Josh Cribbs’ Versatility Sparks Comparison to Patriot Great

When Browns head coach Eric Mangini looks at return specialist Josh Cribbs, he must experience an overwhelming sense of déjà vu.

Mangini has seen this before.

In Cribbs, the Browns have a dynamic return man capable of changing the flow of the game when the ball is in his hands. They have a versatile athlete—able to line up in multiple positions and fulfill different roles on the team. They have an unselfish athlete willing to sacrifice personal achievements for the greater good of the team.

Where has Eric Mangini seen such an athlete?

In New England.

His name was Troy Brown.

The similarities between the two players are uncanny. A standout wide receiver from Marshall, Brown was selected with the 198th selection in the 1993 NFL Draft.

After narrowly making the Patriots’ roster as a return specialist, Brown took advantage of the situation and carved out a distinct role with the team. He went on to enjoy an outstanding career as one of the most prolific receivers in Patriots history.

As an undrafted free agent from the similarly small Kent State, Josh Cribbs also made the Browns’ roster due to his contributions as a return specialist. His unique combination of speed and strength produced six combined return touchdowns as well as a Pro Bowl trip in 2007.

Cribbs has yet to make a significant impact on the offensive side of the ball, but all signs point to that changing in 2009.

“We’ve been using him as a receiver right now,” offensive coordinator Brian Daboll said of Cribbs.

“Right now, he’s been playing receiver. That’s where he has been slotted. As far as how we use him, that will depend each week on the game plan.”

If last season’s 19 solo special teams tackles are any indication, Cribbs’ career could mimic Brown’s in another very special way.

In 2004, the New England Patriots secondary was ravished by injuries. As a last resort, the Patriots asked Brown to fill in as an emergency corner back. The versatile Brown responded—finishing the year with three interceptions, several of them coming in key playoff situations.

Ironically, the young secondary coach that aided Brown’s conversion to defense was none other than current Browns head coach Eric Mangini.

When asked of Cribbs’ potential contributions on the defensive side of the ball, Browns assistant head coach Brad Seely was hesitant to rule anything out.

“I’m not against anything that would help us win,” he said.

“If that can help us win, then great.”

Brown finished his career with the Patriots’ as the all-time leader in receptions (557) and second all-time in receiving yards (6,366). The 26-year-old Cribbs has a long way to go before approaching such lofty totals, but he can take a large step toward doing so this offseason.

Braylon Edwards aside, the Browns’ depth chart at wide receiver is completely open for competition.

Free agent and 13-year NFL veteran David Patten is the likely candidate to fill the position, but at 34, his speed, durability, and agility would undoubtedly come into question.

Donte Stallworth is unlikely to contribute this season and journeyman receiver Mike Furry has traditionally performed well in the slot.

Second round draft picks Brian Robiskie and Mohamed Massaquoi have shown great promise, but are still too young in their development to be counted on with any consistency.

All signs, including the ones given by the head coach himself, point to Cribbs emerging as one of the Browns’ go-to guys in 2009.

“I love special teams players,” Eric Mangini said in an earlier press conference.

“We had Jerrico Cotchery who was a core teams player in New York. He hadn’t played much offense at that point, [but] he ended up emerging into a starter.”

Cribbs could do the same thing.

Not even Eric Mangini knows what the future hold for Cribbs. Mangini has, however, experienced similar situations with similarly great players in the past.

And just maybe, that past will coincide with the present.

What’s the Story at One Buccaneer Place?

There is no doubt that the Grand Poo-bah of all things NFL, when it comes to news and rumors is Mike Florio, the driving force behind ProFootballTalk.com

Florio is not casual with his information, he’s a serious player and has serious, credible sources throughout the NFL.

He broke the only news-making rumor during the Super Bowl regarding the state of Ben Roethlisberger’s ribs and the report that Big Ben had x-rays on said ribs days before the big game. It was a rumor that indeed proved to be a fact.

So it is with many of PFT’s reports. PFT has become so big that Florio has forged what should be a great partnership with NBC.

That being said, One Buccaneer Place, ground zero for all things relevant to Buccaneer football, is prominent in today’s ProFootballTalk.com reports.

PFT reports that a source close to ground zero tells us “One Buc Place has become a ghost town.”

What the report says, in essence, is that perhaps more than half the non-football staff has been laid off, including security guards.

Oops.

This comes on the heels of a PFT piece that loudly questions Bucs GM Mark Dominik’s claim/suggestion that the team spent mega-millions in the past six weeks and is running low on cap space.

Florio wrote on PFT: “The suggestion that the team (Buccaneers) spent $60 million this year seems flat-out incredible. As in not credible. As in not true.”

PFT also pointed out that as of May 15, the Bucs had $37 million in cap room and Dominik’s math had the team spending $17 million in six weeks with the team’s site listing transactions as the signing of the fourth, fifth, and two seventh round draft picks.

Most interesting.

Adding to all this news/speculation/great information is the revelation by Albert Haynesworth that the Buccaneers offered him roughly 20 percent more money than the Redskins, his new team.

Florio raised that story from the interview Haynesworth did with Adam Schein and Jim Miller on Sirius NFL radio.

Holy break-the-bank Batman!

So just when you thought we have reached a somewhat quiet time prior to the start of  training camp, the questions surrounding the Tampa Bay Buccaneer football franchise keep mounting.

Holy Mark Dominik!

Brett Favre Is a Minnesota Viking: What Is His Impact?

Drama, saga, rumor, retired, unretired, spotlight, tiring, relentless.

All of these words can describe how a vast majority of NFL fans, including myself, feel about the endless Brett Favre unretirement game. 

Thankfully, that is all about to be in the past, as it has been reported by multiple radio and Internet sources that Favre will be in Vikings training camp, and it is inevitable he will suit up for the purple and gold.

Ted Thompson, your worst fear has been realized—now you have the angry Favre ready to smack you in the face twice a year. The Packers were willing to pay Favre $20 million to stay retired just so this could not happen. They conjured up some clause that said they would receive three first round picks if he were to be traded to Minnesota.

They were really serious about keeping him out of the purple and gold, but their efforts were futile since the Vikings and Favre are now an item.

What does this mean for the Vikings and, more or less, the entire NFC?

Watch out—the Vikings’ offense is going to roll over you, and you’re not going to get by that rush defense after Week Four, when the Williams Wall returns. 

With the addition of Favre, the Vikings have filled their only glaring hole on the roster: the QB position. 

The three-time MVP QB will now get a chance to play with All-Pro RB Adrian Peterson, who could very well garner a few MVPs himself before his career is all said and done. 

The Vikings are a great rushing team led by Peterson, who in only his second season rushed for 1,760 yards for a 4.8 YPC average. They have great depth at the position with Chester Taylor as the backup, who averages 4.0 YPC himself. 

As a former player, I know you cannot give all the credit to those two; a stout OL makes RBs look great. Without the best left side in football, anchored by All-Pros Bryant McKinnie and Steve Hutchinson, the Vikings’ rushing attack would implode more than explode. 

With the addition of T Phil Loadholt through the draft (a steal in the second round), they have a great young RT who can learn from two of the best in the business. 

With a prominent running game and a mediocre passing game, the Vikings still won the NFC North in 2008 with a 10-6 record. Now with the addition of a healthy Favre and blazing first round pick WR Percy Harvin, the Vikings have begun to load up in the passing game as well. 

Pairing the aforementioned Harvin with fellow burner Bernard Berrian gives Favre two perfect weapons for his  gun-slinging mentality. Along with WRs Bobby Wade and Sidney Rice, Favre has a nice set of four WR’s to throw to. 

Now that the Vikings have a top QB, opposing defenses cannot load eight men up in the box to smother Peterson. The Vikings are going to be able to use the play-action very effectively; just Favre’s presence is going to open up more room for Peterson to run. 

Vikings fans, even though I’m thinking possible NFC Championship game, don’t get too giddy quite yet. There are a few cons when you pluck an ancient QB from the dead.

He is old, and old equals injury prone. We saw what happened to his performance in the last five games with the New York Jets when he hurt his shoulder.

This time around, if he is hurt, he needs to stay off the field—simple as that. If the Vikings can get the 2007 and the not last five games of 2008 Favre, a 2009 Vikings Super Bowl bid is not too bold a statement to make.

Before we all get too far ahead of ourselves, a good goal for the Vikings is to win a playoff game for the first time in a while; then we can get ahead of ourselves.

Also, get ready for some bad throws. He is a gunslinger, and he will lose you a few games with his wild arm. This is the guy who holds the record for most passing TDs and the most INTs—remember that.

Having two extremely fast WRs will tempt him to throw deep more often then he did in New York, when he only had one guy with extraordinary speed in Laveranues Coles.

As far as the revenge factor, all you can do is hope he is not only in for this gig to be able to whack the Pack twice a season. Of course, that is something he should be looking forward to, no doubt, but if it is the overriding factor in his decision, he is doing more harm than good.

If he can be there mentally for the other 14 games, then the Vikings are an 11-5 team at worst, barring a catastrophic 2008 Seahawks-esque injury plague. 

Good job Minnesota—you went out and got that final piece to the puzzle on your roster. Now just hope you don’t bomb it and pull another one and done in the playoffs. You now have too good of a team with Favre at the helm to be making any excuses if you lose.

Every team has their window when all the pieces are in the right slot. For Minnesota, that Super Bowl window is wide open; now is your golden opportunity. After Favre is done, it closes again until another competent QB comes through. Take it in while you can.

Knowing Favre, you could squeeze another year out of him after 2009 now that he has gotten his way.

I’m glad this saga is all over for now, hopefully; with Favre nowadays, you can never overestimate how many headlines he can muster up.

An NBC affiliate was the first to report the impending Favre signing.

Also Vikings fans, check on your arch rival for some big news from the Cheeseheads as well.

Pittsburgh Steelers All-Time Team…Sort Of

All of us members of Steelers’ Nation love to remember our all-time favorite players.

But, this list is a tribute to the players we loved to hate.

They also filled an important role and aren’t always appreciated for the sheer ineptitude they brought to the table. 

These are the guys that made us want to throw-up those nachos we were eating while watching the game. These are the guys we cursed as we kept thinking, “Wait until next year. He just needs one more year to develop.”

I’ll give a tribute to Sergey Zikov who gave me the idea for this one by writing a similar article on the Pittsburgh Penguins.  They are not necessarily listed in order.

1. Troy Edwards. The Edwards’ 1999 draft pick was one of the most perplexing of the Bill Cowher years. The guy was small and not particularly fast. He wan’t even projected to go in the first round. But, the Steelers were desperate for a wide receiver and when they went on the clock at No. 13, Edwards was their guy.

Even EA Sports knew enough to make this guy a slug on the Madden video game, which is odd since even bust rookies on that game are usually really good.

Edwards would go on to become the go-to receiver for the Grand Rapids Rampage of the Arena League.

Scratch that. He wasn’t particularly good for them, either.

Edwards was a poster child for why drafting for need over best player is not always the best idea.

He was one of Cowher’s rare misses.  But, you have to give it to him. When he missed, he missed huge. The Steelers would add Superman Hines Ward to the roster the next season with a third round pick so, to quote Shakespeare, all’s well that ends well.

2. Tim Worley. We all had high hopes for this guy who was selected No. 7 overall in 1989.

And we were in for quite a show since he was a real magician, taking every carry and magically making the ball disappear from his hands, as it rolled somewhere across the football field for any lucky defender to find.

He was slightly worse than Walter “Abracadabra” Abercrombie, the No. 12 pick from 1982 who shared Worley’s magic ability to fumble away seemingly every carry.

Wow did the Steelers have some really bad drafts in the 1980s. Worley was the icing on the cake… their last first round pick of a somewhat forgetable decade.

3. Kordell Stewart. We loved him as a wide receiver and despised him as a quarterback.

To be honest, the Steelers had far worse quarterbacks than Kordell.  Kent Graham may have been the absolute worst, beating out such legendary throwers as Mark Malone, Cliff Stoudt, and Bubby “I don’t mop up” Brister. 

But, Stewart had that odd ability to come up with his absolute worst moments when the stakes were highest.  You could bank on it. 

And he was a one-man drama production. The enduring image for me of Stewart was him walking to the sidelines after his 73rd interception of the AFC Championship Game against the Broncos with a stunned Bill Romanowski pointing his finger at his head as if to say, “That was the dumbest throw I’ve ever seen…and I have an IQ of 12.”

And people wonder why Steeler fans like Ben Roethlisberger so much. 

4. Jamaine Stephens. The Steelers were in desperate need of a tackle to replace stud blocker Leon Searcy and took Stephens in the first round in 1996.

The problem with Stephens was that he couldn’t even get down into his stance without becoming seriously winded. He may have been the most out of shape person on the planet. 

