Chiefs Fix: Wrapping Up A Case Of The Mondays
June 30, 2008
“We Just Weren’t That Into You”. Chris from A.P.’s look at all the players the Chiefs broke up with this offseason. Fun stuff. I guess breaking up can actually be pretty fun when you’re not the dumpee. - Arrowhead Pride
- Koren Robinson? Really? Really? Isn’t he kind of like Hancock, only without the super powers and with arthritic knees? NO THANKS! - Flanny’s Over the Top
- The Chiefs will honor recent Hall of Fame inductee Emmitt Thomas at halftime of the October 19 home game versus Tennessee. Good to see one of the original star Chiefs get the ceremony he deserves…has deserved for a long time, actually. - ESPN Hashmarks
- Beat corners…not women. Click here and have a good laugh at the Broncos‘ expense. There’s nothing healthier! This Brandon Marshall guy is a trip, isn’t he?
- No standing at Arrowhead Stadium?!?! I agree that this a no-story–Carl Peterson isn’t going to mess with success. - Warpaint Illustrated
- And, in case you missed it, Swamp Thing is Glenn Dorsey’s new nickname. - Arrowhead Addict
The Commish Becomes ‘Captain Obvious’
June 30, 2008
Several news outlets, including ESPN.com, quoted NFL commissioner Roger Goodell calling rookie salaries “ridiculous.” Case in point being Jake Long’s $30 million guaranteed before the kids sips water on the sideline.
Ridiculous you say? No guff, Chet.
Draft day darlings have been getting increasingly inflated contracts since before Goodell rode into the commissioners office preaching a tougher stance on league-wide shenanigans. At this point stating the obvious does bring attention to a rising problem. In that vein, I would like to share with Mr. Goodell a few other issues the esteemed commish might not of noticed.
I give you… the Top 10 NFL Fun Facts Roger Goodell Might Not Be Aware Of.
10) Los Angeles, number two market in the country, is still without a NFL team.
9) Ocho Cinco is Spanish for ‘selfish malcontent’.
Touchdown celebrations are better than having players with personalities as dull as a Jeopardy! contestant.
7) Boston sports writers should be praised for being such apologist douchebags during Spygate, the ineptitude of the commissioners office was gleefully overlooked.
6) Bringing the NFL to place where soccer is in fact called football, taking away a home game from a city where they actually call it football in favor of some sort of sustained global takeover march through London is, in a word, redunkulous.
5) Owners still charge full price during the preseason despite star players in the game a fraction of the time. Beer is full price, too. Dammit.
4) Every Super Bowl halftime show sunce 1983 has sucked.
3) Houston Oilers sounded a helluva lot cooler than Tennessee Titans. What the hell is that logo, anyway? Is it a pointy ‘T’ or some kind of upside-down middle finger?
2) The Pro Bowl is pointless.
1) Monday Night Football on ESPN is easily the worst coverage of the National Football League, ever.
Patriots Continue Fall From Grace
June 30, 2008
The New England Patriots continue to struggle after the worst upset in Super Bowl history. The latest news is that Patriots defensive back Willie Andrews was arrested for allegedly pointing a gun at his girlfriend’s head. You can read the scoop here. Isn’t that great? Are we surprised? Nope.
This is disgusting, if true. It’s that thuggish, invincible attitude that got these guys in trouble in the first place. Now this?
Andrews isn’t anything special. He wasn’t a super star at his position. But his legal troubles are exposing a much larger picture in New England. They are out of control. When you have a coach who is fine with cheating, obviously the players don’t operate ethically. Already a team with no class , now the players are getting accused of pointing guns at women. Wow.
It is time someone puts an end to this mob team. The Patriots have been running organized crime long enough in the NFL, and last year’s upset wasn’t enough shock for these over-achievers. It is prime time that a classy, professional, honest organization with integrity ends it for these criminals.
That organization is the Dallas Cowboys. Pre-season is around the corner, folks. Let’s get pumped up.
Coming this week: Top 10 reasons to hate the Washington Redskins and power rankings.
