Stop the Insanity

This is what is wrong with the NFL free agency system.

The Giants just made Antrel Rolle the highest paid safety in the league. Not because he is the best safety, mind you. Simply because he is the best of a very, very average crop of free agents.

I have no problem with paying star players big, big money. If Troy Polamalu or Ed Reed or Darren Sharper want that money, then no problem.

But Antrel Rolle? The guy has amassed all of 14 interceptions and four forced fumbles . . . in his career!

That's a good season and a half for the three safeties I just mentioned.

Now the real trouble starts when Polamalu, Reed, and Sharper have their contracts come up. They will have their agents tell their respective clubs, hey - Rolle is making 37 million. Our guys are worth twice that!

And salary inflation has begun.

Also, what are the odds of Rolle playing out the length of this contract? There's a reason the Cards released him: he was due too much money in the final year of his contract! How is that for irony?

Now here's the catch with free agent contracts - Rolle will earn 15 million right away as part of his signing bonus. But let's say he is due 10 million over the final two years of the contract, what are the odds of the Giants paying him that much money? Probably the same as the Cards paying him what he was due in the last year of his contract.

Hopefully, with the NFL labor contract up in the air, this kind of insanity can get fixed.

This free agent system is as crazy as the rookie contract system. Don't even get me started on that.

Thankfully, it seems that most teams are hesitant out of the gates, waiting for the big ticket free agents to get gobbled up (and, remember, those big free agent signings rarely pan out - just think of Adam Archulleta (Redsking) , Alvin Harper (Bucs), David Boston (San Diego), Scott Mitchell (Detroit), Nate Burlenson (Seahawks), Andre Rison (Cleveland), and Larry Brown and Javon Walker (Raiders). Most of you are thinking, who are these guys? And that's the point. Teams paid way too much for very average players (or players past their prime). And that list could go on for dozens more.

The list, though, of great free agent additions is very limited. The biggest few come easily to mind - Reggie White (Green Bay), Steve Hutchinson (Vikings), Drew Brees (Saints), and Deion Sanders (49ers and Cowboys). But the list of great free agent signings is dwarfed by the list of horrendous free agent signings. Buyer beware indeed!

The trick is to draft well and supplement your team with medium range free agents, not those big ticket ones.