ESPN NFL

Originally Published: March 2, 2009

Leftover free agents won't break bank

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By John Clayton
ESPN.com
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The first wave of free agency was a sea of green.

Albert Haynesworth received a $100 million contract from the Washington Redskins. Linebacker Bart Scott (New York Jets), defensive end Chris Canty (New York Giants), defensive end Antonio Smith (Houston), offensive tackle Vernon Carey (staying in Miami), cornerback DeAngelo Hall (staying in Washington), center Jason Brown (St. Louis) and quarterback Kerry Collins (staying with Tennessee) each received a contract worth more than $7 million a year.

Starting Monday, the second wave of free agency begins. From Friday midnight to Sunday evening, 58 of the 336 unrestricted free agents reached agreements on contracts, leaving 278 players who have slipped through the initial spending. Many of these are good but not great players. Some will be bargains, but the fact they slipped into the second wave should prevent them from making megabucks.

The prevailing thought is that teams won't dangle many four- and five-year deals on second-wave players. The way free agency works now is that many of the top deals tend to get worked out during the combine when agents can bump into general managers and capologists. That's not supposed to happen before the free-agency period officially begins, but it's reality. Agents for the first-wave players know their market; that's why the first wave moves so quickly.

If a first-wave player makes a trip, he usually signs with the team he visits on the first day of free agency. But the A-list is gone, so don't be surprised if you see more one- and two-year deals to minimize the amount of guaranteed money a team gives a second-wave player.

Heading the list of second-wave players are Cowboys linebacker Kevin Burnett, Steelers receiver Nate Washington, Chargers defensive end Igor Olshansky, Packers defensive end Michael Montgomery, Bucs cornerback Phillip Buchanon, Steelers cornerback Bryant McFadden, Falcons defensive tackle Grady Jackson, Cowboys nose tackle Tank Johnson, Cowboys linebacker Zach Thomas, Bucs defensive tackle Jovan Haye and Eagles tight end L.J. Smith.

With the mega-contracts running out of steam, teams have a better chance of re-signing their own players. As of 11 p.m. ET Sunday, 72 starters remained on the market. Several of those second-wave players are probably disappointed they did not get the $7 million-a-year deals, so they might take short-term contracts with hopes of hitting the market again in the next two years.

Perhaps the biggest surprise is at quarterback. Pittsburgh backup Byron Leftwich's phone didn't get a ring during the first wave of free agency. Leftwich was considered a franchise quarterback in Jacksonville until Jack Del Rio cut him to give David Garrard the chance to start.

The first wave moved fast. The second wave will move slowly because the big dollars won't be there.

Let's dive into the mailbag:

From the inbox

Q: As a Lions fan, should I be excited to hear about their putting themselves out there and signing free agents? I'm still a little wary after the last 50 years of losing.

Gary in Waxahachie, Texas

A: These aren't exciting additions, but you also shouldn't be disappointed. Ron Wolf, Jim Finks or Bill Polian couldn't turn around the Lions in a year. New GM Martin Mayhew is strategically trying to upgrade the talent base. Bryant Johnson is a solid No. 2 receiver. He won't take all the pressure off Calvin Johnson, but he should get 50 to 60 catches as long as he starts. Maurice Morris is a good third-down back who should help. Eric King and Anthony Henry should help in a secondary that needs a complete do-over. If the Lions select Matthew Stafford and have a solid draft, along with making a few more additions, the rebuilding process should be in motion. Unfortunately, that process has been held back for more than seven years.

Q: John, with the Steelers and James Harrison "not close" (according to his agent) on the amount of money required to get him under contract, should they be considering a trade this offseason to net them some top draft picks? His value will never be higher after last season.

Tom in Pittsburgh

A: If you're a native Pittsburgher, you know how the Rooney family works. They don't pay top dollar, but they try to take care of their good players. At his age, Harrison, 30, is probably not going to get $10 million a year from the Steelers. Technically, they don't have to do anything because he has time left on his contract, but I believe both sides will work something out. The Steelers just started their talks with him. These things usually get done around training camp.

Q: I'm a huge Dolphins fan, and I'm ecstatic about the re-signing of Channing Crowder, but I'm worried about their schedule. First, how do you think the Dolphins will address their issues at WR and how will the offseason transactions help them win the division again?

