Michael Huff agrees to a 3 year, $6 million deal

[Juviebest]

[quote name='Sizzlebshu' timestamp='1364406262' post='1417266']

Around 2 mil. We may have to cut some guys to free up room for draft picks and such tho.
[/quote]

No we won't. Draft picks only take up $1 to $1.5 mill in cap space. We're set.

[Blackbirds Rule]

[quote name='EnVy_CaLiBeR' timestamp='1364406299' post='1417271']
Not necessarily. Reed still covers well but his run defense and his tackling ability as you stated has been underwhelming for the past couple of years. Huff isn't as big of a playmaker as Reed can be but he's solid on all fronts and offers more versatility being five years younger.

And I wouldn't mind that plan either. I just love Elam but I do get we're probably going WR or ILB with the first pick. Might even trade up since we have 12 picks in the draft.
[/quote]

I like Elam too. My favorite SS in no particular order are Elam, Cyprien, and Swearinger. Any one of those guys will make our secondary that much better. That way we can use Ihedigbo as a ST player which he's very good at and a situational depth player at the SS position. I think he has the potential to be a very good SS in our defense but Elam and the two others have more talent and would become exponentially bigger with our scheme.

[sliceanddic3]

Not a huge signing. Nice proven starter when we had none on the roster before.

[Blackbirds Rule]

[quote name='Juviebest' timestamp='1364407250' post='1417303']
No we won't. Draft picks only take up $1 to $1.5 mill in cap space. We're set.
[/quote]

with 12 picks I think it'll take close to 4 mil in cap space. We still get another 2 mil on June 1st from Pollard and we could always restructure Ngata or Leach to free up any additional room.

[itscbm5042]

Really solid pick up here and great value (3 years of Huff for the same price as 1 year of a declining Ed Reed) - can play corner if needed and strong in coverage. Very shrewd move, really nice piece and because he was released will not cost a compensatory pick. I think he fits very well with Ihedigo / Thompson at SS.

I am starting to like the makeup of our DB corps... Webb, Graham as my starters with Jimmy Smith, Chykie Brown, Asa Jackson and a safety corps of Huff, Ihedigbo, Christian Thompson, and Omar Brown, with a high round draft pick coming soon. No hall of fame names, but a very solid unit who may actually be better in coverage than last year's Super Bowl winning group.

I am really impressed with the defensive reloading Ozzie has done. I would still like to see a veteran ILB brought on (either a high risk / high reward like Rolando McClain) or a (hopefully) cheap veteran like Dansby would really solidify this year's unit while allowing for us to draft their long term replacements. Still would like to see a veteran center brought in to to back up the under sized Gradkowski, and I know he is lazy but McKinnie is the best LT we have had since JO, fact - I'd bring him back as there is no market for him and he won't get paid like he thinks.

[dirtybird10]

Did we just sign Huff to half the contract price Reed got? Good lord!!

[cobrajet]

[quote name='ClintLB8' timestamp='1364406934' post='1417289']
Before I pass any judgements on him... I must hear him sing "Two tickets to paradise!" (Joke)
[/quote]
Thank you for that laugh, great post.

[The Raven]

In Ozzie We Trust!!!!!

[bravensfan52]

So im starting to think Ozzie is gearing up to trade down in the draft to try and land a LT

[arnie_uk]

[quote name='bravensfan52' timestamp='1364407837' post='1417330']
So im starting to think Ozzie is gearing up to trade down in the draft to try and land a LT
[/quote]you mean up?

[SCRavenMad]

Great signing! Things are looking better and better every day.

[ravens88]

so in the next year comp pick department: Huff, Dummervil, Canty, spears? wont count against our compensation picks all of them were released correct?

[Purple Nurple]

[quote name='arnie_uk' timestamp='1364407865' post='1417333']
you mean up?
[/quote]

I have this same debate with my wife when talking about the heat/AC, lol.

[Blackbirds Rule]

[quote name='itscbm5042' timestamp='1364407588' post='1417320']
Really solid pick up here and great value (3 years of Huff for the same price as 1 year of a declining Ed Reed) - can play corner if needed and strong in coverage. Very shrewd move, really nice piece and because he was released will not cost a compensatory pick. I think he fits very well with Ihedigo / Thompson at SS.

I am really impressed with the defensive reloading Ozzie has done. I would still like to see a veteran ILB brought on (either a high risk / high reward like Rolando McClain) or a (hopefully) cheap veteran like Dansby would really solidify this year's unit while allowing for us to draft their long term replacements. Still would like to see a veteran center brought in to to back up the under sized Gradkowski, and I know he is lazy but McKinnie is the best LT we have had since JO, fact - I'd bring him back as there is no market for him and he won't get paid like he thinks.
[/quote]

With McClain this could be the organization and change of scenery he needs to flourish. He needs to be released so we can sign him. The only thing is he may require a little more than what a draft pick would require that can give us the same production. Dansby I don't think will be that cheap unless he just wants to sign a one year deal and test FA next year. He's only 31, I think he'll want at least a 5 to 6 mil a year contract. He's worth it, if nobody offers him that then we can sneak in closer to the draft and get him on a loaner year. That way we can draft a ILB later in the draft at the 3rd or 4th round and have them sit behind Dansby for a year.

