Lovie Smith, despite being the lowest paid head coach in the NFL in 2006, took the Chicago Bears to Super Bowl XLI.
Well, he'll finally get paid...in 2008.
Smith has agreed to a 4-year, $22.5M contract that will keep in on the Soldier Field sidelines through 2011. As the ESPN article states, Lovie will keep his paltry $1.45M salary in 2007 before joining the elite head coaches who earn upwards of $5M per season.
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Free Agency Primer
Free agency officially kicks off at 12:01am ET on March 2nd. Here's an in-depth look at who's available and where they might be going.
Quarterbacks
If your team is in need of a starting quarterback, free agency won't help them. Jeff Garcia (UFA, Eagles) is the best option available, and he'll have a few suitors. Garcia's name has been linked to openings in Tampa Bay and Oakland, and has also been mentioned as a possible back-up to Denver's Jay Cutler.
Beyond Garcia, there's Brad Johnson, who is expected to be released by the Minnesota Vikings on or before Friday. Aaron Brooks (UFA, Raiders), Kerry Collins (UFA, Titans), Tim Rattay (UFA, Buccaneers), Anthony Wright (UFA, Bengals), Marques Tuiasosopo (UFA, Raiders) join a group of untested restricted free agents on the market. Among the restricted free agents are Matt Schaub (Falcons), Quinn Gray (Jaguars), Cleo Lemon (Dolphins), John Navarre (Cardinals), and Jim Sorgi (Colts).
Atlanta plans on offering Schaub a tender offer of $2.35M, which would keep the rest of the league from pursuing him. Should a team sign Schaub to an offer sheet, and the Falcons chose not to match the offer, Atlanta would receive that team's 1st and 3rd round draft choices in 2007.
The safest way to acquire that starting QB may come through the trade route. Denver's Jake Plummer, Kansas City's Trent Green, and Houston's David Carr all are rumored to be available via a trade. Green has become expendable now that the Chiefs have signed his back-up in 2006, Damon Huard, to a 3-year contract worth $7.5M. His name has been linked to the Miami Dolphins, who may look to deal either Joey Harrington or even Daunte Culpepper this off-season.
Running Backs
The marquee running back in free agency, San Diego's Michael Turner, has been offered the $2.35M tender. That's music to the ears of the agents for Ahman Green (UFA, Packers) and the recently released Jamal Lewis (UFA, Ravens), who now vault to the top of the free agent running back list.
Beyond Green and Lewis, there are some veteran runners available. Indianapolis Colts back Dominic Rhodes is available (possibly for some diapers), as are Sammy Morris (UFA, Dolphins), Ron Dayne (UFA, Texans), Anthony "A-Train" Thomas (UFA, Bills), and oft-injured Eagles running back Correll Bruckhalter.
Buffalo's Willis McGahee has had his name surface in trade talks, and some league observers believe that he's played his last game in Buffalo.
Wide Recievers
According to Scouts, Inc., the top free agent WR this off-season is Philadelphia's Donte Stallworth. So yeah, it's not a deep group.
Beyond Stallworth, Kevin Curtis (UFA, Rams) is fastly climbing every team's wishlist. He's a sure-handed WR that has spent his first 4 years in the NFL firmly in the shadow of teammates Isaac Bruce and Torry "Big Game" Holt. The time may be now for Curtis to go off on his own, perhaps re-joining Mike Martz, his first head coach, who is now the offensive coordinator for the Detroit Lions. Ashley Lelie (UFA, Falcons) and Drew Bennett (UFA, Titans) are also names to watch this off-season.
The restricted market is deep, with the versatile Wes Welker (Dolphins) and up-and-comers like Ernest Wilford (Jaguars) and DJ Hackett (Seahawks) rumored to be names that teams may attempt to pry away from their original clubs. Both will receive high tenders tomorrow. Teams looking for a veteran presence at the WR position will certainly be looking at Dennis Northcutt, Bobby Engram and Troy Brown.
Last season, Javon Walker and Ashley Lelie were traded. Could a few veteran receivers change teams that way this year? Randy Moss isn't happy in Oakland, and Seattle's Darrell Jackson could also be dealt.
Tight Ends
Tony Gonzalez would've been the biggest free agent tight end this off-season, but he re-signed with the Colts for 5-years and $31M last month. This leaves New England's Daniel Graham, Seattle's Jerramy Stevens and...that's it. Those are the top two free agent tight ends available, and both stand to get very wealthy real early in free agency.
Offensive Tackles
Remember the Army's old slogan, "An Army of One"? Well, that describes the free agent tackle market perfectly.
Arizona's Leonard Davis is the most notable name available, and since Arizona is reportedly making no effort to re-sign him, what does that tell you? Dallas plans on retaining right tackle Marc Colombo, which leaves Baltimore's Tony Pashos and Jon Stinchcomb (UFA, Saints) as cheaper alternatives at the tackle position.
Two restricted tackles with Super Bowl experience, Pittsburgh's Max Starks and Seattle's Sean Locklear, are both expected to remain with their respective clubs in 2007.
Offensive Guards
When your team spends over $5M a year for a guard in free agency, be sure to thank the Minnesota Vikings front office. Last year's 7-year, $49M "poison pill" laden contract they offered Steve Hutchinson has put dollar signs in the eyes of every free agent guard.
And there are few who will cash in on that.
Kris Dielman (UFA, Chargers) and Eric Steinbach (UFA, Bengals) are atop this list, and they can expect megabuck offers from Cleveland, Houston, Dallas and Seattle, who learned how valuable guards are to the offense. Beyond that, there are Ruben Brown (UFA, Bears), Derrick Dockery (UFA, Redskins), and Rick DeMulling (UFA, Lions) who can expect long-term offers pretty quickly.
Teams looking for a short-term fix at the guard spot can check out Chris Gray (UFA, Seahawks), Cooper Carlisle (UFA, Broncos) or Cosey Coleman (UFA, Browns).
Centers
The Giants are reportedly playing hardball with unrestricted free agent-to-be Shaun O'Hara, and he may balk at the $4.5M they're offering to see what the open market yields. Jeremy Newberry (UFA, 49ers) has been told to hit the bricks, and veteran Hank Fraley (UFA, Browns) is going to test the market as well after a season avoiding a staph infection (and flying anvils) in Cleveland.
Defensive Ends
Soon-to-be former Atlanta Falcon Patrick Kerney has voided the last two years of his contract, and immediately jumped to the top of the free agent defensive end list. At 30 years old, it'll be interesting to see how much he gets on the open market, and who gives it to him. (Seattle fans be warned: Kerney has connections to Seahawks president Tim Ruskell and ass't head coach/secondary Jim Mora)
The most intriguing name is Adalius Thomas, who is sure to sign the blockbuster contract this off-season. Thomas was a linebacker in Baltimore (who wanted to designate him with the franchise tag, but couldn't afford it), but he is a tremendous pass rusher and will probably spend the majority of his time with one hand down at the line of scrimmage. That's why I'm including him with the defensive ends. The most likely landing spot for Thomas? San Francisco, and you can book it. He played under 49ers head coach Mike Nolan, who used to coach the defense in Baltimore. Plus, no team has more money to throw around this off-season than San Francisco, whose available cap space is nearly $40M.
Top free agent DEs Dwight Freeney (Colts), Charles Grant (Saints), and Justin Smith (Bengals) were designated with the franchise tag. Kansas City's Jared Allen, a restricted free agent, was given the high tender and has asked to be traded out of Kansas City. (He's not going anywhere)
There are some quality mid-tier free agents available. Dewayne White (Bucs), Antwan Peek (Texans), Juqua Thomas (Eagles) and Al Wallace (Panthers).
Defensive Tackles
This is a thin group, both in numbers and in size. Oakland kept Terdell Sands, a 6-7, 335-pound toilet clogger, off the market with a 4-year, $17M deal two weeks ago. With a man that size off the market, the most notable free agent defensive tackle is Robaire Smith (UFA, Titans), who is 6-4 and checks in at 330 pounds.
