The big news in NFL free agency late last night was Manny Lawson agreeing to terms on a one year deal for $3 million with the Cincinnati Bengals. I'm not really sure what to make of this at this point. On the one hand it's possible the 49ers did not think enough of him to offer much beyond that. On the other hand, it's possible Lawson found something particularly distasteful about the organization and felt no need to come back, whatever the offer. Or I suppose it's somewhere in the middle.
This raises a question for me that really follows along with whatever is actually happening with Aubrayo Franklin and Dashon Goldson. Is this sufficient proof that we as fans have wildly overrated guys like Lawson, Franklin and Goldson? I have always felt Lawson was a wildly underrated outside linebacker and yet he can barely get a deal in free agency. He showed great skills in coverage, with the highlight probably being his masterful performance against Raiders tight end Zach Miler.
Lawson has finally landed a deal and based on his deal, are Franklin and Goldson likely to get a whole lot more at this point? What gives with all this?