In August 2007, Shawn Schrager of SportingNews.com contacted me about writing a couple of weekly columns. After confirming he hadn’t called the wrong number, we worked out an arrangement.
Since then, on two or three occasions per week, I’ve submitted items of varying length and quality, guided as to possible topics by the sage advice of Marcus DiNitto and Barry Reeves. It has been a great run, but we’ve reached the end of it.
So I’ll leave you with a season preview of sorts, with the entire 2010 campaign boiled down to 10 takes. Thanks to Sporting News for giving me this space for the past 36 months.
1. The Battle for New York
The Giants have gathered attention over the years by commanding it. The Jets, long believed to be second fiddle to the established, old-guard NFL powerhouse, are collecting attention by demanding it.
Though they won’t play each other during the regular season, the joint tenants of the new Meadowlands Stadium have developed all the tension of twice-a-year division rivals. Plenty of people quickly are tiring of the spotlight-seeking Jets, and plenty of those people work for and/or root for the Giants.
So it’ll be interesting to see whether the team that won a Super Bowl three years ago will fare better this year than the team that has called its shot in unprecedented fashion, laying claim to the Lombardi Trophy even before the first preseason game was played.
In the end, there’s a chance neither makes it to the playoffs. There’s a slimmer chance both will qualify for Super Bowl 45. Though it probably won’t happen this year, there’s an emerging sense that this rivalry will be resolved by an eventual winner-take-all battle on the sport’s biggest stage.
2. Big Ben’s big mess throws a wrench into AFC North
After NFL commissioner Roger Goodell suspended Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger for six games, a penalty that likely will be cut to four games, Pittsburgh became an afterthought in the race for the AFC North. Writing them off, however, would be a mistake.
Regardless of how it all plays out, the Steelers will have endured an unprecedented situation. Roethlisberger is healthy and available throughout the preseason, and he’ll be sent away once the regular season begins. Given that he’s getting plenty of reps in camp, coach Mike Tomlin apparently is confident Byron Leftwich and/or Dennis Dixon can get it done during the hiatus despite giving up practice time to Roethlisberger.
Ultimately, the team’s success in 2010 will hinge on how the Steelers play against the rest of the division. The Ravens, despite an injury-filled August, are coming on strong. Swept by the eventual division champs in each of the past two seasons, the Ravens could lay the foundation for a Super Bowl run by taking care of business against the Steelers, Bengals and Ravens.
And when the Steelers and Ravens get together for the first time, Big Ben will be absent. Perhaps more important, receiver Santonio Holmes, who has owned the Ravens of late, no longer plays in Pittsburgh at all.
3. Don’t write off a repeat
As the 2010 season approaches, few league observers regard the Saints as a legitimate threat to win Super Bowl 45 and it’s not because of their strengths or weaknesses, but because they’ve just won the last one.
The concerns are legitimate. The Saints embarked on an extended victory lap after winning it all, culminating in a White House visit that encroached on the 2010 training camp. Also, with 31 other teams arguably wanting to win it all a little bit more than the team that’s still working a toothpick over the remnants of Fat Sunday, when the going gets tough in 2010 the Saints could decide to say, "We’ve already climbed that mountain."
One team that won’t be taking the Saints for granted is the Falcons. After racking up two straight winning seasons for the first time in franchise history, Atlanta will want to knock off the Saints worse than any other team. Whether the Falcons have enough to get past the defending champs could depend on how badly the champs want to defend.
The consensus that the Saints won’t be able to do it again plays into their hands. What better way to get the team to not rest on its laurels than to persuade the players that their accomplishments have been undermined by those who believe it was a one-time fluke? Look for coach Sean Payton and quarterback Drew Brees to exploit that angle to the fullest, and for the Saints to make another march toward the playoffs, and possibly beyond.
4. Favre may be wise to stay away
With the latest edition of "will he or won’t he?" capturing most of the discussion as it relates to the Vikings, the team’s other struggles largely have been overlooked.
Adrian Peterson has had hamstring issues. Percy Harvin has had migraine issues, and he officially is on the "left squad" list. Sidney Rice has a bum hip, which could be influenced by his desire for a bigger contract.
The defense has gotten older, and there’s no reason to think it’ll be any better than the unit that was picked apart on just enough occasions to blow home-field advantage in the playoffs — and ultimately to allow the Saints to drive down the field (albeit fueled by a few bad calls) for the NFC title.
While many believe the Vikings will pick up right where they left off, it won’t be quite that easy. Especially after opposing defenses have had an entire offseason to break down Brett’s first year in purple.
Meanwhile, the Packers seem to be on the rise, and it’s safe to say they’re still motivated to knock Favre down a peg or two — or knock him out a time or two.
In the end, Brett’s best move could be to blame it all on his ankle, and to give up his quest to walk into the sunset with a second Super Bowl win.
5. It’s the Year of the Cowboy, unless it isn’t
A year after finally winning a playoff game for the first time since 1996, Dallas coach Wade Phillips faces a ton of pressure to get to the Super Bowl that will be played in the North Texas Football Cathedral.
And if he gets there, Phillips will face even more pressure to win it.
Many believe the Cowboys can get it done, but it won’t be easy. Swept last year by a Giants team that didn’t even make it to the playoffs, the NFC East remains wide open, making it hard to generate the kind of total won-loss record that will secure home-field advantage for the postseason.
So while some would like to think it’s time to put a crown on the helmet with the star, it won’t be easy to get to the Super Bowl. Given the quality of the AFC elite, it won’t be easy to win it, either.
6. For Chris Johnson, it’s 2,500 yards or bust
On a team level, the Jets have pointed to the Lombardi Trophy, and they’ve essentially said they’ll own it. On an individual level, Titans running back Chris Johnson has aimed even higher.
He plans to generate more rushing yards than anyone ever has in league history — by nearly 400.
It’s highly unlikely he’ll do it. The real question is whether he’ll get close. Even if he comes within 394 yards, he’ll still own the single-season record.
7. The T.O. Show, with Chad Ochocinco
In March, the Bengals brought in two receivers for visits — Antonio Bryant and Terrell Owens. After T.O. left, Bryant bagged a four-year, $28 million contract. Owens got a free hat.
But with Owens still on the market in late July, the Bengals remained interested, especially after Bryant’s knee acted up. In the end, the Bengals opted to sign T.O., with intense lobbying from receiver Chad Ochocinco.
And it’s fitting that Chad gladly plays the role of Robin in this caped crusader escapade; the Bengals knew when they signed Owens that they were getting a guy who wants to get the ball, a lot. So when Ochocinco complains because Batman is getting the attention that Batman typically merits, the Bengals can shrug and say, "Sorry, Chad. You wanted him."
8. Eagles corner the market on Tums
In April, after months of denying that quarterback Donovan McNabb would be traded, the Eagles traded him. To the Redskins.
Some think the Eagles were willing to ship McNabb to another team within the division because the Eagles don’t fear facing McNabb. But they should. If, at any point during McNabb’s tenure in D.C., the Redskins finish higher in the standings or go deeper in the playoffs than the Eagles, the Philly brain trust will look like a pack of fools for letting McNabb go to a home-and-home rival.
It’s enough to keep coach Andy Reid up all night, every night.
Meanwhile, the addition of a legitimate starting quarterback makes Washington a semi-serious contender. Though they’d be favored to win the NFC West, it will be very hard for the Redskins to climb to the top of the NFC East.
But not as hard as it would have been without McNabb.
9. NFC West is wide open
If any of the teams of the NFC West had traded for Donovan McNabb, that team would have been the odds-on favorite to win the division, both this year and in any other year that McNabb would have been on the team.
Without McNabb in the division, it’s assumed by many that the 49ers will take the crown. Some think the Cardinals can survive, even after the retirement of quarterback Kurt Warner and the departure of receiver Anquan Boldin, linebacker Karlos Dansby, and safety Antrel Rolle. Others think that a healthy Seahawks team (something the Seahawks haven’t been in two-plus years) could take the crown.
No one thinks the Rams have a chance.
But, in the end, the team that stays the healthiest and gets the best quarterback play will be in the best position to win the division and capture the guaranteed home playoff game that goes along with it. Even if it’s the Rams.
10. Texans take their shot
There’s no reason to think the Colts won’t have a chance to finish the job they started in 2009, going 14-0 before deciding not to try to go 16-0. But the Texans, buoyed by their first winning season in franchise history, believe they can finally overcome Indy.
The Texans get their shot in Week 1, and the Colts already think the Texans are too excited about toppling the team that has owned the Texans ever since they entered the league in 2002.
Though many think it’s the Texans’ time to shine, the Colts will be a tough out for as long as Peyton Manning is playing. So instead of trying to win the division, the Texans should settle for finagling a wild-card berth.
Mike Florio writes and edits ProFootballTalk.com and is a regular contributor to Sporting News. Check out PFT for up-to-the minute NFL news.
In August 2007, Shawn Schrager of SportingNews.com contacted me about writing a couple of weekly columns. After confirming he hadn’t called the wrong number, we worked out an arrangement.
Since then, on two or three occasions per week, I’ve submitted items of varying length and quality, guided as to possible topics by the sage advice of Marcus DiNitto and Barry Reeves. It has been a great run, but we’ve reached the end of it.
So I’ll leave you with a season preview of sorts, with the entire 2010 campaign boiled down to 10 takes. Thanks to Sporting News for giving me this space for the past 36 months.
1. The Battle for New York
The Giants have gathered attention over the years by commanding it. The Jets, long believed to be second fiddle to the established, old-guard NFL powerhouse, are collecting attention by demanding it.
Though they won’t play each other during the regular season, the joint tenants of the new Meadowlands Stadium have developed all the tension of twice-a-year division rivals. Plenty of people quickly are tiring of the spotlight-seeking Jets, and plenty of those people work for and/or root for the Giants.
So it’ll be interesting to see whether the team that won a Super Bowl three years ago will fare better this year than the team that has called its shot in unprecedented fashion, laying claim to the Lombardi Trophy even before the first preseason game was played.
In the end, there’s a chance neither makes it to the playoffs. There’s a slimmer chance both will qualify for Super Bowl 45. Though it probably won’t happen this year, there’s an emerging sense that this rivalry will be resolved by an eventual winner-take-all battle on the sport’s biggest stage.
2. Big Ben’s big mess throws a wrench into AFC North
After NFL commissioner Roger Goodell suspended Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger for six games, a penalty that likely will be cut to four games, Pittsburgh became an afterthought in the race for the AFC North. Writing them off, however, would be a mistake.
Regardless of how it all plays out, the Steelers will have endured an unprecedented situation. Roethlisberger is healthy and available throughout the preseason, and he’ll be sent away once the regular season begins. Given that he’s getting plenty of reps in camp, coach Mike Tomlin apparently is confident Byron Leftwich and/or Dennis Dixon can get it done during the hiatus despite giving up practice time to Roethlisberger.
Ultimately, the team’s success in 2010 will hinge on how the Steelers play against the rest of the division. The Ravens, despite an injury-filled August, are coming on strong. Swept by the eventual division champs in each of the past two seasons, the Ravens could lay the foundation for a Super Bowl run by taking care of business against the Steelers, Bengals and Ravens.
And when the Steelers and Ravens get together for the first time, Big Ben will be absent. Perhaps more important, receiver Santonio Holmes, who has owned the Ravens of late, no longer plays in Pittsburgh at all.
3. Don’t write off a repeat
As the 2010 season approaches, few league observers regard the Saints as a legitimate threat to win Super Bowl 45 and it’s not because of their strengths or weaknesses, but because they’ve just won the last one.
The concerns are legitimate. The Saints embarked on an extended victory lap after winning it all, culminating in a White House visit that encroached on the 2010 training camp. Also, with 31 other teams arguably wanting to win it all a little bit more than the team that’s still working a toothpick over the remnants of Fat Sunday, when the going gets tough in 2010 the Saints could decide to say, "We’ve already climbed that mountain."
One team that won’t be taking the Saints for granted is the Falcons. After racking up two straight winning seasons for the first time in franchise history, Atlanta will want to knock off the Saints worse than any other team. Whether the Falcons have enough to get past the defending champs could depend on how badly the champs want to defend.
The consensus that the Saints won’t be able to do it again plays into their hands. What better way to get the team to not rest on its laurels than to persuade the players that their accomplishments have been undermined by those who believe it was a one-time fluke? Look for coach Sean Payton and quarterback Drew Brees to exploit that angle to the fullest, and for the Saints to make another march toward the playoffs, and possibly beyond.
4. Favre may be wise to stay away
With the latest edition of "will he or won’t he?" capturing most of the discussion as it relates to the Vikings, the team’s other struggles largely have been overlooked.
Adrian Peterson has had hamstring issues. Percy Harvin has had migraine issues, and he officially is on the "left squad" list. Sidney Rice has a bum hip, which could be influenced by his desire for a bigger contract.
The defense has gotten older, and there’s no reason to think it’ll be any better than the unit that was picked apart on just enough occasions to blow home-field advantage in the playoffs — and ultimately to allow the Saints to drive down the field (albeit fueled by a few bad calls) for the NFC title.
While many believe the Vikings will pick up right where they left off, it won’t be quite that easy. Especially after opposing defenses have had an entire offseason to break down Brett’s first year in purple.
Meanwhile, the Packers seem to be on the rise, and it’s safe to say they’re still motivated to knock Favre down a peg or two — or knock him out a time or two.