Beyond that, there is very little available. Randy Starks (RFA, Titans), Tommie Kelly (RFA, Raiders), a pair of unrestricted Chicago Bears (Ian Scott, Alfonso Boone), and lower tier players like Alvin McKinley (Browns), Kindal Moorehead (Panthers) and Anthony Adams (49ers) fill out the DT market.
Linebackers
The most talented linebacker available, Lance Briggs, has been named the Chicago Bears franchise player and won't be going anywhere. From the reports coming out of Chicago, he won't be signing a long-term deal there anytime soon, either.
This means that the most intriguing names on the free agent linebacker market are London Fletcher-Baker (UFA, Bills) and Cato June (UFA, Colts). I expect June to get the most attention, as he is 5 years younger than Fletcher-Baker. New England's Tully Banta-Cain has indicated that he'd like to return to the Patriots, but in a market that has a lot of money and few players, Banta-Cain could parlay his stellar season as a part-time starter into a decent contract elsewhere.
Teams looking for veteran stewardship will certainly be calling a pair of former San Diego Chargers, Donnie Edwards and Randall Godfrey, who has expressed an interest in finishing his career in Dallas.
Cornerbacks
I mentioned earlier that Adalius Thomas can expect to receive the richest contract in free agency. The only name that could give him a run for his money is Nate Clements (UFA, Bills). Clements is the best CB on the market, and its not even close. It's expected that Cleveland or Cincinnati will make a run at him (he matriculated at Ohio State University), but don't discount the San Francisco 49ers or the New York Jets. The 49ers have a boatload of cash to spend and New York Jets head coach Eric Mangini got his start coaching the defensive backfield and would drool at the thought of having a player like Clements manning one corner.
New England placed the franchise tag on Asante Samuel, which leaves a pair of Colts cornerbacks, Nick Harper and Jason David, on the market. David, who is younger and just 5-8, is a restricted free agent.
Safety
Topping the list of free agent safeties is Seattle's Ken Hamlin. After missing the second half of the 2005 season due to a fractured skull he received in a fight outside a Seattle nightclub, Hamlin was named the NFL's Defensive Player of the Month in September 2006. He's a tremendous athlete, a vocal leader and a vicious hitter, but Hamlin makes some mistakes in coverage and isn't the surest of tacklers. It will interesting to see how hard other teams will pursue Hamlin, since they'll certainly want to poke and prod to make sure his injuries from that 2005 incident won't affect him over the long-term. It will also be interesting to see how hard Seattle fights to retain him.
Deon Grant (Jaguars), Brian Russell (Browns) and Kevin Kaesviharn (Bengals) are veterans who could draw some early interest. Some younger players who fell out of favor with their previous employer, Mike Doss (Colts) and Michael Lewis (Eagles), should fetch some interest, as well.
The restricted market contains Gibril Wilson (Giants) and Jordan "Big Play" Babineaux. The latter is most known as the guy who ran down Tony Romo on the botched field goal attempt in the NFC Wild Card game in January.
Kickers/Punters
The most notable kickers, Josh Brown and Rian Lindell, aren't going anywhere. Brown has been "franchised" by the Seattle Seahawks, and Lindell signed a 5-year, $9M contract with the Bills in January.
As for punters (and I can't believe I'm still typing), Cincinnati has tendered Kyle Larson for $1.3M (which would return a 2nd round pick if he departs), and Dallas signed Aussie Mat McBriar to a 5-year, $8.5M contract today.
Quarterbacks
If your team is in need of a starting quarterback, free agency won't help them. Jeff Garcia (UFA, Eagles) is the best option available, and he'll have a few suitors. Garcia's name has been linked to openings in Tampa Bay and Oakland, and has also been mentioned as a possible back-up to Denver's Jay Cutler.
Beyond Garcia, there's Brad Johnson, who is expected to be released by the Minnesota Vikings on or before Friday. Aaron Brooks (UFA, Raiders), Kerry Collins (UFA, Titans), Tim Rattay (UFA, Buccaneers), Anthony Wright (UFA, Bengals), Marques Tuiasosopo (UFA, Raiders) join a group of untested restricted free agents on the market. Among the restricted free agents are Matt Schaub (Falcons), Quinn Gray (Jaguars), Cleo Lemon (Dolphins), John Navarre (Cardinals), and Jim Sorgi (Colts).
Atlanta plans on offering Schaub a tender offer of $2.35M, which would keep the rest of the league from pursuing him. Should a team sign Schaub to an offer sheet, and the Falcons chose not to match the offer, Atlanta would receive that team's 1st and 3rd round draft choices in 2007.
The safest way to acquire that starting QB may come through the trade route. Denver's Jake Plummer, Kansas City's Trent Green, and Houston's David Carr all are rumored to be available via a trade. Green has become expendable now that the Chiefs have signed his back-up in 2006, Damon Huard, to a 3-year contract worth $7.5M. His name has been linked to the Miami Dolphins, who may look to deal either Joey Harrington or even Daunte Culpepper this off-season.
Running Backs
The marquee running back in free agency, San Diego's Michael Turner, has been offered the $2.35M tender. That's music to the ears of the agents for Ahman Green (UFA, Packers) and the recently released Jamal Lewis (UFA, Ravens), who now vault to the top of the free agent running back list.
Beyond Green and Lewis, there are some veteran runners available. Indianapolis Colts back Dominic Rhodes is available (possibly for some diapers), as are Sammy Morris (UFA, Dolphins), Ron Dayne (UFA, Texans), Anthony "A-Train" Thomas (UFA, Bills), and oft-injured Eagles running back Correll Bruckhalter.
Buffalo's Willis McGahee has had his name surface in trade talks, and some league observers believe that he's played his last game in Buffalo.
Wide Recievers
According to Scouts, Inc., the top free agent WR this off-season is Philadelphia's Donte Stallworth. So yeah, it's not a deep group.
Beyond Stallworth, Kevin Curtis (UFA, Rams) is fastly climbing every team's wishlist. He's a sure-handed WR that has spent his first 4 years in the NFL firmly in the shadow of teammates Isaac Bruce and Torry "Big Game" Holt. The time may be now for Curtis to go off on his own, perhaps re-joining Mike Martz, his first head coach, who is now the offensive coordinator for the Detroit Lions. Ashley Lelie (UFA, Falcons) and Drew Bennett (UFA, Titans) are also names to watch this off-season.
The restricted market is deep, with the versatile Wes Welker (Dolphins) and up-and-comers like Ernest Wilford (Jaguars) and DJ Hackett (Seahawks) rumored to be names that teams may attempt to pry away from their original clubs. Both will receive high tenders tomorrow. Teams looking for a veteran presence at the WR position will certainly be looking at Dennis Northcutt, Bobby Engram and Troy Brown.
Last season, Javon Walker and Ashley Lelie were traded. Could a few veteran receivers change teams that way this year? Randy Moss isn't happy in Oakland, and Seattle's Darrell Jackson could also be dealt.
Tight Ends
Tony Gonzalez would've been the biggest free agent tight end this off-season, but he re-signed with the Colts for 5-years and $31M last month. This leaves New England's Daniel Graham, Seattle's Jerramy Stevens and...that's it. Those are the top two free agent tight ends available, and both stand to get very wealthy real early in free agency.
Offensive Tackles
Remember the Army's old slogan, "An Army of One"? Well, that describes the free agent tackle market perfectly.
Arizona's Leonard Davis is the most notable name available, and since Arizona is reportedly making no effort to re-sign him, what does that tell you? Dallas plans on retaining right tackle Marc Colombo, which leaves Baltimore's Tony Pashos and Jon Stinchcomb (UFA, Saints) as cheaper alternatives at the tackle position.
Two restricted tackles with Super Bowl experience, Pittsburgh's Max Starks and Seattle's Sean Locklear, are both expected to remain with their respective clubs in 2007.
