WHAT'S THE LATEST

July 26th, 2011 Tuesday

What's the Latest

THE NFL IS BACK; LOCKOUT ENDS

Words that are like music to our ears, “the NFL is back on track” and we can now look forward to football this fall and for the next 10 years. And with the return of football starts all the craziness of free agency, re-signings, signings of rookies, and block-buster trades.

Okay maybe there aren’t any block buster trades in the works just yet, but some key players to be watching over the next several days, let alone weeks would include; quarterbacks Kevin Kolb and Kyle Orton. Aside from the flying trade rumors let’s not forget about some of the other big names that should draw attention during this expedited free agency session; (QB) Donovan McNabb, (WR) Santonio Holmes, (QB) Matt Hasselbeck, (DB) Nnamdi Asomugha, (WR) Plaxico Burress, and dare I say Brett Favre. And this is just the tip of the ice-berg.

As early as Tuesday morning, one day after both sides (the owners and players) announced they had a deal, there were news updates citing team’s plans to cut some big names later in the week, those names include; (RB) Marion Barber, (WR) Roy Williams, and (RB) Willis McGahee.

And would we have football without at least one possible big name hold-out, running back Chris Johnson and a little controversy in Cincy; and no it’s not Terrell Owens. It looks like Bengal’s owner Mike Brown has no intention of blinking and is expecting quarterback Carson Palmer to retire. Personally I expect Palmer to pull the Favre move and come out, once it appears the team has moved forward; we will see.

It’s nice to have the game back on track, but fans better buckle up and hold on, over the next couples of weeks, things could move rather quickly with teams making changes, reshaping their rosters, and trying to put a together a finished product that will be ready to take the field for opening weekend in less than two months.

Welcome back NFL, we are ready for some football!

By David Ortega

AROUND THE LEAGUE

February 20th, 2011 Sunday

Around The League

Just my notes and thoughts of the latest happenings from around the National Football League…

NFL Talks Continue...
There doesn’t seem to be any changes to the current situation, but the good news is the two sides (the League and Players Union) have met with a federal mediator for three consecutive days. The indication would be both parties are working hard toward reaching common ground and getting a deal done before the deadline. The bad news is nothing has changed to this point, but the good news is the two are working together and the meeting continue; at least that gives fans hopes they may be able to get a deal done before the March 3rd deadline (when the existing CBA deal expires).

Rams Raising Tickets Prices….
Seems like an odd move at the moment, with the League and Players Union engaged in a bitter battle over money. I guess regardless of the outcome, whether one side or both make concessions to get a new collective bargaining agreement done, the Rams figure they need to figure out a way to pay quarterback Sam Bradford’s outrageous $78 million contract; may as well make the fans pick up the tab.

Orton Not Only One Who Thinks Future Uncertain ….
When asked about his future Orton responded that he didn’t know which should come as no surprise since many folks around the league think he could be on the trade block this offseason. With the ushering in of Tim Tebow at quarterback down the stretch in 2010, and the Bronco’s failure to get anywhere with Orton at the helm, it seems the battle cry in Denver is for change. Orton is due a lot of cabbage in 2011, if he stays and remains a Bronco it wouldn’t make sense to pay him so much to play back-up. It’s a guessing game at the moment, but once the new CBA deal is complete, teams including the Broncos will start moving forward in their plans for the future.

Eagles Price For Kolb too Much?....
The reports surrounding the Eagles and quarterback Kevin Folb indicate the team is asking for a first and possibly a third rounder. With such a high asking price and the league currently in limbo, there isn’t likely going to be any takers rushing the Eagles front door. Once the league returns to business as usual and teams can resume their day-to-day without distraction it will be interesting to see who comes calling for Kolb’s services. If the price is right it seems it’s a move that makes sense for Philly and if he stays, even with Vick starting having Kolb play back up is a nice insurance policy to have.


By David Ortega

THIS WEEK'S HEADLINES

December 14th, 2010 Tuesday

This Week’s Headlines

Patriots Set The Record Straight
In case anyone was not paying attention last week Tom Brady and company made it abundantly clear on Sunday, they (Patriots) are the best team in the league; here, there, anywhere, including Antarctica. In blizzard like conditions at Soldier field (Chicago) Tom Brady played like the savvy veteran quarterback he is; un-phased by the elements he only passed for 369 yards and tossed two scores in a game that was never close. The Patriots will travel home this week and face possibly an Aaron Rodgers-less Packers team; time to show another non-believer.

Packers Playoffs Could Be In Jeopardy
With the Packers in the middle of a heated division race with the Chicago Bears, now is not the time to be at your second best, which is exactly where they could be this coming Sunday. In week 14 against at Detroit, the Packers not only lost to the Lions, but they lost quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers suffered his second concussion of the season and there are reports suggesting the Packers could be without him this coming Sunday. With three games remaining and already back a game to the Bears, the Packers can’t afford to lose any ground. This weekend’s matchup with the Patriots in Foxboro already appears to be a monumental task, but without Rodgers near impossible.

Chargers Breathing New Life
Did anyone forget it is the month of December? Sure the Chargers let that fact slip past for butt a moment two weeks ago when they dropped their matchup with the Raiders, but following their week 14 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs they have new life. Upon entering the contest with the Chiefs, the Chargers hardly had any room to breathe, trailing by two games with two to play. A loss would have been disastrous and surely concluded any hopes of another magical December run, but as it has now become too familiar the Bolts posted another last season win and still have a shot at the postseason. The Chargers still trail the Chiefs by one game, but with critical divisional matchups slated for week 17 (Oak @ KC; SD @ Den) this race is likely going to come down to the wire.

Is It Time To Play Tebow In Denver?
With the 2010 season seemingly in shambles and the Broncos headed nowhere once again for the sixth straight season, the question arises; is it time to play Tim Tebow? It’s a good question with no right answer, but although this team has not much more than pride left to play for you have to wonder if making the change would be considered signaling throwing in the towel. It doesn’t make sense to put Tim Tebow (25th overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft) in for the sake of putting him in. The Broncos are in the middle of going through a lot of possible changes; a new coach, a possible off-season overhaul, and the last thing they need is instability on the field. Tebow still needs a lot of development and work, but at the same time it would make sense for Broncos to try and finish strong so they can evaluate their current talent. Then there’s always their interim coach who is trying to make a good impression; playing your rookie quarterback at this point is probably not putting your best foot forward. If Orton is not the future for the Broncos, Tebow’s time will come, it just may not come until the offseason.

Falcons and Saints Cruise: Sites Set For MNF.
Both the Falcons and Saints continue to cruise with decisive wins in week 14. The Falcons led by quarterback Matt Ryan improved to 11-2 with a 31-10 thumping of the Carolina Panthers. The win was the 7th straight for Atlanta. The Saints led by their signal caller Drew Brees, were also big winners on Sunday, disposing of the Rams 31-13. It was the Saints 6th straight win and improved their record to 10-3. With both teams playing well with all pistons firing, the NFC South division race is likely going to be decided when these two teams collide on Monday Night in week 16; fireworks will be lighting the skies.

By David Ortega