Everything is going as planned

[Tical21]

They've done just about everything I expected, sans the Bennett signing. They're going to have to come up with 35 million to keep Sherman, Wilson and Thomas. I honestly didn't think they could afford to get Bennett done. They have 17 million under the cap now, which is supposed to go up about 12 million next year, so they only need to clear 6 more to get the three guys done!

Pay your Superstars, and rotate everybody else that isn't nailed down. Sorry Breno, sorry Golden, sorry McDonald, sorry Thurmond, sorry Clem, but you guys aren't superstars, therefore we need to gamble that we can replace you.

 

[DavidSeven]

Want to know what's fun?

Go back one year ago and look at the posts here regarding free agency in the first couple of days.

Jason Jones left for Detroit and Alan Branch went to Buffalo, and people lost their shit.

Don't forget all the hand-wringing there was after we traded Matt Flynn to Oakland.

 

[amill87]

Want to know what's fun?

Go back one year ago and look at the posts here regarding free agency in the first couple of days.

Jason Jones left for Detroit and Alan Branch went to Buffalo, and people lost their shit.

Quotes included:

"I really expect a drop off on our defense. I guess the FO doesn't see the need to pursue it. While I love the Havin addition, will it make enough difference for our future drop off on defense?"

"Carroll seems to think Dan Quinn is just going to come in and solve everything"

Hell, at this time last year, people were worrying about whether or not Kam Chancellor would hit FA in 2014 (and there were plenty of folks who complained about the deal he received afterward).

Post of the year.

Let's be real. Wilson, Lynch, Okung, Unger, Harvin, Baldwin, Avril, Bennett, Mebane, Sherman, Maxwell, Thomas, Chancellor, Wagner, Wright, and Smith are all more "important" than any player we have lost so far.

What's a bigger priority? Keeping your top three players who will likely be the highest paid at their positions in the league (Thomas, Sherman, and Wilson) or keeping your at best 7th best offensive player and 17th best starter?

How about keeping your pro bowl LT? Or resigning Baldwin. Or Avril. Or Wagner. Is Tate more valuable on a run first team than any of them?

I let go of Tate a long time ago. I knew he was gonna get decent money because he's worth it. Problem is our team is REALLY good. There are a lot of players who are just flat out better than Tate on our roster.

I liken Tate to Clemons. A player that got over rated by fans due to making some plays every once in awhile. Tate wasn't the one making ridiculous third down sideline catches what seemed like every week. That was Baldwin.

Tate, like Clemons, got his stats in bunches. He disappeared. A lot. He had 61 yards and 0 TDs in the postseason. He was and is expandable.

Breno has health concerns. And often had the momentum killing holding penalty.

Clemons and Red had become a very small part of the defense. It's not a coincidence that our defense at it's best form so far is after Clemons and Red started playing smaller roles.

The others are all back ups who got good money.

 

[blkhwk]

They've done just about everything I expected, sans the Bennett signing. They're going to have to come up with 35 million to keep Sherman, Wilson and Thomas. I honestly didn't think they could afford to get Bennett done. They have 17 million under the cap now, which is supposed to go up about 12 million next year, so they only need to clear 6 more to get the three guys done!

Pay your Superstars, and rotate everybody else that isn't nailed down. Sorry Breno, sorry Golden, sorry McDonald, sorry Thurmond, sorry Clem, but you guys aren't superstars, therefore we need to gamble that we can replace you.

Don't forget, there should be an increase in cap space due to dead money going "off the books". I know there will always be some, but this may get us closer (maybe farther) to the 35 mil mark. Also the possible extensions of ET, Okung etc that may help the cap # as well.

I could also see this being Beastmode's last year. Hate to say it but he has a big cap # these next two years.

 

[PDX12]

Baldwin is not better than Tate, but I get your point.

Harvin will replace Tate as our No. 1.

Baldwin, our No. 2, is far superior to Tate at creating separation. He averages significantly more yards per catch with just as many TDs. And he has better hands with a lower drop rate than Tate. When it mattered most in the playoffs, Baldwin was our No. 1. Baldwin>Tate.

Yeah, sorry. Tate had the best hands on the team by a long shot. He's one of the best pass catchers in the league. It's a huge loss.

 

[Exittium]

You know I find it amusing everyone states Tate had the best hands, can we find how many times Tate was targeted by RW compared to other WR's with their QB in the season, because in the tail end of the season, if I recall, he seemed to let quite a few passes just fly by he could have caught and was being picky that could have set us up 1st down. OH and the punts he'd let fall and then we're start with our offense at the one. More damaging then anything and could have cost a game or 2. AS WELL, Tate just seems still not developed or has a very low ceiling. Sorry but on a "run-first" team, his stats I would say look amazing for the fact of low pass attempts/targets by Wilson compared to say Manning to his WR's. That's like everyone praising how amazing Foles is all of a sudden, because his QBR.. his QBR is going to be high because there's less there to Average. Since he didn't start the season. Is he good yes, can he be better possibly we'll see this year when he starts the season. IF he starts.

Tate's not a loss. That fact some of you think we "haven't" gained I think are just unhappy we lost the people in the 1st place. We haven't gutted our team like Baltimore has, and for the most part I'm amazed, it's still intact where we need it to be, and I think that starts with our Defense. You could say retaining, Bennett, McDaniels, and TJack are still gains. We had suspicions of Tate not staying as well as Red and Clem. We have A LOT of young and youthful guys in the waiting, and even more with coming with the draft. We'll be fine. And down the road we'll still be in better then Bronco's as they've been mind f$#ked and are spending like crazy.

 

[SoulfishHawk]

A loss sure, but not a huge loss. And not nearly as important as getting the big 3 signed (ET/Sherm/RW). And at 6+ a year, they just don't have the coin to pay him. Too risky for future moves.

 

[loafoftatupu]

Last year the Hawks signed a couple extremely valuable FA's that did not disappoint. They made a trade for the most explosive player in football and with those 3 were considered to have had the championship off-season. It ended up working, but the effects of the 2013 off-season are going to carry into the 2014 and even more so with Harvin actually playing.

I see what the Hawks lost and it went right in line with what a lot of us already knew had to happen. They clear space and are replaceable. Period.