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Ross Verba news

i'd give him a 1 year 2 million or so offer, its cap space we are not going to use and has absolutely no long term ramification.


I just think adding more competition going into camp can only be a good thing and there are no gauruntees of being free from injury. Verba isn't bad at all he can play 4 positions on the line which might come in handy.
 
i'd give him a 1 year 2 million or so offer, its cap space we are not going to use and has absolutely no long term ramification.
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If we pay him 2 mil, might as well sign him to a 2 or 3 year deal at 2 mil and throw in incentives, he probably wouldn't be worth the 2 mil for one year. I mean all he is getting now is minimum offers...I mean like you said, he is solid and versatile, but say we pay him 2 mil for one season and he doesn't see one snap?
 
texan279 said:
NFL | Verba Receiving Minimum Salary Offers
Fri, 24 Jun 2005 13:52:46 -0700

Len Pasquarelli, of ESPN.com, reports free agent OT Ross Verba (Browns) has suggested he wants a contract worth $6-7 million per year, but has seen only minimum-salary offers so far.

:highfive:
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So it looks like Verba will be retiring.
 
we pay him 2 million for 1 season and he doesn't play 1 snap, well he probably did something in practice and next year he isn't on the books and we arn't gonna sign any more free agents.. we have enough money including the rookie cap, He could be a stop gap until next year when we can more vigorously focus on the position.
 
we pay him 2 million for 1 season and he doesn't play 1 snap, well he probably did something in practice and next year he isn't on the books and we arn't gonna sign any more free agents.. we have enough money including the rookie cap, He could be a stop gap until next year when we can more vigorously focus on the position.
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Nevermind, I misunderstood your first post, my bad... :dangit:
 
Texans | Still Trying to Land Verba?
Fri, 24 Jun 2005 18:36:50 -0700

John Clayton, of ESPN.com, reports the Houston Texans remain interested in free agent OT Ross Verba (Browns), but are unwilling to offer more than a one-year contract to the offensive tackle. As reported, Verba has said he's seeking a five-year contract worth in the neighborhood of $37.5 million.

:highfive:
 
Why don't the Texans go after OT Chris Terry ?

I know he's got off-the-field history, but so does Verba........and last I heard Terry doesn't want 37 million.

I've also read in a couple different magazines that Terry's footwork is good enough to play the Left side.

That said, I think the Center spot is the pressing need, since Pitts is capable of playing LT.

If it was up to me I'd sign the O-lineman that I thought could best play the Center spot. Whether there is a Guard/Tackle available that can play Center or Gennaro Dinapoli.....really, I don't know who the best available guy is, but if they do move Mckinney out of the Center spot, like they should, then they better have some respectable competition for Washington in Training Camp.
 
"Here are the top 10 players still available on the NFL free-agent market:

1. Ross Verba, Left tackle: At 31, it can be argued that Verba might be headed for the downward part of his career and might be a risk for the $5 million-plus contract he seeks. What can't be argued is where he is now as a player. He's a top-level left tackle. Some scouting services have him in the top 10 at the position, and for a 31-year-old, that puts him in his prime. The Texans have the best chance of landing him because they have the cap room."
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/columns/story?columnist=clayton_john&id=2092348
 
That lists shows we're pursuing the top two guys, but I believe CC is looking at the right price. Whoever flinches first loses. If the FAs wait until someone goes down in camp, they might get more money. If not, we may get opportunity to sign them at our price.
 
I read the list and frankly, I think that this guy is off his rocker.

This list, has Testaverde listed as the 10th most valuable FA. Come on, I'm a fan of his too, but, number 10 ?

The guy's list looks shaky, that's all...JMO


Now, don't get me wrong, I think that Verba is a good player and if he's changed into a classy person all of a sudden, then cool we should sign him. And even if he hasn't, big whoop, we've brought on a couple headcases lately anyways right.........the problem is the $37.5 million that he wants. If '31' is his prime then I'd have to say that he's going to be out of his prime very soon. I've never heard of 31 being the PRIME year........but, OK, I'll give it to you. The problem is still the money......If I own a fantasy SIM league, then sure I sign him.........but, if I'm Casserly, then I have to think hard about the guy 'being in his prime 31' and the amount of money he wants with it. If he takes a small bonus then sure, sign away.....but, he wants his big deal and I'm pretty sure, he wants a comparable signing bonus.
 
throwANDREtheBALL said:
I read the list and frankly, I think that this guy is off his rocker.