In the end, Brett’s best move could be to blame it all on his ankle, and to give up his quest to walk into the sunset with a second Super Bowl win.
5. It’s the Year of the Cowboy, unless it isn’t
A year after finally winning a playoff game for the first time since 1996, Dallas coach Wade Phillips faces a ton of pressure to get to the Super Bowl that will be played in the North Texas Football Cathedral.
And if he gets there, Phillips will face even more pressure to win it.
Many believe the Cowboys can get it done, but it won’t be easy. Swept last year by a Giants team that didn’t even make it to the playoffs, the NFC East remains wide open, making it hard to generate the kind of total won-loss record that will secure home-field advantage for the postseason.
So while some would like to think it’s time to put a crown on the helmet with the star, it won’t be easy to get to the Super Bowl. Given the quality of the AFC elite, it won’t be easy to win it, either.
6. For Chris Johnson, it’s 2,500 yards or bust
On a team level, the Jets have pointed to the Lombardi Trophy, and they’ve essentially said they’ll own it. On an individual level, Titans running back Chris Johnson has aimed even higher.
He plans to generate more rushing yards than anyone ever has in league history — by nearly 400.
It’s highly unlikely he’ll do it. The real question is whether he’ll get close. Even if he comes within 394 yards, he’ll still own the single-season record.
7. The T.O. Show, with Chad Ochocinco
In March, the Bengals brought in two receivers for visits — Antonio Bryant and Terrell Owens. After T.O. left, Bryant bagged a four-year, $28 million contract. Owens got a free hat.
But with Owens still on the market in late July, the Bengals remained interested, especially after Bryant’s knee acted up. In the end, the Bengals opted to sign T.O., with intense lobbying from receiver Chad Ochocinco.
And it’s fitting that Chad gladly plays the role of Robin in this caped crusader escapade; the Bengals knew when they signed Owens that they were getting a guy who wants to get the ball, a lot. So when Ochocinco complains because Batman is getting the attention that Batman typically merits, the Bengals can shrug and say, "Sorry, Chad. You wanted him."
8. Eagles corner the market on Tums
In April, after months of denying that quarterback Donovan McNabb would be traded, the Eagles traded him. To the Redskins.
Some think the Eagles were willing to ship McNabb to another team within the division because the Eagles don’t fear facing McNabb. But they should. If, at any point during McNabb’s tenure in D.C., the Redskins finish higher in the standings or go deeper in the playoffs than the Eagles, the Philly brain trust will look like a pack of fools for letting McNabb go to a home-and-home rival.
It’s enough to keep coach Andy Reid up all night, every night.
Meanwhile, the addition of a legitimate starting quarterback makes Washington a semi-serious contender. Though they’d be favored to win the NFC West, it will be very hard for the Redskins to climb to the top of the NFC East.
But not as hard as it would have been without McNabb.
9. NFC West is wide open
If any of the teams of the NFC West had traded for Donovan McNabb, that team would have been the odds-on favorite to win the division, both this year and in any other year that McNabb would have been on the team.
Without McNabb in the division, it’s assumed by many that the 49ers will take the crown. Some think the Cardinals can survive, even after the retirement of quarterback Kurt Warner and the departure of receiver Anquan Boldin, linebacker Karlos Dansby, and safety Antrel Rolle. Others think that a healthy Seahawks team (something the Seahawks haven’t been in two-plus years) could take the crown.
No one thinks the Rams have a chance.
But, in the end, the team that stays the healthiest and gets the best quarterback play will be in the best position to win the division and capture the guaranteed home playoff game that goes along with it. Even if it’s the Rams.
10. Texans take their shot
There’s no reason to think the Colts won’t have a chance to finish the job they started in 2009, going 14-0 before deciding not to try to go 16-0. But the Texans, buoyed by their first winning season in franchise history, believe they can finally overcome Indy.
The Texans get their shot in Week 1, and the Colts already think the Texans are too excited about toppling the team that has owned the Texans ever since they entered the league in 2002.
Though many think it’s the Texans’ time to shine, the Colts will be a tough out for as long as Peyton Manning is playing. So instead of trying to win the division, the Texans should settle for finagling a wild-card berth.
Mike Florio writes and edits ProFootballTalk.com and is a regular contributor to Sporting News. Check out PFT for up-to-the minute NFL news.
Every year, every NFL player faces a certain degree of pressure. Every year, some face more than others. Ten players will begin the 2010 season with more pressure than the average guy who earns a living playing football. Here’s the list:
Titans running back Chris Johnson rushed for 2,006 yards during last year’s regular season.
Chris Johnson, Titans RB
Ordinarily, a guy who has rushed for more than 2,000 yards doesn’t face much pressure the next year, primarily because no one expects him to meet or exceed his accomplishments. Johnson, however, has pulled no punches; he repeatedly has said he plans to rush for 2,500 yards in the coming season, which would shatter the single-season record by nearly 400 yards.
And so Johnson has welcomed the pressure of averaging more than 156 yards per game. One bad showing would upend his quest, thereby making him look like just another athlete who can run his mouth and not back it up.
Tom Brady, Patriots QB
A year removed from a major knee injury, Brady presided over an up-and-down campaign that resulted in a division title, followed by a prompt exit from the playoffs via a thumping from the Ravens.
In 2010, Brady enters the final year of his contract. To cash in come 2011, he needs to continue to play at a high level despite a somewhat diminished depth chart on offense.
More importantly, he needs to stay healthy.
If he fails on either front, that huge-dollar deal everyone assumes he’ll be getting may not happen.
Mark Sanchez, Jets QB
With the Jets already laying claim to the Super Bowl 45 trophy, everyone faces crippling pressure to deliver.
And arguably the weakest link in the chain plays the most important position.
Sanchez struggled through long stretches of his rookie year, and he missed much of the offseason practices as he continued to rehab a knee injury. Still, many assume he’ll simply step up his game and become good enough to lead the Jets to a championship.
Maybe he will, but that assumption places a ton of pressure on Sanchez.
Ben Roethlisberger, Steelers QB
For the first time in recent memory, extended memory, and perhaps ever, a starting NFL quarterback will be prevented from playing despite being completely healthy. And so when Roethlisberger returns from his suspension, the pressure will land squarely on his shoulders to immediately play at a high level again.
The fact that the Steelers are giving him extended reps during training camp means Byron Leftwich and/or Dennis Dixon won’t be as prepared as they could be to replace Roethlisberger, which means the Steelers will be more likely to lose one or more of the four (or six) games Roethlisberger misses. And there will be even more pressure on Roethlisberger to win games once he returns.
Kevin Kolb, Eagles QB
With Donovan McNabb out of Philly, the job falls to Kolb. Though he became the first quarterback in league history to start his career with consecutive 300-yard games, Kolb now will have to face the challenge of defensive coordinators game-planning for him, a process that tends to catch up with first-time starting quarterbacks after five or six games, when enough film has been generated to allow weaknesses to be identified and exploited.
And he’ll have to do it with one of the most vocal and demanding fan bases in all of sport watching his every move.
If Kolb performs well, he will have managed to shrug off some incredibly significant pressure.
Adrian Peterson, Vikings RB
But for multiple untimely fumbles last season from Peterson, the Vikings arguably would have been the team visiting the White House instead of the Saints. Regardless of the reason — and it currently appears to be a combination of recklessness in holding the ball while fighting for an extra yard or two and knowledge on the part of opposing defenses that there’s merit in trying to punch it out — Peterson’s inability to secure the ball has compromised the team’s interest, dramatically.
In 2010, he must find a way to balance his desire to score on every play with the importance of keeping the ball in his team’s possession.
Meanwhile, he needs to have the kind of season that will reconfirm his status as one of the top running backs in the game.
Antonio Cromartie, Jets CB
Perhaps Cromartie was destined to join the Jets. What else would explain his chronic refusal to attempt to tackle any member of the team’s offense while playing against the Jets in the 2009 playoffs?
In 2010, Cromartie needs to prove that 2008 and 2009 were aberrations, and that his Pro Bowl performance in 2007 reflects his true abilities.
And he may have to do so as the No. 1 corner in New York, assuming Darrelle Revis continues to hold out.
Alex Smith, 49ers QB
Five years after becoming the first overall pick in the draft and earning the starting job in San Francisco and losing it and getting it back, Smith finally is down to his last chance.
In his sixth year, Smith needs to lead the 49ers through a mediocre NFC West and push a team with a stout defense and a potent running game to the postseason.
If he fails, it’ll be time for Smith to start scouting depth charts in the UFL.
Matt Leinart, Cardinals QB
Quietly, the Cardinals’ starter-turned-backup-turned-starter is entering his fifth NFL season. He threw 377 passes as a rookie and has attempted only 218 since then.
With Kurt Warner, who bounced Leinart to the bench for the past two seasons, now gone, Leinart gets his last chance to show he can lead an NFL team.
So for the same reasons that Alex Smith is facing his final chance, Leinart is chewing on the last straw of his career.
Drew Brees, Saints QB
The Saints’ starting quarterback has become a great passer and an even better leader. This year, he’ll have to recapture the attention of a band of brothers who have been partying through an extended victory lap, which finally culminated earlier this week in a trip to the White House, more than a week into training camp.
It won’t be easy. With 31 other franchises wanting to do what the Saints have just accomplished and more than a few of the Saints surely feeling a little complacent and/or disinterested when it comes to achieving the ultimate team goal, Brees needs to get them to forget about 2009 and focus on 2010.
Riding on his ability to do it is the question of whether he can parlay a Super Bowl win in his ninth NFL season into a Hall of Fame resume.
Mike Florio writes and edits ProFootballTalk.com and is a regular contributor to Sporting News. Check out PFT for up-to-the minute NFL news.
Every year, every NFL player faces a certain degree of pressure. Every year, some face more than others. Ten players will begin the 2010 season with more pressure than the average guy who earns a living playing football. Here’s the list:
Titans running back Chris Johnson rushed for 2,006 yards during last year’s regular season.
Chris Johnson, Titans RB
Ordinarily, a guy who has rushed for more than 2,000 yards doesn’t face much pressure the next year, primarily because no one expects him to meet or exceed his accomplishments. Johnson, however, has pulled no punches; he repeatedly has said he plans to rush for 2,500 yards in the coming season, which would shatter the single-season record by nearly 400 yards.
And so Johnson has welcomed the pressure of averaging more than 156 yards per game. One bad showing would upend his quest, thereby making him look like just another athlete who can run his mouth and not back it up.
Tom Brady, Patriots QB
A year removed from a major knee injury, Brady presided over an up-and-down campaign that resulted in a division title, followed by a prompt exit from the playoffs via a thumping from the Ravens.
In 2010, Brady enters the final year of his contract. To cash in come 2011, he needs to continue to play at a high level despite a somewhat diminished depth chart on offense.
More importantly, he needs to stay healthy.
If he fails on either front, that huge-dollar deal everyone assumes he’ll be getting may not happen.
Mark Sanchez, Jets QB
With the Jets already laying claim to the Super Bowl 45 trophy, everyone faces crippling pressure to deliver.
And arguably the weakest link in the chain plays the most important position.
Sanchez struggled through long stretches of his rookie year, and he missed much of the offseason practices as he continued to rehab a knee injury. Still, many assume he’ll simply step up his game and become good enough to lead the Jets to a championship.
Maybe he will, but that assumption places a ton of pressure on Sanchez.
Ben Roethlisberger, Steelers QB
For the first time in recent memory, extended memory, and perhaps ever, a starting NFL quarterback will be prevented from playing despite being completely healthy. And so when Roethlisberger returns from his suspension, the pressure will land squarely on his shoulders to immediately play at a high level again.
The fact that the Steelers are giving him extended reps during training camp means Byron Leftwich and/or Dennis Dixon won’t be as prepared as they could be to replace Roethlisberger, which means the Steelers will be more likely to lose one or more of the four (or six) games Roethlisberger misses. And there will be even more pressure on Roethlisberger to win games once he returns.
Kevin Kolb, Eagles QB
With Donovan McNabb out of Philly, the job falls to Kolb. Though he became the first quarterback in league history to start his career with consecutive 300-yard games, Kolb now will have to face the challenge of defensive coordinators game-planning for him, a process that tends to catch up with first-time starting quarterbacks after five or six games, when enough film has been generated to allow weaknesses to be identified and exploited.
And he’ll have to do it with one of the most vocal and demanding fan bases in all of sport watching his every move.
If Kolb performs well, he will have managed to shrug off some incredibly significant pressure.
Adrian Peterson, Vikings RB
But for multiple untimely fumbles last season from Peterson, the Vikings arguably would have been the team visiting the White House instead of the Saints. Regardless of the reason — and it currently appears to be a combination of recklessness in holding the ball while fighting for an extra yard or two and knowledge on the part of opposing defenses that there’s merit in trying to punch it out — Peterson’s inability to secure the ball has compromised the team’s interest, dramatically.
In 2010, he must find a way to balance his desire to score on every play with the importance of keeping the ball in his team’s possession.
Meanwhile, he needs to have the kind of season that will reconfirm his status as one of the top running backs in the game.
Antonio Cromartie, Jets CB
Perhaps Cromartie was destined to join the Jets. What else would explain his chronic refusal to attempt to tackle any member of the team’s offense while playing against the Jets in the 2009 playoffs?
