Tom Lowers The Bar

Tom Brady and the Pats have always been hated by some of the NFL. Brady's new contract extension has given other teams a reason to bash him. He took below market rate to allow the Pats additional money under the salary cap to sign free agents.

Many players object to this. They claim that Brady is actually lowering the financial bar for them. The Baltimore Ravens front office could use this in their negotiations with QB Joe Flacco. Management will use Brady as an example of taking one for the team.

TB is in a position to do this. His net worth is estimated to be $100 million with another $150 million for his wife. They just keep rolling in the dough. Other players are not so fortunate. I'm sure they are not happy with Tom for not pursuing the last dollar. You can do that when you have all the money you will ever need.

The Heart of the Issue

Players at the Scouting Combine get examined quite closely. In some instances, unknown medical issues surface that have a potential impact on where a player gets selected. This was the case for DT Star Lotulelei who had a heart abnormality detected during his physical.

As a result, he was not allowed to workout at the Combine. He has a heart issue involving his left ventricle which is not functioning to maximum capacity. He will undergo further tests to determine the cause and extent of his problem.

There is some speculation that it could have been caused from dehydration. No matter what happens, there will be lingering doubts from some teams. Lotulelei was expected to go in the top five selections according to several mock drafts. Every spot he drops will cost him money. Where he ends up, is anyone's guess.

No matter how far he drops, Lotulelei is a lucky guy for having a heart problem identified. Nobody knows where this will lead to at this point, but it will certainly have an impact on his football future and the draft.

Probably The Last Contract

It appears that Tom Brady will be with the Pats until he is 40 after signing a three year contract extension. Brady has always stated that he wanted to play until he was 40. He will now get that chance.

What makes his decision so extraordinary is the amount of money he left on the table. He will be paid $27 million for those extra three years and has $60 million of guaranteed money over the next five. He signed for well under the market rate. In fact, he is now the ninth highest paid quarterback in the league.

This doesn't appear to be the issue for Brady who freed up $15 million in salary cap money. The expectation is that the team will now sign some of its free agents. Brady will get his money back in other ways. At this point, it's all about his legacy. Although he has played in five Super Bowls and won three, he wants more.

Does he have a five year window? Only time will tell. The game hasn't always been kind to any player pushing 40. His salary structure is now in place. It's now the beginning of the end. Five years will go by quickly, if he has that long to play. You never know. He could play past 40 or it could all end on one play.

The Tale of Te'o

LB Manti Te'o held an impromptu press conference at the Scouting Combine and attracted the largest group of reporters to talk to a player since Tim Tebow. Everyone wants to know about his make believe girlfriend and the controversy that surrounds it. Teams have asked him to tell them his version of the story. It's a tale that will never leave him.

It's interesting to note that his issue has drawn more attention than some of the the arrest records of other players. Criminal misconduct can't compete with a fictitious girlfriend. Some "experts" think that his stock will fall in the draft. He might have been better off with an arrest record.

No Partners With The NFL

NFL stadiums have sold their naming rights over the years as a way to reduce their operating costs. Some have interesting names that flow off the tongue. Gillette Stadium was once known as CMGI Field. I thought both of those monikers sounded good.

College teams have been following the trend. Florida Atlantic University has formed an interesting partnership with the GEO Group, the namesake of their stadium. The name seems quite innocuous, but the company actually operates prisons.

I wonder if the NFL would allow such a partnership. They are so concerned about their public image. Partnering with a private prison company would certainly make them the punch-line of endless jokes.

Putting On The Show

The NFL Network does a great job televising the Scouting Combine. As the mouthpiece of the league, they have a very coordinated effort between the broadcast team, coaches, players and various other media there.

It draws about 6 million viewers for some of the broadcasts. I watched a bit today of the Offensive Linemen and Tight Ends.

They really do a great job covering the broad jump, vertical leap and 40 yard dash. They provide a great deal of insight to the fans, although they hype it to the end. People are literally tripping over one another to provide facts and the smallest detail to the viewers.

The players in this group are considered to be "The Chosen Ones". There are many players not invited to the Combine who will be on NFL rosters in September. Tom Brady didn't impress anyone with his size or speed back in 2000. He serves as the poster boy for that.

I think it's more about the players who never make it than the ones who do. There is a long list of those who lit the up Combine with their performance, but ended up having a mediocre NFL career.

That's my favorite part about it. Every player who ever plays in the NFL has their own story about how they got there. It begins here for some, but not everyone.

Staying Relevant All Year

The NFL continues to come up with great ideas to keep themselves relevant to fans throughout the year. Most sports have their off-season and fade away from the public eye, but  not the NFL. Under a new proposal, they will restructure some of their off-season activities to keep the interest of the fans.

The want to move the Scouting Combine into the first week of March. This is a great idea for them because it's a "Sweep Period" for television ratings. They also want to push free agency to the beginning of April and the draft to the first weekend in May.

This will allow them to have something going on all the time. Mini-camps in June will also keep them on the radar. I think it's a good idea that all teams have the same reporting date for summer training camp. I don't know why they haven't done it previously. It makes more sense to have one day dedicated to everyone showing up at the same time.

As much as they want to give more to the fans, it's also about making money. The NFL is the best at that.

Milking Publicity

The NFL does a great job promoting itself, but panders to the public at times. I think they are doing that with the first female to get a tryout at a regional Scouting Combine in New Jersey next moth.

A 28 year old female club soccer player will be among the candidates. The NFL recently changed the rule to allow gender equity on the field. Nobody ever expects a woman to play in the NFL, but the league wants to make itself look good.

I think this is nothing more than a publicity stunt. The league is going along with it because they are milking it for every ounce of positive media attention it can get. There is no downside to this for them.

Players going to the Combine pay a fee of $225, with a limit of 225 participants. Punters and kickers pay $275, with a limit of 50 and 40 individuals for each specialty. Everyone who is there is paying out their own pocket for a chance to audition.

The Combine is a chance to find the players who fall through the cracks or trying to get back into the league. Former Pats LB Pierre Woods is trying out at another Regional Combine hoping to get a chance for a training camp invitation after being out of the league for two season.

I just wonder how serious this tryout really is for the female kicker. She said her furthest field goal was 40 yards. That won't cut it in the NFL. She wouldn't be used on kickoffs because she couldn't get it to the end zone for a touch back. I think it would also be very dangerous for her to play on kick coverage because of her size

So the NFL is getting a lot of positive publicity out of this. It takes away the attention from the arrest of players and the problem with PED's. They will also probably see an increase in the sales of their apparel to female fans. It's a win-win situation all the way to the bank.

Dennard Not Helping

When the Pats used a late round pick last year to select CB Alfonso Dennard, they knew they were getting a player who had ongoing legal issues to deal with. Dennard was convicted today of assault and battery on a Lincoln, Nebraska police officer and resisting arrest.

This does not bode well for the Pats. Dennard faces possible jail time and at least a suspension from  Commissioner Roger Goodell. They are already thin in the defensive backfield which has been the weak spot of the team for the last several years.

Will they pursue some of the big name free agents such as Ed Reed and Charles Woodsen? Will they use their first round pick in the draft to select someone? Dennard will miss some games no matter what happens. It's a question of how many.

Part of that answer will be known on April 11th when he is sentenced. He could get probation or up to five years in prison.

Called To The Carpet

Pats TE Rob Gronkowski continues to be in the news. Reports indicate that he ran up a bar tab of over $9,000 while attending a Super Bowl party with his friends in Las Vegas. He was seen dancing shirtless on stage and body slamming one of them with his injured arm.

His actions drew criticism from Tedy Bruschi and Willie MacGinest who said that Gonk needed to be spoken to by one of the veterans on the team. They both felt that Gronk's behavior was not positive and could have a detrimental effect on the team. However, teammate Logan Mankins felt that it was not out of the ordinary and no action was needed.

Gronk continued to make headlines after it was reported that he was offered almost $4 million to appear in a porn movie. I doubt this will ever happen while he is associated with the NFL.

All of this has made Gronk a media darling. He has been able to parlay this into more. On Oscar night, he will team up with NFL Network host Rich Eiason to work the red carpet for the cable channel.

Gronk has carefully orchestrated his moves and is not a fool. I have no doubt that he has a future in television or acting when his career is over. I don't see him as the type of player who will hang around for 15 years like TE Tony Gonzalez. Gronk will make his money, leave his legacy and move onto the next phase of his life. He will laugh all the way to the bank.

Not Playing Tag

Today was the first day that teams could place the franchise tag on one of their players. I don't think the Pats will use it on Wes Welker, Aqib Talib or Sebastian Vollmer.  Welker would carry a price of $11.4 million which might be too rich for the Pats. I think the team is willing to let him test free agency. I don't expect him to be here next season as some team will overpay for his services.

Vollmer is too much of a risk, considering his history of back problems and other issues. He played well when he was on the field, but getting him there has been a challenge.

I think the team has major concerns about Talib. Although he is a very good cornerback, it's too much money to give a player who has a history of bad workouts in the off-season and too many off the field issues.

The Pats have quite a bit of cap space, but they also have a list of their own free agents to resign. You can't sign everyone. I hate to see Welker go, but I think it will happen.

A Great Paying Job

Professional sports salaries are way out of line, but it's the nature of the business. They are part of the entertainment industry and get paid at the market rate.

The NFL announced that Commissioner Roger Goodell was paid over $29 million in 2011. His base pay was $3,117,000, but he also received a bonus of $22,309,000 and additional "other forms" of compensation.

Goodell was instrumental in helping the league sign a new 10 year labor deal with the players. He also got lucrative television contracts with ABC, CBS, NBC and ESPN.

Bud Selig of MLB and David Stern of the NBA get in access of $20 million annually. These guys are the CEO's of their businesses. What is the proper and fair compensation? They can't get any type of stock option which is typical in corporate America.

The commissioners serve at the will of the team owners in their respective sport. They owners determine the rate of compensation. The NFL is a $9 billion business. I'm not sure what his pay should be, but the NFL owners had no problem paying it.

Saying No In St Loiuis

The St Louis Rams will be playing on a year to year basis in their present locale after 2015. They have been trying to convince the St Louis Convention and Visitors Bureau to renovate the Edward Jones Dome. Naturally, the two sides are far apart in their plans.

The team wants a $750 million renovation while the Convention Bureau has countered with a  $124 million plan. Like most teams, the Rams are threatening to move unless they get taxpayer funded renovations.

I don't believe in using taxpayer money for sports facilities. It should be privately funded. I have no issue with paying for infrastructure improvements. The Pats are the perfect model. They built their stadium with their own money. Taxpayer money was used for infrastructure improvement, but there was a direct economic benefit.

Teams should not be allowed to hold their communities hostage. Nobody wants to lose their team. That's why the politicians always cave in and give the house away.

A Release and Ring

Colts LB Dwight Freeney had good and bad news today. The team announced that they had no plans to offer him a contract for the 2013 season. They will be parting ways. Team owner Jim Irsay also said that Freeney will be inducted into the team's "Ring of Honor" upon the conclusion of this playing career.

Freeneny has not indicated his future plans. His play had slipped a bit this year, but would still be sufficient to get a starting position on another team. He will also take a pay reduction most like if he signs with another team.

Another player from the Peyton Manning era is gone. Freeney was the 11th pick in the 2002 draft. During his 11 seasons withe Colts, he set the team record for sacks with 107.5. His accomplishment's also include a Super Bowl win and seven pro Bowl appearances. He also turns 33 on Tuesday.

So is this how it ends for Freeney? If he retires, he will have spent his entire career with one team and will be inducted into their "Ring of Honor" next season. He can also keep playing. What team is the best fit for him? Who wants him? He can probably make some more money. He has a couple of seasons left if he can stay healthy.

Will he leave this game on his own terms? The Colts have certainly influenced his ultimate decision.

Brace For The End

DT Ron Brace was selected on the 2nd round by the Pats during the 2009 draft. He came to the team with a big-play reputation. After four seasons, it never worked out and he was released by the team on December 29, 2012.

Brace had problems staying on the field. In four seasons, he played in 39 games with seven starts. He spent the first six weeks of the 2011 season on the PUP list.  As he struggled to return, he fell further down on the depth chart. He lost playing time to undrafted free agents. He would have been a free agent.

The Washington Redskins signed him today with no guarantees. He has a chance to make the team in training camp. That's all he can hope for at this point.

Brace is just another example of how teams miss with their early round draft choices. He joins a list of players selected by the the Pats who are no longer with the team. Many of them caught on with other rosters, but others are out of the NFL.

If Brace doesn't stick with the Redskins, it could be the end of the line for him.He will probably make the inevitable trip around the league before hanging it up.

No Job For Eric

NFL coaches seem to be one big fraternity where they work with one another on staffs before they are eventually fired. It might take a few years, but they often resurface together. A head coach might eventually work for one of his coordinators. It happens all the time.

That's why it's puzzling that former Pats defensive coordinator Eric Mangini has been out of a coaching job since he was let go, along with his staff, from the Cleveland Browns following the 2010 season. Mangini currently works on ESPN as an analyst, but has been unable to get another coaching job.

