Saturday, June 30, 2012

Andy & Bill

Pats fans have been completely spoiled during the tenure of Bill Belichick. As he enters his 13th season, he is the second longest in the league with the same team. Meanwhile, Andy Reid of the Eagles knows that he is on the hot seat, with only two years left on his contract.

We don't have that issue here. We live with the fear that Belichick won't coach here forever. He seems to serve at his own will. He seems to be totally safe here unless he had a health issue or does something really outrageous.

Reid has only brought his teams to the playoffs in nine of his thirteen seasons there. His teams have been to five NFC Championship games, including the eventual Super Bowl loss to the Pats in 2004. With no Lombardi Trophy and too many misses, the fans are certainly unhappy with the lackluster 8-8 record of last year. If the team doesn't win, there might be a reluctance to give him an extension or let him hang in the wind for 2013.

Meanwhile, Pats fans look for another great season with the ultimate coach.

Friday, June 29, 2012

No Deal For Carter

In the Belichick era, there have been a number of players who have parlayed their time in New England into a bigger contract with another team.

Last year, Andre Carter signed a one year contract for $2.75 million. He suffered a season ending injury during the 15th game of the season and missed the rest of the run to the Super Bowl.

Everyone thought the team would resign him , but apparently Carter might be looking for a three or four year deal with money appropriate for the Pro Bowl selection he was last season. There is rumor that the Pats would like to put him on the PUP list for the first six weeks of the season if they sign him.

At the age of 33, he is not getting any younger. He had a great season last year with the Pats. He provided a huge impact on the defensive pass rush with 10 sacks, 51 tackles and two forced fumbles. Coach Belichick has been looking for that type of production since the days of Willie MaGinest.

Foxborough is the best spot for Carter to win a championship, if that's a goal. On the other hand, he could roll the dice and try to make one last payday with a team that might get anywhere.

Thursday, June 28, 2012

Heading To Europe?

Pats owner Robert Kraft has called for the NFL to have a team in Great Britain within the next ten years. His team will be playing there again after a previous trip in 2009. The team's game against the St Louis Rams on October 28th illustrates one of the logistical issues. Both teams will have a bye the following week in order to deal with the travel time.

Any team playing in Great Britain would have a nightmare of a schedule, especially if they had to travel to the west coast. How would players and coaches deal with the time changes? I think that is one of the biggest problems to overcome. Would the team be an existing NFL franchise or would they create an expansion club? A league of 33 teams would cause scheduling problems.

It makes a great deal of sense to expand the league to Europe. There is great potential to grow the game economically, but how do you do it without effecting the caliber of the competition? I think it's a great idea, but it might never happen. The league would like to play two games annually there. That might be the best option.

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Everyone Is A Champion

I don't follow college football very closely except for a few teams. The BCS controversy continues to drag out. People insist that a national champion be crowned. They don't like the present bowl system that has over 30 post-season games. The system is very flawed.

National rankings are very arbitrary. Every team pads their schedule with easy mediocre teams. They can get a bowl appearance with only seven wins. Some go with a losing record. Football does not lend itself to a playoff system like they have in basketball. You can't be playing games every few days.

Bowl committees have their own interests at heart. I have no idea what the solution should be. There are too many bowl games, but so what? People watch them and the schools make money. No matter what they do, they will never come up with a perfect system to select a national champion.

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

They Will Always Say It

Recently retired LaDainlian Tomlinsen was certainly straight forward with his comments about his career. He said he has no problem with having a Hall of Fame career, but never winning a championship.

This appears to many as being selfish on his part. He never brought a championship to his fans, but he said football is a game of 53 players. He felt that he did everything he could to help the team, but the title never came.

He will be asked this hypothetical question for the rest of his life. Not winning a championship will always dog him to some degree. Titles are so hard to win. So many Hall of Fame members never won a championship.

 Barry Sanders only had one playoff game, but we remember him as that great running back.

Monday, June 25, 2012

Wayne & Wes

Wes Welker is coming down to a a final three week period where the Pats can negotiate a long-term contract. After that date, he will play the 2012 season for his franchise tag of $9.5 million. I think the team is somewhat reluctant to give more than two years to a player who takes a tremendous physical beating when he plays. I often wonder how Welker gets up after some of the hits he takes. He must have sustained concussions along the way.