In 2010, Cromartie needs to prove that 2008 and 2009 were aberrations, and that his Pro Bowl performance in 2007 reflects his true abilities.
And he may have to do so as the No. 1 corner in New York, assuming Darrelle Revis continues to hold out.
Alex Smith, 49ers QB
Five years after becoming the first overall pick in the draft and earning the starting job in San Francisco and losing it and getting it back, Smith finally is down to his last chance.
In his sixth year, Smith needs to lead the 49ers through a mediocre NFC West and push a team with a stout defense and a potent running game to the postseason.
If he fails, it’ll be time for Smith to start scouting depth charts in the UFL.
Matt Leinart, Cardinals QB
Quietly, the Cardinals’ starter-turned-backup-turned-starter is entering his fifth NFL season. He threw 377 passes as a rookie and has attempted only 218 since then.
With Kurt Warner, who bounced Leinart to the bench for the past two seasons, now gone, Leinart gets his last chance to show he can lead an NFL team.
So for the same reasons that Alex Smith is facing his final chance, Leinart is chewing on the last straw of his career.
Drew Brees, Saints QB
The Saints’ starting quarterback has become a great passer and an even better leader. This year, he’ll have to recapture the attention of a band of brothers who have been partying through an extended victory lap, which finally culminated earlier this week in a trip to the White House, more than a week into training camp.
It won’t be easy. With 31 other franchises wanting to do what the Saints have just accomplished and more than a few of the Saints surely feeling a little complacent and/or disinterested when it comes to achieving the ultimate team goal, Brees needs to get them to forget about 2009 and focus on 2010.
Riding on his ability to do it is the question of whether he can parlay a Super Bowl win in his ninth NFL season into a Hall of Fame resume.
Mike Florio writes and edits ProFootballTalk.com and is a regular contributor to Sporting News. Check out PFT for up-to-the minute NFL news.
Saturday night, seven men will join the ranks of the immortals in Canton, complete with bronze busts and mustard-colored jackets. The annual exercise usually raises questions regarding men who aren’t and should be in the Hall of Fame, and regarding men who are and shouldn’t be.
So let’s raise a few of those questions of our own, identifying five who should be in and another five who should be out.
And, yes, I recognize that this is entirely subjective. But the whole process is subjective, no matter how objective anyone tries to make it.
Should be in
Kenny Stabler, Raiders
From 1971-79, Stabler led one of the best teams of the decade. Plenty of close calls finally culminated in a Super Bowl victory. Along the way, Stabler won 69 regular-season starts in Oakland, losing only 26.
The biggest knock against Stabler comes from his stats. He threw for only 27,938 yards and 194 touchdown passes, against 222 interceptions.
Fine, but his numbers were better than Joe Namath’s — and they own the same number of Super Bowl rings.
Pat Tillman
Tillman didn’t play long enough to merit serious consideration based on his on-field accomplishments. But his career wasn’t cut short due to injury or ineptitude. He walked away from millions to join the military, and Tillman made the ultimate sacrifice for his country.
Under the current rules, Tillman never will be considered for the Hall of Fame, because off-field conduct doesn’t count. (More accurately, it’s not supposed to count.)
The rule needs to change, and the first beneficiary of it should be the man who turned his back on fame and fortune to set an example that should never be forgotten.
Don Coryell
The NFL wisely adjusted the rules throughout the ’70s to open up the passing game. And the late Don Coryell took full advantage of the changes, devising an offensive attack that has placed players like Dan Fouts, Charlie Joiner, and Kellen Winslow into the Hall of Fame. Coryell needs to join them.
His passing likely will aid his candidacy in 2011. He should have been more appreciated before he died, but when it comes to the Hall of Fame it’s better late than never.
Jim Plunkett
Like Archie Manning, the highly-skilled Plunkett played for bad teams early in his career. Unlike Manning, Plunkett landed in Oakland just in time to secure two Super Bowl wins.
He’s the only eligible two-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback who has failed to land in Canton. With championships carrying so much weight, the fact that Plunkett guided a team not once but twice to the top of the mountain should be enough to get him immortalized in Canton.
Shannon Sharpe
He retired as the all-time leader in every receiving category among tight ends. He won a total of three Super Bowls with two different teams.
I could say more, but there’s really no need to.
Should be out
Lynn Swann
The first real dynasty of the Super Bowl era resulted in a parade of Pittsburgh Steelers rolling black-and-gold floats on the short trip to Canton. Plenty of them were worthy.
Lynn Swann wasn’t.
Though he was responsible for some of the most remarkable catches during an era where the football didn’t fly as often as it now does, Swann finished with only 336 catches and 5,462 yards. He scored a scant 51 touchdowns, an average of fewer than six per season.
His total catches don’t even rank in the top 250 all time, per Pro-Football-Reference.com. He’s at No. 184 in receiving yards.
Over the years, he’ll keep falling farther and farther down those lists. But that bust will never leave Canton, even if it never should have been put there in the first place.
Jan Stenerud
Specialists shouldn’t be in the Hall of Fame, unless they were so good that they changed the game. Though Stenerud was a pioneer and a great kicker, he’s not a Hall of Famer.
Besides, if any specialist should be in the Hall of Fame, it should be former Raiders punter Ray Guy. Great punters like Guy tilt the field, making it easier to play defense and in turn easier to score points on offense.
So put Guy in, or take Stenerud out. Or both.
O.J. Simpson
The rules regarding the Hall of Fame contain no provision that would permit Hall of Famers to be expelled. The rules in this regard should be changed.
Regardless of whether off-field conduct during the player’s career should be considered when determining whether to put a player in, there should be circumstances in which off-field conduct should be considered when determining whether to kick a player out.
I won’t pretend to know where the line should be. But I know that O.J. Simpson is on the wrong side of it, and he’s got no business having a bust in Canton.
Dick LeBeau
LeBeau has been a great coach. Possibly a Hall of Fame coach. But he’s not been enshrined for his coaching. He’s entering the Hall of Fame for his playing.
His playing simply didn’t reach the Hall of Fame level. And if LeBeau never became a coach, and if he never became the architect of the Steelers’ 3-4 Blitzburgh defense, he wouldn’t be entering the Hall of Fame on Saturday.
While I’ve got no problem with LeBeau receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award in the form of a spot in the Hall of Fame, the fact that something other than what he did as a player was considered by the voters means that voters always should consider things other than what a man did as a player, opening the door for men like Pat Tillman.
And if the response is that LeBeau deserves to be in Canton for his coaching, then he should be first considered for the Hall of Fame five years after he retires as a coach.
Joe Namath
I’m finishing where I started, sort of. Joe Namath achieved less than Ken Stabler during his career. So either Stabler should be in or Namath should be out.
It’s that simple. Statistically, Stabler was the better quarterback. Each won a single Super Bowl.
Of course, Namath benefited from his "Broadway Joe" persona, using true fame to make it to the Hall of Fame. Still, the numbers don’t lie. Though one of the most famous quarterbacks in NFL history, his accomplishments don’t justify a spot in the Hall of Fame.
Especially since Stabler doesn’t have a spot of his own.
Mike Florio writes and edits ProFootballTalk.com and is a regular contributor to Sporting News. Check out PFT for up-to-the minute NFL news.
Saturday night, seven men will join the ranks of the immortals in Canton, complete with bronze busts and mustard-colored jackets. The annual exercise usually raises questions regarding men who aren’t and should be in the Hall of Fame, and regarding men who are and shouldn’t be.
So let’s raise a few of those questions of our own, identifying five who should be in and another five who should be out.
And, yes, I recognize that this is entirely subjective. But the whole process is subjective, no matter how objective anyone tries to make it.
Should be in
Kenny Stabler, Raiders
From 1971-79, Stabler led one of the best teams of the decade. Plenty of close calls finally culminated in a Super Bowl victory. Along the way, Stabler won 69 regular-season starts in Oakland, losing only 26.
The biggest knock against Stabler comes from his stats. He threw for only 27,938 yards and 194 touchdown passes, against 222 interceptions.
Fine, but his numbers were better than Joe Namath’s — and they own the same number of Super Bowl rings.
Pat Tillman
Tillman didn’t play long enough to merit serious consideration based on his on-field accomplishments. But his career wasn’t cut short due to injury or ineptitude. He walked away from millions to join the military, and Tillman made the ultimate sacrifice for his country.
Under the current rules, Tillman never will be considered for the Hall of Fame, because off-field conduct doesn’t count. (More accurately, it’s not supposed to count.)
The rule needs to change, and the first beneficiary of it should be the man who turned his back on fame and fortune to set an example that should never be forgotten.
Don Coryell
The NFL wisely adjusted the rules throughout the ’70s to open up the passing game. And the late Don Coryell took full advantage of the changes, devising an offensive attack that has placed players like Dan Fouts, Charlie Joiner, and Kellen Winslow into the Hall of Fame. Coryell needs to join them.
His passing likely will aid his candidacy in 2011. He should have been more appreciated before he died, but when it comes to the Hall of Fame it’s better late than never.
Jim Plunkett
Like Archie Manning, the highly-skilled Plunkett played for bad teams early in his career. Unlike Manning, Plunkett landed in Oakland just in time to secure two Super Bowl wins.
He’s the only eligible two-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback who has failed to land in Canton. With championships carrying so much weight, the fact that Plunkett guided a team not once but twice to the top of the mountain should be enough to get him immortalized in Canton.
Shannon Sharpe
He retired as the all-time leader in every receiving category among tight ends. He won a total of three Super Bowls with two different teams.
I could say more, but there’s really no need to.
Should be out
Lynn Swann
The first real dynasty of the Super Bowl era resulted in a parade of Pittsburgh Steelers rolling black-and-gold floats on the short trip to Canton. Plenty of them were worthy.
Lynn Swann wasn’t.
Though he was responsible for some of the most remarkable catches during an era where the football didn’t fly as often as it now does, Swann finished with only 336 catches and 5,462 yards. He scored a scant 51 touchdowns, an average of fewer than six per season.
His total catches don’t even rank in the top 250 all time, per Pro-Football-Reference.com. He’s at No. 184 in receiving yards.
Over the years, he’ll keep falling farther and farther down those lists. But that bust will never leave Canton, even if it never should have been put there in the first place.
Jan Stenerud
Specialists shouldn’t be in the Hall of Fame, unless they were so good that they changed the game. Though Stenerud was a pioneer and a great kicker, he’s not a Hall of Famer.
Besides, if any specialist should be in the Hall of Fame, it should be former Raiders punter Ray Guy. Great punters like Guy tilt the field, making it easier to play defense and in turn easier to score points on offense.
So put Guy in, or take Stenerud out. Or both.
O.J. Simpson
The rules regarding the Hall of Fame contain no provision that would permit Hall of Famers to be expelled. The rules in this regard should be changed.
Regardless of whether off-field conduct during the player’s career should be considered when determining whether to put a player in, there should be circumstances in which off-field conduct should be considered when determining whether to kick a player out.
I won’t pretend to know where the line should be. But I know that O.J. Simpson is on the wrong side of it, and he’s got no business having a bust in Canton.
Dick LeBeau
LeBeau has been a great coach. Possibly a Hall of Fame coach. But he’s not been enshrined for his coaching. He’s entering the Hall of Fame for his playing.
His playing simply didn’t reach the Hall of Fame level. And if LeBeau never became a coach, and if he never became the architect of the Steelers’ 3-4 Blitzburgh defense, he wouldn’t be entering the Hall of Fame on Saturday.
While I’ve got no problem with LeBeau receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award in the form of a spot in the Hall of Fame, the fact that something other than what he did as a player was considered by the voters means that voters always should consider things other than what a man did as a player, opening the door for men like Pat Tillman.
And if the response is that LeBeau deserves to be in Canton for his coaching, then he should be first considered for the Hall of Fame five years after he retires as a coach.
Joe Namath
I’m finishing where I started, sort of. Joe Namath achieved less than Ken Stabler during his career. So either Stabler should be in or Namath should be out.
It’s that simple. Statistically, Stabler was the better quarterback. Each won a single Super Bowl.
Of course, Namath benefited from his "Broadway Joe" persona, using true fame to make it to the Hall of Fame. Still, the numbers don’t lie. Though one of the most famous quarterbacks in NFL history, his accomplishments don’t justify a spot in the Hall of Fame.
Especially since Stabler doesn’t have a spot of his own.
Mike Florio writes and edits ProFootballTalk.com and is a regular contributor to Sporting News. Check out PFT for up-to-the minute NFL news.
With NFL training camps in full swing, several high-profile campers aren’t very happy with their contracts right now. So let’s take a look at each situation, rendering a verdict as to whether the team or the player is on the right side of the dispute.
Albert Haynesworth vs. the Redskins.
It’s easy — and fair — to blame Haynesworth for the present mess. He pocketed $21 million on April 1, and then he thumbed his nose at the entire offseason program, including a mandatory minicamp. As a result, he entered camp at a huge disadvantage as the team changes from a 4-3 defense to a 3-4.
Redskins blew a chance to send Albert Haynesworth packing.
Compounding matters is his chronic failure to pass a conditioning test that ESPN’s Mike Golic, a middle-aged ex-jock who hasn’t suited up in years, somehow managed to successfully complete.
