Arizona Cardinals
The big news coming out of Arizona since our last report was the Cardinals not placing the franchise tag on WR David Boston. You know it’s bad when a team is afraid to guarantee big money to a player for only one year, as the tag would have forced them into doing with Boston in 2003. The Cardinals have offered Boston a salary, but its size is not known, and it’s viewed to be one loaded with incentives. If Boston plays, the contract would be sizable, apparently, but the catch is guaranteed money. Arizona has made no bones about their concern with Boston on and off the field. His knee injury is a factor, but it’s far from wild speculation to believe drugs is an issue for the Cardinals when they voice their concern for him off the field, which they have. It looks like Boston, who by the way ran a 4.3 40 last week, giving evidence that his knee is healed, could be gone, and the Ravens are possibly interested. If Boston goes, WR Jason McAddley should be a lock to open the season as a starter, and he would be a solid late-round pick as long as the team has a viable QB throwing him the ball. The Cardinals could go a number of ways at QB, and the only thing that appears to be sure is Jake Plummer not returning. Plummer is expected to visit Chicago and Carolina this week and is already in Denver today (3/3). Plummer could even sign a contract with the Broncos right now and cancel those other planned trips. Arizona could bring in a relatively young free agent like Jake Delhomme, or it could use a 2^nd round pick on a second-tier QB in April’s draft and have the player compete with second-year man Josh McCown for the starting job. Or they could sign an experienced veteran QB now in the hopes that he’ll help the team avoid a rebuilding process and win in 2003. Possible candidates are Brian Griese (they’d have to trade for him to get him now) and Kordell Stewart. The Cardinals also have to make decisions on unrestricted free agent WRs Frank Sanders and MarTay Jenkins. Jenkins will likely test the market, and Sanders’ value isn’t very high, so he could return if he does so cheaply and doesn’t command much interest on the open market. At RB, the plot recently thickened regarding Thomas Jones. Jones was recently accused of assaulting a man in a Scottsdale nightclub in late November, which is right about the time he told the team he broke his hand answering the phone at his home. Jones has reportedly ignored phone calls from the team this short off-season and could be traded or released. If so, he’d save the team about a half a million against the cap in 2003. Needless to say, Marcel Shipp is entrenched as the starter.

Atlanta Falcons
As we wrote in our free agency preview, the Falcons will likely enter the 2003 season with (recently re-signed) Brian Finneran, Trevor Gaylor, and Quentin McCord as three of their top four WRs. With the recent release of veteran Shawn Jefferson, that appears likely (although Jefferson could be re-signed), so the only question is: Who’s the fourth guy? Despite his being designated as Buffalo’s franchise player, it could still be Peerless Price, who could be traded to Atlanta or could still be signed by Atlanta (although at a hefty price draft-pick-wise). Price, who many Falcon observers thought would be drafted by Atlanta in 1999, actually has a house in Atlanta, so he obviously has no qualms about playing there. Price visited Atlanta this past weekend, and the Falcons have had preliminary discussion with the Bills about a trade. If not Price, then Atlanta would have to take a long look at WR David Boston, who should be available. Owner Arthur Blank is quickly making a name for himself for getting stuff done, and if he sets his sights on a premiere wideout, don’t be surprised if he gets one. In other news, TE Reggie Kelly, an unrestricted free agent, is starting to visit other teams (like the Rams). LB Keith Brooking avoided free agency by signing a 6-year, $41 million contract, and the team released veteran corner Ashley Ambrose, who signed with New Orleans, and signed free agent safety Cory Hall from the Bengals.