He was the one who exposed the Spygate scandal in 2007 while he was with the New York Jets in his first head coaching job. He lasted two seasons before spending another two in Cleveland. He certainly has the credibility for being the former defensive coordinator under Coach Belichick, but did Spygate hurt him? Has he been blackballed by other coaches?

I'm not sure what the issue is, but his name never really surfaced much during the recent coaching carousal.

A Life of Hurt

I read some comments from a former NFL player talking about the physical maladies he has suffered since being injured in training camp back in 1980. He suffered what turned out to be a career ending eye injury during a drill. He was placed on Injured Reserve with a detached retina.

He recently had another eye surgery to address ongoing vision problems which have effected him for years. Other problems include numerous knee, shoulder and back issues.

He was able to make it back to training camp in 1981, but received an injury settlement from his team. He never played a down in the NFL, but has a body of one who played for 10 years.

We often never hear about the problems experienced after their playing days are over. Rodney Harrison has been very open in talking about his severe headaches. He claims to have suffered at least 20 concussions in his career, but the actual figure is probably much higher. His state of health could be much different in ten years.

The life expectancy of former NFL players is 20 years less than for other men. Something needs to be done to reverse that process. Football players tend not to age gracefully. Some never get to that age and die way too young.

One More For Vick

It looks like Philadelphia Eagles Coach Chip Kelly and QB Michael Vick will be together for at least next season. Vick signed a one year deal to remain  with the team. With incentives, he could make up to $10 million. If he flops, he will be out of  a job.

Vick's playing style appeals to Kelly, but the QB has trouble staying healthy and on the field. He has gotten a reputation as being fragile. Anyone who runs with the ball like he does is bound to get hurt.

I don't think Kelly wants to work with a rookie or free agent QB. It's probably a marriage of convenience and necessity. I have my doubts about this working, but their options are slim.

The Cap Runs The Show

As we get near the free agency period, it's clear to see that there is little guaranteed money in the NFL. Players are being dumped all around the league because teams don't want to pay them their bonus money after the start of the new league year. Cutting a player now avoids that, although there can be salary cap implications. The Jets are dealing with Mark Sanchez in that light.

The Pats structure their contracts in such a way as to avoid this. Other teams will be dropping veterans. The Giants have cleaned house. The Jets are backed up and must make some moves to get cap space. The Ravens are faced with what to do with Ed Reed. The Pats need to deal with Wes Welker and Sebastian Vollmer.

In the end, you can't keep everyone. All teams deal with it. The Pats roster will probably shift about 10-12 players.

Just Release Him

The New York Jets are being selfish with their decision not to release QB Tim Tebow. They hope to trade him after the dealing period opens on March 12th. At this point, they would be lucky to get a 7th round pick.

Tebow is due $2.5 million in 2013. If they release him, they will  save $1.5 million in cap space. They are delusional if they think teams are going to bang their door down for a quarterback nobody wants.

They traded for Tebow last year and proceeded to waste his season as he sat on the bench. They rarely used him. They should do the right thing and let Tebow try and find a team to resurrect his career with.

Back In The Corner

In one of his last press conferences, Coach Belichick mentioned that he was pleased with CB Aqib Talib. He was evasive about the future plans for him during free agency. Talib really gave the defense a spark in the secondary.

He came to the team with a great deal of baggage. He had some brushes with the law and a reputation of not being a hard worker. Now, the team is floating stories out there over concerns about his work ethic. Talib stands to earn maybe $16 million for a two year contract at the minimum. Some team will pay him because of the shortage of good corner backs.

It doesn't look like the Pats will be that team unless they can get him for cheap money. In essence, he was rented for half the season for the price of a 4th round draft pick. The Pats will be going into the draft desperately needing help in the secondary. This has been going on for too long.

Unfortunately, there is a shortage of skilled players at this position. In the end, they will probably end up with another Ras-I Dowling who came here with great credentials, but can never stay healthy enough to play.

What Would They Do?

The NFL is really rolling the dice with their decision to play the Super Bowl next year at MetLife Stadium. They will be at the mercy of the weather. Cold games are nothing new to the league. Playoff games have been held in below zero temperatures.

The wild card is the possibility of snow. What would happen if they had a blizzard like the one we are expecting to see? Would they postpone the game until the next day?

The financial issues would certainly play a major role in the final decision. The game could be played in the snow, but where do you draw the line with a blizzard.

