Jason La Canfora; Texans FA strategy
 

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d...e=HP_headlines

According to La Canfora, CB Nnamdi Asomugha and safety Gerald Sensabaugh will be our major targets in free agency. A shutdown corner and a safety that is familiar with Phillips 3-4 defense.

I know Asomugha is not exactly news, but Sensabaugh would be a welcome addition.

There's been a lot of speculation that Asomugha will end up in a major media market on one of the coasts where he'll have greater opportunities to further his acting/broadcasting career. It wouldn't surprise me if the Lions became a serious contender, though, as Jim Schwartz has shown he can be a strong recruiter in free agency and can pitch the team as an up-and-comer with a defense, starring Ndamukong Suh and Nnamdi Asomugha, that would strike fear in the hearts of opposing quarterbacks and announcers.

Sounds like things are starting to pick up:

I see Nnamdi going pretty quick once the courting begins. The Texans will need to find out quick if he's their man so they can implement Plan B if necessary....

Right, just like 31 other teams will have to also have their own customized Plaqn B ready to go. But seriously we gotta ask this question: "for all intents and purposes, how many deals have already been done" ? Hey, you know a lot of that has been going on behind the scenes, well ahead of a new CBA being consummated.

They can start on Plan B already. Why would he want to come here? The only reason I can think of is if we offer the most money and we all know McNair has never ponied up for a top free agent.

Well, we know the Texans at least never landed a top free agent, true. They spent top dollar for middling free agents. Iirc though, they did make a very credible offer (reportedly) to land Orlando Pace... which as I recall Pace just signed that same deal to stick with the Rams.

The Texans need to really sell the fact that Wade Phillips took more than one team to the playoffs the first year he was in charge of the defense. That should be our main point in the negotiations. I think we have as good a chance as any team right now (before FA).

The selling point should be that Nnamdi means more to us than any other team. He would instantly (yes) turn our team from a fringe wild card contender to a serious divisional/playoff.....maybe even Super Bowl contender. He's that damn good. Our offense is already there, obviously. He's a humble man, but you can also sell him on the fact that he'd be THE guy. Biggest FA signing ever for the franchise, the CB version of Andre in terms of humility, honor, respect, and class. Talk about all that stuff.

Plus, Texas is a nice place to live and has low taxes. Certainly better than CA/Bay Area, Philly, Detroit, or NY.

Nope, the selling point is how much guarranteed jack he will get. Period. End of story. He who buys him, will pay handsomely.

Worth it.....Probably in the minority here, but I say no thanks.
Grab a Ike Taylor or that Joeseph kid, coupled with a legit NFL safety.

Dude is going to command $18-$20MM per, probably for 5-6 years.

Look at it this way. Nnamdi is 30 years old, so a 4 year, $19M contract would pay him $4.75M/yr. It is amost impossible to hold the body together for 4 more years after you reach 30. At least to play NFL type football. I would do the 4 year one, but anything more would seem to be folly.

From what I have been reading the Texans are going all out to get him.

Uh sir, that would be $19MM PER SEASON..... I would guess he will get somewhere in the neighborhood of 55%-60% guarranteed money, depending on what the final CBA floor states.

As WMH pointed out that is per year, and I am thinking its going to be in the $100MM dollar range like Fat Alberts contract. Plus it most likely will be heavily front loaded.

Not only does this cost you multiple players on the team it cost you even more when the AJ's and Schaub's want more for their piece of the pie. :(

I don't see AJ being an issue, 30 yrs old and just re-upped for 7 yrs, but you might put Mario and Foster in that mix. If this "experiment" works with Mario @ OLB, then that dude is going to get PAID as well. With Foster....if he produces 80% of what he did last year.....cha ching.

Mario will get paid no matter how successful or unsuccessful his conversion to OLB is, because either way he's still got value, actually more value at DE in the 4-3 than he does at OLB.
So it's a Win-Win for him, and he gets paid when he's a FA either by the Texans or one of many other teams who'd want him.

Thank you sir. I think I realized that small error after I had already posted. My bad!

Now I don't know. $19M big ones guaranteed? And he will want at least a 5 year deal. If i were Rick Smith, I wouldn't go for more than two. That's why I now say, I don't know!