The Denver Broncos on the Verge of Losing a Franchise Player

So far, the end of the Mike Shannahan era has been rocky.  The transition to new head coach Josh Mcdaniels has brought with it dissention between Mcdaniels and quarterback Jay Cutler.  Cutler feels unwanted in Denver and has demanded to be traded.

The Denver Broncos cannot afford to lose their quarterback, especially one with limitless upside.  Jay Cutler is the obvious offensive leader for the team and has shown it on the field on many occasions.  Jay Cutler is way too valuable to be traded.

Honestly, I do not think any team will offer up enough to be worth a trade for Cutler.  The only thing I think would be a good deal for the Broncos would be three draft picks in the top three rounds.  That is the value I think that Cutler carries. 

I believe within the next two-three years he will become a perennial pro bowl caliber quarterback.  There is just no other quarterback out there that will come even remotely close to his talent.

Jerry Rice Will Always Be the Greatest Wide Receiver

Jerry Rice is the greatest wide receiver ever to play in the NFL again. Now Bryn Swartz who is perfectly entitled to the opinion of the opposite that Don Hutson was the greatest wide recever ever to play the game.

What Swartz fails to acknowledge during the time that that 995 NFL players that interupted their football careers to serve in the military. 995 players that’s mind boggling. So, is it fair to say during the time of Hutson’s so called domination he wasn’t facing the best competition?

This data was taken from the Cold Hard Facts archive from 2007. In World War II players such as Otto Graham, Chuck Bednarik, George Halas, Wellington Mara, etc…

Now onto the fact that Hutson’s season consisted of only 11 games and his career lasted 11 years culminating into him playing 116 games.

If Hutson had played a 16 game seasons his numbers would have looked like this:

1935: 36 catches for 747 yards and 11 touchdowns

1936: 45 catches for 715 yards  and 11 touchdowns

1937: 60 catches for 803 yards and 10 touchdowns

1938: 51 catches for 877 yards and 14 touchdowns

1939: 50 catches for 1231 yards and nine touchdowns

1940: 66 catches for 966 yards and 10 touchdowns

1941:  85 catches for 1074 yards and 15 touchdowns

1942: 108 catches for 1762 yards and 25 touchdowns

1943: 75 catches for 1242 yards and 17 touchdowns

1944: 93 catches for 1386 yards and 14 touchdowns

1945: 75 catches for 1334 yards and 14 touchdowns

Career Totals in 16 game season (hypothetical): 744 catches for  12,137 yards and 150 touchdowns

The problem with this scenario is the fact that it’s all hypothetical there’s no way to actually know what Hutson would have been able to do in a 16 game season. Coud he have gotten injured and missed games?

At the time yes Hutson was the dominant receiver in his era of playing, but does that necessarily mean he was the greatest?

In actuality, Hutson’s career stats are these: 488 catches for 7991 yards and 99 touchdowns.

The numbers speak for themselves.

Now onto the greatest receiver in NFL history Jerry Rice and the question that should be asked is what hasn’t Rice accomplished? Also, what’s amazing is that during his 21 year career Rice only missed 19 games and a majority of those games was his 1997 season on a face mask tackle by Warren Sapp.

Unlike Hutson there’s only two season that are a hypothetical situation and that is the 1987 season he had and the 1987 season if he wasn’t injured. So, here are his numbers from the season.

1987 season: 87 catches for 1437 yards and 29 touchdowns

1997 season: 88 catches for 1248 yards and 12 touchdowns

Again like Hutson this pure hypothetical situations. What was used for Rice’s 1997 season was his average catches per season with the 49ers as well as his average yards per game average throughout his stay on the 49ers, and lastly his average touchdowns with the 49ers.

So, if this were to be added to Rice’s career totals this is what it would look like.

Rice’s Career Totals (hypothetical): 1659 catches for 24,332 yards and 215 touchdowns.

Rice’s actual career totals: 1549 catches for 22,985 yards and 197 touchdowns.

Rice’s actual career numbers versus Hutson’s actual career numbers there’s a huge advantage point in Rice’s favor and even with the hypothetical, Rice wins by a lot.

Rice would have had 805 more catches, 10,848 more yards, and 47 more touchdowns.

Also, taking into account the fact that defenses during Rice’s era were vastly more complicated then what was around the 1930s and 1940s, technology today is better than it was back then as well, and of course athletes becoming bigger, faster, and stronger in Rice’s period it’s no question that this advantage goes to Rice as well.

