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The Rules of Pacers Digest

Hello everyone,

Whether your are a long standing forum member or whether you have just registered today, it's a good idea to read and review the rules below so that you have a very good idea of what to expect when you come to Pacers Digest.

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Why do we do this? So that it's more difficult for spammers (be they human or robot) to post, and so users who are banned cannot immediately re-register and start dousing people with verbal flames.

Below are the rules of Pacers Digest. After you have read them, you will have a very good sense of where we are coming from, what we expect, what we don't want to see, and how we react to things.

Rule #1

Pacers Digest is intended to be a place to discuss basketball without having to deal with the kinds of behaviors or attitudes that distract people from sticking with the discussion of the topics at hand. These unwanted distractions can come in many forms, and admittedly it can sometimes be tricky to pin down each and every kind that can rear its ugly head, but we feel that the following examples and explanations cover at least a good portion of that ground and should at least give people a pretty good idea of the kinds of things we actively discourage:

"Anyone who __________ is a liar / a fool / an idiot / a blind homer / has their head buried in the sand / a blind hater / doesn't know basketball / doesn't watch the games"

"People with intelligence will agree with me when I say that __________"

"Only stupid people think / believe / do ___________"

"I can't wait to hear something from PosterX when he/she sees that **insert a given incident or current event that will have probably upset or disappointed PosterX here**"

"He/she is just delusional"

"This thread is stupid / worthless / embarrassing"

"I'm going to take a moment to point and / laugh at PosterX / GroupOfPeopleY who thought / believed *insert though/belief here*"

"Remember when PosterX said OldCommentY that no longer looks good? "

In general, if a comment goes from purely on topic to something 'ad hominem' (personal jabs, personal shots, attacks, flames, however you want to call it, towards a person, or a group of people, or a given city/state/country of people), those are most likely going to be found intolerable.

We also dissuade passive aggressive behavior. This can be various things, but common examples include statements that are basically meant to imply someone is either stupid or otherwise incapable of holding a rational conversation. This can include (but is not limited to) laughing at someone's conclusions rather than offering an honest rebuttal, asking people what game they were watching, or another common problem is Poster X will say "that player isn't that bad" and then Poster Y will say something akin to "LOL you think that player is good". We're not going to tolerate those kinds of comments out of respect for the community at large and for the sake of trying to just have an honest conversation.

Now, does the above cover absolutely every single kind of distraction that is unwanted? Probably not, but you should by now have a good idea of the general types of things we will be discouraging. The above examples are meant to give you a good feel for / idea of what we're looking for. If something new or different than the above happens to come along and results in the same problem (that being, any other attitude or behavior that ultimately distracts from actually just discussing the topic at hand, or that is otherwise disrespectful to other posters), we can and we will take action to curb this as well, so please don't take this to mean that if you managed to technically avoid saying something exactly like one of the above examples that you are then somehow off the hook.

That all having been said, our goal is to do so in a generally kind and respectful way, and that doesn't mean the moment we see something we don't like that somebody is going to be suspended or banned, either. It just means that at the very least we will probably say something about it, quite possibly snipping out the distracting parts of the post in question while leaving alone the parts that are actually just discussing the topics, and in the event of a repeating or excessive problem, then we will start issuing infractions to try to further discourage further repeat problems, and if it just never seems to improve, then finally suspensions or bans will come into play. We would prefer it never went that far, and most of the time for most of our posters, it won't ever have to.

A slip up every once and a while is pretty normal, but, again, when it becomes repetitive or excessive, something will be done. Something occasional is probably going to be let go (within reason), but when it starts to become habitual or otherwise a pattern, odds are very good that we will step in.

There's always a small minority that like to push people's buttons and/or test their own boundaries with regards to the administrators, and in the case of someone acting like that, please be aware that this is not a court of law, but a private website run by people who are simply trying to do the right thing as they see it. If we feel that you are a special case that needs to be dealt with in an exceptional way because your behavior isn't explicitly mirroring one of our above examples of what we generally discourage, we can and we will take atypical action to prevent this from continuing if you are not cooperative with us.

