Wednesday, March 3, 2010

To Spend, Or Not To Spend

By midnight Thursday, the Giants' free agent gameplan will be set and put into motion. Rumors, some founded, others unfounded, will start flying, and there might even be some concrete news of a quick signing come Friday morning or afternoon.

The question here is, what are the possibilities that the Giants will sign a big-name free agent fast? They tried it last season when they reached out to big Albert Haynesworth with a reported $80 million in hand, only to be trumped by the Redskins. Instead, they wound up getting Michael Boley, Chris Canty, and Rocky Bernard over four days for a total of $83 million. We all know how that turned out.

This time around, one rumor spouted by an all-sports talk show has Jerry Reese preparing a $100 million offer to Julius Peppers, to be thrown on the table at one minute after midnight tomorrow. Though it shouldn't be dismissed out of hand, it does seem like a lot to throw at a player who tends to disappear in big spots, especially since it's the middle of the defense that really needs bulking up.

Still, he is the premier defensive lineman out there, now that all the major defensive tackles wear the franchise tag. So it's not impossible that such an offer would be made.

The question is, if they throw that much at Peppers, how much more will the Giants be willing to spend on free agents? In an uncapped year, teams are going to want to spend carefully in view of future salary cap ramifications. Once a new collective bargaining agreement is struck at some point down the road, it's likely there could be retroactive taxes for roster salaries this year. Besides, the Giants are traditionally careful about where and how they spend their money, and the lack of a salary cap come Friday is not expected to change that significantly.

It's all going to be quite interesting to see if the Giants change their behavior.

EP

18 comments:

  1. Don't wax about the Giants not having the $$ Ern! They have plenty of $$ and a new stadium financed by the suckers that go to the Meadowlands. Do the PSL suckers get a share of stadium profits too? hahhaa haha hahha SUCKERS!

    ReplyDelete
  2. $100 million for Peppers. Wow. I thought Jerry was smarter than that. Oh, well. 7-9 and salary cap hell (once it comes back, which it will) here we come. How about instead of giving Pepper's a $100 mill, they give me $1 mill a year to tell them when they are planning on doing something incredibly stupid. That would save untold millions and give the Giants a more competitive team. Jerry, one question - how did that $80 million work out for the Redskins? Think about it. Please. Same type of player, they both disappear once they get paid. I thought the Cowboys were morons for giving away the store to get Roy Williams. That will seem like a stroke of genius compared to giving Peppers $100 mill. Looks like the Giants are going to give the fans their own version of "That 70s Show" - they will stink up the field for a decade just like they did back in the 70s.

    ReplyDelete
  3. If the Giants are serious about this offer, doesn't it suggest that they will also try to trade Osi? I mean if Tuck and Peppers are playing, Osi has zero chance of being anything more than a situational pass rusher.
    -Peter

    ReplyDelete
  4. Reese needs to redeem himself, and signing Peppers seems to be his response for last year's debacle.
    Let's pick up TO while were at it....

    ..Why not pick up Thomas Jones, an available RB, better than our current crop and who comes without any compensation needed.

    ReplyDelete
  5. According to John Mara's latest comments, he definitely wants to improve the team, but not at the expense of just throwing money way. The Giants spent approximately $80 million last year with very little to show for it. There is an ownership of fiscal responsibility, so I'm sure there will be much due diligence performed than last year.

    But giving it some thought, it actually makes very little sense to get rid of Osi just to sign Peppers. The main reason for wanting to keep Osi is because of his reasonable salary. Keeping him around gives them more time to figure out what to do with Kiwanuka.

    Instead, the focus should be on draft strategy trying to get a feel as to what players may fall to them. If they're not necessarily crazy about the prospects that will be available (i.e. Earl Thomas) then they need to address any specific areas of weakness in free agency drafting BPA.

    ReplyDelete
  6. First to Wayno: That comment makes absolutely no sense. Regardless of the PSL's, all these owners have boatloads of cash. I don't really know what you're trying to say. Are you trying to annoy people that enjoy going to football games and with their own free will purchased PSL's because they enjoy those Sunday afternoons?

    Anyway, moving on:

    Let's not trash Reese yet. This is just a rumor. Until Peppers officially signs on the dotted line, I'm skeptical to believe this report is true.

    I can't see the Mara's or Coughlin signing off on this deal. Peppers and Osi? Or Peppers in place of Osi? It wouldn't make any sense. Peppers would just be a slightly better, slightly older and a much higher paid version of Osi.

    Sorry Ern, I'm not buying it.

    ReplyDelete
  7. The PSL was the biggest middle finger the NY sports world has seen this side of new Yankee Stadium. You all paid for a stadium for a bunch of billionaires. Hope it was worth it. That pit in ur stomach is because u know u got hosed and ur a sucker. I never want to hear about ANY of these owners especially the butthole kids of great men that are running the Giants now cry they are poor or tell me they have a budget! Enjoy the new stadium with all the decks pushed back and poorer sightlines SUCKER!!!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Hey Dan, just think, in ten years you might be able to get back half ur money, SUCKER!

    ReplyDelete
  9. snoooze. get over it Wayne. this is about Peppers, not the PSLs. If ernie starts a thread about those, feel free to contribute. till then, keep it on subject.

    The Peppers thing makes no sense at all. As Dan said this is just a rumour with no proof that its serious in any way. as Anon said, it makes little sense to replace osi with peppers, who is older, more expensive and equally flawed (if not more so) especially as osi had just 1 really bad season after an injury which may docs said would take till a few months from now still to recover from fully.