But the Redskins bear plenty of blame, too. For starters, they never should have signed the guy to a contract worth more than $40 million guaranteed, and they definitely shouldn’t have cut a check for $21 million on April 1. Moreover, coach Mike Shanahan’s decision to switch to a 3-4 defense provided Haynesworth with a handy excuse for inserting a stick into a place where sticks usually don’t go.
Finally, Shanahan’s decision to compel Haynesworth to pass a conditioning test, even though no one else on the team had to do it, comes off as punitive and, with the player now even farther behind in learning the new defense, foolish.
So while it’s tempting to lay it all on Haynesworth, the Redskins created the monster, they’ve kept him fed, and when it was clear he was ready to storm the village, they passed on their chance to run him out of town altogether.
Verdict: Tie.
Darrelle Revis vs. the Jets.
Unlike other situations in which the player stood up and asked for more, the Jets sparked this dispute by approaching Revis’ agents only two days after losing to the Colts in the AFC title game and indicating a desire to tear up a deal that has three years left on it. Coupled with the repeated proclamations from coach Rex Ryan that Revis is the best defensive player in the game, it doesn’t take an advanced degree in math, economics, or basket weaving to come to the conclusion that Revis’ new deal should eclipse the $15.1 million annual average paid by the Raiders to cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha.
Jets made their own bed in dispute with Darrelle Revis over contract.
By all accounts, the Jets didn’t say "Asomugha’s deal is insane" or "the labor deal prevents us from giving you the kind of guaranteed money you may want." Instead, they told the best defensive player in the game (according to their coach) that they wanted to replace the last three years of a deal set to pay him $21 million with something more.
So it’s hard to blame Revis for taking a stand, especially after seeing teammate Leon Washington take a tumble last year, resulting in a broken leg and a blown opportunity to get a long-term contract — and after seeing other teammates believe that the front office has made promises that have gone unfulfilled.
And now the Jets are only making the situation worse, offering up hollow excuses for not doing the deal the way it needs to be done and subtly characterizing Revis as greedy.
Though Revis had little or no leverage when this process began, he has all of it now. If the Jets fail to get the deal done, they will have alienated one of their key players, and they will have made it considerably harder to satisfy the looming "Super Bowl or bust" expectations.
Verdict: Revis.
Vincent Jackson and Marcus McNeill vs. the Chargers.
The Chargers should easily win the AFC West once again. The bigger question is whether they can secure home-field advantage in the postseason, and whether they then can hold serve. For a change.
To do that, they need receiver Vincent Jackson and left tackle Marcus McNeill under contract. Due to the nuances of the uncapped year, which for years many assumed would favor the players, the Chargers have had the ability to put the screws to this duo who form part of their nucleus. GM A.J. Smith didn’t have to stick it to them, but he has chosen to do so.
The Chargers possibly have opted to take a bullet for the league within the confines of the broader labor tug-o-war, harming the team’s short-term interests in the hopes of keeping as much money as possible out of the players’ pockets in advance of a possible lockout. The problem with this approach is that it hurts the Chargers, and it jeopardizes the health of their franchise quarterback.
Verdict: Jackson and McNeill.
Chris Johnson vs. the Titans.
Throughout the 2010 offseason, the 2009 offensive player of the year complained about a contract that was set to pay him only $550,000 in base salary. Eventually, the Titans reluctantly shifted some future money from 2012, bumping his compensation in the coming season to $2 million.
Recently, Johnson said he’s still not happy with his contract. And for good reason. Running backs get ridden hard and put away broken. The time to cash in comes early in one’s career, before ligaments are frayed and cartilage has been sucked out of joints through a surgical straw.
So while Johnson remains motivated to have a massive season, he’d be even more motivated if he were making more money. If the Titans were smart, they’d give it to him.
Verdict: Johnson.
Logan Mankins vs. the Patriots.
The same dynamic that has unfolded in San Diego has occurred much more quietly in New England. Guard Logan Mankins has scoffed at the one-year free agency tender in excess of $3 million, and the team has exercised its right under the labor deal to cut his offer to less than $2 million when he didn’t sign it by June 15.
Mankins wants a big-money, long-term deal. Since he knows he’s not getting it, he wants out.
Here’s the key point — he’s an interior offensive linemen. Many teams regard guards and centers as largely fungible. The Pats, who have used plenty of no-names on the O-line over the years, apparently are one of those teams. And if anyone else believed Mankins was truly worth big money, the Pats’ phone would be ringing. It isn’t, and, by all appearances, it won’t.
Verdict: Patriots.
Mike Florio writes and edits ProFootballTalk.com and is a regular contributor to Sporting News. Check out PFT for up-to-the minute NFL news.
With NFL training camps in full swing, several high-profile campers aren’t very happy with their contracts right now. So let’s take a look at each situation, rendering a verdict as to whether the team or the player is on the right side of the dispute.
Albert Haynesworth vs. the Redskins.
It’s easy — and fair — to blame Haynesworth for the present mess. He pocketed $21 million on April 1, and then he thumbed his nose at the entire offseason program, including a mandatory minicamp. As a result, he entered camp at a huge disadvantage as the team changes from a 4-3 defense to a 3-4.
Redskins blew a chance to send Albert Haynesworth packing.
Compounding matters is his chronic failure to pass a conditioning test that ESPN’s Mike Golic, a middle-aged ex-jock who hasn’t suited up in years, somehow managed to successfully complete.
But the Redskins bear plenty of blame, too. For starters, they never should have signed the guy to a contract worth more than $40 million guaranteed, and they definitely shouldn’t have cut a check for $21 million on April 1. Moreover, coach Mike Shanahan’s decision to switch to a 3-4 defense provided Haynesworth with a handy excuse for inserting a stick into a place where sticks usually don’t go.
Finally, Shanahan’s decision to compel Haynesworth to pass a conditioning test, even though no one else on the team had to do it, comes off as punitive and, with the player now even farther behind in learning the new defense, foolish.
So while it’s tempting to lay it all on Haynesworth, the Redskins created the monster, they’ve kept him fed, and when it was clear he was ready to storm the village, they passed on their chance to run him out of town altogether.
Verdict: Tie.
Darrelle Revis vs. the Jets.
Unlike other situations in which the player stood up and asked for more, the Jets sparked this dispute by approaching Revis’ agents only two days after losing to the Colts in the AFC title game and indicating a desire to tear up a deal that has three years left on it. Coupled with the repeated proclamations from coach Rex Ryan that Revis is the best defensive player in the game, it doesn’t take an advanced degree in math, economics, or basket weaving to come to the conclusion that Revis’ new deal should eclipse the $15.1 million annual average paid by the Raiders to cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha.
Jets made their own bed in dispute with Darrelle Revis over contract.
By all accounts, the Jets didn’t say "Asomugha’s deal is insane" or "the labor deal prevents us from giving you the kind of guaranteed money you may want." Instead, they told the best defensive player in the game (according to their coach) that they wanted to replace the last three years of a deal set to pay him $21 million with something more.
So it’s hard to blame Revis for taking a stand, especially after seeing teammate Leon Washington take a tumble last year, resulting in a broken leg and a blown opportunity to get a long-term contract — and after seeing other teammates believe that the front office has made promises that have gone unfulfilled.
And now the Jets are only making the situation worse, offering up hollow excuses for not doing the deal the way it needs to be done and subtly characterizing Revis as greedy.
Though Revis had little or no leverage when this process began, he has all of it now. If the Jets fail to get the deal done, they will have alienated one of their key players, and they will have made it considerably harder to satisfy the looming "Super Bowl or bust" expectations.
Verdict: Revis.
Vincent Jackson and Marcus McNeill vs. the Chargers.
The Chargers should easily win the AFC West once again. The bigger question is whether they can secure home-field advantage in the postseason, and whether they then can hold serve. For a change.
To do that, they need receiver Vincent Jackson and left tackle Marcus McNeill under contract. Due to the nuances of the uncapped year, which for years many assumed would favor the players, the Chargers have had the ability to put the screws to this duo who form part of their nucleus. GM A.J. Smith didn’t have to stick it to them, but he has chosen to do so.
The Chargers possibly have opted to take a bullet for the league within the confines of the broader labor tug-o-war, harming the team’s short-term interests in the hopes of keeping as much money as possible out of the players’ pockets in advance of a possible lockout. The problem with this approach is that it hurts the Chargers, and it jeopardizes the health of their franchise quarterback.
Verdict: Jackson and McNeill.
Chris Johnson vs. the Titans.
Throughout the 2010 offseason, the 2009 offensive player of the year complained about a contract that was set to pay him only $550,000 in base salary. Eventually, the Titans reluctantly shifted some future money from 2012, bumping his compensation in the coming season to $2 million.
Recently, Johnson said he’s still not happy with his contract. And for good reason. Running backs get ridden hard and put away broken. The time to cash in comes early in one’s career, before ligaments are frayed and cartilage has been sucked out of joints through a surgical straw.
So while Johnson remains motivated to have a massive season, he’d be even more motivated if he were making more money. If the Titans were smart, they’d give it to him.
Verdict: Johnson.
Logan Mankins vs. the Patriots.
The same dynamic that has unfolded in San Diego has occurred much more quietly in New England. Guard Logan Mankins has scoffed at the one-year free agency tender in excess of $3 million, and the team has exercised its right under the labor deal to cut his offer to less than $2 million when he didn’t sign it by June 15.
Mankins wants a big-money, long-term deal. Since he knows he’s not getting it, he wants out.
Here’s the key point — he’s an interior offensive linemen. Many teams regard guards and centers as largely fungible. The Pats, who have used plenty of no-names on the O-line over the years, apparently are one of those teams. And if anyone else believed Mankins was truly worth big money, the Pats’ phone would be ringing. It isn’t, and, by all appearances, it won’t.
Verdict: Patriots.
Mike Florio writes and edits ProFootballTalk.com and is a regular contributor to Sporting News. Check out PFT for up-to-the minute NFL news.
With training camps opening throughout the NFL, there are plenty of obvious story lines. So instead of breaking down the easy stuff like whether (or, more accurately, when) Brett Favre will return or who’ll start during Ben Roethlisberger’s suspension or whether Jay Cutler will take aim at Mike Martz, let’s take a look at some more subtle things to watch as the 2010 season approaches.
Charlie Weis could have a rough ride in dealing with Matt Cassel (4).
1. Can Charlie Weis and QB Matt Cassel get along?
In Kansas City, Weis has assumed the duties of offensive coordinator, allowing Todd Haley to focus on coaching the team.
Many assume the relationship between Weis and Cassel will go swimmingly, given their mutual ties to New England.
But here’s the thing. Weis left the Patriots before Cassel arrived, and there’s no indication that the two men will click the same way Weis clicked with Tom Brady, or in the same way Cassel clicked with Josh McDaniels.
2. Will Roy Williams be asked to take less money?
If Roy Williams had fulfilled the potential that prompted the Cowboys to give up a lot more than a first-round pick in the trade, they wouldn’t have needed to devote another first-round pick to the position, especially with Miles Austin on the team.
So now that Dez Bryant is under contract, and assuming he and Austin stay healthy, the next question becomes not whether the Cowboys will cut Williams, but whether they’ll squeeze him into cutting his base salary of $3.45 million, with a threat of cutting him if he doesn’t.
If Bryant continues to perform like he has to start camp, the Cowboys could end up telling Williams that if he doesn’t accept a reduction he’ll be carrying his own shoulder pads — right out of the facility.
3. Can T.O. stay healthy?
Apart from the question of whether the Bengals can keep receiver Terrell Owens happy is the question of whether T.O. can keep himself healthy.
Last year, he showed signs of the beginnings of a physical breakdown. Owens injured a toe in the Hall of Fame game and missed a large chunk of training camp and the preseason. This year, he’s a year older (he’ll be 37 on Dec. 7) and a year closer to reaching the point where his spirit will still be willing but his body will have grown unacceptably weak.
So while we focus on whether he’ll find a way to remain content despite having $2 million tied up in an incentive-laden contract, it’s important to keep an eye on his ability to stay at 100 percent for all of training camp, the preseason and beyond.
4. How much work will Ben Roethlisberger get?
The biggest question facing the Steelers is whether veteran Byron Leftwich or the less experienced (but arguably more skilled) Dennis Dixon will secure the starting quarterback job for the first six (or four) games of the season, while Ben Roethlisberger serves a suspension for violating the league’s personal conduct policy.
But what about Roethlisberger? With limited first-team reps to get Leftwich and/or Dixon ready to play, how many chances will Roethlisberger receive to get himself ready to play when he returns from his suspension?
The Steelers could be inclined to give Roethlisberger limited work, in the hopes of reserving the primary reps for Leftwich and Dixon. But that will serve only to make it harder for Roethlisberger to be at his best in October, and it could mean the Steelers will hold him out for an extra game or two while he gets back up to speed, especially if the team is thriving without him.
5. What will the Vikings do at backup quarterback?
Everyone expects Favre to show up — eventually — and keep the Minnesota offense from sliding back into mediocrity. But who’ll be the guy to take his place, if the Saints defense does to him in Week 1 what it did to him during the NFC title game?
Presumably, Tarvaris Jackson will get the job. But Sage Rosenfels could make a push to save his roster spot by climbing the ladder in camp.
Then there’s Joe Webb, a rookie quarterback-turned-receiver-turned-quarterback who, in theory, could become the best option behind Favre — primarily since neither Jackson nor Rosenfels are all that good.