Baltimore Ravens
The talk in Baltimore lately has surrounded WR David Boston, who is now an unrestricted free agent. Baltimore, in need of a top wideout, is expected to make a serious run for Boston in free agency, and they may even be the frontrunner to sign him. He’d immediately be their #1 WR and would boost the value of whomever is starting at QB for them this year. Otherwise, as expected, the Ravens recently placed the Franchise tag on CB Chris McAllister, who will remain on the team in 2003 and likely beyond. Interestingly, it is believed that if the Ravens hadn’t had the opportunity to draft McAllister in 1999 that they would have taken Boston had he been available at the time. The Ravens are still inclined to keep QB and unrestricted free agent Jeff Blake around, but they are also keeping an open mind when it comes to free agent QB Kordell Stewart and maybe even Saint Jake Delhomme. Blake, though, appears to be their top choice, but the team and he are about $3 million apart right now. That’s a significant amount of money, considering Blake isn’t a front-line starter in the league. Blake isn’t expected to go on a free agent tour, so the only way he’ll leave Baltimore is if a team goes after him, which is unlikely. Meanwhile, free agent WR Brandon Stokley will see if he gets an offer from another team, but it’s unlikely he will, since he’s still recovering from his foot injury. He’s likely to return at a discounted price.

Buffalo Bills
The situation with WR Peerless Price remains complicated. Price in mid-February rejected a deal that would have paid him $3 million a season, with a bonus in the $5 million range. And after placing the franchise label on Price, the Bills maintained that their goal is to sign him to a long-term deal. As a franchise player, Price is guaranteed to earn $5.01 million in 2003. However, league sources say Buffalo and Atlanta have already had preliminary talks about the trading of Price to the Falcons. Atlanta’s pick is low in the first round, so they wouldn’t be giving up too much, and the Bills would like to have a #1 pick, since they traded this year’s away for Drew Bledsoe. One of three things will likely happen here. The Bills will either trade Price, pay him the required $5 million this year and give WR Josh Reed another year to learn as the #3 WR (and then let Price go next year), or remove the franchise tag on Price and have him become an unrestricted free agent. It does not appear Buffalo will sign Price to a long-term deal. In other news, the team, as expected, released veteran TE Jay Riemersma, who was actually the highest-paid TE in the league. It’s unknown if he’ll re-sign at a cheaper price, but he should get an offer elsewhere, since he’s probably now the top available free agent at the position. Buffalo, probably needs to find a replacement if they don’t re-sign him, since veteran Dave Moore isn’t viewed as a viable starter. They did trade for former Brown Mark Campbell. Campbell isn’t a great receiving threat, but the Bills don’t use the TE much in the passing game. Buffalo also last week signed free agent LB Jeff Posey from the Texans. Posey, a good pass rusher from the position, is a nice addition to the Bill defense.

Carolina Panthers
The Panthers have a fair amount of room under the cap, especially after releasing veteran TE Wesley Walls this past week, so look for them to sign at least one key offensive player. They may be interested in RBs Stephen Davis or Emmitt Smith, since the immediate future of RB DeShaun Foster is still up in the air. Carolina is believed to be setting its sights on Davis. They may also look to add a WR, since their roster includes only two viable targets, Muhsin Muhammad and Steve Smith. They will also look to sign a free agent QB to compete with Rodney Peete, who is expected to re-sign with the team soon. Possible candidates include Jake Delhomme (expected to meet with the team this week) and Kordell Stewart, who has a strong interest in Carolina. As for Walls, the team may re-sign him at a later date and at a cheaper price. If they don’t, serviceable backup Kris Magnum would likely open the season as their starter.

Chicago Bears
The Bears are also under the cap and are expected to make a serious run at a free agent QB. If not, they’ll likely select one early in April’s draft. With Kurt Warner not available, the Bears are expected to look at Jake Plummer and Kordell Stewart. Three other possibilities are Jake Delhomme, soon-to-be free agent Brian Griese, and Shaun King. QB is a top priority for the team now because they released veteran Jim Miller last week. Miller, who is recovering from a tear of his rotator cuff and surgery to remove bone spurs in his ankle, had too high a salary for someone who isn’t even a lock to be 100% by the start of training camp. The presence of Miller was also viewed as a potential deterrent to free agent QBs. Now the Bear starting QB job is completely up for grabs, even though veteran Chris Chandler is still on the roster. Chicago also released veteran lineman James "Big Cat" Williams last week. In other news, the team has spoken this off-season about how there is a need for an effective 3^rd down back to lessen Anthony Thomas’ workload. That guy could be Adrian Peterson, or the team could take a scat-back type in the draft. The Bears, looking to upgrade and add speed to the TE position, signed veteran TE Desmond Clark. Clark will compete with John Davis, Dustin Lyman, and John Gilmore but one has to assume that Clark will start, since the team is looking to add speed at receiver. Veteran WR Marcus Robinson is still expected to be released and will definitely find a new home soon.

Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals are roughly $14 million under the cap (thanks to, among other things, cutting lineman Richmond Webb), so they should be very active in free agency this year. Most of their activity, though, should be on the defensive side of the ball, since the team has concerns on their line, linebacking corps (retaining LB Takeo Spikes, who by the day seems more intent to leave), and secondary. Among others, they are interested in former Raider Sam Adams and former Bronco CB Denard Walker. They may also sign former Raven and Texan return man Jermaine Lewis, who played with coach Marvin Lewis in Baltimore. Offensively, the plan is for QB Jon Kitna to not only open the season as the starter, but also to remain as such, even if the team selects a QB such as Carson Palmer or Byron Leftwich in April’s draft. The Bengals appear interested in those two, but they could be toying with clubs also interested in the top two QB prospects because, if they show an strong interest in those two QBs, they would likely have more leverage to trade down from their #1 overall pick. There’s no question they need a viable franchise QB, though, so the interest could be genuine. But again, the team is in dire need of wins, so even if they draft Palmer or Leftwich, they are expected to go with Kitna for at least most of the season in an effort to win as many games as possible in Lewis’ first season as head coach. For now, the value of players like WR Chad Johnson remains high, as long as Kitna’s starting job isn’t threatened. The team did lose FB Lorenzo Neal, so they should make an effort to retain his backup last year, Nick Luchey, who is also a free agent.

Cleveland Browns
The Browns have been in the news recently, not because of potential free agent signings, but for a semi salary cap purge that has seen the team release LB Dwayne Rudd, C Dave Wohlabaugh, CB Corey Fuller, LB Jamir Miller, and LB Earl Holmes. Some could be re-signed (other than Wohlabaugh, who already signed with the Rams) at a cheaper price later this year. In other news, the team recently retained their right of first refusal with RB Jamel White, virtually guaranteeing that he’ll return in 2003. However, White will likely be an unrestricted free agent in 2004, and he wants a chance to start, something he will not get in Cleveland as long as William Green is healthy. The situation at QB remains complicated. Head coach Butch Davis has said that the best QB will start. But he’s also said that he will name a starter before training camp, so it doesn’t appear that there will not be a full-fledge battled this summer. That leads us to believe he’s leaning toward Tim Couch, in whom the team has much more invested compared to Kelly Holcomb.

Dallas Cowboys
The big news, in case you’ve been living in a cave, was the announcement this past Thursday by owner Jerry Jones that the team released 13-year veteran RB Emmitt Smith, saving the club nearly $5 million on this year's salary cap. Smith, who reportedly claimed that he would play only as a starter in 2003, now says that he’ll "weigh all his options" regarding the upcoming season. It seems the door is wide open for backup Troy Hambrick to assume the featured role, but that will happen only if the team opts not to acquire a veteran free agent, such as new free agent Stephen Davis. Davis, who would be a good fit for Bill Parcells, has been linked to the Cowboys this off-season. However, some are speculating that Dallas will opt for a cheaper available free agent, such as Stacey Mack. Also in the news is WR Raghib Ismail, who was recently cut. The 34-year old receiver underwent herniated-disk surgery Aug. 21 and is reportedly ahead of schedule and not ready to retire. Ismail has ties to the Dallas area (he hosts a radio show on KESN Radio/103.3 FM, where we, by the way, can be heard talking fantasy football during the season) and would like to return at a lower price later in the year. However, with Dallas’ recent acquisition of WR Terry Glenn, Ismail probably won’t return (he’s actually close to signing with the Redskins). Glenn will compete with WR Antonio Bryant and will play plenty in 3-WR sets with Joey Galloway and Bryant. Glenn being reunited with Parcells is, of course, ironic, given the coach’s famous use of the pronoun "she" describing Glenn several years ago. It should be pointed out, though, that Glenn had his best season to date under Parcells in New England. In other news, the Cowboys are in serious talks with free agent FB Ritchie Anderson and would like to sign him to be their starter and re-signed free agent T Flozell Adams, which is good news for their offensive line.