    2 guys i want us to pursue in FA are Dansby - for the right price - and a safety. a few options may be available; Rolle, Bethea, or George Wilson. now, Wilson is an intriguing prospect; hes a decent player, should be cheap enough to acquire and he has played for a number years under Fewell's scheme and could be a decent pick up.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Ernie talked about the Giants not spending and I have heard Reese say there is a budget so this is about PSL's, come back to Earth Spacey!

    ReplyDelete
  11. I don't think I get Wayno's point either. EP's reference doesn't mean that the Giants don't have money, but that they may be financially limited once the salary cap is back in place.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Don't get in a lather about this one guys. I just can't see it. The Redskins want Peppers and Reese may just be trying to drive up the price. Good move on his part!

    Dansby is his target. He will go hard after him.

    Chris B.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Chris - given that tampering is an everyday occurence now (why do they have rules they don't enforce?), I would bet Dansby is already a Dolphin. They will just wait until midnight for his signature, but it sounds like a deal is already in place.

    Ernie - speaking of tampering, Peppers agent was seen talking to the Chicago folks at the combine. Only problem with that, Peppers agent is not representing any rookies at the combine! So, if he and the Bears weren't talking rookies, that means they were probably talking about Peppers. It appears that the Bears will save the Giants from throwing good money after bad.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Dweez,

    Perry Fewell was going to Chicago too, remember? You may be right but all I am saying is that all this is pure speculation.

    I would be blown away if we went after Peppers. We have needs at LB, Safety, and DT. Not much in the FA pool via S and DT. Dansby seems the only logical choice to me.

    Chris B.

    ReplyDelete
  15. I agree with Chris B on this, Reese could just be trying to jump start the FA period with rumors hoping someone will bite. He said in his press conference that he was taking a wait and see approach, though I don't know if I believe that. In regards to Peppers, as it was stated above, last year he did the same thing with Fat Albert and he's hoping Snyder, who can care less about how much he spends, will bite again. OR It's true and we get Peppers and trade Osi for a MLB and draft a S in the first round or a variation of that. I just don't see the Giants spending that much for Peppers, especially when Reese loves his picks and usually does very well with them.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Chris - Peppers and Fewell is an apples and oranges comparison. Fewell had been released and was free to pursue other work and talk to other teams. All interested teams had an equal chance to pursue him. Peppers is still a member of the Panthers and, by NFL rules, other teams are forbidden from talking to his agent until free agency begins. Why does this matter? Well, Haynesworth is the perfect example. Big Al was signed by the Redskins to a multi-year deal loaded with incentives five hours after free agency began, while other teams were actively pursuing him. Ask any lawyer (my family is filled with them), contracts that complex don't get worked out in five hours when both sides are starting from scratch. Not surprisingly, Haynesworth's agent was seen talking to Snyder at last year's combine. It's painfully obvious that the Redskins tampered and got a deal negotiated before free agency began. Since Peppers agent has no legitimate business at the combine, one can safely assume that he's there hoping that some team will break the tampering rules and start negotiations. It's pretty clear Chicago has broken the rules and started talks. That puts all the other teams, including the Giants, at huge disadvantage. By the time the Giants call Peppers agent at midnight on the day when free agency begins, the deal probably will already be done. Think of it this way; you have a mint '56 T-Bird for sale and lots of people want to buy it. You tell everyone that you will not take any bids until March 7th. But, secretly, you and I discuss terms of sale for several days before the 7th. I assure that I will meet any price. Who has the best shot at buying that car? That's why the NFL has tampering rules. Unfortunately, they apparently have decided that they simply won't enforce them.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Dweez,

    I am not talking about tampering. Of course tampering goes on and I understand the dynamics. I'm sure all teams, including the Giants do it, or do what they think they can get away with.

    My point was, and is, the Giants aren't going after Peppers. That's it. I'm not sure why you think the Dolphins are tampering with Dansby, but I wouldn't be suprised if we signed him 5 hours after the gates opened. All teams are looking for an edge.

    My point about Peppers is that the Giants may have put a rumour out there to drive up the price that the Redskins will ultimately pay because that is where Peppers is going to play next year.

    Chris B.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Chris - Miami has been talking up Dansby for weeks now, essentially saying that they will do everything they can to sign him and that they will pay him top dollar. So, that's why I think Miami is tampering with Dansby - because they are. As for Peppers, personally, I'm grateful to any team that takes him off the Giants hands. I think the guy has proven year after year that once he gets his money, he's a bum until the last year of his contract. Could Snyder be a wildcard? Sure, but the rumors and the blatant tampering with Haynesworth were SO obvious last year. The Skins aren't doing that with Peppers, Chicago is. Since the Skins got away with tampering last year, one can assume that they would not be afraid to try it again if Peppers was their target. After all, it is effective. I'm willing to bet that Peppers is headed to Chicago and Dansby will be in Miami, unless the Giants are also tampering (certainly a possibility, although I don't believe they have ever been accused of it) and NY isn't being as blatant as Miami is. My guess with the Skins is you will see them sign Darren Sproles to an outrageous contract and grossly overpay a marginal O lineman now that Samuels has officially retired. Honestly, Peppers is the last thing that Washington needs and you have to remember they have an actual GM and head coach now that Vinnie Cerrato and Zorn are gone. They may actually make moves that make sense for the next few years until Snyder can't control himself anymore.

    ReplyDelete