Long before Welker, Wayne Chrebet of the Jets was the consummate slot receiver. Considered too small, he had a walk-on tryout with the Jets. On his first day of camp, security guards would not let him on the grounds because they thought he was too small to be a player.

He fought has way onto the roster with his tenacious and gutsy play. He was never one to back off at any time when going over the middle. He became a fan favorite of the Jets and any fan who appreciates great players.

He sustained a number of concussions, st least six by his count. The final play of his career ended with a concussion. On November 6, 2005, he caught a pass on 3rd and one against the San Diego Chargers.  The legal hit he took left him unconscious on the field for several minutes. In true Chrebet style, he maintained possession of the ball, but his playing career was over a the age of 31. He had 580 career receptions for 7,365 yards.

He is now a financial analyst with Morgan Stanley and reluctant to talk about his medical condition. He is very aware of his potential life-altering injuries, but soldiers on.

Welker reminds me too much of Chrebet. He seems destined to follow the steps of the former Jet. I hope his career doesn't end the same way. I fear that it might. 

Sunday, June 24, 2012

The Case of Three

Players will never get the big contract they crave for if they can't stay healthy and get on the field. Some of the greatest players had their career cut short because of injury. A player's value can diminish in the eyes of the coaching staff if they miss too many games.

We are potentially seeing this with  DB Patrick Chung, OL Sebastian Vollmer and LB Brandon Spikes. All three have missed a significant amount of games since they stated their NFL career. Some players are jinxed for injuries. Others have freak ones.

Vollmer came into the league with the reputation of being "damaged goods" because of a back injury. He is a starter when he is able to play. He recently had a "small procedure done" on his back to get him ready for the season. In my opinion, there is never any "small procedure" done on a back. He probably won't be 100% at the start of camp.

Chung and Spikes had suffered knee and hamstring injuries. They are brilliant when they play and are a key component of the defense. However, they missed games which forced the defense to make the necessary adjustments.

It's one thing to keep players on the roster at the minimum wage for veterans. However, these there players are coming out of their rookie contracts. They won't get the big bucks unless they can prove they can stay on the field. That remains to be seen for anyone.

Staying injured is one sure way to get released at some point.

Saturday, June 23, 2012

Gil & Gino

The NFL is full of players trying to hang on for one more year. It doesn't always end in a dignified manner. We are seeing it with Kevin Faulk who is trying to get one more year with the Pats, but remains unsigned.

I hope the same doesn't happen for legendary play-by-play announcer Gil Santos who plans to come back for his 36th season.

Back In February, he had such bad case of pneumonia that he was placed in a medically induced coma. He has made a miraculous recovery and told the team that he wants to return to the booth.

With such a resume, the team must go along with him. They would suffer a public relations nightmare if they eased him out of the booth. His side-kick Gino Cappelletti has not made a decision yet on his return. It was painful at times last year listening to Gino make mistakes on names of players. He clearly has lost some of his quick response. His commentary would ramble at times.

They are the greatest duo, in my opinion. Gil and Gino have been together for 28 seasons, including the last 21. Listening to them has been like having them in your house.I hope things work out. They have been the best and deserve to be remembered as such.


Friday, June 22, 2012

Not Buying It

Whenever a team lowers their prices for tickets, it's usually because they are having a hard time selling them. Rather than being honest with their fans, they try to convince the public that they are doing it to make it more affordable to families.

The New York Jets did this for some of their end zone and corner seats. They had a problem last year with the same locations. So many of their tickets are overpriced. because of their move into their new stadium.

You can't blame them for trying to buy some goodwill in the eyes of the public, but they need to make their games more affordable. Jacksonville is having similar problem with ticket sales.

Thursday, June 21, 2012

Bo Gone

The release of TE Bo Scaife by the Pats happened after the team claimed Jake Ballard off waivers. His story is a great example of the ups and downs of the the NFL.

Scaife was drafted by the Tennessee Titans in the 6th round of the 2005 draft. He had a productive rookie season. In 2006, he was reunited with former University of Texas teammate Vince Young. The Titans thought enough of him to extend a 2nd round tender offer in 2008. They placed the franchise tag on him in 2009 that lead to a $4.46 million salary. He became a free agent after the 2010 season and signed with the Cincinnati Bengals. However, he missed the 2011 season after being placed on Injured Reserve.

