Free Agent Target #2 - Oakland CB Nnamdi Asomugha

by Brandon on Feb 9, 2009 9:08 AM CST Comment 7 comments

I'm running down this list of the top free agent targets. I don't agree with all it's rankings, but it is as good as anything.

Some people might not know about CB Nnamdi Asomugha because he doesn't rack up a lot of stats. He only had 1 INT and 9 Pass Defenses in 2008, which doesn't exactly sound like a Pro Bowl season. But opposing teams look at the soft Oakland defense and decide to throw anywhere near Asomugha. Football Outsiders only tracked 26 passes thrown at him in 2008, which is about a dozen fewer attempts as any other CB on their top 10 list. You know Oakland's defense had to have been on the field a lot in 2008. He's arguably the best defensive player in the NFL.

And according to Jason Jones, he isn't getting anywhere near free agency. He's getting the franchise tag for the second year in a row.

But on a side note, he does mention another interesting point:

The team is likely to cut S Michael Huff, something he also expects.

Huff was the 7th player taken in the 2006 draft, two spots behind LB A.J. Hawk, so it's likely GM Ted Thompson spent some time evaluating him before the draft. Also, Darren Perry was just hired to coach the safeties and he was Huff's coach last season. That's going to be a very good source of information. Huff might be a bust, released by his first team after only three seasons, but it can take players some time to figure out how to play safety in the NFL. S Nick Collins was ok his first three seasons, but turned into a Pro Bowl player in his fourth. Same for S Darren Sharper.

Huff could play two roles. It isn't clear who will play alongside Collins next season, 2008 was a lost season for both S Atari Bigby and S Aaron Rouse, and Huff could compete for the job. Also, Collins isn't signed past 2009 and Huff might be a Plan B if Collins decides to bolt (not that I'm expecting that). Either way, Huff might be a good low risk, high reward signing.

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cleverly done

I like how this post started talking about one player and ended talking about a completely different one. Too bad about Asomugha, but Huff in Green Bay? Interesting…

Michael Huff has always fascinated me ever since his days at Texas. He was a dynamic defender in college and, if I recall correctly, was applauded around the league as a top-10 pick. He certainly has the physical tools, and the scouting people at ESPN.com seem to have nothing negative to say about him, a rare occurance indeed. I, for one, firmly believe that Huff’s lack of success is directly attributed to Oakland’s lack of competence on defense. After all, how much can one person do on such a crappy team?

He plays the same position that Nick Collins plays, so he would have to switch positions to strong safety, which might be a more natural fit for him. If Thompson brings him in, the question is this: would Huff be an upgrade over Bigby? If so, can he conribute right away, or is he going to require a year or two of developing before becoming a bona fide starter?

I am a Bigby believer; I think that he’s a dynamite safety that can play the run like a linebacker and has a knack for being around the ball at the right time. However, I also think that Huff brings the same skills to the table, but he’s arguably a better athlete.

All told, I’m torn. I like both players a lot. I’m a lot like Kevin on The Office when Holly wrongly thinks he’s mentally challenged: “I like chips…but…I also…like pretzels…” So, which is it, Packer fans? Chips or pretzels?

"I'm so clean, cats think I sip Ajax."

by Mitchell_M on Feb 9, 2009 4:02 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

It's no coincidence

that Gibril Wilson is one of the better defenders on a Giants Championship team, and he gets big money in Oakland and is horrible.

Thats a good point to bring up about Huff. He is a free agent, and we shouldn’t be content to hand a starting job to Atari Bigby just yet. Huff’s physical tools haven’t gone anywhere and his name isn’t Aaron Rouse, so there.

Maybe in order to understand mankind, we have to look at the word itself: "Mankind". Basically, it's made up of two separate words—"mank" and "ind". What do these words mean? It's a mystery, and that's why so is mankind.
-Jack Handey

by jobe on Feb 9, 2009 4:54 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

or rather Oakland's 'bout'ta cut him

He’s not a free agent yet.

by jobe on Feb 9, 2009 4:54 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Asomugha is absolutely sick

He is possibly the most underrated player in the league. What are Woodson and Harris’ contract status?

Huff is the kind of guy you want to bring into camp. High reward, and if he doesn’t pan out… it doesn’t really matter.

by mittens on Feb 9, 2009 9:48 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Woodson and Harris

PackersChatters.com says they are under team control until 2012 and 2011, respectively. Hard to tell from their data whether the base salaries get out of control in the latter years, forcing the Packers to renegotiate or release them. Since GM Ted Thompson worked out the terms of both of those contracts, I’m guessing he can live with them.

by Brandon on Feb 9, 2009 10:38 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

I'm sure TT can live with the contracts

I’m torn on Harris. Consecutive pro bowls would indicate that he’s playing great but it really seemed to me that he was struggling at times this season. It’s so hard to evaluate CBs with the information we have, but I just don’t trust him being a productive player for two more years.

Then again what do I know?

by mittens on Feb 9, 2009 10:56 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Just an FYI Re: Contracts....

This is a great place for that information. It looks like Al Harris’ contract is frontloaded and very reasonable, and unless he suffers a rapid decline I would guess he’d be here through the duration. Charles Woodson’s contract escalates a little bit, but it’s nothing unreasonable given his current production and the inflation of salaries.

Something I noticed while looking at these contracts. Take a look at the combined price of these two CB’s over the next 3 seasons. If you include roster bonuses, and you assume my math is correct (which is a huge leap of faith itself), the prices for Harris & Woodson are:

$9MM in ’09
$7.5MM in ’10
$7.25MM in ’11

I just really like the way those deals are structured. One guy got his money up front (WIN), one guy got a huge FA deal (WIN), and overall the team is committing less money to these guys than the previous year for the next 3 seasons (WIN). Everyone’s happy. I’d say these contracts are very reasonable, and the only reason these two guys would be cut is if their production fell as opposed to being a cap casualty.

(If anyone is in danger of being a cap casualty down the road, it’s Ryan Grant in my opinion.)

I miss the slide, the balloons, and the giant beer mug. :(

by Adam P on Feb 10, 2009 1:43 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs