Bill Parcells Continues His Hatred For Cowboys

The Washington Redskins acquired Miami Dolphins defensive end Jason Taylor for a second and sixth round pick. The trade comes on the same day that Phillip Daniels was sidelined for the year with a knee injury.

On face, this is a good trade for the foe in Washington. However, it is not a move that is going to change the season for these Redskins. Obviously, Taylor should be an improvement over Daniels. And the Redskins were in need of a pass rusher.

But in the same vain effort of Daniel Snyder’s free agent heydays, parallels can be made that this acquisition won’t have much effect. Remember Bruce Smith? The list goes on. Deion Sanders?

Really, what this boils down to his Bill Parcells’ obvious hatred for a team that treated him well. Hey, Parcells couldn’t take this team to a Super Bowl in four years like he had promised. It was time to move on. And since then, he has done nothing but to attack the players and organization.

Jason Taylor No Longer A Phin…TRADED!

The Miami Dolphins did what they said they would not do, they traded the reigning NFL Man of The Year Jason Taylor to the Washington Redskins.  Taylor goes to the Skins for a 2nd round pick in the 2009 NFL draft and a 6th round pick in 2010.  Jason Taylor is no longer a Phin.

While the news may surprise some, the fact that the Dolphins have been rumored over the past few months to be quitely shopping the star DE, the news comes only hours after Skins DE Phillip Daniels was lost for the season with a knee injury during todays first training camp practice.

The trade of Taylor ends an 11 year career with the Dolphins and brings an end to the longest tenured Phin.  Taylor is the last member of the team drafted by Jimmy Johnson making Yeremiah Bell the longest tenured veteran originally drafted by the team.  Taylor who two years ago was the Defensive Player of the Year, faltered last year under 1 year HC Cam Cameron while the Dolphins went 1-15.  Taylor join a Washington Redskin team who made the playoffs last year in a very heated NFC East division.

Taylor who has been at odds with Dolphins head of football operations Bill Parcells, has skipped all mini-camps, offseason workouts, mandatory and otherwise.

More will follow on the trade of the Miami Dolphins fan favorite on Monday.

In the meantime, tell us your thoughts on the trade between the Redskins and Dolphins.

Taylor To Washington Growing Probable

Jason Taylor may soon have a new home as talks are reportedly getting serious between the Miami Dolphins and Washington Redskins.  The Redskins have lost starting DE Phillip Daniels to a season ending knee surgery and now appear to be desperate.

The Dolphins who have refused to trade Taylor for anything less than a 1st or 2nd round pick are now suddenly looking like they are in possession of a hot item.  While nothing has been said regarding compensation, the Redskins owner Dan Snyder loves to throw picks around as much as does with his money.

While nothing is imminent, it appears that the rumor is significant enough that a deal could be in place soon.  The Redskins have already started their training camp practices.  The Miami Dolphins do not report until the end of this week.

Fantasy Football Preview: The Creme’

Nothing fancy, nothing poetic, just my top 5 players at each skill position that you realistically have a shot at getting in your draft.  This is not the Manning’s, Brady’s, Tomlinson’s.  These are guys that fall out of the top 5 slots on draft day.  These are the guys that will make up your roster.

 

Quarterbacks:

Tony Romo -  Last year was the proof that many wanted, Romo was not a one year wonder and he should only improve on his stats.

Drew Brees - Brees and the rest of the Saints struggled early last year and never were able to regain their momentum from the year before.  A fast start and this QB will really help your team.

Jay Cutler - Diabetes is a real problem and one that can be controlled.  Cutler put up decent numbers last year and should improve.

Matt Hasselbeck - Never has the flair but is always consistent.

Carson Palmer - Palmer will go only as far as his disgruntled Wr’s.

QB Sleeper - Aaron Rodgers.  While the Favre situation warrants monitoring, Rodgers will be a solid starter in many FF leagues.

 

Running Backs:

Marion Barber - If I am outside of the top 5, this is my guy.  Rookie Felix Jones will not be taking too many touches away from this power runner.

Ryan Grant - Green Bay played well last year on offense and the Packers finally have a dependable RB to give the rock to.