Also please be aware that you will not be given a pass simply by claiming that you were 'only joking,' because quite honestly, when someone really is just joking, for one thing most people tend to pick up on the joke, including the person or group that is the target of the joke, and for another thing, in the event where an honest joke gets taken seriously and it upsets or angers someone, the person who is truly 'only joking' will quite commonly go out of his / her way to apologize and will try to mend fences. People who are dishonest about their statements being 'jokes' do not do so, and in turn that becomes a clear sign of what is really going on. It's nothing new.

In any case, quite frankly, the overall quality and health of the entire forum's community is more important than any one troublesome user will ever be, regardless of exactly how a problem is exhibiting itself, and if it comes down to us having to make a choice between you versus the greater health and happiness of the entire community, the community of this forum will win every time.

Lastly, there are also some posters, who are generally great contributors and do not otherwise cause any problems, who sometimes feel it's their place to provoke or to otherwise 'mess with' that small minority of people described in the last paragraph, and while we possibly might understand why you might feel you WANT to do something like that, the truth is we can't actually tolerate that kind of behavior from you any more than we can tolerate the behavior from them. So if we feel that you are trying to provoke those other posters into doing or saying something that will get themselves into trouble, then we will start to view you as a problem as well, because of the same reason as before: The overall health of the forum comes first, and trying to stir the pot with someone like that doesn't help, it just makes it worse. Some will simply disagree with this philosophy, but if so, then so be it because ultimately we have to do what we think is best so long as it's up to us.

If you see a problem that we haven't addressed, the best and most appropriate course for a forum member to take here is to look over to the left of the post in question. See underneath that poster's name, avatar, and other info, down where there's a little triangle with an exclamation point (!) in it? Click that. That allows you to report the post to the admins so we can definitely notice it and give it a look to see what we feel we should do about it. Beyond that, obviously it's human nature sometimes to want to speak up to the poster in question who has bothered you, but we would ask that you try to refrain from doing so because quite often what happens is two or more posters all start going back and forth about the original offending post, and suddenly the entire thread is off topic or otherwise derailed. So while the urge to police it yourself is understandable, it's best to just report it to us and let us handle it. Thank you!

All of the above is going to be subject to a case by case basis, but generally and broadly speaking, this should give everyone a pretty good idea of how things will typically / most often be handled.

Rule #2

If the actions of an administrator inspire you to make a comment, criticism, or express a concern about it, there is a wrong place and a couple of right places to do so.

The wrong place is to do so in the original thread in which the administrator took action. For example, if a post gets an infraction, or a post gets deleted, or a comment within a larger post gets clipped out, in a thread discussing Paul George, the wrong thing to do is to distract from the discussion of Paul George by adding your off topic thoughts on what the administrator did.

The right places to do so are:

A) Start a thread about the specific incident you want to talk about on the Feedback board. This way you are able to express yourself in an area that doesn't throw another thread off topic, and this way others can add their two cents as well if they wish, and additionally if there's something that needs to be said by the administrators, that is where they will respond to it.

B) Send a private message to the administrators, and they can respond to you that way.

If this is done the wrong way, those comments will be deleted, and if it's a repeating problem then it may also receive an infraction as well.

Rule #3

If a poster is bothering you, and an administrator has not or will not deal with that poster to the extent that you would prefer, you have a powerful tool at your disposal, one that has recently been upgraded and is now better than ever: The ability to ignore a user.

When you ignore a user, you will unfortunately still see some hints of their existence (nothing we can do about that), however, it does the following key things:

A) Any post they make will be completely invisible as you scroll through a thread.

B) The new addition to this feature: If someone QUOTES a user you are ignoring, you do not have to read who it was, or what that poster said, unless you go out of your way to click on a link to find out who it is and what they said.

To utilize this feature, from any page on Pacers Digest, scroll to the top of the page, look to the top right where it says 'Settings' and click that. From the settings page, look to the left side of the page where it says 'My Settings', and look down from there until you see 'Edit Ignore List' and click that. From here, it will say 'Add a Member to Your List...' Beneath that, click in the text box to the right of 'User Name', type in or copy & paste the username of the poster you are ignoring, and once their name is in the box, look over to the far right and click the 'Okay' button. All done!

Rule #4

Regarding infractions, currently they carry a value of one point each, and that point will expire in 31 days. If at any point a poster is carrying three points at the same time, that poster will be suspended until the oldest of the three points expires.

Rule #5

When you share or paste content or articles from another website, you must include the URL/link back to where you found it, who wrote it, and what website it's from. Said content will be removed if this doesn't happen.