Offensive Guards
When your team spends over $5M a year for a guard in free agency, be sure to thank the Minnesota Vikings front office. Last year's 7-year, $49M "poison pill" laden contract they offered Steve Hutchinson has put dollar signs in the eyes of every free agent guard.
And there are few who will cash in on that.
Kris Dielman (UFA, Chargers) and Eric Steinbach (UFA, Bengals) are atop this list, and they can expect megabuck offers from Cleveland, Houston, Dallas and Seattle, who learned how valuable guards are to the offense. Beyond that, there are Ruben Brown (UFA, Bears), Derrick Dockery (UFA, Redskins), and Rick DeMulling (UFA, Lions) who can expect long-term offers pretty quickly.
Teams looking for a short-term fix at the guard spot can check out Chris Gray (UFA, Seahawks), Cooper Carlisle (UFA, Broncos) or Cosey Coleman (UFA, Browns).
Centers
The Giants are reportedly playing hardball with unrestricted free agent-to-be Shaun O'Hara, and he may balk at the $4.5M they're offering to see what the open market yields. Jeremy Newberry (UFA, 49ers) has been told to hit the bricks, and veteran Hank Fraley (UFA, Browns) is going to test the market as well after a season avoiding a staph infection (and flying anvils) in Cleveland.
Defensive Ends
Soon-to-be former Atlanta Falcon Patrick Kerney has voided the last two years of his contract, and immediately jumped to the top of the free agent defensive end list. At 30 years old, it'll be interesting to see how much he gets on the open market, and who gives it to him. (Seattle fans be warned: Kerney has connections to Seahawks president Tim Ruskell and ass't head coach/secondary Jim Mora)
The most intriguing name is Adalius Thomas, who is sure to sign the blockbuster contract this off-season. Thomas was a linebacker in Baltimore (who wanted to designate him with the franchise tag, but couldn't afford it), but he is a tremendous pass rusher and will probably spend the majority of his time with one hand down at the line of scrimmage. That's why I'm including him with the defensive ends. The most likely landing spot for Thomas? San Francisco, and you can book it. He played under 49ers head coach Mike Nolan, who used to coach the defense in Baltimore. Plus, no team has more money to throw around this off-season than San Francisco, whose available cap space is nearly $40M.
Top free agent DEs Dwight Freeney (Colts), Charles Grant (Saints), and Justin Smith (Bengals) were designated with the franchise tag. Kansas City's Jared Allen, a restricted free agent, was given the high tender and has asked to be traded out of Kansas City. (He's not going anywhere)
There are some quality mid-tier free agents available. Dewayne White (Bucs), Antwan Peek (Texans), Juqua Thomas (Eagles) and Al Wallace (Panthers).
Defensive Tackles
This is a thin group, both in numbers and in size. Oakland kept Terdell Sands, a 6-7, 335-pound toilet clogger, off the market with a 4-year, $17M deal two weeks ago. With a man that size off the market, the most notable free agent defensive tackle is Robaire Smith (UFA, Titans), who is 6-4 and checks in at 330 pounds.
Beyond that, there is very little available. Randy Starks (RFA, Titans), Tommie Kelly (RFA, Raiders), a pair of unrestricted Chicago Bears (Ian Scott, Alfonso Boone), and lower tier players like Alvin McKinley (Browns), Kindal Moorehead (Panthers) and Anthony Adams (49ers) fill out the DT market.
Linebackers
The most talented linebacker available, Lance Briggs, has been named the Chicago Bears franchise player and won't be going anywhere. From the reports coming out of Chicago, he won't be signing a long-term deal there anytime soon, either.
This means that the most intriguing names on the free agent linebacker market are London Fletcher-Baker (UFA, Bills) and Cato June (UFA, Colts). I expect June to get the most attention, as he is 5 years younger than Fletcher-Baker. New England's Tully Banta-Cain has indicated that he'd like to return to the Patriots, but in a market that has a lot of money and few players, Banta-Cain could parlay his stellar season as a part-time starter into a decent contract elsewhere.
Teams looking for veteran stewardship will certainly be calling a pair of former San Diego Chargers, Donnie Edwards and Randall Godfrey, who has expressed an interest in finishing his career in Dallas.
Cornerbacks
I mentioned earlier that Adalius Thomas can expect to receive the richest contract in free agency. The only name that could give him a run for his money is Nate Clements (UFA, Bills). Clements is the best CB on the market, and its not even close. It's expected that Cleveland or Cincinnati will make a run at him (he matriculated at Ohio State University), but don't discount the San Francisco 49ers or the New York Jets. The 49ers have a boatload of cash to spend and New York Jets head coach Eric Mangini got his start coaching the defensive backfield and would drool at the thought of having a player like Clements manning one corner.
New England placed the franchise tag on Asante Samuel, which leaves a pair of Colts cornerbacks, Nick Harper and Jason David, on the market. David, who is younger and just 5-8, is a restricted free agent.
Safety
Topping the list of free agent safeties is Seattle's Ken Hamlin. After missing the second half of the 2005 season due to a fractured skull he received in a fight outside a Seattle nightclub, Hamlin was named the NFL's Defensive Player of the Month in September 2006. He's a tremendous athlete, a vocal leader and a vicious hitter, but Hamlin makes some mistakes in coverage and isn't the surest of tacklers. It will interesting to see how hard other teams will pursue Hamlin, since they'll certainly want to poke and prod to make sure his injuries from that 2005 incident won't affect him over the long-term. It will also be interesting to see how hard Seattle fights to retain him.
Deon Grant (Jaguars), Brian Russell (Browns) and Kevin Kaesviharn (Bengals) are veterans who could draw some early interest. Some younger players who fell out of favor with their previous employer, Mike Doss (Colts) and Michael Lewis (Eagles), should fetch some interest, as well.
The restricted market contains Gibril Wilson (Giants) and Jordan "Big Play" Babineaux. The latter is most known as the guy who ran down Tony Romo on the botched field goal attempt in the NFC Wild Card game in January.
Kickers/Punters
The most notable kickers, Josh Brown and Rian Lindell, aren't going anywhere. Brown has been "franchised" by the Seattle Seahawks, and Lindell signed a 5-year, $9M contract with the Bills in January.
As for punters (and I can't believe I'm still typing), Cincinnati has tendered Kyle Larson for $1.3M (which would return a 2nd round pick if he departs), and Dallas signed Aussie Mat McBriar to a 5-year, $8.5M contract today.
Monday, February 26, 2007
Green Bay, Buffalo Retain Defensive Ends
The Buffalo Bills have re-signed defensive end Chris Kelsay to a 4-year, $23M contract. Kelsay is coming off a season where he notched career highs in tackles (61), sacks (5.5) and passes defended (4).
Green Bay has extended DE Cullen Jenkins for 4 years, as well.
This puts a serious dent in the free agent defensive end market that expects to feature Adalius Thomas (Ravens), Patrick Kearney (Falcons) and lesser known names such as DeWayne White (Buccaneers), Antwan Peek (Texans) and restricted free agent Jared Allen, who was slapped with the highest FA tender and has subsequently asked to be traded out of Kansas City.
Justin Smith (Bengals), Charles Grant (Saints) and Dwight Freeney (Colts) had the franchise tagged placed on them before the February 22nd deadline, and Cincinnati re-signed Robert Geathers (Trent Green's favorite player) after the regular season.
Green Bay has extended DE Cullen Jenkins for 4 years, as well.
This puts a serious dent in the free agent defensive end market that expects to feature Adalius Thomas (Ravens), Patrick Kearney (Falcons) and lesser known names such as DeWayne White (Buccaneers), Antwan Peek (Texans) and restricted free agent Jared Allen, who was slapped with the highest FA tender and has subsequently asked to be traded out of Kansas City.
Justin Smith (Bengals), Charles Grant (Saints) and Dwight Freeney (Colts) had the franchise tagged placed on them before the February 22nd deadline, and Cincinnati re-signed Robert Geathers (Trent Green's favorite player) after the regular season.