This list, has Testaverde listed as the 10th most valuable FA. Come on, I'm a fan of his too, but, number 10 ?

The guy's list looks shaky, that's all...JMO


Now, don't get me wrong, I think that Verba is a good player and if he's changed into a classy person all of a sudden, then cool we should sign him. And even if he hasn't, big whoop, we've brought on a couple headcases lately anyways right.........the problem is the $37.5 million that he wants. If '31' is his prime then I'd have to say that he's going to be out of his prime very soon. I've never heard of 31 being the PRIME year........but, OK, I'll give it to you. The problem is still the money......If I own a fantasy SIM league, then sure I sign him.........but, if I'm Casserly, then I have to think hard about the guy 'being in his prime 31' and the amount of money he wants with it. If he takes a small bonus then sure, sign away.....but, he wants his big deal and I'm pretty sure, he wants a comparable signing bonus.
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I've always heard an athlete's prime is typically 28-32. Usually physical maturity, experience, and ability make that an athlete's peak. Now, I understand that really good OL may even last a bit longer.
 
This was over at Foxsports on players to avoid in FA

http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/3713828

Tackles — Ross Verba and Kyle Turley
Ross Verba took the Oasis approach this off-season, proudly boasting that he's the best in the game, making some corners of the football world snicker. But, like the brothers Gallagher once claimed, if you tell everyone you're the best, maybe half of them are silly enough to believe you.

However, for those of us in the other fifty percent, we realize Verba is no Anthony Muñoz, and his off-season holdout in Cleveland (before being released) was approaching comical. Personally, I wouldn't necessarily need an offensive tackle around my locker room that acted like he was the straw that stirred the drink. Especially if that drink went 4-12 last season and couldn't move the ball.

Oh yeah, and if Kyle Turley were as focused at staying healthy and controlling his temper as he is at adding tattoos, he wouldn't be on this list either.


Here's more
Clayton article from the 22nd

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/columns/story?columnist=clayton_john&id=2092239
 
Texan in Japan said:
I've always heard an athlete's prime is typically 28-32. Usually physical maturity, experience, and ability make that an athlete's peak. Now, I understand that really good OL may even last a bit longer.
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I agree...The leagues best linemen are always in their late 20's to the mid 30's since it takes a couple of years of mistakes and adjusting from the College game to become a refined product. You just don't see the same speed and quickness across the board in 260-300 pound men in College. Linemen generally don't have to worry about losing a step in thier 40-times, so if they avoid injury they tend to have long careers if they are good.
 
throwANDREtheBALL said:
So do you give a 5yr 37.5 million deal, to a guy nearing the end of his prime ?
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My opinion on Verba is the same as it has always been. That has nothing to do with his age (he could play for another 4-5 years). We could pay him a 700 Billion dollar contract for a million years for all I care as long as he doesn't have a large bonus.
 
Vinny said:
My opinion on Verba is the same as it has always been. That has nothing to do with his age (he could play for another 4-5 years). We could pay him a 700 Billion dollar contract for a million years for all I care as long as he doesn't have a large bonus.
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Just make sure that at the top of the "To-do list" it says: 'Cut Ross before checks are mailed'
 
just cut him in year 3 of his back-loaded million year contract. Nothing but the bonus will have cap implications.
 
Vinny said:
just cut him in year 3 of his back-loaded million year contract. Nothing but the bonus will have cap implications.
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Right. The guy can have a scheduled salary that has him getting more than
all the money Ken Lay, Jeff Skilling, and Andrew Fastow ever got their collective piggy hands on from Enron, but if it don't qualify as guaranteed its all funny money until he's got it in his account.
 
VERBA BLEW IT

If he'd shut his yap and given the new-era Browns a try, offensive tackle Ross Verba would've gotten paid well in 2005 -- more than $3 million.

