Monday, April 30, 2012

Foolish Predictions

It's hard to believe that many of the draft "experts" actually make a living talking their nonsense. Mel Kiper has laughed his way to the bank with his many wrong predictions over the years. Most teams and fans disregard his list of "the best players available".

A local writer has made a fool of himself with his latest analysis. He said that Coach Belichick will be leaving in three or four years because the Pats  loaded up in the first round with two defensive players. Everyone knows that Tom Brady's career is nearing the end. To say that he has five more seasons might be a stretch. Who knows how many years a player has?  The writer said that Brady and Belichick will leave together.

In spite of what Belichick has said about his own future, this "expert" feels he has the inside scoop. Why else would he draft the way he did? It doesn't matter that the new rookie salary structure has changed everything the way teams look at first rounders. Belichick was not one to throw big amounts of money at unproven players. This new cap fits his philosophy.

Only Belichick knows how much longer he will coach. To try to make predictions on his behalf would be foolish for anyone.

Sunday, April 29, 2012

The Banner Man

Throughout the draft, we heard that classic cliche; "the quarterback is the face of the franchise". I think that holds true for all teams, but not every team has a marque player in that position.

As ESPN went for a commercial break, they showed a scene of where the Jets fans gathered in Radio City Music Hall. A huge banner featured the Jets logo and a picture of Tim Tebow. Where was the image of Mark Sanchez?

The Jets continue to say that Sanchez will be the starter. If that is the truth, why did they have Tebow's face on the banner? He is only a back-up quarterback, running back, H-back, fullback and punt protector.

This is just another issue that will cause controversy as the Jets continue their circus into the upcoming season. It would be like the Pats having Brian Hoyer or Ryan Mallett on their banner.

Saturday, April 28, 2012

The Unfortunate Pick

For some players, where they get selected in the draft, can make or break their career. QB Kirk Cousins of Michigan State must be wondering what he did to deserve this.

He was drafted in the 4th round by the Washington Redskins who had already taken Robert Griffin III as the overall number two selection. RGIII has already been anointed as the franchise quarterback of the future. Where does this leave Cousins? Does he carry the clipboard on the sidelines for the next three years?

He had a stellar career at MSU where he holds passing records for total passing yards, completion percentage, efficiency and touchdowns. He was expected to be taken by a team looking for a starter or a potential back-up.

The selection by the Redskins probably guarantees that the career of Cousins will be stymied for a few years. He is in a similar situation to former MSU great Brian Hoyer. The Pats back-up was never drafted, but was able to pick his own team. He saw a future with the Pats as the back-up to Brady.

Cousins will be paid decently for not playing, but I'm sure this must really frustrate him to no end.

Friday, April 27, 2012

Draft Off To A Good Start

I can't wait to hear the comments about the Pats two first round selections. They traded up for both. This is unheard of in the era of Bill Belichick.

DE Chandler Jones and LB Donte Hightower should prove to be great selections to add to their defense. I think the team already got better. Hightower has the Nick Saban connection to Belichick.

They gave up their selections in the third and forth rounds, but kept both of their seconds. It appears that they will look for a DB or a RB in rounds 2-4 tonight.

Nobody will be surprised if they trade down to pick up more picks in later rounds.

Thursday, April 26, 2012

Draft Night

No matter what the Pats do in tonight's draft, there will be talk about what they should have done. There have been many mock drafts predicting what they will do with the 27th and 31st picks in the the first round. A trade by one team can change the entire draft.

There are those who want the Pats to draft a big-name player. It almost doesn't matter if the player is a good fit for the team. They just want an "impact" player.

Another group will have a melt-down if the Pats trade one of their first rounders for 3rds and 4ths and a first next year. I predict they will do something like this.

In the end, the moves by the Pats will provide considerable fodder for discussions in future years. Here we go again.

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

320 Jobs Available

It's a winning situation for teams and players with the expansion of preseason rosters from 80 to 90 players. That opens up another 320 roster spots going into training camp. Critics say that talent can get diluted, but I disagree.