Rice got to go up against very talented corners in his time as well as looking out for the opposing teams free or strong safety.

Also on a comments on Bryn Swartz’s article “Why Jerry Rice is NOT the Greatest Wide Receiver in NFL History” George Duryea said it best with this quote ” He wasn’t just a guy who caught passes and broke them for TDs, he was a total team player. He elevated everyone around him.”

Another point that the article made was that Dennis Green was quoted as saying “Jerry Rice is the best route runner I’ve ever seen.” Later in the article it mentions that Green should have seen Hutson play.

Interesting because Green was born in 1949 and even then more than likely had seen clips of Hutson play or heard stories about Hutson on how good he was. Keep in mind Green was also a coach for a long time he more than likely knows a lot about the history of the NFL.

Another point that Bryn tries to make is the argumen that during Rice’s 122 catch 1995 season he could have been considered the fourth best receveiver in that year. He argues that Herman Moore could be argued for having a better year with a then record of 123 catches, Cris Carter also caught 122 passes that year as well, and Michael Irvin caught 100 passes.

He mentions that Scott Mitchell was the quarterback and that he had never went to a Pro-Bowl, but the question is so what? Well Mitchell definitely deserved to be recognized in that season when he threw 32 touchdowns to 12 interceptions.

Also, keep in mind that the Lions were extremely talented in 1995.  Moore of course was the leading receiver and was complimented by Brett Perriman who caught 108 passes for over 1000 yards, and don’t forget the Lions running game was lead by Barry Sanders as well. So, the Lions were a dangerous team.

During the 1995 year, Rice caught more than half of the teams 29 receiving touchdowns with 15, he had 1200 more yards then the next closest receiver which was running back Derek Loville. Rice was the main weapon and he lead the league in receiving yards, was two off of Carter who had 17 touchhdowns, had more touchdowns than Moore, and averaged more yards per catch.

So, the argument could be made that Rice’s 1995 season was the better one out of Moore’s, Carter, and Irvin.

Also, Rice is considered by many to be the greatest blocking wide receiver in NFL history. Rice was not afraid to make contact with defenders and that’s also what made him so great was his ability to get the most out of his teammates. Here’s a clip Rice blocking for John Taylor on his 96 yard touchdown catch.

Jerry Rice’s first career touchdown catch wasn’t even thrown by Joe Montana. Rice’s first career score came on a pass from Matt Cavanaugh.

Most importantly though was that Jerry Rice was the hardest working athlete in the NFL when he was playing throughout his 21 seasons in the league. At the age of 42, Rice caught 92 passes! When most wide receivers are already retired by that age.

Another thing to look at with Rice is that he became the first non quarterback to win the MVP. He holds numerous NFL records including most touchdowns receiving, most receptions, most receiving yards, most all-purpose yards, most point scored by a non-kicker, and there are plenty of other records Rice enjoys.

Along the way Rice did get to enjoy catching passes from Joe Montana, Steve Young, and Jeff Garcia while in a 49ers uniform, but he also caught passes from the aforementioned Cavanaugh, but also Elvis Grbac, Steve Bono, Harry Sydney, Jeff Kemp, Mike Morowski.

In Oakland of course, Rich Gannon.

For Seattle, Trent Dilfer and Matt Hasslebeck.

All these quarterbacks have thrown a touchdown pass to Jerry Rice. So, throughout his 21 year career Rice has caught a touchdown from 12 different quarterbacks.

Another quote which was from Steve Young in 1989 that George used in his comment as well was this one from back in 1989 “I knew what Jerry was going to do from the first time he ran a route. For some reason, his body language told me what he was going to do. He doesn’t tell anyone else, I can tell.

“The defensive guys have no idea, but for a quarterback, for some reason, he’s someone that you really have an understanding where he’s headed, and it makes your timing that much better. you can get him the ball much quicker because you know where he’s going.”

Rice’s list of records.

Rice also has three Superbowl rings including a Superbowl MVP trophy as well. He’s also played in the most playoff games (29) and played in 303 regular seasons.

Don’t get me wrong Hutson was a dominant force in his era, but he is clearly not the greatest ever to play in the NFL.  

Now, there have been some great seasons by wide receivers over the years. Names that include Randy Moss, Terrell Owens, Marvin Harrison, Isaac Bruce, Torry Holt, Michael Irvin, Tim Brown, Andre Reed, Art Monk, Rod Smith, and plenty of other receivers who have caught over 100 passes and 10 plus touchdowns, yet the one thing missing from these receivers is longevity and consistency.

