The Jets dreaded cap situation means they’d have to kiss some of their more desirable unrestricted free agents away, so it’s not too much of a surprise that he’s gone. There are, however, several teams that would benefit from his presence. Arizona, Indianapolis and Chicago in particular come to mind. His talent shouldn’t be in question. If one wants to reference the buttfumble as to a question of his talent, I would remind one that he was blocking Vince Wilfork one-on-one that play – a very difficult assignment. His age isn’t particularly a matter of concern either; he’s only 32, and guards typically play in the league for longer than other positions. The question arises: is Moore asking for too much money? The answer is irrelevant, because I haven’t actually heard of any teams hosting him for a visit. He’d be a decent pickup for the Patriots – he’d start over Dan Connolly in a heartbeat – but the team is trying to get younger, not older, so I don’t see that happening. Whichever team ends up signing Moore is probably going to get a decent bargain.

You can follow Christopher Field on Twitter @ChrisDField.

However, it’s important to remember that the draft is coming up. Part of the Patriots cap space must be set aside for the incoming rookies. The Patriots had around $11 million before signing Sebastian Vollmer. Depending on how much his cap hit is, the Patriots could be looking at significantly less money left to spend than they’d like. Approximately $5-6 million ought to be set aside for rookies. Many rabid fans want the Patriots to go out and spend big bucks to bring in a big name free agent, but there’s no need for that right now. This team has a strong core, and were AFC runners up. I’d love Brent Grimes, but that would mean cutting players like Stephen Gostkowski or Rob Ninkovich to make space (I personally think Ninkovich will be a cap casualty that allows the Patriots to sign John Abraham). In fact, cuts may come soon to get under the cap. Michael Hoomanawanui is another one to watch. Unless the Jonathan Fanene case goes in New England’s favor, the team will have to be very cautious with who they sign and, more importantly, how much they spend.

You can follow Christopher Field on Twitter @ChrisDField.

Oct 28, 2012; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha (24) along the sidelines prior to playing the Atlanta Falcons at Lincoln Financial Field. The Falcons defeated the Eagles 30-17. Mandatory Credit: Howard Smith-USA TODAY Sports

However, NFL fans must realize that it is not necessary to be a complete cornerback to be a good cornerback. Antoine Winfield is far better defending the run than he is defending the pass, yet he is considered a top tier cornerback (and now a great free agent, since he also got released). Similarly, the reason Asomugha was so good in Oakland was because he was consistently playing in tight man-to-man coverage – remember, he completely shut down Larry Fitzgerald and other top name receivers. It was the switch to things that aren’t tight man-to-man coverage that proved to be Asomugha’s downfall. No one wants to admit it, but he shut down Calvin Johnson, Jr. in the game against Detroit in 2012 for three quarters. It was in the fourth quarter that the Eagles decided to switch him to zone/off man coverage and, surprise surprise, Megatron went off.

This is actually the reason why the New England Patriots probably shouldn’t sign Nnamdi Asomugha. Defensive Coordinator Matt Patricia employs a ton of zone/off-man coverage, and would likely misuse Asomugha in the same manner the Eagles misused him. I’ve been frustrated more than once to see the Patriots in off-man coverage when the opponent is on the 5-yard-line, so unless there’s a major change in the defensive philosophy, I don’t think it would be an outstanding pickup for the Patriots.

You can follow Christopher Field on Twitter @ChrisDField.