[Gordo52]

We got him on the cheap too! This is awesome.

[Guest Mr. Nobody]

been waiting for this for too long now, will do a jig... anybody knows the full details of the contract, like cap hit wise?
presumably he's at the castle today, taking a medical, signing later on

[arnie_uk]

[quote name='Purple Nurple' timestamp='1364408053' post='1417341']


I have this same debate with my wife when talking about the heat/AC, lol.
[/quote]you turn heat up to get warmer, turn ac up to get cooler. Haha

[display name]

Well at least we have more than one safety on the active roster now. lol

[itscbm5042]

[quote name='display name' timestamp='1364408308' post='1417358']
Well at least we have more than one safety on the active roster now. lol
[/quote]

Huff, Ihedigbo, Thompson, Brown - we have 4 safeties and in THIS system all 4 have upside. Huff could break out in this scheme (as most do) and Thompson and Brown are both young and exciting. Let's not forget that safety will almost definitely be a draft pick in the first 3 rounds possibly first if a top name falls so we will be just fine TALEN wise at safety, tho the name recognition will not be there.

[A Fish Called Yanda]

I think I am most excited about picking up Huff because of our pass rush.

If our defensive line stays healthy, and we have Suggs, Doom and Upshaw rotating on the line, QBs will not have much time to throw the ball. This will cause them to make mistakes, which allows even a half-decent safety to make a play for the ball. From what I've seen, Huff is far better than a half-decent safety.

I can see him having a very good couple of years in our system.

[DMH_in_WA]

[quote name='dirtybird10' timestamp='1364407650' post='1417324']
Did we just sign Huff to half the contract price Reed got? Good lord!!
[/quote]

Nope ..... less. We got him for 3 years for just over what the Texans paid Ed Reed for 1 year.

[1/28/01]

[quote name='Purple Y Black' timestamp='1364402532' post='1417085']
Did we just get Huff?
[/quote]

Nope

[GrimCoconut]

[quote name='Miami Hurricane' timestamp='1364405643' post='1417243']
I wanted to see some of the young guys start
[/quote]
You still may. The nice thing about this signing is it gives us versatility & flexibility. We have a S who has proven to play CB. You can have three safeties on the field and use one as a CB (Huff). If a guy goes down in the CB corps, we can move Huff to CB. It's a great move.

[admartian]

LOVE the signing. In Ozzie I trust now (again! I go through this every off season)! All we need is some vet thumper at SS (or ar we sticking with Ihedigbo? Fine either way) for the vet minimum.

Also, does this signing pretty much guarantee an ILB in the first 3 rounds for us?

[itscbm5042]

[quote name='admartian' timestamp='1364409644' post='1417427']
LOVE the signing. In Ozzie I trust now (again! I go through this every off season)! All we need is some vet thumper at SS (or ar we sticking with Ihedigbo? Fine either way) for the vet minimum.

Also, does this signing pretty much guarantee an ILB in the first 3 rounds for us?
[/quote]

That was already a guarantee in my opinion. ILB, S, and OT will be addressed in the first 3 rounds. I think we also package some later round picks to grab additional early round picks so I think we end up with 4 or 5 picks in the first 3 rounds.

[mgridda]

I do love Elam, but I would be okay on passing on Elam if it meant we would trade up and go for Lane Johnson.

This is just because christian thompson is on the roster. Now, I know Lane might not get out of the top 10, and I also know Ozzie is a top knotch evaluator and if he likes Matt Elam he's not going to NOT draft him just because he has Thompson on the roster. At the same time, Ozzie is a top knotch evaluator and watches all the practices and if he feels Thompson is just as far along as Elam is..

then yeah, I wouldn't mind us trading up to picks 11-26 and getting Lane Johnson.

[dirtybird10]

[quote name='DMH_in_WA' timestamp='1364409176' post='1417398']
Nope ..... less. We got him for 3 years for just over what the Texans paid Ed Reed for 1 year.
[/quote]

Freaking sweet deal Ozzie!

[berad]

This is outrageous! $2M/yr average for an arguable upgrade over Reed? You've got to be kidding me! Ozzie has been killing it!

[Bazooka Joe]

I'm just getting this news. This is an excellent signing. I see Huff blossoming into a star with this defense. He was once hailed as a potential superstar. "The Next Ed Reed." Well, we don't need him to be Reed, but I do think we'll see Huff blossom into a star safety in his own right. At this point, I say that we should rest until the draft.

I see us trading up in the first or second round. Consider that with 4 comp picks next year, we could trade a combo of picks this year and next year to get a LT or to get TAVON AUSTIN!!!

[Bazooka Joe]

Is Lane Johnson that good that it makes it worth it to trade all the way up to get him? These days, it seems you can get by with slightly above average tackles if you have great interior play...and we do with KO, Gino, and Yanda. Plus, Oher is a strong RT.