricier. Teams like Cincy and Cleveland will most likely be the first to contact the Ohio native and former Buckeye, with Cincy bowing out for lack of need and cap room. The Jetswill be reluctant to overpay when they have so many other holes to fill, while Arizona is stil reeling from the last free agent they signed to play cornerback. In the end, it will come down to whether or not Buffalo franchises Clements. If they do, they are likely to have a locker room cancer for the entire year. Assuming they are scared off by that prospect, expect teams like St Louis, Houston and Pittsburgh to get into a bidding war for his services.
http://www.footballsfuture.com/2006/freeagentsDB.html

[Bill Brasky]

2. LeCharles Bentley (http://www.sportsline.com/nfl/players/playerpage/302175), C/G, Saints: Bentley is 26 and will not turn 27 until December. He's in the prime of his career. Bentley played guard his first two seasons in the league and center the past two. Some say he's a better guard, but he wants to play center. Wherever he plays, he brings a tough-guy attitude to the job. He doesn't back down to anyone. Just ask Warren Sapp, a player he whipped several times when they were in the same division. The Saints aren't expected to put the franchise tag on him and Bentley wants out of New Orleans, so look for him to hit the market.

8. Chris Hope (http://www.sportsline.com/nfl/players/playerpage/302053), S, Steelers: He had more tackles and more interceptions than Troy Polamalu, but he doesn’t get the due his teammate gets. But Hope is a player. He is rangy and he will hit you. The Steelers will do everything they can to keep him, but he might hit the market. If he does, he is a guy a lot of teams should look at closely. This is a heck of a player. Plus, he's only 25.



those are the only 2 guys Buffalo should concern themselves with

[DraftBoy]

Agreed completely Jfreeman...we get those two its a successful FA season.

[ublinkwescore]

2. LeCharles Bentley (http://www.sportsline.com/nfl/players/playerpage/302175), C/G, Saints: Bentley is 26 and will not turn 27 until December. He's in the prime of his career. Bentley played guard his first two seasons in the league and center the past two. Some say he's a better guard, but he wants to play center. Wherever he plays, he brings a tough-guy attitude to the job. He doesn't back down to anyone. Just ask Warren Sapp, a player he whipped several times when they were in the same division. The Saints aren't expected to put the franchise tag on him and Bentley wants out of New Orleans, so look for him to hit the market.

8. Chris Hope (http://www.sportsline.com/nfl/players/playerpage/302053), S, Steelers: He had more tackles and more interceptions than Troy Polamalu, but he doesn’t get the due his teammate gets. But Hope is a player. He is rangy and he will hit you. The Steelers will do everything they can to keep him, but he might hit the market. If he does, he is a guy a lot of teams should look at closely. This is a heck of a player. Plus, he's only 25.



those are the only 2 guys Buffalo should concern themselves with


:posrep:

those are the only guys I want to see buffalo go after...

I think if we let clements walk, cut some dead weight (Posey, and Mike Williams, let teague walk - replace him with Bentley) move Troy Vincent back to CB if it's gonna be too expensive to cut his @$$ and make him the #2 CB behind McGee.

I think after all of that, we'll either need to draft the best DE on the board (Hali, or Lawson), then worry about our Guards/DTs with the rest of the draft - I could honestly care less about us drafting one single skill position player - give our lines some bloody talent, and after they all gel, watch this team go places, and watch Losman meet our expectations of him.