A fascinating possibility: Ryan Clark
by MtnExile on Mar 8, 2010 12:25 PM CST
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PrintI'm not advocating this--what I actually advocate is for Darren Sharper to get his booty into the Metairie office as quickly as possible and sign a new contract--but this is just too tantalizing to pass up.
Pittsburgh Steeler free safety Ryan Clark is also a UFA this spring. Here's what Rotoworld had to say about him:
According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, free agent FS Ryan Clark is now no longer expected back with the Steelers.
The sides' inability to reach terms before the free agency period opened late Thursday/early Friday indicates Clark's asking price is too high. He'd be a nice fall-back plan for the Cardinals if they're unable to woo back Antrel Rolle. Clark knows most of the coaches from their time in Pittsburgh.
Clark also knows a coach from his early days as a Washington Redskin. That's right: he played for Gregg Williams. Now, maybe he left Washington in order to get away from Williams...I don't know. But maybe not. And maybe, after seeing how Sharper prospered last year, he'd like to get some of that for himself.
Oh...and did I mention Clark is from Marerro? And that he played for LSU? Yeah, THAT Ryan Clark. He's a WhoDat. So this would be a homecoming for him.
Like I said...I'm not advocating this. But I wonder if Clark's presence on the market constitutes a) a drag on Sharper's value, and b) a convenient hedge for the Saints. If Sharper leaves, and Clark is still available (he's got a tryout with the Dolphins), we might see him return home in a hurry.
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Sorry, I’m not buying. Or at least not at high price. When Polamalu went down last year he disappeared. He’s probably somebody who thrives on teams taking risks to try to keep the ball away from Polamalu.
Now he might get SOME of that here with people wanting to keep the ball away from Tracy and Jabari… but would it be enough?
But I suppose it can’t hurt to kick his tires a bit.
For those who can't remember the uncapped FA rules, this link's for you.
Disappeared?
He had 89 tackles—a career high—and 3 interceptions. Stats may not say much about how well he played, but he was there, I assure you. (Besides…the Steelers defense doesn’t function all that well in any aspect when Polamalu isn’t playing. I blame that on a weakness in the scheme, rather than the low merits of other players. Except for the one replacing Polamalu.)
"Time you enjoy wasting, was not wasted.." --J.O.L.
Sorry I should have said disappeared in the game-changing plays department.
Those INTs were against CLE, DET, and MIA. All wins, and all closer than they should have been. Can’t give those quite the same credit.
In a five-week stretch when his team needed SOMEBODY to step up and save them from themselves (that five week stretch when even teams like KC and OAK and CLE beat them), he didn’t. His tackles didn’t go up. His PDs weren’t really all that high. And he didn’t have a single INT that could have saved their season. (Not like I wanted him to at the time, I mean, this IS the stoolers we’re talking about after all…)
Now does that mean he couldn’t work out here? Not at all. Nor does it mean that just because at that point he’d be a former stooler would I be unable to accept him. 99% of the time you play for who will give you a check after all. But I’m just saying that before we sign him we should be sure that he’s really going to be a good fit both for our scheme and that he can provide what we need in the D#-replacement department. And that we shouldn’t be throwing money at him in big heapy gobs.
For those who can't remember the uncapped FA rules, this link's for you.
I think the dolphins will make a deal with Clark
That pretty much leaves Sharper with very few suitors left. The Giants got Rolle, the Dolphins seem to like Clark, the Bears have already spent enough money to…well….I could make a health care joke, but I don’t want this to turn into another Fujita thread. So come back to us Darren! We’re all you have left.
"I want to hand this trophy to the MVP of the Super Bowl -- and the MVP of the entire league.''
-- Saints coach Sean Payton, handing the Vince Lombardi Trophy to Drew Brees after Super Bowl 44.
Sharper has to come back.
I don’t think I can handle another break-up right now.
"It's better to burn out than fade away."
Was he released?