Maurice Jones-Drew - Fred Taylor is getting up there and sooner or later he will start being less involved…I’m guessing sooner.  This little engine not only can, he will.

Michael Turner - Atlanta has their featured back and Turner, make no mistake, will be a featured back.  Turner is finally stepping out of the shadow of Ladanian Tomlinson.  He should do that with the birds.

Larry Johnson - The entire offense of the Chiefs last year was putrid for FF’ers.  That doesn’t mean that will remain the same.  The issue is with the QB slot.  The Oline should be better and LJ should be healthy.  His value is that he doesn’t tend to be drafted until round 3.

SLEEPER - Ryan Torian:  The Denver Bronco rookie is already impressing his coaches and Selvin Young is not all that and a bag of chips.  Keep your eye on this one closely as he could be a very good early pick up in FA or even as a late day draft pick. 

 

Wide Receivers:

Terrel Owens - There is not doubt that he will play lights out for Tony Romo.  His emotional exit from last years playoff was the most unselfish thing he has done in his career.  With Patrick Crayton lined up opposite him, Owens will make you happy that you used a pick on him.

Wes Welker - If your drafting a league with yardage points, Welker is a must.  If your not, Welker is still a huge selection.  Let the rest battle for Moss and draft him high, the value and the money lies on Welker, Tom Brady’s favorite target.

Braylon Edwards - Derek Anderson may have some questions surrounding him, but Edwards does not.  If the QB can get the ball in reach, Edwards will get you points.

Steve Smith - The resurrection of the Carolina Panthers rests with Jake Delhomme and Jonathan Stewart the round 1 rookie RB.  But that also means that Steve Smith will flourish.  My bet is that they make that turn around.

Anthony Gonzalez - Marvin Harrison is back which means that AG will sit, but not so fast.  Harrison will no longer be used every down or even every series as the young AG has proven that he can play at this level.  Harrison has too many lingering issues to stay on the field full time.

Sleeper - Chris Chambers:  I blasted Chambers in Miami, that is no secret.  His often case of the drops came at crucial times, but in SD he managed to post almost a 1,000 yards receiving and was only there a short while.  He will still have his problems with holding on to the ball, but he is a deep WR who could surprise a lot of people this year.

 

Tight Ends

Jason Whitten - To me Jason is the must have TE in this years fantasy season.  If your high on taking TE’s early, get JW.  Rumor has it that he will be used as a split WR which will improve his stats considerably.

Heath Miller - The Steelers will now use more of a “committee” at running back, but that should open up the underneath in the passing game.  With Santonio Holmes posting 10 TD’s last year, Big Ben may look even more to the young TE as teams will start to pay attention to the outside more.

Chris Cooley - This guy is one of the more consistent TE’s in the league.  He gets thrown to a lot and with yet again a weak core of WR’s, Cooley will be a big part of the Redskin running game.

Tony Scheffler - Schef finished very strong last year with 5 TD’s in 4 games.  That should continue as the confidence that Jay Cutler has in him improves.  This may be the last year that you can get him low.

Dallas Clark - Many have him rated higher, he should be.  He is a very reliable WR and can get in the endzone.  If your looking earlier than most, he will be there, but he won’t last for long.

Sleeper - Anthony Fasano:  Call it a homer pick, but if you need a back up TE, this is your guy.  Right now everyone is staying away from Miami Dolphins players and rightly so, but Fasano has good hands and with a trio of unproven QB’s and WR’s who have really done little, Fasano could be a go to guy for the dump.

Fantasy Football Previews: Outside The Top 5

We have now looked at the QB, RB, TE, WR, and even the defense and special teams in our Fantasy Football Preview.  Tomorrow I will look at my top 5 by positon.

I took the time to get some of the other Fan-Sided bloggers to tell us a bit about their teams and the fantasy guys they may have who could show some value.  While a good handful of those team reps helped us out, Daniel Evans who blogs the network’s NFL Mocks site sent over his outside the top 5 picks.  After your done reading this, hop on over to visit our newest site, 12thmanrising the Seattle Seahaws blog written by David Sanders…or you can go to our new KC blog…Nobodywillberising.com

Here are Dans fav’s!