Joe Horn Rumors Resurface
June 30, 2008
I was going to write about this but I was rushed for my mini 4-day vacation and forgot to do it. Sports talkers speculated that the Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Joe Horn would be a top acquisition for the Dallas Cowboys, who are in need of another special wide receiver to split out with Terrell Owens. There are several reasons why trading for Horn would be a good idea and there are several reasons why it would be a bad idea.
It really depends on how the Cowboys would want to use someone like Horn, who was supposed to be the key receiver in a Falcons offense that fell apart after the Michael Vick scandal. The biggest issue with signing a veteran like Horn, who led the Saints in receiving for who knows how many years, is that it could cause problems with newly signed receiver Patrick Crayton.
Some thought Crayton was overpaid, and others thought he earned his stay. But if the Cowboys brought in a guy like Horn, do you think Horn is going to want to sit the bench on some plays? Do you think the Cowboys won’t be tempted to play Horn along side Owens on every down? I think it makes a pretty strong receiving duo.
But what we seem to forget all too fast is how the Dallas Cowboys really didn’t have a weakness on offense. The biggest problem was consistency and the lack of it. Joe Horn is not going to help with that. Good coaching will.
“The Big Kid” Ranked The 5th Best Guard In The NFL
June 30, 2008
According to New Era Scouting, Eagles right guard Shawn Andrews is the 5th best guard in the entire NFL. Ahead of him on the list are Eric Steinbach of the Browns, Steve Hutchinson of the Vikings, Alan Faneca of the Jets, and Brian Waters of the Chiefs. Rounding out the top ten are Leonard Davis from the Cowboys, Chris Snee of the Giants, Logan Mankins of the Patriots, Derrick Dockery of the Bills, and Chris Naeole of the Jaguars.
The 16th overall pick of the 2004 draft, “The Big Kid” has quickly made a big name for himself by flat out dominating opposing defensive lineman. He is widely regarded as one of the best players in the NFL. In fact Pete Prisco recently did a top 50 players in the NFL list, and had Andrews coming in at 31 overall.
For years I have heard Eagles fans cry about not having a “big back”, because they want the team to be physical in the running game. Well Shawn Andrews is the Eagles power running game. He is the big back who paves the way for Brian Westbrook to do his magic. Offensive lineman are greatly unappreciated by the average fan, but a true football junkie knows that the game is won and lost in the trenches. I don’t care if you have Walter Payton in his prime. Without the blocking up front he will not play well consistently.
Andrews also has proven to be great at pass protection as well. In 2006 the Eagles offensive line looked like the Great Wall of China. McNabb started off that season playing great, and after his injury Jeff Garcia was able to fill in very well. That team only gave up 18 total sacks, a team low since 1980. A big reason they were able to achieve that feat, is all 5 starters avoided injuries for the entire regular season.
In 2007 nagging injuries seemed to bite this strong group, and it caused some inconsistent play. Tra Thomas had some back spasms, Todd Herremans had his knee scoped, Jon Runyan fractured his tail bone, and Shawn Andrews started the season recovering from a sprained ankle. The low point of the season for this group was the 12 sack debacle against the New York Giants. Much of the blame was forced upon Winston Justice who made his first NFL start, and had a tough day against Pro Bowl defensive end Osi Umenyiora, but after the game Andy Reid made it clear that other guys could have played better.
Later in the year the offensive line played better, and so did the team. There were big wins against the Cowboys and Saints that almost got the Birds back into the playoffs, but it turned out to be too little too late. Now the Eagles hope to build off the late success at the end of 2007, and carry that over to 2008.
I wanted to give some props to The Big Kid for getting national recognition, and maybe give fans some hope for next season with this. This team really did not have to add a ton of pieces to the offense to be better. It just needed a few minor tweaks, but mainly it needs the guys who have done so well in the past to stay healthy. If McNabb, Westbrook, and the offensive line stays healthy this offense will become explosive once again no matter who the wide receivers are.