Take for example Marvin Harrison he’s 36 years old now going on 37 and is beginning to showing signs of aging and injuries. He’s caught just 65 passes the past two years and as of right now is a free agent with not many teams interested in him yet.

Meanwhile at the age of 36 Rice was coming off a season of catching 82 passes for 1157 yards and nine touchdowns. Harrison at 36 caught 60 passes for 636 yards and five touchdowns.

So, In terms of consistency, longevity in the game (21 years), and overall records there is no doubt that one man occupies the top spot for the greatest wide receiver in NFL history and that belongs to Jerry Rice.

Gearing Up Towards the Draft: New England Patriots Style.

We’re about at the halfway mark of the offseason, in fact team voluntary workouts have already commenced. New faces are going to start popping up left and right with the veteran editions of Joey Galloway, Shawn Springs, Leigh Bodden, Greg Lewis and not to mention the expected return of Tom Brady.

The Pats were recently given three compensatory draft picks and now have six picks in the top 100, with Bill Belichick at the helm I fully expect him to turn at least three of those players into key contributors virtually right away, the question is where does he go with those picks. With the departure of Vrabel and the addition of Springs and Bodden to their secondary the obvious pick is at outside linebacker, the second half of the first round is very deep at this position.

I doubt Maybin will fall to 23 but if he does you can be sure that the Pats will jump on him, he fits the 3-4 defence that they run absolutely perfectly! In the likely case that he doesn’t fall to the 23rd pick there are a few other more than suitable replacements.

 

Brian Cushing (USC) is a smart BB type player who may be available at number 23, he is a big physically gifted athlete who can step in right away and do almost anything asked of him, although he doesn’t fair too well when dropping back in coverage.  

Clay Matthew another USC outside backer, he started as a walk-on for the Trojans and turned himself into a certain first rounder, he was a part of one of the best defences that the NCAA has ever seen. He comes from a huge football family and would fit in nicely with the Patriots.

Larry English (Northern Illinois) a DE/OLB and he a preeminent pass rusher, exactly what the pats are looking for.

If they don’t feel that the value at outside linebacker is left on the board I fully expect them to look at corner where either Malcolm Jenkins (OSU),Vontae Davis (Illinois), and Alphonso Smith (Wake Forest) would fit in nicely with Hobbs, Springs and Bodden. Jenkins and Davis would both have to fall considerably to be an option, they would both be considered steals at this point in the draft, and Smith has size issues, but he is a real player, his 21 college interceptions cannot be overlooked!

I don’t think there are any safeties to be had in the first round but with three more picks in the second round surely one of them will be used to replace Harrison.  

Aaron Curry Would Be A Dream Come True, But I Can Live With Matt Stafford

So it’s official, with the 1st pick in the 2009 NFL Draft, the Detroit Lions select Matthew Stafford, Quarterback, University of Georgia.  

I can already hear the boo’s from the disgruntled fans that salivate over the possibility of having Curry sandwiched in between Julian Peterson and Ernie Sims (me being one of them).  

I am writing this article to help people realize that if we don’t get our wish, we still have a lot to be excited about.

KFFL has reported that we are selecting Jason Smith with the first pick, this wouldn’t be bad news for any of us, however I think it would be a sexier pick to go Defense or Quarterback.  

If the Lions do select Curry, I believe we could target a solid left tackle with the #20 pick and then go D-Line with the 1st pick in the second round.  This is the Lions best option and will lead to the quickest turnaround.  THIS FORMULA WILL EXCITE THE FANS, MAYHEW IF YOU READ THIS (yeah right)…PLEASE DRAFT CURRY, LT, DL WITH THE TOP 3 PICKS.

If the Stafford does impress the boys upstairs enough to demand the No. 1 pick, I believe we will still be in decent shape this year and have a lot to look forward to if things start going south.  

Sure chances are we will not be able to see our No. 1 pick start and make an immediate impact, but I will still be excited watching Lauranitus plugging up the middle (hopefully our No. 20 pick if we draft Stafford) and watching our new Left Guard push people around (our #33 pick)…sure Backus will still be at Left tackle and Culpepper will be throwing the deep ball to Calvin, but I honestly believe the Lions can win and win this year (and by win I mean 5 to 9 games at best) if the they go in this direction in the 2009 draft.  

Also, if things go south and Culpepper doesn’t light it up, we all have something to get excited about.  STAFFORD! STAFFORD! STAFFORD!  This is much better then just giving up on the team, throwing in the towel and spending our Sundays elsewhere.