Friday, February 23, 2007
Dillon Released...But Not Done
Corey Dillon will be released by the New England Patriots, but he's reportedly not "retiring" from the NFL. Despite his earlier claims that he sought to retire so that in 5-10 years, he can still play with his kids, Corey Dillon will reportedly seek a new contract in a place (like Detroit or Green Bay) where he can be the primary back.
Good move, Corey.
Instead of staying in New England and banking $2.5M in salary to be a short yardage and goal line back for a perennial playoff contender, go to a (likely) non-playoff team and carry the ball 20-25 times for them as you approach your mid-30s.
I'm guessing Dillon didn't score too highly on the Wonderlic test.
Good move, Corey.
Instead of staying in New England and banking $2.5M in salary to be a short yardage and goal line back for a perennial playoff contender, go to a (likely) non-playoff team and carry the ball 20-25 times for them as you approach your mid-30s.
I'm guessing Dillon didn't score too highly on the Wonderlic test.
Browns Win Coin Toss; Will Pick 3rd
PewterReport.com is reporting that the Cleveland Browns have won the coin toss to determine the 3rd and 4th picks in the 2007 NFL Draft. (Since they're a Bucs fansite, they obviously chose the "Bucs Lose Coin Flip" headline)
This is good news for the Browns, as the top 5 prospects are currently LSU QB JaMarcus Russell, Wisconsin LT Joe Thomas, Georgia Tech WR Calvin Johnson, Notre Dame QB Brady Quinn and Oklahoma RB Adrian Peterson. Cleveland could use either one of those players.
Speaking of the draft, I haven't come to a decision on whether or not I'll do another 7-round mock draft. I was way off last year, and with the amount of time it consumed, it probably won't happen. I'll probably do a 1, 2 or 3-round mock, though.
This is good news for the Browns, as the top 5 prospects are currently LSU QB JaMarcus Russell, Wisconsin LT Joe Thomas, Georgia Tech WR Calvin Johnson, Notre Dame QB Brady Quinn and Oklahoma RB Adrian Peterson. Cleveland could use either one of those players.
Speaking of the draft, I haven't come to a decision on whether or not I'll do another 7-round mock draft. I was way off last year, and with the amount of time it consumed, it probably won't happen. I'll probably do a 1, 2 or 3-round mock, though.
Seahawks Tag Josh Brown
The Seattle Seahawks have placed the franchise tag on their 2006 MVP, Josh Brown. The 4th-year kicker connected on 4 game-winning kicks in 2006, and has 6 such kicks in the last two seasons. Unless a long-term is reached, Brown will earn $2.078 million dollars in 2007, which is a significant raise over the $721,600 he played for a year ago.
As a Seahawks fan, I'm happy that Brown is going to be kicking for Seattle next year, but I'm disappointed that they were forced to use the franchise tag to ensure that. I think the market for free agent kickers was too well established for both sides to not agree on a long-term extension.
As Clare Farnsworth points out in today's Seattle Post Intelligencer, Arizona Cardinals kicker Neil Rackers signed a 4-year, $6.5M contract last year. Buffalo Bills kicker Rian Lindell recently signed a 5-year, $9.1M contract extension. The highest contract ever awarded to a kicker came less than a year ago, when the Indianapolis Colts signed future Hall of Famer Adam Vinatieri to a 5-year, $12M contract that included a reported $3M in guaranteed money.
Given the increase in the salary cap, and the back-to-back seasons Brown has turned in, I would think that a contract somewhere in between what Lindell and Vinatieri got would be appropriate. Brown is a better kicker than Lindell, but he doesn't have the pedigree of Vinatieri.
The reason I'm not happy that a long-term deal wasn't reached with Brown is that it now means that safety Ken Hamlin and tight end Jerramy Stevens will be targeted names in a mediocre free agent class. In a year where some NFL teams have over $30M to spend in free agency, Seattle could potentially lose both players next month. Had a long-term deal been reached with Brown, Seattle could've retained at least one of them with a franchise tag, as the cost of using the tag for a tight end or safety isn't too high.
NFL News
"Clock Killin" Corey Dillon is hanging up the spikes, and has asked the New England Patriots to release him. New England will save $4.4M on the cap by granting his request, but is Laurence Maroney ready to shoulder the load in New England? He certainly hit the rookie wall in 2006, but that's common among rookie running backs, particularly those asked to multi-task (Maroney returned kicks, as well).
Sergeant Winslow had the dreaded microfracture surgery performed on his right knee. Is there any team more snake-bitten than the Cleveland Browns?
The Oakland Raiders have cut QB Aaron Brooks, and with Marques Tuiasosopo heading towards free agency, Andrew Walter is the only QB on the roster. Until, that is, they draft either JaMarcus Russell or Brady Quinn in April.
If you haven't already harassed your cable provider into carrying the NFL Network, you better hurry up or else you'll miss the NFLN's 27 hours worth of live coverage from the 2007 Scouting Combine. The "action" gets started on Saturday at 11am ET, with workouts by tight ends, kickers and offensive lineman.
As a Seahawks fan, I'm happy that Brown is going to be kicking for Seattle next year, but I'm disappointed that they were forced to use the franchise tag to ensure that. I think the market for free agent kickers was too well established for both sides to not agree on a long-term extension.
As Clare Farnsworth points out in today's Seattle Post Intelligencer, Arizona Cardinals kicker Neil Rackers signed a 4-year, $6.5M contract last year. Buffalo Bills kicker Rian Lindell recently signed a 5-year, $9.1M contract extension. The highest contract ever awarded to a kicker came less than a year ago, when the Indianapolis Colts signed future Hall of Famer Adam Vinatieri to a 5-year, $12M contract that included a reported $3M in guaranteed money.
Given the increase in the salary cap, and the back-to-back seasons Brown has turned in, I would think that a contract somewhere in between what Lindell and Vinatieri got would be appropriate. Brown is a better kicker than Lindell, but he doesn't have the pedigree of Vinatieri.
The reason I'm not happy that a long-term deal wasn't reached with Brown is that it now means that safety Ken Hamlin and tight end Jerramy Stevens will be targeted names in a mediocre free agent class. In a year where some NFL teams have over $30M to spend in free agency, Seattle could potentially lose both players next month. Had a long-term deal been reached with Brown, Seattle could've retained at least one of them with a franchise tag, as the cost of using the tag for a tight end or safety isn't too high.
NFL News
"Clock Killin" Corey Dillon is hanging up the spikes, and has asked the New England Patriots to release him. New England will save $4.4M on the cap by granting his request, but is Laurence Maroney ready to shoulder the load in New England? He certainly hit the rookie wall in 2006, but that's common among rookie running backs, particularly those asked to multi-task (Maroney returned kicks, as well).
Sergeant Winslow had the dreaded microfracture surgery performed on his right knee. Is there any team more snake-bitten than the Cleveland Browns?
The Oakland Raiders have cut QB Aaron Brooks, and with Marques Tuiasosopo heading towards free agency, Andrew Walter is the only QB on the roster. Until, that is, they draft either JaMarcus Russell or Brady Quinn in April.
If you haven't already harassed your cable provider into carrying the NFL Network, you better hurry up or else you'll miss the NFLN's 27 hours worth of live coverage from the 2007 Scouting Combine. The "action" gets started on Saturday at 11am ET, with workouts by tight ends, kickers and offensive lineman.
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
NFL Teams Playing Tag
The deadline for NFL teams to place either the franchise or transition tag on potential unrestricted free agents is tomorrow. Here's a list of who has been tagged thus far, and who could be tagged before the deadline.
Cincinnati Bengals - DE, Justin Smith
New England Patriots - CB, Asante Samuel
New Orleans Saints - DE, Charles Grant
Indianapolis Colts - DE, Dwight Freeney
Chicago Bears - LB, Lance Briggs
Earlier this week, San Diego and Dallas avoided using the franchise tag by agreeing to six-year contracts with their top priorities in free agency. The Chargers and LB Shaun Phillips agreed to a deal on Tuesday, while Dallas inked center Andre Gurode on Monday.