An example:

If I copy and paste an article from the Indianapolis Star website, I would post something like this:

http://www.linktothearticlegoeshere.com/article
Title of the Article
Author's Name
Indianapolis Star

Rule #6

We cannot tolerate illegal videos on Pacers Digest. This means do not share any links to them, do not mention any websites that host them or link to them, do not describe how to find them in any way, and do not ask about them. Posts doing anything of the sort will be removed, the offenders will be contacted privately, and if the problem becomes habitual, you will be suspended, and if it still persists, you will probably be banned.

The legal means of watching or listening to NBA games are NBA League Pass Broadband (for US, or for International; both cost money) and NBA Audio League Pass (which is free). Look for them on NBA.com.

Rule #7

Provocative statements in a signature, or as an avatar, or as the 'tagline' beneath a poster's username (where it says 'Member' or 'Administrator' by default, if it is not altered) are an unwanted distraction that will more than likely be removed on sight. There can be shades of gray to this, but in general this could be something political or religious that is likely going to provoke or upset people, or otherwise something that is mean-spirited at the expense of a poster, a group of people, or a population.

It may or may not go without saying, but this goes for threads and posts as well, particularly when it's not made on the off-topic board (Market Square).

We do make exceptions if we feel the content is both innocuous and unlikely to cause social problems on the forum (such as wishing someone a Merry Christmas or a Happy Easter), and we also also make exceptions if such topics come up with regards to a sports figure (such as the Lance Stephenson situation bringing up discussions of domestic abuse and the law, or when Jason Collins came out as gay and how that lead to some discussion about gay rights).

However, once the discussion seems to be more/mostly about the political issues instead of the sports figure or his specific situation, the thread is usually closed.

Rule #8

We prefer self-restraint and/or modesty when making jokes or off topic comments in a sports discussion thread. They can be fun, but sometimes they derail or distract from a topic, and we don't want to see that happen. If we feel it is a problem, we will either delete or move those posts from the thread.

Rule #9

Generally speaking, we try to be a "PG-13" rated board, and we don't want to see sexual content or similarly suggestive content. Vulgarity is a more muddled issue, though again we prefer things to lean more towards "PG-13" than "R". If we feel things have gone too far, we will step in.

Rule #10

We like small signatures, not big signatures. The bigger the signature, the more likely it is an annoying or distracting signature.

Rule #11

Do not advertise anything without talking about it with the administrators first. This includes advertising with your signature, with your avatar, through private messaging, and/or by making a thread or post.
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Indianapolis Colts off-season thread

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  • #46
    Re: Indianapolis Colts off-season thread

    Originally posted by Gamble1 View Post
    I am going with the offensive line first.

    Resign Mike McGlynn and play him at Center. He will probably cost 3 million. Then sign Texans Guard Wade Smith (4 million) and play him at left guard and have Donald Thomas play RG.

    Draft a backup tackle in the later rounds.

    Defensive ILB.

    I like Spikes alot to fix the defensive line problem and add a run stoper to the LBer core. Backup plan would be be to sign Paul Soliai at NT and let his 6'4 355 frame eat up the double blockers.

    DB's. You have Toler for 4.5 mill for the next 2 years. Find out if he is worth it next year.
    Resign Davis.

    Safeties.
    If you go after Byrd then you will probably have the highest paid safety combo in the NFL. Landry got 8 million and Byrd will get around 10-11 million per year. Needless to say thats a ton of money and I doubt they go that route so I think they go after Kendrick Lewis from the Chiefs. Must say I think they should draft a guy regardless.

    Totally forgot about Howell thanks BCC. Thats also a viable option.
    Kendrick Lewis are u joking i would be sick to my gut if we signed him we he was a total liablity all year for KC.
    Counting down the days untill DJ Augustin's contract expires.

    Comment


    • #47
      Re: Indianapolis Colts off-season thread

      Yeah, we need to stay away from Kendrick Lewis, guy was awful for Kansas City. Though change of scenery does wonder for some players, but still no imo

      Comment


      • #48
        Re: Indianapolis Colts off-season thread

        Originally posted by BlueCollarColts
        Yikes, Gerald Green 2-16 so far for Phoenix including 0-7 from 3 point land
        Yeah... I don't think we want him on the Colts
        Nuntius was right for a while. I was wrong for a while. But ultimately I was right and Frank Vogel has been let go.