My point is, no matter how the Lions draft this year, I believe that we as fans will have something to be excited about.  

Although I am a strong believer that the fastest road to success would be the Curry, LT, DL one, two, three punch, if we go in a different direction good things may also happen. We have suffered too much let down with this organization.  

Teams cannot lose for ever.  I truly believe that this is the turning point.  The thought of losing and giving up on the Lions in October is behind us!

Whose with me??

No Stadium? Ziggy Will Not Move, Ziggy Will Sell

For over 10 years now, the Minnesota Vikings organization has been trying to work with Minnesota politicians in finding ways to budget a new stadium for the team.

This dates back to the Red McCombs era and Governor Ventura’s days in office. Jesse was an avid Vikings fan and was seen at plenty of games supporting his team.

But when it came to funding a stadium, Mr. Ventura felt that he couldn’t tax the citizens of Minnesota to fund the budget, even though it would only cost the average tax payer five cents. McCombs drew tired of finding funds and talking with Minnesota politicians, and finally decided it was time to sell the team.

In came Ziggy Wilf, a real estate guru from New York. Ziggy made it clear in 2005 that he would never relocate the team out of state.

So far he has kept his word, and rumor has it he would not discuss moving the team to L.A, when and if a new stadium is built there. Just like McCombs, Ziggy has been trying to find and brainstorm different ways to get a stadium funded, yet to no avail.

He has offered to put in $250 million of his own money to help get it started, and the latest rumor has it that a new casino may be built to fund the new stadium.

With all this talk of “stimulus,” you would think that the Minnesota legislature would jump on such a chance to get jobs going, not to mention the revenue that would be created if there was a new stadium.

I mean, how cool would it be to see an Eric Clapton concert outdoors in a new stadium? You see, it can be used for more than just football.

In building a new stadium, it alone would produce 5,000 jobs for five years, not to mention the new jobs it would create after the stadium is up and running. With the casino being built, that would just add to more of what this state needs, a functional, circulating economy. 

What makes me scratch my head is the fact that the greedy, tightwad Pohlads got the funding to build their new stadium for the Twins. What makes me scratch it even more is the fact it only holds 40,000 people, thus kicking up ticket prices in an already bad economy.

The Pohlads hate to spend money, but have no issue with tax payers spending it for them. At least Ziggy is willing to spend the money to get quality players into the organization, even with being one of the lowest grossing teams in the NFL.

So Minnesota, don’t be surprised if Ziggy ends up selling the team to new ownership and that ownership gets the approval from the NFL to move the team. If it can happen in Cleveland, then it can happen here.

NFL: New Rule Against WR Blocking Helping Quest To Make Game Unplayable

Disclaimer: I’m not writing this because I’m a Steelers fan.  I’m writing this because I’m a fan of letting every player play the game without rules to unbearably constrain them.

It would appear that the NFL now will have a “Ward Rule” prohibiting the bone-crushing blocks delivered by wide receivers who are blocking to allow runners or other receivers to remain open or keep running with the football.

I understand the need to protect players from undue injuries, but the NFL has, on the whole, created way too many rules for its own good. We are teetering on the precipice of making the game unplayable.

The reasoning behind the NFL’s newest restriction rule is that jaw-breaking (literally) block on Bengals linebacker Keith Rivers by Steelers receiver Hines Ward.  Ward’s block initiated an instant controversy as he was not fined by the NFL for his hit.

Now that hit will entail a penalty, most likely 15 yards, and will be a fine-able offense.

Receivers will no longer be able to lead with elbows, helmets, or any other part of their body when delivering a block. This begs the question of how a receiver is supposed to now block at all.

Another question I have is when exactly did defenders become so defenseless? 

The brutal reality of the Ward hit was that if Rivers was paying attention to his surroundings, he would have seen Ward coming at him and would have likely made an adjustment to prevent being demolished. 

Instead, he was blindsided by a speeding bullet. Well that shouldn’t really be Ward’s fault should it? He’s just doing his job.

The NFL seems to go through cycles. First we had to protect the quarterbacks from defenders. Then we had to open the offense by making defense illegal. Now we’re going to protect the defense by making offense illegal.

What’s next? Will kickers and punters no longer be allowed to be pressured by rushers? 

When does it end?  Some rules that made sense have even been eliminated! The force out rule is the instant example. Now, a defender can (since he won’t have to worry about receivers blocking him from getting to a ball carrier) keep a ball carrier air-born and body slam him out of bounds so that a catch doesn’t count.

