TUESDAY FOOTBALL NOTES

March 1st, 2011 Tuesday

Tuesday’s Football Notes

Saints Fill Up the Middle
Should the NFL resume business as usual this summer the New Orleans Saints seem to be taking the necessary steps to make a possible return run to the big dance in 2012. The Saints have signed defensive tackle Shaun Rogers to a one year deal worth about $4 million. Rogers could have easily signed for more money elsewhere, but it appears he wanted to play in the Big Easy and have a legit shot at ring. Rogers can be a beast in the middle with great size and athleticism; if his head is in the right place and he comes ready this summer, he will give the Saints run defense a huge boost. Remember the Saints were knocked out in the Wild-Card round by Seattle this past season; the defense allowed 150 yards rushing in the loss.

Jets Release Many, But Expected to Keep LT
The Jets made some moves this week to free up some cap space, by releasing some big salaried players. Among those released include DL-Kris Jenkins, OLB-Jason Taylor, DE-Vernon Gholston, and OL-Damien Woody. It’s not a long stretch to think the team could bring back all four at reduced salaries, although Gholston could be iffy considered the top-10 draft pick has never amounted to much in the league since his arrival. With all the releases the Jets did decided to retain running back LaDanian Tomlinson, although at 32 years of age (when camp opens) he figures to enter his 11th season in the NFL as more of a 3rd down specialist. He will likely serve as a compliment to Shonn Greene, who is expected to assume more of a leading role in 2011.

NFL Won’t Have Winter Nest Egg
The Courts have spoken and it was music to the Union’s ear. A federal judge ruled on Tuesday that the NFL had breached parts of the CBA and would not be able to collect on a $4 billion stockpile of cash it was expected to receive as a result of the negotiated TV contracts. Although the NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said the league has planned for all contingencies, it’s hard to imagine this ruling have “no affect. For any business and even this league $4 billion is a great deal to let slide. Both sides are continuing their daily sessions with the deadline looming, hopefully this turn of events will at the very least give the two sides a cause for a moment of pause and reconsideration. C’mon guys, get’er done.


By David Ortega

FRIDAY FOOTBALL FIXX

February 25th, 2011 Friday

Friday’s Football Fixx

The Latest Moves Around the League

Redskins Expected to Release Portis
After missing as many games as he has over the past couple of seasons it does not come as a surprise to hear head coach Mike Shanahan hint the team could be parting ways with running back Clinton Portis. The former Redskins’ starter has missed 19 games the past two seasons and even when healthy he played banged up most of the time. After 10 seasons in the league it’s easy to see that Portis is wearing down. His future is likely a back-up elsewhere in 2011.

Rice High Priority for Vikings
Despite some conflicting reports concerning wide receiver Sidney Rice’s hip injury from a year ago, the team sounds intent on resigning the play-making wideout. Head coach Leslie Frazier indicated that there are no concerns about Rice’s health and that he is expected to be just fine. Rice led the team in receiving (receptions and yards) back in 2009, but in 2010 he played in just six games with just one game worthy of mention. If he’s healthy, he should return to the role of the Vikings top target, but if not the Vikings will have a big hole to fill.

Broncos Could Be Targeting Atogwe
According to some reports I am reading, the Broncos are interested in the former Rams safety Oshiomogho Atogwe. He was released by the Rams following the 2010 season largely due to the fact he was expected to earn an $8 million bonus. Although he was released by the Rams they appear to be pursuing his services as well as the Broncos. Defense has been the weak link in Denver, so it would make sense for the team to be showing interest. Safety Bob Sanders (recently released by the Colts) is another name that has come up in conversation, but I have yet to see any reports suggesting the Broncos could be interested.

More Notes…

Although nothing seems to be certain at this point it sounds like the Saints won’t be making any moves concerning running back Reggie Bush before March 4th. Bush is expected to earn a lot of cabbage in 2011, so it’s likely the two sides will sit down to restructure a deal or part ways. After missing Bush is going to stay in New Orleans, he’s going to have to take a big pay cut.

