Free Agency Watch: Good NFL Writers

So I logged into Twitter this week and saw this disheartening Tweet from SI.com’s Greg Bedard:

It has been a tough few months for a few of my favorite NFL writers. First, WEEI parted ways with Christopher Price, and now the MMQBR (or SI.com or whatever they call themselves) let Greg Bedard go. Make no mistake – these are two of the best NFL writers in the business.

Christopher Price was the Patriot guy at WEEI and he brought perspective to the team’s coverage. He is well-versed on all things NFL: legal, contract negotiations, draft, scheme, internal politics, local opinion, and the three-cone drill. While he grew up in New England, he is oddly not a fan of the Patriots (a Bears fan). I could go on about his merits, but the bottom line is that he was let go in some kind of a budget cutting move around January. He will probably be replaced with another generic fanboy who can’t wait to see what the Patriots do on draft day. Ooooh! Maybe we will get a list of five things Bill Belichick likes in linebackers. Can Tom Brady keep it up? Click here and find out! Yay. Vomit.

On a national level, Greg Bedard is the best at what he does. I know a statement like that is up for debate, but just read what he puts out and compare it to his contemporaries. Bedard left the Boston Globe in 2013 to join what was left of Sports Illustrated. At some point he was scooped under the lame and barely informative MMQB umbrella where he joined the likes of Robert Klemko and his first rate investigative skills. Most recently, the always likable Albert Breer was hired to join the team, and it makes one wonder if this was a bad sign for Bedard. Meanwhile, Breer can continue to do his second-rate Adam Schefter act, while recording podcasts about Brian Hoyer signing in San Francisco.

What I think sports journalism needs in 2017 is really good, smart guys like Bedard on the national level and Price on the local level. We don’t need volume writing, click bait and filler – which seems to be the current goal of major publications and local media outlets. It is dumbing down the sports IQ and the patience of fans with a brain. When they let guys go like this – from a salary standpoint – the toothpaste is out of the tube. They will be able to hire a Colby College blogger and pay her a fraction of what guys like Bedard and Price get. Not good. Now if you excuse me, I need to go read a slide show about Mama June’s recent makeover.