Robert in Miami

A: To me, Laveranues Coles would be a nice fit. Ted Ginn Jr. has the speed on one side. Coles would work well on the other side as a possession receiver. Somewhere in the first three rounds, the Dolphins need to get a wide receiver, but if they can get Coles, they wouldn't have to take one early in the draft. The Dolphins entered their playoff game last season with only three healthy receivers on the active roster and then had one get hurt early in the game. In this day and age, you need a good three-receiver set, plus two more guys developing as backups. Coles gave up $6 million in guarantees with the Jets to hit the market. He might have made a mistake.

Q: John, I'm a lifetime Browns fan and I'm trying to come up with a good scenario for this year. I feel that going for DE Brian Orakpo and LB Clay Matthews in the draft is the way to go. They should address cornerback and running back in free agency. What do you think about this?

Joe in Lake Charles, La.

A: As you saw with the Kellen Winslow trade, the Browns would trade anyone on the roster whose name isn't Joe Thomas. They do need a playmaker at linebacker. They might be able to get Matthews in the second round. You've targeted two areas of need -- running back and cornerback. I thought they were going to do something with Derrick Ward in free agency, but that hasn't happened.

Q: The Giants need a go-to receiver for Eli Manning, as he seemed to struggle without one late last year. I propose that the Giants should trade Plaxico Burress' rights and a fourth-round pick to Cleveland for Braylon Edwards and its first- and third-round picks. Is this an outrageous proposal?

Gerald in Waterbury, Conn.

A: Plaxico isn't going to carry much trade value because of the gun charge facing him. Plus, every team in the league anticipates he's going to be cut rather than traded. If I were the Giants, I'd offer a first- and a third-round choice for Edwards. He's a No. 1 talent and his body type is much like Plaxico's. Clearly, the best two options in trades for No. 1 wide receivers are Edwards and Anquan Boldin. The price is a first- and a third-round pick.

Q: What direction do the Raiders go in the draft? I think the D-line is a priority. What do you think Al Davis will do?

Jesse in Oxnard, Calif.

A: Your defensive suggestions are fine, but they need help on offense. Their bigger needs are at wide receiver and along the offensive line. If they have any hopes of developing QB JaMarcus Russell, they have to get him weapons and protection. Russell is entering his third season. He played much better toward the end of last season, but he didn't get much help from his receiving corps. Despite foot surgery, Michael Crabtree can help him. Tackle Eugene Monroe can help, too. Darren McFadden was a good choice last season. Davis needs to stick to offense with the first-round pick.

Q: John, I'm a big Bills fan and I'm wondering what sort of moves they are rumored to make this offseason.

Mike in Slippery Rock, Pa.

A: They are in a tough spot. They aren't going to spend big in free agency. They desperately need another pass-rusher. They also need a pass-catching tight end. It hurt them that Bo Scaife was franchised by the Titans. It would be nice if they could put together a trade for Chiefs tight end Tony Gonzalez, but I don't get the feeling Gonzalez wants to go to the Bills. Things should be OK in the secondary, but they will have problems in coverage if they don't improve their pass rush.

Q: John, what are the odds the Rams can get third-round picks in exchange for both Torry Holt and Orlando Pace. The team needs to get younger and free up cap space. Can they get trades done to get something besides cap relief in return?

Will in Boston

A: Don't worry about the cap space. They have plenty of room. Unfortunately, I think both Holt and Pace are headed for the waiver wire. Teams know there is a good chance both players will be cut this week. Because of that, they aren't going to offer more than a sixth- or seventh-rounder. Trades aren't equal to the true value of a player when that player gets into his 30s. I don't think Holt and Pace will be on the Rams' roster by the end of the week.

Q: Have you heard anything on Matt Leinart? If the Cards re-sign Kurt Warner, are they at all willing to dangle Leinart in a trade?

John in Seattle

A: I'm hearing there are people within the Cardinals' organization who are willing to move Matt Leinart in a trade, but don't expect anything to happen. At this stage, I don't see anyone offering a first-rounder. Matt Cassel had a Pro Bowl-caliber season and he went for a second-rounder. Leinart hasn't shown enough to garner anything more than a middle-round choice. My read on the situation is if Warner comes back, ownership will block any efforts to trade Leinart.

John Clayton, a recipient of the Pro Football Hall of Fame's McCann Award for distinguished reporting, is a senior writer for ESPN.com.