Oh…and he couldn’t block.

5. Huey Richardson. I think rock singer Huey Lewis would have been more productive for the Steelers than this first round 1991 pick at linebacker out of Florida. Truth be told, it would have been impossible for him to be any less productive.

There may have been some back luck involved in this pick, or if you are in a less charitable mood, some poor planning.  All of the players the Steelers were targeting were picked right before their turn, leaving them completely at a loss for what to do when it became their turn to pick somebody.

I think they scribbled down the first name that crossed their mind. For you conspiracy theorists out there, maybe Chuck Noll, knowing it was his last season, decided to really stick it to his replacement. 

If you forget him, you could be forgiven since he played in all of five games for the Steelers during his rookie season not recording a single statistic.

Cowher thought so little of the guy when he took over the team in 1992 that he shipped the No. 15 overall pick to Washington for a seventh round pick, which was more than he expected anybody would give him for the guy he desperately wanted off his roster. 

How often does a team give up on a first round pick after one season?  Almost never. 

6. Ricardo Colclough. I was intrigued when the Steelers drafted small school prospect Colclough (pronounced “cokely”) out of Tusculum in the second round of the 2004 draft. All of the draft guides said he was the best small school prospect in the draft and talked about him like he was the second coming of Mel Blount.

I was pumped. Until I saw him play. The lesson: Don’t draft a player whose name isn’t pronounced anywhere close to how it is spelled.

His most memorable play was blocking a punt against the Bengals that he promptly mishandled and fumbled right back to them, letting them go on to win the game.  I’m not sure if the Bengals have won a game since.

7. Alonzo Jackson. The Steelers almost never miss when drafting a tweener defensive end they plan on converting to linebacker. The key word, though, is “almost”.

Jackson was a rare miss, never able to make that transition except during the preseason, when he looked pretty good.

8. Dewayne Washington and Chad Scott. The toast twins get grouped together for this one.

The Steelers had some great defenses when Washington and Scott were in town, but it was not due to the skills of either of these guys.

Washington also gains points for making one of the biggest mistakes in Steelers’ playoff history after giving the Titans’ a second chance to kick a game winning field goal after he ran into the kicker.

One of the all-time great mysteries of the universe is the fact that, for some inexplicable reason, Deshea Townsend was stuck behind these two guys on the depth chart. They must have had some serious dirt on Cowher.

9. Mitch Berger. The Steelers won the Super Bowl in 2008 with the worst punter I’ve ever seen.

He averaged about twelve yards a punt, which after factoring in the fact that he lined up about ten yards behind center, meant that the Steelers netted about two yards of field position with each punt. 

Then again, at times he was a real weapon since his punts were so short that they would bounce off the helmets of unsuspecting opponents just running down the field looking for someone to block. 

The Steelers’ 2008 defense was so good that it overcame a punter who couldn’t net more than five yards per punt and an offense that was stuck in reverse through most of the season. 

These guys were constantly put in terrible situations, where they would promptly make a ridiculous game changing play.  I suspect it may very well have been the best defense in history, overcoming more than any other defense in leading a team to a championship.

10. Sean Mahan. The Steelers signed Mahan to a relatively sizable five-year $17 million contract to become their next stud center in 2007.

He was destined to follow in the giant footsteps of Mike Webster and Dermontti Dawson. Alas, he came up just a bit short of their proud legacies.

Mahan was the worst player on the Steelers’ weakest unit. He could hold off a defender for about .3 seconds when pass blocking, and only after blatantly grabbing that said defender.

And his average push while run blocking was measured in centimeters. The Steelers traded him to Tampa Bay in 2008 for a jug of Gatorade if I recall correctly. They definitely got the better end of that trade.

There you have it. That is my Steelers NOT all-time team. Who did I miss? Who did you have the most fun cursing at while watching your beloved black and gold warriors?

Cleveland Browns-Michael Vick: A Perfect Fit

Many people are asking where should Michael Vick play.

The San Francisco 49ers and coach Mike Singletary have been a popular choice by many ESPN “experts.” They figured Singletary could keep Vick in line and that they might need to fill a whole at QB, depending on the play of former No. 1 selection Alex Smith.

There was talk that the New England Patriots and Bill Belichick would be able to keep Vick in line and utilize his insane athletic abilities through the ever popular “Wildcat” formation.

