Reaching Cleveland

The Cleveland Browns are desperate for a starting quarterback. They released Jason Campbell and Brandon Weedon. They have former Pats QB Brian Hoyer returning from season ending ACL surgery.

They are one of the teams interested in drafting Johnny Manziel with the fourth pick in the first round. Now, they are reaching out to Vince Young who hasn't played in the NFL since 2011. Young's NFL career has been a bust so far. He recently filed for bankruptcy after blowing through over $20 million.

Young is a real reach. He spent time with Buffalo and Green Bay during the last two seasons of training camp, but never made the roster.

They are better off rolling the dice and going with Manziel and Hoyer.

Let Tom Decide

Every writer covering the Pats expresses a sense of urgency for Tom Brady as the clock ticks down on his career. One local scribe first predicted an undefeated season for the Pats and then took it a step further when he said Brady wants out of here.

He said TB is frustrated over not winning a Super Bowl since the 2004 season. I don't know how he knows Brady's inner thoughts unless he spoke to him.

Since their last Lombardi Trophy, they have lost two Super Bowls and three AFC Championship games. That's not a bad legacy for anyone.

When Brady decides to call it a career, he will let everyone know. He said he wants to play until he is 40. I believe him.

The End For Russell Allen

The career of Jacksonville Jaguars LB Russell Allen ended on a silent note with just a few lines in the sports page.

His circumstances warrant attention. He was undrafted in 2009 from San Diego State, but made the Jaguars opening day roster. He never missed a game until that fateful day last December 15th during their loss to the Buffalo Bills.

Allen suffered a head injury on a routine play. Although he had double vision, he continued to play. After the game, he suffered a severe headache.

When he was examined the next day, he was sent for further tests where they found he had suffered a stroke. Doctors advised him to retire. The Jaguars released him last week. He will never play again.

Doctors said he partially sheared the blood vessel supplying blood to his brain. That type of injury is associated with severe car collisions.

He never missed a game in his career until one final play that ended it.

Getting a Boot Out of Eli

The New York City tabloids are determined to stay of the case of Giants QB Eli Manning who is coming off his worst statistical season. He just had ankle surgery, but said he will be ready for training camp. Will he be ready for OTA's? It's hard to say with him walking in a boot.

Eli is 33 and played badly last year, along with the rest of the team. Anyone can have a bad season, but the bar is set very high for him. It's a combination of being Peyton's brother and playing in the Big Apple.

I got a kick out the writer when he said "Spell out DECLINE and take out ELI.

Adrian's Issue

Should character be a factor in a appearing on a box of Wheaties cereal? Many great athletes have graced the front of the box. None of them were perfect.

RB Adrian Peterson of the Minnesota Vikings will be making his debut. He has the NFL resume to back it up. There is a report that he has fathered five children with five different women. He was also caught driving 109 mph in a 55 speed zone.

Does this disqualify him for being on the box?

No 16-0

The NFL schedule was released to great hype. Experts are combing through it to do their analysis. So many great games.

Local experts are falling all over the Pats schedule. One local writer even predicted that they could go 16-0. That is ridiculous.

The biggest mistake that any reporter can make is to ask Coach Belichick about the schedule. It doesn't matter to him.

He is so right about that. They need to show up and play the games.

Voter Concerns

I wonder what will happen in future voting with the other two finalists who fail to gain induction to the team's Hall of Fame. Raymond Clayborn, Ty Law and Bill Parcells all deserve the honor, but only one will make it.

Parcells should be an automatic. He saved the franchise from the moment the Krafts bought the team, but left in a bitter battle after the Pats lost in the 1997 Super Bowl. Some fans might never forgive him. In the end, the team ended up with Bill Belichick after three years of Pete Carroll.

I think Ty Law will win out over Raymond Clayborn. The younger fans never saw Clayborn play. Will he be dropped from the ballot if he doesn't make it?

Running Bill

Bill Belichick will be running a half marathon in Nashville on Sunday. I didn't know he was runner. He talks about working out on a treadmill.

I wonder if he will talk after the race. If he does well, he will be expansive on his answers. If he crashes early, it will be one of his short ones with sounds bites like "It is what it is".

A Bad Position To Be In

NFL running backs are becoming an endangered species. Gone are the days of the highly paid back. Their shelf life is often less than five years. Free agent backs failed to get any big and long term contracts this off-season.

Some of the better college backs are leaving school a year early because they know the long term money won't be there. A couple have publicly questioned why they play that position. They are right on that. They would have been better off as a defensive back or receiver. That's where the money is.