        ------

        "A player who makes a team great is more valuable than a great player. Losing yourself in the group, for the good of the group, that’s teamwork."

        -John Wooden

        Comment


        • #49
          Re: Indianapolis Colts off-season thread

          Originally posted by Bball View Post
          Yeah... I don't think we want him on the Colts
          didn't know i posted this here. My bad

          Comment


          • #50
            Re: Indianapolis Colts off-season thread

            Originally posted by BlueCollarColts View Post
            didn't know i posted this here. My bad
            I wanted to reply before you caught your mistake and preserve it for future generations
            Nuntius was right for a while. I was wrong for a while. But ultimately I was right and Frank Vogel has been let go.

            ------

            "A player who makes a team great is more valuable than a great player. Losing yourself in the group, for the good of the group, that’s teamwork."

            -John Wooden

            Comment


            • #51
              Re: Indianapolis Colts off-season thread

              Originally posted by Bball View Post
              I wanted to reply before you caught your mistake and preserve it for future generations
              tell them about the one time the great BlueCollarColts posted a message in the wrong thread

              Comment


              • #52
                Re: Indianapolis Colts off-season thread

                Originally posted by Gamble1 View Post
                I am going with the offensive line first.
                Resign Mike McGlynn and play him at Center. He will probably cost 3 million. Then sign Texans Guard Wade Smith (4 million) and play him at left guard and have Donald Thomas play RG.
                Like everyone else I was very unhappy with the line but after thinking about it I could see McGlynn coming back at center. I blame the O-line coach for playing the guy out of position. Simply McGlynn was a better center than Satele and we all saw it.
                You know how hippos are made out to be sweet and silly, like big cows, but are actually extremely dangerous and can kill you with stunning brutality? The Pacers are the NBA's hippos....Matt Moore CBS Sports....

                Comment


                • #53
                  Re: Indianapolis Colts off-season thread

                  Originally posted by BlueCollarColts View Post
                  Should we let Delano Howell replace Bethea?
                  I liked what I saw of him replacing Landry when the latter was injured. I wouldn't go that far and brand him as a starter yet. He, like Landry and Bethea, really lacking in pass coverage. So, if we are to keep Landry, let's find a starting free safety who is good at that and let Landry play the SS position.
                  Never forget

                  Comment


                  • #54
                    Re: Indianapolis Colts off-season thread

                    Originally posted by Hypnotiq View Post
                    Kendrick Lewis are u joking i would be sick to my gut if we signed him we he was a total liablity all year for KC.
                    He graded out better than Bethea and at some point you have to look at FAs less like a fan and more like a GM. Even if the Colts have 40 million they have 20 or so free agents. If every one got a 1 mill that leaves you with 20 mill left. So really Kendrick is by no means is my first choice but rather a realistic choice given how much money is already spent on Landry, Davis, Toler.

                    The Colts probably can sign 3 impact players. An all pro at one position with 2 mediocre starters or 3 really good starters. If they sign Byrd then I doubt they make an offer to Mack. If they sign Spikes then I doubt they will spend a ton of money on Soliai at NT. It's a give and take at each position so when I say Kendrick Lewis don't think I am really impressed with his game. It's a stop gap and one that normally gets filled by the draft.

                    Davis will command a big chunk of that money 8 mill. A kicker and a punter combine for another 4-5 mill. Then you have one spot for a decent upgrade at the offensive and defensive line position probably combining for 10 million. Then you have the LBers to fill out so that could vary but let's say you spend 6 million. That's close to 30 mill right there and you have signed 6 to 7 guys out of the 20 free agents to replace.

                    Now not every one is important enough to replace out of those 20 spots leaving through free agency but a good portion are for depth and special teams. Guys like Sergio Brown made a significant impact and he needs to be retained or replaced and that will cost. The rest of depth will soak up that 10 million really quick. So I go back to my original statement. I don't suggest guys like some homer with unrealistic expectations but I try to keep everything in perspective including the cap.

                    Comment


                    • #55
                      Re: Indianapolis Colts off-season thread

                      I guess I can stick it here, a federal judge denied that $765 mil settlement between the league and the players union. Said there's no proof that it'll be enough.