Other Eagles Guard Rankings:
Left guard Todd Herremans did not get much respect from New Era Scouting. They have him ranked as the 117th best guard in the NFL. They even have both backup guards Scott Young(43), and Max Jean-Gilles(41) ranked well above Todd. Herremans had a down year compared to what he did in 2006, but you have to remember he got his knee scoped mid season. You won’t hear Todd make excuses for himself, he claims that his technique was somewhat off last year, and he is working like crazy to correct the mistakes.
It will be very interesting to see if there will be a competition for the left guard spot. Jean-Gilles did play pretty well in some limited action last year. Right now he would be the top guy to potentially challenge Herremans.
117th is a pretty big slam to Todd. I hope he sees this, and uses it as motivation for 2008.
The Big Kid’s Site:
If you have not seen it yet, Shawn Andrews has an official site up. I am not sure how old this is, but I have never seen it before until today.
Check it out> http://shawnandrews73.com/
What Ever Happened to the Schwab?
June 30, 2008
I was under the impression that ESPN had a crack team of stat people working behind the scenes of their various presentations. Geeks whose job it was to make sure the on-air “talent” didn’t make fools of themselves by belching out incorrect numbers and factoids.
Apparently ESPN has fired all these people. Either that or their on-air “talent” is allowed to go on-air without doing any kind of meaningful prep. How else do you explain the massive gaffe committed by “analyst” Marcellus Wiley during the following clip from tonight’s SportsCenter?
Catch it? When Wiley refers to Daunte Culpepper having led the second-most prolific offense in NFL history. That offense was of course the ‘98 Vikings…which was of course led by Randall Cunningham. Culpepper was in his senior year at Central Florida at the time.
Yes, I know ESPN wants to go for a more spontaneous vibe with their little debate segments…but accuracy shouldn’t be sacrificed in the name of some fake off-the-cuff quality. It makes you wonder if there’s any quality-control in Bristol at all anymore.
It’s crap like this, and the routine butchering of the English language perpetrated by people like Emmitt Smith, that makes people think ESPN plain doesn’t care anymore…and probably drives a lot of folks into the welcoming arms of the blogosphere.
Wade Phillips Must Win
June 30, 2008
Breaking News: Hell Freezes Over
June 30, 2008
A major media outlet finally notices that the Ocho Imbroglio is…over.
Yes, it has been an offseason of Chad Johnson mood swings in Cincinnati. And the pendulum, the way we hear it, has swung toward peace.
Props to PFW’s Mike Wilkening for going against the grain. Now maybe the rest of the sports media will follow suit.
Not that I’m getting my hopes up…
The Injury Bug Strikes Again
June 30, 2008
Last year, almost every starter missed some time. Well, the injury bug is getting off on an early start as another starter is expected to miss training camp and maybe some time in the regular season.
According to NFL.com, Tyjuan Hagler tore his pectoral muscle lifting weights last week. Tyjuan Hagler missed 4 games last season after he received the starting job when Rob Morris went down. Hagler had 54 tackles last season, including a 10 tackle game against the Panthers.
Even though it is never good to lose a linebacker, but the Colts will not lose a step because of it. Clint Session and Philip Wheeler will be the contenders for the job. In the infamous San Diego game, Clint Session had two interceptions and 3 tackles in his only start. Session played in 13 games overall and had 26 tackles.
Wheeler was the Colts’ third round selection in the 2008 NFL Draft. Wheeler was selected to the All-ACC team last season, and he led Georgia Tech in tackles (89) while also getting 6 sacks. Georgia Tech played a blitz style under former defensive coordinator Jon Tenuta. He played middle linebacker, but with the Tampa-2 style, the transition to outside linebacker should be simple. He fell in the draft because he was undersized just like every other Colts linebacker. He has great potential, especially in the Tampa-2.
I would say that Clint Session is the favorite because of the experience, but Philip Wheeler is definitely in good position to take the starting job.
The Free Agency Files
June 30, 2008
While the Marvin Lewis-era drafts have brought little better results than ones under prior regimes, free agency has been much more productive on Lewis’ watch. His arrival in Cincinnati clearly elevated the team in the eyes of free agents, and his no-nonsense approach to free agency was a welcome change from years past.
