Todd Archer of the Dallas Morning News seems to have some good contacts. Here is his list of who Parcells and Jones were targeting: DT - J Ferguson - Signed for four years G - M Rivera or R Demulling - Rivera currently in Dallas in negotiations - Dallas hopes to finalize this morning T - K McKenzie or O Ross LB - E Hartwell CB - K Lucas or A Henry - Henry signed for five years DE - B Hamilton or M Douglas S- D Smith or K Kennedy Looks like we are going good so far. Ferguson was a stuggle as Dallas and the Jets went through a 24 hour tug of war with him. Ferguson decided that he was going to sleep on it and head back to talk with his wife. Evidently Jerry Jones showed at the hanger when the plane was set to leave, upped the price and talked Ferguson out of leaving. Atta boy Jerry.
I did some research on Anthony Henry and found a semi-unbiased opinion from a Browns fan from another place: Ive been a Browns fan for 27 years, so I hope my opinion holds some water in this forum. First off, congrats on your signing of Henry. If he doesnt play for the Browns, I am happy for him that he went to a well established team. Ive watched Henry since day one, and I must say that I am extremely disappointed we lost him. Its not that the Browns wanted him gone (exactly the opposite - they tried to keep him). The problem was the prior regime (the evil Butch) low-balled Henry last year when he asked for a contract extension. He felt insulted, because Butch offered him a fraction of what they gave Daylon Cutch (who happened to be Butch's favorite player). He wasnt even asking for much, but they didnt come close to giving him what he wanted. For some idiotic reason, Butch wouldnt give in. To be frank, you guys might have the steal of the offseason. At best, you got your next Pro Bowl cornerback. At worst, you have a formidable player that can definately hold his own. Some thoughts... - Size: Anthony Henry is physically your prototype cornerback. He can match up pound for pound against any wide receiver in the NFL. He regularly matches up against Plaxico, who we all know is pretty big. - Athletic: Henry is versatile enough to play free safety if needed (he played that during his rookie year when he had 9 interceptions). He has also played nickle in his career. He has good hands, and he rarely drops an interception. He made a play a few years back in the end zone where he jumped up and intercepted a pass with one hand. - Tackling: People will always argue how well Henry can tackle, but I personally felt he was one of the best tacklers on our defense pound for pound. He isnt afraid to go after larger running backs (we have to play guys like Bettis and Lewis twice a year), and has literally sacraficed his body quite a few times. Whatever the case, Henry is good enough to bring down any wide receiver. - Speed: Henry does NOT have blazing speed, but he can still hold his own nevertheless. He has spent the past two seasons as the Browns top cover man - so he has gone up against opposing teams #1 receiver. He is fairly consistent in matching receivers stride for stride. - Coverage: This is the most debatable topic of Cleveland fans right now. Some people think Henry cant cover anyone. Some people think he is a corner that suffered from a disgustingly weak pass rush, and was asked to cover recievers too long. I obviously agree with the latter of the two. Our conservative defense (Campo was our coordinator, so Im sure you guys know how it is) rarely put pressure on the quarterback....and offenses had plenty of time to throw the ball. There isnt a cornerback in this league that can cover a receiver THAT long. Henry did more than an acceptable job, as most of his coverage breakdowns came after four or five seconds. When Henry is facing forward (towards the offense) - you will have a difficult time finding someone that can cover better. When Henry turns his back and starts running down field - that is where he struggles the most. Not devestating news, considering thats the point where the safety comes in to help. Overall, I have always felt Anthony Henry is a potential Pro Bowl cornerback if he was ever given the opportunity to play on a defense that can effectively rush the quarterback. Do NOT be suprised if Henry becomes the best corner in your division. Lord knows what he can do on turf. I am not sure what the contract is right now, but I am sure it is a bargain whatever it is. The fact that you guys got a potential elite shutdown corner at a reasonable price should make you VERY happy. In a day where you have to pay $8 million to land an elite corner, I can easily say once again you guys might get the steal of the offseason. Henry is a good guy, and is not a cancer. He keeps his mouth shut, and just plays. You wont hear any complaints or anything - he is a real quiet guy. Good luck Anthony Henry. You will be missed....
