Next Stop Wherever

San Francisco 49er's QB Colin Kaepernick has been seeking a trade after losing his starting job last season. He should be careful because the Cleveland Browns are interested in him.

Going there would be a bad idea. The Browns are a bad team and lost several key free agents. Kaepernick does not want to be part of a rebuilding process.

He needs the right team and one that is willing to deal with his contract.

There Goes Johnny

The Cleveland Browns finally released QB Johnny Manziel after putting up with him for way too long. They foolishly thought that another team would offer a draft pick for a player who will most likely get some type of suspension from the league.

It's beginning to look like 2016 will be a lost year for him. Any team that signs him will need to put up with the negativity associated with his actions. He has not proven that he can play in the NFL.

His best option might be to get his life together and go play in the CFL for a season to regain some type of credibility.

No Fit For Fitz

New York Jets QB Ryan Fitzpatrick had a career year and is a free agent. After seeing all of the money being thrown around to quarterbacks, he would be a fool to take a pay cut to stay with the Jets. He should explore free agency and grab the money while he can.

The Jets have offered him a contract better than a back-up, but much less than what we have seen the last couple of days. They seem to have finally found their guy, but might lose him because they are trying to sign him for cheap money
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Spending Spree

I'm glad to see that the Pats are not throwing money around recklessly to free agents who don't deserve it. They will be prudent and not overspend on players they need. Like all other teams, they are mandated to spend to the salary cap. They will use some of the money to extend contracts to key players.

I don't blame anyone for trying to get the last dollar if a team is willing to spend. The market for starting quarterbacks is absurd. Brock Osweiler just got 4 years/ $72 million from the Houston Texans, in spite of starting only seven games in his career. Maybe they were blown away by his 5-2 career record.

Calvin Johnson

The great Calvin Johnson retired today from the Detroit Lions at the age of 30. He probably has something left, but injuries and losing have taken a toll on him. He was also scheduled to have a $24 million salary cap hit.

During his nine seasons, he was one of the most dominant receivers in the NFL. He held numerous team and league records. His career average of 86.1 yards per game should stand for a long time.

Will he make it to the Hall of Fame? In spite of his resume, the Lions only had one playoff win during his career.

His ending is very similar to that of Barry Sanders who retired the same way from the Lions back in 1999.

The End For RG 3

The time has ended for Robert Griffin III in Washington. The Redskins were not about to pay him $16.1 million for the 2016 season. He didn't play one snap in 2015.

Everyone has written him off as a starting quarterback. They say his best chance is to sign as a back-up and work from there.

He had a brilliant start to his career after being the second selection in the 2012 draft. He won NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, but was never the same player after tearing his ACL and MCL during the Redskins' playoff loss to the Seattle Seahawks.

That injury cost him a ton of money and derailed his career.

Donald & Bill

Boston sports-talk radio will light up on Monday with the discussion of Coach Belichick having dinner with Donald Trump last might. They go way back together to Bill's days with the New York Giants.

Belichick is owning social media right now, helped by his girlfriend's posting of pictures. Trump is also friendly with Robert Kraft and Tom Brady.

As an owner of a team with the new USFL in 1985, Trump signed  QB Doug Flutie to his New Jersey Generals. The league had a short life, but he was taking on the NFL back then.

It's interesting to note that Flutie's last stop was with the Pats in 2005.

Financial Planning Ahead

Everyone was thinking that Tom Brady would win his case against the NFL, but after the other day, it doesn't look so promising right now.  Three federal judges heard the appeal by the NFL to reinstate Brady's four game suspension.

Various legal experts felt the lawyers for the NFL made a strong case, based upon the questioning by the judges. A ruling should come by July.

Brady made a smart move the other day when he restructured his contract through the end of the 2019 season. Most of his salary for 2016 was converted to a bonus. If he loses four game checks, the financial impact will be less.

Trimming Time

The Pats are starting to trim their roster with the release of TE Scott Chandler and WR Brandon LaFell. They won't be the last players to be let go or not offered a contract.

It happens every year around the league. Some of the names are very interesting to hear. No team is ever the same as the previous season.

It will get real crazy next week with the start of free agency.

Peyton's Drama

If Peyton Manning was retiring, you think he would have held a press conference by now or had some type of announcement. The Denver Broncos already gave the franchise tag to Von Miller. There is no way they plan to pay Manning $19.5 million in 2016.

This will all come to a conclusion next week when free agency begins at the start of the league's new business year.

There are many reports out there that Manning wants to keep playing. It's a matter of having a team that wants to have them as their leader. The list is very short.

Don't Trade Jimmy

Now that the Pats have signed Tom Brady through the 2019 season, we are hearing talk that the team should trade back-up Jimmy Garoppolo while he is at his peak value. Nobody takes into account that he is their only option if Brady gets hurt.

Everyone is assuming that nothing will ever go wrong. They should look back to the opening game of the 2008 season when Brady was lost with a knee injury.

Garoppolo is signed through 2017. Some feel they should try to trade him to Cleveland for a first round pick. Why would the Browns give up such a high pick for a player with limited experience?

The Pats should continue with their plan for 2016. It's hard to believe that Brady will be the same player when he turns 42.

Mario Gone

Mario Williams ended his time in Buffalo today when he was released. The pass rusher had been at odds with Coach Rex Ryan over his role with the team.

He is a great example of a big free agent contract that never saw its fulfillment. He signed for six years/ $96 million in 2012 and was set to count $19.9 million on the Bill's cap.

Will teams jump at the chance to throw a ton of money to a 31 year old player who had a tough year in 2015? There are always teams out there that make bad decisions. It happens every year during the free agency period.