Seems kind of silly to me. I’d think a catch should count if the receiver was to come down in bounds if not for something he couldn’t control.

Defenders are still allowed to totally obliterate runners or receivers, but now the offense can’t fight back. Doesn’t seem to be fair to me.

But then again, maybe Roger Goodell and the owners want to simply protect their investments at the risk of making their product look cartoony and soft.

Too bad for Hines Ward and the rest of the good blockers in the NFL. Now you’re on the wrong side of the NFL’s coin. 

It’s a shame because I was just beginning to think about how good and even the product was on the field.

Philadelphia Eagles Wide Receiver Rumors

/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:”Table Normal”;
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-qformat:yes;
mso-style-parent:””;
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin-top:0in;
mso-para-margin-right:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt;
mso-para-margin-left:0in;
line-height:115%;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:”Calibri”,”sans-serif”;
mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-fareast-font-family:”Times New Roman”;
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;}

It’s impossible to go through an offseason as a Philadelphia Eagles fan without listening to at least some of the crazy, fantastical rumors that spread like wildfires through Eagle nation. As unlikely as most of them may seem, they are talked about and broken down for months, because let’s be honest, what else is there to do before football season starts again?

The most recent Eagles rumors have involved the stockpiling of draft picks that the Eagles have been doing over the past year. The front office has been hoarding draft picks and the fans have started asking what the plan is for them all.

The Birds are currently holding 12 draft picks for the upcoming draft in April, two of them being late in the first round. It is very unlikely that the Eagles hold on to all 12 picks, and the draft day scenario is more likely to end in a few trades.

The first scenario has been talked about since last month: Anquan Boldin. No one is really sure what his fate is it going to be at this point. Arizona has publicly stated that they plan on keeping him in Arizona and in what would easily be the best WR tandem in football. Other sources are speculating that, for the right price, he could be shipped out of the desert on draft day.

Do the Eagles spend a first- and third-round pick (possibly more) on Anquan Boldin? Does the front office feel that a No. 1 WR is that important? Probably not, but maybe just once, they’ll try to appease the mass amounts of loyal fans calling for a WR. Although Boldin would be the most costly option, he would also make the most sense.

The other option is trading up to the top of the draft for Michael Crabtree. With so many picks and two first-rounders, it is possible that a deal could be made.

A lot of rumors have been spreading that the Raiders are interested in trading the seventh pick of the draft. Since the Raiders have so many holes to fill, it may be more logical to gather a handful of picks for maximum talent potential.

But even if Oakland is looking to make a deal, and Crabtree is available at the seven spot, do the Eagles risk drafting a WR who just underwent surgery? No one is really sure how serious the surgery was, but it’ll be a risk that the Eagles front office will have to evaluate.

And finally, the most recent rumor: Braylon Edwards. This rumor was recently fueled by the talks that the Browns and Giants had “informal” talks about sending Edwards to New York. Although the talks were reportedly not very serious, it appears he’s on the block and Eagles fans are already getting their hopes up.

While Edwards would probably be cheaper than Boldin, and maybe Crabtree, he wouldn’t be the best option. Edwards led the league last season in drops. Although he puts up good numbers, his hands are a big concern. Not only do his hands pose a problem, but many receivers have trouble catching McNabb’s sometimes bullet-like passes.

The combination could lead to a skyrocketing of an already-high number of drops. Also, Edwards drops aren’t just drops, but are very often “pop-ups” that are easily intercepted.

In reality, the Eagles always have the option of staying put (because, believe it or not, some teams just stay put on draft day). The receiving corps of Jackson, Curtis, Avant, Baskett, and Brown really isn’t all that bad. It may not be an elite receiving corps compared to the rest of the league, but it is a group that can get the job done.

The Eagles have plenty of options on draft day. Every option is going to have perks, and every option is going to have risks. The only thing to do as a fan is sit back and pray that whatever decision is made leads to an Eagles Super Bowl appearance.

Samson Satele Trade a Win-Win-Win Situation

When the Dolphins signed free agent center Jake Grove earlier this month, the writing was on the wall for incumbent Samson Satele. There was talk about Satele moving to right guard to compete for a job there, but it was obvious throughout last season that he was not a good fit for the Dolphins and didn’t have much of a future in Miami.

