Turing Another Sad Leaf

The arrest of Ryan Leaf in his home town of Great Falls, Montana continues a long and sad story. Back in 1998 all of the other draft "experts" were tossing a coin to decide whether to label Leaf or Peyton Manning as the number one overall pick.

The Colts went with Manning and the rest is history. Leaf had a disastrous career with the San Diego Chargers and was out of the league after a few years. He is often considered the poster boy for the "all time draft bust in the last 20 years."

That's why I have a hard time following the prognosticators of the draft. There is too much information and much of it is speculation.

Leaf has apparently violated the terms of his probation in Texas on drug charges. They could revoke it and send him back to prison.

When you look at him and Manning, you see two guys who started out together. Manning just grabbed a ton of money in a contract he might never finish. He has a Hall of Fame career. People might question why he continues to play, but that is his choice.

Leaf, on the other hand, was gone way too soon. He didn't help the situation. He is just another former NFL player with drug and alcohol problems. He certainly won't be the last. It's a very difficult problem that the league tries to deal with.

Hurt Away From the game

Every year players get hurt during their off-season workouts. Some of the injuries can be very devastating. LT Jason Paters of the Philadelphia Eagles tore his Achilles tendon and will probably miss the entire 2012 season.

This is a big blow for the Eagles. They were counting on the Pro Bowl tackle to have another big year. Now, he faces a long road back to playing again in 2013.

Injuries are a part of the game, but there are far too many of them. Player safety has become a central issue. You just hate to see something like this happen. It makes you think that players are never safe at any time.

Just A Bad Idea

The expansion of the regular season to 18 games is a bad idea that won't go away. Rather than take a logical step and kill it once and for all, the NFL owners decided to look at it again after the 2012 season.

From a pure financial view, it's a no-brainer to eliminate two pre-season games and add two more to the regular season. Accountants have crunched numbers to see how much more money the league could extract from the television network and the owners are salivating.

However, when looking at player safety, it becomes a deeply flawed idea. As it stands now, most teams limp their way into the playoffs. The Super Bowl winner is usually the one who is able to have the healthiest team.

Many injuries are difficult to prevent. The sixteen game regular season is a grind. The expansion of the rosters isn't really a solution. Starters will continue to get hurt as the season moves on.

The best solution is to forget about it. They should stick to sixteen games. By tabling it until after the end of the 2012 season, the owners are only procrastinating from killing a bad idea.

A Couple of Better Rules

I like two of the rule changes approved by the owners at the league meeting. Teams will no longer need to waste a timeout disputing a turnover. There will be a mandatory review which will be done up in the booth by an official. It shouldn't add nay time to the game because time is used when the referee walks to the on-field reviewing booth. Teams have been in situations where they could have made a challenge, but didn't have any left. I think this will keep things consistent among all teams.

I also like the new overtime rule. They will be the same as those used in the playoffs last season. Each team will be guaranteed at least one possession unless the first team scores a touchdown on their initial try.

This will eliminate the luck of the coin toss and the team marching down for a field goal. I have always felt that both teams deserve at least one possession to win the game by at least a field goal.

I have no problem with the defending team being forced to keep the other one from scoring a touchdown and winning the game. I think it will make games more competitive.

Less Head Trauma

The NFL announced that concussions on kickoffs are down 40% from 2010. The league changed the line of scrimmage to the 35 yard in the hope of having more touch backs and eliminating returns. They certainly did that with 53% fewer returns. The kick return was becoming a mass of human train wrecks and collisions. Although it was considered one of the game's most exciting plays, the physical toll on players was getting too high.

I found it interesting that in 2010 the league reported 218 concussions in 321 games compared to 190 last year in 320 games. It appears that the changes in the kicking game have contributed to the noticeable decrease.

On the other hand, I'm sure players are slipping through the cracks This number is only from those who have been identified as having a concussion. I'm sure there are players in every game that suffer one, but it never gets reported. Overall, I think the league is doing a better job in player safety.

Bill To Return?