My Top 5 Beyond the top 5:

Well first I will name my own personal top five that way everyone
knows who wasn’t a choice for the next top five. They are Ladanian
Tomlinson, Adrian Peterson, Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, and Brian
Westbrook.

MY TOP 5 OUTSIDE THE TOP 5:

Randy Moss: He won’t put up the same record breaking numbers he did
last year but he will be the best fantasy wide receiver once again. I
would expect somewhere in the 15-20 TD range and another fantastic
season in New England. I don’t like taking wide receivers in round one
but Moss is the only one I would consider taking.

Steven Jackson: If the Rams can play like the team they should be then
Jackson will be a great fantasy football option. He is a powerful
runner and has the complete package needed to be a top fantasy running
back.

Tony Romo: I don’t see any reason not to take Romo as the #3
quarterback. Last year he was fantastic until December (like all
Cowboys), so beware when the winter months come around. Defenses claim
that they have figured out the young Dallas star but we will have to
see about that.

Frank Gore: He’s a great running back but beware, Alex Smith is not
going to open up many running lanes for him unless he goes a long way
in his development this season. I would be weary about taking Gore,
but he is a top 10 fantasy player.

Terrell Owens: Get your popcorn ready. Owens will be even better if
Terry Glenn returns to Dallas and is effective, because it will stop
defenses from double and triple teaming him. Either way he’s Romo’s
favorite target in the pass happy Cowboys offense.

On the Cusp: Joseph Addai, Marion Barber, Carson Palmer, Drew Brees,
Marques Colston

Josh McCown Gets Caught Holding His Wood

Call it brotherly love, jealousy, or just plain accidental, o.k. just call it the latter, but Josh McCown the Miami Dolphins most seasoned veteran had 6 stitches placed in his finger when his brother sliced through it while chopping wood.  I still can’t get the damn “woodchuck” riddle out of my mind. Josh was apparently holding the wood which would then conjure images of some Looney Tunes cartoon where the hammer swings down to the railroad tie and hits the dude in the head…over and over and over again, when his brother missed.  So what the hell was Josh doing holding wood?  Sorry, I really couldn’t resist that last remark, but at least I didn’t attatch a picture. While the injury is not considered serious, it could cause him to miss a day or two at the outset of training camp although unlikely.

Where’s He Going to Go?

Presumably, the Packers don’t really want Favre back after all that’s happened. Essentially, their message is they aren’t going to free him to sign with any of the league’s other 31 teams — especially not NFC North division rivals Minnesota, Chicago or Detroit — and he won’t be given his starting job back if he returns to Green Bay.

The most likely scenario would have Favre petitioning the league for reinstatement and the Packers trading him to an AFC team, or at least an NFC team outside the division. Among the teams that fit that profile are the Miami Dolphins, Baltimore Ravens, Kansas City Chiefs, New York Jets, Carolina Panthers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Washington Redskins.

The Packers’ best-case scenario, in which Favre would’ve simply stayed retired, almost certainly won’t happen. The Packers went so far as to send an intermediary down to Mississippi last week to try to talk Favre into staying retired, but their attempt failed.

The Wisconsin State Journal’s article puts serious contenders for Favre out there for the first time in a while. But would these really help Brett Favre? He obviously wants to go to a contender and the Minnesota Vikings are rumored to be his top choice (which means he’s looking to follow Darren Sharper and Ryan Longwell), but Minnesota most likely isn’t going to happen. Do these really give Favre a chance to be a winner though?