6. Will Cleveland have a workhorse at tailback?
The Browns enter the 2010 season with a passing game premised on a has-been (Jake Delhomme), a never-was (Seneca Wallace), and/or a may-not-ever-be (Colt McCoy). To make matters worse, they’ve also got a fairly bare cupboard at receiver and tight end.
So the running game will be very important, with fourth-year veteran Jerome Harrison and rookie Montario Hardesty jockeying for position.
It remains to be seen whether they share touches, or whether one of them becomes the primary option. While Cleveland will make whatever decision points toward the most victories, tons of fantasy football owners will be keeping a close eye on whether one or the other becomes the primary option for a Browns team that likely will be doing plenty of running, primarily because it won’t be able to do much passing.
7. Who will back up Drew Brees?
Last year, the Saints had aging veteran Mark Brunell as the primary backup to Super Bowl 44 MVP Drew Brees. This year, Brunell’s at camp with the Jets.
So who’ll be the insurance policy for Brees? For now, Tulane product Patrick Ramsey has the most experience in the league, but he has very little in the Saints’ offensive system. Behind Ramsey, the Saints have Chase Daniel and Sean Canfield.
If Brees gets hurt, the Saints are screwed.
8. Does anyone care about the Buccaneers?
The NFL has done an excellent job of creating a system that cultivates optimism in the offseason. Every team has a legitimate shot at climbing out of the valley of 0-0 and making it to the playoffs, especially with only four teams in each division.
Every team except Tampa Bay.
Eight years removed from a Super Bowl win, the team has regressed to the rag-tag Tampa teams that primarily resided in the basement of the old NFC Central through 1995. Everyone seems to accept the reality that the Bucs are bound once again for the bottom of the NFC South, and few if anyone in Tampa can plausibly piece together a scenario in which the overmatched franchise has any chance at overcoming the Saints and/or the Falcons.
Fortunately for the NFL, not many other teams fall into that same category in August.
9. Can Ken Whisenhunt coach the Cardinals into a contender?
Arizona’s unexpected success over the past two seasons can be attributed to Kurt Warner’s resurgence and just enough high-end players at other key positions. Not to mention the Cardinals play in one of the league’s worst divisions.
With those big-name players long gone, if the Cardinals are going to succeed this year, the success will flow from coach Whisenhunt.
It’s possible Whisenhunt had a lot more to do with the team’s recent run of success than people realize. After all, the team had won only one postseason game since the Truman administration before the buck stopped with Whisenhunt; in the last two seasons, the Cardinals have won four of them. And it was Whisenhunt who made the call late in the 2008 preseason to put Heisman winner Matt Leinart on the bench and dust off the graybeard who had seemed to lose his fastball somewhere between St. Louis and New York.
In the end, if Whisenhunt had a bigger hand than realized in the 2008 and 2009 editions of the team, then the 2010 Cardinals should contend in a still-weak NFC West. If they don’t contend, the bulk of the credit for the franchise’s first-ever Super Bowl berth will go to the players — specifically those who are gone.
10. Can Perry Fewell fix the Giants defense?
With all the attention that has been paid to the Jets, it’s easy to forget the Giants’ fortunes have plummeted almost as far as the career of the guy who made the one-handed, helmet-aided catch that delivered the unlikeliest of Super Bowl victories.
The key to turning it around will come on the defensive side of the ball, where the Giants need to get back to putting high heat on the quarterback — and where they desperately need a capable replacement for Antonio Pierce at middle linebacker.
More importantly, they need new defensive coordinator Perry Fewell to have the same kind of impact in his first year on the job that Steve Spagnuolo had in 2007, giving the side of the ball not featuring a member of the Manning family a kick in the pants, in the hopes of dropping many opposing quarterbacks on theirs.
Whether and to what extent Fewell can get it done will go a long way toward determining whether coach Tom Coughlin will be back in 2011.
Mike Florio writes and edits ProFootballTalk.com and is a regular contributor to Sporting News. Check out PFT for up-to-the minute NFL news.
With training camps opening throughout the NFL, there are plenty of obvious story lines. So instead of breaking down the easy stuff like whether (or, more accurately, when) Brett Favre will return or who’ll start during Ben Roethlisberger’s suspension or whether Jay Cutler will take aim at Mike Martz, let’s take a look at some more subtle things to watch as the 2010 season approaches.
Charlie Weis could have a rough ride in dealing with Matt Cassel (4).
1. Can Charlie Weis and QB Matt Cassel get along?
In Kansas City, Weis has assumed the duties of offensive coordinator, allowing Todd Haley to focus on coaching the team.
Many assume the relationship between Weis and Cassel will go swimmingly, given their mutual ties to New England.
But here’s the thing. Weis left the Patriots before Cassel arrived, and there’s no indication that the two men will click the same way Weis clicked with Tom Brady, or in the same way Cassel clicked with Josh McDaniels.
2. Will Roy Williams be asked to take less money?
If Roy Williams had fulfilled the potential that prompted the Cowboys to give up a lot more than a first-round pick in the trade, they wouldn’t have needed to devote another first-round pick to the position, especially with Miles Austin on the team.
So now that Dez Bryant is under contract, and assuming he and Austin stay healthy, the next question becomes not whether the Cowboys will cut Williams, but whether they’ll squeeze him into cutting his base salary of $3.45 million, with a threat of cutting him if he doesn’t.
If Bryant continues to perform like he has to start camp, the Cowboys could end up telling Williams that if he doesn’t accept a reduction he’ll be carrying his own shoulder pads — right out of the facility.
3. Can T.O. stay healthy?
Apart from the question of whether the Bengals can keep receiver Terrell Owens happy is the question of whether T.O. can keep himself healthy.
Last year, he showed signs of the beginnings of a physical breakdown. Owens injured a toe in the Hall of Fame game and missed a large chunk of training camp and the preseason. This year, he’s a year older (he’ll be 37 on Dec. 7) and a year closer to reaching the point where his spirit will still be willing but his body will have grown unacceptably weak.
So while we focus on whether he’ll find a way to remain content despite having $2 million tied up in an incentive-laden contract, it’s important to keep an eye on his ability to stay at 100 percent for all of training camp, the preseason and beyond.
4. How much work will Ben Roethlisberger get?
The biggest question facing the Steelers is whether veteran Byron Leftwich or the less experienced (but arguably more skilled) Dennis Dixon will secure the starting quarterback job for the first six (or four) games of the season, while Ben Roethlisberger serves a suspension for violating the league’s personal conduct policy.
But what about Roethlisberger? With limited first-team reps to get Leftwich and/or Dixon ready to play, how many chances will Roethlisberger receive to get himself ready to play when he returns from his suspension?
The Steelers could be inclined to give Roethlisberger limited work, in the hopes of reserving the primary reps for Leftwich and Dixon. But that will serve only to make it harder for Roethlisberger to be at his best in October, and it could mean the Steelers will hold him out for an extra game or two while he gets back up to speed, especially if the team is thriving without him.
5. What will the Vikings do at backup quarterback?
Everyone expects Favre to show up — eventually — and keep the Minnesota offense from sliding back into mediocrity. But who’ll be the guy to take his place, if the Saints defense does to him in Week 1 what it did to him during the NFC title game?
Presumably, Tarvaris Jackson will get the job. But Sage Rosenfels could make a push to save his roster spot by climbing the ladder in camp.
Then there’s Joe Webb, a rookie quarterback-turned-receiver-turned-quarterback who, in theory, could become the best option behind Favre — primarily since neither Jackson nor Rosenfels are all that good.
6. Will Cleveland have a workhorse at tailback?
The Browns enter the 2010 season with a passing game premised on a has-been (Jake Delhomme), a never-was (Seneca Wallace), and/or a may-not-ever-be (Colt McCoy). To make matters worse, they’ve also got a fairly bare cupboard at receiver and tight end.
So the running game will be very important, with fourth-year veteran Jerome Harrison and rookie Montario Hardesty jockeying for position.
It remains to be seen whether they share touches, or whether one of them becomes the primary option. While Cleveland will make whatever decision points toward the most victories, tons of fantasy football owners will be keeping a close eye on whether one or the other becomes the primary option for a Browns team that likely will be doing plenty of running, primarily because it won’t be able to do much passing.
7. Who will back up Drew Brees?
Last year, the Saints had aging veteran Mark Brunell as the primary backup to Super Bowl 44 MVP Drew Brees. This year, Brunell’s at camp with the Jets.
So who’ll be the insurance policy for Brees? For now, Tulane product Patrick Ramsey has the most experience in the league, but he has very little in the Saints’ offensive system. Behind Ramsey, the Saints have Chase Daniel and Sean Canfield.
If Brees gets hurt, the Saints are screwed.
8. Does anyone care about the Buccaneers?
The NFL has done an excellent job of creating a system that cultivates optimism in the offseason. Every team has a legitimate shot at climbing out of the valley of 0-0 and making it to the playoffs, especially with only four teams in each division.
Every team except Tampa Bay.
Eight years removed from a Super Bowl win, the team has regressed to the rag-tag Tampa teams that primarily resided in the basement of the old NFC Central through 1995. Everyone seems to accept the reality that the Bucs are bound once again for the bottom of the NFC South, and few if anyone in Tampa can plausibly piece together a scenario in which the overmatched franchise has any chance at overcoming the Saints and/or the Falcons.
Fortunately for the NFL, not many other teams fall into that same category in August.
9. Can Ken Whisenhunt coach the Cardinals into a contender?
Arizona’s unexpected success over the past two seasons can be attributed to Kurt Warner’s resurgence and just enough high-end players at other key positions. Not to mention the Cardinals play in one of the league’s worst divisions.
With those big-name players long gone, if the Cardinals are going to succeed this year, the success will flow from coach Whisenhunt.
It’s possible Whisenhunt had a lot more to do with the team’s recent run of success than people realize. After all, the team had won only one postseason game since the Truman administration before the buck stopped with Whisenhunt; in the last two seasons, the Cardinals have won four of them. And it was Whisenhunt who made the call late in the 2008 preseason to put Heisman winner Matt Leinart on the bench and dust off the graybeard who had seemed to lose his fastball somewhere between St. Louis and New York.
In the end, if Whisenhunt had a bigger hand than realized in the 2008 and 2009 editions of the team, then the 2010 Cardinals should contend in a still-weak NFC West. If they don’t contend, the bulk of the credit for the franchise’s first-ever Super Bowl berth will go to the players — specifically those who are gone.
10. Can Perry Fewell fix the Giants defense?
With all the attention that has been paid to the Jets, it’s easy to forget the Giants’ fortunes have plummeted almost as far as the career of the guy who made the one-handed, helmet-aided catch that delivered the unlikeliest of Super Bowl victories.
The key to turning it around will come on the defensive side of the ball, where the Giants need to get back to putting high heat on the quarterback — and where they desperately need a capable replacement for Antonio Pierce at middle linebacker.
More importantly, they need new defensive coordinator Perry Fewell to have the same kind of impact in his first year on the job that Steve Spagnuolo had in 2007, giving the side of the ball not featuring a member of the Manning family a kick in the pants, in the hopes of dropping many opposing quarterbacks on theirs.
Whether and to what extent Fewell can get it done will go a long way toward determining whether coach Tom Coughlin will be back in 2011.
Mike Florio writes and edits ProFootballTalk.com and is a regular contributor to Sporting News. Check out PFT for up-to-the minute NFL news.
With the removal of the last big-name free agent from the shelf, thanks to Terrell Owens’ signing with Cincinnati, let’s look back at some of the most ill-advised free-agent signings in the uncapped year.
Here are seven moves that probably shouldn’t have happened.
Antonio Bryant to the Bengals
In light of their most recent signing, the Bengals might have overpaid for Antonio Bryant.
In March, the Bengals conducted a two-float receiver parade. First came Antonio Bryant for a visit. As he left, Terrell Owens arrived.
Then, after T.O. was gone, Bryant received a four-year, $28 million deal.
So why did the Bengals sign Owens nearly five months later? The ability to team Bryant with T.O. and Chad Ochocinco should give the Bengals a potent passing attack, but with Bryant potentially the odd man out when the team employs two-receiver sets, it made no sense for the Bengals to pay him so much money so early in free agency.
Already rumblings have emerged Bryant could be cut, but with $7.85 million already in hand, it’s unlikely Cincinnati will dump him before 2011. Instead, the team will have to move forward with football’s version of LeBron, Dwyane, and Bosh, mindful of the fact there are eight other guys on the field with them, not two.
Jake Delhomme to the Browns
One of the problems with football coaches-turned-executives is that they can’t leave behind their desire to win now when making dispassionate decisions aimed at advancing the long-term interests of the club. And that dynamic arguably played out earlier this year in Cleveland, when new team president Mike Holmgren dumped quarterback Derek Anderson, traded quarterback Brady Quinn to Denver for a pack of beef jerky and an old pair of running shoes, and then pounced on a man who lost his fastball during the 2008 playoffs — and never found it again during the 2009 season.
The Browns will pay Jake Delhomme $7 million in 2010, a stunning reward for one of the most dramatic falls from grace any quarterback has experienced. Making the move even more puzzling is that, with the exercise of patience and the application of a poker face, the Browns eventually could have gotten Donovan McNabb for the same deal that the Redskins cobbled together in early April — a second-round pick now, and either a third-round or a fourth-round selection next year.
Some Browns fan may defend the move by explaining McNabb is 33, and he could soon enter a decline. Meanwhile, Delhomme is 35, and he’s already skydiving without a parachute.