Instead, he ran his mouth and forced his way out of Cleveland, in the hopes of bagging a long-term deal worth $30 to $35 million.

And now he's got nothing.

Well, not nothing. But close to it. We hear that the only team with serious interest in Verba is the Texans, and they're offering him less than what the Browns paid Verba's replacement, L.J. Shelton.

Don't be surprised if Verba simply walks away from the game.
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http://www.profootballtalk.com/rumormill.htm
 
Verba would be great to add @ a 3year deal worth15 million. casserly will be crazy not to :highfive: if he dosent hell be doing this :brickwall verba is on of the 10 best LT in the game. :drool: Carr without him :ouch:
 
He will come to houston trust me i have an inside source that says so. Casserly will make sure hes here by camp . Remember this thread folks :drool:
 
if he comes here or not, the thing to do in the meantime is to say his name but roll the r, so its like verrrrrrrrrrba. god, i hate this time of year.
 
TexanPride#1 said:
Verba would be great to add @ a 3year deal worth15 million. casserly will be crazy not to :highfive: if he dosent hell be doing this :brickwall verba is on of the 10 best LT in the game. :drool: Carr without him :ouch:
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Waste of money IMO. slow, fat, on the downside of his career. and the one of the 10 best LT in the league, thats a matter of opinion. he might be a top 20 LT, but not a top 10. top 10 guys don't stay free agents for long and usually get what they want.
 
atxcoolguy said:
Waste of money IMO. slow, fat, on the downside of his career. and the one of the 10 best LT in the league, thats a matter of opinion. he might be a top 20 LT, but not a top 10. top 10 guys don't stay free agents for long and usually get what they want.
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name the LTs that are better, not many, top 10 seems about right, he wouldnt have stayed a free agent if he didnt demand so high, and he had been released prior to the draft
 
THEFUTURE said:
name the LTs that are better, not many, top 10 seems about right, he wouldnt have stayed a free agent if he didnt demand so high, and he had been released prior to the draft
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We've been over this issue plenty of times. Earlier on in the thread someone was asked to name their top 10 LTs that are better. link

Seems like we keep arguing in circles in this thread even though there is no real news on it in quite awhile. Tends to get frustrating. :brickwall
 
I beg to differ.

The teams that still have holes at LT or whatever Position Verba is supposed to play........would've signed him if he was top 10 at any thing along the line. The teams are going into TC soon, so if they really thought that he was a way better player than someone they already had then they would've signed him ASAP.

The reality is that he wasn't even the best lineman on the Cleveland Browns Offensive line last year. And they weren't that good. So, this top 10 B.S. has to stop.

I don't care how much money he wanted or how much of a whiney teammate he is, if he was a top 10 LT, he would've been signed already. PERIOD. But, the real NFL GM's know more, than the bozo's that wrote Verba is top 10.....therefore Verba is still a Free Agent, until he comes back to earth and realizes that he's lucky to get a top 20 rating.
 
throwANDREtheBALL said:
I beg to differ.

The teams that still have holes at LT or whatever Position Verba is supposed to play........would've signed him if he was top 10 at any thing along the line. The teams are going into TC soon, so if they really thought that he was a way better player than someone they already had then they would've signed him ASAP.

The reality is that he wasn't even the best lineman on the Cleveland Browns Offensive line last year. And they weren't that good. So, this top 10 B.S. has to stop.

I don't care how much money he wanted or how much of a whiney teammate he is, if he was a top 10 LT, he would've been signed already. PERIOD. But, the real NFL GM's know more, than the bozo's that wrote Verba is top 10.....therefore Verba is still a Free Agent, until he comes back to earth and realizes that he's lucky to get a top 20 rating.
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Verba allowed 4 sacks out of the 40+ sacks the browns gave up last year, so i dont know how much better anyone else is on that line. NFL GMs wouldnt want him for how much money he would want, or the kind of teammate he is... our front office is a very well ran office, and are not going to put any player on the field that is going to make the Texans look like the Raiders version 2.0.. nowadays, half of a GMs battle is with the salary cap, and they can't afford to give Verba what he wants, when Verba first came out, he talked to 5 or 6 teams, and now it has dropped to just a couple teams, because Verba wanted to much. some times GMs just have to bite the bullet, and say they will settle with what they have, rather than put the money out to get a LT who wants 5-6 mil a year
 
I am a die hard Browns fan and have been for years. I'm also a former LT so I spend the better part of every game watching the offensive line and I have to tell you, Ross Verba has lost his mind. So has ESPN if they have him rated as one of the top 10 tackles in the league.