Several teams, however, have important decisions to make. Does Baltimore slap the franchise tag on 30-year old LB Adalius Thomas? More importantly, do they even have the cap room to do that?
Seattle expected to have a contract with kicker Josh Brown by now, but on the eve of the franchise deadline, they'll certainly use the tag on him if a long-term deal isn't completed. If Seattle is forced to do that, FS Ken Hamlin and TE Jerramy Stevens will hit the open market on March 2nd. Incidentally, safety and tight end are two positions Seattle is expected to focus on in free agency or the draft.
Cincinnati Bengals - DE, Justin Smith
New England Patriots - CB, Asante Samuel
New Orleans Saints - DE, Charles Grant
Indianapolis Colts - DE, Dwight Freeney
Chicago Bears - LB, Lance Briggs
Earlier this week, San Diego and Dallas avoided using the franchise tag by agreeing to six-year contracts with their top priorities in free agency. The Chargers and LB Shaun Phillips agreed to a deal on Tuesday, while Dallas inked center Andre Gurode on Monday.
Several teams, however, have important decisions to make. Does Baltimore slap the franchise tag on 30-year old LB Adalius Thomas? More importantly, do they even have the cap room to do that?
Seattle expected to have a contract with kicker Josh Brown by now, but on the eve of the franchise deadline, they'll certainly use the tag on him if a long-term deal isn't completed. If Seattle is forced to do that, FS Ken Hamlin and TE Jerramy Stevens will hit the open market on March 2nd. Incidentally, safety and tight end are two positions Seattle is expected to focus on in free agency or the draft.
Monday, February 12, 2007
Chargers Fire Schottenheimer
After four of his assistant coaches bolted San Diego, Chargers president Dean Spanos has come to the decision to fire head coach Marty Schottenheimer.
Rumors of a rift between Schottenheimer and GM A.J. Smith have persisted for years, and on Monday, Spanos referred to that rift as a reason for dismissing Schottenheimer. Spanos likely would've proceeded with Schottenheimer had the assistant coaches been retained. Once Cam Cameron accepted a head coaching position with the Miami Dolphins, and defensive coordinator Wade Phillips accepted the Dallas Cowboys' top job, there really was no reason to stick with the man who San Diego offered a contract extension to just three weeks ago.
Let the rumors of Pete Carroll going to San Diego begin!
Rumors of a rift between Schottenheimer and GM A.J. Smith have persisted for years, and on Monday, Spanos referred to that rift as a reason for dismissing Schottenheimer. Spanos likely would've proceeded with Schottenheimer had the assistant coaches been retained. Once Cam Cameron accepted a head coaching position with the Miami Dolphins, and defensive coordinator Wade Phillips accepted the Dallas Cowboys' top job, there really was no reason to stick with the man who San Diego offered a contract extension to just three weeks ago.
Let the rumors of Pete Carroll going to San Diego begin!
Reinfeldt to the Titans
Seattle Seahawks vice president of operations Mike Reinfeldt has informed the Seahawks that he will be accepting the general manager's post with the Tennessee Titans.
Reinfeldt played for the then-Houston Oilers from 1976-1983, and has worked in a front-office capacity for the Seahawks the last few years. Reinfeldt was pivotal in the Seahawks ability to retain unrestricted free agents Walter Jones and Matt Hasselbeck in 2005.
Reinfeldt played for the then-Houston Oilers from 1976-1983, and has worked in a front-office capacity for the Seahawks the last few years. Reinfeldt was pivotal in the Seahawks ability to retain unrestricted free agents Walter Jones and Matt Hasselbeck in 2005.
Eagles' Reid to Take Leave of Absence
Andy Reid, the Philadelphia Eagles Head Coach and Director of Football Operations, is taking a month-long leave of absence for family reasons.
Two of Reid's sons have recently run afoul of the law. Britt Reid, 21, was arrested on drugs and weapons charges following a road rage incident where he allegedly pointed a handgun at a motorist. Garrett Reid, 23, tested positive for heroin after a recent traffic accident. Charges are yet to be filed against Garrett, but the above link states that the authorities have said he could be charged with driving under the influence of a controlled substance, which is a misdemeanor.
Reid's leave of absence coincides with two pivotal dates on the NFL calendar: The NFL Scouting Combine and the start of the NFL's free agent period. The latter event, however, is manageable. While there's no way Reid can make the Combine, he can be kept in the loop as to what the Eagles are planning to do in free agency. Certainly, someone of Reid's stature has a home office and a few working phone lines.
More importantly, Reid taking time to help his family deal with the recent events is an admission that perhaps NFL head coaches spend too much time at the office, often at the expense of their own families. In addition to Andy Reid's kids, Indianapolis Colts head coach Tony Dungy lost his son to suicide last December, and Steven Belichick, son of New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, was arrested last June for marijuana possession.
Two of Reid's sons have recently run afoul of the law. Britt Reid, 21, was arrested on drugs and weapons charges following a road rage incident where he allegedly pointed a handgun at a motorist. Garrett Reid, 23, tested positive for heroin after a recent traffic accident. Charges are yet to be filed against Garrett, but the above link states that the authorities have said he could be charged with driving under the influence of a controlled substance, which is a misdemeanor.
Reid's leave of absence coincides with two pivotal dates on the NFL calendar: The NFL Scouting Combine and the start of the NFL's free agent period. The latter event, however, is manageable. While there's no way Reid can make the Combine, he can be kept in the loop as to what the Eagles are planning to do in free agency. Certainly, someone of Reid's stature has a home office and a few working phone lines.
More importantly, Reid taking time to help his family deal with the recent events is an admission that perhaps NFL head coaches spend too much time at the office, often at the expense of their own families. In addition to Andy Reid's kids, Indianapolis Colts head coach Tony Dungy lost his son to suicide last December, and Steven Belichick, son of New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, was arrested last June for marijuana possession.
Thursday, February 08, 2007
Dallas to Name Wade Phillips Head Coach
After a week where it appeared Jerry Jones and Norv Turner were auditioning for the lead roles in "Stuck on You 2", Jones has changed directions and will soon announce that Wade Phillips will replace Bill Parcells as head coach of the Dallas Cowboys.
Phillips has a 48-39 all-time record as a head coach, and his most recent head coaching stint came as an interim head coach for the Atlanta Falcons in 2003. Phillips also served as the top dog with New Orleans (1985), Denver (1993-94), and Buffalo (1998-2000). Phillips most recently served as the defensive coordinator for the AFC West champions, the San Diego Chargers.
The move to Phillips isn't too surprising. Phillips shares Bill Parcells belief in the 3-4 defense, so all the defensive talent the Cowboys have acquired under Parcells won't be misused. In fact, Phillips could probably add a fresh voice to improve a defense that, while talented, faltered down the stretch in 2006, which led to their early playoff exit.
During the weekend, Norv Turner and Jerry Jones spent an inordinate amount of time together while they were waiting for, and then celebrating, the induction of former Cowboys WR Michael Irvin into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Irvin will be the 2nd "triplet" enshrined in Canton, Ohio, joining QB Troy Aikman. They will soon be joined by the NFL's All-Time leading rusher, Emmitt Smith.
Turner was the offensive coordinator for those Super Bowl teams in the early-to-mid 1990s, and the twice-fired head coach appeared to be a lock for the job. With the selection of Phillips, it's clear that something happened behind the scenes to prompt the move towards Phillips, and you've got to question whether or not Turner will ever get another shot at such a high profile coaching job. Turner is currently the offensive coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers.
Phillips becomes the 2nd coordinator to leave San Diego in the last few weeks. Former offensive coordinator Cam Cameron took over the head coaching job with the Miami Dolphins. Both coordinators were left alone by head coach Marty Schottenheimer, who only intervened when major decisions needed to be made (like challenging a clear fumble late midway through the 4th quarter of a playoff game). The departure of both Phillips and Cameron are severe blows to the Chargers.