Derek Anderson to the Cardinals
In Arizona, the Cardinals needed a quality backup for still-unproven Matt Leinart, who inherited the starting quarterback job after Kurt Warner retired. Ideally, the Cards would have found a guy capable of pushing Leinart as aggressively as Warner had pushed him in 2008, back when Warner eventually leapfrogged him.
Instead, the Cardinals signed Derek Anderson.
Sure, no Kurt Warners were hanging around the local Piggly Wiggly when the Cardinals made their move. But the problem arose several weeks later, when the Rams finally cut Marc Bulger, who would have been a much better candidate to give the Cardinals what they need.
Then again, maybe the Rams would have held onto Bulger until their division rivals in the desert had lined up a backup. Still, the Cardinals should have been ready to upgrade to Bulger, regardless of who they signed in March.
Now, they’re stuck with two guys who even on their best days will be a far cry from Kurt Warner.
Joey Porter to the Cardinals
The Cardinals’ misguided free-agency moves weren’t confined to the offensive side of the ball. Not long after the Dolphins cut the cord on an aging loudmouth linebacker whose production has dipped, Arizona pounced.
Joey Porter is now a Cardinal. Though they didn’t break the bank to get him, the consensus in league circles is that Porter’s best days have faded far into his rear-view mirror. Given the potentially negative impact his propensity to pop off could have on a team in transition, the Cardinals should have passed on Porter.
Brandon Manumaleuna to the Bears
When Mike Martz finally was hired to serve as the Bears’ new offensive coordinator, he needed guys who could run his offense.
Chicago started the process by bringing in 30-year-old Brandon Manumaleuna, a blocking tight end who spent the first five years of his career with Martz in St. Louis.
Signing Manumaleuna is one thing. Making a mad dash to land him on the first day of free agency, and thus grossly overpaying him in the process, is another.
LaDainian Tomlinson to the Jets
Not long ago, LaDainian Tomlinson was the most dominant running back in the NFL. Over the past few years, however, it’s become obvious that a great tailback quickly can become just another guy, via age and a cocktail of injuries.
The problem is fans see the same player and think he’s the same player, and the player remembers his past exploits and believes he can will his way back to the top of the mountain.
But it simply doesn’t happen that way. Tomlinson, cut by the Chargers a year too late, became the subject of a tug-of-war between the Vikings and the Jets.
The Vikings lost, and in so doing they possibly won.
With Tomlinson’s diminished skills comes a me-first attitude that won’t be conducive to developing the right chemistry in the locker room, especially if (when) he realizes he’s there to give Shonn Greene a breather, and not the other way around.
Meanwhile, to get Tomlinson, the Jets cut Thomas Jones, who had a career year in 2009 and provided the kind of leadership that the Jets sorely will need if (when) adversity arises in 2010.
And if (when) that happens, it’ll be easy to find Tomlinson. He’ll be sitting at the end of the bench, helmet on and visor dimmed.
Larry Johnson and Willie Parker to the Redskins
With an aging, battered Clinton Portis leading the way for the Redskins’ running game, new coach Mike Shanahan had a great idea for rebuilding the attack.
He signed two more of them.
The Redskins have added Larry Johnson and Willie Parker to the mix, presumably with the intent of all three making the final 53-man roster.
Meanwhile, the Redskins also pursued Brian Westbrook, yet another old and banged-up tailback.
While the franchise has resisted (for a change) the urge to spend too much money, if this is what being frugal produces it could make more sense to overspend.
Mike Florio writes and edits ProFootballTalk.com and is a regular contributor to Sporting News. Check out PFT for up-to-the minute NFL news.
With the removal of the last big-name free agent from the shelf, thanks to Terrell Owens’ signing with Cincinnati, let’s look back at some of the most ill-advised free-agent signings in the uncapped year.
Here are seven moves that probably shouldn’t have happened.
Antonio Bryant to the Bengals
In light of their most recent signing, the Bengals might have overpaid for Antonio Bryant.
In March, the Bengals conducted a two-float receiver parade. First came Antonio Bryant for a visit. As he left, Terrell Owens arrived.
Then, after T.O. was gone, Bryant received a four-year, $28 million deal.
So why did the Bengals sign Owens nearly five months later? The ability to team Bryant with T.O. and Chad Ochocinco should give the Bengals a potent passing attack, but with Bryant potentially the odd man out when the team employs two-receiver sets, it made no sense for the Bengals to pay him so much money so early in free agency.
Already rumblings have emerged Bryant could be cut, but with $7.85 million already in hand, it’s unlikely Cincinnati will dump him before 2011. Instead, the team will have to move forward with football’s version of LeBron, Dwyane, and Bosh, mindful of the fact there are eight other guys on the field with them, not two.
Jake Delhomme to the Browns
One of the problems with football coaches-turned-executives is that they can’t leave behind their desire to win now when making dispassionate decisions aimed at advancing the long-term interests of the club. And that dynamic arguably played out earlier this year in Cleveland, when new team president Mike Holmgren dumped quarterback Derek Anderson, traded quarterback Brady Quinn to Denver for a pack of beef jerky and an old pair of running shoes, and then pounced on a man who lost his fastball during the 2008 playoffs — and never found it again during the 2009 season.
The Browns will pay Jake Delhomme $7 million in 2010, a stunning reward for one of the most dramatic falls from grace any quarterback has experienced. Making the move even more puzzling is that, with the exercise of patience and the application of a poker face, the Browns eventually could have gotten Donovan McNabb for the same deal that the Redskins cobbled together in early April — a second-round pick now, and either a third-round or a fourth-round selection next year.
Some Browns fan may defend the move by explaining McNabb is 33, and he could soon enter a decline. Meanwhile, Delhomme is 35, and he’s already skydiving without a parachute.
Derek Anderson to the Cardinals
In Arizona, the Cardinals needed a quality backup for still-unproven Matt Leinart, who inherited the starting quarterback job after Kurt Warner retired. Ideally, the Cards would have found a guy capable of pushing Leinart as aggressively as Warner had pushed him in 2008, back when Warner eventually leapfrogged him.
Instead, the Cardinals signed Derek Anderson.
Sure, no Kurt Warners were hanging around the local Piggly Wiggly when the Cardinals made their move. But the problem arose several weeks later, when the Rams finally cut Marc Bulger, who would have been a much better candidate to give the Cardinals what they need.
Then again, maybe the Rams would have held onto Bulger until their division rivals in the desert had lined up a backup. Still, the Cardinals should have been ready to upgrade to Bulger, regardless of who they signed in March.
Now, they’re stuck with two guys who even on their best days will be a far cry from Kurt Warner.
Joey Porter to the Cardinals
The Cardinals’ misguided free-agency moves weren’t confined to the offensive side of the ball. Not long after the Dolphins cut the cord on an aging loudmouth linebacker whose production has dipped, Arizona pounced.
Joey Porter is now a Cardinal. Though they didn’t break the bank to get him, the consensus in league circles is that Porter’s best days have faded far into his rear-view mirror. Given the potentially negative impact his propensity to pop off could have on a team in transition, the Cardinals should have passed on Porter.
Brandon Manumaleuna to the Bears
When Mike Martz finally was hired to serve as the Bears’ new offensive coordinator, he needed guys who could run his offense.
Chicago started the process by bringing in 30-year-old Brandon Manumaleuna, a blocking tight end who spent the first five years of his career with Martz in St. Louis.
Signing Manumaleuna is one thing. Making a mad dash to land him on the first day of free agency, and thus grossly overpaying him in the process, is another.
LaDainian Tomlinson to the Jets
Not long ago, LaDainian Tomlinson was the most dominant running back in the NFL. Over the past few years, however, it’s become obvious that a great tailback quickly can become just another guy, via age and a cocktail of injuries.
The problem is fans see the same player and think he’s the same player, and the player remembers his past exploits and believes he can will his way back to the top of the mountain.
But it simply doesn’t happen that way. Tomlinson, cut by the Chargers a year too late, became the subject of a tug-of-war between the Vikings and the Jets.
The Vikings lost, and in so doing they possibly won.
With Tomlinson’s diminished skills comes a me-first attitude that won’t be conducive to developing the right chemistry in the locker room, especially if (when) he realizes he’s there to give Shonn Greene a breather, and not the other way around.
Meanwhile, to get Tomlinson, the Jets cut Thomas Jones, who had a career year in 2009 and provided the kind of leadership that the Jets sorely will need if (when) adversity arises in 2010.
And if (when) that happens, it’ll be easy to find Tomlinson. He’ll be sitting at the end of the bench, helmet on and visor dimmed.
Larry Johnson and Willie Parker to the Redskins
With an aging, battered Clinton Portis leading the way for the Redskins’ running game, new coach Mike Shanahan had a great idea for rebuilding the attack.
He signed two more of them.
The Redskins have added Larry Johnson and Willie Parker to the mix, presumably with the intent of all three making the final 53-man roster.
Meanwhile, the Redskins also pursued Brian Westbrook, yet another old and banged-up tailback.
While the franchise has resisted (for a change) the urge to spend too much money, if this is what being frugal produces it could make more sense to overspend.
Mike Florio writes and edits ProFootballTalk.com and is a regular contributor to Sporting News. Check out PFT for up-to-the minute NFL news.
When reports emerged in the days preceding that 2006 draft that would-be marketing agents had provided USC running back Reggie Bush’s family with rent-free housing, no one could have imagined that the case eventually would threaten to revolutionize the manner in which we think about amateur athletes who earn millions for American universities, with the vast majority of the money never being paid to any of them.
Reggie Bush was awarded the Heisman Trophy on Dec. 10, 2005.
More than four years after the fact, following a dreadfully slow NCAA investigation hampered by the fact the organization has no ability to issue subpoenas for testimony or documents, the NCAA has concluded that Bush did indeed receive money, and the NCAA apparently has decided to embark on a more aggressive effort to smoke out situations in which would-be agents and financial advisers have funneled money or other benefits to players with remaining eligibility.
So what changes should be made going forward? Let’s consider the possibilities from the perspective of the various players in this sordid tale.
The agents
The obvious targets for punishment are the people who attempt to recruit future NFL players by giving them something now that their schools won’t — money. Whether it’s contract agents, marketing agents, financial advisers, or the "runners" who deliver the clients to the professionals, these folks are jeopardizing the ability of the players to continue to hone their skills at the college level, and they’re also potentially undermining the ability of many more current and future players with that same program to make the most out of their talents via the loss of scholarships and/or eligibility for bowl games.
The players
Far too often, tales emerge from major college programs of players and family members who perpetually have their hands out, looking from money for anyone who’s willing to give it up.
Though the fact that the system takes from the players and gives them back pennies in comparison to the contributions they make helps justify at a visceral level the desire for players to get paid by someone/anyone/everyone, the basic fact remains that the players who accept money violate the rules, regardless of the inequity of the system that crafted them.
As to players like Bush, an apparent desire to take whatever anyone will give and an alleged refusal to pay back the folks he opted not to hire as his agents created the problem that led to major sanctions for the Trojans program. And even if taking money can be justified, not hiring the agents and not paying back the money remains wrong, under any plausible view of the situation.
The union
The NFLPA has the ability to suspend or decertify contract agents and financial advisors who break the rules. The union has not yet targeted marketing agents, who ply their craft with little or no oversight or regulation.
The NFLPA needs to broaden its net and devote resources to comprehensive and fair enforcement of the rules. Previously, actions taken by the union against agents has been criticized as inconsistent and/or incomplete. Significant funds must be committed to creating and maintaining an enforcement mechanism that weeds out those who would ignore the rules, and deters everyone else to avoid similar behavior.
The NCAA
Speaking of the need to devote funds to enforcement, the NCAA and its member schools must peel off some of those millions that the players earn to ensure that the rules are followed, and those who break the rules are punished.
But a deeper effort also should be undertaken to counter the basic sense that the players deserve something more than room, board, and tuition. Perhaps the time has come to compensate players, via stipends or other devices aimed at giving them something for their efforts and physical risks that begins to approach the revenue generated by college football programs throughout the country.
Maybe if the players were receiving tangible compensation from the schools, they wouldn’t be so quick to put their hands out.
The NFL
On the surface, the NFL occupies the position of bystander in this process. With no power over players who have yet to leave college and no ability to regulate agents, the league’s only role under the current system would be to encourage the NFLPA to better do its job, and to direct the teams to cooperate with any enforcement efforts.
That said, the NFL should look for more ways to get involved. One possibility would be to suspend players whom the NCAA has determined to have taken money while still eligible. Another possibility would be to work with the union to fund an external mechanism for investigating and disciplining agents. The league also could assist the NCAA in lobbying efforts targeted at passing legislation that would make it easier for the NCAA to investigate cases of abuse, and to punish the responsible parties.
Mike Florio writes and edits ProFootballTalk.com and is a regular contributor to Sporting News. Check out PFT for up-to-the minute NFL news.
When reports emerged in the days preceding that 2006 draft that would-be marketing agents had provided USC running back Reggie Bush’s family with rent-free housing, no one could have imagined that the case eventually would threaten to revolutionize the manner in which we think about amateur athletes who earn millions for American universities, with the vast majority of the money never being paid to any of them.
Reggie Bush was awarded the Heisman Trophy on Dec. 10, 2005.