Want to know why he only gave up 4.5 sacks, because the interior of our line was so horrible that other teams would blitz up the middle all game. Garcia was too small to see over them so they would end up beating Verba's d-end to the QB.

I have always hated Verba as a LT, he's powerful enough, and is a decent run blocker but can't move well enough to be a credible pass blocker, especially on the left side. Now don't get me wrong, he would have been a great guard, but he's just not worth a 37.5 million dollar contract.
 
stats for O-lineman aren't that accurate.

I don't care if Verba didn't "officially" allow any sacks.....look at Mckinney, he was our worst lineman last year by a mile, and he didn't get credited with giving up that many sacks.

And I agree that Verba is a decent lineman, and definitely a better guard than tackle.

But, there is no way that he is or was a top 10 LT.

all that said, I'd pay him a lot of money if he could play Center as good as he can play guard.

If we start the season with anyone other than mckinney playing Center, I'll consider our off-season a success.
 
the bottom line is we know the texans would like to have him in as competition at a year long contract for around 1 mil...if that...nowhere in there have they said he would be our starter at LT...personally i would like to see us try the same set up again...wand at LT and pitts at LG...why...because i would like to know 100% that wand is either something to write home about or if we really do need to draft a LT in the 1st round next year...right now we cannot say for a 100% that wand isn't our guy...we really haven't seen what steps he's made this offseason to better himself...so really i'd just like to see how he does...don't really care about this verba character
 
NFL | Verba not Getting the Big Offer He Sought
Sat, 9 Jul 2005 19:53:02 -0700

Terry Pluto, of the Akron Beacon Journal, reports free agent OT Ross Verba </player/453/nfl> (Browns) has not been getting many calls from teams looking to sign him. Reportedly, most of his offers have been in the one-year range, and for not much more than $1 million. Verba doesn't realize how popping off about the Cleveland Browns </team/13/nfl> has led to questions about his character. Teams also know that he missed all of 2003 with a biceps injury, and he will be 32 at the end of October. Verba will probably land somewhere, but not for the big contract he expects. :brickwall
 
Thank the good Lord that Verba is not commanding any real $, because then is we are dumb enough to sign him, it won't cost us that much.
 
Thank the good Lord that Verba is not commanding any real $, because then is we are dumb enough to sign him, it won't cost us that much.
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I agree that we shouldn't pay the outrageous salary he thinks he's due, but I don't think he'd be a bad pickup at all. Honestly, which of our linemen would you rate better than Verba? I think I'd take a flyer on Pitts, given his upside and 2003 performance, but not sure about many others. Todd Wade maybe? Wand is going to take another year or two of coaching to sell me on his ability to start for many other teams. Verba is a starter for most of the 32 NFL teams, even if not at LT. I'm sure we could find a place for him on this line, especially if we manage to sign him for a reasonable asking price.

But yeah, he's out of his friggin' mind for now.
 
If our problem is the Oline, why didn't they try to change Todd Wade to the left side¿¿¿¿'???? and if we do that, we didn't need to sign "fantastics" LT like Ross Verba
 
Texan Spain said:
If our problem is the Oline, why didn't they try to change Todd Wade to the left side¿¿¿¿'???? and if we do that, we didn't need to sign "fantastics" LT like Ross Verba
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Unfortunatly, Wade is only a RT. He is average at best as a pass blocker.
 