In Cincinnati the words I am reading indicate the team is making plans to move forward as if they won’t have quarterback Carson Palmer in 2011. That would be smart after Palmer has already come out and said he will retire rather than return to Cincinnati, if he is not traded. While the move to push on makes sense, the team should also start exploring the possibilities and advantages of moving Palmer rather than doing nothing; after a 4-12 season what could it hurt?

The Combine Starts Now

The Combine is already underway with day one including place kickers and special teamers working out on Friday, but with the rest of the participants ready to start showcasing on Saturday here is a recap of the Combine schedule….

What’s on Tap at the Combine for all players;

Day one:
Players travel to Indianapolis and go through registration once they arrive. On the first day -- pre-workout exams and x-rays -- then players move into orientation explaining what the week is all about. Following will be interviews with various NFL teams who want to speak with particular players.

Day two:
This day includes physical measurements of the players, some exams, media time, psych tests and then more interviews with NFL teams.

Day three:
This day includes a meeting with the NFLPA and after that, more interviews with NFL teams.

Day four:
Workouts on this day -- timing, stations and skill drills -- and then players will prepare to depart Indy.

General Player Schedule

February 23rd – March 1st, 2011

23th-26th
Day 1 Arrivals*:

Grp 1(PK, ST, OL), Grp 2(OL), Grp 3(TE)
Wednesday - Travel, Registration, Pre-exam & X-ray, Orientation, Interviews
Thursday - Measurements, Exams, Media, Psych Tests, Interviews
Friday - NFLPA Meeting, Psych Tests, *PK/ST Workout*, Interviews
Saturday - Workout (timing, stations, skill drills), Departure

24th-27th
Day 2 Arrivals*:
Grp 4(QB, WO), Grp 5(QB, WO), Grp 6(RB)
Thursday - Travel, Registration, Pre-exam & X-ray, Orientation, Interviews
Friday - Measurements, Exams, Media, Psych Tests, Interviews
Saturday - NFLPA Meeting, Psych Tests, Interviews
Sunday - Workout (timing, stations, skill drills), Departure

25th-28th
Day 3 Arrivals:
Grp 7(DL), Grp 8(DL), Grp 9(LB)
Friday - Travel, Registration, Pre-exam & X-ray, Orientation, Interviews
Saturday - Measurements, Exams, Media, Psych Tests, Interviews
Sunday - NFLPA Meeting, Psych Tests, Interviews
Monday - Workout (timing, stations, skill drills), Departure

26th-1st
Day 4 Arrivals:
Grp 10(DB), Grp 11(DB)
Saturday - Travel, Registration, Pre-exam & X-ray, Orientation, Interviews
Sunday - Measurements, Exams, Media, Psych Tests, Interviews
Monday - NFLPA Meeting, Psych Tests, Interviews
Tuesday - Workout (timing, stations, skill drills), Departure


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

THAT'S MY TAKE

February 17th, 2011 Thursday

That’s My Take

NFL Labor Talks: Who’s Right, Who’s Wrong?

So the latest on the NFL Labor Talks situation, it appears both sides have agreed to meet with a mediator; they’ll meet, but there’s no guarantee that either side will agree to any settlements offered through mediation. The intent however is to try and meet the March 3rd deadline, but from the outside looking in it appears to be a long shot at best.

What is really amazing to me through all of this, that both sides have allowed this situation to fester as long as it has and now the country’s most popular and most successful sport is in serious jeopardy of coming to a halt?

A lockout, a strike, is there really a difference when you think about it? It just means no work and for football fans, no games. No one wants a stoppage, but everything we are hearing seems to headed toward that direction. Both sides are ages apart on several issues without any sign of budging anytime soon.

I can’t say that I believe there is any right or wrong side in this dispute, but as a fan that has to pay exorbitant prices for tickets and concessions at games I just don’t understand what each side is disputing here. I know the owners are in this business to make money (and of course win games are part of the process), but seeing how the players make these enormous salaries I just don’t get it.