More than four years after the fact, following a dreadfully slow NCAA investigation hampered by the fact the organization has no ability to issue subpoenas for testimony or documents, the NCAA has concluded that Bush did indeed receive money, and the NCAA apparently has decided to embark on a more aggressive effort to smoke out situations in which would-be agents and financial advisers have funneled money or other benefits to players with remaining eligibility.
So what changes should be made going forward? Let’s consider the possibilities from the perspective of the various players in this sordid tale.
The agents
The obvious targets for punishment are the people who attempt to recruit future NFL players by giving them something now that their schools won’t — money. Whether it’s contract agents, marketing agents, financial advisers, or the "runners" who deliver the clients to the professionals, these folks are jeopardizing the ability of the players to continue to hone their skills at the college level, and they’re also potentially undermining the ability of many more current and future players with that same program to make the most out of their talents via the loss of scholarships and/or eligibility for bowl games.
The players
Far too often, tales emerge from major college programs of players and family members who perpetually have their hands out, looking from money for anyone who’s willing to give it up.
Though the fact that the system takes from the players and gives them back pennies in comparison to the contributions they make helps justify at a visceral level the desire for players to get paid by someone/anyone/everyone, the basic fact remains that the players who accept money violate the rules, regardless of the inequity of the system that crafted them.
As to players like Bush, an apparent desire to take whatever anyone will give and an alleged refusal to pay back the folks he opted not to hire as his agents created the problem that led to major sanctions for the Trojans program. And even if taking money can be justified, not hiring the agents and not paying back the money remains wrong, under any plausible view of the situation.
The union
The NFLPA has the ability to suspend or decertify contract agents and financial advisors who break the rules. The union has not yet targeted marketing agents, who ply their craft with little or no oversight or regulation.
The NFLPA needs to broaden its net and devote resources to comprehensive and fair enforcement of the rules. Previously, actions taken by the union against agents has been criticized as inconsistent and/or incomplete. Significant funds must be committed to creating and maintaining an enforcement mechanism that weeds out those who would ignore the rules, and deters everyone else to avoid similar behavior.
The NCAA
Speaking of the need to devote funds to enforcement, the NCAA and its member schools must peel off some of those millions that the players earn to ensure that the rules are followed, and those who break the rules are punished.
But a deeper effort also should be undertaken to counter the basic sense that the players deserve something more than room, board, and tuition. Perhaps the time has come to compensate players, via stipends or other devices aimed at giving them something for their efforts and physical risks that begins to approach the revenue generated by college football programs throughout the country.
Maybe if the players were receiving tangible compensation from the schools, they wouldn’t be so quick to put their hands out.
The NFL
On the surface, the NFL occupies the position of bystander in this process. With no power over players who have yet to leave college and no ability to regulate agents, the league’s only role under the current system would be to encourage the NFLPA to better do its job, and to direct the teams to cooperate with any enforcement efforts.
That said, the NFL should look for more ways to get involved. One possibility would be to suspend players whom the NCAA has determined to have taken money while still eligible. Another possibility would be to work with the union to fund an external mechanism for investigating and disciplining agents. The league also could assist the NCAA in lobbying efforts targeted at passing legislation that would make it easier for the NCAA to investigate cases of abuse, and to punish the responsible parties.
Mike Florio writes and edits ProFootballTalk.com and is a regular contributor to Sporting News. Check out PFT for up-to-the minute NFL news.
Every NFL season features quarterbacks getting benched and, ultimately, coaches getting fired.
As training camp approaches and with every team in the valley of 0-0 and having a one-in-four chance (in theory) of winning the division and hosting a playoff game, optimism causes many fans to believe that their quarterback can — and will — not only survive but even thrive.
In some cities, the handwriting is already on the wall, plain to see for anyone who cares to notice. Let’s look at where the powers-that-be should pull the trigger now instead of later on benching their starting quarterbacks.
Jake Delhomme, Browns
Coach Eric Mangini recently said the starting job in Cleveland is Delhomme’s to lose. The sooner he does lose it, the better off the team will be.
Delhomme lost his fastball at some point during the 13 days between Week 17 of the 2008 regular season and the divisional round of the playoffs. Though the Browns regard it as an aberration, it’s unlikely that a guy would simply fall off the horse at an advanced stage of his career then find the stirrups again.
Of course, the Browns can’t simply bench Delhomme after signing him in the offseason and paying him $7 million. Maybe they just shouldn’t have signed him.
David Garrard doesn’t have much support from the Jaguars after two seasons with 15 TD passes and double-digit interceptions.
David Garrard, Jaguars
The coach doesn’t really believe in him. The owner doesn’t really believe in him. So why in the heck is Garrard the Jaguars’ starting quarterback?
Of course, Garrard might be better than Luke McCown. But even if Garrard remains at the top of the depth chart, he should be on a short leash for 2010.
In turn, the Jaguars should have found a better option in the offseason. They clearly don’t love the guy. It makes no sense to keep him around.
Kyle Orton, Broncos
The decision to trade for Brady Quinn and to draft Tim Tebow hardly represents a vote of confidence for Orton, whose contract-year performance was rewarded with only a first-round restricted free-agent tender.
So why do the Broncos insist on keeping him at the top of the depth chart? If, somehow, he plays well in 2010, it’ll be harder to move on in 2011. The better move would be to get Tebow ready and get him on the field.
If the Broncos thought enough of Tebow to trade back into Round 1 to draft him, they simply should get him on the field.
Matt Moore, Panthers
After cutting Delhomme, the Panthers handed the ball to Moore. Then the Panthers drafted a QB in Round 2 prepared to step in and play right away.
So why not just give Jimmy Clausen the ball right now?
If coach John Fox wants to stick around after 2010, he must show that Clausen can be the long-term answer at quarterback.
Matt Leinart, Cardinals
A top-10 pick in ’06, Leinart hasn’t been able to win and hold the job. Injured in ’07 after routinely being yanked for Kurt Warner when the going got tough, Leinart surprisingly landed on the bench shortly before the ’08 season. He then watched Warner cement his Hall of Fame credentials.
So it’s unclear why the team still has faith in Leinart. The best argument for keeping him on the field flows from the fact that the only other viable option is Derek Anderson.
The Cardinals should have aggressively pursued other options in the offseason, whether Donovan McNabb or Marc Bulger. Either way, Leinart isn’t the answer; the sooner the Cardinals figure that out, the better off they’ll be.
Mike Florio writes and edits ProFootballTalk.com and is a regular contributor to Sporting News. Check out PFT for up-to-the minute NFL news.
Every NFL season features quarterbacks getting benched and, ultimately, coaches getting fired.
As training camp approaches and with every team in the valley of 0-0 and having a one-in-four chance (in theory) of winning the division and hosting a playoff game, optimism causes many fans to believe that their quarterback can — and will — not only survive but even thrive.
In some cities, the handwriting is already on the wall, plain to see for anyone who cares to notice. Let’s look at where the powers-that-be should pull the trigger now instead of later on benching their starting quarterbacks.
Jake Delhomme, Browns
Coach Eric Mangini recently said the starting job in Cleveland is Delhomme’s to lose. The sooner he does lose it, the better off the team will be.
Delhomme lost his fastball at some point during the 13 days between Week 17 of the 2008 regular season and the divisional round of the playoffs. Though the Browns regard it as an aberration, it’s unlikely that a guy would simply fall off the horse at an advanced stage of his career then find the stirrups again.
Of course, the Browns can’t simply bench Delhomme after signing him in the offseason and paying him $7 million. Maybe they just shouldn’t have signed him.
David Garrard doesn’t have much support from the Jaguars after two seasons with 15 TD passes and double-digit interceptions.
David Garrard, Jaguars
The coach doesn’t really believe in him. The owner doesn’t really believe in him. So why in the heck is Garrard the Jaguars’ starting quarterback?
Of course, Garrard might be better than Luke McCown. But even if Garrard remains at the top of the depth chart, he should be on a short leash for 2010.
In turn, the Jaguars should have found a better option in the offseason. They clearly don’t love the guy. It makes no sense to keep him around.
Kyle Orton, Broncos
The decision to trade for Brady Quinn and to draft Tim Tebow hardly represents a vote of confidence for Orton, whose contract-year performance was rewarded with only a first-round restricted free-agent tender.
So why do the Broncos insist on keeping him at the top of the depth chart? If, somehow, he plays well in 2010, it’ll be harder to move on in 2011. The better move would be to get Tebow ready and get him on the field.
If the Broncos thought enough of Tebow to trade back into Round 1 to draft him, they simply should get him on the field.
Matt Moore, Panthers
After cutting Delhomme, the Panthers handed the ball to Moore. Then the Panthers drafted a QB in Round 2 prepared to step in and play right away.
So why not just give Jimmy Clausen the ball right now?
If coach John Fox wants to stick around after 2010, he must show that Clausen can be the long-term answer at quarterback.
Matt Leinart, Cardinals
A top-10 pick in ’06, Leinart hasn’t been able to win and hold the job. Injured in ’07 after routinely being yanked for Kurt Warner when the going got tough, Leinart surprisingly landed on the bench shortly before the ’08 season. He then watched Warner cement his Hall of Fame credentials.
So it’s unclear why the team still has faith in Leinart. The best argument for keeping him on the field flows from the fact that the only other viable option is Derek Anderson.
The Cardinals should have aggressively pursued other options in the offseason, whether Donovan McNabb or Marc Bulger. Either way, Leinart isn’t the answer; the sooner the Cardinals figure that out, the better off they’ll be.
Mike Florio writes and edits ProFootballTalk.com and is a regular contributor to Sporting News. Check out PFT for up-to-the minute NFL news.
At a time when the NFL has done everything it can to create the impression that the player compensation system doesn’t work — and that the current formula for paying first-round picks represents the most broken aspect of the process — how can the
St. Louis Rams justify paying $50 million guaranteed to quarterback
Sam Bradford?
The Rams have no obligation to make a snap decision on a fat deal for Sam Bradford.
On Wednesday, a team that has advanced to the playoffs twice in three years unveiled a financial report that demonstrates a drop of nearly $25 million in operating profits in only two years. On Friday, a team that has won a total of six games in those same three years will formally commence a process that many expect to result in a contract that guarantees $50 million to a man who has never played a down in the NFL.
Sure, the Rams made Bradford the
2010 draft’s first overall pick. And, yes, the jump to $50 million represents the next logical step in the development of a process that slowly has gone haywire over the past decade.
But why continue? The Rams have no obligation to spend the money. Under the labor deal, they must tender to Bradford a one-year contract worth the rookie minimum salary of $320,000, nothing more. With the salary floor gone and the rookie salary pool establishing only an easily circumvented ceiling on the first-year pay to each team’s entire class of rookies, the Rams can decide to take a stand.
Some NFL insiders believe they should. In a year before owners are expected to lock out the players, the Rams could spark a process that, as a practical matter, locks out the first-round picks who aren’t willing to accept whatever teams will pay. With a potential work stoppage coming up in 2011 and an even greater likelihood of a rookie wage scale looming for the next agreement, the prospects of sitting out a year have become less attractive than ever before.
Like most bold moves, a hard line from the Rams would entail significant risk. If more teams follow suit, the inevitable collusion claim from the NFLPA arising from depressed free agency activity will be strengthened. Moreover, if Bradford refuses to budge (and, trust me, agents Tom Condon and Ben Dogra will insist that Bradford holds firm), the Rams will have to deal with a fan base that wonders whether the franchise is serious about improving on its 1-15 finish in 2009.
But these are unusual times. Teams like the Indianapolis Colts and New England Patriots have decided not to sign their respective franchise quarterbacks to long-term deals until the labor situation is resolved, and barely a peep has emerged in response.
The Chargers have undermined their championship ambitions for 2010 by playing hardball with top receiver Vincent Jackson and left tackle Marcus McNeill.
And, for the most part, fans have yet to stand up and demand that the teams fork over even more money to players who are perceived to be grossly overpaid (even if, in reality,
they aren’t).
Maybe, then, the Rams could pull it off. Maybe they’d be cheered, not jeered, for shouting "enough" to players and agents who have preyed on the desperation of the NFL’s worst teams to win, steamrolling their front offices for bigger and bigger top-10 rookie deals.
If the league wants to sell the notion that teams can’t continue to follow what Packers CEO Mark Murphy called upon release of his team’s financial data a "non-sustainable model," the Rams possibly have no other choice.
Mike Florio writes and edits ProFootballTalk.com and is a regular contributor to Sporting News. Check out PFT for up-to-the minute NFL news.
At a time when the NFL has done everything it can to create the impression that the player compensation system doesn’t work — and that the current formula for paying first-round picks represents the most broken aspect of the process — how can the
St. Louis Rams justify paying $50 million guaranteed to quarterback
Sam Bradford?
The Rams have no obligation to make a snap decision on a fat deal for Sam Bradford.
On Wednesday, a team that has advanced to the playoffs twice in three years unveiled a financial report that demonstrates a drop of nearly $25 million in operating profits in only two years. On Friday, a team that has won a total of six games in those same three years will formally commence a process that many expect to result in a contract that guarantees $50 million to a man who has never played a down in the NFL.
Sure, the Rams made Bradford the
2010 draft’s first overall pick. And, yes, the jump to $50 million represents the next logical step in the development of a process that slowly has gone haywire over the past decade.