I think everyone involved is under the impression that the area would never get hit by a huge storm. They are banking on the effects of the changing climate.

Never Going Away

I heard a good discussion about the HGH issue and the NFL. After the CBA was signed prior to the 2011 season, it was agreed that the league and  NFL Players Association would work on an agreement for HGH testing. Currently, only a blood test can detect levels of HGH.

After two seasons, nothing has happened. Periodically, some member of Congress tries to get into the spotlight by questioning the lack of progress on an agreement. They sometimes threaten Congressional hearings, but nothing happens.

The HGH issue is the 900 pound gorilla that everyone wishes would just go away. Once they start doing blood tests, it's inevitable that players will get caught. It's one thing if they are a 7th round draft pick, but what happens if one of the league's marque players gets involved?

Everyone wants to think that players are so much bigger now because of nutrition and training methods. They are correct to a certain degree, but so many of them look like pure physical freaks. I think it's unnatural in many cases.

I don't believe in taking HGH or other PED's, but how do you get them out of the sport without impacting it? A major stumbling block has been the testing protocols. They called for game day blood samples which the players oppose. The NFLPA is also fighting against testing during the season.

I'm sure we will hear Congress grousing again. The NFL and the NFLPA will issue their responses and blow some smoke, but they will be happy if they can get to this point next year without upsetting the cart that carries the money.

Cruzing For Ther Big Money

Just about every team will need to make difficult decisions about their free agents. The New York Giants are faced with the challenge of signing WR Victor Cruz. As an undrafted free agent, he came into the league with a two year contract and was a bargain this season at $490,000. He is looking for big-time money because of his 168 catches for 2,628 yards and 19 TD's in his first two seasons.

The Giants have said they will only go so far and won't break the bank for him. They have leverage over Cruz who will not be an unrestricted free agent until after the 2014 season. They could offer him $3 million for the season and get a first round draft pick he he bolts to another team. However, they would also lose one of heir best offensive weapons.

It looks like the Giants can get at least two more years from him unless some team wants to give up their first round pick

Moments of Darkness

The Super Bowl had its memorable moments. This was especially true when the power went out at the start of the 3rd quarter. The Ravens had just scored on a 108 yard kickoff return by Jacoby Jones to take a 28-6 lead. The delay last about 33 minutes.

The NFL has not said much about what happened. The FBI has ruled out terrorism, but how did this happen? Apparently, there was not a contingency plan in the event of a power failure. Something like this could easily happen in the future.

The game will be played at MetLife Stadium next year. Good luck with playing a game outdoors in February. At least we won't be put through another horrible halftime show or will we?

Their Final Game

It's the final hour before kickoff to the Super Bowl. Everything has been said and written. The 49er's are favored by 4, with the over and under of 47.5. Someone will make a memorable play one way or the other. One mistake can immortalize them for all the wrong reasons.

There will be other Super Bowls, but this one will only get played today. This is the final game of their career for many players. The story of Ray Lewis has been well chronicled, but others will see their career end. They just don't know it yet.

So many of the game's greatest players never made it to this stage.

The Call of the Hall

The NFL network had a very interesting live show about the Hall of Fame election. The voters had a list of 17 finalists. They cut it down to 10 modern day players with a maximum of five to be inducted. I was surprised to see former WR Tim Brown and RB Jerome Bettis not to make it to the top 10.

A couple of voters were on the panel discussion of the process. I think they made a good point when they said that everyone had their own top five candidiates. A player needed 80% of the final vote to make it to Canton.



I think they made some great selections with Larry Allen, Chris Carter, Curley Culp, Jonathan Ogden, Bill Parcells, Dave Robinson and Warren Sapp.

Six Big Games

Every player in the Super Bowl has his own story on how they got there. For many, it will be their one and only trip. So may great players never get on the big stage during their career. Some like Tony Gonzalez of the Atlanta Falcons, will have a Hall of Fame career and wait 16 seasons before finally playing in a game with a chance to win the Lombardi Trophy. Unfortunately for Gonzalez, he may never get there again after his team's loss to the 49er's

James Ihedigbo of the Ravens got there the hard way as an undrafted free agent from UMass in 2007. The Jets signed him for special teams and as a reserve safety. He went to the AFC title games in 2009 and 2010 before the Pats signed him in 2011. He made a trip the the AFC game again and had his first appearance in the Super Bowl.

He has now played in four AFC title games (2-2)  and will have two Super Bowl appearances after Sunday. Not bad for an undrafted player.