The talent level in the NFL is exceptional. In the end, the opening day roster will remain at 53. The expansion allows teams to have a more competitive camp.

Some of these players will remain on the fringe, but may get onto an active roster at some point. It allows teams to get involved in more player "projects".

I'm sure some teams will hide a player on Injured Reserve. It seems like every team does it.


Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Wondering Wes

Whenever an unsigned player like Wes Welker starts to talk, it can lead to a number of different things. He has not signed his $9.5 million contract tender for the 2012 season. He said that he has not heard anything further since he was offered it.

I think Wes will lose a great deal of leverage if he signs it. He will be 31 on May 1. If he sings the tender, the Pats might drag out further contract negotiations. The same scene will happen next year at this time unless he gets a long term deal.

I can see why the Pats are balking at this. For financial reasons, I don't blame them one bit. How many more years can Welker play at his level before he suffers a career ending injury? Maybe two? Who knows? Injuries are the key.

He mentioned about not reporting to the mandatory min-camp in June. He would be foolish to show up. The league rules would require him to sign an injury waiver. It wouldn't make any sense to do that.

This sounds like the Vince Wilfork negotiations all over again. The problem is that you just can't sign every player. Maybe the team will challenge Wes into sitting out games in order to force his hand.


Monday, April 23, 2012

Input From Drew

It is only a matter of time before Commissioner Roger Gooddell announceds his punishment against the players involved in Bountygate. It will effect numerous teams as some have former members of the Saints on their defense.

Gooddell has involved player union head Demaurice Smith, as well as former Saints LB Scott Fujita. I find it very interesting that QB Drew Brees will also consult with the Commissioner. Isn't this a conflict of interest? Why would Brees advocate for penalties on his teammates?

The penalties need to be announced before the draft on Thursday. It will certainly effect the way teams work their draft board. The sanctions against some players will open the door for someone to move up in the draft.

Sunday, April 22, 2012

Tailoring For Tebow

The New York Jets seem very excited about Tim Tebow. They announced that they plan to use him as a running back, H-Back and fullback. This is in addition to his duties in the Wildcat offense.

Coach Ryan has gone on record to say that they want Tebow in about 18-20 plays. That is quite a few snaps. It certainly shapes their offense. There are only so many offensive snaps in the game.

There was no mention of starting QB Mark Sanchez in the article. Mini-camp in May should prove interesting.

Saturday, April 21, 2012

Arresting Times

With the annual draft coming up next week, it is so important for players to stay out of trouble. Someone gets arrested every year. It can cause them to fall on the draft board, costing them money in their career.

CB Alfonzo Dennard is a stellar example. He was arrest this morning for assaulting a police officer during his arrest in Lincoln, Nebraska. Naturally, it happened between 2-3am.

Dennard was rated by many as the 5th best cornerback in the draft. He was the recent recipient of the 2011 Big Ten's Tatum-Woodson Award for defensive back of the year.

Many teams looks at arrests and game behavior. In Dennard's case, he was ejected last year in the Capital One Bowl after getting into a fight with South Carlina's Alshon Jeffery. Both players were tossed out in the first half.

It seems that Dennard has a hard time being a "shut-down" corner. Jeffery had already burned him for 148 yards before they got into their tussle during a pass play. Dennard apologized after the game, but the damage had already been done.

For some, an arrest doesn't change things for them. For others, it's a terrible way to join a team.

Friday, April 20, 2012

Trevor and Jerry

Some fans want the team to go so "outside of the box" on draft day. With their two first and second round picks, the Pats can be very creative in packaging a trade to move up to select an "impact player". Who knows what they will do?

Maybe they can swing a trade like they did in 1985. They traded the 16th overall pick to the San Francisco 49er's for the classic lower first rounder and picking up 2nd and 3rd round picks. Coach Belichick does that all the time.

The Pats selected center Trevor Matich from BYU. He stayed with the team through 1988, but was often injured. He played 26 games with 11 starts.

The 49er's used the pick to draft a WR from a Division II school. Selecting Jerry Rice was a pretty good move by the 49er's. It worked out great for both of them.

 Teams miss out on players every year.