The Miami Dolphins were 1-15 last year and are starting from the ground up. They have a new coach in Tony Sparano and a new head man in Bill Parcells. If Favre wants to win, Miami would probably not be the best option. Parcells and Sparano are getting reputations as strictly business, given their run-in with superstar-turned-wanna-be-actor Jason Taylor. A Taylor-for-Favre swap is pretty intriguing, but I don’t think that’s what Taylor wants and Favre wants a winner, but I don’t see the Dolphins turning into playoff contenders right away. Right now, John Beck, Chad Henne, and Josh McCown are the quarterbacks on the roster for the Dolphins. Beck started last year and had a lot of trouble adjusting to the pro-game. He could have been Cam Cameron’s quarterback of the future, but with Parcells coming in, his future is up in the air. Parcells used a high draft pick on Henne, who could be Parcells’ “guy” while McCown is the veteran in the mix. McCown also happens to be a friend of the Packers family, along with Nathan Poole, for knocking the Vikings out and Packers into the playoffs in (I think) 2003. God, I love opening old wounds. So the Dolphins do not look that likely if Favre wants to win. If he wants to play and end up on MediCare, he can go for it.

The Baltimore Ravens would be the worst situation for me besides an NFC North team. I may be in the Baltimore area, but I do not like the Ravens. Besides the personal anguish this would cost me, the Ravens cannot quite afford Favre. Right now the Packers have 2008 first round pick Joe Flacco, 2006 Heisman Trophy winner Troy Smith, and bust Kyle Boller. The Ravens are also reeling from the Steve McNair-era where they were at the mercy of an aging quarterback on the downside of his career. I have read many columnists in the Baltimore-area newspapers, and it’s clear they do not want Favre. They know that on the heels of a 5-11 season that they need to rebuild and devote time and confidence to either Flacco or Smith, something they did not do with Boller. The only way to get their quarterbacks better and to put themselves in a position to win in the future would be to let Flacco and Smith play and become experienced.

I pretty much covered the Chiefs, one of the most inept franchises in history. But they can still have fantasies. Like this one. And this one. And finally this one.

The Jets are intriguing. Favre is older than head coach Eric Mangini. Kellen Clemens looks like he could be a good quarterback if he is given time to play, which wouldn’t happen if Favre joined the team. Chad Pennington is still on the team and he has had some pretty good moments in his time in the Big Apple. I’m no Jets expert, but this scenario is pretty mysterious. Who knows here. I just don’t know whether Favre would want to play for a team coming off a losing season.

It seems like every year Sports Illustrated picks the Panthers to win the Super Bowl. But it doesn’t happen. They are mired in the .500-ball heave that is the NFC South. The team does not have many offensive weapons outside of Steve Smith and at times last year, it seemed like they could not do anything right. Sure, they played in Super Bowl XXXVIII. But that feels like ancient history.  Also, the Panthers seems set with Jake Delhomme as their signal caller.

Tampa Bay is quarterback heaven. Jon Gruden is apparently tight with Favre because of the days of the Holmgren regime.  But seriously, how many quarterbacks on the roster?  Jeff Garcia, Brian Griese, Luke McCown, Chris Simms, and rookie Josh Johnson.  They’ve got about every type in there.  Let’s add aging-gunslinger to that category.  The Bucs won the division in 2007, but the fact that they won it at 9-7 leaves no guarantee for them to be a winner in 2008.  Not seeing Favre here.

The Redskins are another interesting possibility.  They’ve got plenty of money (aka Dan Snyder) and a young quarterback in Jason Campbell.  The Redskins know what they are doing with Campbell by letting him play last year.  The only reason a player can get better is by playing.  And he got better as the season went on before he got hurt and Todd Collins led the team to the playoffs.  The Skins have been down this road before with Mark Brunell.  I don’t think that worked too well.

So there we have it.  I’d say Favre doesn’t have any really good options out there.  Anywhere he went (Minnesota included) he would get in the way of the development of a team.

AFC North in a World of Trouble?

Interesting article from the Sporting News analyzing the world of grief the entire AFC North may be feeling this season. Mike Florio, who is most famous for his ProFootballTalk.com franchise, says that match-ups with NFC East opponents and select AFC contenders will render the division its first sub-.500 champion. From his column:

Each of the AFC North teams — Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers — will play each of the teams of the AFC South, which sent three teams (Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars and Tennessee Titans) to the 2007 playoffs. And each of the AFC North teams will play all the teams of the NFC East, which sent three teams (Dallas Cowboys, Washington Redskins and New York Giants) to the playoffs last season as well.