Texan Spain said:
If our problem is the Oline, why didn't they try to change Todd Wade to the left side¿¿¿¿'???? and if we do that, we didn't need to sign "fantastics" LT like Ross Verba
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because our OL problem is not primarily the LT position. Our greatest weakness last season were the protection schemes and the interior line.
 
dalemurphy said:
because our OL problem is not primarily the LT position. Our greatest weakness last season were the protection schemes and the interior line.
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I would love to believe that what you said is true. It would be sad to think that the Texans have the schemes, but asfter 3 full years still have 3rd to 4th rate linemen. What a debocle that would be! :brickwall
 
Actually the pass blocking schemes are what is in question and will make different line calls this year. Dominant Left Tackles take a few years to groom from College and they don't fall off the tree 'ready to eat' unless you get a top-10 player. Free agents are FREE, so nobody forces them to come to expansion teams. It's not like there is some magic well to dip them out of.
 
Are you sure about that Vinny? As I gather from this board, not only does just about every other NFL team have a better LT and O Line, but there was at least 5 (or more) franchise tackles in the past draft.

The same people begging for any LT help will be complaining about wasted cap space and calling for CC's head when (if) we press and sign a Verba type for too much.

You know just about every team seems to have their achilles heel. The Broncos can't seem to figure out DBs, the Jags have had issues with DE, the Eagles had to bring in TO to get a decent WR, the Bengals/Cards had trouble with 1st rounders. Perhaps LT will be our constant achilles. I hope not, but I think its worth throwing it out there.
 
no no, our achiles heal will always be TE. i seriously believe we made a deal with the football gods before the cowboy game. the deal went like this, " us football gods will give you the win provided you sacrifice a position in the future."

we then said" well how do we choose which position to sacrifice?"

the gods answered," whichever position scores the first touchdown."

so here we are. our future franchise TE gets injured 3 years in a row. thanks alot billy miller.
 
there was at least 5 (or more) franchise tackles in the past draft.
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Curious who you think the 5 (or more) franchise tackles were in the past draft - considering this was the first draft in years where a tackle wasn't taken in the top ten. I guess a lot of GMs must have screwed up this year, huh?

Look at "sure things" Gallery and Gross from the last two drafts and that's all you need to know about the uncertainty of it all.
 
dalemurphy said:
because our OL problem is not primarily the LT position. Our greatest weakness last season were the protection schemes and the interior line.
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But don't you remember the big hoopla exactly one year ago where the Texans announced we were changing our blocking schemes to resemble those of the Dolphins? They even said that would fit like a glove for Wade who came over from Miami. So with all the hoopla over changed blocking schemes last year, it didn't do squat for us. Why should we believe that yet another change in blocking schemes will work this year if it didn't work last year? In the end, if your line stinks and your front office didn't do jack in either the draft or through trades/free agency to improve your line, the only excuse left to use is "we are changing our blocking schemes". How many years in a row are we supposed to fall for the "changed blocking schemes" excuse before we just wise up (as fans and as front office personnel) and admit our line stinks and take some action to correct the problem?
 
geofb said:
But don't you remember the big hoopla exactly one year ago where the Texans announced we were changing our blocking schemes to resemble those of the Dolphins? They even said that would fit like a glove for Wade who came over from Miami. So with all the hoopla over changed blocking schemes last year, it didn't do squat for us. Why should we believe that yet another change in blocking schemes will work this year if it didn't work last year? In the end, if your line stinks and your front office didn't do jack in either the draft or through trades/free agency to improve your line, the only excuse left to use is "we are changing our blocking schemes". How many years in a row are we supposed to fall for the "changed blocking schemes" excuse before we just wise up (as fans and as front office personnel) and admit our line stinks and take some action to correct the problem?
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If I remember correctly, last year we went to a form of zone blocking. That effects the running game...NOT the passing game. It sounds like our problems last year stemmed from Chris Palmer's pass blocking assignments and schemes...We are changing something different than what we changed last year. I seem to remember us having a decent running game last year...You know the part that should have been influenced by the change...this year they are changing the pass protections...hopefully we will have good results...we can only wait and see, but I don't see this as a revolving door "excuse".
 
It's threads like these that really drive home just how spoiled we all were by the old Oilers offensive line.

Seriously, is there even a line that good in the NFL today? I'm sure there are a few really good ones like that but man, I so miss having an O-line that you don't even have to think about. One that's just "there" and always gets it done.
 
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