Thursday, July 31, 2014

4th Quarter For Buffalo


Fans of the Buffalo Bills are very concerned about the pending sale of the team. The family of the late owner Ralph Wilson expects to get over $1 billion for the team.

Initial requests for sealed bids were made. Another round will be solicited before the final decision is made.

A group of Toronto businessmen want to buy the team and move it to Canada. Donald Trump is also involved. The future of the team in Buffalo is very tenuous.

Bills fans have been loyal to their team since the founding days of the AFL. They play in one of the league's oldest stadiums and smallest television markets. Meanwhile, Los Angeles has been without a team for over twenty years. The NFL wants a presence in the nation's second largest market.

The final outcome remains to be seen.

Wednesday, July 30, 2014

Calling Mr Jones


If the Pats plan to keep three tight ends on the roster, they may have found their player in Justin Jones who was undrafted out of East Carolina.

He has immense size at 6'8", 275 pounds. He caught the eye of Coach Belichick who probably liked the fact that he was a great basketball player in high school.

Jones didn't put up huge numbers in college, with only 52 receptions and 12 TD's over three seasons. He missed the 2011 season because of injuries and was academically ineligible for 2013.

Belichick reached out to him on draft day, but the team never selected him. They jumped at the chance to sign him as an undrafted free agent.

Tuesday, July 29, 2014

Looking At IR


It's sounding more like Aaron Dobson might be the first player to be put on IR by the Pats. The third year receiver had surgery on his foot back in March and a permanent screw put in.

He has been doing some jogging, but is unable to make his normal receiver cuts on the run. The medical staff has not cleared him to practice.

There is still time for him to get ready, but he is falling further behind on the depth chart. Eventually, the team will need to make a decision on his roster spot. There are players behind him waiting.

Monday, July 28, 2014

Trying Another Suit


The NFL can't seem to stay away from litigation. The latest involves a lawsuit from six former players who are suing the NFLPA and its executives over failure to disclose the possibility of head injuries.

That strikes at the very core of the league. The union is being sued by its former members over things that are obvious to the average person.

The game is very dangerous and exposes the player to devastating hits to all parts of their body. It doesn't take a genius to realize that blows to the head can cause permanent problems.

This litigation will takes years to get to trial if it ever does. Meanwhile, the details will make the league look bad.

Sunday, July 27, 2014

The Return of Vince


The competition is there for about 18 roster spots on the Pats. Nothing is guaranteed, especially for Vince Wilfork who is coming off a season where he has surgery for a ruptured Archilles tendon.

Will he return to the player he once was? Will he even make the roster? Vince knows that time is working against him. There is competition for his spot. If he makes the team, it will be because he earned it. Time will tell.

Saturday, July 26, 2014

Only Two Weeks


Commissioner Roger Goodell sparked controversy with his two game suspension of Ravens RB Ray Rice. Many felt that Goodell was sending the wrong message to players because Rice had assaulted his wife in a hotel in Atlantic City. The incident was captured by a security camera.

I thought he would have received a longer suspension. Rice has not publicly apologized to his wife or in court when he had the opportunity.

Critics say that the league treats using banned substances more harshly than abusing women. That certainly appears to be the case. Goodell needs to explain his rationale for the light punishment, but that won't happen.

Friday, July 25, 2014

Sidney Rice


It ended too soon for Seattle Seahawks WR Sidney Rice. After seven seasons, one Pro Bowl and a Super Bowl ring, he announced his retirement due to concussions and various other ailments. He tore his ACL last year and missed the last eight games of the regular season.

Rice is only 27 and joins a long list of players who were betrayed by their bodies before they turned 30. He leaves the game with 243 receptions for 3,592 yards and 30 TD's. His frequent injuries caused him to miss 31 games.

The former second round pick of the Vikings in 2007 never lived up to his 5 year/$41 million free agent contract that he signed with the Seahawks in 2010. He was released by the team last February because of his $7.3 million salary cap hit. They resigned him in April for $1 million, but things didn't work out.

Thursday, July 24, 2014

The First Bubble


Every team around the league faces the same decisions as the Pats on their roster. Some player's fate will be determined by salary cap and contract implications.

Dan Connolly is a great example. He was rated as the 67th best guard of 81 across the league. Although he has started 58 games over the last four seasons, he will turn 32 in September and carries a $4.1 million salary cap hit.

The team drafted a couple of linemen and have free agents in camp. Connolly is already on the "bubble".

Wednesday, July 23, 2014

Gronk Ready To Go


I think most Pats fans were surprised to hear that TE Rob Gronkowski has been cleared to practice as training camp opens. Most thought that he would start the regular season on the PUP list after his season-ending ACL surgery last year.

This is great news for the team as Coach Belichick made the announcement. I hope it's not too premature. Gronk is so important to the offense. They need him for all 16 regular season games.

Hopefully, he doesn't have any setbacks.

Tuesday, July 22, 2014

Shirt On His Back


As Johnny Manziel starts his NFL career, he can claim the biggest selling game shirt. Fans have kept it in the number one position in sales on the league's website since April.