The Past signed him, but kept him on the roster for only 11 days. He had problem with his conditioning during the Pats recent mini-camp. They could bring him back if things change with the tight ends, but it appears unlikely.

He has 251 career receptions for 2,383 yards and 12 TD's.

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

LaDainlian Tomlinson

Former Chargers RB LaDainlian Tomlinson signed a one day contract with his original team so that he could retire as a member of it. He wrapped up an 11 year career that saw him finish as the NFL's 5th all-time regular season rusher with 13,684 yards. He also finished third with 162 regular season TD's

His resume gets more impressive when it comes to the numbers. They are very daunting. He was able to carry the ball effectively on all four downs. He was dangerous as a receiver. His statistics will allow him to gain entry into the Hall of Fame on the first ballot, but will that happen?

Tomlinson never won a championship. He had his chances in playoff games, but his team could never put it together. Will he get punished for it? It could hurt him for a first ballot election, but he will eventually get selected.

He is a great example of a player who performed at a Pro Bowl level with great numbers, but was never able to play in the Super Bowl.

Sunday, June 17, 2012

Class of 2002

The Pats have a great deal of depth at receiver. Some good players will be cut. Jabbar Gaffney, Donte Stallworth and Deion Branch have two things in common with one another.

They all played for the Pats previously. Stallworth and Gaffney are fighting for a roster spot for the second time.

They are also the only receivers left from the 2002 draft class of 35 by that position. Among the others no longer playing are David Givens, Eric Couch and Antwon Randle El.

Ten years is almost eternity in the NFL. Gaffney, Stallworth and Branch all face the prospect of being at the end of their career. I don't think they will all make the roster.

Saturday, June 16, 2012

Under 12 Weeks

The countdown to training camp will begin over the next 4+ weeks. The season starts in less 80 days. Most teams will have personnel transactions during that time. The Pats are unsure whether OL Brian Waters will retire. Logan Mankins is a question mark. The roster will get tweaked a bit more.

Having the mini-camps and the OTA's is such an improvement over last year. I think it helps all teams because everyone has positional and personnel issues.

I always enjoy watching the scenarios when players elect to retire. It can be sad in some cases. I have a great deal of respect for players who decide to sign a one day contract with a certain team in order to announce their retirement. You only get to end your career once.

Friday, June 15, 2012

On This Day

As Tom Brady prepares to start his 13th NFL season, we continue to hear that "the window is closing on his career". That's very obvious to anyone. However, some think that he is entitled to a certain amount of more seasons. Nothing is guaranteed.

On this day in 1994, the New York Giants released 14 year veteran QB Phil Sims. It surprised everyone when it happened, but Sims decided to retire rather than go to another team. He was coming off of shoulder surgery after starting 16 games the previous season. The move was advocated by second year coach Ray Handley Just like that, his career was over.

Nobody knows how much longer Brady will play. Injuries can happen at any moment. He knows that. Who knows if there is even a window? Fans often have unrealistic expectations about wining championships.

Fans of the team should realize the Pats go game by game.

Thursday, June 14, 2012

A Tweak By Bill

Players get put on waivers all of the time and rarely attract much attention from the media. There is always the exception . We saw that this week when  the New York Giants attempted to play with their roster by placing injured TE Jake Ballard on waivers. He tore his ACL back in The Super Bowl win over that Pats. His additional micro fracture surgery is expected to keep hi out for the season.

Ballard is the type of player that Belichick likes. He saw that first-hand in their regular season match-up and then in SB XLVI. They will guarante his 2012 salary of $585,000. Most assume that he will play next year. It's a low risk for the team.

Coach Tom Coughlin was clearly agitated by the team's inability to keep Ballard on the 90 man roster. He refused to discuss the topic at a press conference. Nobody on the Giants thought he would get claimed during the 24 hour period. However, the Past put in a claim 10 minutes before the 4pm deadline.