That notion came to fruition Monday as the Dolphins traded Satele to the Oakland Raiders in exchange for a sixth-round pick and a swap of fourth-round picks in the 2009 NFL Draft.

Dolphins fans call it another wasted second-round pick, and perhaps that’s true from one point of view, but we’re not talking about Eddie Moore here. Make no mistake, Satele is a talented player, and was a pleasant surprise as a rookie in an otherwise painful 2007 season.

But when new regimes take over in an organization, even talented players can be phased out because they weren’t hand-picked by the new staff or just aren’t good fits. This was certainly the case for Satele, a talented, experienced young player who just wasn’t a good fit in the offense brought to Miami by Tony Sparano.

Here’s why this trade was best for all parties involved.

Miami Dolphins

Signing Jake Grove was a questionable move, to be sure. $29.5 million is a lot of money to give a center, especially one that will soon be 30 years old and has a lengthy injury history.

Still, Grove is undoubtedly a better fit for the Dolphins than Satele. Though similar in size, Grove is stronger, more aggressive, and is better suited to handle big 3-4 nose tackles in Miami’s power-blocking scheme. The Dolphins have two of the NFL’s best nose tackles in their division in the Jets’ Kris Jenkins and New England’s Vince Wilfork, and we all know Marcus Stroud in Buffalo is no slouch either.

Quite simply, while both talented players, Grove is a better fit for the Dolphins’ blocking scheme, and is thus the right choice for the team. In that event, it makes sense to get anything you can for the guy you don’t want or need, and that’s just what the Dolphins did.

But draft picks are highly valued in the NFL. New England traded a potential franchise quarterback (Matt Cassel) and Pro Bowl linebacker (Mike Vrabel) to Kansas City for just a second-round pick. Talented linebacker Jonathan Vilma was shipped to New Orleans for a third-round pick. Randy Moss—one of the best receivers to ever play the game—went to New England for a fourth-rounder.

While it would be nice to get a high-to-mid-round pick in return for the 2007 second-rounder, it simply wasn’t realistic. A sixth-rounder and a swap of fourth-round picks for Satele may not seem like much, but anything is better than a player you have no desire to utilize in the future. Thus, the Dolphins were wise to get what they could for Satele.

Oakland Raiders

With the departure of Grove to Miami, the Raiders obviously had a vacancy at center. 34-year-old John Wade is on the back end of his career and isn’t someone you ideally want starting. Meanwhile, 2006 seventh-rounder Chris Morris has limited experience with just one start in three seasons.

In Satele, the Raiders gain a talented 24-year-old who has already started 32 regular season games in his first two pro seasons. He provides the durability Grove failed to show in Oakland, as well as tremendous athleticism and footwork—important traits for Oakland’s zone-blocking scheme.

In this scheme, size and strength take a back seat to speed, athleticism, footwork, and technique—some of Satele’s best attributes. A misfit in Miami, Satele is a perfect fit in Oakland, and thus a great acquisition for the team.

Samson Satele

I expect no one is happier about this move than Satele himself. According to those that have spoken to him, Satele is glad to be out of Miami and excited to be heading to the west coast, which is closer to his home state of Hawaii. Of course, you can’t blame Satele for wanting out, as no one wants to be where they are not wanted.

All in all, this trade benefited everyone involved. The Dolphins stockpiled more picks for a player they didn’t want. The Raiders got a talented young center ideally fit for their scheme. Satele moved closer to home and to a team that wanted him.

As a Dolphins fan, I’m disappointed Satele didn’t work out in Miami, but I still think quite highly of him and expect him to very well in Oakland, just as I expect good things from Grove in Miami.

---

Chris Nelson is a journalism major at Georgia State University. He operates his own Miami Dolphins blog, which can be found here.

New York Giants Offseason: Underrated and Successful

While the offseason has yet to come to its conclusion, I feel the need to evaluate the intelligent moves made by the Giants, as most of them have flown under the radar.

 

Rocky Bernard, Defensive Tackle

Rocky Bernard is a guy who has been very solid in his time in the NFL. An eight-year veteran out of my soon-to-be alma mater Texas A&M University, he is a former fifth-round draft pick of the Seattle Seahawks. His best season was 2005, when he was named the starting defensive tackle. He amassed 8.5 sacks and 42 tackles while anchoring the Seattle defense on its run to the Super Bowl.

While he has had some issues with the law, most recently being suspended in 2008 for violating the league’s conduct abuse policy, I believe the Giants organization can put him in line, much like Dallas did for Tank Johnson.