Denver Broncos
The Broncos are still expected to open the 2003 season with a different QB, whether it’s free agent Jake Plummer (in town as we speak) or last year’s backup Steve Beuerlein. Brian Griese will be cut after June 1^st, but the team has also given him permission to seek a trade before that. He won’t bring much in a trade, since anyone interested knows that he’ll be available without compensation later. However, it would be advantageous for a team to acquire him well before June to give him time to get acclimated to his new club. The Broncos have apparently settled on Plummer, so there is a good chance that he’ll be signed soon, unless the two sides hit a snag. WR Ed McCaffrey re-did his contract in order to give them more space under the salary cap, so he should be back as the starter one more year, which will likely limit WR Ashley Lelie’s fantasy potential this year. RB Terrell Davis also recently re-did his contract to give the team a financial break. Davis will make the league minimum as he attempts a possible comeback, but he’s no lock to be on the team as 2003’s training camp kicks off. Denver also recently released aging veterans and defensive starters DT Chester McGlockton, CB Denard Walker and DE Kavika Pittman and is interested in signing free agent DT Daryl Gardner to replace McGlockton.

Detroit Lions
Over the past few weeks, the Lions have released WRs Germane Crowell and Desmond Howard and have re-signed TE Mikhael Ricks. They’re under the cap, so they are expected to look for defensive help in free agency, while planning to address their WR need in the draft (possibly WR Charles Rogers, Michigan State, with the #2 pick). LB Chris Claiborne is now a free agent, but the two sides haven’t given up hope that a new deal will be struck. And the team this past week signed free agent corner Dre Bly. The Lions are also interested in free agent LB Rosevelt Colvin. As for Crowell, it appears that his viewed upside (if there is any left) wasn’t enough to warrant his price tag this year. He’s still pretty young, so if he can ever get healthy, he could still help a team and even be a fantasy force. But at this point, expecting him to be 100% seems unrealistic. RB James Stewart was recently paid a roster bonus, and he’s expected to be with the team again in 2003, despite the fact that he’s not a good fit for the offense and will likely lose some carries to another back. Clearly, though, his days in Detroit are numbered, and the team will almost definitely open the 2004 season with a new starting back. One very interesting possibility for Detroit would be to take a chance on former Hurricane Willis McGahee, coming off knee surgery, with the hopes that he’s 100% in 2004. If he can return to previous form in 2004, and if the team selects Rogers, then Steve Mariucci would have an impressive group of skill players in Rogers, McGahee, and QB Joey Harrington. Mariucci recently interviewed McGahee and came away very impressed.

Green Bay Packers
The Packers aren’t in good shape cap-wise, and they are expected to take a hit or two on the defensive side of the ball, possibly losing DE Vonnie Holiday, CB Tyrone Williams, or both. Being over the cap as recently as last Wednesday, the Packers were hoping to unload WR Terry Glenn, who never established himself as a deep threat because of the emergence of WR Donald Driver and also because Glenn’s proven not physical enough to be a good fit for this offense. Green Bay was able to get under the cap late last week without trading Glenn, but they still did, to Dallas. Clearly, the Packers are comfortable entering the 2003 season with Driver, Javon Walker, and Robert Ferguson as their top-three WRs, which will be the case. Late last week, the Packers added depth to their secondary and prepared for the possible loss of Williams by trading for Eagle CB Al Harris. Green Bay also re-signed DT Cletidus Hunt, who had a breakthrough year in 2002.

Houston Texans
There isn’t much going on these days in Houston. The team is expected to focus mainly on re-signing their own free agents, so they probably won’t be big players in the free agent market. Last week they did sign T Zack Wiegert, to bolster an OL that allowed QB David Carr to be sacked a record 76 times. With this signing, it appears unlikely the team will re-sign T Ryan Young, a 2002 bust. Skill player-wise, they're not expected to bring back RB James Allen, although they’ll have to find a comparable player in free agency (Terrell Fletcher would be a possibility) or the draft. Houston has needs across the board, specifically at RB and WR. Unfortunately for them, the free agent class overall is one of the worst in a long time. They are, however, reportedly interested in free agent RB Stephen Davis, who was drafted by Texan GM Charlie Casserly in Washington.