Quarterbacks dominate the NFL, including shirt sales. Russell Wilson III, Colin Kapaernick and Peyton Manning own the next three spots. Tom Brady checks in at #7.

This is all sweet music to the team owners as they love to hear the cash register ringing up sales.

Monday, July 21, 2014

Go North


Tim Tebow works out in Arizona with the hope that his phone will ring and he will get one last shot to play quarterback in the NFL. He never made it out of the Pats training camp last year.

He still wants to play his position and has no desire to go to the CFL. I think he is making a serious mistake.

The Pats only used him at quarterback. It probably wasn't the bets fit for him, but was the only option. Nobody seems to want to take a chance with him.

Why not try the CFL for one season? What is there to lose? I know he doesn't want to be labeled as a Doug Flutie, but he doesn't have many options at this point.

Sunday, July 20, 2014

The Day of Chris Snee


So many players never get to have long career and reach the point where they need to deal with the end.

The great offensive lineman Chris Snee of the New York Giants will have a meeting tomorrow to determine his fate. He is trying to return from playing only three games in 2013 due to a hip injury. He also had elbow surgery after the season. Carrying a salary cap hit of $6.7 million might seal his fate.

Snee had a great career after being a 2nd round pick out of Boston College in the 2004 draft. He started 141 games over ten seasons. During a stretch of eight years, he only missed one game.

Time has caught up to him. Offensive linemen get old very fast. One thing in his favor is being married to Coach Tom Coughlin's daughter.

If he is healthy and can play, I think they will rework his contract with incentives to lessen the impact on the salary cap.

Saturday, July 19, 2014

Just Making Money


As training camp opens around the league, team owners can take solace in knowing that they are money making machines according to Forbes. Professional sports team were ranked in terms of overall worth. As expected, European soccer clubs dominated the top three spots before the New York Yankees.

The Dallas Cowboys grabbed the 5th spot at $2.3 billion. Then came the Pats (8th, $1.8 billion) Redskins (9th, $1.7 billion) and the NY Giants (10th, $1.55 billion). The NFL put 30 of its teams in the top 50.

The owners know that after this season, their teams will be worth more. They just sit back and reap the profits.

Friday, July 18, 2014

Pipe Dreams


NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell announced that it will be at least 5-10 years before the league has a team in London. Rather than rule it out completely, he is giving a vague time range which I feel the league has no intent on adhering to.

Having a team in London sounds like a great idea until the travel logistics are analyzed. Nobody really wants their team to move. The league has been without a team in the Los Angeles area for 20 years since the Raiders left town.

Getting a team to LA should be the league's priority. Thinking about London is just a pipe dream.

Thursday, July 17, 2014

Big Ben Talking


The NFL Network likes to showcase certain players who they feel will have a future in broadcasting. Former Pats TE and current New Orleans Saint Benjamin Watson looks to be on a short list.

He appeared on a weekly basis last season using a remote broadcast. He was articulate, personable and insightful on a variety of topics.

He is a very productive player with gas left in the tank, but definitely has another career if he is interested in broadcasting.

Wednesday, July 16, 2014

Storm Brewing


The Pats will never be able to get away from the shadow of Aaron Hernandez. He has at least two criminal murder trails coming up and probably a pair of civil lawsuits.

It was revealed that investigators interviewed Robert Kraft and Bill Belichick last summer. They also have 300 text messages between the coach and Hernandez from early last year.

What will the texts reveal once they are released? Will it portray the team in a negative light? Whatever happens, there are three men dead and a player in jail. It's only going to get worse.

Tuesday, July 15, 2014

Troy Smith


Former NFL WR Chad Johnson grabbed all of the attention the other day when he caught a 46 yard TD from Montreal Alouette QB Troy Smith and then hugged the referee. It marked a long return to the game for the former Chad Ochocinco.

Smith has his own story about a career that never really got off the ground, in spite of wining the 2006 Heisman trophy with Ohio State. He also played in the team's 41-14 loss to Florida State in the 2007 BCS National Championship game.

The Baltimore Ravens selected him in the 5th round of the 2007 NFL draft. Things didn't work out as the team eventually went with Joe Flacco. A stint with the San Francisco 49er's didn't last once they drafted Alex Smith.

He closed out his NFL career with a line of 20 games and eight starts, 121/234 passes for 1,734 yards and 8 TD's. He had a stop in the UFL with Omaha before being cut by the Pittsburgh Steelers during their 2012 training camp.

Smith finally made it back to the CFL in 2013 and continues to play in 2014. Another shot on the NFL is highly unlikely.

Sunday, July 13, 2014

Chad Back



Chad Johnson finally caught a TD pass after being out of the league the last two seasons. He made it back to football and the CFL with the Montreal Alouettes. At 36, he is off to a slow start with only two catches for 20 yards in his first two games. He made a great reception on a 46 yard toss by QB Troy Smith in today's win.

Leave it to Chad to create controversy by his celebratory hugging of the official after scoring. He also got down on his knees.

He was theatrical as usual, but absolutely wrong for making contact with the official. A penalty flag should have been thrown. In the NFL, that would lead to a steep fine. You can't touch the officials. They all know that.