If the Players union was fighting for better working conditions and fair pay, I could see the point of all this. I am not going to take the side of the owners here, but in my working place I don’t share any of the revenue with the boss. I am paid a simple salary for the work I complete. If I didn’t have what I considered to be fair and basic benefits, medical, dental, 401K, etc, I could see taking a position of protest.

I am not fully aware of all the issues on the table that the two sides are disputing, but it would seem to me that the players of today make more than enough money, but if their fight is for player’s benefits after football, medical insurance, and pension, I can see their point; any issue beyond that sounds like just asking for more money.

Do the players really need more money? Are they not able to market themselves off the field (maybe they can’t use the NFL as a stepping stool, but does Tom Brady really need to NFL to receive new endorsements?) Okay, so not all players are Tom Brady, but most that reach this level will make great money, even if for a short time. Should the owners be held accountable for player’s mismanagement of their money?

By the same token, as long as the owners are making insane money (and with the TV contracts and shared revenue how can they not) they should be looking to take care of the most valuable commodities; the players. It’s nice to see the leagues advocating a more safety conscious environment on the playing field, but an 18-game schedule would not support such thinking. The owners focus in these meetings should be on providing for better pensions, insurance, and post-career benefits for its players.

I agree that revenue sharing should be a topic of discussion and negotiation, but not something the players should be able to hold the league hostage with. On this point I think the owners have every right to receive the majority share, but they should be fair about how it’s split.

There is some validity to what the players may be asking, but whether or not it is reasonable for them to expect to receive these concessions is questionable. Both sides should be working toward protecting their investment (the players) while they play (earn) and after they are done. While the two sides struggle in this bitter dispute, there are literally 1,000 of others that directly affected by the outcome, stadium personnel, all of the organizations’ personnel, the coaching staffs (by the way, who is paying all of those people?).

What I would like to know, if nothing changed today for the league and players, who is really in trouble, where are the real issues? It seems in a country with more than 10% unemployment, the NFL players should be happy to be working even if it’s only for a short stint. If most of them got a taste of what a lot of us face every day, they might appreciate more the position they sit in today.

It is a real shame that this may be just about money, but right or wrong someone is going to have to give in at some point or everyone (fans included) will lose.

C’mon man, let’s play some football (in the fall). I vote for no stoppage, get a deal done now!

Just my take.

By David Ortega

WHAT'S THE LATEST

February 16th, 2011 Wednesday

What's the Latest

Bailey On the Move?
With little change on the front in Denver, it sounds like cornerback Champ Bailey is speaking loud and clear. The Denver Post is reporting that Bailey has put his Denver home on the market; is it a ploy to get a deal done or is he leaving. The words coming from the new Bronco’s head coach John Fox would indicate they would like to have the 10-time Pro Bowler back in 2011, but whether that happens remains to be seen. If the team does not re-sign Bailey prior to a new collective bargaining agreement between the league and Players’ Union, he will become an unrestricted free agent. There is no question, the team is more likely to re-sign him while he is under contract, and once he hits the market he is as good as gone. I don’t believe the new Elway regime has any interest in getting involved with a bidding war for Bailey’s services.

The NFL (& NFL Network) Meets Twitter
It’s pretty amazing how all of us, even some of the networks on TV (a network closely related to the NFL, but I won’t say which) are easily influenced or at least entertained enough to humor the many tweets of Twitter. It seems these days nothing gets past Twitter and nothing said on Twitter can escape the eyes of the sports world (or all-world for that matter). When comments are made by an analyst on TV and then get repeated on Twitter and that causes controversy, you know some folks just have too much time on their hands if they’re following this. What I find real amazing is how so many buy into this social media world of entertainment and run with it like its’ verified breaking world news. I guess sometimes we forget to consider our sources when we decide we’re going to make a simple exchange of text messages via twitter into a story. Look at this, even I am dedicating a few moments of my time to comment on it. Although I won’t be commenting on just what Terrell Owens and Chad Ochocinco tweeted back and forth, I find it entertaining that someone is going to run with this as a real story, that both T.O. and Chad were really exchanging heated texts blaming each other; like these two were the brains of the operation and really understood the ills of Cincinnati. While there two were tweeting and texting I would not be surprise to find out that they were off together somewhere, tilting back a few cocktails and having a big laugh about the whole thing; remember we are talking about T.O. and Chad, they live for drama and the attention.