There is a story out there today about Saints Head Coach Sean Payton asking Bill Parcells to take over his team during his 2012 season long suspension. Parcells acknowledges talking to Payton, but said they spoke in general terms about how the suspension will effect the team. Parcells also denied being contacted by the Saints.

I think the idea makes a lot of sense. Payton was the offensive coordinator for Parcells when he coached the Cowboys. It's a chance for Parcells to make a ton of money for one year. However, it will also reset his five year clock for the Hall of Fame election. I'm not sure if he wants to do this, but maybe he doesn't feel his coaching days are over.

One More For Chad

WR Chad Ochocinco announced that he "voluntarily" reduced his 2012 salary from $3 million to $1 million. He did so through Twitter. It makes him look like some philanthropist, but he must have realized that this is the only chance he has to stay on the team.

He was a colossal failure last season with his $6 million salary and lack of production. The Pats reloaded on receivers and are prepared to move forward with or without him.

He probably would have been released without the salary restructure. I think he is on a short leash for the 2012 season. He is fortunate that Coach Belichick is a fan of his. I have always liked him and was excited to sign his acquisition.

It was painful to see his lack of playing time for a guy with so many skills and accomplishments. I hope age has not caught up to him. I would like to see him as the old Chad Johnson.

Looking To Play

QB Drew Stanton was one player who was not excited to see Tim Tebow come to the Jets. Last week, he signed a $1.25 million contract to by the backup to Mark Sanchez. With the trade for Tebow, Stanton had a slim chance of ever playing. He left the Detroit Lions after being buried on the depth chart behind Matthew Stafford and Shaun Hill.

He asked the Jets to trade him and they did today. He is now with the Indianapolis Colts. The Jets basically gave him away for a 6th round draft pick because they sent a 7th round pick along with him.

At this point, Stanton is looking for a chance to compete for the starting job. He might have found it with the Colts. He had no chance of ever playing with the Jets.

Slapping Sapp

Analysts on the NFL Network say things that are outrageous and over the top at times. It's all done in the vein of entertainment. However, Warren Sapp must be taken to task for his libelous comments regarding former Saints TE Jeremy Schockey.

Sapp called Schockey the "snitch" behind the allegations of the bounty system on the Saints team. The team and coaches have been severely penalized by the NFL after a long investigation.

Head Coach Sean Payton has exonerated Shockey for any part in the allegations. Sapp is employed by the NFL. His comments border on being libel.

The bigger problem I have is with his "street thuggery" attitude about someone who becomes a whistle blower. His comments reflect the gang mentality which keeps honest citizens from going to the authorities.

I think the league needs to discipline Sapp with a suspension or termination. His comments are too outrageous to let them slip by without action. If the league doesn't do anything, what does it say about their credibility?

I have always been a fan of Sapp and found him to be entertaining in his analyst role. He needs to apologize and take his punishment if he wants to keep his job.

Making Sense of Bountygate

I was surprised to see the heavy penalties against the New Orleans Saints, especially for Head Coach Sean Peyton. It will cost him over $7 million in lost wages due to his season long suspension. Former Defensive Coordinator Greg Williams cannot work indefinitely. His career in the NFL might be over as teams might feel he is too toxic to be around.

Penalties against players are on hold until the NFL Players Association finishes their own investigation. There will probably be fines and suspensions.

I think the league needs to be more forthcoming with the results of their inquiry. The penalty might against Peyton might be viewed as excessive due to the amount of money involved. I don't think it is, but he perception is there because of the large salaries they earn.

I don't think you can ever stop this problem. Informal pools will continue to exist among players. The league needs to show how pervasive this was. I don't think they will because they are more concerned with their image in front of the public.

On the other hand, they are facing numerous lawsuits from former players who feel their personal safety was compromised during their playing days. These lawsuits will take years to get to trial, but bad things are going to come out. The NFL wishes they would go away.

In the end, the owners will need to make a huge financial settlement with the former players. It's the right thing to do.

Tebow Landing With Jets

The Jets made a great move in trading for Tim Tebow. They will always be the second football team in New York no matter what Rex Ryan says. They recently gave QB Mark Sanchez a three year extension after expressing an interest in Peyton Manning.

Tebow is a good fit with offensive coordinator Tony Sparano who will use him to run the wildcat offense. He comes with a lot of possibilities.

More than anything else, Jets fans are guaranteed that the 2012 season will be a complete circus starting with training camp. As soon as Sanchez has a bad game, the Tebow supporters will be calling for his removal. If the Jets wanted publicity, they have it now along with the drama.

A poll taken after the trade had 54% of Jets fans advocating for Tebow to start. It will only get crazier.

View of Gallery

Now that Peyton Manning has signed, the attention goes to Tim Tebow and the pending sanctions by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell against the New Orleans Saints. After that, it will all be about the draft.

So much hype will be generated over the next five weeks by all of the "experts" talking about who should be drafted when. One needs only to look at Robert Gallery who the Pats signed the other day.

Gallery was the overall number two pick in the 2004 draft. He was over-hyped as one of the best left tackles ever, but never was able to play the position in the NFL. He moved over to guard.

It should come as no surprise that Al Davis and the Oakland Raiders selected him number two. That franchise has a history of making bad choices. JeMarcus Russell certainly stands out.

Now we have Gallery fighting for a spot on the team. He will compete with Brian Walters who the Pats picked up last season. Waters ended up in the Pro Bowl. The Pats have the guy who was the overall second pick competing against someone who was never even drafted.

So much for getting It right when it comes to judging talent.

Let's Get Tebow

I'll be the first to admit that Tim Tebow was over-hyped last season. I believe he is a unique talent who plays a different style of quarterback for the NFL. I'm with the doubters who are skeptical about his ability to play and win on a consistent basis.

However, I would like to see him come to New England. I don't see the Past keeping four quarterbacks on the roster, but Offensive Coordinator Josh MacDaniels drafted him when he coached in Denver. Coach Belichick had a private dinner with him as part of a team visit prior to the 2010 draft.

Denver wants to trade him since they just signed Peyton Manning. The Pats could probably get him for a third round draft pick. I think it's worth a try.

He would be a long term project to be a quarterback, but I see his value more as a running back and receiver in the short term.

Sticking Your Neck Out

The Peyton Manning drama is like waiting for someone to give birth. You know it's going to happen, but it's a question of when. Meanwhile, he is holding several teams hostage as his situation will have a rippling effect on teams looking for a quarterback.

It sounds like decision day will be this week. Some team is going to drown him with money. The "losing" teams are the winners. Some team will cripple themselves with his contract. He will never last another five years or even three.

I base my thoughts on one observation. Any time I see Manning in his workout clothes, I am struck by how much his neck sticks ahead of the rest of his body. NFL players are physical freaks. There are many different physiques out there. There are so many gigantic players with odd looking bodies. They all have their own unique physical characteristics.

When you look at Manning and know that his neck has faced four surgeries, you realize his body is no longer normal. He has fused vertebrae in his neck. That is not normal for people playing in the NFL

I admire his determination to keep playing to the very end. I just don't like the way his neck sticks out. It's not good.

The End For Koppen?

At the start of free agency, there were 545 players eligible to move to another team. In many cases, decisions are made for salary cap reasons. Age and injuries play a part, but the game continues to revolve around the economics.

It appears that Dan Koppen's time with the Pats is done. After joining the team in 2003 as a 5th round draft pick from Boston College, Koppen seems to have outlived his economic value here. Some other team will probably sign him because of his durability over the last nine years.

Koppen signed a new five year contract in 2007 and made a lot of money. He is considered too expensive too sign. The team re-signed Dan Connolly who helped fill in for Koppen after he was lost for the season with a broken ankle during the opening game with the Miami Dolphins.

Given the limited amount of centers in the league, it will be interesting to see what type of interest Koppen generates.

Reeling Him In

Peyton Manning has come a long ways since saying that he would play for the veteran's minimum. Now he wants 5 years for $90 million. He threw the ball in front of John Elway and other Bronco officials at Duke University.

I think it's a real reach to think that he will make another five years. He is one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time, but he is damaged goods. They always say let the buyer beware. I hope the team that signs him takes out an insurance policy because I don't think he will stay healthy.

