20 replies to this topic

[vel]

I know there is a lot of talk brewing about the possibility of pursuing Mario Williams. Well I just wanted to know which teams realistically will pursure him if he hits Free Agency.

Here are the teams with the cap room:

49ers
Bears
Bengals
Bills
Broncos
Browns
Buccaneers
Chiefs
Colts
Falcons
Jaguars
Redskins
Saints
Seahawks
Titans

This list includes every team with at least $20MM in cap room currently. I did not take into account the teams' outstanding free agents, only their cap figure. I figured with all of the discussion going on, we could at least narrow down the realistic teams and watch what moves they make to see if they are going to pursue him or sign/resign other players.

I used this site for cap figures: http://nfltraderumor...team-cap-space/

Edited by vel, 24 February 2012 - 10:14 AM.

[dirtybirdz10984]

vel, on 24 February 2012 - 10:13 AM, said:

I know there is a lot of talk brewing about the possibility of pursuing Mario Williams. Well I just wanted to know which teams realistically will pursure him if he hits Free Agency.

Here are the teams with the cap room:

49ers
Bears
Bengals
Bills
Broncos
Browns
Buccaneers
Chiefs
Colts
Falcons
Jaguars
Redskins
Saints
Seahawks
Titans

This list includes every team with at least $20MM in cap room currently. I did not take into account the teams' outstanding free agents, only their cap figure. I figured with all of the discussion going on, we could at least narrow down the realistic teams and watch what moves they make to see if they are going to pursue him or sign/resign other players.

marked out the teams I dont think will have the need for him or the cap after resigning all of the guys they would like to keep.

i beleive the biggest threats are Houston, Bucs, Redskins(thats just what they do), maybe a team like the Bengals

Edited by dirtydirty10984, 24 February 2012 - 10:16 AM.

[1989Fan]

How do you figure the Saints have the cap room? Sure if they dont keep Brees, Nicks, Colston or Porter they can go for him.

If/when he gets the richest deal in NFL history, I hope it isnt at the Falcons expense.

[vel]

1989Fan, on 24 February 2012 - 10:18 AM, said:

How do you figure the Saints have the cap room? Sure if they dont keep Brees, Nicks, Colston or Porter they can go for him.

If/when he gets the richest deal in NFL history, I hope it isnt at the Falcons expense.

Quote

"This list includes every team with at least $20MM in cap room currently. I did not take into account the teams' outstanding free agents, only their cap figure."

Maybe I should have bolded it for some?

@dirtydirty - I think the Chiefs could be X'd out as well since they have Hali and Houston already and run a 3-4, something I don't see him going back to. I truly think there are only a few teams that are really going to go at him, and with us being one, hopefully he wants to go to a contender, not a scrub. That would eliminate WAS and TB. I don't know, but maybe we have a real shot at him if he hits FA. Everybody thought Nnamdi was going to break the banks last year but he didn't. I said in another thread that he may do a 6yr $84MM contract like Peppers' and get $16MM signing bonus to make it a $100MM contract. It would be at the expense of Lofton and Abe, but it may happen. I'd say about a 15% chance right now.

[madman88]

We wnt be pursuing this guy.. i have no clue why ppl think this.. it just doesnt make sense finacially at all...

[PokerSteve]

madman88, on 24 February 2012 - 10:37 AM, said:

We wnt be pursuing this guy.. i have no clue why ppl think this.. it just doesnt make sense finacially at all...

You're probably right. I think the only way he would end up as a Falcon is if his agent just basically called up TD and said, make us an offer that doesn't embarrass us and we'll sign it. Otherwise no chance.

Edited by PokerSteve, 24 February 2012 - 10:58 AM.

[dirtybirdz10984]

vel, on 24 February 2012 - 10:35 AM, said:

@dirtydirty - I think the Chiefs could be X'd out as well since they have Hali and Houston already and run a 3-4, something I don't see him going back to. I truly think there are only a few teams that are really going to go at him, and with us being one, hopefully he wants to go to a contender, not a scrub. That would eliminate WAS and TB. I don't know, but maybe we have a real shot at him if he hits FA. Everybody thought Nnamdi was going to break the banks last year but he didn't. I said in another thread that he may do a 6yr $84MM contract like Peppers' and get $16MM signing bonus to make it a $100MM contract. It would be at the expense of Lofton and Abe, but it may happen. I'd say about a 15% chance right now.

you can also rule out who ever on that list ends up with Manning. I doubt the Colts will keep him if they want Luck.

[m2Falcons]

I disagree.  TD may pursue him and we do have the $$$ if we want to go after him; whether we will or not we won't know til FA begins.  Personally, I can see sense in pursuing Mario and also in not doing so.  If I were TD then I would be doing some serious due diligence on the idea and conferring in the FB War Room with all decision makers on just how our team could effectively use him to help Falcons win 4 to 5 Super Bowls.
I believe Nolan could use him as the PERFECT Hybrid D pass rusher!  I also want us to acquire a stud NT type that can excel as a double team magnet in either DL front....   read between the lines there!

We are not too far personnel wise from having a legit SB contending roster for years to come...  How we get there is TBD.

[falconidae]

Think the only way the Falcons have a shot is if they guarantee more money than anyone else. He might go for a 72 mil contract if 50 mil was guaranteed for example.

[jdub051082]

If TD can work the numbers in his favor to bring Mario over.  Crown him.  Right now I can't see it.