Chris Canty, Defensive End/Tackle

It is unknown what position Canty will assume once he puts on the blue and white, but what is known is that he will impact an already stud defensive line. Underrated and seldom used, Canty took a backseat to the 3-4 defense in Dallas. In this aggressive 4-3 system, he should be able to display his talents.

He is versatile and will either start at defensive tackle in place of aging Fred Robbins or be a spell defensive end. Either way, he will provide depth for a line that will be fresh at all times. 

Quarterbacks beware.

Michael Boley, Outside Linebacker

Rather than wait until late April, the Giants decided to address the gaping hole at OLB with Michael Boley, a very underrated player from Atlanta. It’s hard to imagine the Giants getting such talent at such a cheap price in April. Boley recorded 110 tackles, three sacks, and forced five turnovers in 2007; it seemed he was in Atlanta to stay.

However, something did not click with rookie head coach Mike Smith, and Boley eventually lost his starting job. Make no mistakes, he is a gamer. I fully expect Boley to come in and impact the defense in a positive manner.

The Giants’ defensive depth in the front seven seems to be never-ending. At defensive line, they have Osi Umenyiora and Justin Tuck (both Pro Bowlers), Ronaldo Winn, Mathias Kiwanuka, Chris Canty, Dave Tollefson, Fred Robbins, Rocky Bernard, Jay Alford, and Barry Cofield all fighting for four spots. 

While it’s obvious Osi and Tuck will start at the ends, the inside spots are a toss-up. This also gives the defensive coaches freedom to bring Tuck inside on third downs, a freedom given up when Michael Strahan retired.

At linebacker, they have Antonio Pierce in the middle, but it gets fuzzy from there. Gerris Wilkinson, Chase Blackburn, Danny Clark, and Michael Boley all played at some point last year and did well. Also, 2008 draft pick Brian Kiehl has to be in the discussion. While the decision on who to start may be a problem, it’s a good problem to have.

The only problem some fans seem to be expressing is not addressing the issue of Plaxico Burress by finding a replacement. I, for one, do not want to see the Giants rush into anything drastic. They need to wait and see what the city of New York decides before making any decisions. 

Even if they have to part ways with Plaxico, there are several solutions that can be made, including using the draft or trading for a proven talent (Braylon Edwards and Anquan Boldin come to mind). Sit tight, fellow fans, and let the experts do their jobs.

 

I’d Never Thought I’d Say It, but Good Riddance Terrell Owens

I am terrified to write this article. Make no mistake. Every essence of my being is quivering in terror and anticipation for the deluge of “I TOLD YOU SO”‘s that this article is inviting into my life.

I expect to be torn down by friends, family, strangers, animals, and many types of fungi alike. However, it needs to be said.

Despite my copious amounts of chest-thumping and soap-boxing, defending T.O.’s antics against media and fan speculation alike for 3 years with the fervor to match any 20th century dictator that comes to mind, I can now finally see the forest through the trees. 

I can now bring myself to view the situation with at least a modicum of objectivity and rationality. I can now finally bring myself to say it.

Good riddance, TO.

This is coming from a tortured fan who vividly remembers Clint Stoerner noodle-arming wobblers 30 yards down the field to Rocket Ismail. This is coming from the same bemoaned supporter who watched Quincy Carter try to run the option…in the NFL…with Troy Hambrick.

Drew Bledsoe to Keyshawn Johnson.

Jason Garrett to David LaFluer.

Chad Hutchinson/Drew Henson/RYAN LEAF to Antonio Bryant.

These are the quarterback/WR tandems Cowboys fans have had to suffer through since their last playoff win 12 years ago. The reason I felt the need to dredge up all of these terrible memories (believe me it wasn’t easy, I am still hyperventilating into a paper bag as we speak) was to elucidate just how ridiculous it is for a Cowboys fan to utter the words “Good Riddance” to a talent like Terrell Owens.

The only other “marquee” receiver the Dallas Cowboys have had since Michael Irvin has been Joey Galloway.

I’ll let that sink in for a second.

I watched Jerry Jones give up not one, but TWO first round picks for Joey Galloway in 2000. Terrell Owens scored more touchdowns (13) in his first season with the Cowboys than Joey Galloway (12) did in his entire four-year career with the team.

That beautiful dichotomy encompasses the precise reason why I am still in utter disbelief as the words flow from my fingertips.

Good riddance to Terrell Owens, the only WR to have 1,000 yards and 10+ TD’s for the last three years.