During the Long Dark stretching from 1991 to 2002, the free agent period was an annual embarrassment. Every year, groups of quality free agent players would troop through town, meet with the Bengals, chat up the local media and generate excitement among the fan base. Then, their ticket stamped with “Bengals are interested,” those players would fly off to another city and leverage the Bengals’ interest into more money there. After which the Bengals would trot out their usual litany of excuses. Blah blah blah small market blah blah blah no money blah blah blah build through the draft. Blah blah blah whatever.
One of Lewis’ first actions as head coach was to pull the welcome mat off the front porch and declare that there would be no free agent visits unless a deal was basically done. While that didn’t increase signings, it did decrease opportunities for the Bengals to showcase their status as “the Siberia of the NFL.”
Lewis was also successful at getting free agents to take the plunge into Siberian waters. Credit must be given to the front office, who in 2003 engaged in what by their standards was a wild spending spree, inking DT John Thornton, DE Duane Clemons, CB Tory James and LB Kevin Hardy. While James would be the sole home run, Hardy was the only clear flop. In ensuing years, Lewis would bring other valuable free agents into the fold, including G Bobbie Williams, RB Kenny Watson, TE Reggie Kelly and K Shayne Graham. Throw in the draft-day trade for CB Deltha O’Neal and this year’s free agent class, TE Ben Utecht and DE Antawn Odom, and it’s clear that, given the constraints he’s working under, Lewis has done a good job on the free agent front.
Those constraints are, of course, the penurious ways of the front office. Bengals owner Mike Brown has never liked free agency and is notorious for lowball negotiating tactics that poison negotiations with free agents from the start. Brown is especially set against the kind of routine money manipulation tactics used around the league to give free agents ego-boosting but essentially bogus big-money deals. In 2005, for example, speaking of negotiations with then-free agent LB Jamie Sharper, Lewis famously remarked that the team had “offered him a structure.” By which he meant a contract Sharper could earn in its entirety, and which had no “funny money” years on the back end to boost its apparent (but not real, since the player would be cut or re-do the deal before then) value. Sharper ended up in Seattle.
The low point in Bengals’ free agency under Lewis came in 2004 when, according to legend, Mike Brown decided to sleep on a done deal that would have brought future Hall-of-Fame DT Warren Sapp to Cincinnati. Sapp’s deal in Tampa had run its course, and the Bucs showed no interest in offering him a new job. In fact, no one showed much interest in the then-31-year-old Sapp, and for a while it looked like his career was over.
Ever on the lookout for a bargain, the Bengals front office opened talks. Tension mounted. Leaks abounded. Finally, the unofficial reports began coming in. It was a done deal! Warren Sapp was a Bengal!
Except, of course, he wasn’t. Sapp was a Raider. Apparently the Raiders had been interested in Sapp all along, but didn’t believe Tampa would actually let him go, and weren’t interested in doing the Buccaneers’ negotiating for them. When the Bengals entered the picture, Oakland’s judgement was initially confirmed — after all, the Bengals were traditionally used to leverage deals elsewhere. But when reports emerged that the deal was all but done, that Tampa indeed was going to let Sapp walk, the Raiders couldn’t get on the phone fast enough. For Bengals fans, left once again with egg on their faces, it was a flashback to the bad old days.
Exactly what happened remains a question mark. All Bengals fans know is that Sapp, per agent Drew Rosenhaus, was “very close” to signing a four-year, $16 million deal Friday night; Saturday morning, he had a seven-year $36.6 million offer from the Raiders. The Bengals’ and Raiders’ deals actually gave Sapp about the same amount of money over the first four years. The last three years were bogus money years that Sapp never saw. Sapp would later say that the Bengals offer was one he didn’t feel comfortable with, implying that there wasn’t yet a final deal Friday night awaiting the sleeping Brown’s signature but, true or false, the story lives on in Bengals lore.
Bengals fans rode the roller coaster again this year with the aborted trade for DT Shaun Rogers, who ended up in Cleveland, rapidly followed by the signing of Odom to a five-year, $29.5 million deal — which I believe is, money-wise, the Bengals biggest free agent acquisition ever. How that plays out remains to be seen.
