As the Green Bay Packers still need to resign NT Ryan Pickett, though he won't leave now that he's been made the franchise player, I was interested in the news that the Broncos signed a similar player, former Charger NT Jamal Williams to a three-year, $16 million deal with $7 million guaranteed. At first it seemed like a good move, signing a three-time Pro Bowl player away from a division rival, but there was a reason why the Chargers released him:
If the big NT really is being released by the Chargers, I get the feeling it's going to be more of a retirement. The man has had so many injury issues in past seasons, it makes sense that he would be done with the rehab and would want to get out while he can still walk.
The Broncos also announced the signing of DE Jarvis Green for four-years and $20 million. Green is a 31 year old DE who has only had 3 sacks in the past two seasons and is coming off a knee injury. It doesn't sound like a good way to spend $5 million per season.
The signing of Williams and Green also hammers home the point that the Broncos will have a lot of starters on the wrong side of 30 in 2010. The Broncos are certainly doing things differently than the Packers would. Instead of looking to young starters they've recently drafted, they are plugging every hole on the roster with a veteran stop-gap. If it gets them to the Super Bowl, good for them, but it looks likely they'll have a case of buyer's remorse in a year or two.