Assuming 25 million over the cap and a 3 million rookie pool allocation CUT:w/ approximate/estimated savings Law: 5 mil Fabini: 3 mil Kendal: 4 mil Fiedler: 3.5 mil Sowell: .5 mil Blaylock: 0 RESTRUCTURES w/ savings: Penny: 5 Mil (realistic compromise from Condon) CMart: 4 mil Ellis: 4 mil Robertson: 4 mil Coles: 2 mil SAVINGS: 35 million (NOW 10 million UNDER the cap) TRADES: Abe to SD for Phillip Rivers (.5 mil 2006 salary) FA SIGNINGS / RESIGNINGS: (w/ first year cap cost) Chris Baker TE: 1 mil James reed DT/DE: 1 mil Maake Kemo&^$@: 1 mil Tony Fonoti: 1 mil Tom Ashworth: 1 mil 5.5 mil in FA costs 4 mil to ROOKIES = .5 mil left *Three comp picks for Jordan, Mckenzie, Ferguson DRAFT: 1) D brickshaw Ferguson 2) Maurice Drew 3) Greg Eslinger 4) DE/OLB hybrid player 4*) WR 4*) CB 5) ILB 5*) OL depth 6) FB 7)BAP COACHING MOVES: Move Adrian Jones to left GAURD, Cotchery beats out JMAC for #2 pushing Jmac to the slot. Strait and Barrett Battle for #2 spot opposite Miller. DEPTH CHART OFFENSE QB: Rivers, Penny, Bollinger RB: Drew, CMart, Houston FB: Askew, 6th RD TE: Baker, Jolley, Dreesen LT: DBrick, Morley LG: Jones, Moore OC: Mawae, Eslinger RG: Fonoti, Moore RT: Ashworth, Cavka 4-3 D DE: Ellis, Thomas, 4th rd, trevor johnson 3T: DRob, Legree, reed NT: Mako, Pouha, reed OLB: Barton, Hobson, Brown ILB: Vilma, Gardner, 5th rd CB: Miller,Barrett, Strait, 4th rd, celestin SS: Coleman, Washington FS: Rhodes, Celestin, Maddox 3-4 FRONT DE: Ellis, Drob DEPTH: Legree, Reed NT: Mako, Pouha OLB: Barton, Thomas DEPTH: 4th rd,Brown, Mcclover, trevor johnson ILB: Hobson, Vilma, Gardner, 5th rd I think this is pretty feasible and we fill all of oiur glaring holes in one offseason. Granted we will be young and inexperienced but we at least have potential at every position. I think Rivers and Cotchery together could make the learning curve smaller for both of them, added with Rivers knowlesge of Shott Jr and I think there is evidence for those rumors. I think Drew could turn out to be the steal of this draft ala Clinton Portis. We have the flexibility to play both the 4-3 and 3-4 (tho I still think the 4-3 would be our strength and should remain the base defense). We have good depth and competition at every position which is what you really want with a young team. Jones at LG, no one has talked about it but his height and weight are actually ideal for the position and his athletic ability along with DBricks would give us a left side of the line that rivals Seattles current duo in a year.
I think you're underestimating the cost of a few of those free agents. Maake Kemoeatu will come with a cap charge of more than $1M, unless of course the contract is backloaded on a ridiculous level, but you get the point.
I am projecting that the free agents sign backloaded contracts...after all that is the nature of the NFL and is basically the only way this team will be able to sign free agents at all