Indianapolis Colts
The Colts aren’t in good shape cap-wise, so not only are they likely to be non-factors in free agency, but they also may lose their top free agent, LB Mike Peterson. They have already released WR Qadry Ismail, and with a modest cap savings. The team hasn’t ruled out re-signing Ismail at a later date if he’s available. As for Peterson, the team neither placed the franchise tag on arguably its best defensive player, nor did it make any real attempt to re-sign him before free agency began. Peterson will definitely get offers elsewhere and is likely gone. The Colts are expected to look for a veteran free agent safety and could make a run at Buc S Dexter Jackson, who played for Tony Dungy. Unless the team hits a home run in the draft, they don’t look any better entering 2003 than they did in 2002.

Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jags have some room under the cap, but most of the money will be spent on signing their current free agents. They could, however, sign one major free agent, such as Colt LB Mike Peterson. RB Stacey Mack is an unrestricted free agent and will likely sign elsewhere if he gets a decent offer. The Jaguars are negotiating with starter Fred Taylor on a significant contract that would lock him in long-term. Interestingly, there is already speculation that Taylor will hold out this summer if he does not get a new deal. Taylor is set to be an unrestricted free agent in 2004. S Donovan Darius was franchised, but if the two sides cannot agree on a long-term contract, the team could remove the tag later this month. Free agent WR Patrick Johnson is expected to test the market, while fellow free agent Bobby Shaw could, too, but he is more likely to stay in Jacksonville. The team did re-sign veteran receiver Kevin Lockett. The Jaguars lost offensive lineman Zach Wiegert, who was an unrestricted free agent, to the Texans.

Kansas City Chiefs
The big story in Kansas City is the recent restructuring of QB Trent Green’s contract. The new deal, a seven-year contract that would pay him $50 million, was struck to save the team salary cap room in 2003. It’s highly unlikely, of course, that Green will receive all that money and play the deal out. Thanks to this deal, and the release of DE Duane Clemons and P Dan Stryzinski, the team saved more than $14 million against the cap this year. Now they may be able to target a DE like Hugh Douglas, but that seems less likely after they signed LB Shawn Barber from the Eagles on Monday (3/3) and possibly an upgrade at backup RB, where Mike Cloud, a free agent himself, flopped last year. One long shot possibility could be Emmitt Smith, who would be a good insurance policy for starter Priest Holmes and could be enticed to choose Kansas City, considering the success Marcus Allen had there late in his career. More likely, Smith will pursue a team that gives him a chance to start. As for Holmes, his status is still up in the air. He’s not viewed as 100% yet, but perhaps more important is his contract situation. Grossly underpaid now, there are rumblings that Holmes may hold out this summer if the contract he signed as an unproved starter in 2001 is not re-done. Of course, Holmes’ hip injury complicates matters greatly. The Chiefs should be hesitant to break the bank for their franchise back until they’re sure he’ll still be able to continue to carry the franchise the next 2-3 years.

Miami Dolphins
Miami recently did some housecleaning to clear up some cap space, but they still aren’t in the greatest shape cap-wise, so they will be fairly conservative in free agency. They will let their own free agents like WR Oronde Gadsden test the market, but they would like to keep Gadsden as they did when they re-signed FB Rob Konrad. If Gadsden goes, or even if he doesn’t, the team is interested in acquiring an impact receiver via free agency or the draft. A free agent WR like Kevin Dyson or Derrius Thompson is a possibility, and the team has spoken to free agents Willie Jackson and Donald Hayes. Veteran Cris Carter is not expected back. Miami would love to go for Bengal LB Takeo Spikes, but it’s highly unlikely that they’ll be able to afford him. In other news, they are interested in free agent return man Jermaine Lewis and could be interested in trading for Saint lineman Kyle Turley.

Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings are an amazing $25 million under the salary cap, so they should be major players in free agency. Not surprisingly, the Vikings will focus on defense in free agency (and the draft). The best available players on defense are at DE and at LB, so they should take a serious look at an end such as Vonnie Holliday. At LB, they could have an interest in Roosevelt Colvin or Chris Claiborne. But right now it appears they are first setting their sights on a CB, maybe two, because they feel the draft will be lacking at that position. Among the CBs the Vikings are believed to be interested in are Denard Walker, Tory James, and Dexter McCleon. None are true #1 CBs, but each would be a serious upgrade for the Vikings. They may sign two from that list and also from the list of second-tier available corners, such as Corey Fuller (to whom they have already offered a contract) and Kevin Mathis. In addition to CB, the team is very interested in signing an O-lineman, preferably a LT. Orlando Brown (Cleveland) tops the list. If they sign Brown, they would move Chris Liwienski to LG and give Minnesota one of the biggest, if not one of the best, lines in football. Also, it’s rumored that if the team can’t get WR Derrick Alexander to take a major pay cut, they may take a look at free agent WR Germane Crowell. The odds seem long that Crowell will ever be his old self, but if that’s possible, he and Randy Moss on the field together would present a major matchup problem for opposing defenses. In other news, the team is currently talking to backup QB Neil O’Donnell, a sign that #2 QB Todd Bouman could be on his way out. Elsewhere, the Vikes placed the franchise tag on TE Jim Kleinsasser, so he should be staying put. The Vikings are also interested in a punter (blah, blah, blah).

New England Patriots
Like many other teams, the Patriots took steps to get themselves under the cap. They re-structured several veterans’ contracts (Ted Johnson, Willie McGinest, and Anthony Pleasant) and released WR Donald Hayes. The team also placed the franchise tag on S Tebucky Jones. One player not offered a contract and now an unrestricted free agent is FB Marc Edwards. The Patriots are looking to sign FA Richie Anderson to replace him, but Anderson is now also looking at the Cowboys. If the Pats miss out on Anderson, they may take a look at Raider free agent Jon Ritchie or bring Edwards back. In terms of their free agency and draft plans, the team has needs across the board, including DL, LB and CB, WR, and possibly RB, so they could go a number of ways. The smart money has them focusing on defense these next few months.

New Orleans Saints
The Saints, like the Vikings, are in great shape cap-wise, and they, too, are expected to focus on defense (specifically LB, S, and CB) in free agency and the draft. They’ve already signed free agent corner Ashley Ambrose, who will upgrade their secondary. They have also signed former Steeler T Wayne Gandy, which could signal the end of the Kyle Turley era in New Orleans. The Saints own two #1 picks, so they will have to reserve some of the remaining extra money for their additional first round selection. Offensively, they are preparing for the loss of backup QB Jake Delhomme, and they would like to upgrade their TE position.

New York Giants
The Giants are in fairly good shape cap-wise, but they will not be able to afford any of the marquee free agents, although they are reportedly interested in FAs Hugh Douglas and Vonnie Holiday. Having recently re-signed veteran LT Luke Petitgout and restructured DE Kenny Holmes’ contract, their focus turned to WR Ike Hilliard. It was looking only 50/50 that Hilliard would return, but he’s back in the fold after turning down offers from the Dolphins and Redskins. With Hilliard back, the Giant offense could be potent, and QB Kerry Collins has the potential to post big numbers. Collins’ Giants should often have good field position, too, thanks to the acquisition of free agent return man Brian Mitchell. The signing of Mitchell is a big coup for the Giants, since they immediately upgrade their return game, while downgrading division rival Philadelphia’s. CB Jason Sehorn has been lobbying to get moved to FS, but the team right now wants him to remain at corner. That is, if they want him to remain a Giant at all. Sehorn will likely have to take a pay cut immediately or he might be released. Finally, TE Dan Campbell will be testing the free agent waters and will likely leave if he’s offered a contract comparable to that of a #1 TE.

New York Jets
The Jets have some room under the cap and will likely target a LB, but they also have some key guys they need to sign, including WR Laveranues Coles (a restricted free agent) and FB Ritchie Anderson. They have already lost free agent G Randy Thomas to the Redskins. Anderson does look like he’ll sign either with the Patriots or Cowboys. Also gone is PK John Hall, who also signed with the Redskins. Coles, meanwhile, isn’t a lock to return. We’d be shocked if he didn’t, but if a team like Atlanta was willing to give up a 1^st round pick for him and offer him a huge contract, he could go. He could also sign a one-year offer sheet with the Jets and be set to go unrestricted next year. The Jets may also sign a free agent WR with some size. David Boston would be a dream fit, but he’s out of their price range, so the Jets will likely target a lower-end receiver such as Oronde Gadsden or Derrius Thompson. Finally, after looking Hall, they Jets are interested in Seahawk kicker Rian Lindell.

