Not ragging on Mac just yet but it seems to me like we are very keen to retaining our free agents but we are letting them test the market. Not sure how that is ever a good idea with so many teams with a lot more cap money than we have.
These are the people we want to retain:
Demario Davis
Erin Henderson
Snacks
Fitz
Here's the latest example:
[TWEET]707241653896142848[/TWEET]
The way to protect your cap is by not overspending on non elite players. If you can retain them at a fair price, fine, but if another team wants to overpay them, you have to let them walk. Thats how all of the smart franchises operate.
THAT SAID:
Demario Davis is JAG (Just Another Guy), if he leaves, so be it.
Ditto Erin Henderson, I'd like to keep him at a reasonable price, otherwise let him walk.
Snacks is a first rate NT and this is the one I'd really love to keep, but you have to be careful about overpaying someone who has already outlived his shelf life. There's a reason why he went undrafted and it wasn't talent, scouts knew he was good, and it wasn't his small school status, scouts were quite aware of him and his upside. It was because he had multiple knee surgeries (both knees) and teams feared the stress that so much weight would put on his knees, and they didn't see him lasting too long before it became an issue. I doubt any of them thought he would last as long as he already has without serious knee issues, so thats good, but that also means he's living on borrowed time. I still want him back, but you have to be careful about the dollars and years.
As for Fitzy, I'd like him back too, but I don't want to overpay someone who is coming off a career year. I also don't anticipate him ever getting as lucky as he did this year with the weather. Until the last game (where he stunk), he didn't play in a bad weather game all year, at home or away, and thats always been the knock on him, not enough arm to excel in bad conditions. Again, he's another guy I would like to have back at the right price, but I commend Mac for not overpaying.