I guarantee that whatever team he joins will regret their decision because he will hinder them with their salary cap.

Will Peyton Grab A Bud?

Just when you think free agency couldn't get any crazier, Tennessee Titans owner Bud Adams said he is willing to offer Peyton Manning a lifetime contract with the team. Adams is 87 and must realize that his own window isn't forever. He has told his people to do whatever it takes to sign Manning.

Rumors are out there that Manning has not been impressed with the money figures brought up by his suitors. A couple of months ago, he said he would be willing to play for the veteran minimum, along with a bunch of incentive clauses. Apparently, that has changed.

I have no problem with Manning's financial dreams, but any prudent owner would at least expect to see him throw the ball. Any team that signs him will absorb a huge salary cap hit. Manning is the free agent of a lifetime, but comes with a couple of huge questions. Meanwhile, his drama continues.

Up in Buffalo LB Mario Williams grabbed the biggest contract ever for a defensive player with six years for $96 million, with $50 million guaranteed. This is a huge amount to pay a guy who missed 11 games last season and a few in 2010.

I respect the Pats for not going crazy and throwing money out the window. Williams has the potential to be a game changer, but everyone in the league is one play away from being out for the season or ending their career.

Megadollars for Megatron

Teams cntinue to throw huge amounts of money at players. The dollars are getting out of sight. The pats continue to act in a reasobale way in comparison to others.

The Detroit Lions decided to extend the contract of WR Calvin Johnson a.k.a "Megatron" by giving him the biggest contract in the league's history. He got seven years for $132 million, with $60 million guaranteed. This must have gone over well in Motown where the city is on the doorstep of financial disaster.

The size of the contracts are a buy-product of the salary cap. Teams need to spend a minimum. there is no incentive to spend wisely.

The contract to Johnson will skew the amount given to Wes Welker in terms of the salary, bonus and length. The Pats will probably hit an impasse and end up paying him the franchise tag for one year.

I have no issue with huge contracts as long as the player is worth it. Some of the amounts are absurd. The players will never see the end to their contract in many cases.

Who Is Really Paying?

I wonder how last night went for WR Chad Ochocinco. He was heading to New York City. He sent an invitation out on Facebook and Twitter announcing that he would pick up the tab for the first 200 people who showed up at a restaurant in Harlem.

That was a very nice thing for him to do, but it most have been quite expensive. If you figure $25 per person, that would come to a cost of at least $5,000 and counting.

I wonder if this was part of his new reality television show being filmed with his future wife. He made a few million playing for the Pats this year. I bet he didn't pay for this out of his own pocket.

On the one hand, it seems like a generous thing to do, but also seems a bit frivolous. Too many players blow through their wealth before they retire. There are far too many financially destitute players and former players out there. Hopefully, Chad is using some good business sense.

Free Agency Frenzy

At 4pm on Tuesday, the free agency begins. Local talk shows have been lit up with crazy ideas about what the Pats should do.

After giving Wes Welker the franchise tag for $9 million, the are not inclined to go crazy on receivers, but that hasn't stopped callers with their proposals.

I think Vincent Jackson and Branden Lloyd are off the radar because of their cost. Lloyd is looking for his sixth team in nine years. That should raise a few red flags.

The silliest idea was from the caller who said the Broncos will sign Peyton Manning and then trade Tim Tebow to the Pats. Don't hold your breath on that one.

Jets Flying Off Course

Leave it to the New York Jets to make things worse for themselves with their quarterback situation. Rather than give Mark Sanchez a vote of confidence, they decided to get involved in the Peyton Manning circus. They pursued a soon to be 36 year old legend who has a questionable future with a neck problem

After getting rebuffed, they decided to make amends with Sanchez by giving him a three year contract extension for $40.5 million. They also guaranteed his salaries for 2012 and 2013 at a cost of $20.5 million.

Coach Rex Ryan and GM Mike Tannenbaum have rolled the dice and bet their careers on Sanchez. If this doesn't work, they will both be gone and the team will have a big problem with the salary cap.