It looks like particularly bad news for the Ravens, who outside of these games, only have veritable gimme games against the Houston Texans, the Miami Dolphins and the Oakland Raiders. And as we saw last year against the Dolphins, anything is possible.

Uh-oh.

Steeler Owners Fight Over Brass Ring

Somewhere there is a racehorse. And this racehorse’s great-great-great-great-great granddaddy was also a racehorse. And one fine day back in 1933, that horse won a race. A race bet on by a North Sider by the name of Arthur J. Rooney. And Art Rooney used the money he won that day, about $2,500 in total, to purchase a professional football franchise which would one day be known as the Pittsburgh Steelers. For 75 years, the Rooney family has owned the Steelers. Sure, some things have changed but the Rooneys have remained the one major constant. Three Rivers Stadium is nothing but a memory. Art Rooney is gone but not forgotten, his eldest son Dan having been in control of the team for several decades now. And a recent appraisal of the Steelers values the team at around $1 billion. Yes, you read that right. ONE BILLION DOLLARS. Why was the team even being appraised you may ask? Because there is a very real possibility that sometime in the near future the one constant in Steeler Nation might not be so constant any longer. Yes, there appears to be a day coming when everybody who bleeds Black and Gold wakes up in a world where the Rooneys no longer own the Pittsburgh Steelers. If that doesn’t worry you at least a little, it should. With the passing of their father, controlling interest in the team was left to his five sons, Dan, Art Jr., Timothy, Patrick, and John. Dan was team president while Art Jr. was scouting director from the early 70’s until 1986 when his brother fired him, primarily because he insisted on taking NT Gabe Rivera over a local kid with a cannon arm by the name of Danny Marino. I would’ve fired my own mother over that one. The remaining brothers had other business interests and had no direct involvement with football-related matters. The Rooney boys are all in their 50’s-70’s so they naturally have begun preparing for the inevitable transfer of power. Dan has already groomed his son, Art III, to take his place as team president. I believe this is Sticking Point #1 in that Art III is generally considered an asshole. When Bill Cowher had his farewell press conference, he spoke glowingly of Dan but had nothing to say about Art III. Rumor has it Little Art led the “Screw him! We don’t have to pay him because anybody can coach our awesome team!” charge which ultimately led to Cowher’s departure and subsequent dental work. Dan Rooney is a powerful man in the NFL. He chaired the committee which nominated tape-destroying slimeball Roger Goodell for commissioner. He’s a major voice on every labor issue or contract negotiation. And it’s no secret he, and most likely his scheming son, want the team for themselves. Which is why it’s a bit suspicious that the NFL has all of a sudden interjected themselves into the Steeler’s ownership structure, demanding one person own 30% of the team while also suggesting some of the Rooney brothers’ race track business ventures constitute a violation of the league’s no-gambling interests policy. The four remaining brothers have responded by doing the unthinkable; looking to sell their shares to somebody outside the family. This is where the appraisal comes in as supposedly Dan/AIII made an offer which was a bit low. Maybe they should bring in Sidney Crosby as a partner. Nah, Marian Hossa wouldn’t take a discount to play with him, the Rooneys probably wouldn’t either. Enter Stanley Druckenmiller, owner of Pittsburgh-based Duquesne Capital Management,and filthy rich bastard. He’s a billionaire which is one requirement for buying something valued at around a billion dollars. He’s also a lifelong Steelers fan. Join the club, pal. In fact, here is where it gets interesting. If the Rooney boys are serious about opening bidding for their shares up to the general public, there will unlikely be a free-for-all. I can imagine every disgustingly rich bastard from Mark Cuban to Eddie DeBartolo will enter the fray. Owning the Steelers isn’t the same as owning the Pirates or the Penguins. Don’t get me wrong, I love all our teams but the Steelers are a legendary team in the most successful (and popular) sports league. Interest in this would be huge. And therein lays the worry. With the Rooneys, we know what we get. Sure we complain about their cheapness, we bemoan their lack of action in free-agency, and hate that while they want to win, it’s not Super Bowl-or-failure as it is to many of us. But what if we get a Ford or a Bidwell? Or, horror of horrors, a Danny Schnieder? Would Pittsburgh really want a flamboyant self-promoting clown like Jerry Jones prancing all over the sidelines at Heinz Field? These are the questions we may have to grapple with in the not-so-distant future. Always remember, better the devil you know.