The man who is firmly sandwiched between the likes of Cris Carter, Jerry Rice, and Tim Brown in virtually every statistical category (not even going to attempt the “push over” sarcasm again I don’t feel like having my house burned down by readers who take everything too literally and think I would actually call Jerry Rice a push over).

Anybody can see the effect T.O. has on the field, and nobody can argue that, without his production, the Cowboys would absolutely not have had the past regular season successes that they did. 

I would liken the term “regular season to success” to such other blindly optimistic terms as “tallest midget” or “smartest pre-schooler,” yet I digress.

After T.O.’s release, I was completely torn.  You can’t just find 1,000 yards and 10 TD’s a year in the NFL. You just don’t fill that void with the likes of Miles Austin and Patrick Crayton and Sam Hurd.

However, all it took was the first “T.O.” sighting in Buffalo to snap this whole issue into unprecedented and brilliant clarity.

I saw T.O.’s name scrolling along ESPN’s bottom line, and, for the first time in three years, I didn’t have an aneurysm.  My stomach didn’t turn over.

My fists didn’t clinch in anticipation of some ridiculous accusation or parable detailing Terrell Owens’ moral bankruptcy (I felt the need to channel some of the hyperbole usually reserved for the mainstream media breaching this topic).

It was that moment of realization that allowed me to finally take a step back and quantify the subtly oppressive atmosphere that T.O. brings to any club house or locker room.

When T.O. got to Buffalo, it wasn’t a second year player in James Hardy respectfully relinquishing his number to one of the greatest wide receivers ever to play the game. 

Instead, it was T.O. coming into a brand new clubhouse and “stealing” or “demanding” the number from poor little James.

How many players in the league do you think skipped the first voluntary work out of the off season conditioning program? In that same vein, how many players in the league need an offseason conditioning program less than Terrell Owens?

Yet, I’ve heard as much about this missed work out as I did the A-Roid scandal, Spygate, and Victory in Japan Day combined.

I greatly underestimated how consistently oppressive such unrelenting negative coverage is to a team’s fan base, and I’m sure 49ers fans and Eagles fans will agree with me. 

Yes, I will lower my defenses long enough to agree with Eagles fans on this one thing.

I’d like to add the one caveat that, while T.O.’s past experience has made him an easy target (which is no one’s fault but his own), one must acknowledge the amount of speculation in these stories are absurd. 

I guarantee not one member of the media witnessed the exchange between James Hardy and Terrell Owens over the No. 81. True T.O. did give a smug quote proclaiming 81 as “his number,” but that sheds absolutely no light on how delicately T.O. actually handled that exchange.

But that is precisely the point. Despite the fact that not one member of the media was in the Bills locker room to witness that exchange, that didn’t stop a plethora of “T.O. bullies No. 81 out of James Hardy” stories from the media.

Regardless of what T.O. actually does, his horrible history with team chemistry has made him such an easy target that any lazy journalist can turn even the most asinine action by the mercurial receiver into any sensationalistic “T.O. Is Tearing The Team Apart” story he pleases.

On the field, Terrell Owens is a fantastic and one-of-a-kind talent that should be applauded and respect.

Off the field, T.O. is a self-perpetuating engine of negativity that gradually poisons any light-hearted locker room by suppressing any good stories that might arise with a maelstrom of negative coverage that he has absolutely invited and warranted regardless of how he is actually behaving.

It is a confirmed fact that, after the game in which Tony Romo had his chin split open, he pulled over (in the rain I believe but I could be making that up) to help an elderly couple change a tire. 

That should have been a national story in a time where most modern day athletes would refuse to change their own tire, let alone a stranger’s.

However, it is a lot easier to write about how T.O. flipped out on the sideline, or about how he only caught three passes and if it happens again he is going to explode, than it is to write a human interest piece on Tony Romo.  It’s just a fact.

That is why, after over a decade without a playoff win, after countless disappointing seasons and miserable shortcomings, after bobbled snaps and playoff losses to division rivals, I can look at a on-of-a-kind talent like Terrell Owens and finally be able to utter the words…

Good Riddance.

« Previous Page — Next Page »

NFL Sport Channel Latest

• Just How Far Would You Go?
• Sorry Rex, But It Isn’t Happening
• Super Bowl Predictions: Five Stat-Free Reasons Why the Eagles Will Reach The Super Bowl
• Seahawks Attempt to Turn Corner With Heavy Pursuit of Pete Carroll
• Bill Cowher Unlikely to Coach in 2010