Tampa Bay was also considered a team that could be in the hunt since they have an open competition already between Josh Freeman and Byron Leftwich. Adding Vick would add another dimension that could make the Bucs a difficult team to scheme for

But the best place for Michael Vick to land is the Cleveland Browns.

And it is not just because they need depth at QB. Brady Quinn could be the future, but after getting a couple starts, was injured and missed the rest of the season.

Is that a sign of things to come? 

The other option for the Browns is Derek Anderson. Anderson had a spectacular year a couple seasons ago and signed a lucrative three year deal, but hasn’t earned any of that money since.

Which means Vick would be an injury and three bad games away from becoming the starter.

And it’s not just because Cleveland has a loyal and dedicated fan base that would support the Browns in whatever move they made.

I mean they put up with Kellen Winslow for far too long, I think they can try and forgive Vick for his past.

It’s not just because seeing Michael Vick line up with Josh Cribbs in the backfield in the Wildcat formation would be awesome, if not devastating. I mean talk about a 1-2 punch, plus both players could conceivably throw the ball out as well. I do not know how effective it would be, but it is certainly entertaining to think about.

And it is not even because Eric Mangini might just be the very coach, other than Belichick that could utilize Vick to the maximum of his abilities. I mean the “Man-genius” could be given a weapon that few other teams possess.

It would be very interesting, and in my opinion very telling about his coaching skills, to watch him try to integrate Vick into the lineup.

But the main reason, the real reason that all sports/sick humorists are praying for, hoping for, is a headline that reads on a Monday morning: “Vick leads Beatdown at the Dog Pound.”

Is it wrong? Yes.

Is it in bad taste? Without question.

But does it make an amusing scenario to think about?

I think so.

Improved AFC East Is Still Patriots’ Division to Lose

The AFC East is no longer made up of the Patriots and three other teams.

However, while the Jets, Dolphins, and Bills are improving and could all challenge for playoff berths this season, the road to the AFC East title still runs through Foxboro.

The Dolphins, not New England, are actually defending division champions. While Miami displayed a lot of moxie last year, and Tony Sparano showed that a coach willing to be innovative can be successful in the NFL, let’s review what had to happen for Miami to win the division.

Arguably the best player in the NFL, Tom Brady, had to go down with a season-ending knee injury in the first quarter of New England’s season-opening game.

The Patriots then had to rely on a quarterback that hadn’t started a game since high school. Again, Matt Cassel never started a game in college or the NFL before Week Two of last season.

Even with all that against them, it took Brett Favre throwing away the division in the final game of the season for the Patriots not to win another AFC East crown.

With Brady out for the year, New England still almost won the division yet again. How?

Bill Belichick.

Belichick was already a first ballot Hall of Famer before last season. He had already won three Super Bowl titles and was considered among the greatest football minds to ever roam the sidelines.

Yet, for all the praise he’s received, I believe last season was Belichick’s best coaching job by far.

Because the Dolphins and Falcons were so bad in 2007, it was inevitable that Sparano and Atlanta’s Mike Smith would battle it out for Coach of the Year.

While I’m not saying those two weren’t worthy candidates, I don’t understand how Belichick didn’t get more votes and recognition for what he accomplished last year.

Here is my argument: The Dallas Cowboys had a ton of talent. They won nine games and missed the playoffs.

The San Diego Chargers had a ton of talent. They won eight games and barely snuck into the playoffs.

The Philadelphia Eagles had a ton of talent. They won nine games and needed a miracle on the final day of the season to make the playoffs.

The Patriots lost the most important player in the NFL, and Belichick found a way to win 11 games with a guy under center who hadn’t played a meaningful game at quarterback in seven years.

A quarterback who looked so bad in preseason games the past two years, some Patriots fans were surprised that he even made the team.

So my question is: How many other coaches could have won 11 games after losing Tom Brady and starting Matt Cassel in his place?

The answer? None.

Seriously, anyone reading this article knows deep down the answer is none, even if you despise Belichick and the Patriots.

How many games would Belichick have won with talented teams like the Cowboys, Chargers, and Eagles? I’m not sure, but I’m willing to bet it would have been a heck of a lot more than eight or nine.

Now here we are a couple of months away from the start of the 2009 season, and the Jets, Dolphins, and Bills are excited about challenging New England for division supremacy—and for good reason.