                      Comment


                      • #56
                        Re: Indianapolis Colts off-season thread

                        ESPN article on top 25 FAs to sign. I think we should go after Talib if he's available

                        http://insider.espn.go.com/blog/mike-sando/post?id=6568

                        The stakes in NFL free agency would be so much higher this offseason if NaVorro Bowman, Kam Chancellor, Geno Atkins, Sean Lee, Clay Matthews, Percy Harvin and other headliners hadn't signed contract extensions keeping them off the market. Teams have gotten pretty good at identifying their best players and securing their services preemptively. The short list of potential high-priority unrestricted free agents will get even shorter as teams re-sign top players or use the franchise tag to buy additional time.

                        That explains why it was tough to come up with many potential UFAs falling into the "must-keep" category with less than two months remaining until the signing period opens. Two agents and two general managers lent assistance, with all four placing the same player atop their lists. I wasn't going to argue, but there were some differing perspectives once we moved past the top four or five players.

                        While the agents focused on how much money UFAs might command, the GMs also considered players whose value to their current organizations went beyond what the market might bear. That was where I chose to focus -- not exclusively on which players might get paid the most, but also on which ones teams need to re-sign if they hope to avoid a significant drop in performance next season. I set out to list 10 "must-sign" free agents and wound up listing 25 overall, including a few with lesser qualifications.

                        Here are the top 25 "must-sign" free agents of 2014.

                        1. Jimmy Graham, TE, New Orleans Saints: We can debate whether Graham should be valued as a tight end or wide receiver based on where he lines up most of the time. We can debate whether the Saints used him properly in the postseason or whether Graham shrank under pressure. But there is no debating what Graham has meant to the Saints' passing game while leading the league in touchdown receptions over the past three seasons (36). The Saints' championship window should remain open for the next couple of seasons as quarterback Drew Brees remains in his prime at age 34. Graham has to stay in New Orleans and it's highly unlikely that the Saints will let him leave. The agents and GMs expect Graham to get the franchise tag. "He will want $10 million a year or more, but why pay him that if they can franchise him at, say, $7 million and get him for $15 million over the next two?" one of the agents said.

                        2. Greg Hardy, DE, Carolina Panthers: Sometimes you'll hear people say sacks tell only part of the story. That's true, but guys who collect a lot of them have traditionally gotten paid handsomely. Hardy ranks fifth in sacks over the past two seasons with 26, and he will be just 26 years old next season. The Panthers have sought to build a deep and powerful rotation along their defensive line and Hardy is a big part of that. However, the market for pass-rushers went soft last offseason. That was how Cliff Avril and Michael Bennett wound up with Seattle on short-term deals. The feeling here is that Carolina will use the franchise tag on Hardy or sign him to an extension. There was no consensus that Hardy should be second on this list. One of the agents thought he should be lower, but it was tough finding other players to fill the void.

                        3. Alex Mack, C, Cleveland Browns: Mack is 28 and has started all 80 games in five seasons, earning Pro Bowl honors twice. "He has a good pedigree, is a good leader and will get a big deal, no question," one of the agents said. One of the GMs agreed, noting that Mack is good enough to create mismatches in the running game. The Browns enter the 2014 draft with two first-round choices and plenty of holes on their roster. Losing Mack would create a giant need unnecessarily. He's the type of player smart teams reward.

                        4. Brian Orakpo, OLB, Washington Redskins: The Redskins were a mess on defense last season even though Orakpo had 10 sacks while placing fourth in the Pro Football Focus rankings for 3-4 outside linebackers. Teams need at least two top pass-rushers to excel; Orakpo gives the Redskins one. Ryan Kerrigan isn't bad, either, but Orakpo is the one Washington can least afford to lose. "Kerrigan can win against mediocre tackles," one of the GMs said. "Orakpo can win against anybody."

                        5. Branden Albert, LT, Kansas City Chiefs: Teams value quarterbacks, pass-rushers, offensive tackles and cover corners highly. The question here is whether the Chiefs would value Albert enough to re-sign him one year after using the first pick in the draft on another tackle, Eric Fisher. The decision would be easier if Fisher obviously projected as a safe bet to blossom at left tackle, but that has not happened yet. "They could play Donald Stephenson at left tackle and Fisher at right if they wanted to let Branden go," one of the GMs said.