But why continue? The Rams have no obligation to spend the money. Under the labor deal, they must tender to Bradford a one-year contract worth the rookie minimum salary of $320,000, nothing more. With the salary floor gone and the rookie salary pool establishing only an easily circumvented ceiling on the first-year pay to each team’s entire class of rookies, the Rams can decide to take a stand.
Some NFL insiders believe they should. In a year before owners are expected to lock out the players, the Rams could spark a process that, as a practical matter, locks out the first-round picks who aren’t willing to accept whatever teams will pay. With a potential work stoppage coming up in 2011 and an even greater likelihood of a rookie wage scale looming for the next agreement, the prospects of sitting out a year have become less attractive than ever before.
Like most bold moves, a hard line from the Rams would entail significant risk. If more teams follow suit, the inevitable collusion claim from the NFLPA arising from depressed free agency activity will be strengthened. Moreover, if Bradford refuses to budge (and, trust me, agents Tom Condon and Ben Dogra will insist that Bradford holds firm), the Rams will have to deal with a fan base that wonders whether the franchise is serious about improving on its 1-15 finish in 2009.
But these are unusual times. Teams like the Indianapolis Colts and New England Patriots have decided not to sign their respective franchise quarterbacks to long-term deals until the labor situation is resolved, and barely a peep has emerged in response.
The Chargers have undermined their championship ambitions for 2010 by playing hardball with top receiver Vincent Jackson and left tackle Marcus McNeill.
And, for the most part, fans have yet to stand up and demand that the teams fork over even more money to players who are perceived to be grossly overpaid (even if, in reality,
they aren’t).
Maybe, then, the Rams could pull it off. Maybe they’d be cheered, not jeered, for shouting "enough" to players and agents who have preyed on the desperation of the NFL’s worst teams to win, steamrolling their front offices for bigger and bigger top-10 rookie deals.
If the league wants to sell the notion that teams can’t continue to follow what Packers CEO Mark Murphy called upon release of his team’s financial data a "non-sustainable model," the Rams possibly have no other choice.
Mike Florio writes and edits ProFootballTalk.com and is a regular contributor to Sporting News. Check out PFT for up-to-the minute NFL news.
In the first episode of the second season of The T.O. Show, free-agent receiver Terrell Owens rounds out his single year in Buffalo by apparently throwing in the towel: "I don’t really think I can do the whole new team, new city. This year’s just not been up to my expectations. So, mentally, I’m done."
Terrell Owens started all 16 games for the Bills last season, finishing with 55 receptions for 829 yards and only five touchdowns.
But he isn’t really done; T.O. has been trying diligently, to the point of desperately, to land a new gig.
To date, no dice.
He has at times blamed the media (specifically ESPN) for pointing to past words and deeds that could lead a team to be reluctant to sign him now, and T.O. has argued he did nothing to rock the boat in 2009 despite operating under inherently frustrating circumstances with the Bills. Still, no one wants him, for now.
The primary impediment could be his asking price (reportedly $5 million for the year) and his expectation that he be installed in one of the top two spots on the depth chart. Though he claims he’s no longer a diva, his demands suggest otherwise.
At some point, then, he’ll need to reduce his expectations. If/when he humbles himself, perhaps someone will give him another job.
So where could T.O. land for 2010? Let’s explore 10 possibilities, ranked in no particular order:
Baltimore Ravens
The Ravens had interest in Owens before trading for Anquan Boldin. Though it’s unlikely that they’d revisit T.O. absent an injury to Boldin, Derrick Mason, or Donte’ Stallworth, a torn ACL or a ruptured Achilles to any of those three players would put Baltimore instantly in play for Owens.
What about his asking price? The fact that they’ll pay quarterback Marc Bugler $3.8 million to back up Joe Flacco means the Ravens wouldn’t hesitate to pay T.O., if they get to the point where they need him.
Cincinnati Bengals
Receiver Chad Ochocinco pushed hard for the Bengals to sign his VH1 partner, and coach Marvin Lewis brought Owens in for a visit, right after Antonio Bryant visited Cincinnati — and right before Bryant signed a multi-year deal.
After Bryant signed, talk persisted for a few weeks that T.O. still could be added. Barring an injury to Ochocinco or Bryant, however, Owens would be No. 3 on the depth chart, at best. And he’d have to take a lot less than $5 million for the year.
The most telling sign that it’s not likely to happen? Even Ochocinco, the consummate talker, has long since quit talking about the possibility of playing with Owens.
Pittsburgh Steelers
With Super Bowl 43 MVP Santonio Holmes long gone and Super Bowl 40 MVP Hines Ward not getting any younger, the Steelers would benefit from whatever T.O. has left in the tank.
If Owens wants to join a contender and get a shot at a Super Bowl ring, maybe Owens would drop his asking price for a chance to play in Pittsburgh. But the Steelers have to be willing to take a chance on a guy with a checkered past, and given their quarterback with a checkered present, it’s probably too much of a risk.
Tennessee Titans
The Titans have one of the most dynamic running backs in the NFL. So why not add the guy who believes he’s still the most dynamic receiver?
The notion of adding T.O. to the Titans is compelling. With defenses focused on stopping Chris Johnson, Owens could be running free, with quarterback Vince Young sending the ball deep down the field with a flick of the wrist.
No serious talk of T.O. to Tennessee has emerged, but it makes too much sense to ignore the possibility.
Oakland Raiders
Owens has long been linked to the Raiders, based primarily on the fact his attitude and demeanor meshes with the type of player that the Oakland teams of the ’70s relished. And, even at 36, T.O. still has the speed owner Al Davis covets.
But Owens would have to make a leap of faith when it comes to the question of whether the Raiders can contend — and the Raiders would have to come up with a way to pay him.
San Diego Chargers
With receiver Vincent Jackson apparently intent on holding out deep into the 2010 season, the Chargers need a replacement. And Josh Reed, who signed last month, isn’t the answer.
So why not T.O.? He could help the Chargers’ offense dramatically, and he could be the difference between another early playoff exit and a Super Bowl.
Still, the team that once wasted millions on David Boston has demonstrated zero interest in T.O.
Washington Redskins
In April, not long after quarterback Donovan McNabb landed in D.C., he reportedly began lobbying for his new team to sign T.O. Coach Mike Shanahan swiftly put the kibosh on the possibility, but he left the door open a crack, saying only that "we will not go in that direction right now."
More recently, Owens have continued to express a desire to reunite with McNabb. But there’s still no reason to believe Shanahan plans to take advantage of the "right now" caveat he used several months ago.
Chicago Bears
The Bears are the team most likely to overlook Owens’ past because, well, they’re desperate to win now in order to save coach Lovie Smith’s future. And the Bears simply don’t have a strong No. 1 wideout to pair with franchise quarterback Jay Cutler.
But T.O. has no experience with offensive coordinator Mike Martz, and it’s unlikely that those two strong personalities could coexist, unless every pass is being thrown in Owens’ direction.
Carolina Panthers
The Panthers have no real complement to Steve Smith, and coach John Fox needs a big season in order to have a chance to stick around for 2011. (Of course, there’s a chance he doesn’t want to stick around for 2011.)
Owens and Smith paired with running backs DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart would give the Panthers a potent offense — assuming Matt Moore or Jimmy Clausen could survive having T.O. bark in one ear and Smith bark in the other.
Seattle Seahawks
Seattle previously sniffed around Brandon Marshall, and the Seahawks reportedly have interest in Vincent Jackson. With Marshall traded to Miami and Jackson supposedly not available, there’s only one way Seattle can make a big splash at wideout without trading for someone else.
Still, Owens has been available for months and nothing has happened. Though the Seahawks are believed to be interested, something is holding up the process.
In the end, it could be Owens’ asking price.
Mike Florio writes and edits ProFootballTalk.com and is a regular contributor to Sporting News. Check out PFT for up-to-the minute NFL news.
In the first episode of the second season of The T.O. Show, free-agent receiver Terrell Owens rounds out his single year in Buffalo by apparently throwing in the towel: "I don’t really think I can do the whole new team, new city. This year’s just not been up to my expectations. So, mentally, I’m done."
Terrell Owens started all 16 games for the Bills last season, finishing with 55 receptions for 829 yards and only five touchdowns.
But he isn’t really done; T.O. has been trying diligently, to the point of desperately, to land a new gig.
To date, no dice.
He has at times blamed the media (specifically ESPN) for pointing to past words and deeds that could lead a team to be reluctant to sign him now, and T.O. has argued he did nothing to rock the boat in 2009 despite operating under inherently frustrating circumstances with the Bills. Still, no one wants him, for now.
The primary impediment could be his asking price (reportedly $5 million for the year) and his expectation that he be installed in one of the top two spots on the depth chart. Though he claims he’s no longer a diva, his demands suggest otherwise.
At some point, then, he’ll need to reduce his expectations. If/when he humbles himself, perhaps someone will give him another job.
So where could T.O. land for 2010? Let’s explore 10 possibilities, ranked in no particular order:
Baltimore Ravens
The Ravens had interest in Owens before trading for Anquan Boldin. Though it’s unlikely that they’d revisit T.O. absent an injury to Boldin, Derrick Mason, or Donte’ Stallworth, a torn ACL or a ruptured Achilles to any of those three players would put Baltimore instantly in play for Owens.
What about his asking price? The fact that they’ll pay quarterback Marc Bugler $3.8 million to back up Joe Flacco means the Ravens wouldn’t hesitate to pay T.O., if they get to the point where they need him.
Cincinnati Bengals
Receiver Chad Ochocinco pushed hard for the Bengals to sign his VH1 partner, and coach Marvin Lewis brought Owens in for a visit, right after Antonio Bryant visited Cincinnati — and right before Bryant signed a multi-year deal.
After Bryant signed, talk persisted for a few weeks that T.O. still could be added. Barring an injury to Ochocinco or Bryant, however, Owens would be No. 3 on the depth chart, at best. And he’d have to take a lot less than $5 million for the year.
The most telling sign that it’s not likely to happen? Even Ochocinco, the consummate talker, has long since quit talking about the possibility of playing with Owens.
Pittsburgh Steelers
With Super Bowl 43 MVP Santonio Holmes long gone and Super Bowl 40 MVP Hines Ward not getting any younger, the Steelers would benefit from whatever T.O. has left in the tank.
If Owens wants to join a contender and get a shot at a Super Bowl ring, maybe Owens would drop his asking price for a chance to play in Pittsburgh. But the Steelers have to be willing to take a chance on a guy with a checkered past, and given their quarterback with a checkered present, it’s probably too much of a risk.
Tennessee Titans
The Titans have one of the most dynamic running backs in the NFL. So why not add the guy who believes he’s still the most dynamic receiver?
The notion of adding T.O. to the Titans is compelling. With defenses focused on stopping Chris Johnson, Owens could be running free, with quarterback Vince Young sending the ball deep down the field with a flick of the wrist.
No serious talk of T.O. to Tennessee has emerged, but it makes too much sense to ignore the possibility.
Oakland Raiders
Owens has long been linked to the Raiders, based primarily on the fact his attitude and demeanor meshes with the type of player that the Oakland teams of the ’70s relished. And, even at 36, T.O. still has the speed owner Al Davis covets.
But Owens would have to make a leap of faith when it comes to the question of whether the Raiders can contend — and the Raiders would have to come up with a way to pay him.
San Diego Chargers
With receiver Vincent Jackson apparently intent on holding out deep into the 2010 season, the Chargers need a replacement. And Josh Reed, who signed last month, isn’t the answer.
So why not T.O.? He could help the Chargers’ offense dramatically, and he could be the difference between another early playoff exit and a Super Bowl.
Still, the team that once wasted millions on David Boston has demonstrated zero interest in T.O.
Washington Redskins
In April, not long after quarterback Donovan McNabb landed in D.C., he reportedly began lobbying for his new team to sign T.O. Coach Mike Shanahan swiftly put the kibosh on the possibility, but he left the door open a crack, saying only that "we will not go in that direction right now."
More recently, Owens have continued to express a desire to reunite with McNabb. But there’s still no reason to believe Shanahan plans to take advantage of the "right now" caveat he used several months ago.
Chicago Bears
The Bears are the team most likely to overlook Owens’ past because, well, they’re desperate to win now in order to save coach Lovie Smith’s future. And the Bears simply don’t have a strong No. 1 wideout to pair with franchise quarterback Jay Cutler.
But T.O. has no experience with offensive coordinator Mike Martz, and it’s unlikely that those two strong personalities could coexist, unless every pass is being thrown in Owens’ direction.
Carolina Panthers
The Panthers have no real complement to Steve Smith, and coach John Fox needs a big season in order to have a chance to stick around for 2011. (Of course, there’s a chance he doesn’t want to stick around for 2011.)
Owens and Smith paired with running backs DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart would give the Panthers a potent offense — assuming Matt Moore or Jimmy Clausen could survive having T.O. bark in one ear and Smith bark in the other.
Seattle Seahawks
Seattle previously sniffed around Brandon Marshall, and the Seahawks reportedly have interest in Vincent Jackson. With Marshall traded to Miami and Jackson supposedly not available, there’s only one way Seattle can make a big splash at wideout without trading for someone else.
Still, Owens has been available for months and nothing has happened. Though the Seahawks are believed to be interested, something is holding up the process.
In the end, it could be Owens’ asking price.
Mike Florio writes and edits ProFootballTalk.com and is a regular contributor to Sporting News. Check out PFT for up-to-the minute NFL news.