The New York tabloids have been very critical of Sanchez all season. The Jets gave up draft choices in 2009 in order to select him as the 5th overall pick. At the most critical time in their relationship, they decided to flirt with Manning in front of Sanchez.

Nobody knows how this will play out, but it will make for some fascinating reading in the tabloids. It sounds like the Jets are being the Jets.

Trading the Future Away

Nobody will ever accuse Washington Redskins owner Dan Snyder of being afraid to make a bad decision for his team. Over the years, he has overpaid for free agents and had a revolving door of head coaches.

His trade with the St Louis Rams for the number two pick in the draft could be his worst decision yet. The Redskins swapped their 6th overall selection, as well as two future number ones and a number two in order to get to their coveted slot. They hope to grab Robert Griffin III.

Apparently they feel RGIII is the key to their future success, but they are also stripping themselves of valuable draft choices. Snyder has always felt that a team could buy a championship by overspending on free agents. The team has done nothing under his ownership.

I have no doubt that RGIII has great potential. I don't think it's a prudent move to mortgage your future away on one player. They don't come with guarantees for success.

Peyton Finding A Place

The Peyton Manning circus continues to occupy all of the coverage on the NFL Network and sports talk shows. Teams are lining up to sell themselves to a future Hall of Fame quarterback who has many questions about whether he can ever return to his level of play.

The Washington Redskins appear to be out of it because Peyton doesn't want to play against his brother twice a season with the potential to knock the Giants out of the playoffs.

The Jets are killing their relationship with Mark Sanchez. He must feel like the team doesn't want him with all of their talk about Manning. They know that if they cut Sanchez, they can use some of his money to sign Peyton. Mayor Michael Bloomberg has even weighed in on the situation. He is advocating to go with Sanchez and forget Manning.

It sounds like it will come down to Denver, Houston, Arizona and Miami. Peyton said he wants to sign before the start of free agency next week. I hope he does so they start covering other news.

The New Orleans Saints must be happy as Manning is keeping their "bounty" story on page two.

Hines Ward

WR Hines Ward of the Pittsburgh Steelers is a great example of a player whose skills started to decline, but was ultimately released because of his age and salary cap impact.

Ward holds just about every Steelers receiving record, but at the age of 36 was considered too old and expensive at $4 million for the 2012 season. The team was looking to go with younger players.

He spent his entire career with the Steelers after being selelcted in the 3rd round of the 1998 draft. He finished his Steelers career with 1,000 receptions for 12,083 yards and 85 TD's.

He said he wants to return for a 15th season. I think some team will sign him for at least a look at training camp. He made a career out of being one of the most physical receivers the game has ever seen. He was such a devastating blocker that the league named a rule after him. He could take the punishment as well as give it out.

Ward joins the list of older players discarded by their team because of their age and financial constrictions. I hope he continues his career and add to his resume for the eventual trip to Canton.

A New Beginning

Today begins the first day of the rest of Peyton Manning's NFL career. It's obvious that he will sign with another team for 2012. To what degree will he be able to play? Where will he end up? There are several possibilities.

His press conference with Colts owner Jim Irsway reminded me of a funeral. They both said nice things and got very emotional. It was a tough way to end his career there. In a way, we can't feel bad for Manning. He made $25 million last year while standing on the sidelines. His departure was over money, playing time and salary cap issues. There was no way around it.

Manning will be back looking for one last chance to make it to the Super Bowl. How it will play out is anyone's guess. As a fan, I really enjoyed watching him play. He brought excitement to every game with the Pats.

Colt Rides Off

In the end, it appears that the gigantic contract given to Peyton Manning lead to the end of his career in Indianapolis. Nobody seriously expected Colts owner Jim Irsway to pick up the $28 million option for Manning this Thursday.

Considering his huge salary cap hit and his unknown physical condition, it didn't seem like a wise idea to pay Manning that exorbitant amount of money.

Manning will take his game to some other franchise. He will probably sign a very heavy incentive laden contract. Teams would be foolish to structure his contract any other way.