Phillips has a 48-39 all-time record as a head coach, and his most recent head coaching stint came as an interim head coach for the Atlanta Falcons in 2003. Phillips also served as the top dog with New Orleans (1985), Denver (1993-94), and Buffalo (1998-2000). Phillips most recently served as the defensive coordinator for the AFC West champions, the San Diego Chargers.
The move to Phillips isn't too surprising. Phillips shares Bill Parcells belief in the 3-4 defense, so all the defensive talent the Cowboys have acquired under Parcells won't be misused. In fact, Phillips could probably add a fresh voice to improve a defense that, while talented, faltered down the stretch in 2006, which led to their early playoff exit.
During the weekend, Norv Turner and Jerry Jones spent an inordinate amount of time together while they were waiting for, and then celebrating, the induction of former Cowboys WR Michael Irvin into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Irvin will be the 2nd "triplet" enshrined in Canton, Ohio, joining QB Troy Aikman. They will soon be joined by the NFL's All-Time leading rusher, Emmitt Smith.
Turner was the offensive coordinator for those Super Bowl teams in the early-to-mid 1990s, and the twice-fired head coach appeared to be a lock for the job. With the selection of Phillips, it's clear that something happened behind the scenes to prompt the move towards Phillips, and you've got to question whether or not Turner will ever get another shot at such a high profile coaching job. Turner is currently the offensive coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers.
Phillips becomes the 2nd coordinator to leave San Diego in the last few weeks. Former offensive coordinator Cam Cameron took over the head coaching job with the Miami Dolphins. Both coordinators were left alone by head coach Marty Schottenheimer, who only intervened when major decisions needed to be made (like challenging a clear fumble late midway through the 4th quarter of a playoff game). The departure of both Phillips and Cameron are severe blows to the Chargers.
Monday, February 05, 2007
Super Bowl XLI Review
A quick review of Super Bowl XLI:
Pre-Game Show
Can we just accept that all Super Bowl pre-game shows will be a.) 4+ hours in length, and b.) boring?
Some of the highlights (or lowlights) from yesterday's pre-game show:
The Random Celebrity Introduction: This year, it was Cuba Gooding, Jr., who is in the new Eddie Murphy film Norbit. I'm actually looking forward to seeing Norbit, because the Nutty Professor/Klumps series didn't satisfy my insatiable appetite to see Eddie Murphy in a fat suit. (It's been twenty years since Raw, by the way. Twenty years. I can't get over that.)
Boomer/Shannon Fly With the Thunderbirds: How does the United States Air Force celebrate its 60th anniversary? By making Shannon Sharpe the first equine to pull 9 G's. Nicely done!
Stevie Nicks: ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL!!! Nothing screams "Super Bowl Sunday" like a mid-afternoon performance by Stevie Nicks.
Bill Cowher Visits the Set: The former Pittsburgh Steelers head coach says that he'd like get into broadcasting. Please don't, Bill. You're a great head coach. Take a year off, get some Huxtable sweaters and wait for the Panthers or Redskins job to open up.
Kickoff Show
Ah, the "kickoff" show, which is completely different from the pre-game show. How is it different? For starters, it has a different corporate sponsor. Secondly, there's no football analysis whatsoever. That's been replaced by Cirque de Soleil. Strangely, I'm okay with it.
Halftime Show
Horrible. There's nothing about a 48-year old, 5'1" man wearing a Carol Brady Collection aqua pantsuit with high heels and a perm that says "football". Nothing. I would've preferred an encore from Cirque de Soleil or Stevie Nicks over this.
Hell, John Madden naked wrestling a badger would've been better than Prince.
The Game
Overall, I wasn't as disappointed in the game as I thought I would be. The rain made things interesting in the first half, with the Colts and Bears combining for 6 turnovers, including 5 fumbles.
Chicago used a 92-yard kick return by Devin Hester and a 4-yard scoring pass from Rex Grossman to Muhsin Muhammed to take a 14-6 lead late in the 1st quarter. After that, the Bears offense went into Peyton Manning-induced hibernation. The Colts held the ball for 21 minutes and 35 seconds between the 2nd and 3rd quarters, where they outscored Chicago 16-3.
Early in the 4th quarter, Rex Grossman tossed a touchdown pass to Indianapolis' Kelvin Hayden, and the game was pretty much over.
Mac's Game Balls
Offense: Peyton Manning, Indianapolis - 25-38, 247 yards, 1 TD and 1 INT isn't very flashy, at least not by Manning's standards. But he was effective, played well despite the driving rain, and made just one bad throw (the 1st quarter INT to Chris Harris).
Defense: Bob Sanders, Indianapolis - Sanders didn't have a 13 tackle game like Chicago LB Lance Briggs. In fact, Sanders only made a pair of tackles in the game. But he did force a fumble on a bone-crushing hit on Cedric Benson and intercepted Bears' QB Rex Grossman. I'm giving him a game ball because the Colts defense improved dramatically once they had Sanders back in the lineup.
Special Teams: Devin Hester, Chicago - When you return the opening kick in the Super Bowl 92 yards for a touchdown, you get a game ball. Indianapolis didn't kick the ball anywhere near him the rest of the way. That's called "respect".
If you want a more in-depth review of yesterday's game, I recommend that you check out today's column by Football Outsider's Doug Farrar over at FOX Sports.com.
Manning the MVP
With no dominating performances, it had to go to Manning. I've read and heard a lot about making Joseph Addai and Dominic Rhodes co-MVPs, but those people are overlooking something: Chicago's run defense hasn't been very good since Tommie Harris and Mike Brown were injured, and Chicago rarely put an 8th guy down in the box to stop the run.
Chicago's primary concern was stopping Manning, and Peyton was content to hand the ball off to Addai/Rhodes, or hit Rhodes (who had 10 receptions, 2 short of an NFL record) on quick dumpoff passes when the defense was retreating into it's "Tampa 2" coverage. This flawed strategy by Chicago made those big gains on the ground possible.
Manning and the Colts were 8-18 on 3rd downs against the 2nd-ranked 3rd down defense in the NFL this year. Indianapolis controlled the clock (Indianapolis ran 80 plays in 38 minutes and 4 seconds), kept their defense on the ground and dramatically altered the Bears gameplan.
Do you really think Lovie Smith wanted to run the ball fewer than 20 times last night? Of course not. The only way Chicago was going to win was pressure Manning (didn't happen) and control the clock with Thomas Jones and Cedric Benson (who was injured in the 1st quarter) and not put the game on Rex Grossman's incapable shoulders.
The engineer of the Colts offense is Peyton Manning, which is why he was the only choice for MVP.
Colts Face Tough Free Agent Road
It's going to be tough for Indianapolis to repeat in 2007. They're one of the few teams that are not in great shape cap-wise, and they have a slew of free agents to retain, particularly on the defensive side of the ball. Among them are:
Offense: RB Dominic Rhodes, OL Jake Scott (RFA), OL Ryan Lilja (RFA), WR Aaron Moorehead
Defense: DE Dwight Freeney, CB Nick Harper, LB Cato June, CB Jason David (RFA)
Pre-Game Show
Can we just accept that all Super Bowl pre-game shows will be a.) 4+ hours in length, and b.) boring?
Some of the highlights (or lowlights) from yesterday's pre-game show:
The Random Celebrity Introduction: This year, it was Cuba Gooding, Jr., who is in the new Eddie Murphy film Norbit. I'm actually looking forward to seeing Norbit, because the Nutty Professor/Klumps series didn't satisfy my insatiable appetite to see Eddie Murphy in a fat suit. (It's been twenty years since Raw, by the way. Twenty years. I can't get over that.)
Boomer/Shannon Fly With the Thunderbirds: How does the United States Air Force celebrate its 60th anniversary? By making Shannon Sharpe the first equine to pull 9 G's. Nicely done!
Stevie Nicks: ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL!!! Nothing screams "Super Bowl Sunday" like a mid-afternoon performance by Stevie Nicks.