The Jets are building one of the best defenses in the NFL, and the addition of new head coach Rex Ryan is only going to help speed up that process.

Darrelle Revis, Calvin Pace, David Harris, Bart Scott, and Kerry Rhodes should lead one of the NFL’s top defensive units.

The Dolphins are flying high after winning the division in 2008, and I don’t think this is going to be a one-hit wonder under Sparano.

He kind of reminds me of Belichick in a lot of ways, and in my opinion, Miami is a franchise that’s going to compete for many years, assuming the quarterback position remains settled.

Even Buffalo—a franchise that hasn’t been to the playoffs in 10 years—didn’t sit still this offseason. The Bills made a major splash by signing Terrell Owens.

The combination of T.O. and Lee Evans should give young quarterback Trent Edwards one of the top receiving tandems in the league.

With rumors swirling that the Bills are going to bring back the no-huddle offense this fall, there is a lot of excitement in Buffalo for the 2009 season.

But just when these teams are feeling good about their prospects for the upcoming season, they have to look at the Patriots. Belichick is still there. Brady is returning. Randy Moss and Wes Welker make it almost unfair for defenses to try to cover them.

Not to mention the Patriots brought in their usual bevy of under-the-radar veteran help this offseason. I loved both the Fred Taylor and Joey Galloway signings.

Taylor teamed with Sammy Morris gives New England a perfect one-two punch in its backfield. I believe Taylor still has a couple of productive seasons left in those powerful legs.

Galloway has “Darrell Green speed.” What I mean by that is he can be 50 years old, fall out of bed, and still run a 4.3. A lot of my friends are Giants fans, and I really thought Galloway would have been a perfect fit in New York.

If Galloway is healthy, who do you double-cover? The easy answer is Galloway instead of Moss or Welker. Go ahead and give that a try.

When Galloway is healthy, there still isn’t a corner in the NFL that can stay with him one-on-one. If he isn’t healthy, the Patriots spent virtually nothing to give him a shot.

Then you look at what New England did in the secondary. First, getting rid of Ellis Hobbs is an upgrade.

Why are people saying the Patriots got robbed by the Eagles because they gave up Hobbs for two fifth-round draft picks? Has anyone ever watched Hobbs play in a football game?

He may have been the worst starting corner in the NFL over the last three years. Belichick had to play him so far off receivers to prevent Hobbs from getting beat that it limited what New England could do on defense.

By adding Shawn Springs and Leigh Bodden, the Patriots drastically improved one of their weakest positions from a season ago.

Both players are better at pressing receivers at the line than Hobbs is, and that will allow the Patriots to play more aggressively on defense and send more blitzes.

Some may point out that Bodden had a down season in Detroit last year, and that’s a valid argument.

However, I was talking to a reporter I know in Detroit, and he said that entire team just went into a funk and guys weren’t playing with any confidence midway through last season.

When I saw Bodden in Cleveland, I thought he was a really good corner. I remember when the Lions traded for him, I loved the move. When a team goes 0-16, sometimes it’s a bad year for everyone involved.

My guess is Belichick thought this exact same thing, and now he’s getting Bodden at a great price based on how he views him as a player.

Don’t forget, in 2007, Bodden picked off six passes and totaled 88 tackles for the Browns. This could end up being one of the best free agent signings by year’s end.

So when I look at this division, I see the Patriots’ competition as being much improved heading into the season. That’s the good news. The bad news is that New England won 11 games in 2008 without Brady, and I think they are much improved as well.

When it comes down to it, the Patriots do things the right way. People can hate them all they want, but as a football fan, how can you not respect the way Belichick and Co. put together a team?

In contrast, look at what the Cowboys are doing in Dallas. Another year of Wade Phillips? That’s your answer? Good luck with that.

That’s what happens when things are done wrong at the top. It doesn’t matter who the Cowboys sign or if they release T.O. As long as Jerry Jones is making personnel decisions, that team won’t win anything. Case closed.

You may not like Belichick, but everything he does professionally is almost always right. The way he runs his team is the right way; that’s why the Patriots compete every single year.

And if there was any question if he could win without Tom Brady, last season erased any doubt.

So, just when you thought the AFC East was improving, at the end of the day, it’s the same old story. The road to the division title goes through Belichick and the Patriots.

I imagine that will continue to be the case every year as long as Belichick calls New England home.