Oakland Raiders
The Raiders were way over the cap before cutting a bunch of veterans (James Jett, Sam Adams, Regan Upshaw, Tory James, Anthony Dorsett, and Terry Kirby) and letting many more become unrestricted free agents, including Mo Collins, Jon Ritchie, Zack Crockett, Randy Jordan, and Tyrone Wheatley. So needless to say, they won’t be major players in free agency. They don’t feel as if they’ll be totally strapped, though. They want to re-sign Crockett and Jordan, and they are reportedly interested in bringing back Ritchie and Collins. As for the rest, they are not expected to return (Upshaw signed with the Redskins already). Recently, CBS Sportsline, citing an unidentified source, reported the Raiders are shopping CB Charles Woodson for a first-round pick in the draft. Woodson is set to become a free agent after next season, and the Raiders may not be able to afford him.

Philadelphia Eagles
The frugal Eagles are, as to be expected, well under the salary cap. On Friday, they traded CB Al Harris to the Packers, so they’re even better off after that trade. But despite having a great defense last year, there are needs on that side of the ball. They must make decisions on DE Hugh Douglas (free agent LB Shawn Barber has already been lost to the Chiefs). They’ve already decided to let Douglas test the free agent waters, and they are probably hoping that he doesn’t get a huge contract offer. But Douglas has a large free agency tour set up and could be gone. The Birds also lost return ace Brian Mitchell. The Eagles are promising great things this off-season, but no one knows what they are just yet, and they’re off to a bad start. And if the hiring of former Lion Head Coach Marty Mornhinweg as Senior Head Coach is what they’re talking about the Eagles are in trouble.

Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers don’t have much room below the cap to maneuver, so they will likely lose a few players in free agency and will then address needs later in the year, when the free agent bargain hunting begins. QB Kordell Stewart was released, as expected, and T Wayne Gandy is also an ex-Steeler. S Lee Flowers should be next, and the team is interested in free agent safeties such as Eric Brown, Dexter Jackson, and Cory Hall. The team is hoping to re-sign free agent QB Charlie Batch to give the team a proven veteran behind Tommy Maddox. Batch would like a chance to start, but he probably won’t get that and will have to settle for being a backup wherever he goes. In other news, PK Todd Peterson was released and TE Jerame Tuman re-signed.

San Diego Chargers
Last week, the Chargers surprisingly released veteran WR Curtis Conway, who refused to accept a new one-year contract offered by the club. Unwilling to sign him to a longer contract, the Bolts opted to release the aging veteran and have now set their sights on free agent WR David Boston. If they fail to land him, they will likely be in bad shape at WR because they won’t have a viable #1 guy. Right now, Reche Caldwell is their #1 receiver and while they like him, he’s not ready to assume that role. It’s not out of the realm of possibility that they bring Conway back if they miss out of Boston. Also released last week before the free agent deadline were S Rodney Harrison, CB Alex Molden, RB Terrell Fletcher, and FB Fred McCrary. Harrison is expected to garner a lot of interest from teams like the Raiders, Saints, Falcons, and Broncos. If the Chargers don’t find a #1 WR, defenses will stack the line to stop RB LaDainian Tomlinson, but at least Tomlinson will benefit from running behind FB Lorenzo Neal, who was signed last week. Earlier this year, it was believed that backup QB Doug Flutie might not be back, but in mid-February he re-did his contract and is now expected to back Drew Brees up again in 2003.

San Francisco 49ers
Things have been relatively quiet so far under new head coach Dennis Erickson. The team let DT Dana Stubblefield and G Dave Fiore go and may do the same with WR JJ Stokes. WR Tai Streets is a restricted free agent and almost a lock to return, but the team is still looking for another receiver, preferably one with speed. Although the team still has plenty of talent, there is a need for help on both lines and in the secondary.