Some are looking at this very suspiciously, in light of Belichick's history with the Giants. Was it because of the two Super Bowl losses or being rejected for the Giants head coaching job after Bill Parcells left following the 1992 season? Belichick end up going to the Cleveland Browns.

Belichick was certainly entitled under league rules to claim Ballard. It was a way to tweak the Giants at a cheap price.  

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Manning Going Deep

A report out of Denver indicates that QB Peyton Manning has some issues with his velocity on balls thrown deep. This is not good news to anyone associated with the team. The Broncos spent a fortune on him . They rolled the dice in thinking that he could get back to his former greatness. That remains to be seen.

Although it's only a mini-camp, it was very ominous. Skeptics have wondered if he could come back from three neck surgeries. Manning appears willing to take any risk with his health, but it might not be up to him. Everyone is counting on his nerves regenerating. That might be a reach.

It's about six weeks until training camp. That should tell the story. If he doesn't look good in camp, the Broncos could be in for a long season.

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Striking It Rich

With the signing of TE Rob Gronkowski to a contract extension, the Pats are making him one of the key pieces of their offense. Will they do the same for Aaron Hernandez? They have Gronk signed though 2019. If he doesn't play well, he will never see all of that money. I'm sure at some point, they will renegotiate his contract. That's a fact of life in the NFL.

Where does this leave Wes Welker. Apparently, it was easier to do Gronk's contract than Welker's. I don't think the team is going to give him more than three years. They probably only want to do it for two. If they franchise him again next year, it will be at an added cost. It would be cheaper to sign him now, but they don't seem to want to go in that direction.

Monday, June 11, 2012

Starring Chad

Chad Ochocinco has generated some interest from the Miami Dolphins. They could use a veteran reciver with the resume of Chad. How much playing time left remains a question. His most useful time might be during training camp.

The team can use one of their 90 roster spots to keep Chad while the team debuts on HBO's "Hard Knocks". He will certainly add a lot to making the show entertaining. It might be a well documented drama of a player at the end of his career and how he deals with it.

Sunday, June 10, 2012

Troy's Next Play

Like most former players, Troy Brown is adjusting to life after the NFL. I'm sure he had his share of violent collisions and suffered some form of concussion.

He immediately started with the broadcast media doing analyst work on Boston sports talk radio station. He also scored some work on Comcast.  He has provided insightful comments, but needs to bring his game up a notch.

It's good to see that he was one of 23 current and former players selected for a training class with NFL Films as part of the NFL Broadcast Boot Camp. The class from June 18-21 will focus on roles in the media.

Brown is very personable and always connected with fans. He was a slam-dunk for the team's Hall of Fame over Bill Parcells and Fred Marion. However, it can be a tough transition from being a "homer" to a national stage. I think Rodney Harrison has done a great job on Football Night In America.

Some players have some degree of articulation skills. That can be a huge problem in some cases. Vince Wilfork does a weekly interview on a local Boston station. He has improved quite a bit. Like Troy, he is a fan favorite. He now does a local radio ad for a eye vision center. I have no doubt that he will be part of the media when he retires.

Saturday, June 9, 2012

Brown Gets the Call

The Pats announced that former WR Troy Brown has been selected to the team's Hall of Fame. He beat out former coach Bill Parcells and safety Fred Marion. It was no doubt that Brown would be selected by the fans. He was always one of their favorites

For all that Parcells did to resurrect football in New England, I think he was bypassed because fans still remember how he defected to the New York Jets before the Super Bowl XXVI loss against the Green Bay Packers. There will always be fans who hold that against him

I voted for Fred Marion because some players from the 1980's will never get in because they played on lousy teams. The upcoming years will have players from the Belichick era. It will be tough for anyone else to get in because they select one player annually.

Friday, June 8, 2012

The End For Chad

I think most people thought that WR Chad Ochocinco would get released by the Pats. The timing was a big surprise. I thought that he would make it to training camp, but the team thought otherwise. They are stacked at the position. A few more will need to be cut.

Where does this leave Chad? He is a free-agent, but his tenure with the Pats and age are not in his favor. He could return to the team for the veteran minimum, but I don't think the team wants to go in that direction.

It will be interesting to see if he generates any interest from teams. Hopefully, he doesn't follow the path of former sidekick Terrell Owens.