[Skareffect]

madman88, on 24 February 2012 - 10:37 AM, said:

We wnt be pursuing this guy.. i have no clue why ppl think this.. it just doesnt make sense finacially at all...

Just like we didn't peppers and still have a mess on defense when it comes to pass rushing.

[vel]

PokerSteve, on 24 February 2012 - 10:44 AM, said:

You're probably right. I think the only way he would end up as a Falcon is if his agent just basically called up TD and said, make us an offer that doesn't embarrass us and we'll sign it. Otherwise no chance.

That's why I made this thread. I don't think it will happen (hence me saying about 15% chance of it happening) but the possibility is still real. Of the list of potential suitors, we are on it, so that means there is a possibility. If he wants to go to a contender, then that really narrows the list. His agent could take offers, but only take offers from contenders seriously (ie Nnamdi taking less to go to Philly, DRob not hearing any offers once ATL called). I agree with you, it will have to be something like that, we can't be in a bidding war or we have no shot.

falconidae, on 24 February 2012 - 11:03 AM, said:

Think the only way the Falcons have a shot is if they guarantee more money than anyone else. He might go for a 72 mil contract if 50 mil was guaranteed for example.

I agree. It wouldn't necessarily be the "richest" contract, but the guaranteed money is what players want more of now. If it really isn't about the money, I could see him taking a contract like that. If he leaves Houston, I really just don't see many teams being attractive landing spots. The ones with the money are losers or rebuilding. The winners have done it without him. We, and a couple of other teams, are right in between.

[Xx FaLcOhoLiC Xx]

We will persue and just like Charles Johnson, we will fail in bringing him here. Then we'll go on and waste another 10-15 million in cap space on someone who makes Ray Edwards look like Julius Peppers..

[dirtybirdz10984]

Xx FaLcOhoLiC Xx, on 24 February 2012 - 12:19 PM, said:

We will persue and just like Charles Johnson, we will fail in bringing him here. Then we'll go on and waste another 10-15 million in cap space on someone who makes Ray Edwards look like Julius Peppers..

why not just keep Abraham for 10-15 mil? some of yall have ZERO faith in the ability of our FO.

[leftfield]

From listening to TD's latest interview this years buzz words are 'stout and girth'. This would imply a NT. I also believe that this means we are considering o/d line talent moreso through the draft. He also implied that BPA would be likely as we try and create strength in areas that our cap space and draft picks allow.

Therefore we will be aggressive on MW but perhaps not to a fault. We may pick up a TE  and maybe one other skill position in the draft depending on how the cookie crumbles.

[1989Fan]

Xx FaLcOhoLiC Xx, on 24 February 2012 - 12:19 PM, said:

We will persue and just like Charles Johnson, we will fail in bringing him here. Then we'll go on and waste another 10-15 million in cap space on someone who makes Ray Edwards look like Julius Peppers..

yeah, sure we will. Just like they gave Edwards 10-15M after missing out on Charles Johnson.

[g-dawg]

Falcons need an "A+" player in the front 4.   It seems obvious to me.   I really love the Mike Nolan hire as defensive coordinator - and if everything stayed the same - I know the Falcons defense would be better.

Having said that, I want Mike Nolan to be able to create a "top 5" defense - to do so, he's going to need a beast pass rusher - what this will do is will make blitzing opportunities easier for other players - so besides getting Mario's 12 sacks/yr and strong run defense,  it makes the rest of the pass-rush better and the blitz schemes better as well.

Mario Williams would help the standard 4-man pass rush, he will help the blitzing pass rush and he will help the run defense.    Mario will earn his money that Falcons would have to pay him - as long as he stays healthy.

[1989Fan]

g-dawg, on 24 February 2012 - 01:51 PM, said:

Having said that, I want Mike Nolan to be able to create a "top 5" defense - to do so, he's going to need a beast pass rusher - what this will do is will make blitzing opportunities easier for other players - so besides getting Mario's 12 sacks/yr and strong run defense,  it makes the rest of the pass-rush better and the blitz schemes better as well.

history says in oder for Nolan to do that this team will have to switch to the 3-4. His defensive rankings when running the 4-3 havent been that stellar in comparison.

[Psychic Gibbon]

Pending on who they let go then I wouldn't be surprised if they just switch to the 3-4 despite what has been said about keeping the 4-3. Rule #1 in any front office is to deceive the competition to throw them off so you can get the personnel you want, namely in the draft to prevent other teams from trading up ahead of you. Without Abraham there is Sidbury, who shows promise but is unproven, Edwards, who didn't inspire confidence, Matthews, who is completely unproven, and maybe Biermann if they bring him back, who will play better in a 3-4 anyway. All they really need is an NT and, it just so happens, Nolan's old NT is a free agent. Retain Lofton and bring in Soliai and we have a front seven of:

RDE: Babineaux
NT: Soliai
LDE: Peters
WOLB: Sidbury/Biermann
WILB: Weatherspoon (who can be something of a roaving linebacker as he can play in any 3-4 LB position)
SILB: Lofton
SOLB: Edwards/Matthews

The current personnel better suit a 3-4 and only needs an extra piece or two to make it an effective 3-4 unit, as opposed to retaining the 4-3 which will need expensive free agents to keep up its effectiveness or to draft DEs in a class that promptly drops off talent wise after Curry and Branch, who will likely be gone by pick #55.

[Steel City Falcon]

Teams that go out and overpay for big name talent always end up suffering from it at the end... I wowuld love to have Williams on the Falcons but not at the cost it would take to get him.