Chad Ochocinco reminded fans that at the end of the day, the NFL is still a business and decisions get made that effect players.

Manning might have been able to finish his career with the Colts, but his contract became the breaking point. He won't be the last player to have it end this way.

Owens Owes Big Time

After reading about the latest exploits of Terrell Owens, it's easy to see why he is so desperate to get back into the NFL. He didn't play last year as no team showed any interest. He is playing for pocket change with the Allen Wranglers of the Indoor Football League.

He recently had two houses foreclosed on. The mother of one of his four children is seeking $20,000 in back child support. His obligations for his kids amount to $45,000 per month. Even if he made the NFL veteran minimum of $500,000, it would be a challenge to cover his payments.

Owens needs to hope that he can parlay his IFL experience into a job with some NFL team. If he doesn't pay up, he might end up behind bars which will never help get his obligations paid.

Dropping Down

There are a number of college players going into the 2012 draft who have "character issues". CB Janoris Jenkins of North Alabama has not tried to hide from his red flags.

He was dismissed from the Florida Gators by Belichick confidant Urban Meyer for off the field issues. He could have entered the Supplementary Draft, but he chose to drop down to Division II to convince teams that he didn't have a lot of baggage.

His issues include multiple arrests, a bar fight and one failed drug test. He also has four children under the age of three. Prior to his arrests, he was considered a first round pick.

Many teams will pass on suspect players. This happened to Aaron Hernandez back in 2009. He was expected to go as high as the first round, but his failed drug test dropped him to the 4th round where the Pats were more than willing to take him.

I'm sure Coach Belichick has been in dialogue with Coach Meyer about his former player. If he drops down far enough, the Pats might be interested in the cornerback with outstanding playing skills, but slightly deficient in life skills.

Kris Dielman

The career of LG Kris Dielman of the San Diego Chargers went from a nice feeling story to one with a bad ending when he announced his retirement last Thursday.

Last season, he suffered a concussion during 4th quarter of the October 23rd game against the Jets. He stayed in the game because the team were out of replacement linemen. While on the plane flight home, he suffered a grand mal seizure and missed the rest of the season.

He was planning on playing in 2012, but his doctors warned that it might effect his long term quality of life if he continued.

So after nine seasons, his career came to an end as a result of one play. It could have happened during another game or maybe never at all. Fate seems to be part of the NFL.

Dielman was an undrafted free-agent in 2003. During his career at Indiana, he was a defensive linemen and tight end. His conversion to left guard on offense lead to his four Pro Bowl selections from 2007-2010.

Someone else will take his place. His departure opens the door for somebody else. It's just a big cycle in the NFL. The end was unfortunate for Dielman, but he won't be the last to go through this. It's part of being in the league.

Paying For Hits

The New Orleans Saints will replace the Pats as the poster boy for bad behavior with revelation of a bounty pool for the defensive players making big hits. This will far exceed Spygate.Head Coach Sean Peyton allegedly knew of the program, but did nothing to stop it.

It has been going on since 2009 under the direction of Defensive Coordinator
Gregg Williams. The NFL said 22-27 players were involved in the unsanctioned "Pay For Performance Program". Brett Favre and Kurt Warner were targets during the 2009 playoffs.

The team has not only violated the guidelines of the Salary Cap, but they have tarnished the integrity of the game with thought of players trying to hurt others.

This is going to be a huge story. It will rank way up there. Today is the first day for it.

End of the Year Thoughts

The NFL business year is near the end, but there is so much going on. The league's new year starts in a few days. Free agency will bring change to all of the teams, including the Pats.

The NFL Network does a great job showing the behind-the-scene stuff with the NFL Scouting Combine. Fans love the Combine and draft talk. Team change .

I'm really looking forward to see what the Pats plan to do with their free agents. There are a bunch of players, including Ben-Jarvis Green-Ellis who might not be back with the team next season.

Coach Belichick is so right when he says that the roster is day to day. Careers can end at any moment in the NFL between injury and roster cuts

The opening day roster on September 9th will have many changes from the Super Bowl game day roster of 45.

What will Bill do with the two first round picks?