Saturday, July 12, 2014

Question 18


With the start of training camp very near, I don't see how the NFL could ever have an 18 game regular season unless they drastically expand the rosters, practice squads and change the rules for the Injured Reserve list.

Going into late November, the league becomes a train wreck of teams trying to stay healthy to get to the playoffs. The amount of players injured weekly is something the league needs to address.

I just don't see how this could ever work with trying to play your starters every game. I think it would effect the level of play during the season.

Friday, July 11, 2014

City Not Big Enough


Cleveland fans must feel like they are at the center of the sports universe after LeBron James announced that he will return to the Cleveland Cavaliers. They already have Johnny Manziel and now they have The King.

Is there room in Cleveland for these two over-hyped athletes? Who will get the most headlines? At least Lebron has a couple of titles under his belt. Manziel hasn't done anything on the professional level.

It will be interesting to see how this plays out in the media.

Thursday, July 10, 2014

Peyton Doing It


It was no surprise to see Peyton Manning rated as the #1 player in the NFL as selected by his peers. He finished ahead of Drew Brees and Tom Brady in the Top 100.

I can't believe the level that Manning played at last year, considering his age and neck injury.What type of year will he have in 2014? As long as he stays healthy, I think he can put up some huge numbers.

The guy seems so indestructible. I wonder how he will feel physically in 20 years.

Wednesday, July 9, 2014

The Record Discussion


The Aaron Hernandez case will be heating up after he was transferred to a jail in Boston, closer to his attorneys. Trial dates will be set soon

They are also requesting of all of his records from the Pats. The team has baulked at giving them scouting reports and personnel assessments. They cited them as being trade secrets.

There will be a big battle over this. There might be things that the Pats don't want anyone outside of the organization to see. It will make them look bad.

Tuesday, July 8, 2014

Dobson Could Be Iffy


It doesn't sound good for Pats WR Aaron Dobson who underwent foot surgery back in March. The team released a statement saying they are "optimistic" that the second year player will be available at the start of training camp.

Whenever the team issues a statement like that, it usually means that things are not going well. Fans will never get a clear picture of his injury, but this does not bode well for Dobson or the Pats.

Monday, July 7, 2014

The Crazy 90's


The NFL really tries to hold its players to a high level of personal conduct. There have been penalties for off the field behavior. The game can't be compared to what it was like 20 years ago.

Sports Illustrated did a great story on the 1990's Dallas Cowboys featuring Nate Newton. The players on that team, especially Michael Ervin, engaged in behavior that was way off the chart by today's standards.

Newton went to jail for 30 months on drug charges and Ervin eventually made it to the Hall of Fame in spite of it all.

By today's standards, they might have received a lifetime ban from the NFL.

Sunday, July 6, 2014

Dressing Tom


The New York Post likes to make fun of Tom Brady and his wife. He pays a price for being the husband of a celebrity model. The paper had a very unflattering picture of the couple the other day.

It might have been pushing 90 degrees in the Big Apple, but that didn't stop Tom from wearing a long sleeve shirt and woolen sweater as he walked with his wife in the city.

The paper poked fun at them and questioned whether his wife was dressing him. Based on his clothing choice and temperature, it sound like Gisele was calling the shots on this one.

Saturday, July 5, 2014

Acting Up


It's less than four weeks until the start of training camp. The league is in a vacation mode. Things are even quiet on the NFL Network as everyone gets a final break before it all begins.

Players are on their own to maintain proper conduct and behavior. How many will be in the news over the next few weeks for getting arrested or doing something stupid in public? It happens every year.

This is nothing new. I write the same thing every year at this time.

Friday, July 4, 2014

Polls Are Deceiving


I don't think that polls are very accurate at times, especially if you ask a question to 26 NFL "insiders'.

They rated Geno Smith as the worst starting quarterback in the NFL. There no doubt that he had a bad rookie season with the lowest passer rating and 25 turnovers. QB's were rated on a scale of 1-5. His numbers came out the poorest. Does that make him the worst?

All of this is good news to Michael Vick. It's only a matter of time before Smith leads the team to defeat and the calls for Vick get louder.

Wednesday, July 2, 2014

$5 Million Reasons


TE Jimmy Graham lost his arbitration case in his bid to be considered a WR for the purpose of the franchise tag. It made a difference from $12 million down to $7 million. He based his argument on that he lined up in the slot receiver position for the majority of his offensive plays.

This will have a huge implication in the NFL as some players consider themselves hybrids. It's more lucrative to be a corner back than a safety. Devon McCourty is a prime example of this. It will be interesting to see how his contract negotiations work as the Pats are allegedly trying to extend him.

The same holds true for linebackers and defensive ends. Graham always considered himself to be a tight end until he found out that he had five million reasons to feel differently.

Tuesday, July 1, 2014

Mr July


The University of Florida is looking foolish after Aaron Hernandez appeared in their 2014 football calendar. He is featured for the month of July with a game photo.

The school said that decisions were made a year in advance for the printing of the calendar. Hernandez had not ben arrested when the discussion took place to use his picture.

Their explanation sounds reasonable, although they must have known that this would come back at them.