Palmer Still Wants Out
While other folks want to talk about who is blaming who for Carson Palmer wanting out the real story here is Palmer. He may not have achieved Icon status, but Palmer has likely earned his stripes to take this stand and like a few notable analysts on the NFL Network (Trent Green & Solomon Wilcox) I agree that he is likely to walk away from the game. He knows better than anyone, if he stays in Cincinnati he’s not going to win (a Super Bowl) and the window of opportunity at his age is rapidly closing. The Bengals are likely headed toward rebuilding and it only makes sense that Palmer realizes any chance at winning any time soon means he must leave Cincy. I find it hard to believe that the Bengal’s organization is going to take this hardline approach and like Green says; if they do “they’ll need a plan B.” Green goes on the state some of the reasons for Palmer’s frustrations in Cincinnati, but the bottom line and the only reason that should matter is “he’s tired of losing.” Had he been winning with all the changes, attitudes, disruptions, and divas, none of it would matter. In the NFL it’s all about winning and for Palmer, I am sure he feels its way past time for him to taste his share of sweet success.


By David Ortega

FRIDAY FOOTBALL FIXX

February 11th, 2011 Friday

Friday’s Football Fixx

The Latest Moves Around the League

The Patriots are interested in keeping their top prize (quarterback Tom Brady) well protected, but may not be looking into heavily investing in that venture. The Boston Herald is reporting that the team is planning to place a franchise tag on their Pro Bowl guard Logan Mankins. Mankins was a holdout at the start of the 2010 season, but returned long enough to accrue enough time to get full credit for a season played. With this move and the rocky past between Mankins and the Patriots, it looks like 2011 could be his last in New England.

The Cleveland Browns released defensive lineman Shaun Rogers on Wednesday, but it doesn’t look like he will be unemployed for very long. According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, Roger’s has been contacted by multiple teams. An unproductive 2010 season and hefty salary due in 2011 led to his departure from Cleveland. At 32 Rogers may not be quite done, but with just two sacks last season he’s not likely to see a big payday in his near future.

The Redskins number one wide receiver Santana Moss is now an unrestricted free agent with his contracted being voided on Friday. Moss set a career high in 2010 with 93 receptions, but that was with Donovan McNabb under center. At 31 years of age, if Moss is thinking about a ring he has to know the window of opportunity is shrinking. He is a capable receiver that can still make plays, as a free agent he can also basically go anywhere he’d like, with more change coming to Washington in 2011 it’s hard to see him staying.

The Bengal’s quarterback Carson Palmer has reportedly put his home on the market indicating to some that he has no plans of playing in Cincinnati in 2011. The Bengals have reportedly expressed they have no interest in trading Palmer, leaving the question will Palmer be traded or retire. Either way it looks like the Bengals will have to go searching for a quarterback this offseason, via the draft or free agency. If cooler heads should happen to prevail, there could be some interest in Palmer who (although not the most impressive) did bounce back in 2010 with one of his more productive seasons (3,970 yards passing, 26 touchdowns; he also set a career high with 586 pass attempts and tied his career high with 20 interceptions.

Here Comes the Combine (Feb 24th - Mar 1st)

For those of you at home keeping score, the future superstars of the NFL will be on displaying in Indianapolis for the annual Scouting Combine. The event will once again be held at Lucas Oild Stadium and be covered on the NFL Network. The event opens on Thursday February 24th and will run through to March 1st. More than 300 of the country’s top collegiate football players and the NFL prospects will gather to showcase their skills and talents in hopes of reaching the next level.