Bill Cowher Visits the Set: The former Pittsburgh Steelers head coach says that he'd like get into broadcasting. Please don't, Bill. You're a great head coach. Take a year off, get some Huxtable sweaters and wait for the Panthers or Redskins job to open up.
Kickoff Show
Ah, the "kickoff" show, which is completely different from the pre-game show. How is it different? For starters, it has a different corporate sponsor. Secondly, there's no football analysis whatsoever. That's been replaced by Cirque de Soleil. Strangely, I'm okay with it.
Halftime Show
Horrible. There's nothing about a 48-year old, 5'1" man wearing a Carol Brady Collection aqua pantsuit with high heels and a perm that says "football". Nothing. I would've preferred an encore from Cirque de Soleil or Stevie Nicks over this.
Hell, John Madden naked wrestling a badger would've been better than Prince.
The Game
Overall, I wasn't as disappointed in the game as I thought I would be. The rain made things interesting in the first half, with the Colts and Bears combining for 6 turnovers, including 5 fumbles.
Chicago used a 92-yard kick return by Devin Hester and a 4-yard scoring pass from Rex Grossman to Muhsin Muhammed to take a 14-6 lead late in the 1st quarter. After that, the Bears offense went into Peyton Manning-induced hibernation. The Colts held the ball for 21 minutes and 35 seconds between the 2nd and 3rd quarters, where they outscored Chicago 16-3.
Early in the 4th quarter, Rex Grossman tossed a touchdown pass to Indianapolis' Kelvin Hayden, and the game was pretty much over.
Mac's Game Balls
Offense: Peyton Manning, Indianapolis - 25-38, 247 yards, 1 TD and 1 INT isn't very flashy, at least not by Manning's standards. But he was effective, played well despite the driving rain, and made just one bad throw (the 1st quarter INT to Chris Harris).
Defense: Bob Sanders, Indianapolis - Sanders didn't have a 13 tackle game like Chicago LB Lance Briggs. In fact, Sanders only made a pair of tackles in the game. But he did force a fumble on a bone-crushing hit on Cedric Benson and intercepted Bears' QB Rex Grossman. I'm giving him a game ball because the Colts defense improved dramatically once they had Sanders back in the lineup.
Special Teams: Devin Hester, Chicago - When you return the opening kick in the Super Bowl 92 yards for a touchdown, you get a game ball. Indianapolis didn't kick the ball anywhere near him the rest of the way. That's called "respect".
If you want a more in-depth review of yesterday's game, I recommend that you check out today's column by Football Outsider's Doug Farrar over at FOX Sports.com.
Manning the MVP
With no dominating performances, it had to go to Manning. I've read and heard a lot about making Joseph Addai and Dominic Rhodes co-MVPs, but those people are overlooking something: Chicago's run defense hasn't been very good since Tommie Harris and Mike Brown were injured, and Chicago rarely put an 8th guy down in the box to stop the run.
Chicago's primary concern was stopping Manning, and Peyton was content to hand the ball off to Addai/Rhodes, or hit Rhodes (who had 10 receptions, 2 short of an NFL record) on quick dumpoff passes when the defense was retreating into it's "Tampa 2" coverage. This flawed strategy by Chicago made those big gains on the ground possible.
Manning and the Colts were 8-18 on 3rd downs against the 2nd-ranked 3rd down defense in the NFL this year. Indianapolis controlled the clock (Indianapolis ran 80 plays in 38 minutes and 4 seconds), kept their defense on the ground and dramatically altered the Bears gameplan.
Do you really think Lovie Smith wanted to run the ball fewer than 20 times last night? Of course not. The only way Chicago was going to win was pressure Manning (didn't happen) and control the clock with Thomas Jones and Cedric Benson (who was injured in the 1st quarter) and not put the game on Rex Grossman's incapable shoulders.
The engineer of the Colts offense is Peyton Manning, which is why he was the only choice for MVP.
Colts Face Tough Free Agent Road
It's going to be tough for Indianapolis to repeat in 2007. They're one of the few teams that are not in great shape cap-wise, and they have a slew of free agents to retain, particularly on the defensive side of the ball. Among them are:
Offense: RB Dominic Rhodes, OL Jake Scott (RFA), OL Ryan Lilja (RFA), WR Aaron Moorehead
Defense: DE Dwight Freeney, CB Nick Harper, LB Cato June, CB Jason David (RFA)
Saturday, February 03, 2007
Pro Football Hall of Fame - Class of 2007
The NFL has announced its 2007 Hall of Fame Class today. They are:
Former Cleveland Browns offensive lineman Gene Hickerson
Former St. Louis Cardinals cornerback Roger Wehrli
Former Detroit Lions tight end Charlie Sanders
Former Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans offensive lineman Bruce Matthews
Former Buffalo Bills running back Thurman Thomas
Former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Michael Irvin
Irvin will likely command the most media attention, due in large part to his off-field incidents involving highly publicized arrests for drug possession, including an arrest last year for possessing a crack pipe that led to a 1-week suspension from his current gig as an NFL analyst for ESPN.
Not elected to the Hall on this go-round were:
Paul Tagliabue, Russ Grimm, Ray Guy, Bob Kuechenberg, Andre Reed, Richard Dent, Gary Zimmerman, Art Monk, Derrick Thomas, Fred Dean, and Andre Tippett.
Former Cleveland Browns offensive lineman Gene Hickerson
Former St. Louis Cardinals cornerback Roger Wehrli
Former Detroit Lions tight end Charlie Sanders
Former Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans offensive lineman Bruce Matthews
Former Buffalo Bills running back Thurman Thomas
Former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Michael Irvin
Irvin will likely command the most media attention, due in large part to his off-field incidents involving highly publicized arrests for drug possession, including an arrest last year for possessing a crack pipe that led to a 1-week suspension from his current gig as an NFL analyst for ESPN.
Not elected to the Hall on this go-round were:
Paul Tagliabue, Russ Grimm, Ray Guy, Bob Kuechenberg, Andre Reed, Richard Dent, Gary Zimmerman, Art Monk, Derrick Thomas, Fred Dean, and Andre Tippett.
Friday, February 02, 2007
Favre Coming Back in '07
Punxsutawney Phil didn't his shadow this morning, which means we can expect to see an early spring. Brett Favre did see his shadow this morning, which means there will be at least 16 weeks of football left for Favre. And somewhere, Aaron Rodgers is wishing he spent even more time in the green room at the 2004 NFL Draft.
(I got the whole "did he/didn't he" see his shadow thing wrong earlier. I apologize for not being completely up on my German folklore. Thank you anonymous for pointing this out!)
Favre's return isn't much of a surprise. After a disasterous 2005 season, one where Lord Favre tossed nearly 30 interceptions and Green Bay win just 4 games, the Packers rebounded to finish a surprising 8-8. The young offensive line came together at the end of the season, the defense is young and improved, and Green Bay has the draft and free agency to improve even more.
Leaving, at this point, would have been a foolish decision for a man who doesn't give off the impression that he isn't anywhere close to being finished.
(I got the whole "did he/didn't he" see his shadow thing wrong earlier. I apologize for not being completely up on my German folklore. Thank you anonymous for pointing this out!)
Favre's return isn't much of a surprise. After a disasterous 2005 season, one where Lord Favre tossed nearly 30 interceptions and Green Bay win just 4 games, the Packers rebounded to finish a surprising 8-8. The young offensive line came together at the end of the season, the defense is young and improved, and Green Bay has the draft and free agency to improve even more.
Leaving, at this point, would have been a foolish decision for a man who doesn't give off the impression that he isn't anywhere close to being finished.
Hey! There's a Super Bowl This Weekend!
We're a little bit more than 48 hours away from the 11th and final playoff game of the 2006 season, so it's time to offer up some predictions (and then catch up on some of the doings around the NFL). Thus far, I'm 7-3 the playoffs. Somewhere, Marty Schottenheimer is very jealous.