See Tedy Run

Former LB Tedy Bruschi finished the Boston Marathon today for the third time. He is a remarkable athlete. Since he retired, he lost a huge amount of weight. It was interesting to hear his interview after the race where he spoke of seeing owner Robert Kraft and former OL Joe Andruzzi at the finish. Tom Brady was also on the course at two different points.

Bruschi mentioned that the course was like a 26.2 mile stadium. He was right about that.

Tough Selection

There will never be a fair way to vote for members to the team's Hall of Fame. Worthy players will get bypassed from other decades. We saw that with Fred Marion, a prior finalist who didn't make the ballot this year.

I doubt the committee wants to induct several players annually. It diminishes the honor. Players from recent years will have the same problem down the road.

Everyone Wants Raymond

It's a difficult choice to pick the candidate for this year's induction to the Pats Hall of Fame. The three finalists include Coach Bill Parcells and DB's Raymond Clayborn and Ty Law.

All three of them deserve induction. Parcells was the savior of the franchise when the Krafts bought it. He brought Bill Belichick to the team, but left in a controversial move to the New York Jets. This might hurt his voting total.

The choice between Clayborn and Law is a coin toss. Both were fist round picks. Clayborn played for 13 seasons with the Pats while Law had 10. They share the franchise record for interceptions with 36 each. I think their voting will be driven by the age of the fans. Clayborn played from 1977-89 while Law was here from 1995-2004.

Law and Clayborn were both shut-down corners. They were as good as Darelle Revis.

CJ2K and The Jets

The Jets rolled the dice when they signed RB Chris Johnson for two years and $8 million. He is coming of his worst season with the Titans where he averaged 3.9 yards and no runs longer than 30 yards.

The Titans felt that he was no longer worth the $8 million due him this season. He had a brilliant start to his NFL career. He is one of only six backs to rush for 1,000 yards in each of his first six seasons. He runs in elite company with the likes of Barry Sanders, Curtis Martin, LaDainian Tomlinson, Eric Dickerson and Corey Dillon.

He will be a big boost to the Jets offense if he can get back to his former self, but he might be at the end of the line at 29.

Not Enough Cash

I agree with the ruling by a federal judge in Philadelphia who postponed a decision on the $765 million liability settlement between the NFL and former players. The judge feels that there might not be enough money to settle the claims for up to 20,000 former players over a period of 65 years.

There are not too many options left. Either the NFL owners sweeten the pot with more money or the case goes to trial. If they make it to the courtroom, it could get real ugly about what the NFL knew about head injuries.

The owners need to dig deeper in their pockets and make the settlement at least $1billion. That might not even be enough, but they owe it to the players.

Staying Put

We hear that infamous line where a player says he wants to be with their team for life. Sometimes, it works against them during contract negotiations.

Muhammad Wilkerson has mentioned those comments about his tenure with the New York Jets. The team has an option to pick up the fifth year of his rookie contract or give him a long term deal.

They can have him for cheap money for 2014 if they want to. He said that he will not hold out during training camp no matter what the team decides to do. He wants to be a Jet for life.

I admire him for his desire to stay with the team for his entire career, but they might take the decision away from him.

Clowney Not Working

It seems to happen every year in the NFL draft. Jadeveon Clowney is considered the consensus number one overall pick. He has drawn praise from all sorts of scouts, coaches and GM's.

At the same time, there are those who question his work ethic. Some feel that he will take the money from his new team and not work as hard as he needs to.

They sing his praises about his immense talent, while others predict that the team will regret selecting him in the first few picks.

We shall see.

Draft Day

Only the NFL Network could keep the draft so interesting. Their analysis is so thorough. It's hard to follow any draft predictions of the "experts".

The Pats have done many things on draft day. This year might be some of the same stuff as far as trading draft choices.  I have no doubt they will trade out of the first round.

Going North For Chad

The toughest thing for many players is to realize their NFL career is over. Some try to make a comeback because they still have the desire to play. Often, it's a matter of the money.

Former WR Chad Johnson plans to workout next week for the Montreal Alouettes of the CFL. He is  36 and didn't play the last two seasons after being released by the Miami Dolphins in training camp back in 2012.

He faces an uphill battle. The CFL might be his best option other than the Arena League. That might be next.

Stike Up The Ban

I predict that QB Michael Vick will not be on the opening day roster for the New York Jets. The circus around him continues to grow and attract unwanted attention.

Some disgruntled fans have started a petition addressed to SUNY Cortland where the Jets hold their training cap. They want the convicted felon and dog abuser to be banned from the grounds of the state school.