Thursday, April 19, 2012

Beware of Experts

The off-season workouts have started for the Pats and the rest of the league. Every team has absences. It appears Matt Light will retire. Tom Brady isn't there unless he needs to be. He has a $258,000 workout bonus in his contract that he will never earn.

It seems to revolve around Jerod Mayo now on the defense. He and Vince Wilfork are the anchors. Matthew Slater is a leader on special teams.

The 2012 team is starting this week. It's a long way to training camp. Some of the people on the roster won't be there. It's a constant change day to day.

A local "expert" predicted the Pats to be 9-7 this season, starting off 1-3. He doesn't know everything, but on the other hand, he has made a living on being a sportswriter and being wrong.

Maybe the team will be worse than that. Nobody knows what will happen in the 2012 season.

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

One of the Top 100

It probably does not come as a surprise that Tim Tebow was selected by TIME magazine as one of the most 100 influential people in the world.

That is a very lofty honor for a NFL player who has experienced limited playing success in the league. Tebow has certainly become a pop-culture icon. Even people who don't follow football have heard of him.

I am always skeptical of lists such as this one. What makes one person more worthy than someone else? I think this shows how special of a player Tebow is. I look forward to the circus that will be coming to New York

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Cromartie Isn't Funny

The NFL is filled with gifted athletes who are also very socially immature. The media is filled with stories of bad behavior off the field and players who fail to take responsibility for their actions.

I find it unfortunate that the coverage of Jets CB Antonio Cromartie is often looked at in a comical manner. It was recently disclosed that he has now fathered ten children from eight different woman in six states.

I don't see anything humorous about this. In all likelihood, Cromartie will follow the steps of many current and former players and be financially broke by the time he retires or shortly after that. He has already been hauled into court on numerous occasions for child support.

He doesn't appear to be the type of guy who will have a successful transition into retirement. I'm not sure what he is qualified to do. He is making big-time money now, but can't seem to keep up with his payments.

It might be a funny story if the future of his children was not involved. As we have seen on HBO's "Hard Knocks", he has a problem remembering the names of all of his kids. This is an ongoing sad story that will only get worse.

Monday, April 16, 2012

For the Mock Of It

I love mock NFL drafts. "Experts" think they are on top of everything. They have identified the needs of each team and slotted the appropriate players. These guys are usually wrong, but they make a living doing it.

A local "expert" has predicted the Pats will use the 27th pick in the first round to select safety Harrison Smith from Notre Dame. That certainly sounds like a position that has a need, assuming Smith is still available.

He predicts the Pats will trade the 31st selection to the Cleveland Browns who will then select QB Brandon Weedon from Oklahoma State. The Pats will get the Browns first round pick in 2013 and the Browns fourth pick in the third round in this year's. To me, this makes a lot of sense as the Pats continue their trend of stockpiling draft picks.

If this doesn't happen, he said the Pats will select DE/Tackle Devon Still of Penn State. Of course, it's important to realize that one different selection by another team can upset the entire draft order. It should be an interesting day.

Sunday, April 15, 2012

Taking A Gamble On Gambling

Whenever it comes to raising revenue, the NFL does a great job. For many years, the league has distanced itself from gambling and casinos. It penalized players and coaches for any type of involvement in illegal gambling.

As casinos pop up all over the place, the league is having second thoughts. They will now allow casino advertisements to a limited degree. They can appear on home stadium billboards, game-day programs and on radio broadcasts.

The NFL will get 5% of the revenue which they claim will be used to finance the league's "gambling education program". I was unaware that such a program existed.

Naturally, the league will try to sanitize the ads. Players and coaches are prohibited from appearing, as well as any team logos. The ads cannot show people gambling or use any words to entice them.

Ads will be limited to stadium concourses and upper bowl seating areas. To ensure their image isn't damage, the league will not allow the ads to be seen during television broadcasts. They don't want the public to think that they have compromised their principles.

To paraphrase a quote from the late Al Davis: "Just keep streaming money, baby".