Proof That Tampering Is Evident In The NFL?

In a profootballtalk.com report last night, based on an interview with Adam Schein and Jim Miller of Serius NFL Radio, Albert Haynesworth said, “I could’ve made more money with Tampa Bay if I had really wanted to.” 

The interview then goes on to say, “They offered me a whole lot more, and even with their tax situation, it could have been 20 percent more.”

Later in the interview, Haynesworth also states that the New York Giants, the Atlanta Falcons and the Denver Broncos were also interested.

According to Haynesworth, the Redskins first called at 12:15 AM, and that the seven year, $100 million dollar contract was hammered out in one hour and 45 minutes.

Forget the fact that it normally takes days to work out a contract.

Forget the fact that there were a total of three other teams bidding on his services.

All those particulars. The guaranteed money, the duration down to the way the money is going to be paid out. And what about incentives?

Would a good agent not even listen to counter offers? 

Especially if Tampa was going to pay $20 million dollars more?

If this interview does not at least make the NFL think about enforcing the tampering policy, then they should just remove the rule, and allow teams to negotiate from the end of the season.

Chad Ochocinco and “Lights Out” Give Us a New Breakthrough

We have witnessed history in the making, a dawn of a new era, a technological breakthrough involving two of the NFL’s biggest stars.

A feud through the internet!

Chad Ochocinco has taken his trash talking to a whole new level, a social networking level that is.

The NFL’s biggest attention craver not named Terrell Owens is moving up in the weight class.

Instead of challenging and posted names/pictures of the opposing cornerbacks he’ll face, Ochocinco now wants to move to the heavyweight level.

By doing so, he has “tweeted” his trash talk to Shawne Merriman. The two have now unleashed an all out verbal assault, which could be as entertaining as a freestyle hip-hop battle.

Here’s some of the Twitter beef between Ochocinco and “Light’s Out.”

“Somebody please tell Shawne Merriman thats his ass on Dec. 20th, relay the message to the rest of the D, especially Cromartie!!!!child please”

“@shawnemerriman damit i didnt stutter, i never held my tongue before, you heard me loud and clear, and we can get in the boxing ring too”

“CHILD PLEASE, is the word for the day, Shawne Merriman tryin to stop Ocho Cinco, CHILD PLEASE, better chance at finding Osama!!!”

“Headed to the boxing gym, deal with Mr. Merriman when i return, talking about ringing my neck out, yo lights gone be off permanently!!!!”

“Damit people how do i get the camera on my mac book pro to work, its my turn to talk trash”

Of course, Merriman chose to show his face through an Internet video clip talking about “ringing” Ochocinco’s neck.

But how about that?

Twitter and the internet as a whole is now a place for NFL feuds! I don’t need to pick up the San Diego Union-Tribune or go to Ochocinco’s fan site anymore!

Plus, we don’t need to watch the 6:00 PM news or even wait on Sportscenter, we can see videos of someone responding to a challenge thanks to You Tube or any site that plays video’s!

I knew we would be heading towards technological changes, but this takes NFL trash talk to a whole new level.

Forget following friends on Twitter, I would rather follow an NFL beef through a “tweet.”

I might need to become a “twitter follower” after all to see more of this. Hey, we might as well.

After all, we’ve witnessed the latest breakthrough in technology thanks to two NFL stars. We should get used to this technological advancement.

 

Minnesota Vikings: Brett Favre-Not Your Saving Grace

The Hollywood star turned NFL future Hall of Famer QB Bret Favre is continuing to show his movie in all American cities and on the Internet.

OK, its a joke but the framework still stands and the Bret Favre saga still is on going.

Since being released from the NY Jets there have been countless articles on B/R and by varied sources across the Internet, and reports about Favre’s MRI and the Vikings trainer.

We all know that Bret Favre will be a Minnesota Viking, but I think everyone is seeing a Favre signing as the ticket to a Super Bowl for Minnesota.

That’s really not the case.

Bret Favre is a great QB yes, but look what happened at the end of last season in New York. Favre’s shoulder just wasn’t there.

Now yes, he had surgery but can the shoulder hold up for another 16 games?

The Vikings know that the NFL is a quarterback driven league.

That’s why they went out and traded for QB Sage Rosenfels and still have Tarvaris Jackson.

The Vikings are not going to be lead by Favre though. This is still Adrian Peterson’s team, and its lead by Peterson and the defense. Not the QB, whoever it is.