                        6. Henry Melton, DT, Chicago Bears: This one is complicated by the ACL injury Melton suffered during the season. A recent arrest presents another issue to navigate. The Bears defense was not the same after Melton left the lineup, as GM Phil Emery noted recently: "The under-tackle position in the scheme that we're in is the engine that drives the defense. And when he was in the game, even though from a statistical standpoint he wasn't off to a fast start, it was very evident on tape that he was a very important part of the defense."

                        [+] EnlargeAnquan Boldin
                        AP Photo/Marcio Jose SanchezAnquan Boldin has had a great season in San Francisco.
                        7. Michael Johnson, DE, Cincinnati Bengals: The Bengals franchised Johnson a year ago and appear unlikely to do so again after Johnson collected only 3.5 sacks in 2013, down from 11.5 the season before. Stronger play against the run allowed Johnson to place fourth in Pro Football Focus' rankings for 4-3 defensive ends, one spot behind Hardy. Still, it could be unlikely Johnson will stick around, as the Bengals have invested in Atkins and Carlos Dunlap already. Johnson turns 27 next month and should be entering his prime years. "The jury is still out on him, but he is a young rusher and those guys can get paid," one of the agents said. "Last year, the market for pass-rushers changing teams was not great."

                        8. Lamarr Houston, DE, Oakland Raiders: The Raiders do not possess enough talent to let productive young players get away. Houston, 25, tied Cameron Wake with 41 quarterback hurries this season, according to Pro Football Focus. Not bad for a 300-pounder.

                        9. Anquan Boldin, WR, San Francisco 49ers: Boldin isn't going to command a fat long-term deal at age 33. The 49ers would ideally move on with younger players, but Boldin means too much to them. I'm not sure the 49ers would have made the playoffs, let alone advanced, without the toughness, consistency, leadership and production Boldin provided -- especially while Michael Crabtree was recovering from surgery. It's not just that Boldin caught 85 passes for 1,179 yards and seven touchdowns during the regular season. It's not just that he has 11 receptions for 174 yards in two playoff games. The value has been compounded by the fact that San Francisco has had such a glaring need at the position. Having Crabtree back could diminish Boldin's value next season, at least to some degree.

                        10. Dennis Pitta, TE, Baltimore Ravens: Pitta returned from a major injury late in the season and might not command more than $4-$5 million a year. "Some think he'll get a lot more," one of the agents said. The bottom line is that Baltimore can't really afford to lose any more of its established weapons after trading away Boldin last offseason. Pitta is one of the few weapons quarterback Joe Flacco can trust. Keeping him in a Ravens uniform should be a priority.

                        11. B.J. Raji, DT, Green Bay Packers: Raji appears somewhat miscast in the Packers' 3-4 defense. It's not that Raji has performed poorly. It's more that the Packers have turned him into a two-down player to fit their scheme, one reason Raji has zero sacks in his past 37 regular-season games. Raji had 9.5 sacks over a 27-game span preceding his current drought. He has reportedly turned down an offer worth $8 million per year, an indication he might see himself as a better fit elsewhere. Do the Packers have enough talent on defense to let one of their better players get away?

                        12. Michael Bennett, DL, Seattle Seahawks: Bennett had 8.5 sacks for the Seahawks in 2013 after collecting nine for Tampa Bay in the previous season. He was fifth behind Robert Quinn, Cameron Wake, Hardy and Johnson in the PFF rankings for 4-3 defensive ends. Chris Clemons, 32, might not be in the picture next season. The versatile Bennett proved to be an excellent fit in Seattle. Re-signing him and keeping Avril (signed through 2014) seems like the way to go. Injuries are one consideration, though, as Bennett had a preexisting shoulder condition when Seattle signed him.

                        13. Karlos Dansby, ILB, Arizona Cardinals: Inside linebackers generally aren't a priority to re-sign at age 32, but Dansby could be an exception. He played more snaps than anyone on the Cardinals defense. Dansby picked off four passes and returned two of them for touchdowns. He broke up 13 passes by either batting the ball, tipping it or getting credit for a pass defensed. The Cardinals have front-line talent at every level of their defense whether or not Dansby returns, but they would have a hard time replacing what he has provided. He and Bennett ranked among the top one-year rentals in 2013. They have earned new deals.