Saturday, April 14, 2012

Offensive Thoughts

It comes as a surprise to many Pats fans that the team plans to bring Dan Koppen back with a new two year deal. The money isn't bad at $6 million. Many thought his playing days in Foxborough were over. He failed to generate much interest in the free agent market.

Coach Belichick plans to have an offensive line that is pretty young ,with the exception of Matt Light who remains a question mark.

If the Pats keep their two first and two second round picks, I look for them to add to their offensive line. They never go after the high profile player. They are content in getting the best value at their selection.

I don't see them using all four of those picks. They will trade at least one or two of them.

Friday, April 13, 2012

A Silent Voice

I was shocked to hear that Gil Santos, the long-time play by play announcer for the Pats radio broadcasts, might not be around next season.

Santos,72, has been taking it year by year along with color man Geno Cappalletti. The 2011 season was especially hard for Cappelletti as his analysis was often filled with meandering thoughts. Both men have always had the support of the Robert and Johnathan Kraft who said they could keep doing broadcasts as long as they wanted.

Santos is recovering from a sever case of pneumonia which necessitated him being placed in a medically induced coma. He ended up in a rehabilitation facility.

It would be a shame if the booming voice of Santos is silenced. No information was available on any damage to his voice. Santos has called the games for the last 21 years and 28 years overall.

If he doesn't return, someone will take his place, but it will never be the same. His ability to "paint the picture" on the filed was truly amazing.

Thursday, April 12, 2012

Restricted Signings

The new Collective Bargaining Agreement has not created a big market for restricted free agents. In fact, of the 42 players with a second round tender, none have been offered a contract by another team.

Back-up QB Brian Hoyer recently signed his second round tender offer with the Pats. A team could have signed him and given up a second round draft pick if the Pats declined to match the offer.

I don't understand why teams didn't sign players from other rosters. Back in 2007, the Pats signed Wes Welker as a restricted free agent. They gave up a second round pick, but that looks like a great deal in retrospect.

So many teams fail with their draft choices. A team should sign an established player if they feel he can help their team. I don't think a second round pick is too much to pay. The Pats have two first and two second round picks in this year's draft. I don't expect them to use all of them. They will probably trade down or into next year.

Just because a team has a lot of draft choices, it doesn't mean that they will be used in a prudent manner. Every team makes mistakes.

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Short Time For Wes?

It was interesting to see Wes Welker on the NFL Network tonight. He did a god job in his panel discussion about Bountygate type hits. I think he has excellent potential as a NFL analyst. He has great camera presence.

He should sign his $9.5 million offer from the Pats. He will get that money for a year and again next year if the team wants to do that. He could go some place else, but he would never have the same success as with Tom Brady.

I have no idea what the best contract for Wes could be. I hope he stays with the Pats. They need to pay him a lot of money,but I don't think they want to do that.

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

The Chosen One

Tim Tebow's preaching to a crowd of 15,000 in Texas last Sunday drew a great degree of media coverage. The New York Jets continue to say that he is the backup quarterback and will be used in the wildcat offense.

The Jets can say one thing, but the media has their own agenda. The New York Post called him "the Jets hoped-for savior". They continue to sow the seeds of Tebow becoming the starting quarterback.

The Jets might keep Mark Sanchez on a short leash this season, but the New York tabloids will pounce on him at first opportunity.

I think Sanchez might be finished in New York. It might be the best thing for his career if he goes to another team. I think Tebow will be the starting quarterback at some point. The journey to get there will not be pretty for Sanchez.

Monday, April 9, 2012

Looking For the Bill

After the announcement today that the penalties for Bountygate stand, the Saints will need a interim coach for the 2012 season. The spotlight is now focused on Bill Parcells. Until a selection is made or Parcells bows out, he is the lead candidate.

The full-time media coverage by the NFL Network will now start. My prediction is that he takes the job and returns to the NFL. That would be great for the Saints and the league. He might be 71, but I don't think the game has passed him by.

Sunday, April 8, 2012

Sapp Sacked

The NFL is very concerned about its image. Since Warren Sapp accused TE Jeremy Schockey of "being a snitch" about Bountygate, he has appeared on the NFL Network.

