And while wanting WR's like that make perfect sense, the bottom line is that BB prefers smaller quick twitch guys that can create their own separation.
Down field BB wants to attack seams with TE's rather than WRs.
I think BB would prefer to have the ability to attack seems with either.
Here's what I'm thinking about the big-ticket free agents:
Larry Fitzgerald might have the best skill-set of any WR in the league. He's a humble kid, been around football all of his life -- loves the game. We all know by now that he was a ball-boy for the Vikings as a kid, and his dad is a very successful football coach in Minnesota.
We also know that he is on the last year of a whopping contract. One that the Cardinals instantly regretted (didn't think things through) and one that led to guys like Boldin and Dansby not being seriously attempted to be retained. He's made a lot of money playing football, having played on two big-dollar contracts.
We also know, from his own mouth, that he's frustrated with losing, and wants to play for a winner. We can infer that he's frustrated with a quarterback situation that might be better off forming a jazz-fusion trio to play Sunday buffets at Mimi's Cafe. They can call themselves the Max Hall Experience. He is almost certainly not going to re-sign with the Cardinals. Would the Cardinals franchise him, giving him a 20% raise on his salary (pending new CBA)? Doubtful, as they need to free up serious dollars to improve. The smart play by the Cardinals is to trade him before the 2011 season on his final contract year than let him walk away for nothing more than a comp pick.
I can easily see a mutual interest between Fitzgerald and Belichick. He's got the intangibles and character issues that BB finds important, and he should respect Belichick's coaching ability and style. Plus he still talks to Randy Moss, who could probably give him a good endorsement, and with a name like Fitzgerald, he'll fit right in with the Boston Irish community. I could see him coming here, tearing up his contract, and signing a 4-year deal for good, but not top-tier WR money. BB hates projecting NCAA WRs, here's a proven winner. It's an ideal fit of player and organization, the only question would be trade compensation.
Shifting gears, Woodley probably won't be franchised. The Steelers are the premiere organization for letting LBs walk and get cheaper, ready-to-go guys out of the draft. Now, I can easily see Woodley agreeing to a long-term, fair-money deal after the new CBA is hatched, but I can also see the Steelers letting him seek big dollars elsewhere and drafting an LB in the first few rounds and/or giving a reserve on their team a chance to step up to the A-Team.
Another LB I thought was a UFA was Chad Greenway, but since nobody's said anything about him yet, I could be mistaken.