These are some of the featured participants expected to be in Indianapolis for the Combine;

Newton, Cam-Auburn
Little, Greg-North Carolina
Ingram, Mark-Alabama
Locker, Jake-Washington
Young, Titus-Boise St.
Bowers, Da'Quan-Clemson
Clayborn, Adrian-Iowa
Dareus, Marcell-Alabama
Fairley, Nick-Auburn
Heyward, Cameron-Ohio St.
Jordan, Cameron-California
Kerrigan, Ryan-Purdue
Liuget, Corey-Illinois
Paea, Stephen-Oregon St.
Quinn, Robert-North Carolina
Watt, J.J.-Wisconsin
Ponder, Christian-Florida St.
Stanzi, Ricky-Iowa
Brown, Vincent-San Diego St.
Green, A.J.-Georgia
Hunter, Kendall-Oklahoma St.
Murray, Demarco-Oklahoma
Thomas, Daniel-Buffalo
Hankerson, Leonard-Miami
Jernigan, Jerrel-Troy
Jones, Julio-Alabama
Clay, Charles-Tulsa
Kendricks, Lance-Wisconsin
Stocker, Luke-Tennessee
Wilkerson, Muhammad-Temple
Ayers, Akeem-UCLA
Carter, Bruce-North Carolina
Dalton, Andrew-TCU
Devlin, Patrick-Delaware
Gabbert, Blaine-Missouri
Kaepernick, Colin-Nevada
Mallett, Ryan-Arkansas
Williams, D.J.-Arkansas
Herzlich, Mark-Boston College
Jones, Greg-Michigan St.
Matthews, Casey-Oregon
Miller, Von-Texas A&M


By David Ortega

WHAT'S THE LATEST

February 10th, 2011 Thursday

What's the Latest

The Offseason Has Begun
The Packers and Steelers played, Green Bay prevailed and Aaron Rodgers was named MVP. With the conclusion of the 45th annual Super Bowl the offseason has begun and with that all 32 teams must now address free agency, the coming draft in April, coaching changes, roster evaluations, and personnel changes. The next scheduled event on the NFL calendar is the NFL combine which is scheduled to start February 23rd and run through March 1st. The Draft will follow in New York City on April 28th and last three days. As fast as teams get started with their offseason activities, all of this could seemingly come to a halt if the league and Union don’t get their act together and get a deal done.

Labor Talks Underway
The scheduled talks between the League and Union have begun, but they don’t seem to be off to a good start. As quickly as the talks started they have apparently reached an impasse and the two sides have already cancelled a 2nd day of meetings (originally scheduled for Thursday). With the current collective bargaining agreement set to expire in less than a month, the two negotiating teams are certainly not evoking a lot of confidence that a deal can be done soon. Despite the recent negative press a NFL spokesman said “the two sides are fully focused” on reaching an agreement before the March 4th deadline. With so much (money and fans) to lose, let’s hope smarter heads prevail and soon.

Broncos WR Out 6-8 Months
The Bronco’s rookie wide receiver Demaryius Thomas suffered a torn Achilles tendon injury during a workout in Atlanta and is expected to be out six to eight months. The Broncos’ young receiver has great potential to be a star in the league, but needs to stay healthy. Thomas saw limited action in his first season, but did show some signs of brilliance catching 22 passes for 283 yards with two touchdowns. His rookie campaign however was flawed with several injuries (fractured foot, concussion, sprained ankle) that kept him out of six games. Head coach John Fox sounds confident that Thomas will rebound.

The Future Has Arrived
The former Auburn quarterback Cam Newton held a workout for the media in San Diego on Thursday. Newton went through his daily workout throwing passes and completing agility drills. Newton has been working six days a week since late January working with quarterbacks coach George Whitfield Jr. and hall of fame quarterback Warren Moon. There seem to be a lot of mixed reviews about Newtons’ potential and future at the next level. He appears to be a truly gifted talent, but even with the attributes and skills to play the game it takes a lot of hard work, commitment, and dedication on ones part to be successful. These are things that only time will tell, but for now it looks like Newton is the future for some NFL team and he has arrived.

By David Ortega