I don’t think we could sign him even if we wanted too…
"They're ready to be like 'Same Old Saints'" - Roman Harper, on each of the New Orleans Saints vanquished foes of 2009
That depends
If Sharper is signed away, and Clark is still available, I bet we could sign him. Would he be demanding more money than both Sharper’s and Fujita’s contracts? I don’t think so.
Besides, I never said it wasn’t a long shot. Odds are that Sharper comes back to those who love him best. I want to still be able to wear my #42 jersey next year.
"Time you enjoy wasting, was not wasted.." --J.O.L.
I'm with you. Sharper is my first choice. If not, Clark might be the next best thing. If we could swing it.
"They're ready to be like 'Same Old Saints'" - Roman Harper, on each of the New Orleans Saints vanquished foes of 2009
I dont think Sharper wants to play here again
I read he was offered a very lucrative contract for one more year and he turned it down. At this point I think he needs the Saints more than the Saints needs him. His wanting to get out of NO makes me think he would not perform if he did come back. All this makes me feel like my wife ran around on me and now wants to come home and I dont want her back. Should have stayed put in the first place. I say let him go and stay gone. Time to get a younger safety.
My Magnificent Black and Gold Warriors
Define “lucrative”. Mickey likes that word. Had to be less than the franchise tag.
This low down bitchin' got my poor feet a itchin'
Mike Detillier on Local sports radio (Should have said heard )but..........
Mike also said he would be offered by another team really fast…..which hasn’t happened.
My Magnificent Black and Gold Warriors
SHARPER'S DEAL...
They’ve mentioned it on NFL Network more than once. Basically, they’ve said that the FO has made a “fair offer” to Sharper and that he has yet to sign it becuase he wants to see what his value is on the open market. Essentially sharper is trying to m ake sure he signs the most lucrative contract he can becasue he’s in the twilight for his career (money wise) and nobody is really expected to pay him anything long term or significant after this year. They did not speculate on numbers, but all the analysts agreed that sharper would be back in the fluer de lis.
Link?
"There are those that make it happen, those that watch it happen, and those that stand around and wonder what the hell happened." -- Drew Brees
dude he isn't that great in coverage, troy covered alot of his mistakes
but man can he hit and hit hard
Players who should be in the Hall of Fame: Pat TIllman, Dwight White, Donnie Shell, L.C. Greenwood, Ray Guy, Steve Tasker, Greg Llyod, Andy Russel, Cris Carter, Kevin Greene and Jerry Kramer
"Its a Great Day to be a Mountaineer where ever you may be" Tony Caridi
Canal Street Chronicles resident Steelers Fan
If there's a player I hate in the NFL
It’s Ryan Clark – wait, make that two: Ryan Clark and Hines Ward. Scratch that, I hate the Steelers in general.
Ryan Clark is a dirty, cheap, crappy excuse for a human being. He takes needlessly cheap shots.
No. No no no. HELL no.
"There are those that make it happen, those that watch it happen, and those that stand around and wonder what the hell happened." -- Drew Brees
Ok FINE!!
rotoworld.com:
Ryan Clark-DB- Steelers Mar. 8 – 6:50 pm et
Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post reports that the Steelers have re-signed free agent S Ryan Clark.
Smartly, the Steelers didn’t stop pursuing Clark after their Monday addition of backup-caliber safety Will Allen. Also smartly on Clark’s part, he leveraged Pittsburgh by taking a Monday visit to the Dolphins. Clark turns 31 during the upcoming season and has never been a big-time playmaker, but is a banger in the back end with above-average range. His return is good news for a Steelers secondary that may experience major overhaul at cornerback.
This low down bitchin' got my poor feet a itchin'
Clark
Was never really anything special anyway. He’s solid, but Sharper is still better than he is. However, I do appreciate the fact that he’s a fellow Westbanker, but I wouldn’t have been satisfied with the change. Time to convert MJ to be our All-Pro FS.
Why not us?
Visit my website http://blackandgolddraft.blogspot.com/
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