Fantasy Football Preview: K’s, D’s, and St’s

Just like in a real fantasy football draft, the last position most teams will try and fill are the ones that don’t get the most play.  The defenses and special teams, and yet again the lonely kickers, but don’t underestimate the value of a good one.  This is our look at those positions in our Fantasy Football Preview.

Let’s face facts, your not going to win your league by having Nick Folk or the Chicago Bears on your team.  No.  You will win your league by a little bit of luck, very solid planning, and well thought out draft picks.  Having a great kicker won’t likely get you much unless the rest of your team is very good. 

A kicker and/or DST can however be the difference between a win and a loss in head to head leagues.  Wating literally until the last two or three rounds to take your first at either could prove costly should your season or even your league standing depend on a long field goal attempt or an interception.  In fantasy football we all know that close weekly match-ups can get you second guessing your draft and scouring the FA wire for the latest fill in.  While a well placed drafted kicker can get you those exta points you might need to win that week and close in one step closer to the playoffs.

Whatever you do though, do not fall into the normal early run that always tends to happen.  Stick to your game plan and let the others draft K’s and DST’s early.  If they are drafting those positions, then someone is available as a solid backup. 

Kickers:

Unlike the other FF previews, the Fan-Sided bloggers really didn’t have much to say about kickers and defense.  In fact only one, Jeanne from BlackandTeal, made mention of the Jaguars kicker, Josh Scobee.  She pointed out he has a “nice leg”.  While Jeanne does have a bit of crush on the kicker (yes, she is a girl), she does drive home a simple yet good point.  Scobee does have a nice leg.

Josh Scobee -  You will not see Scobee’s name on the top of the FF kicker rankings.  He is further down on the rank list and can be drafted in the 12th round or later.  A good value kicker who has a strong leg and is capable of scoring you some needed points in heated weekly match-ups. 

Rob Bironas - Much like Scobee, Bironas is an after round 11 selection who is a valuable addition in those rounds as a starter. 

Nick Folk, Stephen Gostkowski, Shane Graham, and Adam Vinatieri - The top 4 on almost all FF ranks.  These 4 are the top for a reason, consistency.  However, they also tend to be drafted just before round 10.  Which in comparison to guys like Bironas and Scobee can often be 3 or 4 rounds earlier.

Defenses/ST’s:

Unlike Kickers, there is usually a bit more value in drafting a special team unit and/or a defensive unit.  The reason is that unlike kickers, they can score TD’s.  While that is true, many FF’ers tend to draft defenses a little high.  Sometimes as early as round 5 or 6 when the best value target should be rounds 8, 9, or 10.

It would be nice to have teams like Green Bay, Dallas, and New England on your roster, but in reality those teams are usually taken when you still have solid positional choices still left and possibly even a starting roster spot.  So be aware that although you may not get the big name on the rank board, there is still some value to be had later…sometimes much later.

Most leagues will use a combination of the teams defensive units and special teams combined.  Only Chicago really jumps off the page at you with Devin Hester and his ability to return punts.  However, you are coupled with that teams defensive unit as well and that defense may not be very good, so be wary.

One important note to remember when drafting Kickers, defenses, and ST’s is to scroll the other managers’ drafts.  If you notice that 90 percent or more have already drafted a kicker and/or defense, you have a better idea of when you can realistically need to draft one.  If say 10 teams in a 12 team league have already drafted, one or both and you have not, there is a better than not chance that you will get your pick of whats left as most teams will not draft speciality positions back-ups until the final 2 rounds.

Where they may fall:

Minnessotta, Jacksonville, Green Bay, Dallas, New England, San Diego - Rounds 5 through 8.

Chicago, Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Tennessee - Rounds 8-9

Indianapolis, Tampa Bay - Round 10

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