Thursday, June 7, 2012

Start of the Process

The line has been drawn between former NFL players and the owners in their lawsuit about whether the game caused long-term brain injuries. A federal judge has consolidated 80 separate lawsuits into one gigantic class-action against the league.

If this case ever makes it to trial, it will be a long process. It could take years. As it proceeds, there will be some ugly charges coming out. Today, we heard from former Pats RB Kevin Turner who charges he has Lou Gehrig's Disease from head trauma during his career.

The suit could cost the league hundreds of millions of dollars. I think at some point, there will be a settlement. It will cost the league a great deal of money. At this point, it's a matter of the final amount. It will be devastating for the owners.

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Rob & Rex

It's great to see that Jets coach Rex Ryan has lost almost 100 pounds He looks so much healthier. He hopes to shed more pounds. He is such a big guy.He really needs to take better care of himself and lose more weight. His fans want him here forever. He adds so much to the NFL.

I always wonder why  twin brother Rob Ryan never got a NFL head coaching job. Was it because of his wild hair and beard? Do teams hold that against him to be the "face of the franchise".The networks always show Rob on their broadcasts.

 He should be a head coach , but he probably will need to cut his hair and beard to get a job.

Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Making plans For Another Career

Behind every player release is a story why it happened. The Pats parted ways with WR Anthnony Gonzalez last week during their OTA. No reason was given, but speculation centered around the number of receivers the team is carrying. They have too many to open the season with or perhaps it was the physical condition of Gonzalez.

Another report stated that Gonzalez will be starting an MBA program at Stanford in September. If that's the case, it looks like Gonzalez is getting ready to move beyond the NFL.

I hope it's true because that makes a great story. There are too many players in the news with their problems about transitioning away from the game. Gonzalez seems like he is ready to take a big step. Will he try one more team? Who knows? I'm sure he wants to get every last minute of out of his career, but he can see that the end is closer than the beginning.

Sunday, June 3, 2012

A Page From Chad

I belong to a Facebook page of Chad Ochocinco, He posts a few things  daily. It's rarely related to football, although he recently bemoaned the fact that he couldn't workout one day because the NFL mandated an off-day for players.

I wonder if he will make the team. The Pats are loaded with receivers. Some will get cut. There were reports that Ocho was off-sides during a couple of snaps during the recent OTA. Is this a visit back to last year when he kept lining up wrong? It almost eliminated his playing time.

He really needs to make a show during training camp and the pre-season games.It remains to be seen if he still has it.

Saturday, June 2, 2012

Remember the 90

As the Pats move through their OTAs, it becomes a challenge to keep up with the 90 man roster. The last three spots continue to vary day to day. Those are players fighting to stay alive the NFL.

For many players, getting an invitation for a tryout is a dream come true. It's so hard to get to that point. Roster spots are so competitive, unlike other sports like baseball. The lack of guaranteed contracts in the NFL keeps the competition lively. Nobody has any job security.

Every players fights for a spot on the 53 man roster, even Tom Brady. Coch Belichick has shown that he will cut or trade anyone if it's in the best interest of the team.

I always marvel at his incredible recall of player information. I have no idea how he can remember all of that over the years.

Friday, June 1, 2012

Kordell & Kevin

It was a footnote in the news, but former Pittsburgh Steelers QB Kordell Stewart wanted to finally retire as a Steeler. He signed a one day contract with the team to finally retire after not playing in the NFL since 2005. He hung on for his final two seasons with the Baltimore Ravens, but never threw a pass in a game.

There was always talk up through the 2008 season of a return, but it never happened. He has done some analyst works for ESPN and college football, but finally wanted closure in his NFL career.

Players rarely leave the game on their own terms. We are seeing this with former Pats RB Kevin Faulk, a free agent with 13 seasons under his belt. He wants to keep playing, but it's a question of whether any team wants him. The Pats have not offered him a contract. They are at the point where they don't really need him at his age.

He was on the 53 man roster for the Super Bowl, but was not activated for the game. That was a tell-tale sign. Faulk has been a good soldier for the team, but time has run out on him.

I predict, at some point before the season, that the team will hold a press conference to announce his retirement. He will be 36 years old next week, an ancient age for a NFL running back. It's all over for a great player.