Indianapolis Colts vs. Chicago Bears
Nobody is giving the Chicago Bears much of a chance in this one, and truth be told, I don't either. I'm rooting for them (my loyalty goes a.) team, b.) division, c.) conference), and I think that Brian Urlacher could outsmart Peyton Manning and will take away those seam routes to Dallas Clark that Manning loves to throw, but ultimately, I think that Indianapolis has too many weapons and the Bears can't account for all of them.
The Colts run defense has silenced all critics in the last month, so it could be up to Rex Grossman to beat the Colts secondary, a feat not even Tom Brady could adequately do.
Mac's Pick: Indianapolis 38, Chicago 13
MVP - Peyton Manning, Indianapolis
It frustrates me to make that pick, because it's going to be another 12 months of talk about how "superior the AFC is to the NFC", but I can't deny that the Colts appear to be a team heading into Sunday's game with destiny on their shoulders.
The Days and Weeks Ahead
Once Super Bowl XLI concludes, the talk around here will focus squarely on NFL free agency, March Madness, baseball and the NFL Draft. In fact, one reason for the lack of posts lately is that Strat-o-Matic held their "Opening Day" last Friday, and for the 9th year in a row, I made the 3.5 hour drive down to Long Island to pick up the new cards. We're entering the 13th season of the CMSBL, and as you can see from this list, I've yet to win my first Blue Jacket. (The "Blue Jacket" in question is a satin Milwaukee Brewers jacket from the late 80s/early 90s. It's fantastically exciting in a really cheesy way)
NFL Free Agency
I saw a preliminary/unofficial list of the available cap room over the weekend, and it appears as though the 32 NFL teams will have $670M in available room under the cap heading into 2007. Leading the way are teams like San Francisco ($42.1M), Buffalo ($39.7M) and Arizona ($36.7M). In the negative, as always, are Carolina (-$3.1M) and Washington (-$2.388). Indianapolis, Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Kansas City and Denver are the only teams under the cap that have less than $10M in cap room.
Now, these numbers are essentially meaningless. Once teams make decisions on restricted and exclusive rights free agents, and extend tender offers, the available cap room dwindles. Then there are issues with the franchise tags. ESPN.com's John Clayton posted the franchise numbers on his weblog, and they loook like this:
QB - $12.615M
RB - $6.999M
WR - $7.613M
TE - $4.371M
OL - $9.556M
DT - $6.775M
DE - $8.644M
LB - $7.206M
CB - $7.79M
S - $4.49M
K - $2.078M
There's no need to post the transition figures, since after the Minnesota/Seattle poison-pill brouhaha of 2006, no team in their right mind will place the transition tag on an unrestricted free agent.
College Basketball
Aside from rooting for the Celtics to lose (so they can get either Greg Oden or Kevin Durant in the '07 draft), I have little interest in the NBA. I do, however, love college basketball.*
*-I can only watch college basketball from mid-January through early April, and oh yeah, I hate Duke.
If you like college hoops, you have to check out Joe Lunardi's Bracketology over at ESPN.com. In six weeks, when Creighton is sticking it to Michigan State, you'll be screaming at your TV wondering a.) where the hell is Creighton? and b.) why you didn't check out sites like this earlier.
Do yourself a favor, and start boning up on this stuff...now.
MLB Baseball
You could look at the links on the right-hand side of this blog, and seeing that I'm from Massachusetts, you'd assume that I'm a Red Sox fan. You wouldn't be wrong, but the truth of the matter is I'm much more of a fan of baseball than I am of any one team. Last year, I attended one Red Sox game, in the second week of the season. That was enough for me.
I'd much rather drink my own beer, have no wait for the men's room, and watch as many different games as possible, thanks to the MLB Extra Innings package, which I order through DirecTV.
Now, it appears as though the only way you'll have access to up to 60 out-of-market games a week is by ponying up the dough and converting to DirecTV.
MLB and DirecTV are currently working on a $700M deal that would make the satellite provider the only place you can get the Extra Innings package. Don't worry, baseball fans. John Kerry is working on it.
Indianapolis Colts vs. Chicago Bears
Nobody is giving the Chicago Bears much of a chance in this one, and truth be told, I don't either. I'm rooting for them (my loyalty goes a.) team, b.) division, c.) conference), and I think that Brian Urlacher could outsmart Peyton Manning and will take away those seam routes to Dallas Clark that Manning loves to throw, but ultimately, I think that Indianapolis has too many weapons and the Bears can't account for all of them.
The Colts run defense has silenced all critics in the last month, so it could be up to Rex Grossman to beat the Colts secondary, a feat not even Tom Brady could adequately do.
Mac's Pick: Indianapolis 38, Chicago 13
MVP - Peyton Manning, Indianapolis
It frustrates me to make that pick, because it's going to be another 12 months of talk about how "superior the AFC is to the NFC", but I can't deny that the Colts appear to be a team heading into Sunday's game with destiny on their shoulders.
The Days and Weeks Ahead
Once Super Bowl XLI concludes, the talk around here will focus squarely on NFL free agency, March Madness, baseball and the NFL Draft. In fact, one reason for the lack of posts lately is that Strat-o-Matic held their "Opening Day" last Friday, and for the 9th year in a row, I made the 3.5 hour drive down to Long Island to pick up the new cards. We're entering the 13th season of the CMSBL, and as you can see from this list, I've yet to win my first Blue Jacket. (The "Blue Jacket" in question is a satin Milwaukee Brewers jacket from the late 80s/early 90s. It's fantastically exciting in a really cheesy way)
NFL Free Agency
I saw a preliminary/unofficial list of the available cap room over the weekend, and it appears as though the 32 NFL teams will have $670M in available room under the cap heading into 2007. Leading the way are teams like San Francisco ($42.1M), Buffalo ($39.7M) and Arizona ($36.7M). In the negative, as always, are Carolina (-$3.1M) and Washington (-$2.388). Indianapolis, Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Kansas City and Denver are the only teams under the cap that have less than $10M in cap room.
Now, these numbers are essentially meaningless. Once teams make decisions on restricted and exclusive rights free agents, and extend tender offers, the available cap room dwindles. Then there are issues with the franchise tags. ESPN.com's John Clayton posted the franchise numbers on his weblog, and they loook like this:
QB - $12.615M
RB - $6.999M
WR - $7.613M
TE - $4.371M
OL - $9.556M
DT - $6.775M
DE - $8.644M
LB - $7.206M
CB - $7.79M
S - $4.49M
K - $2.078M
There's no need to post the transition figures, since after the Minnesota/Seattle poison-pill brouhaha of 2006, no team in their right mind will place the transition tag on an unrestricted free agent.
College Basketball
Aside from rooting for the Celtics to lose (so they can get either Greg Oden or Kevin Durant in the '07 draft), I have little interest in the NBA. I do, however, love college basketball.*
*-I can only watch college basketball from mid-January through early April, and oh yeah, I hate Duke.
If you like college hoops, you have to check out Joe Lunardi's Bracketology over at ESPN.com. In six weeks, when Creighton is sticking it to Michigan State, you'll be screaming at your TV wondering a.) where the hell is Creighton? and b.) why you didn't check out sites like this earlier.
Do yourself a favor, and start boning up on this stuff...now.
MLB Baseball
You could look at the links on the right-hand side of this blog, and seeing that I'm from Massachusetts, you'd assume that I'm a Red Sox fan. You wouldn't be wrong, but the truth of the matter is I'm much more of a fan of baseball than I am of any one team. Last year, I attended one Red Sox game, in the second week of the season. That was enough for me.
I'd much rather drink my own beer, have no wait for the men's room, and watch as many different games as possible, thanks to the MLB Extra Innings package, which I order through DirecTV.
Now, it appears as though the only way you'll have access to up to 60 out-of-market games a week is by ponying up the dough and converting to DirecTV.
MLB and DirecTV are currently working on a $700M deal that would make the satellite provider the only place you can get the Extra Innings package. Don't worry, baseball fans. John Kerry is working on it.
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