Inside Out
Two Veteran QBs Not Expected Back In 2012
Nick Eatman
DallasCowboys.com Staff Writer
IRVING, Texas The start of free agency has been pushed back later than previous years, but obviously not as much as in 2011 when the lockout forced teams to start cutting and signing players in mid-to-late July.
This time around, the new league year begins on March 13 that is the first day teams can sign free agent players from other clubs. But until then, general managers can start re-negotiating with their own free agents now, with the ability to sign them at any time.
So that's where we will focus this week, breaking down the Cowboys' 16 free agents (13 unrestricted and three restricted), separating them more by cost, than priority.
There are some players on this list the Cowboys likely won't be bringing back for 2012, even though their market value might fit into the team's salary cap plans.
Not included in this breakdown will be the four exclusive rights free agents who have no leveraging power as long as the team decides to retain them. Those players included OT Jermey Parnell, WR Jesse Holley, RB Chauncey Washington and DE Clifton Geathers.
But the other 16 free agents could be on other teams or elsewhere in 2012.
Restricted free agents (3): FB Tony Fiammetta, WR Kevin Ogletree, QB Chris Greisen
Unrestricted free agents (13): CB Alan Ball, TE Martellus Bennett, LB Keith Brooking, G Derrick Dockery, S Abram Elam, G Montrae Holland, LB Bradie James, QB Jon Kitna, P Mat McBriar, RB Sammy Morris, WR Laurent Robinson, LB Anthony Spencer, CB Frank Walker.
From 1-5, the writers of DallasCowboys.com have separated the free agents into a price range, with 5 being the highest.
Today, we'll look at the Level 1 free agents and their possible futures with
the club:
QB Jon Kitna He's on this level because he actually already has a job and it doesn't involve any NFL team. Kitna has been announced as a high school football coach and algebra teacher at Lincoln HS in Tacoma, Wash., where he was a standout athlete more than 20 years ago. Kitna hasn't officially retired yet because of complex NFL rules and the new league year, but he won't be returning to the Cowboys or any other team, retiring after 15 seasons.
QB Chris Greisen Technically, he's a restricted free agent, but don't expect the Cowboys to issue the one-year, $1.32 million tender to him. In fact, Greisen probably won't even return to the team unless it's as the fourth quarterback, as the Cowboys will likely be looking to add a veteran QB and possibly a younger undrafted free agent to compete with Stephen McGee as the backup to Tony Romo. Greisen has helped the Cowboys fill that spot for the final regular-season game for two straight years, but clearly he doesn't have a strong future with the team.
RB Sammy Morris Another low-priority player who filled a timely need for the Cowboys, but probably won't be called up in the future. Morris was a nice acquisition for the team in the final month of the season once DeMarco Murray went down with an ankle injury. Morris backed up Felix Jones and even took most of the carries against Philadelphia in Week 16. But with Murray expected back, along with Jones and Phillip Tanner, it's unlikely the Cowboys would even invite Morris back to Dallas, knowing his minimum salary would be nearly $1 million at $910,000.
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