Seattle Seahawks
It is believed that new defensive coordinator Ray Rhodes had a role in the team’s decision to re-sign LB Anthony Simmons one day before the start of free agency. Retaining Simmons, one of their best defensive players, will go a long way toward ensuring the Seahawks have a respectable defense. Seattle may also be in the market for a veteran safety and defensive end, and they are even looking at big names such as Hugh Douglas and Kwamie Lassiter. PK Rian Lindell is a restricted free agent who may be signed by the Jets, who lost John Hall this past week. Elsewhere, the team has shored up its offensive line by keeping tackles Walter Jones (franchised) and Chris Terry around

St. Louis Rams
After agreeing to pay QB Kurt Warner a $6 million roster bonus in February, it became clear that Warner is entrenched as the starter in 2003, a notion confirmed by head coach Mike Martz. With Warner’s situation cleared up, the team made several key moves, including trading RB Trung Canidate to the Redskins, re-signing CB Aeneas Williams, and releasing CB Dexter McCleon. The Rams also released FB James Hodgins and #3 QB Jamie Martin and lost CB Dre Bly to free agency (Lions). The team should be fairly active in free agency. They already signed free agent center Dave Wohlabaugh and met with tackle Orlando Brown. They were reportedly interested in CB Ashley Ambrose (signed with NO) and LB Shawn Barber (signed with KC), but they could set their sights on CB Denard Walker (Denver) and LB Mike Peterson (Indianapolis). With Canidate gone, RB Lamar Gordon will be the clear #2 RB behind Marshall Faulk, who, by the way, plans to set an example and step up his leadership role by taking the off-season conditioning program more seriously.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The big story in Tampa Bay these days is QB Brad Johnson’s unhappiness with his contract. Johnson is willing to re-do his contract to help the team’s salary cap situation, but he was surprised to find out the restructured contract written by the Bucs did not include the $1.5-million in guaranteed salary in 2004 that Johnson expected. The Bucs are barely under the cap now, even after releasing starting C Jeff Christie, and they will have problems re-signing their key free agents, such as S Dexter Jackson and LB Shelton Quarles. Despite this, and despite their apparent willingness to keep RB Michael Pittman on as their starter, they are reportedly interested in free agent RBs Stephen Davis and Emmitt Smith. In other news, backup QB Rob Johnson has signed with the Redskins.

Tennessee Titans
The Titans are currently sitting back to see what kind of interest free agent WR Kevin Dyson commands. Dyson, who has to show he’s recovered from his hamstring injury, is probably the 3^rd best receiver believed to be available after David Boston and Peerless Price. The Titans will have to replace him if another team signs him, and Oronde Gadsden is a possibility. In other news, the Titans released veteran QB Neil O’Donnell, which will put the team in a bad situation at backup QB. The Titans this week re-signed free agent G Zack Piller to a 7-year contract.

Washington Redskins
As you likely know, the Redskins have been by far the busiest team in free agency. They’ve traded for Ram RB Trung Canidate and have signed free agents such as QB Rob Johnson, PK John Hall, Gs Randy Thomas and Dave Fiore, DT Brandon Noble, and DE Regan Upshaw. In addition, the Redskins are reportedly close to agreeing with free agent WR Raghib Ismail (after missing out on Ike Hilliard) and re-signed G Tre Johnson. As expected, the team released RB Stephen Davis. The team apparently expects Canidate to start, but we can think of four reasons off the top why he’ll disappoint. He’s yet to prove he can be a featured back, has a fumbling problem, isn’t exactly durable, and will likely lose carries to RBs Ladell Betts and/or Kenny Watson. All these moves guarantee that the team will not re-sign DT Daryl Gardner, and QBs Shane Matthews and Danny Wuerffel are likely out of the mix, too. But the team is expected to retain veteran DE Bruce Smith. With Matthews and Wuerffel likely gone and the shaky Johnson in, QB Patrick Ramsey is not only a lock to open the season as the starter, but he also shouldn’t have to look over his shoulder too much (if at all), which will help his draft value this year. Finally, the team released veteran TE Walter Rasby, so right now Zeron Flemister is the starter.