Favre, if his shoulder is 100 percent could possibly throw for 3,000 yards, but because of Peterson I doubt he will.

Favre, Cutler, Stafford and Rogers.

Three great young QB’s and the NFC North version of Kurt Warner, without the top two WR’s.

Bret Favre will be wearing Minnesota Viking purple.

And I will be too be if he signs on Aug. 5.

Giants vs. Eagles: The Best Rivalry in Sports

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Where would the NFL be without the leagues greatest rivalry?  Over the years I’ve watched the Giants and Eagles battle like no other contest in sports.  These two juggernauts have been clashing since 1933.  

Seriously, try to name a better head to head confrontation in the sport.  The rich history, the epic battles, and game changing dramatic plays.  Sure, the Jets and Miami can be considered a rivalry, but remember the Jets and Dolphins didn’t enter into the NFL until the early to mid ’60s.

The Browns vs. Steelers and a bit of Baltimore sprinkled in can give you a good game, but nothing like when the New York Giants play the Philadelphia Eagles.  There’s only two hours of asphalt between these two teams, but years of electrifying moments.

Fifteen Of the Top Plays to Remember:

1. Old School—Bednarik knocks out Frank Gifford putting him out of football for the reason of the year and the entire 1961 season. 
2. “2nd-and-13”—With less than one minute to play, the Giants only need to run out the clock to preserve the win by taking a knee.  The win would almost certainly knock the Eagles from the playoff picture when QB Joe Pisarcik misses the Larry Csonka handing.  The ball hits the stadium turf and bounces straight up into the hands of cornerback Herman Edwards who runs for a touchdown…and the “Miracle at the Meadowlands” is born!   
3. No. 56 Is born—The best linebacker and pass rusher off all-time, Lawrence Taylor crushes Ron Jaworski for his first sack in NFL history.  LT sacked two Eagles quarterbacks, Ron Jaworski and Randall Cunningham 12.5 each, sharing the distinction of being Taylor’s most frequent sack victims. 
4. Buddy’s Bad Advice—October 1986, LT has a two sack day. The second sack was amazing as LT clearly jumps four feet in the air over RB Keith Byers crushing Jaworski.  Buddy would never leave only a running back to block Taylor again.
5. The Hit—RB Keith Byers gets retribution with the “decleater” on LB No. 52 Pepper Johnson.
6. Must Be the Circus—LB No. 58 Carl Banks delivered a hit on QB Randall Cunningham which cuts his legs out from under him, sending him flying backward.  Randall manages to keep his balance, recovers to his feet, and throws a touchdown.
7. The QB Can Kick?—Randall Cunningham’s 91-yard punt!
8. Halloween—1999  overtime, game tied at 17.  Michael Strahan bats a pass from Doug Peterson into the air, before intercepting it and taking it in for the game ending touchdown.
9. Two to the House—The Giants 2000 Super Bowl run was something special as the Giants had two amazing plays vs. the hated Eagles in the divisional playoff game.  Ron Dixon took the opening kickoff to the house for a TD and corner back Jason Sehorn made a sensational acrobatic diving interception tipping the ball back to himself and got up to run in for a touchdown.
10. NFC Championship—Strahan pushes past Jon Runyon and the Eagles with two sacks and a fumble recovery of Donovan McNabb in Jan. 2001 earning their way to the Vikings in 2001.
11. The Punt Return—With 1:36 to play, the Giants decide to punt.  RB Brian Westbrook goes to house with a 84-yard punt return to win the game.  Don’t kick to B West!
12. Jump Ball—Jeremy Shockey tied the game at 7-7 by out wrestling Eagles safety Brian Dawkins on a jump ball in the end zone. Giants win 10-7 and earn a playoff birth.
13. The Comeback—Losing 24-7, Eli Manning marched his team back from the brink for 17 straight points. Eli flings a deep TD pass to a single-covered Plaxico Burress, who outmaneuvered the Eagles stud corner back, No. 24 Sheldon Brown for a 30-26 victory.
14. Osi…Can You See?—The boys in blue whipped No. 5 all day setting an NFL record 12 sacks including a franchise-record six by Osi Umenyiora.
15. Sack King—Michael Strahan does it again by sacking McNabb in Sept 2007 passing the great Lawrence Taylor.

 

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