The team has enough problems selling tickets to their home games at MetLife Stadium. They don't need this type of distraction. Vick and the Big Apple are a bad fit for each other.

Spiking It

Former Pats LB Brandon Spikes lit up Twitter with his strong remarks about his time in Foxborough. He referred to his tenure as "four years of slavery". He also said his new team, the Buffalo Bills, will beat the Pats twice this season.

I don't think anyone, including Spikes, thought he would get another contract with the Pats. He was placed on IR before the start of the playoffs with a knee injury. He claimed he was ok to play and that it was in retaliation for missing a team meeting.

Spikes was criticized for never living up to his second round potential. Maybe it will be better for him in Buffalo. His remarks burned any bridges back to Foxborough.

Patrick Chung left as a free agent last year. Things didn't work out with the Eagles. The Pats had no problem taking him back because he left on good terms.

Last Stand For Vince?

Vince Wilfork seems to face an uphill battle to collect all of the money from his new contract. They gave him some guaranteed money, but in the end, he needs to make the 53 man roster coming out of training camp.

I have my doubts about Vince continuing his career. I might be wrong. He has kept a low profile since his injury. Coach Belichick won't keep him on the team if he can't play.

This will be a great story through camp.

Maybe Dee Ford

Every expert has their own mock draft. One of the New York Post columnists has the Pats selecting DE/OLB Dee Ford of Auburn with the 29th pick in the first round.

He is described as a "faster Rob Ninkovich" and the best pass rusher available. Some consider him a guy without a position. Is he a linebacker or defensive end? His size might be an issue. He finished second in sacks behind Michael Sam in the SEC.

He skipped the NFL scouting Combine because of medical issues, but had a great performance at Auburn Pro Day. He seems like a good fit for the Pats.

Another Bad Move

The Philadelphia Eagles cut WR DeSean Jackson the other day after rumors became rampant about his gang affiliation. The Eagles never explained why they released him. Many teams stayed clear of him, but he ended up with the Washington Redskins.

Owner Dan Snyder is not afraid to hire and fire coaches on a whim. He has signed plenty of players who have flamed out. Why change now?

He had no problem giving Jackson a 3 year/$24 million contract with $16 million guaranteed. It's a move that will probably result in a lot of dead salary cap money in the end.

Snyder gets involved as an owner and isn't afraid to make another bad move.

A Chance To Fire the QB

Buffalo Bills fans must be concerned about the future of their team after owner Ralph Wilson passed away. His family plans to sell the team. New ownership could move it to Toronto, Los Angeles or another big-market city. Buffalo isn't even in the top 50 television markets in America.

The league wants a team in LA, the nation's second largest market. Would the owners allow one of the original AFL franchises to relocate?

Donald Trump revealed that he had been contacted about buying the team. He expressed some interest in the sale and said that he would not move the team.

Trump has prior ownership with the New Jersey Generals of the USFL back in the 1980's. He is still close to his former QB Jim Kelly who is currently undergoing cancer treatment in New York City. Kelly's family is staying at one of Trump's apartments in the Big Apple.

Easy Money For Some

It's easy to see why so many professional athletes are financially destitute after their playing days are over. It happens in all sports. The NFL is a prime example of athletes blowing their new found wealth.

WR Eric Decker just signed a 5 year/$36.35 million contract with the New York Jets which also included a guaranteed $15 million bonus.

He thought nothing of paying teammate Jeff Cumberland $25,000 to obtain jersey #87. Cumberland knew easy money when he saw it and will now wear #85.

Years from now, Decker will probably wish he had that $25,000 back. So many players squander their money and end up selling their memorabilia from their playing days just to pay their bills.

Two Surprise Visitors

The Pats turned a lot of heads today when they had QB's Johnny Manziel and Teddy Bridgewater in for a pre-draft visit. Everyone is trying to figure why the team would use two of their 30 allowed visits to host players they have no chance of drafting.

All sorts of theories were floated put there. Was Coach Belichick scouting Manziel as a favor to Texans coach Bill O'Brien?  That seems a bit much.

I think Belichick realized that he will be coaching against these two players in the next few years and wanted a chance to sit down and watch film with them and observe drills.

We will never really know in the end.

Not In The Final Eight

A publication linked to the Pats has been running a contest to determine the greatest quarterback of all time. They started with 32 players and are down to the final eight They broke it down by eras.

I was surprised to see Drew Bledsoe in the group. He put up some amazing numbers, but I never thought of him as one of the greatest. He will get consideration for the Hall of Fame, but I don't think he will ever get elected.