Sapp was a very insightful and engaging personality, but he crossed the line with his comments. It was no different from something you hear from an inner city gang member. It looks like Sap is paying the price by losing a gig that pays him $540,000 annually.

Sapp recently filed for bankruptcy and joins a long list of former players who somehow blew through their millions and have nothing to show for it now.

Saturday, April 7, 2012

A New Line

The NFL has unveiled its new uniforms designed by NIKE. The contract finally ended with Reebok and NIKE offered more money for being the official apparel of the league.

The uniforms had their debut the other day in New York City. Wes Welker wore the one for the Pats. They had very few changes to their uniform. Other teams had a profound difference, especially the Seattle Seahawks.

It will be interesting to see what they come out with for fan apparel. Its a big business. Nothing is cheap, but the fans buy the stuff. I have several items from the team store.

Friday, April 6, 2012

They Want Tuna

In a recent interview, Bill Parcells wondered aloud whether the game had past him by at the age of 71. Based on the interest shown by the New Orleans Saints, it seems that Parcells could have a job if he wanted one.

There is a story out today that the 3-13 Minnesota Vikings have expressed interest in Parcells coaching the team and heading up football operations.

This seems a daunting task for anyone. Would Parcells really want this at 71? He missed out on election to the Hall of Fame and any job would reset his five year wait.

It seems that the Saints will be his most likely landing spot after the team finds out the decision on Sean Payton's appeal of his suspension for the 2012 season. I think he will be with a team one way or the other in the fall.

Thursday, April 5, 2012

Dark Could Over Saints

Bountygate reached a new level today with the release of a video showing Saints Defensive Coordinator Greg Williams telling his players to "go for the head" on several San Francisco 49er's. The video was made by someone working for ESPN and was done before last season's playoff game.

The tape is very devastating to the Saints and the league. It is the smoking gun that will have a huge impact on this scandal. It seems ironic that it was released before the appeal by Coach Sean Payton. After listening to it, it seem shard to believe that Payton could get any reduction in his season-long suspension.

As this story unfolds, we are also hearing the story of the drug scandal Payton was involved with a few years ago. He was talking prescription drugs from a team medicine cabinet for personal consumption. A team security official reported it to GM Mickey Lommis who then promptly fired the employee.

This case is getting uglier day by day.

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Punishing Players

Phase Two of Bountygate should happen soon when sanctions are announced against players. They could range from a fine to suspension. The NFL Players Association is watching this very closely. They are caught in a precarious situation. They need to represent all of the league's players. It's a no-win situation for them.

They are demanding to see more of the investigative report. They claim that everything has happened through the media. The are right to a certain degree. The story has taken on its own life. Fans have never seen any reports or testimony. It's all about the allegations.

I'm sure the league wishes this would just go away. It hurts the image of the NFL. They sell the game based on violence. Everyone is ok with that until you start to here stories of players getting bonuses to hurt each other. It looks like things are out of control. The league doesn't like that.

Monday, April 2, 2012

Jets On Hard Knocks?

It's really hard to think how devastating the season could be this year.The Saints could be headed for a downward spiral with the loss of Sean Payton. You never know.

Who knows about the Jets. They could be the real deal or Rex Ryan gets fired. We will never know until that date comes upon us.

It appears that the Jets want to be on Hard Knocks. I'm sure they will if Rex wants it. They should do it.

Sunday, April 1, 2012

Ending the Drama

The New Orleans Saints should have a better picture of the 2012 season by the end of this week. Coach Sean Payton and GM Mickey Loomis have appealed their suspensions to Commissioner Roger Gooddell.

They are basically appealing to the man who was judge and jury the first time around. Gooddell has the option of reducing Payton's season-long suspension as well as the eight game one for Loomis.

The initial punishment appeared to be very heavy. Gooddell was certainly sending a message to the league. His decision will have a huge impact on the Saints in 2012. Will Bill Parcells step in and take over this year? Will there be a reduction in the sentence?

This whole scenario will play out when they meet on Tuesday, with a decision expected by the end of the week. I think both guys might get a break with a slight reduction