                        14. Jairus Byrd, S, Buffalo Bills: Byrd played the final 11 games this season after skipping the first five as an unhappy franchise player. "I think they like him a lot," one GM said, "but I would be surprised if he [was] hugely paid." One of the agents thought Byrd would get between $6.2 million and $7.5 million a year. The Bills were 15th in Total QBR allowed without Byrd and third after he reported.

                        [+] EnlargeNew England's Aqib Talib
                        Daniel Shirey/USA TODAY SportsAqib Talib is a versatile player in New England's defense.
                        15. Sam Shields, CB, Packers: Shields provides needed stability in the Green Bay secondary. He could even outrank Raji on this list, depending on what role the Packers have in mind for Raji.

                        16. Aqib Talib, CB, New England Patriots: Injuries wiped out much of the Patriots defense, making Talib even more valuable. The way Talib shadowed and shut down Graham in Week 6 stands out. There are other corners worth a mention, including Brent Grimes and Alterraun Verner. One agent thought Grimes might get $21 million over three years, but there are concerns about his age and durability. Verner normally would have commanded his own entry here, but one of the GMs questioned how he would project to other schemes. That is something to consider if Tennessee's new coaching staff installs a 3-4 defense favoring bigger corners with strong tackling skills.

                        17. Arthur Jones, DL, Ravens: Jones is 27 years old, coming off his rookie contract and a major part of the Ravens' run defense. One agent thought Jones might get around $6 million a year.

                        18. Donte Whitner, SS, 49ers: The 49ers' front seven is among the best in the NFL. Their secondary isn't as strong, which is why the team should keep Whitner. One of the GMs put it this way: "San Francisco is in the [championship] window and I think Whitner brings an element of ultra toughness that I do not know if they can afford to lose just to get younger. They are a very tough, physical bunch and he might be the most physical of all of them."

                        19. Jason Hatcher, DT, Dallas Cowboys: Hatcher had 11 sacks in 2013 and he possesses the versatility to play multiple schemes. He turns 32 in July, but given the state of the Cowboys defense, Hatcher should have value to the team.

                        20. Golden Tate, WR, Seahawks: The Seahawks' need at receiver won't be as great if Harvin returns to health and factors from the beginning next season, but that is not something the Seahawks can take for granted. "Russell [Wilson] can be good at putting a ball up down the field and he does it to Golden in center field," one of the GMs said. "It's a component of their offense that they did not have. Tate may not be pound-for-pound one of the best players in free agency, but in importance to team, he is up there." This GM also thought the Philadelphia Eagles needed to re-sign Riley Cooper. The other GM made it clear other teams wouldn't necessarily value those players the same way. "Tate will be seen with the slot-type guys and people in my position feel they can come up with those guys," this GM said. "People will not say, 'I have to have Golden Tate.' People will say the system made Cooper, not the other way around." There are other wide receivers to consider. Denver's Eric Decker and New England's Julian Edelman are among them, but the feeling here is that Peyton Manning and Tom Brady will be fine with or without them.

                        21. LeGarrette Blount, RB, Patriots: Blount was the only running back mentioned as a possibility for inclusion when I called around before the playoffs got underway. Watching Blount carry 24 times for 166 yards and four touchdowns against Indianapolis in the divisional playoffs did not hurt his cause.

                        22. Jason Worilds, OLB, Pittsburgh Steelers: Worilds led the Steelers in sacks with eight. Fellow outside linebacker LaMarr Woodley has missed 14 games over the past three seasons and doesn't carry the same value he did earlier in his career.

                        23. T.J. Ward, S, Browns: The big question is whether Ward can stay healthy after his breakthrough 2013 season. Durability was a concern in the past.

                        24. Hakeem Nicks, WR, New York Giants: It's tough to place Nicks higher on the list when the Giants appear noncommittal about his future with the team. Nicks has enough talent to command top dollar and the Giants can use all the front-line receivers they can get. But after Eli Manning imploded and Nicks went without a touchdown reception in 2013, Nicks' value became tougher to handicap.

                        25. Eugene Monroe, T, Ravens: Monroe makes the list based largely on positional value. PFF ranked him 10th among left tackles in 2013. The Ravens need to upgrade their offensive line on the interior. They don't need to create additional holes at tackle.
                        Smothered Chicken!

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